Since September 2010, this blog has recorded the journey of this music junkie as I attempt to listen to all the music in my CD collection. CDs revisited in their entirety from start to finish - no skipping tracks, no shuffle. Compact Discs only - no vinyl, no tapes, no files.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Crystal Illusions (1969)


Pure '60s cheese in all its wholesome goodness. Makes me want to shake up some martinis. Lani Hall singing in Portuguese over a bossa beat is a delight as are Dave Grusin's orchestral arrangements. Put this on with some Herb Alpert, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Getz/Gilberto, and you've got yourself a cocktail party. In fact, that's not a bad idea.

Press of the time:
  • Billboard: "the group reaches out to experiment with a new and almost abstract sound."
  • CashBox: "bound to be a monster"
  • Record World: "an enticing set of lush and sweet bossa tunes"
  • High Fidelity: "This album sounds like its predecessors."

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #33

Tracks: Higlights include (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay, Viola, Salt Sea, Empty Faces, and Pretty World. The CD ends with 2 clunkers: You Stepped Out Of A Dream and the title track, the latter being an overblown psychedelic experimental piece that's of interest only to a Mendes historian (I'm assuming there is one) as he gets to stretch out on an extended Rhodes solo.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Not so much with this CD, but with the song Salt Sea. I had played a good marching band arrangment of the piece in college around 1986 and wanted to hear the original which led to the purchase of the CD.

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