Search - Various :: Brazilian Love Affair

The Original

bordersj2 | Boston | 01/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Far Out Record's first "Brazilian Love Affair" compilation. That isn't to say it is their first compilation though... I'm not sure if it is, and I kind of doubt it, since they had the Misturada series before (I think). But this one was the beginning of their franchise... a capable series that would more than hold it's own in the market of Brazilian music compilations and even nu-Brazilian electric fusion music. There's a mouthful! The label's been around for well over a decade now and have released some fantastic albums by the likes of Joyce, Marcos Valle, Grupo Batuque, Os Ipanemas, Azymuth and loads more. To say that Far Out Records is just a "good" label would be an understatement - they're fantastic and even though they have a penchant of exploring new sounds and styles, they never forget the origins of the music and put the goal of quality in the front of everything they attempt to do. It's literally a label that I can buy from blindly. After that glossy review of the label, what about this album? Well, in 1999 you had Glucklich vol 3, the Bossa Brava series and a few other compilation series... but that was it. This was just before Brazilectro, Nova Latino and loads of knock-offs.



One other thing about Far Out's Brazilian Love Affair franchise - they were much more Brazilian influenced than any of the ones I just mentioned. This one kicked it off with a moody Celia Vaz cut before a very cool version of Azymuth's classic 'Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser' (Everything you could be... loosely). The track's been redone loads, but the guitar and beat easy bridge make this version a real highlight - clasic Azymuth sound. Marcos Valle's "Nova Bossa Nova" is also featured, and it is a testament to the new sound he had from that time up to today. He's done more than "Os Grillos" - he's put out some terrific modern, jazzed up and remix easy cuts! Speaking of Os Grillos, that too is featured here with full lyrics. Not his classic - it's the one from the original "Friends From Brasil" releases. One of my favorites on this album though is Grupo Batuque's "E Ruim"... a track that's been remade in Brasil a few times but this one stands out. Kind of an eerie feel... electronica and samples, but out of nowhere, the samba in this and precussion kicks in a way only Grupo Batuque can lay down. Of course, a few other tracks I loved were Joyce's... one taken from a Tutty Moreno album that has since been re-released (Magica), and another from her now hard to find "Tardes Cariocas" album. Interesting thing about that song... "Nacional Kid", it was taken from one of her live shows, and her speaking in the beginning was actually sampled by Italian maestros Soulstance on their second album "Act On!" for the song "Mutantes". A bit frightening that I know that...



Anyways, I love this album. As the years go by, this one may become more and more difficult to find. However Far Out Records is up wiht the times, of course, so most of their tunes are also available digitally - including the one off 12" that you may have heard from them and liked. If you ask them, I'm sure they'll add even more to their site for fans. But this one was a very promising start to the successful and un-paralleled series that stopped in 2004. If you like it, check out the others in the series, check out their "Brazilika" series and definitely stop by their label website."