Customer Reviews

Caetano Veloso

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This album is an half hour of aesthetical delight for the english spoken listeners, and an half hour of sensations for all senses for the portuguese spoken ones. Caetano`s voice is like the child of a violin and a bratch, trembling on feathers like insignificant pieces of dust. The track Homen Velho tells a fragile little story about an aged man sensing life in a sort of review - how Caetano tells the story is neat and overwhelmingly sensitive - showing all the way, not telling. Other stunning tracks are Terra, Coracao Vagabondo and Eu sei que vou te amar. Learn portuguese just to listen to this one - if you can, you`ll explore a whole new way of language! Texts are in english in the booklet, so stay put with your senses and your brains! This is the best of Brasil!

Caetano Veloso is a virtuoso composer, poet, and musician. His voice is capable of conveying the most sublime and intricate of emotions. Across CDs he displays a wide range of musical styles and moods, each with its own unique rewards. The mood here is mellow, with particularly gorgeous vocals. This is one CD for the "desert island" collection.

I once walked into a record store in New York City and a lady asked me if I knew about one of Veloso's recordings in which she could just listen to his charming, melancolic voice. It was easy for me to pick one since I've been listening to his music for many years.

I wish I would have known about this CD back then. His voice, his fabulous sence on rhythm and some of his best songs are captured in this intimate recording (just him and his guitar).

It is a good one to get, no matter how much or how little you know about this Brazilian superstar.

You can't always judge an album by its cover, but here, you can.

In two ways: Veloso hugging is acoustic guitar is indicative. His voice and his nylon string are the only two wonderful instruments on this album.

But with Veloso, lack of dynamics never arises. His voice is so haunting and captivating, I'd listen to him sing the national budget of Brazil if he wanted. His guitar playing is also amazing. He is not flashy, but every note here is clean, round and full. As a player, he is a master of tone.

Obviously one album is never enough to judge a master who has been making fifty years of the world's best music. Not enough Americans know about him, but this is accounted by homogenized tastes and lack of exposure. You can get dozens of albums with Veloso in all types of setting. So whether to start with this one depends on your taste.

I almost forgot my second reason why you can judge this album by its cover: if it says Veolso, buy it.

Pick up this CD if for nothing else but for Billie Jean (Track 6). I've never cared for, or thought anything for, this song as done (and I think written by) Michael Jackson. You gotta hear Mr. Veloso's interpretation...slowed down to much less than the original tempo...unbelivebly beautiful, romantic, seductive....It actually is an INCREDIBLY beautiful song when done at this tempo, and, of course, a brazilian accent helps. Veloso is always good (assuming you like him and/or this genre), but this interpretation IS A KILLER! It's worth the entire CD (even if it was blank; and it's not; and it's good). Listen to this version and spread it around to your friends...and especially lovers...or people you want to be your lovers (i.e., hey guys, if she got a decent SAT score, she'll melt w/this). If you don't hear this version, you're truly missing something wonderful. Enjoy.

I bought this CD because of an intriguing review in The New Yorker, especially the part that described Caetano's version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." This would be a great CD to listen to in a hot tub with a glass of single malt and an appreciative companion.