In general I like Carlos Santana's music, but want to hear or read a review before I actually buy this.

Has anybody bought it or heard it? What do you think?

Basically you can say, if you liked "Supernatural", you're gonna like "Shaman". It's the same concept. Lots of guest features, lots of different writers, all kinds of musical styles, something for everybody.
The single (you might have heard it already) "The Game Of Love" w/ Michelle Branch was written by Gregg Alexander (New Radicals, Songwriter for Rod Stewart, Ronan Keating etc.) is a very catchy radio-friendly pop song. Then there's two songs written/co-written by (but not featuring) Rob Thomas (Nothing At All feat. musiq, You are my kind feat Seal) which are quite beautiful, downtempo soul/pop tracks.
The highlights, IMO, are "feels like fire" feat. Dido (sounds, essentially, like a Dido song plus Santana guitars - very beautiful)
and "America" feat. P.O.D. (a well-written POD song with Santana on lead guitars).
The song with Chad Kroeger is a little, let say anti-climatic, or at least less than you could expect from this collaboration.
Other features include Macy Gray, Citizen Cope, Ozomatli, Placido Domingo and Alejandro Lerner. Plus five typical Santana instrumentals that are as great as usual.
All in all (I know that's a quite short review) I'd say it's a overall good album, but it has its lengths (due tue the fact that he wanted to please EVERY possible customer with it)

I wish Santana would put out a traditional (mostly instrumental) Santana album, without the pop candy added so that people would see what he can really do.

Ditto.

THe pop candy is there to get people who normally wouldn't buy his albums to buy them. Sad, but true.

I just picked up a copy ($10.88 at T@arget, BTW). It's not bad, but after hearing Supernaturul for so long, this is much too obvious an attempt to re-apply the same formulas and present songs that appeal to a very wide audience. I, too, was hoping for only a few guest spots and more 'Santana' material. The tunes aren't that bad at first listen, but I don't see this getting a great deal of repeat play in my CD player. Looks like I'll be digging out the older stuff this week...

That song with Michelle Branch is really good, don't know for the rest.

I usually hate most everything on the radio, but that Branch song is so happy and tasty. I won't go buy it, but radio could do a lot better by playing more songs like it.

the days of Santana are over ..he has not put out anything interesting since Caravanserai..although he is making a lot more money now so I can appreciate ehat he is trying to do