We're not really ripping on Santana, I dig the stuff he's done and I'm glad he did it. I think the concensus here is that people feel he's giving too much credit for his guitar playing (and yes I have seen him live 2x, plus lots of live footage).
About the album w/Mclaughlin, we'll he was just a fish out of water on that one. But I feel the same way w/Mclaughlin with Paco de Lucia & Dimeola, Paco plays circles around both of those guys, and plays the music the way it was meant to be played, Dimeola can hang, but Mclaughlin should have called out sick on that gig.
Just my opinion.