Influential South American
psychedelic rock
sextet
Som Imaginario
(Imaginary Sound) formed in 1970 as the backing band behind legendary Minas Gerais
singer/songwriter
/composer
Milton Nascimento
. Like
Nascimento
, the collective shared a fondness for mainstream
rock & roll
acts like
the Beatles
and
Jimi Hendrix
, crafting sonic freestyle tapestries that had as much to do with early
Pink Floyd
Miles Davis
as they did with the
tropicalia
MPB
movement.
Matanca Do Porco
(their debut recording) is a not so subtle blend of all three of those sounds, chock-full of humor, super-amplified decadence, and haunting melodies.
lends his distinctive tenor to two cuts,
"Hey, Man"
"Tema Dos Deuses"
(the latter was re-recorded for
's 1973 LP,
Milagre Dos Peixes
), and occasional member and peerless percussionist
Nana Vasconcelos
appears on numerous tracks throughout the ten-song odyssey. Bluesy fuzz guitar tears through the spirited opener,
"Morse"
; the wistful
"Sabado"
conjures up images of a thousand lighters illuminating a dark pavilion; and
"Nepal"
begins in a wash of homemade bird calls, random coughing, and
Ennio Morricone
-style screaming before seguing into a soft "
Beatlesque
" crooner that echoes
"A Day in the Life."
have dwelt for far too long on critics' shoulders, and this fine reissue of
holds its own against the giants of the genre, appealing to fans of
Os Mutantes
,
Secos & Molhados
, early
Caetano Veloso
, and even
Deep Purple
. Highly recommended. ~ James Christopher Monger