Lost In Tyme Blog

Caetano Veloso - 1969 - Caetano Veloso [Irene]

Tracks :
1. Irene
2. Empty Boat
3. Marinheiro Só
4. Lost in the Paradise
5. Atrás Do Trio Elétrico
6. Os Argonautas
7. Carolina
8. Cambalache
9. Não Identificado
10. Chuvas de Verão
11. Acrilírico
12. Alfõmega

This second Caetano Veloso solo LP was recorded in June 1969, when Veloso and Gilberto Gil were behind the bars of the military dictatorship. The albums (Gil also recorded his own) were devised in part to provide them with a connection to the outside world through which authorities would be discouraged of attempting some violence against them. The voices were unsophisticatedly recorded with the sole backing of their own violões and a metronome, and the arrangements were added later in the studio, which was an indigenous and competent subversion of the basics of production, especially if you take into consideration the available technology at that time. The general tone of this album is coherent with the depressing moment Veloso and the rest of the country were going through. The English lyrics of his "The Empty Boat" have several strong images of desperation and sadness, and "Irene" has been largely misunderstood -- especially the verse "quero ver Irene rir" (I want to see Irene laughing). "Irene" was the "name" of a machine gun owned by Tenório Cavalcanti (a robber somewhat celebrated by leftists at the time). His fado "Os Argonautas" represents implicitly the aspiration that, as Portugal had got ridden of Salazar (in the precedent year by a stroke), Brazil could also got rid of its dictatorship. The superbly modern arrangements of Rogério Duprat and the songs "Não Identificado," "Acrilírico," and "Marcianita," on the other hand, contribute to the anarchic, chaotic, and psychedelic setting of Tropicalia in which make part the rustic fuzzed-out guitars. But maybe the most important thing here is the evident artistic sincerity felt throughout the album: it is when the listener feels himself as a voyeur, peeping through the artist's deepest emotions. ~Alvaro Neder, All Music Guide

This fantastic album continues down the musical path of the Tropicalism movement, begun on his first eponymous solo release and on the collective album "Tropicália - Ou Panis Et Circensis." After the passing of the institutional act n.5 at the end of 1968, artistic freedom in Brazil became very limited. The radical ideas presented in Tropicalism resulted in the arrest of Caetano and Gilberto Gil for allegedly disrespecting the Brazilian flag and national anthem. While in confinement in Salvador, Caetano recorded the guitar and vocal parts of this album and then sent them to São Paulo for Rogério Duprat to make the arrangements. Released in 1969, it is the only album to not have Caetano's picture (his characteristic head of hair was shaved by the military after the arrest), featuring instead his signature on an all-white cover. The tracks display a wide range of styles, from traditional Brazilian rhythms to tango to Beatles-inspired psychedelia. This album still sounds amazingly fresh today, and should appeal to fans of other genre-mixing acts such as Beck, Frank Zappa, David Byrne, and Ween. With the recent renewed interest in fellow Tropicalists like Os Mutantes and Tom Zé, hopefully we will eventually see Caetano's early Brazilian releases become more widely available here in the states. In the meantime, treat yourself to this disc and experience one of the most innovative Brazilian artists in perhaps his most creative period.~Reviewer:Michael Sean (Seattle, WA - US)