The Best Brazilian Rock Album Ever?

I know I'm setting myself up for objections with a title like that, but Raul Seixas' "Krig-ha, Bandolo!" shows up on almost any list of great Brazilian albums, and at the very least, I'd put it in the top five. 

For the record (ha!...a pun, get it?), I'm not alone: the album ranks 12 on Rolling Stone Brasil's list of the 100 greatest MPB albums, and was also on Estadão's list of the 30 best MPB albums of all time. It came in 5th place in Estadão's poll of readers' favorites from that list.

The album was released in 1973.  According to Wikipedia, the title is based on a Tarzan war cry from Hal Foster's Tarzan comic strips. The cover, as you can see, features a somewhat emaciated looking Seixas in a pose that immediately brings the crucifixion to mind (well, to my mind, anyway). The huge medallion around his neck provides some bling, and along with the Gothic font used for the cover, grabs the viewer's attention. When this album was released, cover art was important because it was the first exposure most people had to the album. Record stores used to place the 12" covers in their windows to attract buyers, so the artwork was a form of advertising.  

For this album, Seixas was joined by Paulo Coelho in writing the songs (yes, *that* Paulo Coelho, who went on to write "The Alchemist," among other books).

First of all, let's be clear: I'm not saying it's one of the top five MPB albums, necessarily, though I wouldn't object to that, either.  I'm  talking specifically about *rock* albums, so that leaves out big hitters like João Gilberto, Gilberto Gil, Tom Jobim, Elis Regina, and many others.  

So what is it that makes this such a great album? It's not the inherent beauty of Raul Seixas' voice, which can be raspy and plaintive, but can also be surprisingly smooth and mellow, too. It's what he does with his voice that makes this album so irresistible. There is literally something for everyone here, and whatever Seixas does, he does it extremely well. Not only that, he does it without wasting any time. The entire album clocks in at just under 30 minutes, with the longest song a little over 4 minutes, and most of them between 2 and 3 minutes.  

This is important because it keeps the momentum of the album constantly moving forward, with the listener never wishing that a song would end a little sooner than it does. Although I've listened to the album at least a dozen times now, the end always seems to come faster than I expect, and to me, that's one sign that an album is a success.

While I don't normally do a track-by-track description of albums, I'm making an exception in this case.

The album opens with a scratchy home recording of a young Seixas (9 years old) singing a short version of "Good Rockin' Tonight," and it's clear from this short sample that he had already developed a comfort level in front of the microphone.  In fact, you get the idea that his parents probably couldn't get this kid to be quiet, ever.

Next comes "Mosca Na Sopa," with hard-hitting Afro-beat drums and repetitive lyrics. It's complete with buzzing fly sounds and a spoken-sung section from Seixas as the fly himself, describing exactly how he drives his innocent human victim crazy. Seixas' voice is strong as he almost yells out the lyrics, but it fits the song perfectly.

The next song, "Metamorfose Ambulante," is one that I first heard in the film "Cidade de Deus." Here, Seixas' voice has the plaintive and at times raspy tone that I mentioned earlier, and it also shoots up into a falsetto range as the song develops. There are enough hooks in this song to please even the most skeptical listener.  

"Dentadura Postica" is the next song, and it's one of my favorites. There's a backing chorus that sounds as if it could be a Brazilian gospel group, alternatively chanting "vai cair" and "vai subir" in a sort of call-response pattern with Seixas.  This song will leave you with a huge smile and make you want to sing, or at least hum along.  

In the next song, "As Minas Do Rei Salomão," Seixas sounds very much like Bob Dylan, with  exaggerated and deliberate distortions of the melodic line, and a very country-rock sound.  

"A Hora Do Trem Passar" is a major change of pace from the previous tracks. It's a gentle ballad with Seixas using a voice that's both melodic and sweet, and this is where you begin to admire the man's versatility.  But just when you think he's calmed down to sing you a lullaby, he breaks out with a rock anthem ending, letting you know that he doesn't want you to get *too* comfortable.

"Al Capone" is a song named after the American gangster, and it's a straight-out rocker, with some country influence.  Like "Mosca Na Sopa," it includes some sections that are more spoken than sung, but if anything, it's even more energized than "Mosca."  It also has some amazing guitar passages.

Next up is "How Could I Know," which is sung in English, with almost no perceptible accent.  The first time I heard this song, it reminded me of something that could have been in the musical "Les Misérables." It starts out with Seixas and his guitar, but quickly swells to include an orchestral instrumental background as well as a chorus. I know what you're thinking, but it works. The lyrics and the music are surprisingly engaging, and again, Seixas' versatility and his ability to tackle a variety of genres is impressive.

"Rockixe" is next, and it begins with jazzy sounding trumpets (echoes of Herb Alpert, but better). Seixas' voice is all over the place in this one, including some "woo's" that sound a lot like the early Beatles.  His voice actually breaks on some of the high notes, but it fits and you can tell that he did it deliberately.  

Next we have "Cachorro-Urubu" which finds him channeling Dylan again, but this time, Dylan doing a ballad.  So the voice is somewhat raspy again, but this time the song is slower and more lyrical than "As Minas Do Rei Salmomão." He's joined by back-up singers towards the end. This is another one of my favorites, though with this album it's really hard to choose.

The album ends with "Ouro De Tolo," whose opening bars sound like a Glen Campbell song, but don't worry, it's definitely not that!  Seixas' voice has the plaintive, raspy sound that he uses so effectively, but this time, there's a lush orchestral back-up as he talks and sings his way through the lyrics.  Good luck singing along with this one, since he manages to cram more words into it than you'd think is possible.  

And then it's over, and in my case, I'm not ready for it to end, which usually means that I listen to the whole thing (all 28.7 minutes) all over again.

So, why is this such a great album? Well, there's Seixas' amazing versatility as a singer and a musician. He wisely kept the songs and the album short, never wearing out his welcome. There is not one bad song on the entire album, and I never skip over a song, though I do sometimes repeat one immediately after hearing it. 

The album sounds really good, too, with quality production values and a high level of musicianship throughout. But the bottom line is that it makes me feel good to listen to it, and that's something that you can't say about every album, even ones that are universally accepted as being among the "best" or the "greatest."  

And that's why I think that this may just be the best Brazilian rock album, ever. If you haven't heard it yet, what are you waiting for? It's available for download on iTunes and Amazon.

Update January 17, 2012:  Be sure to read the post that Tom, EatRio.net's author, wrote about this album, and while you're there, check out his other posts. He's also a great photographer.