Pais Tropical-Discussion

Favorite tune on Pais Tropical

  • Pais Tropical

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • So Many People

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Morro Velho

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Zanzibar

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • A Tonga da Mironga

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Gone Forever

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Asa Branca

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I Know You

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • After Midnight

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Total voters
    8
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J

JMK

Well-Known Member
Contributor
Let's all contribute memories and responses to the first Brasil '77 album. I saw this in the fall of 1971 and of course noticed right off the bat that the group's name had changed (so observant of me :D ). It was immediately obvious to me that Sergio was "rebranding" but following the successful formula he had had with B66--i.e., group in a tropical, floral setting on the cover, starting out with a Jorge Ben tune, etc.

But there were some exciting new developments, not the least of which was Karen Philipp's distinctive vocal charms on "So Many People" and especially on "Gone Forever," which in a just world would have been a monster hit for Sergio & Company. "Zanzibar" stands out as one of the more adventurous tunes in Sergio's oeuvre, with a great modal solo and superb vocalese. Tom Scott's sax is put to great use on "Asa Branca" and especially the 7/4 reworking of "After Midnight." (If you ever want a completely unusual take on "Asa Branca," I highly recommend the Celtic/Brasilian group Mac Umba's--get it?--where the lead is played by bagpipes!).

The only tune I don't care for is "I Know You"--it just lacks the dramatic gravitas of the Brasilian ballads that Sergio had previously sung.

And how cool was that cover, with the little fold-over flap, something replicated on the CD release? But why did they omit the guitar tune-up on "Zanzibar"?

Just some meandering thoughts right off the bat.
 
I've got to agree that "Gone Forever" was one of the songs that just jumped right out at me screaming "Great song". It should have been a huge hit.

I was prepared to not like PAÍS TROPICAL just based on the fact that Lani Hall was gone. But the songs just won me over. Right off the bat, the title track, "País Tropical" got things off to a rousing start with a hook-laden tune that had an infectious party atmosphere.

Then came "So Many People", a Nichols/Williams tune that grabbed me along with every other Nichols/Williams song I'd ever heard. Karen Philipp's vocal treatment sounded so much like Lani Hall that I began not to regret Ms. Hall's absence so much.

"Morro Velho" added another sterling effort from Gracinha, whose voice we were all accustomed to by now, having heard her on the Bossa Rio albums and her earlier turns with Sergio. Her voice now sounded like it belonged here on this album - not as a guest star but as a true member of the "group".

"Zanzibar" is a rousing side closer on the LP, another one of those "instrumentals" that had vocal scatting as well. It was the strength of Side One that made me a fan of this album.

Though Side Two gets off to an OK start with "Tonga", the wonderful "Gone Forever", and another rousing instrumental of "Asa Branca", things go awry for me with "I Know You" and "After Midnight".

"I Know You" is probably the worst of Sergio's attempts at ballad vocals. It trudges along with our hero struggling to find the right note to sing as he slides in and out of the melody.

"After Midnight" is probably a song that others might champion, but I never cared for this one. It's too brassy, brash, and noisy when Tom Scott gets going in the middle. Some might enjoy that; I've always found it irritating.

So the album, as originally released started out great and ended on a bit of a sour note for me. The CD from 2002 (UICY-3708) closes things out with a bonus track of the title song, "País Tropical" as sung in Japanese, a nice bonus to the album.

As for the cover, it was indeed a nice harkening-back to the covers of old, and it was so effectively done that A&M nearly repeated it exactly with Gato Barbieri's similarly named TROPICO seven years later, on which ironically, there's a vocal appearance by Lani Hall:

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Harry
 
I actually knew about the name change of the band before the album came out -- not because I'm in the music business, but because I read an article in the newspaper. It was one of those synidicated "filler" articles that Sunday papers use to take up space. I still remember the headline: BRASIL '66 IS '77. Unfortunately I didn't cut the thing out.

I'm pretty much with Harry on this album, although I do enjoy "After Midnight." My least favorite song here is "I Know You," which like many of the other Sergio ballads on previous albums, brings things to a halt. I think this is probably my least favorite of all his solo songs.

I'm not a huge fan of "Morro Velho" either - Gracinha sings it well, but it sounds a little too "anti-pop" for the rest of the album ("I Know You" has the same problem).

Picking a favorite tune on the album, I'd probably have to go with "Pais Tropical." I love the way it opens with the very strong piano notes. and the party atmosphere really adds too. "Asa Branca" is another strong song, sort of a cousin to "Celebration of the Sunrise." I really enjoy the piano solo in "Zanzibar" - it's always great to hear Sergio cut loose on an acoustic piano.
 
Anyone who owns this: is Sergio's cover of "Asa Branca" anything like Walter Wanderley's on Moondreams? Just curious, as that's the only other album I know of that has that song. I think I've ignored Pais Tropical too long and should go get it!
 
seashorepiano said:
Anyone who owns this: is Sergio's cover of "Asa Branca" anything like Walter Wanderley's on Moondreams? Just curious, as that's the only other album I know of that has that song. I think I've ignored Pais Tropical too long and should go get it!
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Seashore, the two versions are about as different as possible. Walter's almost has that bolero thing going for the first run of the head, with the light organ and harpsichord feel. Sergio's is much rockier, with an almost Boots Randolph Yakety Sax lead from Tom Scott. Sergio's version has a cool stereo effect with that opening riff in thirds on guitar.

BTW, quite a few people have recorded Asa Branca, including Flora and Airto.
 
One thing not mentioned here that we covered when the CD first came out--there's a really unfortunate (albeit brief) dropout in Gone Forever.
 
Re that foldover cover flap: I thought that was totally cool when I saw the album in shrink wrap...but then was really bummed when I opened it up and there was nothing under there! I was hoping for some liner notes, or maybe closeup pics of the group or something. It was a real letdown after the STILLNESS gatefold cover; that one remains my favorite of all Sergio's A&M covers.
 
I do remember back in the days of LPs that my Pais Tropical album used to get regularly "hung up" on the album next to it due to that little flap. :wink:
 
The A&M item that gave me the worst trouble that way was the "tan" CARPENTERS album. The small cutout for the "picture frame" tab would get caught . As I remember, PAIS had its spine on the end where the flap was, so it never got hung-up on my shelf.
 
The original yellow gatefold cover of Michel Colombier's WINGS (SPX 4281) seemed almost designed for deliberate self-destruction.

The thin front flap has a fairly large area cut out of the center, with the LP housed behind some unusually thick cardboard inside the back cover.
Pull the record out too fast ... and your front cover's ripped apart.

Needless to say the non-gatefold reissue gets played more often.

JB
 
"Zanzibar" was also revisted by Lani Hall on her 1998 solo album BRASIL NATIVO as part of the medley with "Viola Fora De Moda".

I found it interesting that on that solo album, she tackled a couple of songs that Sergio had done after she left his Brasil '66 group.

Harry
 
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Falls in between the return to the more up-front commercialism that Stillness fell out of the groove of, and the return to the more authentic Brasilian elements of Primal Roots (though without the in-depth experimentation)...

Though not a bit less jive...! :freak: :laugh:

It's easy to see that the title track seems to be what best characterizes the sound and direction that the group wanted to go in and "Pais Tropical" was at least worthy enough to onto the Foursider compilation, at that...

However every commercial angle and cliche seems to be revealed on tracks like "So Many People", written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols on the former's Someday Man with the Brasilina phrasing but also augmented by a cheesy harmonica, which is in no way meant to evoke the forthcoming Airto Fingers album, which this predates even on "Asa Branca", on which Tom Scott's swinging sax gets added and suppossedly Jim Keltner temporarily replaces Sergio's usual drummer just to apply a little more substance to the stickwork and Carl Radle, in place of the usual Brasil '77 bassist, seems to be into this fold as well; a track list showing what musicians played on each number, if not a listing of the tracks these people have played on (Which with this cheesy packaging there is room for!) would easily be a big help...!!!

"Zanzibar" seems refreshingly off-the-beaten path to these proceedings and Pais... could easily use a few more tracks or at least ones with hooks (a fine showcase of Sergio's piano) like it... Especially when hearing the token Sergio vocal on "I Know You" that greatness gets diminished... However, running a close-second to the album's namesake is none-other than what inspired Carl Radle and Jim Keltner to come on board and that's "After Midnight" (the Eric Clapton song, on which the two session musicians have played) and also features Tom Scott playing a beefy sax in addition to it being another worthy inclusion on the Foursider compilation, as well...

"Morro Velho" established the quniessential female vocal-led Mendes & Brasil tune and a fine one, lending a lot to the integrity if it served as merely a "cog" in this wheel of a new direction the group was heading into, abandoning the more authentic Brasilian characteristics it had projected with ease into the American Pop World before, though never being terribly abrupt...

It's a good thing an album like this had come along; it redeems the dark and dank path you had heard on Ye-Me-Le and Stillness, continues the sombre, but attempted cheeriness of Crystal Illusions and prepares their audience for the groundbreaking (and deviation from commercialism) of Primal Roots...

A still credible attempt at eclecticism and a more outreaching and ambitious set, justifying the never-ending search for where Mendes could go with mere experimentation while achieving a depth of sensation in furthering the usual stock-in-trade...



Dave
 
Personally I love the harmonica solo on "So Many People"--sort of unusual for a supposed "Top 40" attempt. I remember the Stereo Review review of the album highlighted the solo, too, and I think they even said who it was. Maybe someone has that old issue, or can find it on eBay. I remember it had a nice quasi-FOTH photo of B77 surrounding Sergio in a high wicker-backed chair. Re: After Midnight--it was actually written by J.J. Cale, who I'm pretty sure recorded it first.
 
One of the other things that's unique about Pais Tropical is the songbook that was released in tandem with the album, the second Sergio songbook. It contained an in-depth interview with Sergio (but sadly no psychedelic poster, LOL), wherein he went on about how adventurous he planned the new group to be, trying out new forms, etc. I think the marketplace quickly took care of that idea. :wink:
 
Speaking of Brazil '77 in general, I think Sergio dropped the ball with the album Sergio Mendes and the New Brasil '77. That's the only Sergio album I own that I specifically do not like so far.
 
seashorepiano said:
Speaking of Brazil '77 in general, I think Sergio dropped the ball with the album Sergio Mendes and the New Brasil '77. That's the only Sergio album I own that I specifically do not like so far.
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Really? That's probably my second favorite Elektra album after Homecooking. That was Sergio's group with two drummers. I love the vocals on that album--Sergio's first foray into Quarteto em Cy territory.
 
Yep! Just don't like it. I gave it one listen and had to struggle through some of the songs. Then again, I like "Lonely Woman" and "You Get Your Love From Me" from Magic Lady, an album I know some people detest!
 
Love "Lonely Woman." Hate, hate, hate "You Get Your Love," probably my least fave Sergio tune ever! :) Listen again to the beautiful harmonies on "If You Leave Me Now," not to mention Stevie's guest appearance on "Real Thing" or the very nice "Peninsula." But my favorite track is probably the gorgeous "Why."
 
As disco music, MAGIC LADY is OK but as Sergio Mendes music, it leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion, since he is capable of so much better.

Since this thread is now completely off the track, I'll help! :D My favorite tune on NEW BRASIL '77 is "Mozambique." I've often thought about making a compilation of those Mendes instrumental tracks, some of which have vocals that still aren't really lyrics.

Casa Forte
Celebration of the Sunrise
Asa Branca
Zanzibar
After Sunrise
Mozambique
Peninsula
Dream Hunter
Si Senor
Toucan's Dance
Shakara
Misturada

...and probably a few I'm not remembering from BRASILIERO, OCEANO, TIMELESS and ENCANTO.
 
Morro Velho is my favorite on the album. I thought Gracinha Leporace did an awesome job on this song
 
ok - back to Pais Tropical.

With Gone Forever, I think that Sergio proves that it is as much his technique that creates the great vocals as it was Lani's voice. And perhaps he should have used that technique for himself on I know you!

I was given a live version of After Midnight (with Karen and Gracinha) and it sounds much better than the studio version. No Brass, and more freedom with the vocals.

Pais Tropical - the song - is great!

So Many People is perhaps a political follow-up to "For What It's Worth"?

Morro Velho is a beautiful song by Gracinha.

Zanazibar - if you listen closely to the instrumental / solo part- Sergio layered his solo. One layer is "chords" the other layer is the actual solo.

Tonga is a very light-hearted fun song.

Gone Forever - killer ballad.

Karen does a wonderful job with the english (all of them) female vocals.
Gracinha does well with Morro Velho and Tonga.
They both do Pais Tropical Zanzibar and Asa Branca.
 
Trevor, I respectfully disagree with you on Zanzibar. As a keyboard player myself, I can tell you that to my ears anyway Sergio is doing the block chords with his left hand and soloing with his right.
 
There's no way to know for sure...he could have recorded it in two passes. But, Sergio being the killer player that he is, my sense is that he recorded it all at once. I'll bet there are some interesting out-takes on this tune.
 
Hhhhmmm... How did I forget "Gone Forever", yet, another Paul Williams/Roger Nichols-written tune...?

Seems as though that track, too, considering how dreamy and conventional on Williams' ...Old Fashioned Love Song that Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77's interpretation, while retaining the flow and flutter of the original, which the vocals bask and bathe in, still shows endless dimensions of Brasilian possibilities...! :love:



Dave
 
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