SECOS & MOLHADOS (II)

The sudden, unexpected and immense success of their first album brought as much fame and fortune as greed, jealousy and power struggles within the original trio. So much so that Secos & Molhados had decided to break up the band even before their sophomore work was release. That decision limited very much the impact it could have made if properly promoted. Thus all was limited to a recording of two promo videos for a prime time TV show. And that was it. Which is really a pity for the songs and performances themselves have almost the same quality and power as their debut, showing they still had a lot to offer if their differences were worked out, at least for a while. But, alas, that was not to be.

Anyway, their legacy remained. Their second CD proved to be as interesting, bold, varied and powerful as the first. It was, deservedly, quite a big hit, with Flores Astrais and Tercer Mundo reaching the top of the singles charts, although never as much as if they had stayed together long enough to tour and let people get to know some of the other tracks. It was soon forgotten and the group left a void in the brazilian music scene that was never filled again. Lead singer Ney Matogrosso would go on to become one of the most successful acts to appear by 1975, with a long solo career that goes on to this day. Gerson Conrad worked with singer/actress Zezé Motta on one album before disappearing into oblivion. João Ricardo did have some success as a solo artist before trying to revive Secos & Molhados with different line ups several times in the following decades. But that magic could never be revived again.

If you liked their first CD, chances are you´ll probably enjoy this one just as much. The overall sound is a little more sophisticated, as it shows the inclusion of Spanish music in the mix (Tercer Mundo was a poem written by famous Argentinean writer Julio Cortazar, with music by Joao Ricardo and sung entirely in spanish). But all the remaining songs were equally good, with its unique mixture of brazlian folk and rhythms with rock and poetry. A real worth follow up to one of the biggest and more groundbreaking albums in Brazil´s music history.

Rating: even without the benefit of novelty of the first, it is still a masterpiece of prog music, a real classic. 5 stars.