My First Love: Rob Trujillo on Santana’s Abraxas

"My father played flamenco guitar as a hobby and used to listen to a lot of Santana. It was the early 70s, I was probably around nine years old, but I knew that I wanted Abraxas - so I went with my mother to the store and I got it.

“Abraxas had Black Magic Woman on it. I was drawn to the latin flair of this great rock song. I felt Santana had a very dynamic range. He’d bring in heavy guitars for the riff to get everyone excited, and with the use of percussion there was this indigenous quality to the beat, the rhythm, the flow of the music he was producing - not to mention all those nice, beautiful instrumental moments.

“The album cover was really fascinating too. His artwork was psychedelic and trippy with beautiful women in it that made you look and go ‘wow’. There were many emotions stirred with that record.

“The second album I bought, my second love, was Kool And The Gang’s Wild And Peaceful! It had Jungle Boogie on it, and you can’t argue with that for a groove!

“Santana’s in my film Jaco (a documentary on bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius, due out November) and I’ve seen him play a few times. The first time I saw him was with my father, in about 1980. My dad passed his love on to me, and I’m keeping it going.”

Metallica play the 10th MusiCares MAP Fund at Club Nokia in LA on May 12 before hitting Europe from May 28 and Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth on July 6.

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Jo is a journalist, podcaster, event host and music industry lecturer who joined Kerrang! in 1999 and then the dark side – Prog – a decade later as Deputy Editor. Jo's had tea with Robert Fripp, touched Ian Anderson's favourite flute (!) and asked Suzi Quatro what one wears under a leather catsuit. Jo is now Associate Editor of Prog, and a regular contributor to Classic Rock. She continues to spread the experimental and psychedelic music-based word amid unsuspecting students at BIMM Institute London and can be occasionally heard polluting the BBC Radio airwaves as a pop and rock pundit. Steven Wilson still owes her £3, which he borrowed to pay for parking before a King Crimson show in Aylesbury.