The third time is definitely not a charm for Carlos Santana [ tickets ], Clive Davis and their merry band of collaborators.

You can't blame Santana and Davis for going back to the well, especially after the unprecedented success of 1999's "Supernatural." But "All That I Am," Santana's latest release, is no "Supernatural"--or "Shaman," for that matter.

"All That I Am" starts out strong, with "Hermes" and "El Fuego," timeless jams that recall "Jingo" and "Oye Como Va." But by track three Santana is playing background to the likes of Michelle Branch, Bo Bice and the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am.

The songs themselves are as appealing as yesterday's veggie burrito. Even Santana's guitar work has become predictable--he lays down some rapid-fire licks in between poppy lyrics and stylized singing. Only on "Trinity," when he teams up with Metallica's Kirk Hammett and slide player Robert Randolph, does Santana truly let his six-string loose.

Significantly, the best songs on "All That I Am" are the five written by Carlos Santana. It's clearly time for Carlos to take the reins again. An all-Spanish album shouldn't be too hard to pull off. After all, this is Carlos Santana we're talking about and, despite its title, it's not Carlos Santana that we get on "All That I Am."