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TEMPO

Banda Do Sol

Crossover Prog


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Banda Do Sol Tempo album cover
3.64 | 26 ratings | 5 reviews | 15% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2010

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Som Do Sol (3:50)
2. Voar (7:35)
3. Quem Eu Sou? (4:00)
4. Yes Blues (4:14)
5. Pra?a Da Paz (4:04)
6. Tempo (10:03)
7. Fabito (4:24)
8. Maya (6:40)
9. Sinal Da Liberdade (7:42)
10. Janavatar (1:33)
11. Prana (3:30)
12. Mahavishnu (4:14)

Total time 61:49

Line-up / Musicians

- Moacir Jr / vocals, acoustic and electric guitars
- Fabio Fernandes / drums
- Cesar Rodrigues / bass
- Fram Simi / electric guitars
- Allex Bessa / keyboards

Guest musicians:
- Johnny Murata / sitar (9)
- Marcos Trinca / tabla (9)
- Jimmy Junoi / harmonium (9)

Releases information

Label: Independent

Thanks to windhawk for the addition
and to progshine for the last updates
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BANDA DO SOL Tempo ratings distribution


3.64
(26 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(15%)
15%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(50%)
50%
Good, but non-essential (31%)
31%
Collectors/fans only (4%)
4%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

BANDA DO SOL Tempo reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by ProgShine
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars A Banda Do Sol is a Brazilian band that was actually born in late 70's and released an album in the early 80's (a rare pice nowadays). But it was only around 2006 that the band get together again to work on the album Tempo (2010). This album was mixed by Billy Sherwood (Yes, Circa, Yoso, etc).

In O Tempo (2010) we have a band that plays by the rules, pretty melodies, nice tunes, a nice voice and all. But the album suffers a bit with the... mixing. Billy Sheerwood has always been a 'compressor' guy and pretty much that he touches as a producer or mixer turns out to have the exactly same sound. A souless sound. Which to Banda Do Sol was a bit of a killer.

Despite this, tracks like 'Voar', 'Tempo' e 'Janavatar' are good tracks.

In general a solid album, but not a breakthrough tough.

3.5 stars

Review by CCVP
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars I will always remember and keep with me the notes that make the sound of the sun

It is safe to say that this album, the Banda do Sol's debut entitled Tempo, is the greatest surprise I had this year. I got this album because the cover made me curious about what behind it, the albums was somewhat inexpensive and is an album by a Brazilian progressive rock band, which is one of the few ways I can support the scene.

To my surprise, since the very first time I gave it a spin, it completely blew me away, so that it immediately became my undisputed favorite album of the year. They have, literally, everything I could expect from a progressive rock band: familiar style and unfamiliar approach, what leads to some musical innovation.

Probably what made me like them so much is that their style is composed by a miriad if things I like and miss in progressive rock and rock nowadays, but mainly being good blues rock, interesting melody and simple but well written and crafted harmonies. Some of their most noticeable influences, music-wise, are the Beatles, Yes, Pink Floyd, Os Mutantes, O Som Nosso de Cada Dia (in their first album) and O Terço, with a considerable Brazilian flavour.

From those listed, Yes is possibly the biggest influence. Every song in the album has some kind of Yes touch and they even have a tribute song here, entitled Yes Blues, that features various themes from the Fragile album, with a special highlight to the modified opening theme of Heart of Sunrise played by the keyboardist.

Yet a better way to describe their music would be to put together symphonic rock, space rock, psychedelia and blues, always portrayed in a positive and optmistic way.

Lyrics-wise, they appear to be some kind of a fusion of those musical influences, speaking of etheral things such as unconditional love, the space, the sun, the spirit or freedom, the relentless passing of time and age, etc. Everything is nicely delivered with an interesting hippie, or flower power touch. The lyrics also follow the music and mostly have a positive and optmistic tone, which is greatly helped or enphasized by the clear and smooth vocals of Moacir.

Another feature of this album that I greatly appreciate is the production. It is so well done that the music sounds cristal clear without seeming artificial. All the instruments are perfectly balanced and nobody is outshined here, every note played and sung can be listened perfectly. O Tempo also lacks the excesses and flaws of modern producing, such as the ones caused by the loundess war, auto-tuning, etc, what makes the album sound even better when compared to some of its contemporaries.

The instrumental work is really tight and well done, which can be seen best in the live songs, Prana and Mahavishnu.

For me, it is clear that the Banda do Sol's album Tempo is one of the best examples of great traditional and innovative progressive rock going around in our days. The band managed to get something that we are familiar with and deliver in such a fresh and unexpected way that I find it impossible not to like this album, specially when it features only things that I like in progressive rock. The music is absolutely perfect for me and, in spite of some minor (but forgetable and forgivable) flaws in the lyrics, I would not change a thing here

This is surely material for a perfect rating.

Review by Tarcisio Moura
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars 3.5 stars really. I was quite surprised when I heard this band. Tempo reeks of 70´s music. So much in fact that I thought it would be a re-recording of their independent vinyl release of their debut album in 1982 (now a rare collector´s piece). But when I visited Band Do Sol´s home page I found that this is really all new stuff. Still, it is quite typical the sound of most bands were doing in Brazil in the late 70´s and early 80´s. The new, modern, production is much better, of course and enhance all the style´s best qualities.

The music here is an intesresting exemple of several influences merged together, some appearing more on some tracks than others, of course. So you can hear echoes of the Beatles (Quem Sou eu, complete with Strawberry Fields Forever-like mellotron lines and a slide guitar solo not very dissiliar of those of mr. George Harrison). blues (Yes Blues), symphonic rock (The title track, with a very Genesis-like acoustic guitar introductionm and the excellent isntrumental Fabito) and even some raga-rock (Sinal da Liberdade).

But most of the time they play what was known as the ´Clube da Esquina` sound: a mix of brazilian popular music, 60´s rock (mostly The Beatles), jazzy harmonies and baroque melodies. This music came from my homestate (Minas Gerais) and was very popular and influential at the time, making names of artistis like Beto Guedes, Lô Borges quite famous in the country and one, Milton Nascimento, a star of international status (albeit more in jazz circles). Later some prog influences were also added, specially in more rocking groups like O Terço and its spin-off 14 Bis.

The record strong points were the very good and varied songwriting. At first I wasn´t very impressed, but the more I heard the more I could see the very tasteful arrangements, intrumentations and the fine harmonies. One thing that strikes me is how good the three new members really are and how they fitted in the songs framework: bassist Cesar Rodrigues (great bass lines!), Allex Bessa on keyboards (fine vintage sounding keys, very fluid playing) and, above all, guitarrist Fram Simi (probably the best instrumentist in the whole album, very creative, very skillful, versatile playing). It´s really impressive how those guys do a real team work, filling every possible space without getting on each others way. Really impressive. The two extra live bonus tracks show how tight they are on stage too.

On the other side there are some weak points too. The lyrics are the usual naive hippie/new age philosophy. Nothing new or very interesting, but I can live with that. The major flaw, if I can say that, is Moacir Jr´s voice. He has a warm tone and sing with conviction, and it does work well on those less demanding parts. However, it lacks both pitch and range on several others. It´s unbelievable that such fine instrumentation does not have a real powerful singer to add up something at least on the same level (another 70´s trait, oh dear...). If they had someone that really knew how to deliver the vocals with the right power and technique, this would surely be a 4 or even 5 star rating affair. as it is, 3.5 stars is more likely.

Conclusion: Excelent music. If you like 70´s prog rock (with a far better production) this is for you! I´m looking forward to her their next releases, and I really hope they keep the high level of the songwriting

Review by Windhawk
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Brazilian band BANDA DO SOL was formed back in 1980, and in a few hectic years they wrote, recorded and released an album's worth of material, as well as (presumably) being active in their local live scene. After a lengthy hiatus following their break-up in the mid 80's they returned again in 2010 with their second production "Tempo", released 30 years after their initial formation.

Accessible symphonic art rock with a subtle but distinct orientation towards a mainstream sound is what Banda Do Sol provides on their second disc "Tempo". Well made and well performed compositions that should find favor among fans of late 70's Camel and '80s Pink Floyd in general, and in particular among those fond of the mainstream oriented parts of the aforementioned bands repertoires.

Review by b_olariu
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Banda do Sol might be one of the most unfairly unknow prog act Brazil ever had. Formed in early '80s had a short career, disbanded and reforming more thn 20 years later on, the album Tempo saw the light in 2010. Well, I'm saying with my hand on heart, this album is among the best I've ever heared from this country when talking about prog music. The music is so elegant and well peformed that is quite strange to me how the heck this band remaing so unknown, even to brazilian public. A helping hamd a is coming from Billy Sheerwood , he done the mixing and aswell has some contribution playing here and there. A nice blent of folk/symphonic/AOR in places with a typical brazilian flavour, in many parts the overall sound is not far from great bands from late'70 Brazil have like Tellah for instance. Lots of instrumental sectiuons, well performed with nice elegant guitar parts, smooth keyboards and a very very warm and pleasent vocalist Moacir Jr. All pieces stands as excellent to me, with a plus on instrumental Fabito, top notch tune, Tempo is anoth worthy one or the opning track. So, damn fine release, I really liked a lot this one and for that reason 4 stars to me.

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