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Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes - 1968

I have never really been a fan of Brazilian music. But this is the way things are here, for us Argentinians: As soon as you go visit Brazil, usually on holidays, you fall in love with the country, its people, and everything that has to do with them. And that, of course, includes the music.
Now, don't get me wrong, this is not really a "Brazilian music" album, but a rock album. Os Mutantes (The Mutants) were a band that belonged to an artistic movement from the late 60s in Brazil that was know as "Tropicalia". The movement, led by Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso (they're two of the most well know artists of Brazilian popular music) combined the popular and the avant-garde, the traditional with the foreign.
Os Mutantes actually did work with Veloso on a few ocassions, and their anarchist views combined with their musical experimentation put them in the strange position of being censored and persecuted by the military government that had taken power in 1964, as well as being despised and hated by the left-wing factions, that hated the fact that they embraced influences from Western bands.
And talking about influences, this one could very well be a local Sgt. Pepper's. It's just as innovative and creative, it showcases great musicianship and different styles of music. It was one of the first Brazilian albums that took influence on the psychedelic movement, because up to that point, most of the influence came from the early Beatles with their more pop sound.
For everyone who likes a bit of experimentation in their music, I can't recommend this one enough. It's brilliant, lots of fun, and unlike any other album you will have heard.

• The album includes two international covers: "Le premier bonheur du jour", previously sang by French singer Francoise Hardy, and "Tempo no Tempo", which was a translation of "Once Was a Time I Thought", by The Mammas & The Pappas. 
• This album actually got international recognition, with AllMusic going as far as to say that "this album is much more experimental than most albums from Great Britain or America released during the psychedelic era".
• There are moments here that actually remind me of The Beatles' White Album, which would actually be released months after this one. The piano and slightly old jazz style of "Senhor F", for example, remind me a lot of "Martha my Dear". A sort of "Martha on Acid", most likely. Which is a good thing. 
• Rita Lee, singer in this album, was massively famous in Argentina (and I guess most of Latin America) in the mid 80s. 

Beauty I'd always miss with these eyes before

The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed - 1967

Yes, this one got mis-tagged and I only realised today it was from 1967. So we're going back a year. For not much, to be honest!

I remember I used to like this one, or rather, I thought I was meant to like it, I guess. It's considered the first progressive rock album in history, mostly because it has the London Festival Orchestra doing interludes in between the songs of the album. 

Other than the interludes, which are OK, I guess, but nothing to write home about, the actual songs sound to me more like a highly diluted attempt at psychedelia. 

"Nights in White Satin" is a great song, though.

• This is also considered one of the first full-blown concept albums, the concept being the story of an ordinary man's life from dawn till night.
• The opening track, "The Day Begins/ Morning Glory", is mostly orchestral but it includes a spoken poem in the second half, with lines such as: "Brave Hellios, wake up your steeds". Not pretentious at all, of course. 

There's a debt you have to pay

Mother Earth - Living with the Animals - 1968

I don't think I had heard this one before. And it's really hard to find much information on the band. All I know is that they were a (mostly) blues band from the 1960s, Mike Bloomfield plays the guitar in this album, and the female singer, Tracy Nelson still performs today and, at least, back then, had a powerful and awesome voice. I definitely like her range more than Janis Joplin, for example. 

There's also a guy that sings some of the songs, but he's nowhere near as good as she is.

This a slightly uneven but brilliant blues album. As I have said at some point before, I'm much better at blues when blues is being played by people who usually play other genres of music. Not just better at listening to it, but better at talking about it. I guess if you want me to shut up, just give me lots of blues!! 

But if you like the genre, this one is very well worth your time, mostly for the brilliant guitar work, and for the voice of Ms. Nelson. So, you know, just give it a listen.

Random thoughts

• For some reason, I've always mistaken the titles "Nights in White Satin" and "Whiter Shade of Pale". I'll squeeze in the latter at some point, because I actually don't have that Procol Harum album. Shame!