Search - Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 :: Crystal Illusions

One for the Purists

Thomas L. Bennett | Indented Head, Victoria Australia | 06/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Brasil '66 repertoire is riddled with contradictions.Each of the legendry group's albums has its triumphs, its hidden treasures and its disappointments.Crystal Illusions is no exception.Track one is an uninspired cover of the Otis Redding classic "Dock of the Bay".I rate it the only disappointment on this disc and believe that it should have been left to the man whose ownership of it is so complete that alternative versions have been rendered irrelevant.From track two onwards Mendes and company return to what they do best - smooth, classy and stylish treatments of Latin American ballads and dance music.Such songs as "Viola" and "Salt Sea" are among the hidden treasures of this album - compositions of subtle nuance that take shape and meaning over the course of repeated listening.The album's triumphs include the Bergman classic "Pretty World" (OK maybe it's not a classic but it should be!).The star cut on this generally impressive set is the title track - the Edu Lobo composed "Crystal Illusions"It's sustained rhythmic re-interpretations of the main theme reaches a hypnotic crescendo that is delivered with power and grace.This album does not suffer the uninitiated or the ignorant gladly.It is only for those already in touch with the Swinger from Rio and au fait with the trademark way that Mendes and the group deliver their Bossa Nova message.Like all previous and later offerings from Brasil'66 Crystal Illusions is riddled with its contradictions. But it's also sprinkled with tonnes of magic. Of course, FIVE STARS."

One of my favorite all time albums

W. H. Stine | Norfolk VA USA | 04/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always enjoyed this recording. The orchestrations by Dave Grusin are fantastic and shows why he was in demand for movie and television scores. The song selection is very eclectic from easy tempo to fast tempo, from soft to dramatic. The selections "Dock Of The Bay" and "Pretty World" got the most airplay as singles but one could sometimes hear "Crystal Illusions" in it's entirety on AM radio. "Viola" is a beautiful tune with a romantic flair. It contains a lot of basic percussion and guitar and Grusin's arrangement fits it beautifully. "Dois Dias" harkens back to "Roda" from "Look Around" with it's fast tempo. "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" might have been a good choice for a single with it's uptempo beat but it languished as an album cut. "Song Of No Regrets" and the title cut both have a very dramatic flair to them and, along with "Salt Sea" and "Empty Faces," have lyrics by Lani Hall. Lani was writing lyrics starting with the album "Look Around." Lani continued writing lyrics for some of the Brazillian writers but more appeared on this album that any of the other Brasil'66 recordings.Even though "Dock Of The Bay" and "Pretty World" got a tremendous amount of airplay in 1969, both failed to chart into the Top 40. The latter is my favorite selection from the album. It combines the key elements of all the member's instrumentation and Grusin's backing arrangements. I still have the LP record of this and now that it is on CD, my Brasil '66 collection,with the exception of "Stillness" is complete. This is a good solid purchase."

A worthy follow up to "Fool on the Hill"

JMK | Pacific Northwest | 12/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sergio's follow-up album to his monster "Fool on the Hill" album finds the band in equally fine form, continuing to spin its magic touch on unexpected material like "Dock of the Bay" and "You Stepped Out of a Dream." The album's flower power is in full bloom in the delicious "Pretty World," a huge adult contemporary hit which almost (but not quite) made the Top 40 in the summer of '69. Lani Hall really steps into the limelight more forcefully than ever on this album, not only in her stellar vocal turns on "Dock of the Bay" and "Song of No Regrets," but also as co-writer of several of the songs. The album's closer, "Crystal Illusions," finds Sergio working in a quasi-psychedelic environment that features a Stravinsky-inspired orchestration by Dave Grusin. This is classic Sergio from the height of his creative powers."