A PROCURA DA ESSÊNCIA (AO VIVO 1975-1976)

I was very excited to know that there was a live recording of this legendary brazilian band from the 70´s. After all, very few good prog bands from that era in my country ever had the opportunity to record their music. Som Nosso De Cada Dia did that and their debut Snegs (1974) is still regarded as one of the best examples of the brazilian prog scene of that decade. Unfortunately they did not exactly had the opportunity to show their new, even more progressive work as they should, since the band, after much pressure from the recording label, relented and release an album that had only one side of the vinyl filled with what was supposed to be their second album and record some funk/soul numbers to try to appeal to the mainstream. I don´t have to say it was a complete failure that led to the group´s demise.

So I was only expecting great things when I heard that this double CD recording would contain only material they were playing live in late 1975/early 1976. Most of it would be of then unreleased tracks intended for their sophomore LP (only Sinal Da Paranoia is from their debut). At the time the group had growth from a trio to a sextet: founder members Pedrinho Batera (vocals, drums), Pedrão Baldanza (vocals, bass) plus guitar virtuoso Egydio Conde, Rangel (percussion) and two excellent keyboards players, Dino Vicente and Tuca Camargo. With such dream team, their shows became legendary, being highly praised by all who had the luck to attend them. Unfortunately, the recording quality were not the best and even with all the technology available in 2004, the sound we get here is little more than of an average bootleg. A real let down considering the wonderful music this group produced live. Some of them appeared on the ´prog side´of their second CD, but in longer and better versions. They did a lot of improvisations live and again I´m very sad that such powerful tunes were never released as they should.

At this phase of their brief career, the band was playing a very interesting blend of symphonic rock and jazz rock/fusion, full of improvisations and long (but never boring) solos, with a few nods to blues (Blues da Gaita, Cuidado Com O Verdi) and even rock´n roll (Improviso) plus some brazilian music influences. They were a tight unit, the arrangements are tasteful and the performances are quite exciting and powerful (technical problems aside). Only the vocals are on the average level.

With more than two hours of playing time, I think this double album is a valid document of a band that never had the opportunity to show their full potential. I really wish they had a better recording of those shows, for it would give them a better rating overall. Most of the songs deserve four or five stars.

Still, a nice surprise. 3,5 stars.