JOv2
Well-Known Member
Ye-Me-Le – Critique and Discussion
Sergio pushed forth from Crystal Illusions with an even more varied program of Brazilian-influenced US pop music. Released in DEC69 (a mere four months after Crystal Illusions), Ye-Me-Le transitions the Brasil ’66 moniker into its “obscure”, non-top-40 period. Reviews from 1970 are seemingly rare – and unless one can locate an electronic copy at their local university library of High Fidelity, Stereo Review, or American Record Guide, it’s largely unknown where music writers of the day stood. Luckily, modern times gives us this new venue to appraise LPs – although now, as then, writers are vulnerable to harassment far and wide at the hands of the usual assortment of i-policing forces – retired or otherwise – that appear ever ready with their i-billy-clubs...
Taken together with Crystal Illusions, for some listeners these LPs may be considered to Sergio Mendes what Herb Alpert’s Ninth and The Beat of the Brass were to Herb Alpert: a sort of water-treading period transitioning to the next more successful activity. (For Herb, the next significant step would be his celebrated 1969 recording, Warm – a record of supreme heartfelt importance to many TjB aficionados.)
During high school back in the 1980s, I had a difficult time finding Ye-Me-Le…so much so that I enlisted the help of an “Out-Of-Print Record Locator” to find a copy. The proprietor was an “ochre” A&M connoisseur and to this day I am grateful our paths crossed as I learned much about the “pre-SP-4200” era via a series of posts and coast-to-coast telephone calls. I’ll always remember his hesitance with supplying me a used copy (10 dollars + S&H – a considerable sum at the time) – his feeling that the LP was “by far” the least enjoyable of the lot. Of course, that just made me want it all the more.
The LP appears dominated by contemporary US material, with two instantly recognizable pieces front-loading the proceedings. The Bergmans’ provide one MOR selection. Grusin, of course, is back swirling his baton – albeit only orchestrating 5 of 10 selections. Unique to this LP is the absence of any Edu Lobo material (there was certainly no shortage from the writer as he was no doubt preparing his A&M debute, released later in 1970; perhaps, all concerned parties were still in recovery mode following the Crystal Illusions tour de force). The LP is notable for closing with a non-“Brazilian” song – a first for the group. Although this is her 3rd LP as a group member, the contributions of Karen Philipp remain unknown to this pair of ears as every female voice on the LP sounds similar…which is to say either Lani sings all the parts, or Karen’s timbre and phrasing are consistent with Lani’s. Lastly, more than any previous LP, Ye-Me-Le is the most US sounding – most likely a result of the presence of a more “rock-focused” electric guitar, the incorporation of only three Brazilian pieces, and overall stylistic choices – the latter particularly noticeable when comparing virtually every song to the “ethnic” Ye-Me-Le.
One thing for sure, the group’s style has evolved so much in three years that one really cannot critique the merits of the LP – or anything since Fool On The Hill for that matter – against the Mas, Que Nada! archetype: it’s simply too much a case of apples and oranges. One should truly assess Ye-Me-Le on its own merits – or at least within the context of the previous three LPs. There are no exceptional (A+) selections on the LP; but, with half the selections devoid of Grusin intervention, for many listeners the overall feel may be more intrinsically agreeable – suggestive of a return to a more combo-oriented approach.
Wichita Lineman. The success of Fool On The Hill is the root cause for what seemed to be a series of attempts to duplicate that success. This is another odd single choice – for the same reasons as Dock Of The Bay: it’s a “male” song (although Lani sings it in the third person – well, some of it – immensely improving content believability), and was yet another recent monster hit, although going from Otis Redding to Glen Campbell is nearly akin to switching from a vodka tonic to a glass of chocolate milk. As before, am not a fan of this new “quasi-soulful-hip” singing style. Grusin is much tamer here than on the Crystal Illusion LP singles. The high “orchestral” trumpet (probably pitched in F) was a polite touch – as was the low-key scat fade out.
Norwegian Wood. Sergio has always enjoyed good fortune with Lennon/McCartney material – and the results here are no different. The song is propelled along in 6/8, initiating with a memorable and rhythmic electric piano + electric guitar riff, climaxing with a fine electric piano solo. The false ending releases back into the intro (a melodic fragment). Good job.
Some Tome Ago. I assume this was a contemporary song of the day, though the writer, Sergio Mihanovich, remains unknown to me. Seemingly perma-pressed for a Grusin orchestration, the absence of such reveals just how light and breezy the ensemble can sound. This is whole-heartedly preferred. Here, too, Lani sounds in far better technical form than on the bulk of Crystal Illusions – particularly as she doesn’t have to do battle against a myriad of symphony instruments. Nice song, too.
Moanin’. Following three rather pleasant offerings, the raucous and brash Moanin’ might easily qualify as the worst Brasil ’66 effort to date (er, well...at least until we get over to side 2). The imaginative rhythmic interplay aside, all that hooping/hollering in the middle (you know, the "moaning" section) is so annoying it renders the song unlistenable. …and of course it’s always these kind of songs that totally go in for the 45-second fade. This mess should have never made it beyond the rehearsal stage.
Look Who’s Mine. Incorporating an intro seemingly lifted right off a Bacharach lead sheet, this Bergman piece is a comfy slice of MOR – somewhat recalling Like A Lover in places. The unison flugelhorns, flutes and marimba provide a nice counterpoint texture for Lani’s warm vocal. While I understand the fanfare-laden section (given the lyrics), like with much of Grusin’s work, it strongly catapults the group into an undesired MOR direction. Such fair is better suited for the mainstream motion picture industry.
Ye-Me-Le. This recalls The Frog, Canto Triste and other group vocal/chant excursions notably absent on Crystal Illusions. Not too bad, but the “song” doesn’t really go anywhere – as conveniently observed in the unexpected fade. Ironically, Ye-Me-Le the LP is so US sounding that Ye-Me-Le the song feels somewhat incongruous.
Easy To Be Hard. I always laugh at this title, given it's Frank Zappa-esque '70s feel. From the lyrics, vocal delivery, guitar part, and cool bass upper register embellishments, this is surely a slice of then-contemporary “hip” music. I think this song might have been from the musical, Hair.
Where Are You Coming From? The intro comes off like underscore from the likes of As The World Turns (you know, when the 30-something housewife is waiting in the dining room…watching the clock – in silence…smoking a cigarette…while waiting for her hubby who is working late “at the office”…with Miss Andrea Connolly ~). Never have been much on these Sergio ballads.
Masquerade. Probably another current US song, this time by obscure writers Haynes/Rose. This one’s pretty good – perhaps the best thing on Ye-Me-Le. The style recalls Fool On The Hill, and luckily again, one that appears asking for the Grusin magic wand but is afforded just the combo. The female/male unison singing recalls the original group vocals, and the quasi-unresolved fade is a gem. Fine job all the way around.
What The Worlds Need Now. Presented in all it’s lime-light, show-stopping glory, this may qualify as the low point of Mendes/Grusin efforts…begging the question: What were they thinking? This is pretty much lame La$ Vega$ floor-show stuff – and although Brasil ’66 has always had a tinge of “piano bar” in them, this is the first time it was exploited to such repugnant proportions. To be fair, the ultra-hip, “let me entertain you” arrangement probably comes across better in concert than in my living room. The best part is the end, when the group starts to run out of gas, and Grusin picks up the slack with an amazing Book of Revelations/LET THE RAPTURE BEGIN ending…all that’s missing is the concluding 20th Century Fox Logo…and the kitchen sink, of course.
By DEC69, much had changed in both the pop music biz and at A&M records since the innocent Whipped Creamed days of 1965. For one thing, the new inner sleeves are no longer dominated by the likes of The Sandpipers, Claudine Longet, and the Baja Marimba Band – suddenly all these hair groups are crawling all over the joint. (Absent, also, is A&M Records’ phone number which adorned one of the earliest versions of their commercial sleeves…I guess Jerry’s and Herb’s thinking back in '65, was that John Q. Recordbuyer would actually call a record company to get more albums. If you call that number today you’ll probably get some illegal alien.) One thing’s for sure: as the 1960s ended, two of A&M’s “Big Three” MOR acts – the TjB, and the BMB – were out of business. To guarantee the label that he was not deserved of the same fate, Sergio would need to re-tool in a significant way…and he did just that.
Thinking of Crystal Illusions as the entry into a “bottom plateau” of sorts, Ye-Me-Le can be viewed as the journey’s exit – with Sergio’s embrace of contemporary US material as a signpost of things to come. Ye-Me-Le is actually not a bad LP. Taken together with Crystal Illusions, and selecting choice cuts for a comp CD entitled "Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 in ’69" actually yields a very listenable 25-minutes or so – and that will hold us for now as we cross over into 1970.
Sergio pushed forth from Crystal Illusions with an even more varied program of Brazilian-influenced US pop music. Released in DEC69 (a mere four months after Crystal Illusions), Ye-Me-Le transitions the Brasil ’66 moniker into its “obscure”, non-top-40 period. Reviews from 1970 are seemingly rare – and unless one can locate an electronic copy at their local university library of High Fidelity, Stereo Review, or American Record Guide, it’s largely unknown where music writers of the day stood. Luckily, modern times gives us this new venue to appraise LPs – although now, as then, writers are vulnerable to harassment far and wide at the hands of the usual assortment of i-policing forces – retired or otherwise – that appear ever ready with their i-billy-clubs...
- Holy Crapola, Batman! Looks like the work of the I.B.P.!
Yes, Robin. Our old nemeses…the Internet Brain Police.
Taken together with Crystal Illusions, for some listeners these LPs may be considered to Sergio Mendes what Herb Alpert’s Ninth and The Beat of the Brass were to Herb Alpert: a sort of water-treading period transitioning to the next more successful activity. (For Herb, the next significant step would be his celebrated 1969 recording, Warm – a record of supreme heartfelt importance to many TjB aficionados.)
During high school back in the 1980s, I had a difficult time finding Ye-Me-Le…so much so that I enlisted the help of an “Out-Of-Print Record Locator” to find a copy. The proprietor was an “ochre” A&M connoisseur and to this day I am grateful our paths crossed as I learned much about the “pre-SP-4200” era via a series of posts and coast-to-coast telephone calls. I’ll always remember his hesitance with supplying me a used copy (10 dollars + S&H – a considerable sum at the time) – his feeling that the LP was “by far” the least enjoyable of the lot. Of course, that just made me want it all the more.
The LP appears dominated by contemporary US material, with two instantly recognizable pieces front-loading the proceedings. The Bergmans’ provide one MOR selection. Grusin, of course, is back swirling his baton – albeit only orchestrating 5 of 10 selections. Unique to this LP is the absence of any Edu Lobo material (there was certainly no shortage from the writer as he was no doubt preparing his A&M debute, released later in 1970; perhaps, all concerned parties were still in recovery mode following the Crystal Illusions tour de force). The LP is notable for closing with a non-“Brazilian” song – a first for the group. Although this is her 3rd LP as a group member, the contributions of Karen Philipp remain unknown to this pair of ears as every female voice on the LP sounds similar…which is to say either Lani sings all the parts, or Karen’s timbre and phrasing are consistent with Lani’s. Lastly, more than any previous LP, Ye-Me-Le is the most US sounding – most likely a result of the presence of a more “rock-focused” electric guitar, the incorporation of only three Brazilian pieces, and overall stylistic choices – the latter particularly noticeable when comparing virtually every song to the “ethnic” Ye-Me-Le.
One thing for sure, the group’s style has evolved so much in three years that one really cannot critique the merits of the LP – or anything since Fool On The Hill for that matter – against the Mas, Que Nada! archetype: it’s simply too much a case of apples and oranges. One should truly assess Ye-Me-Le on its own merits – or at least within the context of the previous three LPs. There are no exceptional (A+) selections on the LP; but, with half the selections devoid of Grusin intervention, for many listeners the overall feel may be more intrinsically agreeable – suggestive of a return to a more combo-oriented approach.
Wichita Lineman. The success of Fool On The Hill is the root cause for what seemed to be a series of attempts to duplicate that success. This is another odd single choice – for the same reasons as Dock Of The Bay: it’s a “male” song (although Lani sings it in the third person – well, some of it – immensely improving content believability), and was yet another recent monster hit, although going from Otis Redding to Glen Campbell is nearly akin to switching from a vodka tonic to a glass of chocolate milk. As before, am not a fan of this new “quasi-soulful-hip” singing style. Grusin is much tamer here than on the Crystal Illusion LP singles. The high “orchestral” trumpet (probably pitched in F) was a polite touch – as was the low-key scat fade out.
Norwegian Wood. Sergio has always enjoyed good fortune with Lennon/McCartney material – and the results here are no different. The song is propelled along in 6/8, initiating with a memorable and rhythmic electric piano + electric guitar riff, climaxing with a fine electric piano solo. The false ending releases back into the intro (a melodic fragment). Good job.
Some Tome Ago. I assume this was a contemporary song of the day, though the writer, Sergio Mihanovich, remains unknown to me. Seemingly perma-pressed for a Grusin orchestration, the absence of such reveals just how light and breezy the ensemble can sound. This is whole-heartedly preferred. Here, too, Lani sounds in far better technical form than on the bulk of Crystal Illusions – particularly as she doesn’t have to do battle against a myriad of symphony instruments. Nice song, too.
Moanin’. Following three rather pleasant offerings, the raucous and brash Moanin’ might easily qualify as the worst Brasil ’66 effort to date (er, well...at least until we get over to side 2). The imaginative rhythmic interplay aside, all that hooping/hollering in the middle (you know, the "moaning" section) is so annoying it renders the song unlistenable. …and of course it’s always these kind of songs that totally go in for the 45-second fade. This mess should have never made it beyond the rehearsal stage.
Look Who’s Mine. Incorporating an intro seemingly lifted right off a Bacharach lead sheet, this Bergman piece is a comfy slice of MOR – somewhat recalling Like A Lover in places. The unison flugelhorns, flutes and marimba provide a nice counterpoint texture for Lani’s warm vocal. While I understand the fanfare-laden section (given the lyrics), like with much of Grusin’s work, it strongly catapults the group into an undesired MOR direction. Such fair is better suited for the mainstream motion picture industry.
Ye-Me-Le. This recalls The Frog, Canto Triste and other group vocal/chant excursions notably absent on Crystal Illusions. Not too bad, but the “song” doesn’t really go anywhere – as conveniently observed in the unexpected fade. Ironically, Ye-Me-Le the LP is so US sounding that Ye-Me-Le the song feels somewhat incongruous.
Easy To Be Hard. I always laugh at this title, given it's Frank Zappa-esque '70s feel. From the lyrics, vocal delivery, guitar part, and cool bass upper register embellishments, this is surely a slice of then-contemporary “hip” music. I think this song might have been from the musical, Hair.
Where Are You Coming From? The intro comes off like underscore from the likes of As The World Turns (you know, when the 30-something housewife is waiting in the dining room…watching the clock – in silence…smoking a cigarette…while waiting for her hubby who is working late “at the office”…with Miss Andrea Connolly ~). Never have been much on these Sergio ballads.
Masquerade. Probably another current US song, this time by obscure writers Haynes/Rose. This one’s pretty good – perhaps the best thing on Ye-Me-Le. The style recalls Fool On The Hill, and luckily again, one that appears asking for the Grusin magic wand but is afforded just the combo. The female/male unison singing recalls the original group vocals, and the quasi-unresolved fade is a gem. Fine job all the way around.
What The Worlds Need Now. Presented in all it’s lime-light, show-stopping glory, this may qualify as the low point of Mendes/Grusin efforts…begging the question: What were they thinking? This is pretty much lame La$ Vega$ floor-show stuff – and although Brasil ’66 has always had a tinge of “piano bar” in them, this is the first time it was exploited to such repugnant proportions. To be fair, the ultra-hip, “let me entertain you” arrangement probably comes across better in concert than in my living room. The best part is the end, when the group starts to run out of gas, and Grusin picks up the slack with an amazing Book of Revelations/LET THE RAPTURE BEGIN ending…all that’s missing is the concluding 20th Century Fox Logo…and the kitchen sink, of course.
By DEC69, much had changed in both the pop music biz and at A&M records since the innocent Whipped Creamed days of 1965. For one thing, the new inner sleeves are no longer dominated by the likes of The Sandpipers, Claudine Longet, and the Baja Marimba Band – suddenly all these hair groups are crawling all over the joint. (Absent, also, is A&M Records’ phone number which adorned one of the earliest versions of their commercial sleeves…I guess Jerry’s and Herb’s thinking back in '65, was that John Q. Recordbuyer would actually call a record company to get more albums. If you call that number today you’ll probably get some illegal alien.) One thing’s for sure: as the 1960s ended, two of A&M’s “Big Three” MOR acts – the TjB, and the BMB – were out of business. To guarantee the label that he was not deserved of the same fate, Sergio would need to re-tool in a significant way…and he did just that.
Thinking of Crystal Illusions as the entry into a “bottom plateau” of sorts, Ye-Me-Le can be viewed as the journey’s exit – with Sergio’s embrace of contemporary US material as a signpost of things to come. Ye-Me-Le is actually not a bad LP. Taken together with Crystal Illusions, and selecting choice cuts for a comp CD entitled "Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 in ’69" actually yields a very listenable 25-minutes or so – and that will hold us for now as we cross over into 1970.