Series – Greatest Hits: Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66

What we have here is latin pop. It’s groovy, it’s soulful. It’s 60s smooth jazz with big band and strings elements. It’s gentle and, sadly, a little repetitive. I like the sound, but after this many tracks of it, it all blends together a bit.

Still, I soldiered on.

Mais Que Nada (Ma-sh Kay Nada) is the hit you’ll likely know. My son thought this one was hilarious, when he heard it in the car. I’m not quite sure why, but he laughed like a loon along with it. Scarborough Fair is the tune you think it is. I don’t care who does it, though, I have never liked that song. The Beatles’ With A Little Help From My Friends, of course, gets the same treatment. Like A Lover is more smooth jazz.

Look Of Love is one you’ll recall from a litle film called Casino Royale (the original). By the time we get to Night And Day, this disc is acting like a soporific on me… Fool On The Hill is the second Beatles cover here, while Going Out Of My Head, Look Around, and So Many Stars is more of the same.

Daytripper is the third Beatles cover, and Pretty World ends the disc with… more of the same.

In Sum:

I sound dismissive. I’m not, really. The playing here is excellent, the feel of the music is pleasing and well-done. But it was a lot of the same, bleeding all together into an entire CD of that one latin, jazzy groove.

You know who would love this CD? Austin Powers.