OSIBISA ~ "WELCOME HOME"

 

Original released on Gatefold LP Bronze ILPS 9355 
(UK, November 1975)

O 1º Album A Solo De NEY MATOGROSSO

Original released on LP Continental 1.01.404.105

(BRASIL, 1975)

Ney de Souza Pereira nasceu no Mato Grosso do Sul, na fronteira com o Paraguai, e aos 17 anos entrou para a Aeronáutica, indo mais tarde trabalhar no laboratório de anatomia patológica do Hospital de Base de Brasília. Pouco mais tarde começou a cantar num quarteto vocal e participou de um festival universitário, depois do que enveredou para a carreira artística, querendo ser ator de teatro. Com esse objetivo foi para o Rio de Janeiro em 1966, onde virou hippie e passou a viver da venda de peças de artesanato. Em 1971 mudou-se para São Paulo, adotou o nome artístico de Ney Matogrosso e passou a integrar o grupo Secos e Molhados, que, em apenas um ano e meio de vida, se tornou um fenómeno, vendeu mais de um milhão de discos e se desfez. Ney Matogrosso projetou-se com o sucesso da banda, chamando a atenção pela voz e pela sua performance, sempre muito teatral, no palco. Com o fim do Secos e Molhados seguiu uma carreira individual de sucesso, ganhando vários Discos de Ouro e de Platina e se apresentando no exterior. Conhecido sobretudo pela maneira extravagante de se apresentar, com maquiagem, roupas escandalosas, trejeitos e a voz aguda, sempre criou polémica ao longo da sua carreira.

Saiu dos Secos e Molhados em 1974 e no ano seguinte lançou o primeiro disco a solo, este "Água do Céu - Pássaro" (também conhecido como "O Homem de Neanderthal" em referência à faixa homónima de abertura, de autoria de Luís Carlos Sá, e por ter sido o título do antológico primeiro espectáculo da carreira solo). O LP vinha numa capa de papelão cru, com Ney Matogrosso pintado, vestido com pelos de macaco, chifres e pulseiras de dentes de boi, apresentando uma sonoridade vanguardista, com músicas interligadas por sons da floresta, macacos, ventanias, água corrente e pássaros. Foi considerado extravagante demais e obteve vendas inexpressivas, destacando-se no repertório as músicas "América do Sul" de Paulo Machado e o mambo "Coubanakan" (cantado em espanhol), além da regravação de um fado de Amália Rodrigues ("Barco Negro") e canções de Milton Nascimento/Rui Guerra e João Bosco/Aldir Blanc ("Bodas" e "Corsário", respectivamente); o trabalho foi distribuído juntamente com um compacto, que apresentava duas músicas que ele gravou na Itália com o músico e compositor argentino Astor Piazzola: "As Ilhas" e "1964 (II)", incluídas como bonus nesta edição.

"O Que Faz Falta é Animar a Malta..."

Edição Original em LP Orfeu STAT 026 

(Janeiro 1975)

Pela primeira vez não foi preciso mandar à censura prévia os poemas que José Afonso iria cantar no seu primeiro disco gravado a seguir ao 25 de Abril. O sonho de tantos anos torna-se finalmente uma realidade, que Zeca acompanha de perto deslumbrado com aquela vontade colectiva de virar o mundo do avesso. Entretanto, nos meios musicais, criara-se uma expectativa: “E agora, o que é que o Zeca vai fazer”? A resposta está em parte neste disco, integralmente preenchido por temas compostos antes de Abril. Recusando a catalogação e a instrumentalização (tão comuns naquele período de emoções fortes), José Afonso mantém intactas as suas convicções, as suas fidelidades e as suas amizades. Até porque – e ele sabia disso – todos o respeitavam. "Coro dos Tribunais" é gravado no final de 1974, em Londres, nos estúdios da Pye Records, onde já tinha sido gravado o album “Traz Outro Amigo Também”, quatro anos antes. Para suceder a José Mário Branco na direcção musical da gravação, José Afonso escolhe Fausto, que assim inicia com ele uma colaboração que se estenderia a outros discos futuros. Para além de Fausto, integraram também esta nova excursão londrina o Adriano Correia de Oliveira, o Vitorino, o Carlos Alberto Moniz, o francês Michel Delaporte, o brasileiro Yório Gonçalves e ainda José Niza, que tem a seu cargo a produção do novo disco.

Londres, ao contrário de Paris ou de Madrid, era de certa maneira uma cidade mais hostil, mais estranha, menos propícia à criação de um ambiente latino, em que a comida, a bebida e o próprio idioma não ajudavam à festa. Uma tarde o Adriano e o Vitorino entraram no estúdio com um brilhozinho nos olhos e a novidade de terem descoberto ali perto um sítio onde havia vinho tinto português e mais umas coisas para petiscar. Foi a debandada geral, perante a perplexidade de Bob Harper, o engenheiro de som, que nunca tinha visto interromper-se uma gravação londrina por causa de apetites deste género. Numa entrevista dada ao “Mundo da Canção” em 1981, José Afonso refere este tipo de cumplicidades: «O mundo social da música não me seduz grandemente, como não me seduzem os palcos e todo esse tipo de estruturas sobre que assenta a canção. Seduz-me, sim, aquilo que posso fazer em torno da música: os contactos que estabeleço, os amigos que arranjo, esta irmandade progressista que se vai estabelecendo à medida que vamos correndo as terras, descobrindo que nessas terras vivem indivíduos que têm determinado tipo de preocupações...»

MELANIE: "As I See It Now"

Original released on LP Neighborhood NBH 80636

(US, 1975)

Nine months after "Madrugada"'s commercial failure, Melanie braved the waters again with "As I See It Now", a rather limp try at country-folk credibility. "Yankee Man" (originally "Yankee Lady") by Jesse Winchester is spoiled by wincingly cute lyrics, whichever way the pronouns are switched. Melanie's misdirected cover of "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is an absolute slog to get through - along with most of "As I See It Now", it's ruined by staid production. Listener fatigue sets in well before side two, which is when the album finally picks up. Skip the tooth-rotting "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," and left are three striking Melanie originals; "Autumn Lady," "Chart Song," and the title track. "Chart Song" is an astrology-tinged poem to Melanie's daughter; unsentimental, succinct, and proof of her ongoing melodic knack. It's just a pity there's such a glut of midtempo filler to get through first. (Charles Donovan in AllMusic)

Special Edition Of IAN HUNTER Debut Album

Original released on LP CBS 80710

(UK 1975, April 1)

After leaving Mott the Hoople in early 1975, Ian Hunter quickly threw himself into recording this eponymous solo debut. Not surprisingly, it contains a lot of the glam rock charm of Hunter's old group: "The Truth, the Whole Truth, Nothing But the Truth" and "I Get So Excited" are fist-pumping tunes that combine punchy hard rock riffs with intelligent lyrics in a manner similar to Mott the Hoople's finest moments. However, Ian Hunter pulls off this grandiose sound without the overtly ornate production that defined the final Mott the Hoople albums because Mick Ronson's cleverly crafted arrangements manage to create a big wall of sound without utilizing a huge amount of instruments or overdubs. As a result, Ian Hunter's lyrics shine through in each song and show off his totally personalized mixture of attitude and intelligence: the legendary and oft-covered "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" is a cheeky, clever exploration of rock & roll's ability to corrupt the innocent, and "Boy" is a critique of a rocker who has allowed his pretensions to overpower his heart (many say this tune was aimed at fellow star and onetime Mott the Hoople producer David Bowie). Another highlight is "It Ain't Easy When You Fall," a moving tribute to a fallen friend that gracefully builds from delicate verses into a soaring chorus. The end result is a memorable debut album that gives listeners their hard rock fix and manages to engage their brains at the same time. Anyone interested in the finest moments of 1970s glam rock should give this classic a spin. (Donald Guarisco in AllMusic)

RAINBOW's Debut Album

Original released on LP Polydor PD 6049

(US 1975, August 4)

Perhaps the first example of "dragon rock" - a style perfected by bands like Iron Maiden and Dio in the early to mid-'80s - was "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow", a rather pretentious 1975 collection from the guitarist's first post-Deep Purple project. Fittingly enough, a young Ronnie James Dio provides the goblin-like frontman presence required by the increasingly Baroque Blackmore. The young Dio is at his best when he fully gives in to his own and Blackmore's medieval fantasy leanings, in hard-rocking tracks like "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" and "Man on the Silver Mountain." The dark, trudging doom rock of "Self Portrait" most clearly showcases what they were capable of. The album's ponderous lyrics are occasionally punctuated by poetic phrases such as "crossbows in the firelight." Rainbow become a true embarrassment when they try to lighten up and boogie down. "If You Don't Like Rock ]n' Roll" is really an abomination, a pale imitation of second-rate radio-rockers like BTO. Although "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" provides a few listenable tracks, its primary value is historical. Look to Rainbow's next album, "Rising" (1976), to grasp the heavy metal potential that is only hinted at here. (David Kent-Abbott in AllMusic)

"Lisztomania" Original Soundtrack

Original released on LP A&M AMLH 64546

(UK 1975, October 20)

This record is pretty different from Rick Wakeman's usual progressive work: the songs here have almost all a different style: from classical music to floating mellotron ballads, passing by clavinet pop rock and piano solos, the repertoire is broad. Roger Daltrey's ordinary voice can be heard on the simpler songs (listen to the wonderful "Love's Dream"); there is another singer on "Excelsior song" (Paul Nicholas) that almost sounds like a crooner. The music does not sound like a movie soundtrack. There are some very good & bombastic orchestral arrangements. However some of the Wakeman's fans could be quite disappointed: the often pop compositions are not really complex: they are just slightly progressive! Wakeman claims that in 1975 A&M took his original tapes and gutted/changed them so completely that this resulting soundtrack bears no resemblance to what he'd intended it to sound like. In 2002 he and Voiceprint released "Treasure Chest Volume 1: The Real Lisztomania", which he feels is the correct version. Whether or not it's any improvement for the listener is probably debatable. (in RateYourMusic)

NEIL YOUNG: "Tonight's The Night"

Original released on LP Reprise MS 2221

(US 1975, June 20)

Written and recorded in 1973 shortly after the death of roadie Bruce Berry, Neil Young's second close associate to die of a heroin overdose in six months (the first was Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten), "Tonight's the Night" was Young's musical expression of grief, combined with his rejection of the stardom he had achieved in the late '60s and early '70s. The title track, performed twice, was a direct narrative about Berry: «Bruce Berry was a working man/He used to load that Econoline van.» Whitten was heard singing «Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown,» a live track recorded years earlier. Elsewhere, Young frequently referred to drug use and used phrases that might have described his friends, such as the chorus of "Tired Eyes," «He tried to do his best, but he could not.» Performing with the remains of Crazy Horse, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina, along with Nils Lofgren (guitar and piano) and Ben Keith (steel guitar), Young performed in the ragged manner familiar from "Time Fades Away" - his voice was often hoarse and he strained to reach high notes, while the playing was loose, with mistakes and shifting tempos. But the style worked perfectly for the material, emphasizing the emotional tone of Young's mourning and contrasting with the polished sound of CSNY and "Harvest" that Young also disparaged. He remained unimpressed with his commercial success, noting in "World on a String," «The world on a string/Doesn't mean anything.» In "Roll Another Number," he said he was «a million miles away/From that helicopter day» when he and CSN had played Woodstock. And in "Albuquerque," he said he had been «starvin' to be alone/Independent from the scene that I've known» and spoke of his desire to «find somewhere where they don't care who I am.» Songs like "Speakin' Out" and "New Mama" seemed to find some hope in family life, but "Tonight's the Night" did not offer solutions to the personal and professional problems it posed. It was the work of a man trying to turn his torment into art and doing so unflinchingly. Depending on which story you believe, Reprise rejected it or Young withdrew it from its scheduled release at the start of 1974 after touring with the material in the U.S. and Europe. In 1975, after a massive CSNY tour, Young at the last minute dumped a newly recorded album and finally put "Tonight's the Night" out instead. Though it did not become one of his bigger commercial successes, the album was immediately recognized as a unique masterpiece by critics, and it has continued to be ranked as one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever made. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

ART GARFUNKEL: "Breakaway"

Original Released on LP, October 1975
UK: CBS 40 86002 - US: Columbia PC 33700

Soft, lush pop for winding down after hours, maybe after a night about town like on the iconic album cover shot of ladies' man Garfunkel. Opens beautifully with Stevie Wonder's "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" and continues smoothly down the line of cover songs with highlights like the wonderful "99 Miles from L.A.", "Waters of March", an angelic rendition of "I Only Have Eyes for You", "Break Away", "Disney Girls", "Rag Doll" and the Simon & Garfunkel reunion "My Little Town". A good choice for when you need some peaceful and pleasant pop tunes. (in RateYourMusic)

The second time around, Art Garfunkel turned to pop producer Richard Perry, who liked to record in studios rather than cathedrals and who replaced the angelic style of the first album with a lush pop approach. The result was Garfunkel's best-selling album. The title track and a cover of "I Only Have Eyes for You" reached the Top 40 (the latter topped the U.K. charts), though the most prominent song was the Simon & Garfunkel reunion single "My Little Town." But the album was full of wise pop choices, among them Bruce Johnston's "Disney Girls," Stevie Wonder's "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)," and Hal David and Albert Hammond's "99 Miles from L.A." Perry proved that, given the right material and production, the problem of the relative sameness of Garfunkel's vocal approach could be overcome. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

LOU REED: "Coney Island Baby"

Original released on LP RCA Victor APL1-0915

(US, December 1975)

You'll have to look long to find a smoother sounding album than this, I've never used the word before, but I feel 'eargazm' is the only thing that fits in this context. I know a lot of people find Reed's solo career rather disappointing, when you look on his earlier career and everything. But he has his moments, he definitely has his moments. And this is clearly one of them, I could listen to this album all day long. This was released after "Metal Machine Music", an album that was hated by almost everyone. I still haven't gotten around to listen to it yet, but I'm actually looking forward to see what the fuzz is all about. Perhaps I'm even gonna like it, I'm a pretty fucked up guy when it comes to sounds, so I just might. This is the remastered version of the album, and it includes six bonus tracks, three of which are alternative takes, or drafts. The other three "Nowhere at All", "Downtown Dirt" and "Leave Me Alone", fits the album perfectly and adds something to the overall opinion. I enjoy this album a lot, and consider it one of Reed's best. I recommend people who haven't heard any Reed solo albums to try this out, it might be his most accssible. Of course most people goes with "Transformer", which I personally prefer over this, but I would say that this album might be a better introduction. But if you're like me and prefer to start at the beginning, do it. If you're not that obsessed with chronology, go with "Coney Island Baby". Enjoy! (in RateYourMusic)

JORGE PALMA: O 1º Album

Edição original em LP Decca SLPDB 1024

(PORTUGAL 1975, Setembro 19)