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)
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