A Cor Do Som were one of the great Bahian party bands of the 1970s and '80s. Formed with a union of cavaquinho whiz Armandinho, his pal Dadi, along with guitarist Moraes Moreira, at the time a refugee from the Novos Baianos band, Cor Do Som was one of the wilder Brazilian bands of the late 1970s. While their albums may now seem a bit cluttered and inaccessible, they were certainly challenging and adventurous... Worth checking into, for sure.
A Cor Do Som "A Cor Do Som" (Warner/Atlantic, 1977)
(Produced by Guti)
On this high-energy debut, the band kicks into high gear, mixing the manic energy of frevo music with high-octane funk and rock. I find it a little too kooky and cluttered, not pleasant to listen to, but certainly full of enthusiasm and power -- you can see why these guys would have inspired fans to come and boogie down at their shows, even if the music itself is kind of irritating.
A Cor Do Som "Ao Vivo Em Montreux" (Warner/Atlantic, 1978)
(Produced by Guti)
A Cor Do Som "Fruitificar" (Warner/Atlantic, 1979)
(Produced by Guti)
A Cor Do Som "Transe Total" (Warner/Elektra, 1980)
(Produced by Guti)
A Cor Do Som "Mudanca De Estacao" (Warner/Elektra, 1981)
(Produced by Guti)
A Cor Do Som "Magia Tropical" (Warner/Elektra, 1982)
(Produced by Guti & Sergio de Carvalho)
This is the first album without founding member Armandinho in the band...
A Cor Do Som "As Quatro Fases Do Amor" (Warner/Elektra, 1983)
(Produced by Guti & Sergio de Carvalho)
A Cor Do Som "Intuicao" (Warner/Elektra, 1984)
(Produced by Chico Neves)
A Cor Do Som "O Som Da Cor" (Warner/Elektra, 1985)
(Produced by Chico Neves)
A Cor Do Som "Gosto Do Prazer" (RCA Victor, 1987)
(Produced by Guti)
Wrechedly bad Caribbean-flavored pop from the tattered remnants of the old Novos Baianos band. This is their last album after a decade-long run... and it's embarassingly cheesy. Gilberto Gil guests on one track, although, as you might recall, this wasn't exactly the peak of his career, either. You can skip this one.
A Cor Do Som "Ao Vivo No Circo" (Movieplay, 1996)
(Produced by Vinicius Sa, Flavio Sena & Renato Luz)
Armandinho returns to the group for this live reunion album... Includes a bunch of their old songs, including a few sizzling instrumentals...
A Cor Do Som "Acustico" (DVD) (BMG, 2005)
A live show with guest appearances by Daniela Mercury, Moraes Moreira and Caetano Veloso...
A Cor Do Som "Warner 30 Anos" (WEA, 2008)
A Cor Do Som "e-Collection" (WEA, 2002)
A Cor Do Som "Latin Essentials" (WEA, 2003)
Actually a straight reissue of their first album, only with incredibly ugly cover art...
