Sergio Mendes - Classics (17 tracks) +Album Reviews

Light, frothy and perfectly sociable

P. I. Johnson | Cape Town, South Africa | 05/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am by no means a longtime fan of Sergio Mendes. The only reason I bought this CD was to get hold of the superb song Never Gonna Let You Go which has nostalgic and sentimental value to me. That said, anyone who owns this CD will not be surprised that it is now one of my absolute favorites in my fairly extensive CD collection. The song I had bought it for - a ballad - is of course so unlike the rest of the CD that I was initially disappointed. After a few listens though, the light jazzy latin concoctions began to grow on me. Having got my fill of repeat plays of Never Gonna Let You Go - arguably the BEST duet ballad of the 1980s, I discovered the danceable pleasures of Mas Que Nada, Going out of My Head and infectiously original interpretations of Scarborough Fair and With a Little Help from My Friends. The distinctly eightyish dance number Alibis only reinforced the pleasurable experience of this versatile combo, making this pretty much a multi-function CD. For partying; mellowing; dancing; loving - this CD's the ticket for anyone looking for some jazzy, sophisticated stylings with eminently danceable groove. A perfectly credible addition to your collection and, probably - from what more knowledgable friends have told me - the most accessible way to first discover the thinly-hidden pleasures of Sergio Mendes. I'm a convert - and that's saying a lot for someone who more often than not buys gangster rap, rock and hip-hop. Open your mind and make space for these guys - it's worth it."

Pop music with a samba/bossa nova touch

Reginald D. Garrard | Camilla, GA USA | 08/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my humble opinion, the 1960's were categorized musically by three distinctive sounds: the sophisticated sound of Motown, the British invasion begun by the Beatles, and the soothing and seductive South American influences of musicians like Herb Alpert and Sergio Mendes.

Two of the first albums by the latter that I bought with my well-deserved 1960's allowance were "Fool on the Hill" and "Ye-Me-Le". Although I couldn't speak a word of Spanish, the music and the vocals were so engaging that it didn't matter if I didn't know what some of the lyrics actually said. It also didn't hurt that Mendes and company included familiar pop tunes, performed with their trademark bossa nova/Caribbean/Latin beats and arrangements.

The 25th Anniversary compilation covers the hit-making years from 1966 - 1986, including some familiar A-sides along with their equally entrancing B-sides. Three songs hail from 1966 ("Mais Que Nada," "Going Out of My Head," "One Note Samba/Spanish Flea"; Seven are from 1968 ("Scarborough Fair," "With a Little Help From My Friends," "The Look of Love," "Fool on the Hill," "Look Around," "Like a Lover," and "So Many Stars"; 1969 is represented by the songs "Pretty World" and "Song of No Regrets". The sole song from 1967 is "Bim Bom."

The 70's is represented by "Pais Tropical" (1971) and "Promise of a Fisherman" (1972).

Mendes's biggest hit came in 1983 with the multi-platinum, cross-musical-genres "Never Gonna Let You Go," the second of two songs from the 80's, the other being "Alibis".

Clocking in slightly over firty-four minutes, this greatest hits package is a must-have for those with diverse musical palettes."

An Enchanting Re-Discovery!

takfam | 04/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In these "tune-less" times, I'm re-discovering exquisite melodies and arrangements from the sixties. If you're on a similar sojourn, please get this album if you haven't already. "Fool on the Hill," "Look Around," it's all there. Every song grows on you-- and the album leaves you wanting more! I was only about four or five when these songs flooded the airwaves, but each still strikes a sweet spot in my soul. "The Look of Love" just can't be beat-- it's perfect. Even less-familiar ones, like "Like A Lover," are so beautiful that you'll be hearing its refrain in your head throughout the day. Mendes is a uniquely skillful arranger, and lead singer Lani Hall is exquisite-- a world-class voice, she clearly deserves more acclaim. Soon you'll want to hear EVERY song by Brasil '66. It'll be a joyful alternative to the over-played "oldies station" originals. Brasil '66 is a fantastic group that should get together again and tour, if they aren't already."

This truly is timeless classics

Allan Lee | Canada | 08/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This cd is incredible, it has definitely earned it's rightful place in my cd collections. Actually, I was quite surprised to discovered that the recordings in this disc was done exceptionally well. (I was reluctance to buy the cd version because I thought the cd's 16 bit sampling format could not beat my vinyls which is analog. This disc proved me wrong!). Anyhow, I have all the Brasil 66 and 77 vinyls in my collection, some bought new and some bought used; and this cd could give those 180 gram vinyls a run for the money. Some of my used Brasil 66 vinyls had been played so many times that Lani Hall's voice lost its central images. This cd put her voice dead centre again right between my two speakers as if she is standing in front singing for me. Also, the cymbals and high hat notes came through crisp and clean. This is quite evidence in the track "one note Samba" where the tempo picks up a bit.
I cannot give you my favorite tracks in this cd because I love all the tracks. Its that good! My only regret is that I could not find Sergio's Brasil 77 tracks on cd anywhere: you know, those one with Gracinha Leporace (now his wife) and Bonnie Bowden singing together. Now these two girls can sing and they were hot on those tracks. Thankfully I have the vinyl version.
The unbelievable part of this all is that the music were created in the 60's. Now this is timeless classics...."

"Pretty World"

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 06/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sergio Mendes 40th Anniversary concert at the Hollywood Bowl last Sunday, June 25, 2006 was a blast! To put a few words in a capsule that would describe that memorable evening, here goes . . .

Full-packed venue.

Tickets sold out.

Wonderful, alive and responsive audience.

Great performances of Sergio Mendes and his guests.

A night to remember.

It was a very memorable concert for I have met in person a musical legend while he was signing my CD booklets I brought with me. He's such an exceptional pianist, composer and a Bossa Nova icon as well. I've followed his musical career since Day One spanning four decades and have collected a good number of his most notable recordings of all-time. To me, the best part of the concert was the appearances of the equally talented husband and wife team of trumpeter, Herb Alpert, and the original Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 vocalist, Lani Hall. To the delight of the audience, they did a medley of my all-time favorites from this impressive collection "The Look of Love" (my friend and I as well as the audience were singing along) and "Fool On The Hill." Ditto with the performance by Joe Pizzulo of one of his hit songs "Never Gonna Let You Go." On this performance the audience started waving their cell phones (some with small flashlights) and you could see the lights illuminated from the phones - it was a beautiful sight - it's almost like seeing sparkling beads all over the place. The performances on "Mas Que Nada" and my very favorite song "Pretty World" were so nice, these are two of the seventeen tracks from this timeless and classic collection.

"Why don't we take a little piece of summer sky

Hang it on a tree

For that's the way to start to make a pretty world

For you and for me

And for the sun we'll take a lemon bright balloon

You can hold the string

Oh can't you see that little world of ours will be

The prettiest thing

We can gather rain enough for the stream

To hold our happy faces

When we want a breeze, I'll blow you a kiss or two

Take me in your arms and our little world

Will be the place of places..."

Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 "Classics, Volume 18" is an absolute representation of typical Sergio Mendes music from the initial track "Mas Que Nada" to the final cut, "Alibis." This is the kind of music you have enjoyed yesterday and will enjoy today, tomorrow and forever.

Timeless music.

"

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