Transa Com CAETANO

Edição original em LP Philips 6349.026

(BRASIL 1972, Fevereiro 16)

"Transa", Caetano's fourth album, was released upon his return to Brasil in 1972. A leading member in the "Tropicalia" movement, named after a Helio Oiticia art installation, Caetano, as well as other musicians, writers, and artists were jailed and kicked out of Brasil for their establishment challenging ethos. There, along with Jards Macale, Caetano was able to soak in the English rock scene, thus fermenting a fusion of sounds that erupts forth in this album. Unlike the works of many other Brasilian artists of the early 70's, it doesn't sound like undercooked psych rock. The mixture of rock instrumentation with classic Brasilian poetry and musical styling make it sound as if Chuck Berry was a Bahia native. The English lyrics only reveal to western listeners what a great lyricist Caetano was in his prime, second only to Buarque. The way his voice bends and soars adds another layer of beauty to these songs. Dylan and Leonard Cohen wish they had made an album as buoyant, joyous, and fresh as this. This is the sound of a man in transition, a man who sees that the rock and roll lifestyle isn't all it's cracked up to be, a man at his peak as a band leader and singer/songwriter. All credit can't go merely to Veloso, as the 2008 180-gram reissue (which sounds immaculate), doesn't refer to the contributions of Jards Macale (guitar), Tutti Moreno (percussion), and Gal Costa (voice in "You Don't Know Me", "Neolithic Man" and "Nostalgia"). A true masterpiece of Brasilian rock. Must listen. (in RateYourMusic)