Erasmo Carlos - Carlos, Erasmo 1971

After saying a formal goodbye to the teenage glory of the Javem Guarda with the bracing 1970 album Erasmo Carlos & Os Tremendoes, the artist strove to break more new ground the following year with Carlos, Erasmo.... In 1971, the tropicalia movement had undergone massive changes. Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil remained in exile. Gal Costa had evolved from the breathtaking psychedelic tropicalia of her 1969 self-titled album and embraced Yankee-style rock, blues, jazz, and pop with 1970's Legal. Os Mutantes had suffered the loss of Rita Lee. Carlos enlisted their guitarist Sergio Dias, drummer Dinho Lemme, and bassist Liminha (Arnolpho Lima Filho); psych session guitarist Lanny (Alexander Gordin); pianist Regis Moreira; and percussion, horn, and string sections. He brought back arranger Chiquinho de Moraes and hired Arthur Verocai and Brazilian legend Rogério Duprat as well. The entire set was produced by Manoel Barenbein, rightly considered the tropicalia producer. 
This program is easily his most provocative recording to date. Half of it comprises original material co-written with Roberto Carlos; the rest is by the hottest writers on the scene, including Vitor Martins, Taiguara, Marcos and Paulo Sérgio Valle, and Jorge Ben. Veloso, too, sent Carlos a new tune entitled "De Noite Na Cama," which wed fuzzy electric guitars, berimbau, and squawking cuíca in a rock-cum-samba beat. Liminha's sweet waltz "Masculino, Feminino" is delivered as a duet with O Bando's Marisa Fossa, its melody deeply influenced by Neil Young. The first original, "É Preciso Dar um Jeito, Meu Amigo," is a swampy 4/4 rocker with swirling strings, a gritty tenor saxophone break, popping snares, and biting distorted electric guitars. "Dois Animais Na Selva Suja da Rua" contains punchy piano chords, a rumbling bassline, trilling strings, snare breaks, and stinging lead guitars. As wildly different as all these tracks are from one another, they create a foundation for the rest of the album. It never loses focus despite the wide variety of sounds and styles on offer. 
Check the shimmering Rascals-inspired balladic soul in "Gente Aberta," the squalling psych in Ben's "Agora Ninguém Chora Mais," and the greasy funk in "Mundo Deserto." There's 12-string-driven freak folk in "Sodoma e Gomorroa"; hyperactive, angular soul in "Ciça, Cecília" appended by layer upon layer of backing vocals and horns; and fuzzy, jazzy, wah-wah-driven groove in the Valles' "26 Anos De Vida Norma," a true set highlight. "Não Te Quero Santa" is almost a tender look back at the Javem Guarda, but its baroque horns, cinematic strings, and swaying balance of electric and acoustic guitars reflect the influence of post-Sgt. Pepper's Beatles. Carlos, Erasmo... is crazy but kaleidoscopic and complex, the fully mature work of a pop visionary who was not only influenced by tropicalia, but, even late, added significantly to its creative reach. Like its predecessor, the album confounded listeners and was a commercial flop. In the 21st century, it's regarded as a Brazilian rock classic. Even more, it may be Carlos' masterpiece. AMG.

listen here

Erasmo Carlos - Sonhos e Memorias 1941-1972 [1972]

Sonhos e Memórias: 1941-1972 is the third in Erasmo Carlos' classic trilogy from the early part of the decade that includes 1970's Erasmo Carlos & Os Tremendoes and 1971's Carlos, Erasmo... Unlike its predecessors, though, the singer/songwriter's hyperactive ambition here is of a more intimate variety. Its two halves sound like they originated on different albums, each reflecting one-half of its title ("Dreams and Memories" in Anglo). Carlos enlisted Jairo Pires (Tim Maia) as producer. The core of his studio band included pianist/organist José Roberto Bertrami, bassist Alex Malheiros, and drummer Ivan Conti -- the trio that became the jazz-funk fusion outfit Azymuth -- and guitarists Tavito and Luiz Claudio Ramos, among others. The "Sonhos" side opens with the unlikely but beautiful "Largo Da 2ª Feira," a Brazilian pop song with a decidedly Laurel Canyon take on country. "Mane Joao" melds Afro-Latin rhythms and jazzy soul. "Minha Gente" sounds like Meddle-era Pink Floyd backing Nick Drake on Five Leaves Left, while "Mundo Cão" closes the first half with slippery samba-flavored pop and affectionate glances at late doo wop and early Northern soul -- it's also more musically ambitious. On "Soriso Dela" Carlos, complete with Duane Eddy-esque guitar, haunting organ, a caporeira rhythm comprised of tom-toms and percussion, and a slow-walking circular bassline pays subtle homage to João Gilberto. "Sabado Morto"'s intro sounds like sun-kissed retro bossa, but its jazzy syncopation (one wonders if Michael Franks heard this album before recording 1976's The Art of Tea) eventually transforms itself into rocking, psychedelic soul. Capoeira chant informs the stacked harmonies on "Vida Antigua," answered by shimmering snares, breezy 12-string acoustic and hollow-body electric guitars, and a tenor saxophone break. (Think Stevie Wonder's Where I'm Coming From). "Meu Mar" offers pillowy psych-pop textures and incessant, chanting choruses. "E Proibido Fumar" is the hardest rocker here and ultimately travels into the psych stratosphere at its zenith. For Sonhos e Memórias: 1941-1972, Carlos loosened his grip on the Tropicalia influence that framed his previous two records; he made room for new sources of inspiration. His experimentation with the lineage of Brazilian rhythms and harmonies, alongside influences from the emerging West Coast singer/songwriter scene, Harry Nilsson, abstract soul, folk, jazz, and rock, all formed part of MPB's next step during this era (its sibling recordings are Edu Lobo's 1971 date Cantiga de Longe, Caetano Veloso's Transa, and Milton Nascimento's and Lo Borges' Clube Da Esquina, both of which are also from 1972). This album was not a commercial success at the time, but has since become a classic, and deservedly so. AMG.

listen here or here or here

RE-POST: Erasmo Carlos - Sonhos e Memorias 1941-1972

Erasmo Carlos is a historic figure in Brazilian rock, acknowledged by many as the father of Brazilian style. Extremely important as a composer, mainly because of his creations with longtime partner Roberto Carlos, he has been intensively recorded by many top artists. He also has an extensive solo discography. Heavily influenced by rock & roll, he learned his first chords with Tim Maia in 1957. In the same year, he became a member (together with Roberto Carlos) of Maia's seminal band Os Sputniks, a precursor to Brazilian soul music. The next year, he joined the group the Snacks as a vocalist, again with Roberto Carlos. Until the mid-'60s, both performed on radio and TV shows like Os Brotos Comandam (Rádio Guanabara and TV Continental) and Festival de Brotos (TV Tupi), becoming important precursors to the Jovem Guarda movement. From 1965 to 1967, he joined the group Renato e Seus Blue Caps as a vocalist and guitarist. His first composition, "Eu Quero Twist," was recorded by Agnaldo Rayol for Copacabana. His first recording as a singer was in 1962, with "Terror dos Namorados," written with Roberto Carlos. Soon the duo released "Parei na Contramão," and the two hits consecrated them permanently. "Festa de Arromba" (with Roberto Carlos) was a big hit in 1964. In September 1965, TV Record launched the show Jovem Guarda, directed toward their young audience. The show would give birth to the homonymous movement that provoked the precocious demise of bossa nova. In Jovem Guarda, Erasmo Carlos was the Tremendão, and shared the hosting with Roberto Carlos and Wanderléa. Many songs of the duo Roberto/Erasmo became big hits, with "Quero Que Tudo Vá Para o Inferno" being the anthem of a whole generation. Erasmo Carlos' career continued after the end of Jovem Guarda with the recording of many albums and show performances; at the same time, his compositions continued to be recorded by many top artists. In 1968, he made his first appearance in film, in Roberto Carlos em ritmo de aventura, the same year in which he was sued for the corruption of youngsters due to his sensual performances; he was prohibited from performing for two years. In the next year, he appeared in Roberto Carlos e o diamante cor-de-rosa and, in 1970, in A 300 km por hora. In 1972, he was awarded with the Coruja de Ouro trophy for his performance in the film Os Machões (1971). In 1974, he formed the rock band Companhia Brasileira de Rock with guitarist Liminha, saxophonist Yon, bassist Rubão, pianist Sérgio Kaça, and drummer Dinho. This was followed by a performance in the Hollywood Rock Festival and, in 1985, the historic Rock in Rio Festival for 250,000 people. In 1997, he and Roberto Carlos were awarded the Shell prize for the entirety of their works. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK