SECOS & MOLHADOS

Secos & molhados second album is a perfect example of how to combine a large set of allusions to other genres in a reasonable way without sounding pretentious or boring.

The first thing which got my attention is how short the songs are, the longest song here is "Flores Astrais" with only 3:51 minutes (strangely is one of the songs that had less effect on me), the album itself has only 30 minutes of duration. This approach is pretty beneficial for the band because it has given to them the opportunity to try different styles and constantly present us with something new.

The list of influences here is kinda a long one, first, you have Brazilian folk music, there is too a spirit of MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) inside the record but not enough to negate the rock genre to it, who drinks from the roots of classic rock, glam rock, and early psychedelic. Besides this, we have tango, mambo, and some sections with a piano that resembles the "saloon/cabaret" style.

The instrumentation is pretty good, the acoustic guitars are very harmonical and the electric ones always throws the listener on a crazy trip that never lasts too long, I find myself pretty impressed by the bass in some sections and there are nice piano segments where the instrument is played in a very energetic way. I don't think they are virtuosos in any way and most of the songs use recognizable forms of their genres, for example, the tango parts are the most common way of tango you could think of, but this is always provided to us in incredible shape so is not a big deal. I should mention the vocals too, Ney Matogrosso is such a perfect singer and always embellish the music with his voice, which is at the same time beautiful and original (don't just imitate other greater singers, he have it's own distinctive sonority).

But this is not a perfect album in the sense that some songs are pretty simple and almost tiresome, a example of this is "Flores astrais" and "Vôo", both just have one chorus and the melody is not a great thing. Due to the short duration of each song they never cross the line to become boring and have not urged me to skip any track in any of the times that I have sat to listen to it.

Secos & Molhados II are a great example of Brazilian rock, it's difficult to characterize them in just one sub-genre of prog-rock because this album drags with him a huge amount of stuff from other places without losing its identity, the work has its minor flaws that impede him of becoming a masterpiece but this should not put him away from your radar. Is a good recommendation to any fan of prog rock, especially from early progressive. 4 Stars.

4.5 stars. I'm rating this the same as their followup but I slightly prefer this one, more consistent even if my favourite song by them is on the second album. Both albums are in the same style with lots of acoustic guitars along with male and female vocals. Again plenty of short tracks and a folky vibe but the songs are so meaningful and well done, I just love their sound. A three piece but with seven guests filling out their sound.

"Sangue Latino" opens with bass and drums as strummed guitar and female vocals arrive. She has such a nice voice. "O Vira" has some distorted guitar to start as it kicks into an uptempo, catchy sound with male and female vocals. Hard not to move to this one but it's far from a favourite. We get a guitar solo after a minute and accordion late.

"O Patrao Nosso De Cadia Dia" opens with bells ringing out before some warm acoustic guitar takes over then female vocals. Flute after a minute as the vocals step aside. Contrasts continue then bells end it. "Amor" has strummed acoustic guitar before the bass and drums kick in. Multi-vocals follow. Great sound! Love that bass too. Harmonica before 2 minutes followed by vocal melodies. The bass continues to be upfront. Nice.

"Primavera Nos Dentes" is one of my favourites. The piano tinkles away as the bass supports before the drums join in then guitar. They seem to jam here in a relaxed manner. Male vocals 3 minutes in. So good! "Assim Assado" opens with drums and percussion as the bass and flute join in with fuzzed out guitar. Female vocals then multi-vocals. It picks up after 1 1/2 minutes instrumentally as the vocals stop. It settles with female vocals. Flute and percussion end it.

"Mulher Barriguda" features drums and upfront bass before the piano and vocals kick in. A festive mood here as female vocals lead the way. Harmonica will come and go. Some vocal melodies late. "El Rey" has strummed acoustic guitar and female vocals. What a beautiful sound and we get some flute as well. "Rosa De Hiroshima" is mainly flute, acoustic guitar and female vocals.

Prece Cosmica" has a catchy sound with male and female vocals. Violin a minute in as electric guitar follows. A cool tune. "Rondo De Capitao" has these vocals and flute that almost trade off but they do overlap as we also get some picked acoustic guitar. "As Andorinhas" opens with rolling drums followed each time by outbursts of sound before female vocals and piano take over.

"Fala" is such a good closer with piano, female vocals, bass and a beat. I like the vocal melodies. Some adventerous sounds too with that violin, synths and orchestral movements. A great way to end this fantastic record.

Yes I am so into their sound that I forget I'm not into short tracks and folky music. What can I say, this must be magic.

Buoyed by the unprecedented success of their first album and subsequent tours, SECOS & MOLHADOS quickly entered the studio to record a follow up. Unfortunately, several rifts over finances emerged and the band split before the album was even released, never to reform in its classic incarnation. The album also sold very well and, even more remarkably, is vastly superior to the debut, with a more punchy production, an engaging breadth of styles, and complaisant playing and singing all round.

From the opening notes of "Tecer Mundo", with its lyrical clarity and succinct plucked guitars, the listener is captivated. A somewhat liberal borrowing in the vocalise section from CAT STEVENS' classic "Wild World" is discernible and comforting to those weaned on the singer songwriter era. "Medo Mulato" evinces an Eastern European flair, with lively piano and even accordion for a street wise ambiance. "Voo" is quite a departure, with furiously strummed electric and acoustic guitars, spacey keyboards and harmonica over irresistible Brazilian rhythms, guaranteed to appeal to fans of conventional "world music". Its abrupt ending is part of a pattern here, which seems neither intentional nor effective, almost as though conflicts in the studio cut the sessions short and the production guys and gals spliced together what they could. Still, this is a minor quibble. Even songs like "Angustia", not in a style I generally care for, are handled with restrained panache lacking on the earlier release.

Unlike on the first album, a series of diminutive cuts towards the latter half is wholly compelling, with "Caixinha De Música Do Joao", "O Doce E O Amargo" and "Preto Velho" cumulatively totaling barely 4 minutes while deserving of epic status, reflectively arranged with flutes, acoustic guitars, and piano, and intensely melodic. I might have kept them together as one but that is easy enough to arrange with today's technology.

Most reviews floating about the web seem to rate both original SECOS & MOLHADOS albums about equally. Given the unprecedented buzz generated less than a year earlier, I would argue that this effort had to be better just to avoid being stamped with the sophomore jinx, and that it is, by far. I'm glad I gave them a second chance.

Secos & Molhados' second album was much the same as the first in approach, with the major distinction being a little extra polish and sophistication in the mixture of traditional Spanish and Brazilian folk sounds with glam-art rock music. Ney Matogrosso takes vocal duties once again. It's only about 28 minutes long, so if you are after a long listen you may be disappointed - though if you wanted to listen to the debut and this one all in one sitting that's decidedly viable. Those who value quality over quantity will, in general, be quite pleased with what's on offer here, so long as they don't have something against foreign-language vocals (and I'd say that's more a problem with the listener than the music).

In assessing this classic Brazilian release from 1973, one that enthralled millions at the time and influenced thousands in the decades since, I feel almost as heretical as SECOS & MOLHADOS surely were at the time. Visually part of the glam movement, with a lead vocalist who in short order professed sexual interest in men, their mere existence flouted the military dictatorship of the time. They grew out of the Tropicalia movement of the 1960s which was spearheaded by OS MUTANTES among others, and that forms a pretty reasonable summation of their sound at the time of this debut. To those who have arrived here via the prog folk classification, I must warn you this isn't especially folky, acoustic guitars and woodwinds notwithstanding, but that does seem to be the default position when world music trumpets its presence in these parts.

Not surprisingly, the more acoustic oriented pieces have aged the best, with the opener "Sangue latino" (Latin blood) being the strongest, an irresistible bass line lying down first and having its way with the strummed and picked guitars that form the upper layer. Most strikingly is the voice of Ney Matogrosso. To say it's androgynous is to imply ambiguity of a sort, but his pitch perfect and versatile counter tenor is a ringer for a woman singer, and an accomplished one at that. His voice is one of the calling cards of the group, and, while later lineups did not include him, it's hard to think of them as emanating from the same collective. Other superb contributions in this vein are "Amor", again with killer bass but also harmony vocals.

In contrast to the sultry acoustic numbers are the more upbeat fuzzy leftovers from a bad 1960s hangover. "O vira" would be one of the best/worst examples. The approach is light and silly while retaining musical professionalism, like the aforementioned OS MUTANTES but also like what QUEEN would cash in on a few years later. I'm not sure if this would have been considered groundbreaking at the time, but my prog antennae barely rise from the horizontal.

A suite of 5 tracks toward the tail end all clock in at barely 2 minutes or less, and, apart from the mammoth 2:02 length "Rosa de Hiroshima", are predictably both pretty and as fleeting as the proverbial ephemeroptera. Sadly, this lineup mimicked said life cycle, and split before their follow up was even released. I realize that awarding two stars for a landmark debut might result in my certificate of cultural competency being shredded before my eyes, so a weak 3 stars it is. I'm not saying you had to be there in both space and time to fully appreciate SECOS & MOLHADOS' calling card, but I'd wager a tastefully stocked boutique of wet and dry goods that it would sure help.

4.5 stars. SECOS & MOLHADOS were a band from Brazil who had an unexpected hit with their self-titled debut released in 1973. This is the followup from 1974 but the band apparently disbanded before this was even released. First off I'm not into Folk music or acoustic music and we get both in spades here, in fact we get no less than 4 acoustic guitar players on this album and one of them plays electric guitar as well. The other issue I thought I'd have is that we get 13 songs over around 28 minutes of running time, well you do the math. Boy was I wrong about these perceived problems I thought I'd have. We get female vocals and two male singers who also play acoustic guitars, and this is the core of the band, a trio plus many guests. Piano, organ, accordion, harmonica, flute, bass and drums besides the guitars and vocals.

I have been playing this on and off for about a month and I've really fallen for this album. This band creates melodic and meaningful songs that are consistently very good throughout, in fact there's just one track I'd leave off if I could. It all works, the acoustic guitars with the addition of the electric one which is always a pleasure. The flute, piano and vocals all inspire. My favourite is "Flores Astrais" with that meaningful piano intro that moves me every time. Electric guitar, acoustic guitars, drums and more take over before we get multi-vocals. I like the vocal melodies too after 1 1/2 minutes. Flute a minute later. The opener is one of those songs that takes me to old West. It's the castanitas bringing Mexico to mind and cowboys for me. Female vocals and bass join in and I like the vocal melodies before 1 1/2 minutes.

"Nao; Nao Digas Nada" is a beautiful track with acoustic guitar, female vocals and flute. "Medo Mulato" opens with piano melodies before determined female vocals join in and more. Flute too in this catchy yet adventerous track. "Oh! Mulher Infiel" is another outstanding piece despite being a fairly simple Folk tune with reserved male vocals and acoustic guitars. Tasteful. "Yoo" is such a joyous tune and I like that bass intro before drums, guitars and multi-vocals kick in. Harmonica follows as the vocals stop and they will trade off. "Angustia" is another winner opening with acoustic guitar and tapping before percussion then female vocals join in. Check out that cool sounding electric guitar late.

"O Hierofante" is the one I'd leave off, too commercial sounding I guess. I'm just not into it. "Caixinha De Musica Do Joao" is a melancholic piece with piano and vocal melodies. My kind of tune. "O Doce E O Amargo" has a beautiful sound to it led by vocals and acoustic guitars. "Preto Velho" again features acoustic guitars and vocals, male this time with some vocal melodies late. Delirio..." is so uplifting with the female vocals, piano, drums and electric guitar which solos after a minute. "Toada & Rock & Mambo & Tango & Etc." ends it with a pretty descriptive title no?

Nothing much left to add and it's interesting reading people's opinions when comparing their first two albums as both are rated very highly. I'll let you know about the debut at a later time.

Secos & Molhados' debut album is an eccentric mashup of Brazilian folk, art pop and prog sensibilities, with frontman Ney Matogrosso and the gang blending together a broad mixture of influences into a product which was simultaneously undeniably Brazilian in character but at the same time celebrated a vision of Brazilian culture far from the dour conservativism of the military junta of the time. Matogrosso's startling singing voice is applied to various poems, whilst the musical backing reminds me at points of Audience on a Brazilian vacation. Add an injection of glam androgyny and you get a feast which at the time was surely as rich and startling as the one on the cover, though musically speaking Matogrosso's vocals are the most interesting thing here.

The supernova that destroyed, reshaped, shone impossibly bright, and died right after: 10/10

(note: SECOS & MOLHADOS = album, SECOS E MOLHADOS = band)

I want to clarify that I the album and its context are deeply intertwined, it is impossible to evaluate the first without the latter. How the music sounds and what it represents are fruits of its setting. Of course, without knowledge of its background the album will still be enjoyable, but perhaps not nearly as fascinating as it truly is.

And so, to claim SECOS & MOLHADOS is a revolutionary album is an understatement. Released in 1973, during the worst period of the military dictatorship in Brazil, its eclectic variety and daring nature captivated Brazilians in a way never seen before; they became a hit so monstrous they threatened to dethrone the nation's Elton John, Roberto Carlos, from the top. The album's style was built over the structure of the psychedelic "subversive" (but culturally enrichening) Tropicália movement. Nurtured by those roots, SECOS outputted something equally meaningful and audacious. Rather than doing so through a multifaceted effort that required numerous artists, all SECOS needed was thirty minutes, androgynous makeup, and lush songwriting. After those thirty minutes, the deed was done: they defined the direction of a nation's pop music on a way done before only by Sgt. Peppers, and broke so many paradigms - musical and socially speaking - that the Brazilian society would never be the same anymore. The album (& band) name is a term used to define bazars that sell all sorts of stuff. Alternatively, as spoken by bandleader João Ricardo, "a name that doesn't determine anything, [a name] which is open to all genres". He believes (rather fairly) the album is engrained on popular music, and consider the band (but not its music) rock - their libertarian, paradigm-breaker attitude.

As we can attest, SECOS E MOLHADOS' manifesto was indeed to be open to all: ranging from glam rock to Brazilian folk, from Latin to Portuguese folklore and music. This eclecticism was a way to be appealing & please all distinct tastes: [politically] engaged would enjoy Primavera nos Dentes and Mulher Barriguda; Rosa de Hiroshima would become pacifists' anthem; Prece Cósmica was rapidly adopted by hippies; Rondó do Capitão pleased the infant public; Vira was a sensation to the massive public of the radios, and lastly, the music poems brought a (non-pompous) erudite tone for the delight of the scholarly. Highly emblematic, the lyrics (especially the music poems) are more often than not vastly lavish, "offering a lyrical richness seldom seen in Brazilian popular music (MPB)". João Ricardo's songwriting skills are laudable, especially if you consider he composed roughly all songs. Ney Matogrosso's feminine, delicate tenor vocals fascinate listeners from its first appearance. The musicianship isn't in any way excelling (aside from Ney), but the innovating blend of electronic devices (such as distortion or synthesizers) with traditional instruments to play folksy Brazilian music makes up for that.

Some tracks deserve highlight. Sangue Latino (Latin Blood) opens with a bassline whose arrangement "is marked by the characteristics of the epoch's pop music" whilst the lyrics alluded to "the Latin American condition of waywardness and resistance". Nonetheless, the way they used rattles and guitar makes it an allegoric Brazilian folk song. O Vira (The Turn) refers to the Portuguese folkloric choreography dance with the same name, except that on SECOS E MOLHADOS' version it has an electronic and distorted rock sound, which later changes to traditional accordion-driven melody of the gaúchos or nordestinos, (regional) peoples from Brazil. O Patrão Nosso de Cada Dia ("Our Everyday Employer") is a melancholic acoustic song, with a strong performance by Ney and sweet pastoral flutes sweeps that reminds me of STORIA DI UN MINUTO. Assim Assado is the "progressive rock" properly said, using heavy guitar distortion, 7/8 time signatures and generous amounts of bongo and flutes. The title and lyrics feature wordplay between the words "Assim Assado", which is a popular term that means "like this and that", but if taken literally, can mean "Cooked like this" as "assado" means cooked. Last and not least is Rosa de Hiroshima ("Hiroshima Rose"), acclaimed poet Vinicius de Moraes' poem, musicalized. The title might be self-explanatory: an antiwar, anti-nuclear cry, "The Hiroshima rose / the hereditary rose / the radioactive rose / stupid and invalid / the rose with cirrhosis / the atomic anti-rose".

SECOS & MOLHADOS' biggest achievement was not flirting with various genres nor its beautiful lyricism, though; it was slipping through violent censorship. Their creativity and insolence managed to overcome repression and signified a scream of victory for freedom. Inadvertently, they reinvented how music would sound like in the future, a reason that makes it an authentic progressive record.

Rather obviously, the only way they could influence society as profoundly as they did was if they harnessed immense support - which they did. Although slightly popular since its roots, their devastating fame was achieved after appearing on national television. Used to the same-old musicians, the masses were enthralled, to say the least, when they first watched the trio, ornate with profligate face paint, playing that strange uncommon music. Dumbstruck, then, when they watched Ney Matogrosso's sweetly feminine vocals singing Sangue Latino while rhythmically belly dancing. On the following days, curious hundreds of thousands checked vinyl stores looking for those weird "Secos e Molhados" dudes, who then sold almost 300,000 albums in 60 days, setting a record for the Brazilian phonographic industry.

I always dismissed Brazilian music as "too folksy" or "uncreative", while praising other nations' folk bands? after meeting SECOS & MOLHADOS I realized how wrong I was. Brazil offers true masterpieces just like any country. For me, the album is an illuminating epiphany, in a certain way similar to what it originally was forty years ago for so many others. For as much as I recommend this to everyone (check YouTube for a sneak peek), from folk lovers to prog lovers to Brazilian music lovers, I need to warn you: this is not your average progressive rock, as it lacks rock. This is just progressive. Pure, distilled, progressive.

The sudden, unexpected and immense success of their first album brought as much fame and fortune as greed, jealousy and power struggles within the original trio. So much so that Secos & Molhados had decided to break up the band even before their sophomore work was release. That decision limited very much the impact it could have made if properly promoted. Thus all was limited to a recording of two promo videos for a prime time TV show. And that was it. Which is really a pity for the songs and performances themselves have almost the same quality and power as their debut, showing they still had a lot to offer if their differences were worked out, at least for a while. But, alas, that was not to be.

Anyway, their legacy remained. Their second CD proved to be as interesting, bold, varied and powerful as the first. It was, deservedly, quite a big hit, with Flores Astrais and Tercer Mundo reaching the top of the singles charts, although never as much as if they had stayed together long enough to tour and let people get to know some of the other tracks. It was soon forgotten and the group left a void in the brazilian music scene that was never filled again. Lead singer Ney Matogrosso would go on to become one of the most successful acts to appear by 1975, with a long solo career that goes on to this day. Gerson Conrad worked with singer/actress Zezé Motta on one album before disappearing into oblivion. João Ricardo did have some success as a solo artist before trying to revive Secos & Molhados with different line ups several times in the following decades. But that magic could never be revived again.

If you liked their first CD, chances are you´ll probably enjoy this one just as much. The overall sound is a little more sophisticated, as it shows the inclusion of Spanish music in the mix (Tercer Mundo was a poem written by famous Argentinean writer Julio Cortazar, with music by Joao Ricardo and sung entirely in spanish). But all the remaining songs were equally good, with its unique mixture of brazlian folk and rhythms with rock and poetry. A real worth follow up to one of the biggest and more groundbreaking albums in Brazil´s music history.

Rating: even without the benefit of novelty of the first, it is still a masterpiece of prog music, a real classic. 5 stars.

It�´s hard to picture nowadays the impact this album had in Brazil�´s music scene at the time. The mix of rock music to brazilian rhythms and styles were not exactly a novelty: Tropicalia is a good example of giving a modern and psychedelic treatment to MPB (the letters standing for brazilian popular music, in portuguese), but it didn�´t reach a big audience at the time. Secos & Molhados debut album, on the other hand had an immediate and profound impact. The mix of national folk music and rhythms with rock, blues and prog was so perfect, seamless and subtle no one dared call it a sell out to "american music", like all the other attempts up till then were. And their visual was extremely bold for the time, even dangerous: three androgynous men with heavy make up and outrageous clothes, making provocative poses at the height cold war and military government. It certainly appeal to the "glam"youth, but to a lot of people they just looked like a bunch of weirdos (or worse). Yet, their music captivated just about everybody: from hippies to squares, from adults to children. It was the bestselling album of the decade and one the biggest musical and cultural phenomenons in the brazilian music history.

Looking back, some details can be seen more clear: they had the songs (Jo�£o Ricardo was a gifted songwriter), an excellent and fluid backing band and, more than anything else, an extraordinary singer in Ney Matogrosso. His unique vocal style made many people think it was a woman singing. Small wonder he is regarded as one of MPB�´s living legends with an ongoing solo career after all these years. The lyrics were a novelty too: they actually chose to put music into already written poetry, some of it penned by Jo�£o Ricardo�´s father, portuguese poet Jo�£o Apolin�¡rio. The result was some of the most intelligent and poignant words to be put into music at the time, like Rosa de Hiroshima (Hiroshima�´s Rose), a well known poem about the effects of the atomic bomb on Japanese people written by famous poet Vinicius de Moraes.

As almost anything that arrived too much too soon, it would not last long: the band dissolving about an year latter, among bitter fights regarding money, jealousy and bloated egos. But their legacy was a lasting one. And their music still stands as one of the best to ever grace popular radio and the charts. For once quality music, with sophisticated lyrics, was a big hit, both with intellectuals and the common men. A rare feat indeed. But it did happen. And I still love this CD to this day.

Rating: for all the sheer quality, groundbreaking novelty and historical importance, anything less than five stars would be criminal. Liking it or not. A real classic of the 70�´s.