Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Greatest Hits

One of my favorite groups of the era. The songs were unique on the pop charts, but the quality of these recordings is poor. Sound volumes fluctuate wildly on the copy I received. But still it was almost impossible to find any recordings by Sergio and Brazil 66.

I just love this CD. It brings back memories to me when I was little and my dad would play their album!

I bought this album when it first came out ... because the cover was interesting and I was just a high school kid who knew nothing about music. At first I thought I had made a mistake as it was nothing like the other hot albums of the times like the DOORS. But, I grew to love it deeply. And now that time has gone by, almost 40 years later, I am still in love with it. The songs are beautiful, clear, pure, and powerful. I can recite every word. I can hear the female vocalist's singing. It haunts my soul. And I am so glad i picked it, and so glad, that I want it still in my collection.... so many years later. The look of love is in my soul. For someone that longs for the look of love, this is it...

Some of the cuts on "Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66--Greatest Hits" sound as fresh as they did 40 years ago. Others sound dated, though charmingly so. The Brazilian originals fare best--"Mais Que Nada" is guaranteed to get your hips and your day swinging, and "Like a Lover" is incredibly sexy, soothing, and mellow. The pop standards are more a matter of taste, though "The Look of Love" is still one of the best recordings ever of any Bacharach-David song. Occasionally an otherwise impeccable cut will betray its vintage; the lovely bossa nova tune "So Many Stars" is marred by a brief harpsichord solo, reminding us all why the harpsichord craze of the '60s did not survive the decade. One thing that mars this CD is the lack of any songwriter credits--I guess A&M assumes everyone knows who wrote these songs, but it would still be nice to have the credits! I'm glad Mendes is having renewed success with his recent collaboration with rap artists, but I'm of a generation that will be happy sticking with this CD.

Glad I found this blast from the past. While I've tired of hearing Beatles songs I don't get tired of their versions. And "Like a Lover" is one of my favorite lovesongs. Wish there
were more of their Brazilian language songs in the collection.
One, although one of their best, was not enough.