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.