Browse by Artist: LEE, RITA

Artist:	LEE, RITA
Title:	Build Up
Label:	EL RECORDS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ACMEM 044CD

Reissue of Rita Lee (Os Mutantes)'s debut solo album, originally issued in Brazil in 1970. "In the mid-sixties, Sao Paulo born vocalist Rita Lee met brothers Arnaldo and Sérgio Dias Baptista and founded the most important Brazilian rock group of all time, Os Mutantes. In 1970, she released her first solo album Build Up, though she remained with Os Mutantes until the end of 1972, when she left the band. Os Mutantes were very much Brazil's answer to western pop culture venturing constantly into entirely uncharted creative and political waters. Indeed they were eventually deported to France by the Brazilian military dictatorship and it is said that as a subversive act Rita Lee planned at one point to fill the Sao Paulo water supply with LSD. Lee and Os Mutantes were central to the Tropicalia movement that in oppressive social circumstances revolutionised attitudes and Brazilian popular music. Protagonists included Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Tom Ze and the gifted arranger Rogerio Duprat who it may be claimed was to Os Mutantes what George Martin was to The Beatles. Certainly Rogerio's name on any record of those days is considered the mark of quality. For Build Up Duprat provides the orchestral arrangements while the album is produced by Lee's then-partner Arnaldo Baptista. It is an exciting piece of work. Eclectic in style; dominated by original material and a sinister reading of The Beatles' 'And I Love Her.' Build Up received a mixed reception in 1970 but like Lee herself has come to be regarded as the product of a golden age and a national treasure."

Artist:	LEE, RITA
Title:	Hoje é O Primeiro Dia do Resto da Sua Vida
Label:	REV-OLA (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	CRREV 154CD

"The fabulous Rita Lee rocketed to fame as a member of the wildest alumni (and now, bizarrely, the best known) of Tropicalia, Os Mutantes! Their amazing albums and controversial antics set out a stall for Tropicalia in no uncertain terms and the widespread rediscovery of their work in the '90s and their current reformation (after 30 years of not talking) continue to fan the flames of the myth. After Os Mutantes' early groundbreaking albums, Rita Lee decided to create her own space by launching a concurrent career as a solo singer. Unfortunately, her slightly wayward Rogerio Duprat-arranged debut failed to launch a straight pop career as well as neglecting almost everything people loved about Os Mutantes. After going back to the drawing board in 1972, Rita recruited her Os Mutantes colleagues Arnaldo and Sergio Baptista as well as other members of the music/art commune in which they all lived, to produce the follow-up. As different as day is from night, written by the original Os Mutantes trio of Rita, Arnaldo and Sergio and 'produced and directed' by Arnaldo, this second album is a masterpiece of Tropicalia/ psychedelia with the spooky, comedown atmosphere of 'Smiley Smile' to boot. To all intents and purposes, a virtual 'lost' fifth Os Mutantes album with Rita the dominant force. An amazing return to the perfect organized chaos of their first two albums and a total must-have."

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