BEST Sergio Album Cover

[Chris Martin]

This is HARD! I see the covers in three categories:
Band
Sergio
Abstract

For Band, I say Look Around (sunny, crochet, cool), and Fool on the Hill ("arty", cool, fun on the beach, sneaky titty on the back, lovely group shot but what's with Lani's toes and Karen's granny shoes? ... there's a lot of cool in the covers);

For Sergio, I say Vintage 74, (I was grateful for another gatefold, nice antiquated feel), and Homecooking -- phoney steam and foliage but loads of tasty redness in the kitchen;

For Abstract, I say Primal Roots, primordial, raw and earthy, plus most insightful and informative liner notes ever and Confetti, nice title, lovely clean graphics (I just don't care much for the album )

Any thoughts.....?

 

[Chris Martin]

P.s. by "abstract" I don't mean non-figurative, just not Sergio or Band...

 

[Steven J. Gross]

Fool On The Hill

 

[bc4a&m]

I always liked "Pais Tropical", although in these days of PhotoShop, it might not look so polished in retrospect....the composition of the cover photos on "Equinox" and the first Greatest Hits record (the green cover with the black and white picture) are extremely cool and vibey....

 

[bc4a&m]

Also, "Homecooking" and the soccer cover - both fun concepts, extremely well-executed....

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Sergio has lots of covers I like. In fact out of his entire A&M repertoire, there really isn't one I don't like, except maybe "Brasil '86." It'd be better if there were a picture of Sergio ANYWHERE on it. I guess my favorite overall would have to be FOOL, STILLNESS, PAIS TROPICAL or PRIMAL ROOTS, depending on what kind of mood I'm in.

Of the Brasil '66 covers, the one I probably like the least is YE ME LE, although I don't hate that one either; but it's kind of a letdown having a B&W back cover after the full color previous two albums (not to mention the gatefold FOOL cover). This was a clear sign his sales were diminshing.

I think A&M really thought Sergio had a winner with the STILLNESS album. A complete change of cover style, and another gatefold. I'll bet the marketing people were really scratching their heads when that one didn't sell. Why they didn't score a major pop single from that album, will always be a mystery to me. "Righteous Life" or "For What It's Worth" are excellent records and could have hit the charts if the stars had aligned properly.

 

[Dave]

Homecooking for me seems to be the "best design"... Stillness did have stuff waiting to be hits, let alone, could'a been a sell-out and I think the same thing also should'a been the case with Homecooking, as well...

There is something "campy" about the first four albums, too... Let's not forget, that they were very '60's-esque and from when the group was starting out... (even at the expense of one being a lil' Risqué) :twitchy:



Dave

 

[Harry]

I still find the first A&M album to be the best.

That view of the group looking mysterious in their jungle setting is still captivating after all these years.

Harry

 

[Dave]

Like I said, nothing surpasses the covers of those first four albums... The Tropicalia Setting of Herb Alpert Presents..., The "Garden Party" setting of Equinox, or Look Around's '60's-esque Umbrellas, or... They are all classic...!!

Homecooking should'a been a breakthrough, or gotten Sergio out of the "cult status" he was resigned to... Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77, from 1975, even seems like a Solo Album for him, too; I like that cover more, and more, too!



Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

What Harry said!!!

Group=SP4116
Sergio Only=his return to A&M with 1983's Sergio Mendes
Abstract=Primal Roots

--Mr Bill

 

[TulitaPepsi]

I like the covers which feature Sergio and his GROUP best. I loved tracking who is in and who was out - I love the PAIS TROPICAL cover, but wasn't it a shock and sad to see that Lani wasn't there?

HA PRESENTS: Very dark and forbidding on the front (but those buildings in the distance seem a bit out-of-place) Lani looks like she's saying: "Yeah, we rule. Don't forget it." Smiley back photos and great buddy pic of Sergio and Herb with ciggies.

EQUINOX: OK, nothing special

LOOK AROUND: This always reminds me of "James Bond goes 'Love American Style'" Love Janice's Christmas Tree ball earrings.

FOOL ON THE HILL: Sexy cover, introducing Miss Karen Phillipp. Love that Karen is wearing those fierce slacks and heels while Earth Goddess Lani is barefootin' it. Yes, the 'boob' adds a touch of spice, but I love the "groovin' on the beach" photos inside best.

YE-ME-LE: Love the funky Afro-Brazilian folk art cover (the BRASILIERO cover seems like a copycat cover, and it's less punchy). And the Great B'66 family photo on the back. I've always thought that Karen, Lani and Sergio look completely stoned (though not nearly as wasted as Sergio looks on BRASIL '88 )

CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS: A big dissapointment. This could have been an amazingly trippy cover, but imprisoning the fuzzily photographed group in plexiglass Rubics cubes doesn't work for me.

STILLNESS: One of my favorites - potently evocative of a cool early autumn afternoon. Love the photos inside, though Karen looks very 'hard'. The back photo, with Karen nuzzling closer to a stunning Lani (who looks just like Picasso's last wife, Jacqueline) has (as BrasilNut first noted) a look of Karen giving her sister Lani a hug and a big 'I'll miss, you, girl!".

PAIS TROPICAL: One misses Lani, but what a great photo of the group in white against that Henri Rousseau inspired jungle. I've seen other shots from this session (one was used on a big standee) I like a bit better, though - they give the impression that B'77 was on its way to being a great Brasil-Funk combo - Sergio and the Family '77, as it were.

PRIMAL ROOTS: A good cover of its type, and coveys the earthy, improv nature of the music contained within - but I can't imagine this sold many records. Hate the pixilated group photos on the back.

More later...