Os Mutantes

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Tropicalia upstarts Os Mutantes's 1968 debut is one of the most playful rock records of its time--and given that it arrived in the year of the "White Album" and We're Only in It for the Money, that's really saying something. Screaming acid-rock guitars, quick-cut rhythmic shifts, sound effects, jazzy vocal harmonies, and a giddy nod to "Peppermint Twist" all have their places here. When one member loudly slurps to punctuate a line about ice cream, it's a moment that defines a movement's whole giddy aesthetic. --Rickey Wright

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Average customer rating: this is great stuff Trying to do the impossible World of Os Mutantes

Everything Is Possible: The Best of Os Mutantes Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Luaka Bop ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Caetano Veloso (Tropicália) Os Mutantes Cold Heat: Heavy Funk Rarities 1968-1974, Vol. 1 Ys Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks) ASIN: B0007XT85I Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

1. Ando Meio Desligado
2. Ave, Lucifer
3. Dia 3b
4. Baby
5. Fuga No. 11
6. Cantor de Mambo
7. Adeus Maria Fulo
8. Desculpe, Babe
9. El Justiciero
10. Panis et Circenses
11. A Minha Menina
12. Bat Macumba
13. Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
14. Baby

Amazon.com

"You must take a look at the new land," Os Mutantes singer Rita Lee softly proclaims on Everything Is Possible!'s English-language rewrite of Caetano Veloso's "Baby." The Brazilian psychedelic-rock pioneers were addressing a hoped-for American-British audience, but they could also have been singing to their own country's political establishment, which didn't take kindly to the Tropicalia era's fusion of Beatles and Hendrix influences with elements of bossa nova and samba. The result continues to reverberate more than three decades later in the work of Beck, Stereolab, and Cibo Matto, not to mention on late-'90s reissues such as this. Full of beauty, self-mocking good humor, and a command of varied styles that Lennon and McCartney would've envied, this enticing music is every bit as fresh as it must've sounded to South American swingers back in the day. --Rickey Wright

Album Details

Os Mutantes were the Pioneer Brazilian Psychedelic Band in the Late 60's. Compiled by David Byrne from the Remastered Original Tapes.

Customer Reviews:

this is great stuff.......2007-02-07

for those who are not familiar with the music of Os Mutantes, this is a great CD to get, it is a "best of" compiliation. Combining elements of psychedelia, samba, bossa nova, and pop music, it all blends together very well. A great CD to listen to whle relaing a the end of the day.

Trying to do the impossible.......2005-11-02

I have to give this collection 4 stars because it is the only easy way to get ahold of any Os Mutantes material. That being said, many of the most tripped out songs of Os Mutantes are left off of this collection, including Rita Lee, Top Top, Nao va se perder por ai, etc. Those who are looking for a good quick introduction to how great the music made in Brazil in the 70s are could use this as a good start. But then they should really get ahold of their albums, including Mutantes, Os Mutantes, and Jardim Electrico.

World of Os Mutantes.......2005-03-29

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. Some of their best work is compiled in "World Psyschedelic Classics 1," although there are some glaring omissions.

This collection brings together many of the band's best songs, such as the understated charm of "Panis et Circenses," the buzzing and swooning keyboard splendor of "Baby," and the cluttered catchiness of "Bat Macumbia." 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, 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 and jungle drums -- as in the eerie "Premier Bonheur du Jour" -- get mixed in with solid guitar riffs and smooth keyboards. Those tradition instruments ground what could have been just another psychedelic band. It's gloriously catchy, and incredibly infectious.

The one flaw? Lesser-known albums like "Jardim Electro" and "Mutantes" are underrepresented in the selection of songs. Their first album, the self-titled "Os Mutantes" -- also probably their best ever -- is strongly emphasized. However, if you are looking for an excellent individual listen and not a representation of all their albums, then this is a very good find.

Few of the Os Mutantes albums are currently available in the U.S., which would make this the ideal introduction by default. But "World Psychedelic Classics 1" is a fairly good introduction to the band in its own right.

Average customer rating: Damn fine on some tracks. Santana meets Electric Prunes. An eclectic classic Ave, Os Mutantes

Os Mutantes Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Planet Rhythm ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Caetano Veloso (Tropicália) Mutantes Tecnicolor Jardim Eletrico The United States of America ASIN: B00006HI9B Release Date: 2002-12-10

Tracks:

1. Panis et Circenses
2. Minha Menina
3. O Rel
4. Adeus, Maria Ful
5. Baby
6. Senhor F
7. Bat Macumba
8. Premier Bonheur du Jour
9. Trem Fantasma
10. Tempo Perdido (Once Was a Time I Thought)
11. Ave. Genghis Khan

Customer Reviews:

Damn fine on some tracks. Santana meets Electric Prunes........2007-01-12

Really enjoyed this album, the critics were right, transcends language barriers. The licks and psychedelic feel grooved to the bone. Most songs slow or poppy but so where some songs on Sgt. Pepper. (Track #2 A Minha Menina) and (#7 Bat Macumba) sear the brain with waves and (#5 Baby) with the sultry voice against the electric guitar. (#11 Ave, Genghis Khan) is good finish. I'd recommend it, leaves me wanting more from this group.

An eclectic classic.......2006-08-01

There was lots of experimentation used in this album, some would say to the point of recklessness, but from the abrupt song changes to the blistering fuzzed-out guitar laid on top of tropicalia tracks, it all works, and makes for a truly amazing sounding album. Early on, Os Mutantes put out sounds ranging from tropicalia to bright 60s pop to tender ballads to blistering guitar distortion and feedback, sometimes all in the same song. The first 30 seconds of the first song of the album alone consists of fanfare, soft vocal harmonies, and bright pop meloldies with racing trumpets in the background. Even though I don't speak a word of Portuguese, I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and I got into this album more than I ever got into any album.

Ave, Os Mutantes.......2005-04-19

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.

Average customer rating: plug in mutantes rock my world The Album in which the Band has marked their maturity Another great chapter in MUTANTES history Jardim elétrico é do caralho!!!

Jardim Eletrico Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Universal ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets "A" e o "Z" Os Mutantes Tecnicolor Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol ASIN: B00000G8X7 Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

1. Top Top
2. Benvinda
3. Tecnicolor
4. Justiciero
5. It's Very Nice Pra Xuxu
6. Portugal de Navio
7. Virga
8. Jardim Elico
9. Lady Lady
10. Sarav
11. Baby

Album Description

CD reissue of this 1971 release, the fourth album by this Psychedelic Brazilian trio. 11 tracks including 'Top Top', 'Technicolor' and 'El Justiciero'. Universal.

Customer Reviews:

plug in .......2005-11-08

Jardim elétrico (eletric garden) is the masterpiece from the greatest brazilian rock band of all times.
At that time they were entirely rock n' roll, they were no longer in the shadow of the Topicalia movement. But their music goes beyond the labels.
They were already a quintet and you can realize that the band was very tight.
Top Top - a very groovy, get into the beat song, something like i hope you f* yourself, cause i don't care.
Benvinda - a hommage to a famous brazilian soul pop singer.
Technicolor - Psychedelic ballad, a la Beatles, very beatiful, great, acoustic guitar.
It's very nice pra xuxu (It's very nice a lot)- J. joplin ballad style, very funny. When you make love to a girl and you just don't have anything smart to say.
El justiciero - a song in a spanish style (satirical like almost everything)with non sense spanish (?) lyrics.
Portugal de Navio (Portugal by ship) - Once again a hidden curseword of dirty expression, something like telling someone to k* your a*. a very nice smooth rock tune.
Virginia - a ballad like Beatles, very pretty.
Jardim Eletrico (eletric garden) - pure and basic Rock n' roll with some keyboards pretty much like Mountain or Deep Purple stuff.
Lady lady - Another nice ballad, this one, a little bit sadder than the rest, Nice flute duet with guitar at the end.
Saravá - a african religious salutation, but, once again, not to be taken seriously. Pure basic Rock n' roll tune.
Baby - this one really sucks! an english version of a poor song from a brzilian composer from Tropicalia.
Great album, just buy and have a nice trip.

mutantes rock my world.......2000-05-16

Os Mutantes know how to kick it! This album isn't as good as the first three, but it still rocks my world. My favorite songs are "It's very nice pra xuxu", "Portugal De Navio", "Virginia", and "Baby".

The Album in which the Band has marked their maturity.......2000-02-04

I was very young when I first listened the funky "Top Top" on a radio from Rio de Janeiro. The only Brazilian rock band which had their songs playing as much as the Rolling Stones or Beatles. To foreign fans, the special interest on this album are some songs recorded at Polydor Studios, at London, two of both with lyrics in English: "Baby", the tropicalist song from Caetano Veloso, and the lysergic "Tecnicolor". "Portugal de Navio" is one of my favorities, for Arnaldo Baptista's keyboards and vocals, besides the bluesy harmonica solo. "Virginia" was recorded at London, too, and sounds as melodious as any Beatles songs. The last remarkable song to me, but not the least, is "El Justiciero", and its superb Spanish-styled guitar solo by Sergio Dias. As a plus, the front cover remind us the spirit of those times...

Another great chapter in MUTANTES history.......1999-09-10

I was led to believe that this album starts the decline of Mutantes. Who the fool was, I wish I could remember. If only to know never to listen to them again. This is another great chapter for the amazing MUTANTES. Rogerio Duprat is in great form. His arranging is definitely the finest in rock and roll. Still as weird and wild as the earlier albums. No disappointment here!

Jardim elétrico é do caralho!!!.......1999-04-11

Ei, seus imbecis da Amazon, porque não vão comer bosta? É um pecado mortal não manter o melhor cd de todos os tempos em seu catálogo. All of you american who is reading this review, run and buy this masterpiece! The best album of the best band of the best popular music of the universe ( brazilian music, obviously )

Average customer rating: OK wonderful Only the the most powerful Mutantes' album... LISTEN TO THIS! The best Brazilian rock'n'roll album of all times

E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Universal ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Jardim Eletrico Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol "A" e o "Z" Tecnicolor Os Mutantes ASIN: B00000G8X4 Release Date: 2006-06-20

Tracks:

1. Posso Perder Minha Mulher, Minha MDesde Que Eu Tenha O Rock and ...
2. Vida de Cachorro
3. Dune Buggy
4. Cantor de Mambo
5. Beijo Exagerado
6. Balada Do Louco
7. Hora E a Vez Do Cabelo Nascer
8. Rua Augusta
9. Mutantes E Seus Cometas No PaDo Baurets
10. Todo Mundo Pastou II

Customer Reviews:

OK.......2006-01-13

The mutantes first 3 albums are the bomb. They are like the best thing that came to my ears in a while. So I had to get their others. This has a couple of good songs, but nothing like the first 3...man oh man...those first 3 are soooo good. This makes me kind of sad that good things never can last.

wonderful.......2001-04-10

By the early 1970's, the pure experimentalism of the first few lps was more or less gone, but this did not mean that Os Mutantes were selling out or had gone limp. Far from it! This lp, from 1972, finds the band in as superb a form as they had ever been in, and their music reflects this wonderfully.

The songs range from the cosmic-Santana laden "Cantor de Mambo" to the wonderfully funky "Dune Buggy" to the almost prophetically eerie "Balada do Louco" (ballad of the crazy...considering what would be the, shall we say, eccentrically unusual, future for founder Arnaldo Baptista, the song sends shivers up my spine every time I hear it). From rock-n-roll to their rich ballads, Os Mutantes do not skip a beat on this gem. While I do not recommend this lp as a starting point, (listen to their lps chronologically to best observe their amazing growth as artists), I DO highly recommend the lp as a place to stop, sit down, and enjoy this cult favorite band at the height of their powers. A masterful lp.

Only the the most powerful Mutantes' album..........2000-05-25

Just think for a moment... why did you come to see the review of this album? To listen... Well, then fasten your seatbelts to a trip through the most powerful Mutantes' work. From pure rock n' roll (Posso Perder Minha Mulher...) to a psychedelic funk (Dune Buggy), spiced with progressive rock (Mutantes e Seus Cometas), a little bit of a comic Santana (Cantor De Mambo) and an anthem for all of us lunatics (Balada Do Louco) this cosmic album shows us what the Mutantes are capable to do with their musical instruments... You'll see why it's impossible to turn your stereo off.

LISTEN TO THIS!.......2000-03-20

Mutantes is one of the best rock'n'roll bands around the world. This album shows all the band capabilites in tracks just like the wonderful one from the title, "Pais dos baurets" a rock'n'jazz LSD music...

The best Brazilian rock'n'roll album of all times.......2000-02-17

Although some people don't consider this album as the last one of the band (Mutantes had released another album in the end of the same year formally as a Rita Lee's solo album), this was the highest point of the band. Mixturing lots of styles (one of the main characteristics from the band), they have written one of the most glorious pages from the rock history of all times. From songs as "Balada do Louco" (ironically, today it sounds as a Requiem for the brilliant leader Arnaldo Baptista) to the ravishing "Beijo Exagerado", from the psychedelic "Dune Buggy" to the beautiful CSN&Y vocals style of "Rua Augusta", from the Latin rythmics of "Cantor de Mambo" to the censored hard rock "A Hora e a Vez do Cabelo Nascer" (by the 70's Brazilian Military Dictatorship), this album is their main masterpiece.

Average customer rating: Decent introduction, some rare mixes Great brazil, great 60`s. You cant ask for much more One good Byrne deserves another, but... Shockingly great music Only One Side of the Story

World Psychedelic Classics 1: Brazil: The Best Of Os Mutantes/Everything Is Possible! Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Caetano Veloso (Tropicália) Transa Tropicália Essentials Inspiration Information Tecnicolor ASIN: B00000J7JI Release Date: 1999-06-08

Tracks:

1. Ando Meio Desligado
2. Ave, Lucifer
3. Dia
4. Baby
5. Fuga No. II
6. Cantor De Mambo
7. Adeus Maria Fulo
8. Desculpe, Babe
9. El Justiciero
10. Panis Et Circenses
11. A Minha Menina
12. Bat Macumba
13. Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
14. Baby

Amazon.com essential recording

"You must take a look at the new land," Os Mutantes singer Rita Lee softly proclaims on Everything Is Possible!'s English-language rewrite of Caetano Veloso's "Baby." The Brazilian psychedelic-rock pioneers were addressing a hoped-for American-British audience, but they could also have been singing to their own country's political establishment, which didn't take kindly to the Tropicalia era's fusion of Beatles and Hendrix influences with elements of bossa nova and samba. The result continues to reverberate more than three decades later in the work of Beck, Stereolab, and Cibo Matto, not to mention on late-'90s reissues such as this. Full of beauty, self-mocking good humor, and a command of varied styles that Lennon and McCartney would've envied, this enticing music is every bit as fresh as it must've sounded to South American swingers back in the day. --Rickey Wright

Album Details

Os Mutantes were the Pioneer Brazilian Psychedelic Band in the Late 60's. Compiled by David Byrne from the Remastered Original Tapes.

Customer Reviews:

Decent introduction, some rare mixes.......2007-07-16

This is a decent introduction to the group. When it came out in the late 1990's, it was crucial, because few people outside of Brazil knew of them. It has good, informative notes, too.

I agree with the reviews that say that this tends towards the poppy at the expense of their louder & more extreme material, and favors the first album at the expense of their excellent second and fifth albums. More importantly, the sequencing is confusing and ineffective. Why not go for straight chronology? Nonetheless, there are no weak tracks here.

Fanatics and collectors of the band may be interested to know that this collection contains some unexplained rare mixes found on none of their other in-print CDs. The mix of "Baby (1970)" is mono and an underdub, lacking a male vocal on the chorus and some percussion--it is distinct from the two other distinct mixes of this performance found on "Jardim Eletrico" and "Tecnicolor". The two songs from the Mutantes' second album, "Dia 36" and "Fuga No. 11", are in gorgeous stereo here and nowhere else. (The album is only available in mono on CD.) "Ando Meio Desligado" is an alternate, short mono mix with an extra couple of bass notes at the beginning. (The other two 1970 songs are featured in mono mixes or fold-downs here.)

Great brazil, great 60`s. You cant ask for much more.......2005-01-08

I really havent heard anything alse of this group, just some kazaa tracks but it isnt enough. THIS GROUP IS GREAT!!!!!!!!! Rita Lee at top of her form, rather strange experiments, but it sounds great. Its a shame that there arent more mutantes albums. This album might as well be really short (it only last 45 minutes and its a "greatest hits". it should have more music) but its a great introduction to the group. The best of the best: Ando meio desligado, cantor de mambo and PAnis et circenses. And of course, its a crime to forget Dia 36 (a guitar throwing up: you just have to hear it) and of course the very best version of the song baby, so wasted by caetano veloso. if u like experimental music, south american music and/or the swinging sixties, listen to this album

One good Byrne deserves another, but..........2004-01-30

One of the more unfortunate recent cultural events was the titling of the Terry Gilliam movie *Brazil*, otherwise edifying enough. And the real problem with having such a product (which takes up as much space in many people's *espaces mentaux* as that country itself) is that it interferes with recognition of that country's very live cultural reality, and that this cultural reality is *in some ways* not unlike that of *Brazil* due to the 1968 AI-5 act, with which the ruling military government banned political discourse. Although there is a new biography available from one of the best-known figures of this period, Caetano Veloso, this anthology for Os Mutantes is a *revelatory* item.

Compiled by David Byrne for his purist Luaka Bop label, this CD collects songs from all through Os Mutantes' career: it includes early recordings of songs from Veloso and Jorge Ben, but also the Mutantes' later attempts to record relevant yet saleable material (including songs in "Portunhol", a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese). Robert Christgau is concerned that *estadouidenses* will not be able to follow the sounds of the Tropicalia period, but "in this time of melding cultures" this is actually one of the more challenging (yet feasible) of such tasks. The Mutantes (do a little math) do not possess an "exoticist" mien: they present an alternate and "problematized" modernity, one which was *always* intended for export.

And perhaps one of Beck's much-hyped returns to non-form, on *Mutations*, owes as much to the mindset of that period as its conflicted relationship with the native sounds of Bahia: such that musicians who have not yet troubled to pick a Mutantes record up may be even more interested than this early revivalist conformance allows (Omplatten has since released all the early records at reasonably affordable prices).

Shockingly great music.......2003-02-27

A couple of years ago, I bought the second Nuggets box set, the one that features psychedelic '60's music from outside of the U.S.A. (the first set was almost exclusively American). Anyhow, one of the songs on that second set was an odd tune called "Bat Macumba" by a strange Brazilian group called "Os Mutantes" ("The Mutants"). I liked the song right away, but as I listened to it a few times, it really began to get under my skin. When I got a chance to hear more from this band (via this album, "Everything is Possible"), I realized that "Bat Macumba" was not a fluke.

To be a little less indirect, Os Mutantes made some of the most daring, exciting, off-the-wall-and-yet-surprisingly-listenable music I've ever heard. Discovering this music was for me one of those truly mind-expanding, change-your-life kind of events. It actually makes me want to learn Portuguese in the same way that Dostoyevsky made me want to learn Russian. It's also opened my ears to Tropicalia, a style I was never really aware of before, but which I am now beginning to explore.

I should warn the prospective listener that this stuff is pretty wierd. In fact, if I understand it correctly, wierdness for wierdness' sake (or perhaps for creativity's sake) was a big part of what Tropicalia was all about. But if you can stand the wiredness, and listen with an open mind and open ears, Os Mutantes' music is very, very rewarding. This album (on which there is not a single bad song, by the way) is a good place to start, if only because it's still in print. It might also give you an introductory glance into a whole movement (and a whole culture) of which you may have known little.

Only One Side of the Story.......2003-02-13

I feel guilty giving this release only three stars. Let's face it, the Mutantes were a great band, but this is only a so-so compilation. It only gives you a small piece of the big picture. For one thing, like Luaka Bop's compilation of Tom Ze, it tends to over-concentrate on one album (in this case the Mutantes first). This leaves little room for songs from their other (very good) albums, most notably their second album, Mutantes, and their fourth album, Jardim Electrico. Hoje e o primeiro dia del resto de sua vida (?), a Mutantes album in all but name, is criminally unrepresented.

Secondly, the compilers definitely have a bias towards the poppier end of the Mutantes' musical spectrum. There's very little guitar pyrotechics here except on the parodic Cantor de Mambo (Mutantes roast Santana) and Bat Macumba. Believe me, the Mutantes could really play. To hear "Baby" without it being preceded by the rock guitar excess of "Sarava" is really disappointing. The Mutantes took part in one of the greatest musical revolutions in the history of pop music, Tropicalia. Like other musicians who took part in this movement, such as Caetano Veloso, Gil Gilberto, Gal Costa and Tom Ze. The Mutantes cleverly played with musical forms, laughed at rock/art pretension, took apart and recombined elements of pop, rock, jazz, psychedelia, folk, bossa nova, classical music, etc. You don't get the same sense of fun from the song selection on this CD.
Call me a crazy fan, but I whole-heartedly recommend every Mutantes album, most particularly Os Mutantes (the first), Mutantes (the second) and Jardim Electrico. Anyone who loves the fun-filled musical explorations of sixties music will love this band. (And anyone who doesn't is a stick in the mud, old fuddy-duddy.)

Average customer rating: Muito Bom- Great stuff! You might become a Brazil nut... Great anthology Post-Bossa Bossa Dated, Historic, Strange, and Essential

Tropicália Essentials Caetano Veloso , Gilberto Gil , Gal Costa , and Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Hip-O Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Similar Items: Tropicália 2 Caetano Veloso (Tropicália) Acoustic Meu Nome é Gal: The Best of Gal Costa Brutality Garden: Tropicalia and the Emergence of a Brazilian Counterculture ASIN: B00001QGUA Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

1. Tropica
2. Domingo no Parque
3. Panis et Circenses
4. Divino, Maravilhoso
5. Prociss
6. Lindon
7. NIdentificado
8. Bat Macumba
9. Baby
10. Proibido Proibir
11. Luzia Luluza
12. Can para InglVer/Chiquita Bacana
13. Alegria, Alegria

Amazon.com

Have you read a lot about the brightly colored, subversive '60s Brazilian pop called Tropicalia, but you're not sure where to begin diving into the music that's had a heavy impact on the likes of Beck and David Byrne? This 14-cut sampler will put some of the movement's key tracks in your hand, providing both an introduction and one giddy, gorgeous listen. Basically a pocket version of the five-CD Brazilian release Tropicalia: 30 Años, Essentials earns its title with recordings such as the studio version of Caetano Veloso's controversial collaboration with Os Mutantes, "E Prohibido Prohibir"; Gal Costa's wonderfully over-the-top cabaret performance "Divino Maravilhoso"; a Veloso-Costa duet on "Baby," the genre's anthem; and Gilberto Gil's wistful "Luzia Luluza." Finally, printed English lyric translations (often missing from imports) make this a disc that even many connoisseurs will want to own. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Muito Bom- Great stuff!.......2006-03-23

A good cross section of Tropicália. The liner notes are great, they are in Portuguese and English with the song lyrics in Portuguese with English translations. When I got this I listened to it for two weeks straight, everytime I got in the car.

You might become a Brazil nut..........2006-02-05

Beware of this CD.

After you buy it, you'll want more Tropicalia. You'll want more Brazilian things in your life in general. You may even be tempted to learn Portrugese, head down to Rio de Janiero, and live down there for at least the next several months, sunning yourself on the beaches, drinking tropical drinks, and all the while listening to wonderful, wonderful Tropicalia.

Personally, I don't normally like happy music. I tend to prefer melancholy late-night stuff--driving, intense, icy, moody music. (Or angry chick-punk.) But after watching "City of God" a few years ago, I became a bit of a Brazil nut. And while Brazilian culture's produced its share of intense, moody stuff ("City of God," the depressing and awesome documentary "Bus 174"), it has also produced this music, which is like a warm happy blast of tropical sunshine.

The people who made this music were basically Brazil's answer to the hippies. Against the repressive military regime that came to power in 1964 (a regime far more authoritarian than any that came to power in the U.S. or Western Europe), they marshalled an integrated movement of music, art, theater, and life.

On this CD, the tastiest fruits of their labors are collected together in a sumptuous cornucopia. The music is alternately happy and melancholy, driving and mellow--one moment dramatic and tense, the next flitting off freely like a bright tropical parrot. Instrumentation varies dramatically--horns, violins, electric guitars, everything but the kitchen sink. (Actually, there might even be a kitchen sink in here--one of the movement's leaders was clasically trained but reportedly used everyday objects like blenders and typewriters in his compositions.) So there's a bit of a Sgt.-Pepper's-Lonely-Hearts-Club-Band eclecticism to the compositions, but that's good, because they (primarily Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso)pull it off without pretension or showiness, blending it all together in a tasty tropical mix that will make you think of Carnival and beaches and happy people dancing in the streets while jugglers throw flaming batons in the air behind them.

So buy this CD. You won't understand the lyrics, but that's OK--it can be more fun not knowing. (Of course, if you're really really curious, they've helpfully provided Portrugese-English transcriptions of the lyrics in the excellent liner notes. But then, like I said, you might be tempted to learn Portrugese. And fly down to Rio. And never come back.)

Great anthology.......2003-03-17

Given its variety, selection, and the quality of the tracks, this is a wonderful anthology of the musical diversity and experimentation that TROPICALIA was about. It includes the banner song of the movement as well as some of the best pieces by most of its members. This is a great starting point for aficionados to the history of music, as well as for those who love Brazilian rythms.

Post-Bossa Bossa.......2002-09-05

Great stuff, and translations make it, as the editors say, something even those of us who have a lot of this material should buy. I consider Gilberto Gil easily the equal of John Lennon or Paul McCartney; I never listen to the Beatles any more but I can always hear the early Gil material, any time. One reviewer above referred to that "bossa nova stuff," which may reveal a certain ignorance of where the tropicalists came from in the first place. Gilberto Gil is the equal of Lennon; I would say that João Gilberto, the inventor of bossa nova, is the equal of Miles Davis. And I would go further and say that bossa nova, which began around 1958, is more important to the history of popular music than the Beatles. But, you know, North Americans tend to be rather closed-minded about the world. Buy this if you have the songs, or if you want great intro to the world of Brazilian pop music.

Dated, Historic, Strange, and Essential.......2000-10-18

The music on this record is old, almost as old as that Bossa Nova stuff most people associate with Brazil. You can tell when you listen that most of these recordings are from the late 1960's. But, as in pop music of the English speaking world, the late 1960's were a period of light-speed evolution, growth, eperimentation, whatever you want to call it in Brazilian music. The music and artists featured here transformed Brazilian music from a handful of folcloric sounds and rhythms to a truly cosmopolitan and progressive expression of the most radical artistic aspirations. Anyone who wants to deepen their appreciation for the music made in Brazil over the last 30 years would do well to learn this album, the songs on this album, and the artists who appear here, because after making this album they all moved on to very long and influential solo careers. In sum, Tropicalia produced some truly amazing works of art, and many of them are featured here on this disc.

Average customer rating: Ave Os Mutantes Oh. My. God. The Brazilian Beatles. NOT a matter of taste, a matter of HISTORY! As folhas sabem procurar pelo sol umm... speechless

Os Mutantes Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Omplatten Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Mutantes A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado Caetano Veloso (Tropicália) Jardim Eletrico Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts ASIN: B00000IABK Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

1. Panis Et Circenis
2. A Minha Menina
3. O Relogio
4. Adeus Maria Fulo
5. Baby
6. Senhor F
7. Bat Macumba
8. Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
9. Trem Fantasma
10. Tempo No Tempo
11. Ave Genghis Khan

Amazon.com

Tropicalia upstarts Os Mutantes's 1968 debut is one of the most playful rock records of its time--and given that it arrived in the year of the "White Album" and We're Only in It for the Money, that's really saying something. Screaming acid-rock guitars, quick-cut rhythmic shifts, sound effects, jazzy vocal harmonies, and a giddy nod to "Peppermint Twist" all have their places here. When one member loudly slurps to punctuate a line about ice cream, it's a moment that defines a movement's whole giddy aesthetic. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Ave Os Mutantes.......2005-04-24

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.

Oh. My. God. The Brazilian Beatles........2005-04-19

It says something that this album was released in 1968 - this is crazy, gorgeous psychedelia from Brazil that sounds practically miraculous to these ears. Buy this. Now.

NOT a matter of taste, a matter of HISTORY!.......2003-09-02

Anyone who didn't rate this 5 stars cannot be said to have any knowledge about overall rock n roll. This is the debut album from the band that would grow to be Brazil's finest, and then prove to be the best band ever without achieving world-wide recognition. Dudes, this has "FIVE-STAR" written all over it!!
This is worth your money just for the historical value alone, as it contains great songs written by the Tropicalia flagmen Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Maestro Rogerio Duprat's arrangements are pictorical, modern and avant-gardeish. Sergio Dias' guitars are rotten dirty, flawlessly rambling over Jorge Ben's acoustic guitar as in "A Minha Menina" and giving away sweet leslie feelings as in "Baby", Sergio is unforgettable for his unique tone and playing and establishes his personality in this record alone. Rita Lee's finest does not resides in her vocal habilities, but on her fabulous percussions, or who else would play tropicalia over the sound of breaking crystal? Arnaldo Baptista sounds quiet but some times appears screaming and partying around with hammonds and moogs, and his bass playing is spectacular.

Listen to this record and watch the best band ever transmutate itself into a Traditional Dixieland Jazz Band ("Senhor F"), a classic Brazilian Northwest Troubadour ("Adeus, Maria Fulô"), a French cult singer ("Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour"), a Tropicalia-chanting choir ("Bat Macumba") and much more just to prove its supremacy in a debut album.

I repeat, the best band of all times.

As folhas sabem procurar pelo sol.......2002-10-09

Join the the orchestral arrangements and sound effects of "Sgt. Pepper" and "Pet Sounds"; the vocal harmonies of the Mamas & the Papas; the instrumental sharpness of "Highway 61" and "Blonde on Blonde"; the creative madness of Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd; and a bit of Brazilian traditional rhythms and you have this album, "Os Mutantes" (1968), the band's debut. You don't need to have any interest in Brazilian music to enjoy this album. This is not just a curiosity made by a bunch of weirdos from an exotic country. This is, without exaggeration, one of the best and craziest records of the psychedelic era, an album that any American or English band of that period, except maybe for Jimi Hendrix, would be proud of. It just took too long to be appreciated outside Brazil. And their next two albums "Mutantes" (1969) and "A Divina Comédia" (1970) are almost as good as this one.

umm... speechless.......2001-09-25

I was in a curious little bookshop on South Street in Philly. The girl behind the counter had this record playing in the background. I was interested so I asked her who it was. "A 1968 record of a psychedelic band from Brazil!!!???" Hmmm....

So I ordered it.

I will warn you that this CD may be an acquired taste! It will hit you like a feight train and plant it's sound in your mind. At first you won't be sure if you like it or not, but you'll want more. It had a mix a psychedlia, 60' pop, cool harmonies, Spanish guitars, Mambo beats.... need I go on?

There are a number of web sites that talk about Os Mutantes and their struggle in Brazil. They are quite an interesting and mostly underlooked bunch.

If you're adventurous give it a try. It's like the Strawberry Alarm Clock is ringing to wake up Sgt.Pepper who's sleeping with the Piper at the gates of dawn.

Average customer rating: Power freaky psychedlic power pop from Brazil... Open Minds and Good Times arty garbage Brazilian-Portuguese Craziness The computer it solves me...

Mutantes Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Omplatten Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado Os Mutantes Os Mutantes Caetano Veloso (Tropicália) E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets ASIN: B00000IABL Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

1. Dom Quixote
2. Nao Va Se Perder Por Ai
3. Dia 36
4. Dois Mil E Um
5. Algo Mais
6. Fuga No. II
7. Banho De Lua
8. Rita Lee
9. Magica
10. Qualquer Bobagem
11. Caminhante Noturno

Amazon.com

Os Mutantes's second album begins with a fanfare that gives way to a pastoral melody that, in its turn, shifts into a rocking, Beatles-esque groove. All this during the first track, "Dom Quixote," a thinly veiled remembrance of the group's TV debut, which was controversial in a late-'60s Brazil ruled by an oppressive military regime. (The Tropicalia movement the group helped lead was hardly admired by the country's leftists, either.) The music's romanticism is smartly displayed here, too, on "Qualquer Bobagem" and "Fuga No. II," the latter linking Indian-based psychedelia with a glorious Left Banke-style chorus. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Power freaky psychedlic power pop from Brazil..........2005-10-07

Os Mutantes created some of the most fun, melodic, and rhythmic music of the 1960s Brazilian music scene. Two men and a red-headed woman (which apparently caused some scandal at the time; apparently some people wondered what a nice sweet girl was doing with two "bizarre" men) named Rita Lee pounded out some incredibly inventive and catchy pop music that integrated Brazilian music with western psychedelic pop. The results often surprise. Sometimes they shock.

The transition from "Dom Quixote" (an ominous pastiche of vocals intermixed with canned crowd noise and orchestra) to the infectious "Nao Va Se Perder Por Ai" features Rita Lee (at least, I think it's Rita Lee) screeching high-pitched into a false start. The music never lets up. From deliciously creepy mellow music dripping with effects ("Dia 36") to happy skippy staccato rhythms featuring lyrics about astronauts ("Dois Mil E Um") to power pop ("Algo Mais") to all out freaky psychedelia ("Magica") the album pleases at every turn with sounds, words, and harmonies.

Os Mutantes liked to blend sounds with their music. For example, the parlour piano-driven story of Rita Lee's pursuit of love ("Rita Lee") breaks into sounds of Rita laughing and kissing following the blessed moment. For the chorus the harmonies go right into the nasal cavities producing a high-pitched singing animal timbre.

Mutantes kept recording throughout the 1970s, but the core group had dispersed. This group left behind three amazing albums, "Os Mutantes", "A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado" and this one. PolyGram released all three classics in 1999, but sadly, they appear to have gone out of print. Hopefully someone will revive this series and make them permanently available. Very little pop music ever reaches this level of fun, spontaneity, and catchiness. And all of this during the rule of a brutal military regime in Brazil.

Lastly, the band photo on the back of the CD case really makes it all worth it.

Open Minds and Good Times.......2004-03-22

The buffoon who wrote the last review is obviously a little bitter, as he is hiding in the kitchen at one of the best parties I have ever been invited to: Os Mutantes. Everyone is welcome, regardless of colour and creed, but bring a bottle (or something stronger)...
If Beethoven were still around, I'm sure he'd find this album an intriguing listen (provided he could hear it). I sure that he wouldn't just dismiss it, anyway: its sophistication lies in its rough edges, clashing sounds and joyous experimentation, so it's not just background music for a chin-stroking session, or inoffensive classical music for pseudo-intellectuals (like our friend below).
Why is this cd $55?!

arty garbage.......2002-04-26

my son gave me this CD. It's all a bunch of silly noises. Ok if you think mickey mouse cartoons are high art, I'll stick to Beethoven, thanks.

Brazilian-Portuguese Craziness.......2002-01-31

I have been all over the world and have taken this album with me everywhere. Never gets old. Always gives you a great rush. The extreme example of good musical entertainment. If you have an open mind, regardless if you understand portuguese or spanish which if you know spanish you can pick up alot. Open minded, music lovers, explorers NEED THIS ALBUM AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I left my everything is possible CD with my friend Vicente in Sevilla, Spain and couldn't get it back. However, Os Mutantes second album is off the hook. Transcends time and space, if it was a woman I would buy the ring tomorrow. Um, Doish, Traish order it! Dois mil e um is my favorite track on the Cd however Qualquer Bobagem coupled with Noturno Caminhante is a one two closing punch. It'll knock you silly boy! I'm not crazy and I'm not obsessed. These guys are great...

The computer it solves me..........2000-04-24

The first Mutantes album, Os Mutantes, is very good and a good introduction to this trio of goodliness. But if you want to jump in up to your waist and smother yourself with the beautifulness of Mutantes, buy this album.

One of the FINEST albums to be released during the worldwide psychedelic wave, it pounds pretty much every Beatles recording into the ground and then turns around and smashes everyone else. Forget Sgt. Pepper, forget Pet Sounds, forget everything you thought you knew and then put this on and break off the buttons, because if you're like me, you'll never want to stop listening to it.

My god, this is a great album. Start to finish. From the majestic opening music, more like a Roman ceremony than a rock album, to the last triumphant lament of the last song, you will be enthralled and your mind will develop new sections just to take it all in.

Thank goodness these albums are now available with English translations, but to tell the truth, you don't need them. Even if you don't understand what it is they're saying, you know that it is good. And let's be honest, psychedelic music is usually better when you can't understand what they're saying, because they're usually saying something highly laughable. Not here though. Look at the lyrics and understand we are dealing with an intelligence that far surpasses the dada of anything John and Yoko ever cooked up.

So, turn your back on the status quo idea of what is a landmark recording of the psychedelic era. and turn towards the Mutantes. And let them love you.

You know you want it.

Average customer rating: Brazilian prog-rock milestone A must-have of Brazilian prog rock very suprised

Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Som Livre ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: "A" e o "Z" E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets Jardim Eletrico Tecnicolor Mutantes Ao Vivo ASIN: B00006LWOB Release Date: 2002-09-18

Tracks:

1. Eixe Entrar Um Pouco d'ua No Quintal
2. Pitras
3. Desanuviar
4. Eu Snso Em Te Ajudar
5. CidadDa Terra
6. Contrario Do Nada ada
7. Tudo Foi Feito pelo Sol

Customer Reviews:

Brazilian prog-rock milestone.......2006-05-23

Recorded after the dismissal of singer Rita Lee and the departure of former front man Arnaldo Baptista, Tudo Foi Feito pelo Sol is the amazing result of Os Mutantes diving into prog rock. Led by Sérgio Dias, it combines the beautiful melodies also found in previous Mutantes records with the virtuosity and complex instrumental interplay of progressive rock. "Deixa Entrar um Pouco D'agua..." and "Desanuviar" are my favorite tracks, along with the instrumental track "Pitágoras".

This album does not have the hype of the previous Mutantes psychedelic records, and was not release on CD until very recently (its vynil release easily reached US$500 on used-record stores before that). But it is a true classic, and the music resembles a lot "The Yes Album": Sérgio Dias is a Steve Howe-caliber guitarrist, and Tulio Mourão reminds of Tony Kaye.

And for those looking into more progressive rock from Brazil, please also see "Depois do Fim" from Bacamarte.

A must-have of Brazilian prog rock.......2005-07-26

If you want a great Brazilian prog rock CD, you found it...

very suprised.......2002-11-04

i am very impressed with this brazillian prog-rock crossover. very good arrangements. the lyrics suited for the time the album came out. this is a must have a jem. if you like captain beyond, deep purple mkIII, yes,funkadelic and frank zappa. you will find all these flavorful sounds to satisfy your hunger for brazillian rock. this albyum is very different from the early hippie-tropicalia sound. if anyone has information on brazillian hard, stoner, prog. rock from the 60's and 70's please let me know this vital sourcs of music.

Average customer rating: Decent introduction, some rare mixes Great brazil, great 60`s. You cant ask for much more One good Byrne deserves another, but... Shockingly great music Only One Side of the Story

Everything Is Possible: The Best of Os Mutantes Os Mutantes Manufacturer: Luaka Bop ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Rock | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Caetano Veloso (Tropicália) Transa Tropicália Essentials Inspiration Information Tecnicolor ASIN: B00004RD1T Release Date: 2000-03-28

Tracks:

1. Ando Meio Desligado
2. Ave, Lucifer
3. Dia 36
4. Baby (1971)
5. Fuga No.11
6. Cantor De Mambo
7. Adeus Maria Fulo
8. Desculpe, Babe
9. El Justiciero
10. Panis Et Circenses
11. A Minha Menina
12. Bat Macumba
13. Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
14. Baby (1968)

Amazon.com essential recording

"You must take a look at the new land," Os Mutantes singer Rita Lee softly proclaims on Everything Is Possible!'s English-language rewrite of Caetano Veloso's "Baby." The Brazilian psychedelic-rock pioneers were addressing a hoped-for American-British audience, but they could also have been singing to their own country's political establishment, which didn't take kindly to the Tropicalia era's fusion of Beatles and Hendrix influences with elements of bossa nova and samba. The result continues to reverberate more than three decades later in the work of Beck, Stereolab, and Cibo Matto, not to mention on late-'90s reissues such as this. Full of beauty, self-mocking good humor, and a command of varied styles that Lennon and McCartney would've envied, this enticing music is every bit as fresh as it must've sounded to South American swingers back in the day. --Rickey Wright

Album Details

Os Mutantes were the Pioneer Brazilian Psychedelic Band in the Late 60's. Compiled by David Byrne from the Remastered Original Tapes.

Customer Reviews:

Decent introduction, some rare mixes.......2007-07-16

This is a decent introduction to the group. When it came out in the late 1990's, it was crucial, because few people outside of Brazil knew of them. It has good, informative notes, too.

I agree with the reviews that say that this tends towards the poppy at the expense of their louder & more extreme material, and favors the first album at the expense of their excellent second and fifth albums. More importantly, the sequencing is confusing and ineffective. Why not go for straight chronology? Nonetheless, there are no weak tracks here.

Fanatics and collectors of the band may be interested to know that this collection contains some unexplained rare mixes found on none of their other in-print CDs. The mix of "Baby (1970)" is mono and an underdub, lacking a male vocal on the chorus and some percussion--it is distinct from the two other distinct mixes of this performance found on "Jardim Eletrico" and "Tecnicolor". The two songs from the Mutantes' second album, "Dia 36" and "Fuga No. 11", are in gorgeous stereo here and nowhere else. (The album is only available in mono on CD.) "Ando Meio Desligado" is an alternate, short mono mix with an extra couple of bass notes at the beginning. (The other two 1970 songs are featured in mono mixes or fold-downs here.)

Great brazil, great 60`s. You cant ask for much more.......2005-01-08

I really havent heard anything alse of this group, just some kazaa tracks but it isnt enough. THIS GROUP IS GREAT!!!!!!!!! Rita Lee at top of her form, rather strange experiments, but it sounds great. Its a shame that there arent more mutantes albums. This album might as well be really short (it only last 45 minutes and its a "greatest hits". it should have more music) but its a great introduction to the group. The best of the best: Ando meio desligado, cantor de mambo and PAnis et circenses. And of course, its a crime to forget Dia 36 (a guitar throwing up: you just have to hear it) and of course the very best version of the song baby, so wasted by caetano veloso. if u like experimental music, south american music and/or the swinging sixties, listen to this album

One good Byrne deserves another, but..........2004-01-30

One of the more unfortunate recent cultural events was the titling of the Terry Gilliam movie *Brazil*, otherwise edifying enough. And the real problem with having such a product (which takes up as much space in many people's *espaces mentaux* as that country itself) is that it interferes with recognition of that country's very live cultural reality, and that this cultural reality is *in some ways* not unlike that of *Brazil* due to the 1968 AI-5 act, with which the ruling military government banned political discourse. Although there is a new biography available from one of the best-known figures of this period, Caetano Veloso, this anthology for Os Mutantes is a *revelatory* item.

Compiled by David Byrne for his purist Luaka Bop label, this CD collects songs from all through Os Mutantes' career: it includes early recordings of songs from Veloso and Jorge Ben, but also the Mutantes' later attempts to record relevant yet saleable material (including songs in "Portunhol", a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese). Robert Christgau is concerned that *estadouidenses* will not be able to follow the sounds of the Tropicalia period, but "in this time of melding cultures" this is actually one of the more challenging (yet feasible) of such tasks. The Mutantes (do a little math) do not possess an "exoticist" mien: they present an alternate and "problematized" modernity, one which was *always* intended for export.

And perhaps one of Beck's much-hyped returns to non-form, on *Mutations*, owes as much to the mindset of that period as its conflicted relationship with the native sounds of Bahia: such that musicians who have not yet troubled to pick a Mutantes record up may be even more interested than this early revivalist conformance allows (Omplatten has since released all the early records at reasonably affordable prices).

Shockingly great music.......2003-02-27

A couple of years ago, I bought the second Nuggets box set, the one that features psychedelic '60's music from outside of the U.S.A. (the first set was almost exclusively American). Anyhow, one of the songs on that second set was an odd tune called "Bat Macumba" by a strange Brazilian group called "Os Mutantes" ("The Mutants"). I liked the song right away, but as I listened to it a few times, it really began to get under my skin. When I got a chance to hear more from this band (via this album, "Everything is Possible"), I realized that "Bat Macumba" was not a fluke.

To be a little less indirect, Os Mutantes made some of the most daring, exciting, off-the-wall-and-yet-surprisingly-listenable music I've ever heard. Discovering this music was for me one of those truly mind-expanding, change-your-life kind of events. It actually makes me want to learn Portuguese in the same way that Dostoyevsky made me want to learn Russian. It's also opened my ears to Tropicalia, a style I was never really aware of before, but which I am now beginning to explore.

I should warn the prospective listener that this stuff is pretty wierd. In fact, if I understand it correctly, wierdness for wierdness' sake (or perhaps for creativity's sake) was a big part of what Tropicalia was all about. But if you can stand the wiredness, and listen with an open mind and open ears, Os Mutantes' music is very, very rewarding. This album (on which there is not a single bad song, by the way) is a good place to start, if only because it's still in print. It might also give you an introductory glance into a whole movement (and a whole culture) of which you may have known little.

Only One Side of the Story.......2003-02-13

I feel guilty giving this release only three stars. Let's face it, the Mutantes were a great band, but this is only a so-so compilation. It only gives you a small piece of the big picture. For one thing, like Luaka Bop's compilation of Tom Ze, it tends to over-concentrate on one album (in this case the Mutantes first). This leaves little room for songs from their other (very good) albums, most notably their second album, Mutantes, and their fourth album, Jardim Electrico. Hoje e o primeiro dia del resto de sua vida (?), a Mutantes album in all but name, is criminally unrepresented.

Secondly, the compilers definitely have a bias towards the poppier end of the Mutantes' musical spectrum. There's very little guitar pyrotechics here except on the parodic Cantor de Mambo (Mutantes roast Santana) and Bat Macumba. Believe me, the Mutantes could really play. To hear "Baby" without it being preceded by the rock guitar excess of "Sarava" is really disappointing. The Mutantes took part in one of the greatest musical revolutions in the history of pop music, Tropicalia. Like other musicians who took part in this movement, such as Caetano Veloso, Gil Gilberto, Gal Costa and Tom Ze. The Mutantes cleverly played with musical forms, laughed at rock/art pretension, took apart and recombined elements of pop, rock, jazz, psychedelia, folk, bossa nova, classical music, etc. You don't get the same sense of fun from the song selection on this CD.
Call me a crazy fan, but I whole-heartedly recommend every Mutantes album, most particularly Os Mutantes (the first), Mutantes (the second) and Jardim Electrico. Anyone who loves the fun-filled musical explorations of sixties music will love this band. (And anyone who doesn't is a stick in the mud, old fuddy-duddy.)

Jazz Music:

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3. Perales
4. Picando Alante
5. Por Una Mujer
6. Puerto Rican Day Parade 2005 Allstars
7. Sad Eyes [CD-single] [Import]
8. Sal [Enhanced]
9. Season Finale 1998-2003
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