Few albums have had such a massive impact on the popular music scene of Brazil as the self-titled debut album of
Os Mutantes.
Serie Estreia is a 2002 reissue of this landmark recording that, together with two other 1968 albums by
Caetano Veloso and
Gilberto Gil, marked the start of the highly controversial and amazingly creative Tropicalismo movement, which would forever change the musical landscape of Brazil. Seemingly effortlessly,
Os Mutantes blend and fuse musical elements of
the Beatles, Brazilian folk music,
Veloso,
Françoise Hardy, and psychedelic sound effects, and then top it all off with their own unique and unmistakable charm and style. The album starts off with the sonic extravaganza of
Gil and
Veloso's "Panis et Circenses," with its instant melody and suggestive lyrics. "O Relógio" was
Os Mutantes' first single, and the smooth, fragile voice of a very young
Rita Lee and the unusual sound effects of the song give it a beautiful, somewhat dreamy atmosphere. A slight psychedelic touch is given to
Veloso's Tropicalismo classic, "Baby." On "Adeus Maria Fulô,"
Os Mutantes slip for a moment into the sound and rhythm of Brazil's northeast region. There are also great versions of
Jorge Ben's "A Minha Menina" and Jean Renard's "Le Premier Bonheur du Jour," before the album's finale with the psychedelic rock of "Ave. Genghis Khan." One of the most striking features of this album is the way
Os Mutantes use such an enormous variety of musical styles and moods, and somehow still manage to make it all sound like a natural unity. This would soon prove to be one of the most important characteristics of
Os Mutantes. Another characteristic of the group is, of course, its enormous inventiveness and vanguard sound, still sounding modern at the time of this reissue's release. This is a great album by any standards, and it becomes even more impressive when you consider that it is
Os Mutantes' debut. As listeners know today,
Os Mutantes would soon follow this one up with more brilliant album efforts, Mutantes and
Divina Comédia. ~ Philip Jandovský