HOMECOOKING SO GOOD! - This is a unexpected classic from 1976, like Dr. Buzzard s Original Savannah band only funkier. My favorite cuts are The title track, Cut that Out, and the the remake of Where to now St. Peter. The whole album is excellent and I could not find it for years as it appeared out of print. Now that it is here snatch it up quick before the world of commercial music eclipses these real musicians with more processed beats with artists that generally dont even play instruments. Sergio Mendez and many of the other Bossa Nova greats are all about music for musicians, a concept that doesn t always have mass appeal but is complete quality.
Sergio Gives Up The Funk! - After a handful of albums recorded with his latin jazzy oriented Brasil 77 such as Pais Tropical,Love Music and Vintage 74 Sergio Mendes stepped up to the plate with a brand new group called the New Brasil 77 including guitarists Michael Sembello (Stevie Wonder)and Dennis Budimir (Joni Micthell)as well as the justly renowned Louis Johnson.From that you may gather Mendes was going for a more funk/soul oriented sound and that is exactly what comes out of this.Sunny Day actually brings to mind some of the recent work of the Santana band only with the great female singers Sergio seems to always get.But if you want SERIOUS funk you ll have to go further then the light latin inflect Shakara and the monster title track that ends up album,with some of the most dangerous funk rhythm guitar you ll hear from the music of 1976.Known for his good taste in cover songs Sergio again chooses wisely,focusing this time on songs that were unsung classics but not obvious hits-in this case a bouncy version of Elton John s Where To Now St.Peter? and a creamy version of Edgar Winter s Tell Me In A Whisper from his uqually unsung Jasmine Nightdreams,also from the same period and more then worth checking out.Hey People Hey and Sembello s It s Up To You set the standard for the rest of this album-upbeat funk pop grooves with nice musical backdrops are to be found on It s So Obvious That I Love You,Emorio and Cut That Out as well.For fans of this band-somewhat of an all star mid 70 s R&B funk band it is certainly nice to see this in print in a non import fasion so it s afforable and people can have a chance at hearing it again!Whatever the case this is a great album!
The Best 70s Sergio - I second EVERYTHING the previous reviewer has mentioned. This is an infectious, rockin pre-disco era Brazil 77 album. As in the best Sergio Mendes albums, the pop tunes are kept to a minimum and the joyful Brazilian stuff rules!I purchased the LP while a college student after seeing Sergio and the girls perform Hey People Hey on the Tonight show with Johnny Carson. I could not get that darn sound out of my head, wanted it to continue all nite! It was shocking how wonderful rocking and funky Brazil 77 had become. I loved it!If you ever find this in ANY FORMAT.....BUY IT. You won t be disappointed. Crank up the volume and sing along with Sergio and the girls!
Sergio recaptures the magic - What an oasis this album was for long-time Mendes fans, after the relatively barren Bell and early Elektra years. Sergio, working with a stellar rhythm section (including Wonderlove s Michael Sembello), and the superb vocals of Lise Miller, Marietta Waters and Bonnie Bowden, expertly delves into a heavier Latin sound (almost Santana-like at times) while preserving the lighter Bossa Nova sound for which he justifiably became world-famous.Homecooking has a number of standout moments, notably the opener, Sunny Day, which repeats the title chant over an increasingly infectious and complex rhythm arrangement, and an absolutely incredible cover of Elton John and Bernie Taupin s Where to Now, St. Peter?, which surely should have been a monster hit for Sergio in a just universe. But virtually every song on the album has its charms, including Gilberto Gil s Hey People Hey and Cut that Out, Bossa nova legend Carlos Lyra s It s So Obvious that I Love You, Joao Donato s haunting ode to Yoruba, Emorio, and Sembello s own proto-mystical anthem to self-determination It s Up to You.Sergio had been through some extremely lean years, career-wise, by the time this album came out. Too long it took you to be happy again, goes the lyric in Hey People Hey, and it seems autobiographical. But Sergio and company sound ecstatic in this release, a great reworking of the classic Brasil 66 sound coupled with mid-70s multi-keyboards and a more propulsive rock beat, and that sound is contagious. Highly recommended to all Sergio fans.