Marcos Valle was born and bred in Rio de Janeiro, but the young man on his record covers is a blond Californian dude and not my idea of a Brazilian musician (which just shows how little I know about Brazil). He must have come from a rich family, having had piano and music theory lessons as a young child. The sounds of his native country soon won him over and he developed his own very successful mix of bossa-nova, samba, jazz and pop. His stay in U.S. (1965-68) must have influenced him because further albums saw him adding soul and psychedelic rock in the mix. Recorded in 1970, "Garra" is considered his best album of the period, an adventurous affair marrying jazz, samba, soul and psychedelic rock. It's impressively produced, utilizing session musicians, male and female backing vocalists, flutes and harpsichords, mellotron and orchestras. The lyrics, co-written with his brother Sergio Paulo, all convey a hidden meaning in order to get past the dictatorship's censors. Thankfully the recent Light In The Attic reissue contains not only English translations but also commentary by the songwriter. So we learn, for example, that psychedelic pop ballad "Jesus meu rei" is not really about Jesus. Initially it was called "Pobre Do Rei"(My Poor King) and is about a king, isolated from his people, making laws in contrast to the world around him. "Com Mais De 30 (Over Thirty)" and "Garra (Grab)" are two happy, upbeat songs about losing your dreams when growing up and chasing after money and success while life passes you by. The successful businessman's laugh in "Gatra" is not happy but bitter: "I run after money ha ha/'Til my whole body/Collapses to the ground,ha ha/ I'm gonna live downtown, ha ha/ I don't even know my city that well,ha ha/ But I'm gonna win (if I don't die)". Yet the casual listener is left with the impression of having listened to a careless dance song. The title also means "Claw", which explains the hawk on the album's cover. "Black is Beautiful" is a soul ballad addressing Brazil's racial problem. He sings "I Want a Goddess from the Congo, or from here, to integrate with my European blood". Initial version ("to improve my European blood") must have almost given the censors a heart attack. "Paz E Futebol", "Wanda Vidal", "Vinte e Seis Anos de Vida Normal" and "O Cafona" are all light samba soul and "Minha Voz Vire Do Sol da America" a beautiful symphonic piece. The album is a must for fans of brazilian pop and tropicalia.
**** for Jesus Meu Rei, Com Mais De 30, Garra, Wanda Vidal
*** for Paz E Futebol, Que Bandeira, Minha Voz Vira Do Sol Da America, Vinte E Seis Anos Anos De Vida Normal, O Cafona
** for Black is Beautiful, Ao Amigo
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