Search - Mutantes :: Os Mutantes

Mutantes, indeed!!!

Sean M. Kelly | Portland, Oregon United States | 08/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"1968 was a most amazing year in the music world. The youth uprisings in France led to similar uprisings in Germany. In the United States, the fervor against the Vietnam War was coming to a boil, and the Democratic Convention in Chicago showed the violence that divided the nation to all. The rest of the world watched and youth everywhere reacted.The music of 1968 reflects the changes perfectly. In America, harder edged bands such as the Mc5 mixed politics with a ferocity yet unseen. In Germany, the genesis of the music Kosmische happened as Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, Can, and Kraftwerk were about to be born. Even the Beatles entered the foray with the highly underrated "White Album." It seemed everyone had something to say.Brazil was not immune to political and artistic revolution, either. By 1967, an artistic movement now called "Tropicalia" had emerged, spearheaded by Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, and also involved Tom Ze, Jorge Ben, Gal Costa, and, most far out of all, a band with 2 brothers, a beautiful female lead singer, and an accomplished guitarist- Os Mutantes.Mutantes blended the Beatles, American "garage" sensibilities, the freedom of experimentation and sampling, and the lyrics of Veloso and Ben (who guests on the lp) on their debut lp. The results are pure magic- part traditional Brazilian, part psychedelic, part experimental, part carnival, part schmaltz, all deliciously mixed. A pure slice of what "tropicalia" was all about.By the end of 1968, government crackdowns effectively ended this movement, as Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso were forced to leave Brazil. Os Mutantes forged ahead, but without Gil or Veloso to guide them, they gradually switched gears and their lps reflected more their homage to the Beatles and American garage music than to Brazilian art music.Mutantes' debut lp is an important one, and indispensible to those interested in modern Brazilian music, psychedelia, or to a curious onlooker, willing to try out a new album. Few albums I would rate as brilliant, but this is one of them. Find out why."

As folhas sabem procurar pelo sol

A music fan | Boston, MA | 10/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Join the the orchestral arrangements and sound effects of "Sgt. Pepper" and "Pet Sounds"; the vocal harmonies of the Mamas & the Papas; the instrumental sharpness of "Highway 61" and "Blonde on Blonde"; the creative madness of Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd; and a bit of Brazilian traditional rhythms and you have this album, "Os Mutantes" (1968), the band's debut. You don't need to have any interest in Brazilian music to enjoy this album. This is not just a curiosity made by a bunch of weirdos from an exotic country. This is, without exaggeration, one of the best and craziest records of the psychedelic era, an album that any American or English band of that period, except maybe for Jimi Hendrix, would be proud of. It just took too long to be appreciated outside Brazil. And their next two albums "Mutantes" (1969) and "A Divina Comédia" (1970) are almost as good as this one."

Elvis+Dylan+Beatles+Who+Velvets+Os Mutantes+Beck=History

os mutantes rock@aol.com | Washington DC | 09/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, so Brian Wilson should be in there too...but my point is that Os Mutantes were inspired by the Beatles, but absolute creatives all on their own. If you have to own just one album, this is it. Forget the Byrne compilation. The second half of it is the first half of this album. Own Os Mutantes...this first album is a must for any pop collection. You'll be hooked by their inventions, humour, playfulness, risk taking, and oh yes, originality."