Track Listing

1. Mais Que Nada
2. Scarborough Fair
3. With a Little Help from My Friends
4. Look of Love
5. Fool on the Hill
6. Going Out of My Head
7. Look Around
8. Like a Lover
9. One Note Samba/Spanish Flea
10. Bim Bom
11. Never Gonna Let You Go
12. País Tropical
13. Promise of a Fisherman
14. Pretty World
15. So Many Stars
16. Song of No Regrets
17. Alibis

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62060 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Light, frothy and perfectly sociable
I am by no means a longtime fan of Sergio Mendes. The only reason I bought this CD was to get hold of the superb song Never Gonna Let You Go which has nostalgic and sentimental value to me. That said, anyone who owns this CD will not be surprised that it is now one of my absolute favorites in my fairly extensive CD collection. The song I had bought it for - a ballad - is of course so unlike the rest of the CD that I was initially disappointed. After a few listens though, the light jazzy latin concoctions began to grow on me. Having got my fill of repeat plays of Never Gonna Let You Go - arguably the BEST duet ballad of the 1980s, I discovered the danceable pleasures of Mas Que Nada, Going out of My Head and infectiously original interpretations of Scarborough Fair and With a Little Help from My Friends. The distinctly eightyish dance number Alibis only reinforced the pleasurable experience of this versatile combo, making this pretty much a multi-function CD. For partying; mellowing; dancing; loving - this CD's the ticket for anyone looking for some jazzy, sophisticated stylings with eminently danceable groove. A perfectly credible addition to your collection and, probably - from what more knowledgable friends have told me - the most accessible way to first discover the thinly-hidden pleasures of Sergio Mendes. I'm a convert - and that's saying a lot for someone who more often than not buys gangster rap, rock and hip-hop. Open your mind and make space for these guys - it's worth it.

An Enchanting Re-Discovery!
In these "tune-less" times, I'm re-discovering exquisite melodies and arrangements from the sixties. If you're on a similar sojourn, please get this album if you haven't already. "Fool on the Hill," "Look Around," it's all there. Every song grows on you-- and the album leaves you wanting more! I was only about four or five when these songs flooded the airwaves, but each still strikes a sweet spot in my soul. "The Look of Love" just can't be beat-- it's perfect. Even less-familiar ones, like "Like A Lover," are so beautiful that you'll be hearing its refrain in your head throughout the day. Mendes is a uniquely skillful arranger, and lead singer Lani Hall is exquisite-- a world-class voice, she clearly deserves more acclaim. Soon you'll want to hear EVERY song by Brasil '66. It'll be a joyful alternative to the over-played "oldies station" originals. Brasil '66 is a fantastic group that should get together again and tour, if they aren't already.

Pop music with a samba/bossa nova touch
In my humble opinion, the 1960's were categorized musically by three distinctive sounds: the sophisticated sound of Motown, the British invasion begun by the Beatles, and the soothing and seductive South American influences of musicians like Herb Alpert and Sergio Mendes.

Two of the first albums by the latter that I bought with my well-deserved 1960's allowance were "Fool on the Hill" and "Ye-Me-Le". Although I couldn't speak a word of Spanish, the music and the vocals were so engaging that it didn't matter if I didn't know what some of the lyrics actually said. It also didn't hurt that Mendes and company included familiar pop tunes, performed with their trademark bossa nova/Caribbean/Latin beats and arrangements.

The 25th Anniversary compilation covers the hit-making years from 1966 - 1986, including some familiar A-sides along with their equally entrancing B-sides. Three songs hail from 1966 ("Mais Que Nada," "Going Out of My Head," "One Note Samba/Spanish Flea"; Seven are from 1968 ("Scarborough Fair," "With a Little Help From My Friends," "The Look of Love," "Fool on the Hill," "Look Around," "Like a Lover," and "So Many Stars"; 1969 is represented by the songs "Pretty World" and "Song of No Regrets". The sole song from 1967 is "Bim Bom."

The 70's is represented by "Pais Tropical" (1971) and "Promise of a Fisherman" (1972).

Mendes's biggest hit came in 1983 with the multi-platinum, cross-musical-genres "Never Gonna Let You Go," the second of two songs from the 80's, the other being "Alibis".

Clocking in slightly over firty-four minutes, this greatest hits package is a must-have for those with diverse musical palettes.