THE BAND: "Stage Fright"

Original released on LP Capitol SW 425

(US 1970, August 17)

"Stage Fright", the Band's third album, sounded on its surface like the group's first two releases, "Music from Big Pink" and "The Band", employing the same dense arrangements with their mixture of a deep bottom formed by drummer Levon Helm and bassist Rick Danko, penetrating guitar work by Robbie Robertson, and the varied keyboard work of pianist Richard Manuel and organist Garth Hudson, with Helm, Danko, and Manuel's vocals on top. But the songs this time around were far more personal, and, despite a nominal complacency, quite troubling. Only "All La Glory," Robertson's song about the birth of his daughter, was fully positive. "Strawberry Wine" and "Sleeping" were celebrations of indolence, while "Time to Kill," as its title implied, revealed boredom while claiming romantic contentment. Several of the album's later songs seemed to be metaphors for trouble the group was encountering, with "The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show" commenting on the falseness of show business, "Daniel and the Sacred Harp" worrying about a loss of integrity, and the title song talking about the pitfalls of fortune and fame. "The Shape I'm In" was perhaps the album's most blatant statement of panic. The Band was widely acclaimed after its first two albums; "Stage Fright" seemed to be the group's alarmed response, which made it their most nakedly confessional. It was certainly different from their previous work, which had tended toward story-songs set in earlier times, but it was hardly less compelling for that. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

NOSTALGIAS 12

ARETHA ARRIVES

Original released on LP Atlantic SD 8150

(US 1967, August 4)

Recorded in 1967 after the first flush of back-to-back successes with "Respect" and "I Never Loved a Man," this captures Aretha Franklin in peak form. Lady Soul provides her own piano accompaniment on the majority of tracks here, and the core band is the same one that provided the fire on her previous album. The tunes are an eclectic batch, and while "Baby, I Love You" was the hit of the album, Franklin turns in strong versions of "Satisfaction," "You Are My Sunshine," "Night Life," "Ain't Nobody (Gonna Turn Me Around)," and a quirky cover of "96 Tears" for good measure. An essential addition to her discography. (Cub Koda in AllMusic)

ARETHA FRANKLIN Debut on Atlantic

Original released on LP Atlantic SD 8139

(US 1967, March 10)

While the inclusion of "Respect" - one of the truly seminal singles in pop history - is in and of itself sufficient to earn "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" classic status, Aretha Franklin's Atlantic label debut is an indisputable masterpiece from start to finish. Much of the credit is due to producer Jerry Wexler, who finally unleashed the soulful intensity so long kept under wraps during her Columbia tenure; assembling a crack Muscle Shoals backing band along with an abundance of impeccable material, Wexler creates the ideal setting to allow Aretha to ascend to the throne of Queen of Soul, and she responds with the strongest performances of her career. While the brilliant title track remains the album's other best-known song, each cut on "I Never Loved a Man" is touched by greatness; covers of Ray Charles' "Drown in My Own Tears" and Sam Cooke's "Good Times" and "A Change Is Gonna Come" are on par with the original recordings, while Aretha's own contributions - "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream," "Baby, Baby, Baby," "Save Me," and "Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" - are perfectly at home in such lofty company. A soul landmark. (Jason Ankeny in AllMusic) 

"Ay Cosita Linda..."

Original Released as LP DECCA PFS 4238 
(US, 1971)

It seems that many people like Los Machucambos! So, I've found out another original album, which I'm sharing now with all latin fans (still with Julia Cortès, who would left the group the next year, because of a serious illness. Fortunately, in 2004, the original trio has been reunited again, recorded a new album called "Como Antes" - meaning "Like Before" - and gave a show in Costa Rica, Julia's birth country). 

Por Terras Do Zeca - Um Tributo

Edição original em CD Tradisom TRAD111

(PORTUGAL, 2018)

NOSTALGIAS 11

O Cavalo De Pau Do Alceu

Edição original em LP Ariola 201.647

(BRASIL, Julho 1982) 

O 2º Grande Encontro

Edição original em CD BMG 7432152840-2

(BRASIL, Novembro 1997)

Depois do sucesso do álbum "O Grande Encontro" (1996), que também contou com Alceu Valença, foi lançado um novo álbum, desta vez gravado em estúdio e sem a participação de Alceu, que preferiu continuar com sua carreira solo. Chegou-se a cogitar a participação do cantor Fagner para o lugar de Valença, porém, a ideia foi abortada.

As Canções:
01. Disparada (Geraldo Vandré / Théo de Barros)
02. O Princípio do Prazer (Geraldo Azevedo)
03. Banquete de Signos (Zé Ramalho)
04. Miragens (Geraldo Azevedo / Zé Ramalho)
05. Pedras e Moças (Geraldo Azevedo / Zé Ramalho)
06. Canta Coração (Geraldo Azevedo / Carlos Fernando)
07. Eternas Ondas (Zé Ramalho)
08. Bicho de Sete Cabeças II (Geraldo Azevedo / Zé Ramalho / Renato Rocha)
09. O Autor da Natureza (Zé Vicente da Paraíba / Passarinho do Norte / Bráulio Tavares)
10. Saga da Asa Branca (Luiz Gonzaga / Humberto Teixeira / Zé Dantas)
11. Canção da Despedida (Geraldo Azevedo / Geraldo Vandré)
12. Ai Que Saudade d'Ocê (Vital Farias)

O 1º Grande Encontro

Edição original em CD BMG 7432141787-2

(BRASIL, Outubro 1996)

As Canções:

1. Sabiá (Luiz Gonzaga / Zé Dantas) – Alceu Valença, Geraldo Azevedo, Elba Ramalho e Zé Ramalho
2. Coração bobo (Alceu Valença) – Alceu Valença e Zé Ramalho
3. Jacarepaguá Blues (Zé Ramalho) – Alceu Valença
4. Pelas Ruas Que Andei (Alceu Valença / Vicente Barreto) – Alceu Valença
5. Talismã (Alceu Valença / Geraldo Azevedo) – Geraldo Azevedo e Alceu Valença
6. O Ciúme (Caetano Veloso) – Geraldo Azevedo
7. Dia Branco (Geraldo Azevedo / Renato Rocha) – Elba Ramalho
8. O Amanhã é Distante (Tomorrow Is a Long Time) (Bob Dylan / versão de Geraldo Azevedo e Babaum) – Zé Ramalho e Geraldo Azevedo
9. Admirável Gado Novo (Zé Ramalho) – Zé Ramalho
10. Trem das Sete (Raul Seixas) – Zé Ramalho
11. Chão de Giz (Zé Ramalho) – Elba Ramalho e Zé Ramalho
12. Veja (Margarida) (Vital Farias) – Elba Ramalho
13. A Prosa Impúrpura do Caicó (Chico César) – Elba Ramalho
14. Tesoura do Desejo (Alceu Valença) – Alceu Valença e Elba Ramalho
15. Chorando e Cantando (Geraldo Azevedo / Fausto Nilo) – Elba Ramalho e Geraldo Azevedo
16. Banho de Cheiro / Frevo Mulher (Carlos Fernando / Zé Ramalho) – Elba Ramalho / Alceu Valença, Elba Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo e Zé Ramalho

Ficha técnica

O Show:
Iluminação: Cia da Luz
Design de Luz: Juarez Farinon
Operador Intelabeam: Jarbas Godard
Sonorização: Mac Áudio
Operador de Monitor: Sérgio Felipe
Operador de P.A.: Paulo Evangelista
Roadie: Josimo Feitosa e Carlos Santos (Bigode)
Cenógrafo: Lula Martins
Assistente de Produção: Ana Costa (Fatinha), Maria Dantas (Bia), Francisco Herculano (Ney), Pedro Leal e Ubirajara Dornelles
Produção Executiva: Alexandre Valentim
Realização: Acauã Produtora, Geração Produtora, Jerimum Produções e Tropicana Produções

O Disco:
Produzido por: Paulo Rafael
Direção Artística: Sérgio De Carvalho
Engenheiro de Gravação: Carlos B. Ronconi
Mixagem e Edição: Discover
Engenheiro: Fábio Henrique e Guilherme Reis
Assistente: Rodrigo e Alexandre Ribeiro
Masterizado por: Ricardo Garcia (Magic Master)
Capa: Luiz Stein
Fotos: Lívio Campos
Assistente de Arte: Daniel De Souza

THE STACCATOS: The Second Sin

Original released on LP PYE PL 2081

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1966)

THE STACCATOS First Album

Original released on LP RCA Victor 33.042
(South Africa, 1965)

The Staccatos are South Africa's longest running group who formed in November 1961. They won the 1964 Transvaal Merseyside Contest, and the prize was an EMI recording contract. They supported Peter and Gordon in 1965, on their SA tour, the same year the group recorded this first album, with some exciting covers of the hits of the time. Later, they also supported The Byrds (1970) and Chris De Burgh (1979) on their South Africa tours.

NOVECENTO - OST

Original released on LP RCA TBL1 1221

(ITALIA, October 1976)

With his score to Bernardo Bertolucci's 1976 historical epic "Novecento", Ennio Morricone delivered one of the richest efforts of his legendary career. A sweeping and impressively variegated work, it manages to capture the period detail required to complement Bertoluccio's onscreen narrative, yet boasts a timelessness that's the hallmark of all the composer's masterpieces. Morricone's mastery of mood and texture reaches new zeniths here. "Novecento" communicates a vast emotional palette that extends from soaring joy (the beautiful piano theme "Tema di Ada") to searing tension (the atonal "Autunno-1922"), all crafted with uncommon complexity. Most impressive of all is the opening "Romanzo," which builds from intimate clarinet to orchestral bombast in quintessential Morricone fashion. As bonus theme, you can find here the vocal version of the main theme, by Herbert Pagani.

(ver apontamentos sobre o filme aqui)

REVIEWING SANDIE

Original released on  LP PYE SPL 18323

(UK, 1969/12)

 In December of 1969, right at the end of the most remarkable decade ever for recorded music, Pye Records released this fifth Sandie Shaw studio album proper "Reviewing the Situation". This was an album that seemingly ran so counter to all that Sandie had released before or has happily celebrated it as her defining album producing debut. The album sported an in-vogue gatefold sleeve with psychedelic cover design (by Clifford Richards) featuring kaleidoscopic dedications ‘to the people who have, by their presence or ability influenced pop in the last decade’. This statement, printed on the inside of the gatefold, could equally be applied to the music. Kicking off with an upbeat version of Lionel Bart’s “Reviewing the Situation” from the hit musical Oliver!, Sandie next gives us her seductive take on Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay”. A jangling “Mama Roux” is followed by a plaintive reading of The Bee Gees “Sun in my Eyes” and with a cabaret fuelled reading of Rufus Thomas’ 1963 hit “Walking the Dog” which closes side one.

A lounge-club favourite, a Latin jazz-lite recording of The Beatles’ debut single “Love Me Do” slides effortlessly into a quintessentially Shaw vocal on Donovan’s “Oh Gosh”. Next up, and astonishing if you contrast with the oom-path and kazoo of the “Think it All Over” single released only weeks earlier, is a gutsy take of Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones’ “Your Time is Gonna Come” – giving Sandie Shaw the honour of being first known artist to cover a Led Zeppelin song. Downbeat again for “Coconut Grove” then to the closing the original album with a part genius / part insane (isn’t it always?) extended work out of The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil”. “Frank Mills” (from Hair) and a beautiful a cappella version of Paul McCartney’s “Junk”, two previously unreleased tracks recorded around the same time as the album sessions, are included as bonus tracks. A long lens judgement of "Reviewing the Situation" would be as a kind of historical ‘all back to mine’ album compiled and perfomed by the artist; a tantalising glimpse into 1969’s private musical world of Sandie Shaw. Which is exactly why this album, for all its apparent contradictions, is so vital. 

THE ASSOCIATION '69

Original released on LP Warner Bros-Seven Arts WS 1800

(US, August 1969)

Never known as an album band, with the release of "The Association", this band proved to listeners that it was moving in the right direction. Helped along with such Top 40 singles as "Goodbye Forever" and "Dubuque Blues," the Association were expanding their horizons in the ever changing market of pop/rock. Other highlights include "Look at Me, Look at You" and "Under Branches," and although the Association didn't exactly burn up the album charts, it did help to show that there was more to this band than just Top Ten singles. Well worth the effort in seeking out. (James Chrispell in AllMusic)