MusicRadar

"When I do a show like this, I'm a chef," says Carlos Santana, describing the concert he and his band put on in July 2011, now documented on the upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release, Greatest Hits - Live At Montreux. "I have to make sure the temperature of everything is correct, that the ingredients and condiments and the essence are just right. The end result has to be supremely delicious.

"Music has to be the right tempo," he continues. "It has to have the right feel, the right groove, the right key…and then the elements, the garlic, the onions, the sauce...it all has to be fresh, genuine, true and for-freakin'-real!"

Santana's mouth-watering descriptions are certainly apt when one views the two-disc package, which offers up all of the guitarist's smash hits and a fascinating array of cover tunes, which run the gamut from John Coltrane to AC/DC. "Music is one of the biggest menus you could hope to choose from," says Santana. "When I pick songs from artists I love and revere, it can take a long time. But I'm looking at a great selection, a wonderful menu, so I'm sure my decisions will result in a fabulous meal."

With our stomachs growing, we sat down with Carlos Santana to talk about his new Blu-ray and DVD release, as well as his signature guitar tone, covering AC/DC and John Coltrane in the same set and whether he loves the guitar as much now as when he was a kid.

Carlos, your comparisons of music to food are incredible.

[laughs] "Well, sure! But why not? Whether it's food or sex, it has to be delicious. Music is like having that whipped cream on top of a wonderful dessert. Actually, it's more than that, because you have to have the whole menu. You need the salad, the appetizer, the soup, the main course and then the dessert. Good music isn't just a snack - it's the meal."

You recorded the new live set in Montreux. Your relationship with the city, and with Claude Nobs, the organizer, goes way back.

"That's right. We go back to 1970. I chose Montreux as the locale for the filming because Claude is more than just a promoter or impresario; he has the highest standards of anyone I know. He's like Bill Graham was - he really cares for the artist. He records his concerts with the utmost fidelity and definition. He's in his own league. And the Montreux audiences are great, very passionate and sophisticated."

Your signature guitar sound comes through beautifully on the live set. At this point, can you get your tone on any stage?

"Yes. No problem. I'll explain that: The most important thing one has to do to be supreme, whether you're playing Woodstock or a parking lot or the Grammys or Carnegie Hall, is you have to present…present with love. Your brain and your heart cannot be somewhere else.

"A real musician has to trust muscle memory; you have to know that your hands and fingers will go where they need to go. But at the same time, every note has to come from the center of your heart. There has to have a 'virgin-ness' to each note, as though it's the first time you've ever played it.

"My sound doesn't have anything to do with my sponsors. I say that with the utmost respect to those companies, the people who make the guitars and the amplifiers. They tell me the same thing: 'I'm glad you endorse our guitars, but you can get the Santana sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan with any guitar!'

"The sound has to come from you. But here's something you have to ask a musician: What were you thinking and feeling when you hit the note? Not what key it was or what chord, or what this or what that. Too many people think there's a secret formula to making music, like it's a gimmick or something. It's not! I could give you the same guitar and amplifier that Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughan used, and you won't sound like any of them. Only they could do that!"

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