AO VIVO 1976

Only released officially in 2005, this live album recorded when the band was on tour promoting their Casa Encantada CD. It was recorded in the Teatro João Caetano (Rio de janeiro), and the band had, for a short period, a guest percussionist named Caíto. By the time they played in my hometown the same year, however, it was without him unfortunately. Ao vivo 1976 may be a nice CD for old fans of the band, but I should warn everybody that the sound quality, not surprisingly, is not great. In fact, it sounds little better than an average bootleg. So its importance is more historical than musical. Among the most interesting tracks is an 18 minute version of Suite, an instrumental epic they used to play live for years but only recorded (in a much shorter edition) in 1982´s Som Mais Puro. There is also another unreleased instrumental piece called Tema I, a rocking number with a slower part in the middle. A few tracks from the new album seemed to be on a testing level (I can´t tell if the LP was already fully recorded or not by that time. Some in between songs talks suggest it was due to release in near future) like Quando Eu vi Aquela Lua Passar, with a much heavier arrangement than it is on the record and on live sets since then.

Overall it was nice to hear those songs performed by the classic line up at its peak. The addition of the the extra percussion is also a plus, for it enriched their tunes. It is a pity that the sound of the CD is not up to the quality of the music they play. Still, a treat for fans. And fans only. Do not expect the high quality of today´s recording and remastering. For such thing I recommend their Terço Ao Vivo (2007), when the band reunited and recaptured much of their former magic.

Rating: 5 stars for the music X 1,5 stars for the production = 2,5 stars.