One of Milton's Masterpieces
Juan Mobili | Valley Cottage, NY USA | 08/14/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After the Sgt. Pepper-like revolution of 1972'a Clube Da Esquina, in my opinion his earliest masterpiece, and the gorgeous set of songs that became Milagre Dos Peixes, Nascimento decided to write and to pay homage to his native land, Minas Geraes.
Rather than releasing those songs as a double album -something rather common already in 1975 in the US but highly unusual in Latin America- Milton's gems became individual albums, Minas in '75 and Geraes in '76.
In a sense, although it may have been the result of his label's marketing demands more than anything else- it seems appropriate that this was the case since each album has such strong personality of its own.
Risking to abuse an already abused metaphor, whereas Geraes may conjure up the sun of his birth town and the music that its people live their day by, Minas' mood speaks of the magic that begins when the sun sets, and the moon -with all its stories and its creatures- reigns.
The beauty begins with "Minas" with its memorable children chorus which along with Milton's voice seems to invoke the very soul of his native land. This one "melts" into "Fe Cega Faca Amolada" -sung along with Beto Guedes- that shows early the great musicianship that the people Milton assembled are capable of -particularly and throughout this album, Toninho Horta on guitars, Novelli on bass, and Nivaldo Ornelas on soprano sax.
"Beijo Partido," the wondrous "Saudade Dos Avioes Da Panair," and "Gran Circo" begin to show the stunning gift of range in Milton's voice, particularly the latter manages a wider diversity of moods and themes in the confines of a song that some people may not achieve in full albums.
And then there's that magical voice of his -I know I repeat myself but it's inevitable!- taking you to heights and depths of your soul that, at least in my case at that time, I have not known before. Such is the case with "Ponta De Areia" which is built on the first song's melody and brings back the children chorus throughout.
From then on, things get even more nocturnal, with "Idolatrada" and "Trastevere." I'd rather call them"nocturnal" than "dark," a term that has been reduced to signify something sinister or depressing, and might miss on the hidden richness and complex feelings that are present here.
The next two songs from the original album -" "Leila" and "Paul E Bebeto"- are probably among his most famous melodies from that period, and "Simples" is a remarkable end to this amazing work.
The two bonus tracks on the remastered edition are, unlike it's often the case with these additions, worth being included and surprising to me that they have been outtakes for so long, specially his very personal version of "Norwegian Wood.
One thing worth noting: Amazon has listed two albums with the word "Minas" in it, one being this one, the real Minas, and the other being an A&M recording referred to as "Milton (Minas)" which is a completely different, both in songs and personnel. The latter CD is far from a masterpiece, although a good album, and should not be confused with the classic.
If you know Milton and you don't have the original "Minas," you must listen to it as soon as you can. If Milton is a new taste for you, this album -along with Geraes- is the equivalent with starting your climb at the top of the mountain, which I recommend. Then get Clube Da Esquina and Milagre Dos Peixes, and you'll be set for a long time.
Milton Nascimento, acknowledging the obvious genre differences, belongs to the same pantheon of great ones like Marvin Gaye or Bob Dylan, and this album is one of the most stunning examples of his musical stature."
