Introducing ... Sergio Mendes

[Chris Martin]

From an earlier post I made, where I publicly shuddered at the prospect of someone discovering Sergio Mendes via "Timeless", surely his most mainstream/promoted output for quite some time, which album would you most want a newbie to pluck from the racks and then fall in love with his music to?
This is hard, as it is not necessarily an invitation to tout your favourite album. It has to be something that contains all those elements you love, the *spirit*, if you will, of Sergio Mendes. No compilations!!!!

I was going for Equinox, and then Vintage 74, but I'd say "Homecooking".
We're in an age where the stuff that hasn't dated too well, but that I still love ("Tell Me In a Whisper", "It's Up to You") have taken on a gorgeous retro patina, but the hardness of "Sunny Day" and the weirdness of "Cut That Out", plus all that upfront funk *n* percussion might lead back to an appreciation for Brasil 66.

 

[Chris Martin]

Sorry:
"Where I publically shuddered at someone finding Sergio Mendes via
MAGIC LADY!!!!!!!!!!!! (not Timeless)

 

[Chris Martin]

OY!!!!
I mean, discovering Mendes through Timeless, surely his most promoted... and coming away with Magic Lady.....
If you don't follow the logic, this thread will die (I wouldn't blame you!! )

 

[Dave]

Well, for a while there I thought you were telling us Herb Alpert Presents... was being reissued under a NEW TITLE!


Dave

...And with the way Timeless is so far, being received, that might be a possibility--'least with his "NEW" Audience...

 

[JMK]

Actually wasn't one of the UK releases of HAP called Introducing Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66? (It might have contained stuff off of Equinox, too--I can't recall right now).

 

[Chris Martin]

Yeah, "Introducing" has tracks from HAP, Equinox, Look Aroundand Fool on the Hill.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I would give a newbie the EQUINOX or LOOK AROUND album. I think they are a bit more accessible than HERB ALPERT PRESENTS, what with well-known songs like "The Look of Love" and "Watch What Happens" and "Night and Day."

I would definitely not give them HOMECOOKING. While it has some good moments, it's really not very representative of classic Mendes and some of it is really dated, and the English lyrics on it are pretty awful in spots.

 

[JMK]

See, this is why I find this Forum so entertaining, LOL--I think "Homecooking" hasn't dated at all and is easily the best "recreation" of the classic B66 sound during the Elektra period. I absolutely love the metaphysical bent to a lot of the lyrics on "Homecooking." I saw it as Sergio's psychological breakthrough album after years of trying to establish himself again after Lani's departure, but of course, I am probably reading way too much into it. Sergio sounded great this A.M. on NPR, BTW. Hopefully everyone caught it. It was fun to hear him laugh; he was obviously enjoying himself immensely.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

"Homecooking" .... is easily the best "recreation" of the classic B66 sound during the Elektra period.

I don't want to make it sound as if I don't like HOMECOOKING....I do like a lot of it. I agree that it's good to see Sergio have a "band" backing him again after the studio-player-performed SERGIO MENDES album. I think HOMECOOKING could have benefitted from more acoustic piano. And I do like the instrumentals on it, especially "Shakara." And "Sunny Day" has a hook that won't quit. And, their version of "Where To Now St. Peter" is one of the rare Elton John covers that I like better than his version.

 

[Dave]

Homecooking is definitely the place to "stop" in my collection; as beyond the campy Sergio Mendes & The NEW Brasil '77 cover (and back cover) there was little there I could get into... And I only liked "Never Gonna Let You Go" from Sergio Mendes, the "comeback" on A&M...


Dave

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

Yeah, there is a fun wacky creative energy to "Homecooking" - but I have a pretty strong feeling that the years leading up to it were not too affected by pining for Lani.....

 

[Chris Martin]

I was certainly turned off by most of the 80's stuff -- except for a handful of tracks from "Brasil 86" and "Arara". As for the 70's, I'd have to go beyond "Homecooking" as a "stopping point", in order to include "New Brasil 77", "Brasil 88", "Pele" and Allegria".

 

[Harry]

What we're all forgetting here are the compilations. If a "new" Sergio Mendes fan wandered to the right section of a record store (wherever THAT is!) or did a Sergio Mendes search at Amazon, what they'd find is a few greatest hits compilations - and three of the oldest are the most prominently displayed: the old green GREATEST HITS album from A&M, the purple CLASSICS VOLUME 18, and the old FOURSIDER compilation. All three are still out there in abundance, and all three would serve as fine introductions to the original Brasil '66 sound.

Harry

 

[Chris Martin]

Actually, I excluded compilations in my original post, as that would have been too easy

 

[Dave]

Compilations are actually how I started! Both Greatest Hits (in the frequently found GREEN, and sometimes BROWN cover) and Foursider, along with the two Bell albums and "the" two Elektras--Sergio Mendes and Homecooking--would be a "Typical Dave" collection; though would sometimes also get the hankering for Primal Roots and Stillness!


Dave

...Rootin' for Comps! --Online!

 

[JMK]

Re: pining for Lani. Remember that Claudio posted here a long time ago that Sergio "never got over it, commercially or personally" (or words to that effect), so, while I admit I am probably over-analyzing it, I think it did play a part in Sergio's outlook for at least a while after she left. He seems to have recovered, LOL.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

If we're talking compilations, I would vote for FOURSIDER. (Sound issues aside.)

 

[Dave]

OK, now I immediately thought of one person I know who LOVES "Pretty World"; right down to it once getting Frequent Play on one of our Local Radio Stations... (though this was probably before the "format change", as alas, I hear it No More!)

Asking her what Sergio albums she owns, she replied that Greatest Hits was she had; on Vinyl, on Cassette to play in the car and she snatched it up on CD, too... I simply told her to at least get Crystal Illusions as she wondered what album it was one (and she still owned a working turntable) and told her that the rest of the album does follow suit... (Actually, my words really were: "You Don't Know What You're Missing!!"...) neeye: :goofygrin:


Dave

 

[Rudy]

If we're talking compilations, I would vote for FOURSIDER. (Sound issues aside.)

Same here--it's a decent CD overview. Too bad it was made from such a horrible tape source!

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

Re: pining for Lani. Remember that Claudio posted here a long time ago that Sergio "never got over it, commercially or personally" (or words to that effect), so, while I admit I am probably over-analyzing it, I think it did play a part in Sergio's outlook for at least a while after she left. He seems to have recovered, LOL.

interesting - if Claudio said it, I'd tend to believe it....

 

[M&B]

Being new to this forum I have to agree on Equinox and Watch what happens albums but I would also recommend Love Music and Vintage 74.
I have to admit though when I heard Love Music for the first time many years ago I thought this album was way too smooth and commercial but I really started to like it.

Great forum by the way.

 

[Dave]

...I have to admit when I heard Love Music for the first time, I thought this album was way too smooth and commercial, but I really started to like it...

There isn't really much on Love Music that's really Brasilian-sounding, whereas on its successor, Vintage '74, there is a LOT there that's Brasilian...! (And what I also thought were a lot of Love Music-leftovers...!) Ah, but good albums; they grew on me and at one point were ALL that I had!

...Great Forum, by the way...!

Thanks, and hopefully you'll constantly check us out! :goofygrin:



Dave

 

[scott_c_jordan]

Re: pining for Lani. Remember that Claudio posted here a long time ago that Sergio "never got over it, commercially or personally" (or words to that effect), so, while I admit I am probably over-analyzing it, I think it did play a part in Sergio's outlook for at least a while after she left. He seems to have recovered, LOL.

I read a brief interview with Sergio in a Philippines newspaper a few weeks ago. It wasn't novel enough to post here, but there was, in hindsight, one intriguing moment:

The author commented that he'd caught Sergio right after his arrival in the country, and that he'd been battling to stay conscious after the long flight. The interview proceeded, talking about familiar Timeless-related stuff, with the usual sound-bites we've seen a dozen other places. Then, asked who his favorite singer was, Sergio immediately said "Lani Hall," then my impression was that he caught himself a moment too late and added "...and my wife, of course!" (Whoever she might be... the author didn't think to ask!)

(I always thought it was a little awkward in the liner notes for Oceano when Sergio tells Gracinha that she's his favorite singer. My thought at the time: Um, why was that necessary anyway? I mean, rent a room, you two.)

Now, between that perhaps inadvertently revealing jet-lagged comment and your reminder of what Claudio Slon said, I'm wondering if maybe, just maybe Sergio misses Lani's unique voice and phrasing as much as I do.

--Scott
Wishing for a CD rerelease of A Brazileira, online

 

[Mike Blakesley]

FWIW, Sergio said Joe Pizzulo was his favorite singer a time or two, too. I think he's just a very complimentary fellow!

 

[Rudy]

interesting - if Claudio said it, I'd tend to believe it....

He was a character! I'm glad he visited us when he could. One of my favorite Claudio quotes was about Walter Wanderley's "Cheganca" album cover:

"I'm also sure the blond on the coffee sacks must be a better looking cover than the "Cheganca" one, with the three of us in rented tuxedos..."