Milton Nascimento

This is a striking example of the essential Milton Nascimento that has made him a beloved figure in Brazil -- a lush, eloquent, unified concept album that cries for universal happiness and personal fulfillment, lashes out briefly at hypocrisy, and haunts the memory with its often stirring tunes. The record opens boldly with a tone poem accurately entitled "Evocation of the Mountains," and a gorgeous lengthy opening vocalese with a plush string backdrop, and it ends simply with the unadorned voice of Nascimento urging us not to analyze things if we want to be happy. As powerful a stylistic antenna as ever, Nascimento utilizes the Brazilian folk instrumental group Uakti on the title track and "Coracao Brasileiro" and even inserts the low drone of a sitar very effectively on the latter. Caetano Veloso duets with Nascimento on "The Various Points of a Star," a ghostly Elis Regina closes "What Was Done for Real," and other well-known Nascimento sidekicks like keyboardist Wagner Tiso, rock-tinged guitarist Ricardo Silveira and drummer Robertinho Silva help out on several tracks. Nascimento's fans needn't be told twice to snap this one up. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide