Clube Da Esquina

The binaural audio portions threw me off a bit

This was decent background music.

"Clube da Esquina" is a double album by the Brazillian music collective Clube da Esquina and credited to Lô Borges and Milton Nascimento. It also features arrangements by Eumir Deodato and Wagner Tiso and conductions by Paulo Moura. The music is generically classified as baroque pop, folk and pyscychedelic pop but more specifically MPB (Música Popular Brasileira or Brazillian Pop Music) which is post- bossa nova combining jazz, rock with Brazillian samba, samba-canção and baião. Yes, this album incorporates many styles often within the same song. This album is extremely important in the history of Brazillian music. "Tudo Que Você Podia Ser" begins the album with an acoustic guitar. It's melodic pop with a hint of samba. Nascimento comes in with a clear, powerful, tenor voice. This would not sound out of place as a 70's country rock ballad. The drums are more prominent in "O Trem Azul." Both acoustic and electrical guitar. Vocal harmonization. A 60's pyschedelic pop feel. Beautiful sounding. "Cravo e Canela" has a Spanish acoustic guitar with subtle bossa nova beat. The soft-loud-soft dynamic. I immediately thought of Paul Simon. Maybe, when I next hear Paul Simon I will think of these guys. "Um Girassol Da Cor De Seu Cabelo" starts out slow and melancholy with its the piano and beat. The drums kick in with strings and we're in Beatles territory. The drum picks up the pace and now we're into something entirely different. An album highlight. "Clube da Esquina" is mostly instrumental with an urgent beat, subtle guitar and background vocals. The vocals are in the background and more part of the instrumentation. Wow, I feel like I'm placed in 80's/90's alternative rock. "Paisagem Da Janela" has a simple beat and sounds like a simple, happy and poppy 60's song. Nice harmonies. Alright, we got a Latin beat in "Me Deixa Em Paz." Tenor voices of Nascimento and Alaíde Costa reaching high octaves and also using falsettos. The bossa nova beat kicks in a little harder. Lô Borges takes over vocals on "Trem De Doido." Hey, this is rock and we're back to the 70's. Great drumming and a Carol's Santana-esque solo. This is a great album. I don't know if I've heard an album that switches styles within and between songs so flawlessly. When a song starts don't expect it to end there. The variety: baroque pop, samba beats, pyscychedelic pop, 70's rock and pop and 80's/90's alternative music. And then you add Nascimento's incredible tenor voice. Yeah. A album everyone should hear.

not terrible but not really my thing

Solid sounds and rhythms. Took me by surprise the wide array of good sounds. Had no clue what he was saying for the whole time, which was difficult.

I am a little high right now and i definitely had listened to this album before. So chill and so exuberant.

What a varied assortment of music. Soft and smooth, with noticeable English Invasion influences, latin instrumentation, jazz, even some soulful stuff. Really easy to listen, even with the limitation of not understanding the Portuguese lyrics

Beautiful record, always a pleasant listen

Always hard to evaluate a foreign language album, but this one doesn't do it for me.

Muss man mehrmals hören. Knappe drei Sterne?

Ecoute agréable mais long, inégal.

Good, some very interesting bits in it

Latin, brasiliansk, rock, stemningsfyldt, svingende

Cantano in portoghese blueh

I liked this. Never stayed the same shape for long and was an enjoyable listen

I really enjoyed the second half of this album more than the first, but it's been a very pleasant listen all round

I really enjoyed “O Trem Azul” and a couple of the other tracks were strong as well. Nascimento has a great voice and the album is very well produced.

So hard to rate these. I did enjoy.

Portugues cool but otherwise not super interesting

⭐️ Paisagem da Janela

A great surprise!

Would have given it 3.5 as the good songs were really great, some tosh thou

Like being in Nandos for an hour or an episode of Narcos. Enjoyed it at first but dragged on for too long. Better than expected.

A consistently interesting one hour that was. I love the instrumentals in some places. And while the singing doesn't interest me most of the time (not to mention I don't speak their language), it still has nice highlights.

2.5

Pop, folk

Melhor álbum de todos os tempos amo demais

Had to stop listening, couldnt understand

Some great moments, lots of boring stuff in between. Wish this was like half as long.

Background music at best

An incredibly diverse and enjoyable album, I need to revisit this more often

I've heard enough south american albums on this list to know that there are far better ones than this. At first, I thought this was the Brazilian version of Japanese city pop but then it went through a bunch of different sounds through a very long one-hour runtime. There are a couple of good tracks like gusto del sol but by the end I just wanted it to be over and that's why it gets a high two.

Got through most of it but nothing caught my attention

I really like the vibe of this one.

Really enjoyable. Probably not something I'll seek out often, but it puts me in a good place. 7/10

dug the vibes for doing some work

Not engaging

I think this is the second Brazilian artist I've gotten on this list? I thought it was really good though, as I said I don't have too much exposure to Brazilian artists but the two albums I've listened to, I enjoyed them both at least a little bit.

So good

God I fucking love this album. First album so far that I’ve listened to already. fuck this album is gorgeous. Clube da esquina No2 sounds like absolute heaven. I haven't listened to the album the whole way through in ages and hearing the second half particularly is so refreshing and glorious bruh. this is exactly what a double album should be. broad range of bangers, chunes and emotional rollercoasters. if only I knew what they are on about. when he says asi vivamos seperados in dos cruces 🔥 (basically the only lyric I know cos its the same as in spanish). Paisajem da Janela is such just a feel good swayyey dancey vibe. This album stands beside Songs in the Key of Life as one of the all-time great double albums bruggy. Holy fucking shit when the bass comes in and the instrumental changes in track 13 what the heck. This album sounds so fucking good it's insane. Get your best headphones and fucking get auditory heroin for an hour. fucking god trem de doido is gorgeous. this album sounds so modern for 1972 its insane. what te fuck. also this album cover goes fucking hard. album of the fucking life. I wish trem de doido was longer that was insane. this is easily the best album on the challenge yet. im sorry replacements im sorry Hendrix this is just it. it is insanity how good this album is. oh yay this song title is the same as in spanish. track 20 nothing will be like before. ill try figure out lyrics. he'll nah there's no lyrics on Spotify. this arrangement is gorgeous. I know I've used that word many a time here already but its bleedin true wow. What an album!!!!!!!

Fun to listen to

I dig it. Kinda... Música muito calma

o homem voz, baita som e letras, BR esqueça tudo

Really good, I loved the instrumentation and style of this. Probably need more listens to truly appreciate, so I imagine it will get even better on subsequent listens.

Fun album! I quite enjoyed it, although it was a bit overlong. Otherwise, some tracks were really killer. 3.75/5

Wow, Spanish psychedelic chamber pop, and a double album that (mostly) doesn’t overstay its welcome? This is a true win-win. Will explore some more. B-

A landmark in Brazilian music, celebrating both the traditional and the modern. Overly long, but charming.

Muito bom

Like being in Nandos for an hour or an episode of Narcos. Enjoyed it at first but dragged on for too long. Better than expected.

Best: O Trem Azul Worst: Dos Cruces

I was hoping to drink from the Latin fountain, but this barely filled my cup

There are some really beautiful songs on here - this deserves multiple lessons to get to grips with. I really enjoyed it.

San Vicente

Highlights: Tudo a Que Um Girassol Um Gosto Lilia

Excellently varied, and masterfully arranged. I never knew what sort of sounds were around the next corner, and that was exciting. But the length of the project does it a serious disservice.

Bloat is the only issue here for me, otherwise, a relaxing back porch of an album.

Nice change up

love it this album go crazy

Didn't understand a word anyone was saying. 5/5

First track is a jam

Fantastic, versatile Baroque pop from a region’s music scene I definitely need to explore more

CLASSICO BR!

I can hear the Beatles influence in some tracks despite the language barrier. I like the idea of a music collective putting out an album.

Not my thing, music ok, not big on singer’s voice

Not my style, but I enjoyed parts. Hard pans in mixing make some tracks hard to listen to.

Me gusto, tiene muchas cosas en común con los discos de acá en esa época.

Música suave pero no por displicente. Al contrario, tiene una devoción casi religiosa por la canción y sus potenciales; particularmente, a la manera de los Beatles. Los instrumentos componen texturas superpuestas que, lentamente, de forma imperceptible, evolucionan en conjunto hasta arribar a una culminación: un estallido tropical, siempre acompañado y precedido por una voz aterciopelada, que parece la del Brasil entero. O incluso, más aún, del continente, porque es la expresión de tal lugar, regido esta vez no por la injusticia, sino por la paz y la armonía de una canción.

Algunas canciones son divertidas, otras me aburren hasta la muerte. A la mitad del disco ya me pudrí y no tenía más ganas de escucharlo, así que me puse a hacer otra cosa mientras lo escuchaba. Y ahí me gustó más, siento que funciona muy bien como algo para tener de fondo, porque las canciones se me hacen muy parecidas e interminablemente aburridas. No es para nada mi tipo de música 💀 4/10

me gusta la musica brasileña me hace cosquillas en el cerebro

Was a bit nervous about this one, but was pleasantly surprised! I really enjoyed the atmosphere here. It got a little long for my taste towards the end. However, I'd gladly add this to my library. I'm honestly taken aback by how much the instrumentals got me.

Este álbum me encantaría escucharlo en la playita con mi familia, las melodías y como se usan los instrumentos a base de las canciones son buenísimas, la banda sonora es buenísima, 7/10, las canciones del final a partir se la 14 no me gustaron y son 21 canciones pero ta buena

nice, but not nice enough. Like it, it is vivid and tranquil, maybe too jazzy at times.I Like this, but would buy something else.

I feel very uncultured, but it was a bit too jazzy for me, soz.

As a person fluent in Spanglish I understood just a little bit what these songs were saying, but I had no difficulty understanding the feelings behind these songs. To describe an album as "pleasant" sounds like a criticism or condescending, yet this is a very listenable album and an excellent example of how music can transcend language differences. I would recommend this album because it shows the British pop influence on music throughout the world.

Beatle wannabes mixing Latin music with the songs of their icons. While I love the Beatles, this album leaves me a bit annoyed, which may be due to the whiney delivery of many of the vocals. That may be par for the course for Latin music in general, but it just isn't my cup of tea. 2/5

This was a cool album! I wasn't 100% jamming on it, but i suspect that if i had any degree of Portuguese fluency it'd be 5 stars for me, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

some really lovely brazilian music — not knowing portugese, i had to rely on wikipedia to tell me about this album, but i’m reliably informed it’s very important. i don’t think it’s particularly relistenable for me, but i’m glad i listened to it once

Not for me.

Just not feeling this one. Voice sounds out of tune at points.

Sweet and delicate but so light it sort of flies away and never quite lands.

At this length, I expected a more progressive reading of MPB; While that's not the case, every track earns its place on the list. More than anything, there's the distinctly Brazilian success: Relaxation with plenty happening in the rhythm section.

I'm completely unfamiliar with Brazillian pop music but this is really fantastic. Just super fun to listen to, great melodies and instrumentation, and a pleasant voice. Really glad to have discovered this here.

OK. Not really my kind of this though. Going to keep on my favourites in case I feel like listening to something a bit different

Decent music, not something I would listen to.

I've really been enjoying world music because of this challenge, I have no idea what they're singing about but it's great

Excellent example of Brazilian Jazz!

This is a really neat album. It mixes really well a bunch of types of music and pulls them all off fantastically. Relaxing, island vibes all the way through, just wish I could understand Portuguese :( 7/10

I didn't end up finishing this album, but really really liked it so far. had more of a pop feel than I expected, and cool guitars

Really dug the vibe of this album. Although I didn’t know what they were saying the instrumentation was fantastic. Fun stuff!

Just some beautiful songs. There’s this feeling of tenderness throughout the album that I really love, it just draws you in so much. Had a great first listen, will take a lot of time to fully process all of it. Faves: O Trem Azul, Nuvem Cigana, Clube Da Esquina N° 2, Trem De Doido

A little cheesy but not a bad listen or waste of time

I really liked this. Hard to pin down stylistically, sometimes reminding me of a certain era of neo-folk, other times in the vicinity of psychedelic rock, but not quite any of them. Never felt the language barrier more acutely, particularly with my vestigial high school/college Spanish giving me the feeling I often have hearing Portuguese - like I can almost pick out the words (but not quite). I liked the sound of whatever it was anyway, and the signing very much.

maybe that’s why it isn’t so bad

kinda jazzy, folky Brazilian music from the 70s. Meh

Very nice, some really gorgeous songs in this. Fav tracks: Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser, O Trem Azul, Nuvem Cigana, Trem De Doido. It’s a very long album, ultimately I think a 4/5.

Another classic. I am due SUCH a run of duffers. As a long-time Tropicalia convert, I'm surprised I only stumbled across this album last year, through some random conversation. But that's what happened, and now it is a staple. I adore the Quarteto Em Cy cover of Tudo Que Você Podia Ser, did not know it was a cover before hearing this album. But what a trip we go on listening to this. Can't adequately explain how good it is. A journey in every song. Absolutely wonderful. I like the story of the two kids on the cover too. “I was eating a piece of bread that someone had given me, because I was starving. And I was barefoot. But I never knew I was on the cover of a record. My mother will be thrilled. We never had a photo of me as a boy.” Faves, Tudo Que Você Podia Ser, Clube Da Esquina No2, O Trem Azul, Um Gosto De Sol, Nada Sera Comp Antes.

pretty great 3/5

relaxing, good in the background

Started off strong but couldn't get into it

Turns out folk music in a foreign language doesn't help

af. dos temas y medio bien. el de girasol

Not bad, but not something I would rush back to listen to.

This was more enjoyable than I expected, and I think it's a bit impressive for the time. I didn't love it quite enough for a 5 star, but maybe it'd get such a rating upon relistening to it. Awesome album, glad I got to listen to it. My favourite songs were Paisagem Da Janela and Um Girassol Da Cor Do Seu Cabelo.

Unexpectedly awesome, tracks were varied but equally good. My favorite was Nada Será Como Antes

Got into this album a couple years ago after listening to Wayne Shorter’s “Native Dancer” album a lot. Love his voice and style. Really cool tunes and arrangements. So many songs on here. The title track is my favorite and Cravo e Canela (there’s a really great live Flora Purim version!)

Wow this is awesome! Never heard this before but 5 stars for the beautiful guitar voicings. Definitely coming back to this one.

Kinda sleepy time music. Could not get into it but maybe that’s just because I’m tired

Tipico cantautor brasileño, con agregados de jazz y pop, hermoso para relajas

It was better than expected, I like two songs but it was mostly because of the melodies. I don't know if this is Brazilian

ayy this is actually pretty good. Though I dont really understand what the songs are about, one song in particular made feel kinda sad.

2/5. The language barrier is the biggest obstacle but it feels too dreamy to feel invested. I can tell there are repetitive lyrics but not in a good way.

Un dels discos clàssics de la MPB, amb un Milton Nascimento encara per ser famós i un Lo Borges a càrrec d'uns arranjaments de luxe. La banda que els completa està a la mateixa alçada. Un disc per disfrutar

Great Guitar, but not in English

It's very nice.

Enjoyed the Brazilian Beats

Difficult to rate an album when I don't speak the language. But I liked the music itself and the overall atmosphere / vibe, so I guess 3?

Nice combo of world music and Beatles influence, but it loses a point for the absolute chicanery of panning the entire track all the way to the right on an early song

Not what I was expecting, sounds quite modern and perhaps inspired some indie singer songwriters like Phosphorescent and Kings of Convenience that aren't obviously "world music" adjacent. Pretty good

meh. good retail music. nothing memorable.

Holy SHIT this is already beautiful. Obviously I don’t speak Portugese(?) so i have no inkling of what’s being said but it is PRETTY DAMMIT. It’s also so stylistically diverse and some of the guitar work especially is what some indie bands are still doing today. 90% of this album could be released this very second and it would not seem out of place.

goeie vibes voor een zonnige dag

Begon heel nice, maar denk dat het toch iets te rustig is voor mijn smaak, vind juist in dit soort muziek wat meer percussie nice

Oeh heel erg niet mijn normale muziek maar erg chill op de achtergrond van wat lezen!

It was an interesting listen, not something I would obviously seek out. Not something I’d listen to again but was good for one go.

This is classified as MPB just like Jorge Ben's Africa Basil, but they have almost nothing alike, as that sounded funkier and dance-like whereas this is more like a fusion between baroque pop and psychedelic folk, and although fitting to American contemporaries like Tim Buckley, it reminds me more of contemporary folk artists like Fleet Foxes. It's groovy and at times ethereal, especially with his echoey falsetto. I'm not too familiar with Brazilian music, but I can hear the Latin American sound in the acoustics, but I can hear all sorts of genres such as classical in "Um Girassol" and jazz in "Me Deixa Em Paz". The best part was all the strange psychedelic noises and sudden shifts in sounds that many would consider excessive but I found them to be engaging. There's something unique about every song, and there were plenty of outstanding highlights, but several of them were lame and didn't contribute much. This is especially problematic with the hour-long length that seemed to drag on in, becoming tiresome by the final third. Favorites: Tudo O Que, O Trem Azul, Nuvem Cigana, Cravo E Canela, Clube Da Esquina N2, Paisagem Da Janela, Pelo Amor De Deus, Nada Sera

Nicely done, very chill, reminded me of Japanese pop in places.

good brazilian folk but in the end quite annoying

not my favorite style of music, but good craftsmanship.

A fantastic album. Didn't get a chance to relisten to it but I've listened to it recently and loved it.

Brazilian pop and easy listening. Nice background music

Very good Brazilian music. Nice find.

Twas funky

Quite lovely. A nice blend of soft psychedelia, baroque pop and some of the rhythms one associates with Brazil. A fairly lengthy listen but a gentle journey, and one I fully enjoyed throughout.

Too long but kinda beautiful in places. I’d put this on again for some background music that will sounds good and clear coming out of my good speakers. Really like the quiet simplicity of “Os Povos.” It’s like jazz but not quite. The piano coming in there at the end of “Cais” was pretty terrific, too. (Though why the hard pan to one channel?) Never heard of this dude, but cool stuff. Interesting that Apple Music credits the album to Milton and Lo Borges, implying they’re a duo.

Beautiful easy listening. Rightly on this list.

Esto estuvo muy bueno.

I'm not a big fan of Latino music, but this is an interesting amalgamation of different genres packaged in a neat album with a coherent sound throughout Saved tracks: Tudo Que Você Podia Ser, Saídas e Bandeiras Nº 1, Dos Cruces

I don't quite know what I was expecting, but I enjoyed what I found.

Not bad not bad

Always enjoy the variety here

I really enjoy the vocals on this album, the interesting mix of incredible guitar and more electronic sound. There is some element of layers and complexity. I get a lot of emotion from the tracks. For me I wanted more variety, maybe more different vocalists like a female vocal (if there isn't already maybe I just missed it) but I switched off completely so it became nice background music. Probably largely due to the fact that I used to speak Spanish well but mostly forgot all of it by now, perhaps I might have picked up a lot more of the Portuguese lyrics if I remembered more Spanish??

At first I thought this wasn't going to be my thing as I get a bit lost with Spanish music, I imagine mostly because I just don't know it or much about it at all. But as it when on I started to appreciate it more and more and when it got a bit more rocky loved it

Quite fun but not gonna get me listening again

Nja...

Latin Jazz, entirely in Spanish. I liked the style, good singing voice. Overall decent album

A more contemplative Bossa Nova record that skirts the edges of a smooth jazz upbeat sound and instead focuses on the more sensitive notes and message. I'm sure if one were able to speak Portuguese the lyrics would match the advanced orchaestration and elevate the meaning even further.

Quote enjoyed that. Eclectic. 3

I enjoyed this album a lot. It has those rich layers I always love, lots of variety and experimentation, always with solid grooves and great instrumentation. I feel a bit out of my depth reviewing and rating an album that isn't in English, though - as one reviewer put it, I have no idea what he's saying but I have no reason to doubt it! I definitely enjoyed the he listening experience and will be playing this again! For the excellent instrumentation and overall coolness factor 4/5

not for me

VERY good, just shy of 5

A delight from top to bottom.

I guess I just don't get it. The musicianship is clearly tops and dude has a great voice but the vibe just completely missed me. I didn't enjoy the super-soft (but periodically dance-hall?) feel of the album. I'm giving it a middling grade because everyone on this album clearly knows their stuff and I really think I'm just missing something here.

Didn't get much out of this. Felt pensive and sorrowful, but I didn't understand the actual words.

- Never heard of this - Started off decent, got very grating - Too long - Fav songs: Cravo E Canela, Clube da Esquina #2

i was very sceptical at the first sight, not gonna lie. but i have to admit this album has a bunch of quality music! despite not knowing what the fuck he's singing about (obviously) my encounter with this album was really pleasant. once again i was introduced to excellent instrumental parts which i enjoyed the most. listening to this album is a whole new experience. previous albums were unknown to me, but still, they sounded familiar. in this case, i hear something that is fresh and not yet fully discovered by me. and i like this because it's definitely giving a new perspective for my music taste. the music seems to rely heavily on the cultural background and ethnicity of the artist. i think the music is well composed, but it wouldn't be something i'd go for daily. in some cases i got bored of the sounds that i felt were repeated. it wasn't the best thing i heard in my life but i like the fact that it's something new, probably more than the album itself. i think that my perception would be completely different if i were familiar with the culture because now i feel like i don't fully understand the music and the thought behind it. i have a problem deciding whether i like this one or not. although i appreciate the experience of getting to know this side of music, i'll keep this album in mind. favourite track: "tudo o que voce podia ser" and "me deixa em paz"; least favourite track: "nuvem cigana"

Enjoyed this! My only issue was it felt a little drawn out towards the end, but it definitely deserves another listen.

Damn this is smooth.

Had a nice sleep on the bus to this 👍

I like it

I'm a big fan of Brazilian music - especially from that era - I love bossa nova. So I guess I was expecting something similar. This is much different though. It still has this amazing warmth mixed with melancholy to it that is so typical for Brazilian albumst that I've heard. However, I got lost on some tracks - maybe it's because it's a long album with many songs and I feel like I'm missing out on a lot due to not understanding the language. Trem de doido is a magnificent track - mixing the fuzz guitars with the calm and warm vocals is just perfect. Other songs I remember: tudo que voce podia ser and Um girassol da cor de seu cabelo (with that outro!) 4/5 trem de doido

Me he aburrido, lo siento. No es malo, pero no es imprescindible. 2 estrellas **.

First a disclaimer - I live in Brazil, and have lived here for 25 years - but so far I have not found any Brazilian music that I really like. Next this album has to be taken in the political context of Brazil in 1972 - at the height of the military dictatorship with very heavy censorship being applied to anything that could be remotely construed as critical of the government/society. Finally it has to be noted that the album is not just by Milton Nascimento - there are two principal collaborators : Lô Borges as cited on the album and also Beto Guedes, additionaly Alaíde Costa sings on Me Deixe em Paz. The album itself is pleasant enough to listen to, I suppose it helps understanding most of the lyrics, but to be honest they are not too deep or meaningful (as they could not be at the time). Nothing stood out to me as being exceptional or bad - overall an OK album, mostly acoustic guitar and voice with Brazilian rhythms.

Decent world music

In the aftermath of the Tropicália movement came a sprawling yet consequential album that helped the Brazilian music scene remain fresh and forward-looking. For Clube da Esquina, and its iconic album cover, vividly captures the imaginations of Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges and ensures that they are also worthy of consideration after the wildly creative deluge (and forced defections) of Velsoso, Gil, Costa, Zé, et al. It may feel overlong at points and the language barrier is insurmountable but this is still essential listening regardless.

Ålreit

Slow and boring. Has its moments.

My favorite was the first song. Not really my type of music. In a different language. Kind of reminded me of anime music but it wasn’t in Japanese

Why in portuguese

Enjoyable

Lovedd

A good listen even if I can’t understand a word.

Interesting change of pace...nice to listen to. I could not understand a word but it sounded kind.

This was amazing. Adding it to my regular listening catalogue. Great for while I’m working. Pleasant. Not abrasive!

Once again, I cannot understand the language (Portuguese) . However, the music is good. The first couple of songs are carried entirely by the melody. If the lyrics are good, these are probably great songs.

An absolutely inspired album. I wasn’t at all expecting the diverse assortment of songwriting prowess on this record, but it’s an absolute masterpiece. Leaving aside the obvious exoticism of foreign language works, this album would be incredible wherever it had originated. It doesn’t draw too heavily upon a “traditional” Brazilian sound, which really expands its sonic palette. The songs take centre stage here, not the novelty of world music. While the album is about an hour long, none of these songs overstay their welcome and they really catch you off guard with how contemporary they manage to sound despite this record appearing in 1972. It’s simply brilliant, and while it hasn’t achieved the same commercial acclaim as some other Brazilian offerings, it really needs a reappraisal.

Un peu space, mais aussi plein de tradition brésilienne. Plein de trucs intéressants donc, mais beaucoup, beaucoup trop long.

Faut être dans le mood et dans des bonnes conditions d'écoute. Mes premières écoutent dans mon autre groupe n'avait pas été concluantes. J'avais avoir eu beaucoup plus de plaisir à écouter cet album cette fois-ci. Même que plus je l'écoutais, plus je trouvais de moments forts. C'est un album long, mais différent et ça fait du bien. Ma note est passée d'un 1 à 4, donc il nécessite plusieurs écoutent.

I don’t know what’s he’s saying, but it sounds pretty good. I like the overall tone of the music and the emotions in the vocals.

Opener was really good, can't understand the language, but the music speaks mine. Love the emotion shown by the lead singer and the emotion if the instruments in the first track. These emotions continue throughout the rest of the album, absolute joy to the ears that it has even an American sounding sound in general. Based off of that alone, I would give this album a 7.5-8.

Tudo o Que Você Podia Ser- this is very groovy, with great changes in song👍 Cais - almost wistful song, had weird stereo bit at the end O Trem Azul - this was really catchy👍 Saidas e Bandeiras n° 1- very lively interlude Nuvem Cigana - another lively song Cravo e canela - love backing vocals, again catchy👍 Dos cruces - I feel ballads are harder to get into without understanding the lyrics because much more stripped down instrumental. Gets enjoyably dramatic at the end. Um girassol da cor do seu cabelo - has a slower part, then a discordant interlude where after the music picks up speed and intensity very cool👍 I should remember to save, lost last few songs of first half paisagem de Janela -didn't really grab me, also very quick fadeout at end Me deixa em paz- very nice female vocalist on this one👍 Os povos- bit dull Saidas e Bandeiras n°2 - very similar to before Um Gosta del sol - quite long song with drawnout instrumental at end Pelo amor de Deus - this is v interesting and quite distorted👍 Lilia- mostly instrumental with frankly annoying whelping in the background Trem de Doido - nice electric guitar👍 Nada sera COMO antes - didn't grab me Ao Que Vai Nascer- again a bit laid back to start, then again livens up For a album where I can't understand the lyrics, this managed to retain my attention 4/5

Good

Loved this one, very diverse, from laid back to melancholic to even Beatle-esque and a real beautiful last song. Full 5!

This was quite an epic journey! I'm not so much a fan of the foreign language albums or ones that are largely just instrumental, but I enjoyed this one today. It helped me get into a funky frenetic mode as I packed for my big road trip this weekend. Gracias!

Love the sounds of Brazillian music.

Pretty but not a choice I’ll make

Pretty interesting but I doubt I'll be going back to it

pretty solid

first listen lovely MPB

An interesting album mixing a wide range of influences - ethnic and international. The Beatles also seem to have left clear marks on this album such as in Nuvem Cigana. There were parts of this album I really enjoyed but others which just didn't sound right to me. In particular, I couldn't warm up to most of the singing. The vocals aren't good enough and they don't always blend well with the music. There are also tracks that just don't go anywhere such as Os Povos. The album is fine background listening, but not good enough for more than that.

Great album with great sadness.

A surprise to find a Brasilian collective in a sea of English and American bands and singers. Clube Da Esquina is a group of musicians, headlined by Milton Nascimento and Lõ Borges, playing heavily brasilian folk-influenced music, with an occasional rock additions. Apparently, during the creation of the album, musicians were trying to mold their music the same way The Beatles were doing few years back, and it can be heard from time to time on some of the songs. It's one of the most influential albums in Brasil history, but is that important for the rest of the world? First of all, I'm not a fan of folk music from Portugal or Brasil. The main issue I have is the style of singing, frequented by both Borges and Nascimento - long howls, slowly digesting every note and every part, with a maudlin guitars, bringing the mood straight to the gutter. The fact that songs are written in Portuguese makes it even worse, as its hard to rely on lyrics to feel the same as the band. Many songs are not really different from more contemporary artists (kudos for starting a trend), and they don't stand out as especially great or unforgettable. But then, on songs like "Dos Cruces", or "Um Girassol da cor de seu cabello" we have those straight-out-of-progressive rock-parts, or even psychedelic, which transform the song into something much more interesting and complete. Unfortunately, those moments are rare on the album and because of that are muddled in-between folk parts into a occasional gimmicks. It was a nice album, but from my current position, I couldn't enjoy it - barrier of language and time was just too much.

Love jazz samba. Wasn’t blown away by anything, but definitely enjoyed it. 3/5

Quite nice, bit overly long for me, I was quite tired of it by the end. Airy, melodic feel to it.

It's nice but really hard to enjoy when the language is so difficult. I think this one would take more time to appreciate. 2.5 / 5

Ég fann ég þurfti að hlusta tvisvar á þessa, og mun koma að aftur. Opnunarlagið er djöfulli gott, og lögin sem fylgja í kjölfarið mörg hve frábær. Góð grúv, óvenjuleg hljóðblöndun og fullt af óvæntum tvistum. Æði! Plötur eins og þessi eru það sem gerir þetta verkefni verðugt þess að sinna.

Hippie vibes

Not my cup of tea. Not knocking it for those that vibe with it but I'd rather have a colonoscopy than listen to this again.

Très bon album hététoclite! J'ai vraiment bien aimé, même s'il traine en longueur. J'ai cru comprendre que c'était un album collectif, ce qui explique sa durée et ses différentes influences! Par moments, ça sonnait comme du Sixto, ou du Simon & Garfunkel. Belle découverte!

Some interesting bits here and there. Lo Borges has some interesting soul elements. Nascimento plays more traditional Brazilian music. Not really my thing.

I don't understand pretty much any of what I heard but the sound was nice, but again, double albums....long...so some stand outs and some not so much...

Honestly, this album always had an uphill battle with all the lyrics being in Portuguese. But all that put aside, this simply isn't the type of music that moves me. Favorite track: Clube Da Esquina No 2

The sound of summer. Pass me a cocktail.

Big fan of this one! Wasnt sure what to expect, but i recognized the album cover instantly and knew this one is highly regarded.. I love the singer-songwriter and traditional aspects of this record, but it also uas exceptional production, and feels cinematic at parts, which really surprised me. Will definitely listen again, and a few songs are going in to my regular rotation Faves: Todo o Que Voce Podia Ser Dos Cruces

OK, interesting to hear once, but hits many of the same things I dislike in 70s music. Feels like lazy, weekend afternoon listening when you're doing something else. Not likely to remember it much after the first listen, but I've heard far worse. By about halfway through, I was starting to feel pretty bored with it. Inoffensive background music but nothing hooking me in at this point. Tracks 15 & 16 got more and more experimental. I hated them.

Another album I never would have listened to without this list. Saying that... it was bland. 2.5/5

This was a pretty good listen. The biggest knock against it is that nothing really stood out for me or was anything that I would give another listen to. It was really pleasant background noise and not much else.

Must revisit

3.5 stars. It was a fine album. Not for me

No Bueno. Only got through a couple songs before I had to stop

Not greAt. Sounded like a Latin Ior Portuguese Beatles just not good. Won’t listen again

Brazilian Beatles, but not good

Not really for me

Probably my favorite album coming from Brazil

I was very surprised by how good this was! A great discovery that I will certainly return to often.

Discover this album a couple months ago and it's already on my playlist. One of the best if not the best brazilian album

A refined album recorded by outstanding musicians. I loved the subtle and soulful mix of jazz, folk and Latin music, with a little psychedelic and bossa nova touch. I will come back to this album for sure, even if I found it a little long winded for something that is on the same mood all the way through.

Strange and compelling album, mixing traditional Brazilian music with dashes of psychedelia. Quite a few filler songs, and the vocals are frequently lacking. Starts strong though and the first track “Tudo O Qué Você Podia Ser” is promising - but honestly, clocking in at over an hour the album gets a little tiring.

funky stuff i enjoyed

First listen. I love Brazilian tunes. Good album.

meh

Not fussed. Smooth latin vibes though to be fair

Pretty good. I vibed to this one.

Enjoyed it, good dinner/cooking music

What a gem! Glad to have heard it! Beautiful voice, guitar, recording.

Didn't listen to this vey closely but I really liked what I heard.

With such a stellar reputation and pedigree, I really wanted to broaden my tastes a little bit. I gave it no less than five tries. But the almost atonal vocals are just a poison pill for this. Maybe if I spoke Portuguese the profundity would come through.

What's good with this project is that I can broaden my horizons thanks to choices I would not necessarily make all by myself. I don't know enough about Brazilian music, but I know that I enjoy a lot what I'm hearing right now, and it's enough for me in certain genres. Some of the songs' finales are especially impressive. I was only vaguely aware of who arranger Eumir Deudato was before (through Björk), and it's nice to finally hear how fabulous he can be. As it's nice to discover Milton Nascimento and Ló Borges, two great songwriters with endearing voices and presence. I could go on and give details on the unmistakable seventies feel I sense out of this record. I could even try to compare it to the one of American and British rock classics of that same era (it seems the "international" influence is definitely there). But I won't. It's nice to stop the fake TED Talks once in a while and just smell the roses. Because they smell the same, whether in Brazil or Britain and the US. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 837 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 90 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 40 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important: 34 (including this one)

An interesting one, hard to evaluate on one or two listens

Promising start but slowed down a bit too much toward the end. Also no cuica 1/10.

7/10. All kinda blended together after a while, but ultimately pleasant

There’s some really cool stuff on this album and somehow I had heard a couple tracks before. Loses points for being somewhat drawn out with a couple snoozers. 8/10

Didn’t make it through the album. I’m not listening to something I can’t understand.

I was excited for this album but was left a little flat. My fault for expecting something I didn't get. It's also a touch too long.

Lived this album. Varied yet stylistically consistent, it was engaging was from beginning to end

A fascinating album, that meanders through multiple genres yet somehow they always sound like themselves. At times it even reminded me of 17th-century opera (San Vincente). It's a shame I don't speak portugese!

Intriguing. There’s some classic Brazilian goodness here but it’s clearly more than just a traditional samba/bossa nova album. A lot of styles are thrown together and some of the changeups in the middle of tracks are quite surprising. Double albums are always a bit overwhelming, and I feel like I’d get more out of some of the slower songs in particular if I understood the lyrics, but sometimes the beautiful melodies speak for themselves, like on ‘Ao Que Tai Nascer’. ‘Clube Da Esquina No 2’ also seems deeply familiar and evocative, but I genuinely don’t know if that’s just because I remember it from when I listened to the album a few hours ago… Overall, a lot to like. 3.5 stars.

I don't speak Portuguese. My knowledge of Brazilian music is restricted to the Brazilian albums I've heard on this playlist. You can definitely find more insightful figures discussing this album than me. But the album does delight, and any hesitancy I have over it may be due to my ignorance. God, I sound sagacious. Anyway, from what I have gathered, Clube da Esquina is one of the standout works of música popular brasileira, a mid-60s amalgam of standard Brazilian genres (bossa nova, samba, that sort of thing) with the recently imported jazz and rock. This album embodies the eclecticism of MPB, an eclecticism which accounts for this being a double album: they had so much to include. This makes the listener worry that Clube Da Esquina may possess the basic double album faults of becoming sluggish or staying long enough to grow whiffy, but I would say it largely avoids such failings, proving itself a dense yet lucid and soulful artifact. I can't guarantee that every song will appeal, but the open-minded should find plenty to cheer. I pause over giving it five stars, solely because of my own inexperience with Brazilian music. This may deserve a firm five, but right now I am not the one to gauge that accurately. And one can envisage Quentin Tarantino using the the end of the song Um Girassol Da Cor De Seu Cabelo for a scene of an Indigenous woman splitting Andrew Jackson's skull repeatedly with a tomahawk; if such a scene occurs, the album will instantly fall beyond rescue as terminally uncool. By the by, this generator used to credit the album only to Milton Nascimento. Thanks to me pointing out his absence, the generator now lists Lo Borges as well. Just one of my little contributions to making the world a better place. (Actually, Clube da Esquina was the name of the collective that made the album, Nascimento and Borges being the specific members who received accreditation. And the D shouldn't be capitalised in the title. There's only so much I can do before I become annoying.)

I don’t really understand Brazilian or Portuguese and didn’t find this album too interesting. 0.0/10

I didn't understand most of the words, but the music was great.

I had a hard time getting into this. It was like Brazilian AM radio

Why do Brazilian male vocalists always sound so sad? It must be the Portuguese influence. Maybe they're channeling Fado? The first song is lovely opener and there are a number of other songs that catch one's attention (Like Trem Azul, Girassol and the title track). I like the mix of styles - the occasional introduction of piano which is uncredited but I'll assume is Milton and the strings which at times sound Beatles-like. It's the sort of LP that grows on you. I only gave disc 2 one listen but I'll round up.

This is an ambitious project that deserves more than one listen to appreciate. I’ve noted before that Brazilian singers, both male and female have the smoothest most mellifluous voices, and Nacimento is no exception. I was pressed for time but what I heard was very lush and vibrant, so my 3 star rating is probably too conservative.

Realmente é execução primorosa da música brasileira. Percebe-se a força da concepção do álbum.

Shame I can’t understand the lyrics because the music is pleasant to listen to.

With flubs, it feels live, musicians in the moment. Interesting and beautiful chord progressions and melodies Strange production choices.

This is really quite wonderful. Milton's voice soars beautifully, sometimes strangely, above this beguiling mix of surprisingly western music that is sprinkled with splashes of Latin flavour. It is different, yet familiar.

This is a hard one for me to rate as I am not really familiar with this style of music. Language was also a barrier and the times the album lost me is when I feel the lyrics would have carried the songs. It did sound amazing and had such a interesting blend of sounds

Clube Da Esquina. Easy Brazilian listening stylings, unremarkable but not bad. 2/5.

I see no way to differentiate this from the fifty million other Brazilian albums that we've had. Honestly, I'm baffled by the reviews on the site being able to go into so much detail about it, I listened to it twice yesterday and have already forgotten almost everything about it. 2/5 as it was perfectly fine to have on in the background.

Listened to on 7/11/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: Tudo O Que Voce Podia Ser The Portuguese threw me off but when I stopped trying to translate and just enjoyed the music it was beautiful and so fun

Slows down the deeper into the album

Like all Brazilian music from this era, it's quite relaxing to listen to. 7/10.

3.75

More excited about the fact that this was Portuguese language music than the face that it was a double album. Good!

Ik vind de stemmen wat te hoog gegrepen, letterlijk. Toch heeft het wel ooit iets weg van filmmuziek wat het wel interssant maakt, maar in het algemeen niet zo mijn ding. **

Distintos aires brasileños y un poco de popurrí. Ni fu ni fa.

Didn't understand a single word and still enjoyed it.

Really enjoyed this somewhat surprisingly!

It was fine-ish. Way too long. Music itself didn't really wow me. I checked out a few times.

looks preachy but first song sounds nice. portuguese I think?

2/3

When it's good, it's really good. A bit too long and drawn out for what it is, but there are some beautiful moments within. Not exactly up my alley, but I can appreciate it.

Enjoyed overall.

Fun fact: Milton lends his talents to “Spirit Voices” on Paul Simon’s Latin American inspired album, Rhythm of the Saints.

Enjoyed this and it set me off for a day of listening to Brazillian pop. I kept catching glimpses of beatles and late sixties influence through a Latin lens. Definitely coming back to this.

Føles feil å rate. Helt feil sjanger for meg.

Ganske bra, men litt under fire.

dette var faktisk sjukt bra

Non English. Not interested.

Nice sounds throughout. I came close to saving a few but they were just a little long or had something that stopped me.

Well, I learned a little something about making assumptions today. With the cover and the title, my mind went straight to "Cuban jazz album". First, it wasn't Cuban but a Brazilian pair of artists I later learned. Also, get this, other parts of the world can have more than one genre of music! It's not jazz at all but a South American-style psychedelic rock album (with some jazzy elements at times maybe). Overall I liked the album, had some great sounds and riffs. It's quite lengthy, but nothing wrong with that and the songs themselves didn't overstay their welcome. Lastly, looking back at the cover art part of me wonders if this is the two artists as childhood friends. Not sure, and I don't want to go looking to find out but that will be what I believe it is.

It was fine but I am not sure of the significance and the language barrier didn't help.

Interesting album

So compelling!

The production on this album is incredible. The vocals are clear and sound very close and intimate. The music itself is beautiful both melodically and harmonically. Chord structures are intricate and the songs themselves are suite like in their changes. In terms of genre, this album infuses jazz, classical, and western folk into Brazilian music to create something truly unique. This album pays tribute to earlier musical forms (like Bossa Nova) and weaves them into more contemporary styles to create a truly unique piece of baroque pop with tinges of psychedelia.

I really enjoyed this music from Brazil and would love to give this a listen again.

Bonito disco.

Clube da Esquina is a 1972 double album by the Brazilian music artists collective Clube da Esquina, credited to Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges. Considered an important record in the history of Brazilian music, it features arrangements by Eumir Deodato and Wagner Tiso, and conductions by Paulo Moura. The album garnered attention for its engaged compositions and miscellany of sounds. Despite popular belief, the photo on the album cover does not depict Borges and Nascimento as children. It was taken by a member of the collective, Brazilian photographer Cafi (Carlos da Silva Assunção Filho), on the side of a road in the rural northern Rio de Janeiro state. Due to increased public interest in the album's 40th anniversary, a search for the two boys was conducted, successfully identifying them as Antonio Rimes and Antônio Carlos Rosa de Oliveira. Lô Borges (Born Salomão Borges Filho on January 10, 1952) is a Brazilian songwriter, singer, and guitarist. He was one of the founders of Clube da Esquina, a group of musicians that originated in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. He co-authored with Milton Nascimento the album Clube da Esquina in 1972, which was a milestone in Brazilian popular music. Among his most famous compositions are “Paisagem da Janela,” “Para Lennon e McCartney,’ “Clube da Esquina No. 2,” “Trem de Doido,” and “O Trem Azul.” Eumir Deodato de Almeida (Brazilian Portuguese: [ẽʊ̃ˈmiχ deoˈdatu]; born 22 June 1942) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger, and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, Latin and bossa nova. Deodato has arranged and produced more than 500 records for acts such as Frank Sinatra, Roberta Flack, Björk, and Christophe, as well as producing Kool & the Gang's hits "Celebration", "Ladies' Night", and "Too Hot". Deodato was nominated for three Grammy Awards and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1974 for "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)." The song peaked at number 2 on the weekly "Billboard Hot 100" in March 1973. It reached number 7 on the British charts. Wagner Tiso Veiga (born 12 December 1945) is a musician, arranger, conductor, pianist and composer from Brazil. Born in Três Pontas, Tiso learned music theory with Paulo Moura and specialised in keyboards. In 1970, he joined Som Imaginário, working with Milton Nascimento. Tiso and Nascimento were then together in Clube da Esquina, who toured internationally. The group also included Beto Guedes, Toninho Horta and Flávio Venturini. He has also worked on several soundtracks. Paulo Moura (15 July 1932 – 12 July 2010) was a Brazilian clarinetist and saxophonist. Born in São José do Rio Preto, where his father was the maestro of a marching band and encouraged his son to train as a tailor, Paulo instead studied in the National Music School and performed with the Brazilian Symphonic Orchestra. He was the first black artist to become first clarinetist in the Municipal Theatre Orchestra. He appeared at Bossa Nova night at Carnegie Hall in 1962 with Sérgio Mendes, the two of them also featuring on Cannonball Adderley's 1962 album, Cannonball's Bossa Nova. He won the Sharp Award for the most popular instrumentalist of the year in 1992. Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʁi.u d(ʒi) ʒɐˈnejɾu] is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil. It has the second largest economy of Brazil, with the largest being that of the state of São Paulo. The state, which has 8.2% of the Brazilian population, is responsible for 9.2% of the Brazilian GDP. The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast (assigned by IBGE). Rio de Janeiro shares borders with all the other states in the same Southeast macroregion: Minas Gerais (N and NW), Espírito Santo (NE) and São Paulo (SW). It is bounded on the east and south by the South Atlantic Ocean. Rio de Janeiro has an area of 43,653 km2 (16,855 sq mi). Its capital is the city of Rio de Janeiro, which was the capital of the Portuguese Colony of Brazil from 1763 to 1815, of the following United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves from 1815 to 1822, and of later independent Brazil as a kingdom and republic from 1822 to 1960. The state's 22 largest cities are Rio de Janeiro, São Gonçalo, Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu, Niterói, Campos dos Goytacazes, Belford Roxo, São João de Meriti, Petrópolis, Volta Redonda, Magé, Macaé, Itaboraí, Cabo Frio, Armação dos Búzios, Angra dos Reis, Nova Friburgo, Barra Mansa, Barra do Piraí, Teresópolis, Mesquita and Nilópolis. Rio de Janeiro is the smallest state by area in the Southeast macroregion and one of the smallest in Brazil. It is, however, the third most populous Brazilian state, with a population of 16 million of people in 2011 (making it the most densely populated state in Brazil) and has the third longest coastline in the country (after those of the states of Bahia and Maranhão). In the Brazilian flag, the state is represented by Mimosa, the beta star in the Southern Cross (β Cru).

I think what strikes me most about this album is that it doesn't fit within the confines of what I would think Brazilian music is. The Samba sensation of the 60s that introduced 'Girl from Ipanema' and forced its way into the works of great singers such as Frank Sinatra is not present here. It's indescribable really, I pick up a lot of smooth jazz, Mexicali, Morricone and American pop with a Spanish / Portuguese vocal track. I don't know anything about Milton Nascimento to formulate an actual reaction to his music, but this was a pleasant listen. 3.5/5.

Legit

I liked this. Almost liked every track. Great background music to work to.

An exquisite album... that's not for me. But I bet it's for you, so check it out.

Nope, zoete liftmuziek

Weer een clubje waarvan ik het lidmaatschap liever laat verlopen.

Lekker gezellig op een zaterdagochtend. Of op een feestje. Eenmalig.

Op een of andere vreemde manier kon ik dit best goed hebben.

Bij tijd en wijle had ik er genoeg van, maar omdat ik vind dat er te weinig wereldmuziek/diversiteit in deze lijst zit toch drie sterren.

Didn’t get into this one - one of the least impressive of the Latin records I’ve had so far.

Meh

??? This doesn’t belong on the list. It is like music someone brought home from a summer holiday with fond memories, but it makes no sense to anyone else.

not for me

This is stuff I would never listen to normally. Its different, slightly proggy and refreshing. The production is wonderfully naturalistic. A double album is perhaps too much. I will return to it.

Don't mind a bit of Latin but didn't find any of these songs grabbed me.

To my shame I have never come across Milton N. before. Infectious in parts, haunting in others.

Really enjoyed this mixture of different styles, all with Latin roots. Great light and shade. Would listen again.

It is a fine album. Songs not in English are difficult for me to enjoy, but some songs did have a groovy beat.

I'm apparently not feeling the love today. My reviews here are not about the artists or the amount of work and effort put into this. It's just a mood of wanting to listen to something... This album would be great if I was sipping on a drink in the sun on the beach, I think.

I think it's tough to be successful with a vocal heavy foreign language album. The music is okay, but generally uninteresting. Not much that actually is catching and worthy of listening to own it's own. A little tiresome by the end.

i didn’t gain anything from this album, i can totally see why people would enjoy it and i think it’s very fun and i can definitely see how it would be influential however i just didn’t find it totally appealing? but it was interesting.

This Brazilian jazz/folk album became the soundtrack for my driving around the remote Western Irish countryside. It was a perfect match - obviously. I thought I wasn't a fan of this genre - but this was a massive eye (ear) opener - occasionally reminiscent of an early Chuck Mangione live album ("Friends and Love"). And not being much of a vocal fan in general the old time low-mix of vocals here is appropriate to appreciate the music; filled with unpredictable chord progressions, tempo changs and dynamic arrangements. Some of the guitar work fits alongside the early 70s progressive movement. Favourites are tracks 1 ("Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser") and 3 ("O Trem Azul") It's long which probably prevented me from immediately grabbing onto it but honestly, not only glad I heard this - it's kind of mind-expanding and is a new keeper. I steer heavily towards the more complex musical numbers and not so much to the overtly vocal/guitar ones, but it's a good ratio. This is pretty outstanding and quite the new discovery for me - have already enjoyed as background or digested in headphones. 8/10 4 stars