A Foreign Sound

Caetano Veloso | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B0001LJC6G
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,961 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #79 in Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Cabaret

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5, really. A too-classy Caetano?, April 27, 2004

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Foreign Sound (Audio CD)

Don't get me wrong... I am a HUGE Caetano Veloso fan... I've written about him quite a bit, own all his records and had very high hopes for this album. But, still... this set of English-language standards and whimsically chosen cover tunes may be a bit too restrained and evenly modulated, with Brazilian superstar Caetano Veloso mixing high culture and high camp, while tilting towards the highbrow end of the spectrum -- so much so that it's actually a bit stuffy and twee. The material is timeless -- pop standards from the likes of Cole Porter, et. al. alongside more modern classics from Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Presley and Kurt Cobain, as well as kitchier bits such as "Feelings," a Morris Alpert hit that remains one of the enduring lounge music classics. Likewise, the album's opener, "The Carioca," was chosen explicitly for its camp value, particularly in light of the album's ironic theme, the notion of "foreign" culture, as seen through the eyes of an "exotic" tropical celebrity from Latin America. The intellectual end of Veloso's enterprise is readily apparent, as is his affection for the songs and the various layers of popular culture they represent, and the level of intimacy he can impart to every line and lyric. What's missing, however, is the transcendant lightness he brings to, say, a live acoustic version of an old Hoagy Carmichael tune, amid the clamor of his thunderous Afro-Brazilian pop shows. The large, lofty arrangements are elegant to a fault, and are largely unvaried in tempo or tone... After a while, it all starts to sound the same -- the same sweet croon, the same charming sparkle, the same knowing smirk, as the same airy string sections underscore the same rarified jokes. Which isn't to say this album doesn't have a richness and warmth deserving of the songs, but it's a bit stilted and the arrangements a bit too lush and overripe... Ultimately, it just feel like that much fun; rather, it felt like he was trying too hard to make a point, and worse still, was travelling on ground he'd already covered before, with a much lighter, more delicate step. It's okay, but I'd hoped it would be much, much better.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reinterpreting 101, January 9, 2005

By 

jeffrey christian (brooklyn ny) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Foreign Sound (Audio CD)

Exhausted with old time rock and rollers spelunking `Pop Standards' for the sake of thriving their long-lost careers [see Rod Stewart, Michael McDonald, etc...] Brazilian legend Veloso's sonic, wearing-thin velvet gift `reinterprets' [where Stewart `rehashes' and Michael McDonald's 'Motown' 'trashes'], allowing the inherent loveliness into these American standards, singing rings around his contemporaries. He redeems `Feelings', compliments and complements Kurt Cobain, reinvigorating Dylan & Stevie Wonder and even Cole Porter. And by same-sexing `The Man I Love', the hetero Veloso brings dignity and understanding across musical cultures in one song than any gay minstrel could hope. My grade: A-

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only for the most devoted fans, June 3, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Foreign Sound (Audio CD)

I've loved Caetano Veloso's work for years, so when I heard about A Foreign Sound, I couldn't resist buying it. My advice: resist unless you feel a need to own everything he records. It's just plain strange. Only his natural artistry saves it. I found myself skipping from one cut to the next, trying to find something I could stand to listen to all the way through. Now, I think Caetano comes across nicely in English, and I'd love to see him do another album, but next time, I hope it makes more sense.

These songs odd choices -- "Feelings" and "The Carioca" are not high on my playlist these days -- and nothing seems to flow together. Better to stick with his classic recordings until he gives this another try.