DEPOIS DO FIM

Brazil has given the world a lot of wonderful music, the universally beloved Garota De Ipanema being one of the most beautiful songs of all time. And, if you know where to look, you can find tons of competent 3- to 4-star Brazilian non-pop albums,

But the Depois Do Fim is unique in at least two important ways.

(1) It's Bacamarte's very first album; it was released 6 (six!!!) years after it'd been recorded, after which the group just went ahead and disbanded itself. Bacamarte did get reformed a decade later, but the new lineup clearly didn't have what it took to re-create the Depois Do Fim magic (the mediocre Sete Cidades was their only "other" album).

(2) Depois Do Fim remains the only Brazilian prog album that made it into the PA Top 40 list; other Brazilian prog bands haven't gotten (yet) anywhere near.

I would describe Depois Do Fim (DdF) as 100% flawless; the songwriting and the musicianship (both acoustic and electric) are of the highest world class, and Jane Duboc is an astounding marvel in herself. Like I said, there is positively nothing that is wrong with this album, other than perhaps the jacket art that's a little too vague.