sergiomendestimeless.com!

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

Have you guys seen this??!! Sound samples of the whole album - the site looks great, and I've listened to three or four songs. How do I say this nicely - I have a feeling I'm going to like the non-rap tracks (like "Berimbau", which sound great) a LOT more than some of the others ("That Heat" is just bizarre).....I want to know what you all think.....


JTCW

 

[TulitaPepsi]

I waited TEN YEARS for THIS?!?!

OK, "Berimbau" kicks A$$! You can't go wrong with Gracinha and Stevie. And 'E Menina' is pretty fantastic too. And to my great surprise, I liked 'The Frog'. But oh, boy - that is one STOOPID rap almost as inane as Madonnas "I love New York...all other cities make me feel like a dork" on CONFESSIONS ON A DANCEFLOOR. But 'The Frog' does lend itself to a rap treatment. The basic problem is the re-jiggings are NEVER better than originals. Those are the really "Timeless" cuts - this new stuff will date badly.

It pains me to say this, but TIMELESS is every B'66 lover's worst nightmare. It's exactly what we all dreaded - a Black Eyed Peas album with special guest appearances by Sergio & Gracinha. Horrifying.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

There's a definite rhythm here, it's definitely Sergio and several well-known, popular rap artists of the day. That said, it's a departure from anything Sergio has done before, that's for sure. There are some great tunes here, but it's early and I still need a few more cups of coffee before it all sinks in. One thing's for sure: he updated and went in another direction with this project.

I do see a future fan base here, yet wonder how the "original" fans will receive TIMELESS with it's rap vocals and rhythms. I'm sure this has been considered by the Mendes camp. From all reports and all I've gleamed, Will.i.am is a tremendous fan of Sergio, thus he wanted to work with him and produce something for which his fan base would be receptive.

In other words, although TIMELESS may be heavily influenced by its co-producer, there's merit to be found here. Just a matter of getting used to new sounds and rhythms, really.

Jon

 

[TulitaPepsi]

The problem for me, Jon, is that ALL I HEAR is the co-producer. Maybe if he'd SHUT THE $#&%#@& UP on a few tracks I'd like it more.

I am not all all sure that Sergio's fan base is going to be receptive to this - and I'm someone that enjoys both PRIMAL ROOTS and MAGIC LADY, so I cover quite a range of appreciating the various sounds of Sergio. I don't blame him for wanting to reach out to younger audiences (hey, I was hoping for a dance re-mix album at some point) but in TIMELESS he's going to REALLY alianate a lot of us old-timers. There is just precious little on TIMELESS that sounds REMOTELY Sergesque.

 

[JMK]

As I'm on dialup, I just didn't have the patience to let more than one song load, at least for now, but "The Frog" wasn't totally hideous, LOL. You have to say this about Sergio--he has a long history of trying to re-establish himself commercially, after which he inevitably releases something more indigenous-sounding. Look at "Love Music" vs. "Vintage '74" or the Elektra "Sergio Mendes" vs. "Homecooking," or even (to a somewhat lesser degree) the A&M "Sergio Mendes" vs. "Brasil '86" (the less said about "Confetti" the better, LOL). So hopefully this is simply another brief detour to attract a new audience. We're hopefully upgrading to high-speed within a week or two and I'll revisit the site at that point, but in the meantime I'm hoping my Japanese import CD will have arrived anyway. And, for those of you who are poking around that site, the song links are under "The Album". It takes a heckuva long time to load even the page on dialup, so be patient if you are a luddite like I am.

 

[TulitaPepsi]

Yeah, Jeff...but how long AFTER this will we get a palate-cleanser from Sergio and Gracinha? At the rate Sergio is recording, we'll all be in wheelchairs before another CD is out.

I've been listening to the clips again this afternoon, trying to be a good sport and give them another try, thinking maybe I was too harsh in my opinion the first time and maybe I should just listen to the entire CD before I pass judgement.

It's not working, kids....

 

[Mike]

I went to the site, I listened to the clips. I think that they are targeting a segment of listeners that I’m not a part of.

 

[Dave]

...I went to the site, I listened to the clips, I think are targeting a segment of listeners that I’m not a part of...

I pretty much have to "echo" that statement... Remember Timeless is to get the "Next Generation" (which I'm not part of either...) listening... So being as it's been "Ten, Long Years since we had anything New", let's be glad again, we have "something"...! Maybe in ANOTHER Ten-Years Sergio will then make his next album strictly for Us--and those "just beginning to listen NOW will also buy into, as well! That is if they are turned on enough to buy the "Old Stuff", too...!!


Dave

...Hmmmm, should this STILL be titled "Herb Alpert Presents"....??

 

[JMK]

Dave, you're echoing the translation my Portuguese teacher just gave me for "mas que nada", which I mentioned in the Portuguese thread:

Something's better than nothing!

 

[TulitaPepsi]

OK, I'm TRYING to look on the bright side of things. It could have been worse - it could have featured Eminem. And the raps aren't violent or offensive.

And it will get Sergio a LOT of publicity and airplay. Which is not a bad thing at all.

 

[Dave]

...Dave, you're echoing the translation my Portuguese teacher just gave me for "mas que nada", which I mentioned in the Portuguese thread:

"Something's better than nothing...!"

Yes, I read your thread, and for a while there, I thought you were saying that my post was "THERE" instead of "HERE"! :scared: aughalone:

Well, keep us posted on what your teacher teaches you; it might give us the incentive to learn another language, too!


Dave

 

[Rudy]

I've been listening to the clips again this afternoon, trying to be a good sport and give them another try, thinking maybe I was too harsh in my opinion the first time and maybe I should just listen to the entire CD before I pass judgement.

The jury's still out at my place.

I will still buy this to support Sergio Mendes' latest effort, but I'm sure I'll have to pick and choose among the few tracks I like so far. "Berimbau/Consolacao" is good from the brief sound sample online--I don't know if Stevie Wonder gets more than harmonica duties here. "Lamento (No Morro)" is a Jobim composition that we're familiar with from the Wave album, and it is mainly instrumental with a light hip-hop beat.

Rap definitely isn't my "thing" (I mean, heck, I got into a couple of early rap songs like "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, but can't relate to the later recordings), but there really are some different "grooves" going on here once you get beyond the rapping. "Mas Que Nada" still has a hypnotic sound to it, and "The Frog" samples the original Brasil '66 recording, as does "Loose Ends", which is their reworking of the string introduction of "So Many Stars".

It may end up being like Alpert's Rewhipped album: the dance DJs are going to be all over this one. Even if us fans of the earlier Sergio Mendes recordings aren't exactly fond of this one, astute listeners and DJs will seek out his earlier recordings after hearing this one.

We'll need to give this CD a fair chance...

Actually, "Mas Que Nada" is getting a bit more catchy each time I listen to.

 

[JMK]

Speaking of "So Many Stars," I don't have Look Around handy, and Lord knows my memory isn't what is used to be, but didn't Richard Hazard orchestrate that one? The little "pop up blurb" on the song that samples it says it's a Grusin orchestration. However, Rudy, did you notice they've linked Brasil66.com?

 

[TulitaPepsi]

I hope Sergio & Will give credit to Lani on "That Heat".
I wonder if he asked her permision to sample it.

 

[JMK]

I haven't sat here for ten hours to listen to that one yet. But he wouldn't have to ask her permission to sample anything that she recorded for him. She was an employee and/or contractor doing "work for hire." Now whether or not they needed to get whoever owns Equinox now (is it still Verve? I can't keep it straight anymore) to give them permission is another matter. It might be interesting to look up the Harry Fox license.

 

[Rudy]

Speaking of "So Many Stars," I don't have Look Around handy, and Lord knows my memory isn't what is used to be, but didn't Richard Hazard orchestrate that one? The little "pop up blurb" on the song that samples it says it's a Grusin orchestration.

Hi Jeff,

I noticed that also, almost immediately--Hazard did do the string arrangements on Look Around.

It's hard to tell on some of these songs if they were sampled, or just re-recorded to sound like the originals. The ones that sound sampled sound as though they are beneath a "gauze" so to speak--sort of muffled, in other words. "Coming Home Baby" is redone here as "Yes, Yes Y'all", and to me it sounds like the Atlantic recording. He'd have had to license that recording as well.

We're working on updating brasil66.com with the new recording, once we get a few more items to put up there.

Wish you could hear "Mas Que Nada"...the full song is posted up there.

 

[Chris Martin]

Whether or not Sergio is reaching forward to a new generation of fans or reaching back to old ones with this baby, I'm going to buy it! It'll be a grower, I warrant! And Justin's welcome IMHO (can't BELIEVE anyone can remember Janet Jackson's tittie expose', let alone be horrified by it enough to want to boycot a new SMendes release LOL). Cool licks on tracks like Cry me a River. And yes, I'm 41! I look forward to the album and the renewed high profile!

 

[Mr Bill]

SO what were we expecting? An LP that would be indistinguishable form any of the first four or five on A&M???

Like it or not this is modern music and artist are more or less always going to play modern music. Those of us in our 40s and 50s probably had parents that felt about the Beatles that we feel about (c)rap. It's typical.

But (as someone else said), this isn't "gangsta" rap nor does it have that whiny screech like the rap song used in that obnoxious Pringles ad a few years back. It's Sergio, 2000's style.

Will it take some getting used to? Sure. But I got used to Herb going disco with "Rise." And for me the most telling thing is my 13-year-old daughter (who whines when I play any of my "classic" music) actually liked what she was hearing. So if Sergio and Will.I.Am can bridge the "new" generation gap, more power to them!

--Mr Bill

 

[Mr Bill]

It looks like we should spruce up www.brasil66.com as it is the main link under the "Links" page at Sergio's new site!

--Mr Bill

 

[Trevor]

Hmm...

Well, it doesn't sound like Oceano...

It will be interesting to see who picks up this CD.

I think it's a good sampling of Strong Sergio Songs. (versus "Dance Attack" or "Life in the Movies")

I bet the DJ version of any single will have strong remixes, and perhaps a "no rap" version. Well, that's what I am hoping for...

Also, it could be that the sample bits of songs that they used are geared towards the Will.i.am fans, and thus have heavier samples of raps when in all reality it could only be a 30 second rap in a 4 minute song. It'll be interesting to hear the whole songs and the CD as a whole.

Trevor
(who doesn't really know what to say, but still felt he had to say something!)

 

[TulitaPepsi]

Mr. Bill & Trevor make some excellent points. I dont think any of us would like to see Sergio calcified into another 'nostalgia act',so it's a great sign that he wants to try something new and commercial, even if it takes a lot of us aback. And Trevor is right...we shouldn't jump to conclusions on a handful of clips. Let's hear what the entire CD is. Though I must admit, after listening to just the clips (and to be fair, there are a few cuts that are real earworms) I can tell that this new Sergio CD is going to take a LOT of getting used to. And my gut tells me that it won't be a sprinkling of rap here and there. I'll betcha 95% of the entire freakin' CD is rap.

Regarding Mr. Bill's statement about 'Rise': The minute you heard it...you knew it was unmistakably Herb from the first few notes.

But from my multiple listenings of the TIMELESS clips, it still sounds to me like a Black Eyed Peas album done as a 'homage to Sergio Mendes', with lots of sampling of earlier songs and featuring Sergio & Gracinha as "special guests". There's far more will.i.am than Gracinha!

It doesn't sound like a Sergio Mendes album.

 

[Mike]

I can’t compare Rise, an instrumental, with Timeless, a vocal/rap CD. Give me Timeless, without the vocal tracks and I’ll be happy.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

At least there is some acoustic piano, which I didn't think there would be. That alone could make it a cool listen.

 

[Harry]

I've not heard the clips with my laptop and slow dialup connection, so I can't really comment on the sounds you all are hearing. I probably wouldn't 'preview' the album anyway, as I'd rather have the whole thing here to listen to.

I ordered the Japanese version and it should be here soon enough. It took awhile for me to accept Herb's NORTH ON SOUTH STREET, and I suspect it will take awhile for me to warm up to this one as well. Do I wish there wasn't rap on it? Surely. Will it turn me onto 'rap music'? Probably not, I wasn't crazy about the 'rap' parts on BRASILIERO. Will I give it an honest listen to hear whatever good Sergio and Gracinha brought to the project? You bet.

But here's a question: Where in the world will the record stores file this one!? It's hard enough to find the Sergio Mendes section now. So, as this one makes its appearance, we can at least enjoy that old favorite game of ours, "Where's Sergio?"

Harry

 

[Trevor]

It's always a fun game at a record store: "Where is Sergio Mendes?"
At the Virgin Megastore on Sunset in LA, Sergio would be found in Brasil and Vocals.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that in a couple of years, this "Timeless" CD will be found next to the "Confetti" or "Oceano" CD in the cut-out bins.

I think this "old school" Sergio fan is going to be on the look out for instrumental, lounge, or ibiza remixes of the songs on compilation CDs.

Funny that Harry mentions "North on South St" wasn't that done by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis who were at the time helping Janet Jackson. And now we have Justin on this CD. Is this an omen???