"Os Mutantes"

As I type this review i'm listening to this fascinating album on my ipod, the reason for this is because every time the last track rings out I can remember everything and nothing about it simultaneously. Is this a bad thing? Not a chance. A big reason for this strange phenomenom is the entire albums lyrics are sung in Brazilian Portugeuse and I couldn't care less, it's that good. The foreign tongue actually helps give the album some mystique, what could they be saying?Right so the album explodes with some national anthem-esque sounds before segueing into "Panis Et Circensis". Now i've listened to a healthy dose of Psychadelic music in my time, but when halfway through the song changed completely I thought a different song altogether was playing. They revisit this dymnamic on "O Relogio" and they both work an absolute treat. Sandwiched in between these is the wonderfully poppy "A Minha Menina" which more of you might know then you may think.The overall theme of the album seems to be mild chaos, but whereas other artists have utilized this approach and been less successful (see my Captain Beefheart "Trout Mask Replica" review) this crew seem to nail it. The album is actually ENJOYABLE to listen to. "Adeus Maria Fulo" proves this point, again wonderfully executed. Next up we have "Baby", a song which wouldn't feel out of place in The Ronettes canon. It actually provides the albums sole English section, in the beautiful chorus.Things get kooky next with "Senhor F" which good as it is, only ends up serving as an appetizer for the Samba flavoured "Bat Macumba". It's great but the horribly scratchy guitar REALLY irritates, at least on headfones. That's one thing I wanted to point out, the production. For some this may be the white whale. This album was released in 1968 at the tail-end of the psychadelic explosion, and boy it sounds it. It helps some songs and hinders others, it does annoy hugely in "Bat Macumba". As for some of the others, only very slightly.The bands very own version of "Nico" (model and female vocalist of The Velvet Underground) pops up for her moment of spotlight in the slow, sensuous "La Premier Bonheur Du Jour" and doesn't dissapoint. There certainly aren't many rockers on the album but "Trem Fantasma" at least tries to offer one, and without the tempo changing mid-section it would've succeeded. Nevermind though as it's a good song in it's own rightTime to wrap this up as only two tracks remain, I should've really wrote "rap" cause that's exactly what I get from the joyously short "Tempo No Tempo". Obviously I've no clue what they're saying, and I love it regardless. The final track "Ave Genghis Khan" (hmmm, who could they be referring to?) just drips with 60's cool, all slick guitar and fat Wurlitzer organ.This review was written to somehow TRY and explain what it's about as there's so much going on in every song it'd be damn near impossible to break it down in time for Christmas. The final notes of the last track have just vanished into the distance, now how did that first song go again? ; )

This CD more than met my satisfactionIt came in good timingTrack 5 was particularly exquisite and if i end up marrying a brasilian or someone who speaks portuguese well, then i will probably use this track as my first danceThe rest of the CD was also very fun to listen to, you can tell they're shroomed up!

This first album from Os Mutantes is a Tropicalia/psychedelic classic! Wonderful!

Daughter so pleased that I was able to find this.

Historical and beatiful. Best for portuguese speakers, as lyrics are very clever, but also 5 stars musics.

It takes a connoisseur of psychedelic rock and pop to know of (drumroll please) Os Mutantes. This short-lived Brazilian band made some of the most memorable psychedelic pop of the 1960s -- which is really saying something, given the era that they thrived in. Call it psychetropicalia.And their self-titled debut is probably the best work they ever did, without a single dud track. "Panis et Circenses" kicks things off with a horn solo, and then with a stretch of swooning acid-pop and some angelic-sounding voices. From there on, we get a fun, perky pop song laced with more horns, keyboards and wacky sound effects.The stuff that follows is much in the same vein, from the buzzing and swooning keyboard splendor of "Baby," the downtempo warbles of "Le Premier Bonheur du Jour," and other songs full of Brazilian spunk, sonic clutter, sixties guitar solos, piano ripples, and catchy little songs that never get old. Rooted in Brazilian tropicalia, the music has quite a few quirks and twists, but surprisingly it never becomes too weird to alienate listeners.Os Mutantes was initially formed by Arnaldo and Sergio Baptista, who later added Rita Lee and their brother Claudio. Though the band didn't last very long, they developed a reputation for twiddling with basic Brazilian pop -- while they stayed happy and accessable, they also added in distortion, feedback, non-catchy stretches of noise, and other sound experiments. It sounds fun, doesn't it?And actually, it is a lot of fun. The trippy bossa nova/psychedelic rock/catchy pop isn't as heavy as it sounds, but instead goes for a light, playful, deeply stoned vibe. Eerie flutes, panpipes and jungle drums get mixed in with solid guitar riffs and smooth keyboards, acoustic and electric guitar harmonize, and piano is overlaid with train whistles.Those traditional instruments ground what could have been just another psychedelic band. And the tropicalia gives it an earthy, unique edge that most psychedelica lacks. It's gloriously catchy, and incredibly infectious. The most typical aspect of it is the vocal harmonies -- other than that, there is simply nothing to compare this to.There hasn't really been a band like Os Mutantes since, and until someone decides to revive that underrated sound, there probably won't be again. Mad, wild, crazy, and absolute bliss from beginning to end.