QUANDO A SORTE TE SOLTA UM CISNE NA NOITE

Marco Antonio is one of the finest composers in the prog scene of Brasil in the 70's. This album especially is the sample of what he can do.

Mixing his cello skills, with his dirty classical guitar, and the sound of a very well played flute, his song take us to the infinity of space, in a travel of nice and smod sounds.

I recommend this album for those who admire the Brazilian prog and the prog folk.

My admiration for Marco Antonio Araujo grows more and more, every time I listen and listen again to his albums. Being my favoutire "Influências" and then "Lucas", I never really move myself to evaluate his two middle albums. Well, I should have. And now I have to put "Quando a sorte te solta um cisne na noite" as my second favorite.

"Quando a sorte te solta um cisne na noite" is strong for his "Floydiana" (Pink Floyd tribute) and the follower "Alegria", were the joy of MAA is always in an erudit sense. Although the title track is of a great quality and go along as a middle ground from the previous tracks, the main song that catch me were the definitive and great closure "Pop Music". Almost a PFM song, working in a classical structure it delivers with greatness all the ideas of the album, producing one of the great progressive tracks from Brazil.

Still waiting for people to full embrace this great artist, that found a distinct "Scholar Rock" style. While waiting, this definetly is that sort of album that deserves full listening and admiration.

It would be a shame if the beauty of Araujo's debut would not have been warmly received by the public and the album was reputedly a critical success, that led to a total sum of 74 concerts for the Brazilian composer and his backing group.The reports say that he even performed in factories in front of the workers during their lunchtime!In 1982 a second album was released independently under the poetic title ''Quando a sorte te solta um cisne na noite'' with the addition of pianist Max Magalhaes, while the huge wind-instrument department of the debut was replaced by one Sergio Gomes on trumpet.This one was recorded in just two days at the famous Estudios Da Sigla in Rio De Janeiro.

The links of Araujo and similar Brazilian artists like BACAMARTE with the pastoral side of Italian Prog are again very strong in this album with the group sounding very close to PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI, while some emotional passages recall the classic album by MAXOPHONE.Another beautiful offering of Classical and Folk inspirations with a sweet rockin' background, built around the nice electroacoustic changes, the folky sound of flutes and the dreamy work on violin and cello.In fact ''Alegria'' sounds like a complete P.F.M. rip-off at some point, but Araujo would soon restore his personal vibe on acoustic arpeggios, arranging harmonic, instrumental music full of a symphonic finesse and intense, rural soundscapes.Some parts are close to Chamber Folk ala MANEIGE, while some of the delicate, well-worked melodies of the debut are to be missed.With the piano playing a basic role and the electric guitars and bass providing the Prog Rock background, the music is still fairly complex and intricate with nice solos, impessive interplays, even if they are offered in a smooth packaging, and pleasant, sensitive tunes.

Another album from Araujo's back-catalogue reissued by Progressive Rock Worldwide, the bonus tracks in this release are closer to Chamber/Folk Music with basically acoustic instrumentation and Araujo displaying his talent as a composer of Contemporary Classic Music, where strings and flutes come in evidence, while the long ''Cavaleiro + Trilha bale cantares'' contains also some influences by Avant-Garde Music.

Very competent and well-composed Symphonic/Folk Rock in the vein of P.F.M. and BACAMARTE.Delicate, ethereal and demanding music to say the least, strongly recommended to anyone fond of the style...3.5 stars.

Araújo's second album feels a bit less fresh than his debut. Once again he's wearing his influences on his sleeve, with Floydiana being an attempt to riff on some of Pink Floyd's signature sound (especially with that David Gilmour-esque guitar line partway through it), whilst "Pop Music" is anything but, sounding if anything like early PFM trying for the sort of jazzy texture of early Caravan. I think the release suffers compared to Araújo's other albums, which tend to have a bit more polish; it's a bit of a transitional piece where he's feeling out a lot of potential directions, all of which he's able to produce appealing material in, but he's not committing enough to truly excel at any of them.