Better Every Time
Another live album by Paralamas do Sucesso. One could wonder why to buy it. More and more a comparison with The Rolling Stones comes to mind. Both bands date back from ages ago. So now and then they both release an album with new songs and then again a live album appears with more of the same old songs. And they both perform with additional musicians who are with the band for as long as one can remember. There the comparisons stop… The advantage of their approach is that fans get what they expect, and often even more: the songs are constantly shaped to perfection. When you think you’ve heard the definitive rendition of a song, an inspired Paralamas comes up with an even better performance.
What strikes on this album is the amazingly good shape of the trio along with a superb recording. Herbert Vianna’s guitar, Bi Ribeiro’s bass and maybe most of all, João Barone’s drums sound crystal clear. The instrumental skills of the gentlemen are highlighted and make you listen in another way to the familiar songs. The bass lines surprise in originality; it’s like Bi Ribeiro invented them again. The guitar riffs from Herbert Vianna give an extra rhythmic support. And João Barone sounds just great! By adding more complexity in his performance, he proves more than ever before to be a fantastic drummer.
“Romance Ideal” is a nice example of a relaxed sounding, perfect drumming Barone. There is a nice guitar solo by Herbert Vianna in this song as well, supported by a steaming organ. The music is more accentuated; it’s all a bit more polished. The extra band members, Bidu Cordeiro (trombone), Monteiro Jr (saxes) and João Fera Gonçalves (keys), complement in their usual perfect way. It’s fun again, there on stage. Of course there are a few songs from the most recent studio recording (Brasil Afora, 2008) as well, but silly enough, the old songs excel. There are a few guests. Priscilla Novaes Leone, known as Pitty, has a cute appearance in which she shows affection to the band, singing “Tendo a Lua.”
The second guest is icon Zé Ramalho. With his recognizable characteristic voice, he opens a short acoustic set with “Mormaço.” It’s one of the songs from the studio recorded Brasil Afora (on which Zé Ramalho was guest as well). By the way, keyboardist João Fera is on the acoustic guitar during the acoustic set, Bidu and Monteiro on percussion and Barone stands behind a snare drum and a bass drum.
This concert was taped in Rio (December 2010, Espaço Tom Jobim) as part of the Brasil Afora tour, a tour that took the band as far as New York. As usual, there are two formats of the concert; audio and video. It’s worth going for the DVD this time. Of course because it has more music (11 extra songs, among which a superb “Bora Bora”!), but also because it’s nice to see the band at work during what could be their best live recording. “Could be” because as long as they keep on rocking, I’m sure this won’t be the last one.
You can visit Os Paralamas do Sucesso and listen to their music on their website.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Os Paralamas do Sucesso
Brasil Afora – Multishow Ao Vivo
EMI 095166 2 (2011)
Time(s): CD 55’27” and DVD 95’00”
Tracks:
- Intro / Sem Mais Adeus (Carlinhos Brown – Alain Tavares)
- Dos Margaritas (Herbert Vianna – Bi Ribeiro) (DVD only)
- Pólvora (Herbert Vianna)
- O Beco (Herbert Vianna – Bi Ribeiro)
- Ela Disse Adeus (Herbert Vianna) (DVD only)
- Cuide Bem do Seu Amor (Herbert Vianna)
- Romance Ideal (Martin Cardoso – Herbert Vianna)
- Tendo a Lua (Herbert Vianna – Tete Tillett)
- Bora Bora (Herbert Vianna) (DVD only)
- Perplexo (Herbert Vianna – Bi Ribeiro – João Barone) (DVD only)
- Meu Sonho (Herbert Vianna)
- A lhe Esperar (Arnaldo Antunes – Liminha)
- O Calibre (Herbert Vianna) (DVD only)
- Meu Erro (Herbert Vianna) (DVD only)
- Mormaço (Herbert Vianna – Bi Ribeiro – João Barone)
- O Rio Severino (Herbert Vianna)
- Caleidoscópio (Herbert Vianna)
- Uns Dias (Herbert Vianna)
- A Novidade (Herbert Vianna – Bi Ribeiro – João Barone – Gilberto Gil)
- Quanto ao Tempo (Carlinhos Brown – Michael Sullivan)
- Lourinha Bombril (Parate Y Mira) (Diego José Blanco – Fernando Javier Luis Hortal) (DVD only)
- Alagados (Herbert Vianna – Bi Ribeiro – João Barone) (DVD only)
- Uma Brasileira (Carlinhos Brown – Herbert Vianna)
- Lanternas dos Afogados (Herbert Vianna) (DVD only)
- Sonífera Ilha (Branco Mello – Marcelo Fromer – Toni Bellotto – Carlos Barmark – Ciro Pessoa)/ Ska (Herbert Vianna) (DVD only)
- Óculos (Herbert Vianna)
- Vital a Sua Moto (Herbert Vianna) (DVD only)
