ESPELHO DAS ÁGUAS

Released by the end of 1981, it was one of the most played LPs in the following months at home. I must have driven my parents nuts! It was my favorite 14 Bis CD after their stunning debut. And still is. I was always amazed by their vocal harmonies (something quite unsual for brazilian bands, prog or otherwise). They were now using new synth technologies and they did a fine job without changing their style (that would happend latter, but that´s another story). So most of the songs are short, concise and harmonic. If you´re looking for long solos, 10 minutes suites and explicit virtuosity, look somewhere else. But if you like great prog influenced 5 minute ditties, welcome! Their influences of rock, brazilian popular music, prog, folk, jazz and classical are very well mixed together for some good effect.

I really liked their tasteful arrangements and especially Flávio Venturini´s very personal songwriting style. However, it was not dificult to see some changes were on the way. I guess their recording company was pressuring for some more commercial stuff. but for now it was not very apparently. Songs like Queima Baby, their folk tinged hit Mesmo De Brincadeira, the rocking Lua de Algodão and the acoustic A Qualquer Tempo are among their best. Even if some fillers were starting to appear here and there, none is crap. this is one of their most happy and energetic CDs - and, in my opinion, the last one to be really essential.

Espelho das Águas was maybe their last totally convincing work. It has some naiveté that made their songs work so well, full of passion and energy. Strange how this feeling stood so well the test of time. As any fine rock work did. Four stars.

Survival without profound compromise was almost the best that former full fledged progressive artists could hope for by the early 80s. By those standards 14 BIS did remarkably well with their sophisticated pop that delivered as advertised. For their third album, the arresting melodies are all but purged, but the song structures, innocent gentility, and period instrumentation all continue to impress in their intricacies within a very radio friendly framework. They pretty much gave up on the outright progressive front, which was probably for the best given how their sophomore effort revealed how limpid those excursions had become - the heart was not in it so why pretend otherwise? These were new times and the group adapted in a hugely successful manner at least from a commercial perspective.

The only real standouts are both more folk based, the gentle "A Qualquer Tempo" which oddly reminds me of a latin AMAZING BLONDEL, and the cheery bluegrass quality of "Mesmo De Brincadeira". "Nos Bailes Da Vida" approaches these high quality levels thanks to a supremely harmonious wordless chorus. Not much is really lame here, with the exception of the dreadfully ersatz rocker "Lua De Algodo", but not much stands out either, mostly because it doesn't try to. "Danca Do Tempo", "Ciranda" and "No Meio Da Cidade" all pass by without offending or appealing.

The neutrality of many of these tracks ultimately weakens the overall impact. I can still tell it is 14 BIS, and the group has merged with the times after a shakier second album, but, when I hold a mirror up to "Espelho Das Aguas", I find a watered down version of the best this group can offer. Stick with their debut or a well selected Best of compilation. 2.5 stars rounded down.