Customer Reviews

Momento

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've had this album since February as part of a pre-release, and I was told that 2 of the tracks may change. Surprisingly, they kept all of the pre-release tracks intact, without any additions or subtractions to it.

The first thing people may notice is the inclusion of more English-language songs. Honestly, I think it tends to take away more from the album than adding to it, especially when there are grammatical errors, like in "Words" when Bebel sings, "I need some words just to explain my pain and describe my misbehave".

The album opens with the title track, "Momento", which is a nice little relaxing diddy without too much fuss, much like much of her beach-lounge music. "Bring Back the Love" is a more upbeat-dance tune with just a bit of electronica thrown in. I found that the repetition of the words "bringing back the love" and the vocals do not match the background beat/music. "Close To You" is a nice romantic song, and probably my favorite of the English-spoken songs (with Portuguese thrown in) on the album. It's got a nice low-key intstrumental background. In "Os Novos Yorkinos", Bebel sings with Sabina Sciubba (who doesn't sing, and speaks 2 lines in the whole track) of Brazilian Girls (a group with none of the members from Brasil) is a light, fun, acoustic song without too much substance, but is pleasant to listen to.

"Azul" is one of my favorite tracks, which the instrumentals highlight Bebel's voice very well, and is another slower romantic song with some acoustics in the mix. "Cacada" is an upbeat samba-ish song with drums in the middle part of the song, it makes for good listening. "Night and Day" is my other favorite English song (entirely in English), is a very lazy love song with mainly an acoustic guitar serving as the instrumental. It complements a rainy day very well. "Tranquilo" has a very Mexican cha-cha sound to it, which sounds out of place at first. The song is so-so without any substance at all.

"Um Segundo" is another song that doesn't really fit into any category with mainly an acoustic guitar and some light drumming to ompliment more upbeat vocals. "Cade Voce" is my favorite song on the whole album, with the intro being an acoustic strumming which then stems into lush instrumentation and more lush vocals. The enunciation of Bebel's lyrics stand out in a very good way. It has a very relaxed feel to it, with background singers oohing and aahing along with 2 accompanying violins/violas towards the end. "Words" is an so-so song which is entirely sung mostly in English. It sounds more like filler, like some of the other songs on this album with minimal background music and not much in the way of vocals.

Overall, this album was slightly disappointing. I think her trying to be more mainstream in the States is taking away from the overall polish of the album, and too many of the songs sound like filler, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say they sound pretty similar. The songs I did like though, I liked a lot with the varying types of instrumentation.

Recommended tracks: "Cade Voce", "Azul", "Close To You"

Like a warm ocean breeze or the cool of air conditioning, the music of Bebel Gilberto provides the perfect summertime accompaniment, making the release of her new album "Momento" well-timed. The daughter of the legendary Joao Gilberto, one of the creators of bossa nova, she adds elements like jazz and electronica to his sound and formulates one that still remains true to those of her father's native Brazil. With a comfortable mix of English and Portuguese throughout the record, her music is as familiar as it is international.

As on her first two LPs, she starts things off with a sensual selection, this time with the ethereal title track. Warm, passionate sounds frame the enchanting Brazilian cool of her voice, harkening thoughts of 60's lounge singers and tropical cruises. Singing that all the stresses her listener faces will soon come to pass, that the words are in Portuguese makes no difference - her silky voice alone is the perfect remedy. She then moves on to the lightly danceable lead single "Bring Back the Love," where the awesome New York-based quintet Brazilian Girls (which incidentally has just one female member) add buoyancy to its dreamy melody.

This is not to say that her sound is uniform, however. "Tranquilo," which features the brilliant sounds Orquestra Imperial on instrumentals and backing vocals, is a rousing affair straight out of a late-night party that fits perfectly into the album's tropical aura. Contrastingly, "Um Segundo" is a breath of fresh air with its sparse accompaniment, making Gilberto's vocals invariably take center stage. Also, "Cacada" features a sprightly melody and a zesty host of ethnic instrumentation.

The sultry songstress tips the hat to her native New York with the urban-themed "Os Novos Yorkinos" while also giving well-versed music lovers something to treasure with her gorgeous, lilting take on Cole Porter's classic "Night and Day." Normally an animated showtune, Gilberto reinvents the song into a meticulous slice of romantic balladry with her bossa nova flavors.

The best moment of the set (arguably), however, is the euphoric "Cada Voce?" With an overwhelmingly beautiful mix of guitars, synths, violins and spirited vocals, producer Guy Sigsworth takes home the gold with this one. Gilberto concludes the record on a high note with "Words," a soul-searching slice of life accompanied by a single acoustic guitar.

Gilberto's music is something special that a privileged few have come to know, and she only sets the bar higher with "Momento." Listen, and be transported.

I remember when I first heard Bebel Gilberto years ago off of Cazuza's "Preciso Dizer Que te Amo". Great song, and Bebel's voice was very sweet. But it was after hearing her on the soundtrack to "Next Stop Wonderland" that I began looking and anticipating hre feature cd. "Tanto Tempo" came out and I was impressed - very nice album with some terrific tributes and arrangements. Granted, "Samba De Bencao" was laced over fellow Brazilian Amon Tobin's "Nova" from his Permutation CD but it worked so well! But Bebel's second cd was a bit disappointing to me, so I was a bit guarded with this one - particularly when I saw how much the producers seemed to be trumpeted out...

Her third feature with Crammed/Ziriguiboom is good. It's got a few nice moments. In particular, I thought "Azul" was nice with a mellowed bossa beat to it. And I liked "Cacada" too - maybe most of all. Nice arrangement, actually sounded a little lighter and the guitar play was great. Celso Fonseca featured so no surprise there. A latin touch with "Um Segundo" did admittedly take me by surprise. And I liked "Words", just guitar and her voice. Sort of reminds me of "Samba E Amor" from her first album. But in the end those were the highlights to me. "Bring Back the Love" was the song used to announce the arrival of this cd, and it's nothing spectacular to me... sort of forgetable but it is meant for the dancefloor so it'll probably get some neat remixes. And some of the other songs on this one seemed to wan a bit... I understand the vibe intended but a bit more of a real, live, *SPARK* would have been great here. To be honest, some of the songs really did sound like 'filler'.

At the end of the day, it's a nice album but perhaps I put a little too much expectation on some of the releases. Without question though I think it could be better... just my opinion, but sometimes I felt like this album wasn't as much about the singing/songwriting and music like her first album... I don't care if it's "Brazilian Girls" producing anything, what matters is the sound and actual music. On Tanto Tempo, of course Suba's influence was great but wasn't "August Day Song" very nice too, which featured Christian Franck and Nina Miranda? I just came away from this album feeling like it sounded good, but something was missing. Like maybe there should be some more guest artists like featured in Cacada... it would be neat for Marcos Valle or the Far Out crew also could have contributed (Imagine what Roc Hunter could do!)

But if you did enjoy this, of course be on the look-out for the remix album - maybe there'll be another stunner of a mix like The Latin Project's take on "Aganju". Speaking of Christian Franck and Nina Miranda, be on the lookout for an album from them too - they've got a project going called "Zeep" which promises to be pretty interesting. If you liked "August Day Song", you'd like their track "Agua". You might also like Ceu's album... very interesting and fresh approach and... she's absolutely stunning!!

Along with Ceu she is one of my favorite Brazilian singers and have to say, bought this one more hoping for the best. After her previous releases I thought to myself "Well it cant get better than this" and while maybe I can't say she has improved this is still up there with the rest of her releases.

Soft vocals over an almost African rhythm that just blend together so well. Yeh this is quality lounge music, this is music for the summer, long lazy days having a drink with friends, just being alone after a hard day or a long drive.

Probably the only thing I dislike on this CD are when she sings in English. Give me that Portuguese any day!

You would think that such 5-star ratings by obvious fans would indicate a classic recording, but they are too generous and insufficiently critical. Yes, the sound engineering is excellent and the sultry mood is perfectly achieved. Compared to her outstanding ground-breaking first recording and her second more mellow follow-up, however, this recording is actually third rate: good but certainly inferior to her earlier releases. The first two tracks are throw-aways; their production seems solely to set a mood. The inclusion of an American standard, here Cole Porter's Night and Day, has become a Brazilian cliche in song selection. While her supporting musicians are fine, the arrangements are not particularly interesting. My review will receive many nay votes in helpfulness, but if you do consider the relativity of this CD with her previous works, you should be disappointed. The Amazon editor casts this recording as good background music for a brunch. I would prefer a recording for more serious listening.

Music can transport, intoxicate, induce dreams and inspire delicious fantasies, ripe for enacting. Bebel Gilberto achieves this and more with the release of her third effort, "Momento".

The sensual, slow burn of her vocals and rythym allow the listener to get carried away to another place, a place where time stands still, begging one to abandon all earthly cares in favor of romantic splendor. "Momento", the opening track and CD title, peaks into Gilberto's world, with a poetic recount of pieces of her personal puzzle. "Bring Back the Love" includes a hushed moan in the background, with a steady beat and almost chant like command....

"Close to You" is about as sensual as anything you are apt to hear these days. It absolutely implores the listener to drop the material concerns to beckon one's lover..... sexy and sensual indeed.

Gilbeto's take on the standard " Night and Day" breathes new life into a romantic classic. She whispers through the urgency of this song with an understated passion, leading one to believe that the object of affection will receive the boil over of her desire. Such delivery is what illustrates a mood, making for true "mood" music.

The remaining tunes are at turns festive, contemplative and always engaging. Give way to the temptation; Bebel Gilberto offers a sublime summer album that is guarenteed to satisfy.

The music of Bebel Gilberto is capable of helping us feel happy and even curious. I grew particularly fond of the tunes Momento, Azul, Os Novos Yorkinos, and Cadê Você? for the energy, harmony, poetry, and of course, Gilberto's beautiful voice. Unlike the Girl from Ipenema, Joao Gilberto's 'insensitive' beauty, this album introduces us to a woman willing to share her life stories with the help of guitars, drums, and violins. Like that Girl, she remains unapproachable. We can only admire her from afar. This sad remoteness could be helped by learning the incredible Brazilian Portugese language, at least well enough to know whether she is talking about love, life, or the pursuit of happiness. I know she is not talking about love lost. Ah, that is what is unique about her music. It is always about adding to love, never losing it.

It's a good album and there are some very beautiful pieces of music on here. 'Azul' , 'Cade Voce', 'Night and Day' , and 'Close To You' are the standouts and those songs alone make this album worth the price of admission. They are undeniably gorgeous songs and it'd be hard for anyone to find fault in those songs. Unfortunately, the rest of the tracks are not as awe-inspiring as the above mentioned songs and even though music is obviously subjective, I think most people will agree that there are more "skippable" songs than we'd like on a Bebel Gilberto album. Overall, this album is very solid compared to alot of what's out there, it's just that, like all good artists, we hold Bebel to a higher standard (such is the bane of all good artists).

I remember when I first heard Bebel Gilberto years ago off of Cazuza's "Preciso Dizer Que te Amo". Great song, and Bebel's voice was very sweet. But it was after hearing her on the soundtrack to "Next Stop Wonderland" that I began looking and anticipating hre feature cd. "Tanto Tempo" came out and I was impressed - very nice album with some terrific tributes and arrangements. Granted, "Samba De Bencao" was laced over fellow Brazilian Amon Tobin's "Nova" from his Permutation CD but it worked so well! But Bebel's second cd was a bit disappointing to me, so I was a bit guarded with this one - particularly when I saw how much the producers seemed to be trumpeted out... The difference between this album and the cheaper one is that the cheaper one is distributed in the USA via Six Degrees Records while this one is Crammed/Ziriguiboom's version, and as such it is an import. But they are the same - I don't think either one has more songs than the other.

Her third feature with Crammed/Ziriguiboom is good. It's got a few nice moments. In particular, I thought "Azul" was nice with a mellowed bossa beat to it. And I liked "Cacada" too - maybe most of all. Nice arrangement, actually sounded a little lighter and the guitar play was great. Celso Fonseca featured so no surprise there. A latin touch with "Um Segundo" did admittedly take me by surprise. And I liked "Words", just guitar and her voice. Sort of reminds me of "Samba E Amor" from her first album. But in the end those were the highlights to me. "Bring Back the Love" was the song used to announce the arrival of this cd, and it's nothing spectacular to me... sort of forgetable but it is meant for the dancefloor so it'll probably get some neat remixes. And some of the other songs on this one seemed to wan a bit... I understand the vibe intended but a bit more of a real, live, *SPARK* would have been great here. To be honest, some of the songs really did sound like 'filler'.

At the end of the day, it's a nice album but perhaps I put a little too much expectation on some of the releases. Without question though I think it could be better... just my opinion, but sometimes I felt like this album wasn't as much about the singing/songwriting and music like her first album... I don't care if it's "Brazilian Girls" producing anything, what matters is the sound and actual music. On Tanto Tempo, of course Suba's influence was great but wasn't "August Day Song" very nice too, which featured Christian Franck and Nina Miranda? I just came away from this album feeling like it sounded good, but something was missing. Like maybe there should be some more guest artists like featured in Cacada... it would be neat for Marcos Valle or the Far Out crew also could have contributed (Imagine what Roc Hunter could do!)

But if you did enjoy this, of course be on the look-out for the remix album - maybe there'll be another stunner of a mix like The Latin Project's take on "Aganju". Speaking of Christian Franck and Nina Miranda, be on the lookout for an album from them too - they've got a project going called "Zeep" which promises to be pretty interesting. If you liked "August Day Song", you'd like their track "Agua". You might also like Ceu's album... very interesting and fresh approach and... she's absolutely stunning!!

i have very high standards for bebel gilberto because her last two albums were exceptionally good. but luckily bebel is talented enough to satisfy my tough standards -- this album is really good too. some of the songs on here are among some of the best she's ever made. "tranquilo" is a laid back medium tempo song with lovely horns and percussion. "um segundo" is another innovation for bebel. she starts the song kind of scatting (a modernized version of what her father joao used to do as at the end of his 1959 and 1964 versions of desafinado) and then moves on with just a guitar, light percussion, and some quiet background vocals. for portuguese speakers, these lyrics are the most clever of any song she's made with a flirtatious and catchy chorus. and there were quite a few other good songs on the album.

i am seeing a trend in her music away from techno. her first album tanto tempo became a techno club favorite. it had many songs produced by suba, a yugoslavian born electronica producer who lived and made music in brazil. her eponymous second album had a few techno style songs but featured less electronica. this third album momento has only one true electronica track with a few others that will certainly be remixed into that style. i like her electronica songs, but bebel's trend away from it has been felicitous. she's really making innovative, beautiful music now.

if you liked bebel's other cds, you will like this one too. if you haven't heard her, momento is a great introduction to her music.