Os Mutantes – Haih or Amortecedor
Reviewed by Sadie O., 9/8/09
Demented eclectic psychedelia/pop/metal/mambo/Idunnowhatthehell from Sao Paolo. These guys have been carrying on long enough to have been nearly jailed for playing rock back in the 60’s when samba was the Official State Sanctioned Music Of Brazil. Deeply odd stuff that just won’t sit still and be classified. I’ve found Os Mutantes to be hit or miss over the course of their career, but I’m thinking this one’s a hit.
No idea about FCCs, folks! Almost entirely Brazilian Portuguese.
I dig 2, 4, 9, esp. 10 the mostest.
1. 0:33 preaching, and three cheers.
2. 4:13 ****acoustic strums intro, then big downtempo horns and metal guitar, hip-shaker riddim. Amazing impassioned female vocals later in song.
3. 3;11 ***simple guitar intro, then sitar and castinets… slow and heavily exotic. Then 60’s-sh folk-pop, male vocals, often going into falsetto.
4. 3;22 ****uptempo carnival vibe w/ accordion and rather demented hyperspeed female vocals. goes all batshit and mambo…
5. 5:18 ***oboe intro, then very slow blues with piano and… dead things, I think. Pretty male vocals. Ends with chokes and blats.
6. 3:56 **uptempo groovy beachy samba, mellow vibe.
7. 4:00 **chimes and 60’s pop sound, all innocence. Still a bit heavy, though. Wanky-finger guitar and everything. Yippie!
8. 4:12 **sha-la-la, downtempo sweet pop with lovely female vocals. I think they’re trying to lull us into a false sense of peace and calm… slack guitar. I think they’ve got me – I’m probably a pod, now…
9. 5:31 ****male speaking and lounge sounds, then ULTRA groovy rubber bass and piano samba/salsa. Clearly sardonic. Yay!
10. 4:10 *****lopassed, grunty uptempo wiggle. That’s the best I can describe it – it’s just really cool!
11. 5:15 **downtempo lullaby with woobles. Pretty, but disturbed, and gets disturbeder.
12. 3:39 ***weebles and chirps and grunts. Then a slinky march of the dead. Turns oddly beautiful.
13. 1:50 sounds like an audience at a sports arena singing a national anthem (with a band playing a different anthem medley).