Vento Sul

by Richie UnterbergerMarcos Valle made his first mark in the recording world with bossa nova and samba. But by the time of this early-'70s album, he was just about a rock artist, even if much Brazilian pop (and some jazz) remained in his music. It's possible to hear some influences from art rock in the harmonies and arrangements of cuts like the opening "Revolucao," with its dancing flute and hard rock guitar, though in other respects the album is more in the tropicalia style. Some of the vocal harmonies, whether intentionally or not, stray rather close to wistful Beach Boys-type sounds (particularly on "Mi Hermoza"), and the instrumental "Bodas de Sangu" sounds a little like the wordless miniatures that Brian Wilson was composing in his Baroque period. Wah-wah guitar, flutes, harpsichord, and demonic spoken recitations pull the title track away from the rather ordinary jazz-rock fusion it would be otherwise. It's an attractive album on the whole, though it also leaves the impression of someone not entirely sure of what directions he wants to explore.