TERRENO BALDIO

Terreno Baldio's eponymous debut album is one of the absolute highlights of vintage Brazilian progressive rock. Taking influences from Camel and Genesis regarding the melodic aspect, Gentle Giant regarding the use of stylish counterpoints and Return to Forever regarding the jazzy vibe (especially concerning Mello's guitar playing), Terreno Baldio took this mixture to a different level, closely related to the melodic roots of their own country's Creole folklore. Now, the overall result can be easily perceived as a clever display of technical prowess without overdoing things, and the same can be said about the compositions. That is, the musical ideas bear an appeal that is enhanced by sophisticated arrangements (for some tracks, more complex than in others), yet these arrangements never lead to a hyperbolic exaggeration - the performers act as a well integrated unit faithfully respecting the musical essence of the main ideas. The first two tracks are pretty much focused on the band's relaxing side, with 'P�ssaro Azul' leaning more on the jazzy side and 'Loucuras de Amor' defining a direction toward bucolic romanticism in a symphonic context. These two songs have a dreamy flair to them, which allows them to accruately fit the artsy standards of Terreno Baldio's music. With 'Despertar' things start to get really intense. Full of fusionesque colors that are undobtedly indebted to both the tradition of American jazz-rock and bossanova, the band displays an effective portrait of musical sensualism. This is also the first track in which the band begins to show the GG influence: particularly, Lazzarini's delivers on electric piano and synth solo, not precisely cloning Minnear's style but definitely being influenced by it. '�gua que Corre' brings back that ethereal mood present in tracks 1 & 2, mixed with the fusionesque vibe of track 3: this one might truly serve as a perfect recapitulation of the album's first half, as well as a perfect sample of the album's overall essence. The GG thing will never leave the set of ingredients for the repertoire from 'Despertar' onwards, although, as I said before, this is not a copycat. The dissonant interplay of guitar and piano during the intro motif of 'A Volta' is too short, since it could have been such an exciting overture had it been really developed. Anyway, the main motif shows how well can Brazilian music and vintage symphonic prog be mixed in an appealing way. Having a duration of 3 3/4 minutes, it feels too short, and even shorter does 'Quando as Coisa Ganham Vida' feel, too. On the other hand, it is admirable how well can inventiveness give way to variety and solid colorfulness in a 2- minute span. A terrivic short track. Terrific but longer is 'Este � o Lugar', which shows Terreno Baldi oat their most epic. Not unlike '�gua que Corre', this song bears a perfect sample of all main musical sources in Terreno Baldio's style, fully integrated all through the arrangements and variations of the main motifs. 'Grite' closes down the album with a highly symphonic structure, basically lead by the Baroque-like keyboard flourishes. The final claims by lead singer Fusa (the message is "shout at the system if they want to suppress you") feel quite emotive while accompanied by Mello's guitar harmonies during the fade-out. The "Terreno Baldio" album is a hell of a gem in 70s South American prog: from my point of view, it is really a pity that some individual tracks are not more developed, but in general, the repertoire is both genius and attractive.

Brazilian underground movement of late 60s and early 70s (sometimes called udigrudi or marginalia) was more powerful and fruitful than originally thought. Checking the odds of the cited era we conclude that bands and artists related with the 'udigrudi' scene were reasonably acclaimed by the critics and got fairly surprising sales but received no media exposure at all, certainly due to the many problems they have with the outrageous censorship that overwhelmed then. All that was produced by those artists could have been lost in the dust of times if a renewed interested shouldn't be arisen with the internet, the new approach toward the musical trends and the eternal and indefatigable work of professional researchers and amateur curious.

And what really 'marginalia' was? A blend of pop, folk, rock, psychedelics and madness, sired and later hugely influenced by the Brazilian tropicalism movement and taking blood continuously from parallel movements from outside: psych & space rock, fusion, proto-prog, hard & acid rock, glam, latin jazz, etc. It's hard to shape an accurate definition since its boundaries are very smooth and not totally clear.

However, while 'tropicalism', rooted on Brazilian popular music, was dead around 1971-1972, the 'udigrudi', rooted mainly on international rock, struggled and got to remain alive until the end of the 70s, and going more and more in the direction of prog-rock or at least prog-related as time passed by.

It's fine, in fact it's enjoyable to see that the Prog Archives shelters acts like Casa Das M�quinas, Som Nosso De Cada Dia, late Mutantes, Recordando O Vale das Ma��s, Saecvla Saecvlorvm and TERRENO BALDIO. Sooner or later other acts from the Brazilian underground will be added, like Marconi Notari, Spectrum, M�dulo Mil, Z� Ramalho, Lula Cortez, O Peso, Ave Sangria, etc, while others like Sirlan, Alceu Valen�a and Jards Macal� even being part of this stream are really more difficult to be included since their progressive sound of the 70s lacked the rock part required at the Archives.

But being a representative of an era or a movement means not necessarily that you are great or musically meaningful, sometimes some acts simply disappear when all the foam vanishes - this is not the case of TERRENO BALDIO: they were good. I do not like to make comparisons between artists, and specifically if one point to a sole name, like being an ersatz to Gentle Giant; it sounds like they were a weak tribute band. Also one must know the history behind the curtains; the way TERRENO BALDIO sing and play has much more to do with Brazilian bands and artists of late 50s and early 60s and it's steadily settled on bossa nova singers and folk acts. Can't we carry the aroma of originality too? Hearing the album "Terreno Baldio" I also grab much of O Ter�o and Os Mutantes and why not? The main influential line comes from other Brazilian artists, be them prog or not.

So much blabbing and no word up to now about the album "Terreno Baldio", the debut work of TERRENO BALDIO. We have a cluster of neat short tracks decorated with fine musicianship and exquisite whispered vocals, very refreshing and amusing. Lyrics in Portuguese are mainly incidental, basically meaningless but well placed to trim the overall atmosphere - melodies kept a certain resemblance amongst them, which is another part of the intended ambience.

'P�ssaro azul', the opener, is a blues-rock provided with good tunes and strange sound effects. 'Loucuras de amor' mixes the blues climate with a kind of balladesque accompaniment; refrain brings a renaissance flair. 'Despertar' maintains the rock trend while '�gua que corre' goes from soft to a bit experimental; the bossa nova drumming and the jazz beat are undeniable. 'A volta' is very interesting with its bai�o intro, calling the gods from distant worlds, only to give room to some weird tunes. 'Quando as coisas ganham vida' is where they really look like Gentle Giant, but the quaint effects provided are quite different. 'Este � o lugar' shows the fine band musicianship. 'Grite', the closing track, is the album's best - a great progressive song indeed.

I believe that "Terreno Baldio" is an important piece to solve the puzzle of the Brazilian underground movement that happened 30 years ago and should not be forgotten. For this reason and also for the overall quality of songs and musicians, I rate this album an excellent addition to any music collection.

Better than ANY Gentle Giant album, besides being called the brazilian Gentle Giant

This album is a true gem from the original brazilian progressive rock scene and can possibly be the best brazilian rock album ever made, in my opinion. Here, Terreno Baldio represents the first wave of bands that, still in the 70's, were influenced by the previous / major progressive rock band, just like bands such as Triumvirat and Eloy and, along with their german counterparts, the brazilian band was able to put out terrific albums inspired by one major (and amazing) english progressive rock band most of you know, called Gentle Giant. The Giant influence becomes even clearer when you see that both bands have technically challenging songs, similar vocal styles and restless basses and drums (both instruments are the base for all the songs in both bands, hardly having any rest or pause).

However, Terreno Baldio was able to surpass Gentle Giant, at least in this album, in an incredible display of musical skill, creativity, beauty, originality and, last but not least, ROCK. That's right, rock. Terreno Baldio may be called the brazilian Gentle Giant because their music resembles GG but, unlike the english band, the Terreno music is much more energetic, straight to the point and have a heavier music somehow. Another important characteristic that puts Terreno Baldio ahead of Gentle Giant is the language the lyrics are sung: i am more capable to appreciate poetry in my native tongue (portuguese) than in a foreign language (in this case, english).

There is also something very interesting in this album that no one else have noted so far: this is a concept album. However, its concept is actually two different stories put together in an album: the life story of a blue bird and the story of a man in search of something (i still could not put my finger on what he is after, but anyway. . . ) that were connected by an empty lot.

The Concept

Well, the plot is very simple and the band, as far as i know, don't went too deep it, so this will be quite a summary track by track. The opening song talks about the blue bird and prophetizes its destiny: it must fly. The second track talks about the man and he is walking on a beach and the feel of the sand, the wind and the water makes him remember one lost love and he wishes to have her love again, even if he has to suffer to have it. The third track is about the birth and the early life of the bird: it discover a brand new world from its nest; it urges to fly and, after falling a couple times (the downward glissando symbolizes its falls wile it is learning to fly), does it. I am not sure if the fourth track talks about the man or the bird, but it probably talks about the man, since the fifth talks about the bird; the track tells him to find the things he wants, wishes and a new home. The fifth track talks about the voyages and experiences of the blue bird and its search for a warm place to call home in the place were it was born. i don't have any idea of what the sixth track is about. The seventh track is about the empty lot. It is described as the place to throw garbage at, but everything (square, block, street, home, building . . .) was already an empty lot. The blue bird seems to see the empty lot as its new home, the place destined to be its home. In the final track the man realize his loneliness and see in the empty lot a place to set lose all his frustrations screaming, living and dying.

Grade and Final Thoughts

This great band, by improving drastically the quality of the music made by GG and being able to do so with originality wile being heavier and straightforward, deserves rightfully the masterpiece grade.

3.5 stars...

A trully ''big'' band coming from Brazil,TERENNO BALDIO were born in 1973 and led by vocalist Joao Furk,guitarist Mozart Mello and keyboardist Robert Lazzarini.It hasn't been cleared yet when their first release came out.Most sources indicate 1975 as the year of their debut's release,though there are references also for year 1974.

Apart from this detail,''Terreno Baldio'' showcases a different side of Brazilian prog.Yes,there are folk influences.Yes,there a few South-American elements and obvious psych traces...but most noteably there are a lot of nice yet smooth interplays and great vocal work contained in here. Certainly,GENTLE GIANT are the closest comparison,starting from the fantastic twisted bass lines,the jazzy and complicated drumming,the beautiful sound of the xylophone and,of course ,the story-telling poetic vocals.However,the vocal harmonies are not so complicated as in GENTLE GIANT's works,yet they are so ethereal and delicate,an ear's heaven.Overall,the musicianship may sound quite mellow,but ,believe me,it is also really demanding and professional with balanced use of piano,organ ,complex guitar parts and the strong presence of a super-tight rhythm section.Short-lived TERRENO BALDIO will leave you undoubtfully a pleasant taste after every listening of their work.Try this other side of Brazilian prog without any hesitation.

Terreno Baldio�s first album, released in 1976 was quite a complex affair. I have to agree with the general opinion that their most important influence is british band Gentle Giant. They have lots of things in commom and the elaborated, very dense arrangements are quite similar. Even Jo�o Kurk�s vocals - all sung in portuguese - reminds me a lot of them (more especificly, of that of Kerry Minnear). But they were far from being copycats. They actually blended the influece very well with Brazilain popular music and rhythms, even if that is not easily noticeable at first. Besides, there are no vocal hamornies like GG and Mozart Mello�s guitar style is much more jazzier then GG�s Gary Green.

Having said that, it is only unfortunate that the band had distribution problems and the record reached few people (it was very hard to find in stores) even if it was very well received by critics, something rare for prog groups at the time in Brazil. The production was absolute fantastic for the time and the songwriting here is quite mature and strong. You can hear all the instruments and the balance between them and the voice is perfect. All the musicians are masters of their respective instruments and I just loved the bass and drums patterns, very technical and creative without being too flashy. They were all team players and hence, they play for the music not to show how good they are or capable of doing 13 minute solos.

If you�re into complex, GG style class of music, this is surely a must have. The elaborated arrangemnts, the odd rhtyhm paterns and the unusual vocal lines are something to be heard many times to be fully appreciated. Truly eclectic and innovative for the time. Savory, no doubt, but for special tastes. One fo the most interesting, talented and bold brazilian rock bands of the period. The music hasn�t aged a bit since then. Rating: at least four stars.

TERRENO BALDIO is apparently known as the Brazilian GENTLE GIANT, but they don't seem nearly as complex to my ears. As a result, they are an easier listen, almost too easy in fact, as no matter what I am doing while listening seems to be more engrossing than this material. The sound is somewhere between GG and RPI with some Brazilian flavor to be sure.

It seems prog by the numbers to me, with calculated contrived passages designed to captivate the inner time signature nerd. "Despertar" is a good case in point, although, like several of the other tracks ("A Volta" for instance), one can discern a competent ethnic groove trying in vain to surface but being thrown a anchor at the precisely wrong moment. The most GIANT like piece is also the lengthiest, and it has its moments through the ADHD haze, but the two most successful tracks are the gentle " Loucuras de amor" which reminds me of more symphonic groups, and the more in-character "Água que corre" which seems to hit the group's quirky lyricism on a high note and includes fine vocal work.

Needless to say I'm not enthralled, but others will be, and I could understand why. My big problem is that it seems artificial, with less commitment to the composition or the song than the clever playing. That's pretty much my problem with the GIANT too. Gets an extra half star for the Brazilian undercurrents, but loses it again for suppressing them.

This is a tough one to track down since it was never released on cd and the master tapes are gone. The band re-recorded this record in studio but used English vocals back in 1993. I have that and was quite impressed. This original one impresses me more though. So a big thanks to Todd who came through for me once again. Tracks 3, 5 - 7 really remind me of GENTLE GIANT from the sound of the vocals to the complex instrumental work.

"Passaro Azul" is almost RPI sounding with that beautiful sound and vocals. It kicks in after 1 1/2 minutes with an impressive display of instrumental work before settling back late with vocals once again. Great track ! In fact a top three along with the next song "Loucuras De Amor". It's spacey to start then it kicks in with drums, guitar and piano standing out. Reserved vocals before a minute as a flood of emotion hits me. So beautiful. "Despertar" is different as we get this funky jazz to start. It settles back with vocals after a minute as the funk comes and goes. Synths lead after 3 1/2 minutes as the bass throbs. Vocals are back 4 1/2 minutes in. The mellow sections remind me of GG.

"Agua Que Corre" is mellow with water sounds then it kicks in after a minute. Nice crisp drums and chunky bass here as the piano and guitar join in. Organ too and vocal melodies which turn into vocals. "A Volta" has upfront bass and a beat to start as it builds and the vocals join in. Excellent sound here. "Quando As Coisas Ganham Vida" has these intricate sounds that come and go and the vocals are very GG-like. "Este E O Lugar" has more complexity as the organ and punchy sounds lead. Vocals come and go along with the guitar. Impressive stuff. "Grite" is my final top three. Organ, bass and a beat lead as the vocals arrive before a minute. The vocals are passionate suddenly then they soften as it becomes very beautiful sounding. Contrasts continue.

If you don't mind the GENTLE GIANT flavours chances are you will really enjoy this. Great looking album cover as well.

Early Seventies band Terreno Baldio released an unpredictable and eclectic prog album with their self-titled debut `Terreno Baldio' in 1976, and while they're often referred to as the `Brazilian Gentle Giant', the group were not quite as easy to pigeon-hole as that, therefore dismissing them as an outright clone band would be doing them a complete disservice. While they share many of the quirkier elements, crafty direction changes and rich vocal arrangements of that band, they also had some rougher qualities so weren't quite as fancy, and many other moments on their debut calls to mind the warm symphonic synth and guitar soloing of Camel, jazz/fusion fire and even the romance of some of the Italian prog groups of the time.

Briefly touching on some of the highlights (mentioning the frequent Gentle Giant-esque passages that pop up throughout most of the tracks would become redundant very quickly!), `Passaro Azul' is a warm and pleasant opener with a sweetly crooning falsetto vocal over piano and nimble fiery electric guitar licks emerging around bristles of Hammond organ. `Loucuras de Amor' is a dignified and mellow tune with frequent Camel-like chiming lead guitar, restrained wisps of synths in the background and a stirring vocal finale, and the jazz-fusion/funk-tinged `Despertas' is full of slinking subtle grooves woven into twisting-turning rollicking guitar lines, buoyant bass and peppy drumming. Joao Kurk `Fusa's vocals move between early Jon Anderson-like gentle innocence and hearty RPI-throated theatrical bellowing, as loopy Moog spirals dash over runaway piano and rough guitar grinding alongside.

`Agua Que Corre' mixes droning electronics, early A.M-hours piano coolness, strolling bass ruminations that grow mud-thick and almost Zeuhl-like jazzy flights. `A Volta' holds jazzy smoothness with organ-fuelled symphonic bursts, `Quando as Coiasas Ganham Vida' is a spirited multi-part vocal interlude, and `Este e o Lugar' has plenty of keyboard dazzle. But it's closer `Grite' that turns out to be one of the absolute standout moments of the LP, a melancholic and powerful tune with a weary wailing vocal that almost reminds of Italian band Banco del Mutuo Soccorsso.

If you're looking into this album, be sure you're getting the new 2015 reissue of the original version, as a complete re-recording of the album in English was released back in 1993. Although that likely has its own merits, the original is the one you really want, as `Terreno Baldio' remains one of the standout Brazilian prog albums alongside Casa das Marquinas' `Lar de Maravilhas'. While it's easy to enjoy the Gentle Giant-inspired parts, there's really so much more going for the album than that, and it makes for another fine addition for anyone with a large progressive music collection looking to add more of those obscure titles and bands.

Four stars.