Outstanding Brazilian rock
Paul A. Scofield | Paris, France | 06/06/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I recently had the pleasure to fall truly in love with these 25 songs. They are from Secos e Molhados' first two lps, released in 1973 & '74. The music, often referred to as Brazilian prog-rock, is somewhat hard to describe to an Anglo-Saxon audience. All the lyrics are in Portuguese, which I don't understand. On the first lp (the more famous and consistent), I find 4 different styles. One song is slow blues/rock with few lyrics and some great solo guitar throughout. 2 songs sound similar to The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack- fast, giddy dance music. Most songs are of the 'prog rock' style, but very few are longer than 4 minutes. I suppose the only thing that connects them with classical prog rock is the generous use of flute, harmonica and moog synthesizer. The songwriting, too, is intelligent and creative. Finally, there are a few gorgeous ballads which might remind one of Jorma or Cat Stevens...these are usually nothing more than Ney Matogrosso's incredible vocals along with an acoustic guitar. The second lp (tracks 14-25) has a few great songs which may well be even better than the many highlights on the first. Yet, it is also less concerned with 'rock' and more concerned with capturing/creating Brazilian music. These musicians are all superb (esp. the bassist)...the main instruments are 6 & 12 string guitars (electric and acoustic), bass, drums, piano, flute, harmonica, moog synthesizer, percussion...Ney's singing is inspired and certainly makes these songs special (perhaps this helps explain why he left the band and went solo- but maybe not...as far as I can tell, neither Ney nor Joao Ricardo (guitarist and main songwriter) ever had nearly the success they had with these two lps). Apparently, the 1st lp was a huge success back in '73 in Brazil. Too bad there are only these two. ... These are certainly lost classics...that capture the era well... San Francisco based dj, Joe Sixpack ... writes that these two lps are some of the best Brazilian rock from the 70s... ps: the name of the group translates to 'Dry and Wet'...in English, at least, that's an awfully strange name for a rock band...and don't let the costumes fool you- these guys have far more in common with early Elton John than with Kiss....enjoy."
Latin blood
Flavio Ferretti | brazil | 01/05/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Almost everything has been said on the early reviews about these fabulous guys who shocked Brazil back in the 70's.
Just to remind that, at that time, Brazil was passing through a terrible military regime, with lots of oppresion acts against intelectuals politicians, students and of course artists.
Besides that, and also because of that, it was very hard to have a rock band in Brazil, and even more to record an album and make success.
Secos & Molhados (an expression that refers to a banquet with lots of food - Secos (dry) and drinks - Molhados (wet))
Secos e Molhados appears, in 1973, with 4 guys, with heavy make up, dreesing like hippie gipsys shakin'their hips with a hybrid sex appeal.Can you imagine that impact into middle class ordinary families and hard line generals?
The music, well, it's a mix of psychodelic rock, with folk and brazilian pop music, and the lyrics were made by poets, or even real poems turned into music.
They made huge success, hitting number 1 in a time that rock and roll were only for die hard fans. But, success sometimes, does great damages for unprepared minds. Ney, the lead singer, left the band, soon after the second album was released, saying that money had been stolen and business were going unfair at that point. And that's pratically the end. Further attempts to remake the band with new line ups simply flopped.
The first record has everything you need to know and listen from this band. In a way, sounds like gathering Pink Floyd with Joni Mitchell, Byrds, Grateful Dead and Cat Stevens.
The major tune i believe it is "Rosa de Hiroshima - Hiroshima's rose" a small tune based on a poem by brazilian's writer Vinicius de Moraes about the nuclear bomb in Japan, but also as a clear reference to what was going on in Vietnam at the time.
The second album follows the same formula, but not with the same impact, it is uneven, wth some tunes sounding unfinished, something made in a hurry to continue the success. However there are good songs like "Tercer mundo" (third world), a small flamenco tune sung in spanish (based on a poem by argentinian's Julio Cortazar)and "Flores Astrais" - Astral flowers.
This edition does a great job. People like who had the original records, are able to listen to many things hidden or erased from the previous releases, the guitars sound clearer and louder and synthetizers too.
There's also those stories about the make up, well, they were there in 1973, Kiss first recordered and appeared with make up in 1974, and Secos & Molhados made a presentation for a TV show in Argentina in 1973 when, some say, Kiss' agent watched and stole the idea. Anyway, truth or not, who would give the credits to brazilian guys? Forget it, show business has a lot of stories just like that. LIsten to the music and enjoy your banquet.
"
Luxurious songwriting. Beautiful songs. Brazilian rock at it
Paulo Leite | Lisbon, Portugal | 07/06/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Secos e Molhados enjoyed a brief but notorious career during the 70's. They are the best example of early Brazilian rock during a progressive/fusion period that helped shape all the Brazilian rock bands who came afterwards.
They combine great musical numbers with a songwriting talent that left me speechless the first time I heard it. Their lyrics (in Portuguese) and among the most poetic I ever heard.
In fact, Secos e Molhados is in a league all by themselves because they were so unique. Ney Matogrosso's androgynous vocals are simply incredible and it hypnotizes the listener in a way seldom seen. His solo career confirmed him as a major force in Brazilian music.
The songs talk about all kinds of things... and this CD (containing two albums released around 1974/75) is truly like a book of poems that is unpredictable and surprising. The songs are funny, outrageous, sad, anti-war, erotic, romantic, bittersweet and poignant. Every song looks like a journey (although they are short in length... some hardly go beyond two minutes).
For those who cannot understand Portuguese, here is the beautiful Rosa de Hiroshima (Hiroshima Rose)
Pensem nas crianças (Think of the children)
mudas, telepaticas. (mute, telepathic.)
Pensem nas meninas (Think of the girls)
cegas, inexatas. (blind, inexact.)
Pensem nas mulheres (Think of the women)
rotas alteradas. (altered routes.)
Pensem nas feridas (Think of the wounds)
como rosas calidas. (like flaming roses)
Mas, oh, não se esqueça (But, oh, do not forget)
da rosa da rosa (of the rose's rose)
Da "Rosa de Hiroshima", (The "Hiroshima Rose",)
rosa hereditaria. (hereditary rose.)
Da rosa radioativa (The radioactive rose)
estúpida, inválida. (stupid, invalid.)
A rosa com Cirrose, (The rose with Cirrhosis,)
a "anti-rosa" atomica. (The atomic "anti-rose".)
Sem cor, sem perfume, (Without color, without perfume)
sem rosa, sem nada. (without rose, without nothing.)
Isn't it beautiful?"
Track Listings (26) - Disc #1