from the LP Os Mutantes, Polydor Records, 1968Being referred to as “the Brazilian Beatles” must have been both a blessing & a curse for Os Mutantes, the startlingly imaginative trio from São Paulo who set the world on fire with their fusion of blistering psych rock and bossa vibes---mostly a blessing I presume; although Caetano Veloso gets much of the credit for the founding of tropicália, the Mutantes arguably took that creative spirit inherent to the scene leagues further than any of their compatriots, incorporating elements of the avant garde, neo-classical & even prog rock into their extraordinary and outlandish musical collages. This track is off of their debut album and is essentially a love song (pardon my broken Portuguese translation), “…the silver moon hid and the golden sun appeared, dawned a beautiful day…for I dreamed and awoke thinking about her; ‘cause she’s my girl, and I'm her boy…she’s my love…” These breezy bossa melodies can cut right through the greyest of days, and yet that beachy ambiance doesn’t hinder the lysergic fuzz-laced guitar attack in the least.
