Os Brazões

This is a welcome reissue that deserves to sit alongside tropicália classics by the likes of Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Os Mutantes. The fact that it doesn’t have such status can only be explained by the fact that its makers failed to deliver a follow-up. As backing band for Gal Costa and Tom Zé, Os Brazões certainly earned their tropicália stripes, giving them the chance to record this album. Originally issued in 1969, it favoured covers of songs by Zé, Gil and Jorge Ben over original material. Yet it's the work of Os Mutantes that comes to mind most keenly here, with the opening cover of Gil's ‘Pega a Voga Cabeludo’ staying remarkably close to the original, except for the searing fuzz-guitar line that masks the whole thing. It's that guitar that takes centre-stage, ably abetted by funky wah-wah rhythm guitar, infectious bass, tons of percussion and lead singer Miguel de Deus’ soulful vocals. The band sound their best on ‘Modulo Lunar’ and ‘Gotham City’, two songs by Macalé: they effortlessly imbue these quasi-psychedelic compositions with muscular funk for a singular sound that tropicália fans will lap up.