ALÉM PARAÍSO

Além Paraíso marked the beginning of the decline for the band 14 Bis. After 3 excellent albums it seemed the group started to think more towards selling records than to keep delivering their very own sound. Critics always put them down because of their obvious 70´s influences and although very popular and successful, 14 Bis never sold great amounts of their LPs. So there might have been quite some pressure from their recording company to ´hit it big´among younger generations (remember, in the early 80´s nothing was less fashionable than to sound like anything from the 70´s).

Still, their slide was a slow one and Além Parasíso did contain some gems, like their hit Linda Juventude (their homage to one of Brazil´s biggest artists, Milton Nascimento, who was also one of their biggest supporters early on), Uma Velha Canção rock´n Roll (an anthem to friendship) and the plaintive Bem Querer (one of Hely´s, the band´s drummer, first songwriting effords). But it also included Pele de Verão and Não Tá Com Essa Bola. while the former is not really bad (aside form the lame lyrics), the latter was a hideous attempt to cash in the new romantic wave of likes of Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Visage. Really embarassing affair. Fortunatly the remaining tracks were not as bad, but they were also not that great either.

Rating this album is a bit hard, since it does inlcude some good stuff among other more mediocre ones. But I think in the end Além Paraíso has enough good moments to warrant it 3 stars. Good, but not essential.