WOEBOT

Easy All Over.

Spent ages tracking down a record by the band Novos Baianos. The reason for searching so hard? It was one of Kodwo Eshun's hot-tips, described by him as "the Brazilian Little Feat". When nudged he also revealed: "I was in Sao Paulo last year and I heard some of their albums- kind of choppy and twisty but not too fussy- they were the big post Tropicalia early-to-mid 70s group from Bahia-lived in a big commune, their guitarist was a real icon." The LP doesn't disappoint drawing a line between the quietly-disturbed introversion of Bossa Nova (Tom Jobim style) and seventies melodic AM fodder. The second track is quite stunning.

I was excited by the idea of Brazilian Soft-Rock. In fact Ethno-Soft-Rock is mightily seductive proposition, you have all the splendour of easy listening and a twist of distantiation. In fact was it Joseph Lanza who pointed out that the easy-listening stations have in reality the broadest, most all-encompassing playlists? Doesn't matter where or when it comes from so long as it's mellifluous and e-e-e-e-easy. Give me Heart FM above Resonance FM anyday.....(seriously)

Another reason I was delighted to find the Novos Baianos LP (and it might not be their finest!) is that I've had this conceptual twinning in mind with it and the pre-YMO Harry Hosono. I've had a bee in my bonnet about making a Ethno-Easy come laid-back 70s rock CD for a while now. Look at these covers:

What STUNNING artwork! I've been trying to get hold of Paraiso, the third of this series for too long now. The best place to get hold his stuff is Far Side Music. Paul Fisher there is really helpful, and actually (gulp) he has a show on Resonance FM. The Hosono CDs are good for about 2 tracks each, but WHAT TRACKS! And to finish where I started off (kissing arse), here's one of Kodwo's own Hosono recommendations: "Have you heard that album World Country Standard-I think its called-an amazing mysterious album which is all imaginary Western theme-banjo filtered thru koto-Far East exoticisation of the frontier?" Maybe that's where my mystery track is from?

Posted by Woebot at November 16, 2003 09:16 PM