Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Greatest Hits

Brasil 66' is much better than Sergio's solo albums. The group payed their debts to brasilian artists such as Carlos Jobim and other Brasilian artists, while hitting the charts and going pop. Sadly, there is only about five or six good Brasil 66' albums, among them are Herb Alpert Presents, Equinox, Look Around and Fool On a Hill, but you can still be a Brasil 66' nut! This cd collects 12 of their greatest tracks like, Mascquenada(?), Look Around, Pretty World, and Look Of Love, and is very fun to listen to. Don't be fooled, only albums that say BRASIL 66'on them are good. Not just Sergio Mendes or Brasil 77' or 86'. Although, there is a Sergio Mendes Trio, leaning more towards jazz, is good. This cd is definetly, of high regard. Buy iT!

These are beautiful songs. Arrangements, performance, production are superb. Lani Hall is a vocalist like no other. These tracks are as fresh as the day they were made,

I used to listen to a radio station back in the seventies that plays Latin Jazz for a couple of hours every night, and got me hooked with the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sergio Mendes & Brasil'66, Herb Alpert, Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz, Eumir Deodato, Gato Barbieri, Cal Tjader, Paulinho Da Costa, Laurindo Almeida, among others.

I'm glad that the group had come up with their "Greatest Hits" that includes a repertoire of songs by Cole Porter, Bacharach/David, Mendes/Bergman/Bergman, Lennon/McCartney, Simon/Garfunkel, et al. Sergio Mendes, a Bossa Nova icon, is a brilliant pianist/arranger/composer/musical director and producer all rolled into one. Special mention goes to Lani Hall, the group's very talented and original vocalist, and also occasional songwriter who can sing in English, Portuguese and Spanish. She has this lovely voice uniquely her own. I remember some of her hit songs she recorded after leaving Brasil '66 such as "How Can I Tell You," "Hello It's Me," "Save The Sunlight," to name a few.

Standouts, in my opinion, are "Night and Day," "The Look Of Love," "So Many Stars," "Like A Lover" and "Pretty World."

I highly recommend this CD for a great listening experience. Enjoy a perfect blend of Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova and Popular Music. Likewise, check out "Equinox" which includes "Watch What Happens," "Night and Day," "Wave," "Triste" and "Constant Rain."

As I've read some of the reviews, I think it's important to point out that this CD is a faithful copy of the Greatest Hits Album of this group released in the early 70's...so no, it won't have hits from the 80's.
I grew up with the album version and was tearing apart used/thrift stores for a copy...I'm so excited to now have it available on CD. The tunes are infectious ala ABBA and are some of my number one choices for dancing around the house and cleaning...I've even made some converts among 'my thirty something' 80's punker friends.
Are the songs deep and soulful...uh, no! Hello? We aren't talking Elton or Marvin, here people. Remember the 60's and Burt Bacharach? Well, think that and add a trumpet and samba vibe and you've got the music.
In the compilation is one of my all time fave's and hard to find's, "Pretty World". If it doesn't get your booty swaying then you obviously haven't seen enough Peter Seller movies --it's 'hip baby'.
"Going Out of My Head" will have you singing into a hairbrush and the "Look of Love" standing on an imaginary Kareoke stage.
Is it Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66' Muzak? Yeah, okay it is (so buyer beware)...Still, every now and then I think almost everybody could use a little Muzak with an infectious beat.

Only the very first song on this album is unique, and sung in Brazilian Portuguese. The rest are covers of bland pop songs of the period - beatles covers, etc. It's blatantly obvoius when you listen to phrasing that the singers have little or no idea of what the words mean, they are enunuciating clearly and singing pretty in a language that's foreign to them (English.) A disappointment.