Another band I never expected to see live, I discovered Os Mutantes around the turn of the millennium, when David Byrne’s label Luaka Bop released a compilation of their 1960s material. It received rave reviews, and after hearing it myself I couldn’t help but agree: this eclectic, whimsical and experimental yet sometimes poppy mix sounded as exciting and unique as anything from the era. The band had disbanded in the early 1970s, having achieved little recognition outside their native Brazil until the Luaka Bop compilation introduced them to a new international audience. A few years later their albums were reissued on CD — and eventually vinyl as well — while a partially reunited lineup celebrated the band’s 40th anniversary with a major London concert, documented on the CD/DVD release reviewed here. The following years brought sporadic new albums and live appearances by a version of the band led by original guitarist Sergio Dias. They rarely venture into Europe, so last year’s Amsterdam performance — their first Dutch show since 2016 — felt unmissable. At 75, Sergio Dias no longer performs with youthful physicality, singing and playing seated for most of the show, but his guitar work remained superb, with echoes of Hendrix and Santana throughout. The band alternated between proggy psychedelia and pure pop (e.g. "Baby"). The harmonies were as strong as ever, while Esméria Bulgari handled the lead vocals with admirably. Rita Lee, of course, who left the band in 1972 and died in 2023 remains irreplaceable. The other great absentee was Sergio’s brother, Arnaldo Baptista: he has often struggled with mental health issues linked to his past excessive LSD use, and took his leave from the band, long ago.
He nevertheless can be heard on this live CD, alongside Dias, original drummer Dinho Leme, and guest singer Zélia Duncan. Esméria Bulgari was also present on this occasion, albeit only as a backing singer. As I mentioned earlier, Os Mutantes have always been a very peculiar band, drawing on everything from Beatlesy pop and bossa nova to ballads and psychedelic rock, all filtered through a lens of whimsy and anarchic humor not unlike that of the Bonzo Dog Band—while sounding nothing like them in practice. Such eclecticism often left them difficult to categorize. For many years they were mentioned—if at all—only as part of the Tropicália movement, which also included more celebrated Brazilian artists like Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and Tom Zé. This was too restrictive, since all of those artists were closer to Brazilian musical traditions, whereas Os Mutantes explored a much wider range of styles. This live CD manages to encapsulate most of them, making it one of the best entry points into the band's music. The performances are uniformly strong, while the arrangements benefit from a fuller band and generally sound more polished than the original versions. Some listeners may miss the rough edges of the originals, but I believe very little is lost in the process. Opener "Don Quixote" is an impressive psychedelic mess, incorporating everything from an orchestral fanfare to the band's signature harmonies and Dias' electric-guitar outbursts. This is followed by "Virginia", a charming Beatlesque ballad. The pace then picks up with a pair of upbeat Latin rockers: "Cantor de Mambo"—reminiscent of Santana and featuring some first-rate electric guitar in this live rendition—and "El Justicero". Hilariously, Tony Blair and "Jorge" Bush are portrayed as Old West gunslingers in the song's intro. The mood changes once again with the exotic, chilled-out bossa nova of "Baby" and "I'm Sorry Baby", both sung in English. Later, "Dia 36" and "Ave Lucifer" drift by as stoned psychedelic ballads awash in vocal distortion and spaced-out effects, while "Fuga No. 11" and "Balada do Louco" evoke a dreamlike meeting point between Gilberto Gil and John Lennon. The acoustic "Le premier bonheur du jour" adds a Rennaissence flavor, while "I Feel a Little Spaced Out" (original Portuguese title was "Ando Meio Desligado") perfectly embodies the sound of The Summer of Love: Imagine throwing The Zombies, Jefferson Airplane, early Pink Floyd, and the soundtrack to Hair! into a blender and ending up with something surprisingly coherent. As the concert nears its end, Os Mutantes showcase their riotous carnivalesque side on "A Minha Menina" and "Bat Macumba" before bowing out with an ecstatic English-language rendition of "Panis et Circenses" that once again recalls The Beatles circa Sgt. Pepper. The above track listing corresponds to my own (UK) version of the album, which combines a single CD and DVD video. There is also a US double-CD edition that adds five songs but omits the visual content. Those tracks are reinstated on my DVD, which also includes a short documentary, video clips from the concert and rehearsals, and a photo gallery. The DVD offers both stereo and surround-sound audio options, as well as subtitles for the lyrics. To be honest, neither the video quality nor the surround mix is particularly impressive, which means I find myself returning to the CD far more often than the DVD. Now, I know that many fans may find Rita Lee's absence difficult to overlook, and the band's live sound a little too down-to-earth for their liking, but I believe this release successfully captures the eclecticism, humor, musicianship, and sheer sense of adventure that made Os Mutantes so special in the first place. For newcomers, it serves as an ideal introduction; for existing fans, it's a rewarding celebration of this unique band. Having finally experienced them in concert myself, I can confirm that, sixty years on, the magic is still there.
***** for Cantor de Mambo, Baby, I Feel a Little Spaced Out
**** for Virginia, El justiciero, I'm Sorry Baby, Dia 36, Fuga Nº II, Ave Lucifer, Balada do Louco, A Minha Menina, Bat Macumba, Panis et Circenses
*** for Don Quixote, Le Premier Bonheur du Jour