Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas

Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas
Reviewed by Sadie O., 2/25/11
Illicit garage psych from Brazil 1967-1976. This is the period when Os Mutantes were getting chucked in jail because their similar (possibly less odd and loud) music didn’t suit the military dictatorship’s tastes. Generally quite funky, as well as fuzzy and nuts. Like so many great comps of this sort, the result of one guy’s obsessive collecting of obscure 7” vinyl.
1. 3:03 *drum roll, horn flourish, announcement in Brazilian Portuguese, noise… Inept electronics, yelling… You actually get the Batman theme for the last minute of the song, but up to that point it’s more like Santo meets the Martians…
2. 3:35 ****bongos of fury! 60’s style garage psych. Keen! Goes all to hell and then back in a little waltz.
3. 2:23 ***funky bass and screamy guitar and singing in English (Beatles cover).
4. 3:14 **sweet and poppy and psychy, coarse vocals, sort of barely ept. Bit of handclapping. Utterly odd and quite delightful. Why’s he screaming?
5. 2:26 *****wow, funky, weird and cool! Hard to describe, apart from that – just trust me! Note the initials of the song title. Uh huh.
6. 2:26 **fuzz guitar and multiple keyboards, odd vocals. 60’s pop, kinda.
7. 3:36 ***uptempo and deeply psych, and they beat the Sex Pistols to the idea…
8. 2:54 **funky intro, then kind of mellow, sweet psych – if there is such a thing. Closest to Os Mutantes’ sound of anything so far.
9. 2:51 ****slow bluesy funky fuzzy ballad with whammy bar.
10. 3:04 **folk ballad, but with big drums and drama – then gets funky. Sort of a peace anthem feel.
11. 2:58 ***groovy bongo psychedelia, pretty but slightly overwrought singing, lots of echo.
12. 2:21 **the oddest organ sound I’ve heard ever, and sprightly female vocals. Drugs do come to mind (well, they already have, really.)
13. 3:27 ****overdone drum intro, then funky strut with psych overtones. Wild guitar, as one would certainly expect. Layers of gnarliness.
14. 2:01 ****feedback, ponderous psych, Beach Boysesque harmonies.
15. 2:09 **what the *&(*&^? Samba flute and vocals, but fuzz guitar in the background and odd chord progression, as well as just plain noise.
16. 4:12 ****acid-drenched cover of one of the Stones most psych numbers from Satanic Majesties. Cool!