Customer Reviews

Domingo

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is my understanding that this is Caetano's first studio LP. He was a very young man on this record and had not developed the musicofagia of the Tropicalia movement yet. He was just a small town Bahian kid with an acoustic guitar and a strong desire to be a Bossa Nova star. There is a charming naivete in the way he plays and sings, a naivete long-vanished form the recordings of the big name Bossa Nova stars of Rio de Janeiro, with their slick studio productions and their guest appearances with North American jazz greats. There is no pretension here, only honesty and humility. Coracao Vagabundo, of course is a super hit still being performed by Caetano today; but I also particularly like "Onde nasci passa um rio", "Remelexo" and "Quem me dera". But in the end, this is a quaint old provincial bossa nova record; we would have to wait until the 1969 "caetano Veloso" white album or the "Tropicalia" record (with Os Mutantes and Gil) to see just what genius Caetano was capable of once he abandoned the bossa nova model of songwriting (or more correctly, buried it under layers of 1960s international pop experimentalism)... PS Gal sings here quite prettily here. I am reminded what a wonderful singer she was when she was young, before the shrillness set in; but this record is all Caetano's and Gal's presence here seems almost an afterthought.

Gal and Caetano are a great duo. I am not as knowledgable as one of the other reviewers, but there is obviously a great chemistry between the two. This is a relaxing disc-- even the fast songs are gently tropical. I'm a big fan of Caetano Veloso's songs, and they comprise two-thirds of the disc. Gal Costa has the right sound for these songs, too. Her voice seems to float on top of the music. The liquid purity of their voices matches beautifully, as well as the easy flexibility of their rhythm. They each sing some on their own, and a couple together, notably Coração vagabundo. Others songs than particularly stand out for me are Domingo, Nenhuma dor, Remelexo, Minha senhora , Quem me dera and Maria Joana. Text of the songs only in Portuguese, but the English notes translate three of them.

Although his first album, this is a Bossa Nova album which marks a turning point in Caetano Veloso's mind before he engaged and leaded the Tropicália movement in Brazil. Composer Veloso and singer Gal Costa divide half of the 12 tracks each. Gal Costa is tender, totally different than her next output in the Tropicália era. A very beautiful album.

Not to beat up on a fellow reviewer and lover of music, but Domingo is very undeserving of his/his Buyer Beware. "Domingo" is a very sweet and dreamy album. Many of the songs do fade after only a few minutes, but they die away so gently. They come and go as the moods they evoke tend to when one daydreams or ruminates.

This album is not all its cracked up to be. What they do not tell you is that each song listed averages about 2 minutes in legnth, just as you get into a song it slowly fades away. In addition to the shortness of the songs, many of the songs are backed by an annoying arrangement of strings so typical of the verve label.