SECOS & MOLHADOS (II)

The second album from SECOS & MOLHADOS is not as well known as it should in Brazil. In fact, sales were good (less than its predecessor, of course), but the breakup of the band shortly after its release prevented music videos from the TV shows and the tours to properly disclose its material. Still, as a last album of the classic line-up, it contains everything that had made the first such a gigantic success.

SECOS & MOLHADOS II advances in the idea of a Brazilian and Latin American Rock, while also goes further to the background characteristics of psychedelic, folk and progressive rock than the first album. The first two songs are exemplary: "Tercer Mundo", poem by Julio Cortazar also adapted in a "Latin" fashion, and "Flores Astrais", which brings psychedelia already in the name. "N'o, N'o dias nada" is one of the acoustic songs that again the flute of SERGIO ROSADAS marries perfectly with the voice of NEY MATOGROSSO and the guitar of JO'O RICARDO. "Medo Mulato" shows the most daring and even dark personality of this album compared to the previous. When we think that "Oh, Mulher Infiel" will return to more acoustic and simple, we are graced by the great bass WILLIE WERDAGUER in "Voo", perhaps one of the strongest tracks of the album. "Ang'stia", on the other hand, with its catchy rhythm can also be seen as representative of the virtuosity of the bassist and guitarist, plus the vocals, always in a well aligned choral. "O Hierofante" is one of the few tracks that we see the role of Jo'o Ricardo on vocals, in this boogie-adaptation of a poem by Oswald de Andrade. Three delicate and slowly built tracks follow, with the recitation of beautiful lyrics. The last two songs serve as both closures of the album and as this group itself: "from the fountain of the past, I expect nothing but I want everything" says the lyrics of "Del'rio" while "Toada & Rock & Mambo & Tango & Etc" is exactly the mix that made this an unforgettable album from an amazing band.

As I said in the first album review, SECOS & MOLHADOS was the great unifying of Brazilian popular music, rock, tropicalism and external influences that arived in Terra Brasilis. Unfortunately, it was an aborted experience. As the band then disbanded by infighting, no group could exactly follow the same path right away. 40 years after those first two records, however, we can see that the influence of this band in Brazilian music tends almost to infinity. SECOS & MOLHADOS, in a way, became the core from where the inspiration for new musical adventures came.

Only two albums of this great musical legend. Well, "from the fountain of the past, I expect nothing / but I want everything".