In the 1970s, Brazilian rock'n'roll followed along on several parallel paths, which only occasionally intersected. Many of the groups from the heavily commercialized, early-60s prefab jovem guarda teenybopper scene kept making albums well into the 1970s. Generally speaking, these continued along the pop cover-tunes path of their earlier work, or dipped even deeper into bland pop vocals, as with Roberto Carlos, the king of the scene. Many of the great tropicalia artists who pioneered psychedelic rock in Brazil moved on to become the superstars of the "MPB" scene, which also turned towards an increasingly-ornate pop direction; some -- like Jorge Ben -- delved into funk and soul-flavored groove music.
A handful of artists pursued (more or less) straight-ahead rock music... Many were inspired by the inroads made by the tropicalia movement, but keeping up with the times, they spun off in different directions. Ex-Mutante Rita Lee became something of a stadium rocker, and several prog bands flourished in the mid-'70s, while a few hardcore rockers and psychedelic bands also roamed the land. To be honest, I haven't heard all that many of these records... but as I check them out, I'll add my reviews to the Slipcue site.
Demetrius - see artist discography
Deny & Dino "Coruja" (Odeon, 1966/2005)
(Produced by Tony Campello)
Consistently fun; this teen-oriented pop-rock record is a minor gem from the jovem guarda era. JG veteran Tony Campello produced this album, and as is often the case, he proved much more savvy and sympathetic in presenting American-style rock than did the old-guard samba and radio singer-era producers who cranked out so many other jovem guarda releases. Although Deny & Dino cover "Girl" (translated by Ronnie Von as "Meu Bem"), the shadow of the Beatles is surprisingly light here... More striking is their version of "As Tears Go By," which hits just the right emotional tone, as do many of Deny & Dino's jangly original tunes. The Searchers, The Hollies, and Jan & Dean seem like their main models -- softer, harmony-oriented pop with much more subtlety and depth than the Big Bopper-meets-Mancini tossoffs that cluttered the JG scene. Seriously, this is one of the best jovem guarda albums I've heard yet... Worth checking out!
Deny & Dino "Deny & Dino" (Odeon, 1967/2005)
(Produced by Milton Miranda)
Considering the freshness and groovy feel of their pleasant debut, this disc was a big disappointment. Deny & Dino still look incredibly hip and happening, with their muttonchops and goatees, but the arrangements on this album are more staid and forced than before, a reversion to the out-of-touch pop sensibilities of Brazil's old-school studio heads... Tony Campello stepped aside and the electric guitars went with him -- greater prominence is given to chugging brass samba beats and string sections, pretty much the same old stuff that other JG records suffered with. Which isn't to say this record sucks... It's still pretty good, but it isn't fun the way the first one was, and it isn't as listenable from start to finish. Here you have to hunt and peck for the good songs, though while there is a newfound measure of tedium, the cool stuff is still pretty cool. The bonus tracks on the 2005 CD reissue add a lot, particularly the groovy, spacy "Coisas Que Acontecem Sempre," which now closes the album. Worth checking out, but in comparative terms, a bit of a downer.
Deny & Dino "Deny & Dino" (Odeon, 1969)
Deny & Dino "Serie Bis -- Jovem Guarda" (EMI, 2000)
Roberto De Recife "Satisfacao" (Philips, 1981)
Mildly "new wave" rock, with power-poppy hand claps and ringing guitars. That description may actually sound more enticing than I'd like, but all things considered, this album actually isn't as horrific as one might imagine. Kinda borderline, which, for Brazilian MPB of the time, can be taken as high praise.
Diana - see artist discography
Sergio Dias - see Os Mutantes
Domenico (+2) - see artist discography
Zelia Duncan - see artist discography
Rogerio Duprat - see artist discography
Brazilian Rock - Letter "E"
Other Brazilian Styles
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