Milton Nascimento Clube Da Esquina (1972) {emi Odeon}

Until this release on Garden of Delights, the one and only LP of the Fürth-based band Da Capo couldn’t be heard yet on CD. Only 500 copies had been made then and half of them were destroyed. Thus, today the disc belongs to the most expensive three or four German rock records ever. But it doesn’t sound that very German at all. Its sound is more like West Coast, brand Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service or Jefferson Airplane. The LP’s reviews reached from trivial to great. Legitimate re-releases on LP were the 1988 edition on Little Wing of Refugees (although in a completely different cover) and the 2004 edition on Amber Soundroom. The available release on Garden of Delights (hopefully) is everything you could possibly wish for concerning its representation.

This is the CD reissue of an album recorded in 1976. At this point, Nascimento had an experience with fusion in the Som Imaginario, and with jazzers such as Herbie Hancock (who had recorded with him in the previous year's Milton) or Wayne Shorter (Native Dancer). In this album, Nascimento experiments economically with orchestra, trying to recover his roots, the culture of the Minas Gerais state, whose already strong civilization made possible an expressive Baroque and sacred music in the 17th century. Therefore, the atmosphere here is not as swinging, but it reaches deeper emotional dimensions.

Tom Jobim was the originator of the new Bossa Nova beat in Brazil in the late '50s and it was Joao Gilberto that first mastered the guitar technique to introduce it to the world in 1958. They both said that Milton Nascimento was the only singer that could reach the original pitch of the compositions and so it is entirely fitting that he has teamed up here with Tom's son Paulo and grandson Daniel for a recording session to celebrate both Tom Jobim and the anniversary of his invention of the Bossa Nova. Mixing songs by Tom Jobim, Milton Nascimento and Daniel Jobim, this is a true master class in the art of the Bossa and a new milestone in Brazilian music.

This is another of the must-have classic albums by Milton Nascimento. Released in 1975, the album opens with the wonderful "Minas" (Novelli), a tribute to all sacred music traditions in the Minas Gerais state, which was deeply influential in Nascimento's sensibility. The album launched songs that became strong emotional hits: "Fé Cega, Faca Amolada," "Beijo Partido," the nostalgic "Saudades Dos Aviões da Panair," "Ponta de Areia," and "Paula E Bebeto." There's a preferential orchestral/choir treatment over the band's performances which strengthens the evocative bonds of an ancient Minas.

An elaborately produced piece of vinyl, Journey to Dawn was, alas, the result of yet another campaign to prematurely place Nascimento into the U.S. market in a big way. The cosmopolitan tropicalismo movement continued to leave its mark on Nascimento, placing the bossa nova on the back burner and replacing it with an urgency often generated by four-square rock rhythms and electric guitars, percussive sounds from the Brazilian jungle, and some orchestrations from California.

Digitally remastered collection from the Brazilian pop icon of the MPB. The 20 songs come primarily from his golden recording era in the 1970's and 80's and includes classics like "O Cio da Terra" (performed with Chico Buarque), a Lennon/McCartney tribute (live), "Cancao do Nova Mundo", "Maria Maria" and many more.