The Golden Boys were one of he best groups of the Brazilian jovem guarda teenybopper rock movement, a versatile and appealing band that covered American and British pop hits, but also recorded a ton of original material, much of it written by bandmember, notably brothers Roberto and Renato Correia, as well as Rossini Pinto, another distinctive voice on the jovem guarda scene. In 1971, Renato Correia decided to pursue an already-thriving career as a pop-rock producer -- the group continued on without him, touring and recording well into the next decade. Here's a quick look at their work.
Golden Boys "Meus Momentos" (EMI, 1999)
I was pleasantly surprised by how good this 2-CD set was -- or rather, that it didn't suck the way I had thought it would. These 'Sixties soft-rockers covered a lot of turf: Beatles covers, oldies covers, standards ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "Heartaches"), show tunes ("Hello Dolly"), forro, bossa nova, and proto-MPB... Comparisons to cheesy vocal groups like the MPB-4 and Quarteto Em Cy are misleading: whereas those bossa-born ensembles substituted technique for feeling, the Golden Boys were simply a flawed, but earnest, pop band. Backed by the equally MOR-oriented Fevers, these fellows crank out reasonably tasty, not overly-kitschy, material. Yeah, sure -- these were exactly the folks that Os Mutantes and the Tropicalistas set out to displace, but they still hold up pretty well over the years. If you're curious about the Jovem Guarda era of Brazilian rocknroll, then this is well worth checking out.
Golden Boys "Serie Bis" (EMI, 2000)
Another version of the 2-CD best-of listed above... nice stuff!
Golden Boys "Serie Retratos" (EMI, 2004)
Golden Boys "Os Golden Boys" (Copacabana, 1959)
Golden Boys "The Golden Boys" (EMI-Odeon, 1965)
Golden Boys "Alguem Na Multidao" (EMI-Odeon, 1966)
Golden Boys "Pensando Nela" (EMI-Odeon, 1967)
Golden Boys "Na Linha De Frente" (EMI-Odeon, 1968)
Golden Boys "Golden Boys" (EMI-Odeon, 1969)
Golden Boys "Fumace" (EMI-Odeon, 1970)
There are some cool rock'n'roll moments on here -- notably the fuzzed-out opener, "O Cabecao" and the perky-goofy "Se Voce Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear" -- but most of this album is closer in spirit to the soft MOR pop of the times, with lots of horn arrangements and bright, chirpy harmonies. It's listenable, but more kitschy than anything else. Worth it for a look at how faux-psychedelic mainstream pop made its entry into Brazilian culture, but not really a groovy, rockin' record... Still, it's better than most jovem guarda records, and if you're on a JG kick, this is certainly worth checking out.
Golden Boys "So Vou Criar Galinha" (EMI-Odeon, 1971)
Golden Boys "Golden Boys" (EMI-Odeon, 1973)
Golden Boys "Golden Boys" (EMI-Odeon, 1975)
Golden Boys "Golden Boys" (Polydor, 1978)
Golden Boys "O Sonho Nao Acabou: Os Inesqueveis Sucessos Sa Jovem Guarda" (CBS-Epic, 1984)
Golden Boys "Golden Boys" (CBS-Epic, 1986)
Golden Boys "Ao Vivo" (Som Livre, 1991)
Golden Boys "Festival Dos Golden Boys" (Som Livre, 1997)
