Detailed Review [SNDCD - 1976/2004 - "A Procura da Essencia"]

Som Nosso De Cada Dia - 1976/2004 - "A Procura da Essencia"

(158 min 2CD, Rock Symphony & Musea)

Prolusion. SOM NOSSO DE CADA DIA (SNDCD hereinafter) is the representative of the '70s' Brazilian Progressive. This double CD set, titled "A Procura da Essencia", presents recordings taken from the concerts the band played in 1975 and 1976 in San Paulo and is designed to celebrate the 30th birthday of their only studio album, "Snegs" (1974), which is regarded as a classic. As the musicians say the tracks were selected according to their rarity and sound quality and were totally remastered. Inasmuch as the set consists exclusively of unreleased tracks, and each of the CDs has its own title: "O Barulho Aterroriza" and "Cuidado Com o Verdi" (which was done not without purpose of course), I find pertinent to consider them the band's second and third albums, respectively.

SNDCD - 1975/2004 - "O Barulho Aterroriza" (79 min)

TRACK LIST:

1.  Introducao 10:50
2.  Pragmentacoes 12:04
3.  Neblina 15:14
4.  Tema de Batera 3:34
5.  Rara Confluencia 11:09
6.  Bote Salva Vidas 13:22
7.  Tinta Preta Fosca 8:09
8.  Blues de Gaita 3:11
9.  Improviso 1:38

All tracks: by SNDCD
Produced by "Edito Princeps"

LINE-UP:

Pedrao Baldanza - bass; vocals
Pedrinho Batera - drums; vocals
Egidio Conde - guitars
Dino Vicente - keyboards
Tuca Camargo - keyboards
Rangel - percussion

Analysis. In the press kit, the band has been referred to Italian school of Progressive and was compared to PFM and Banco. In my view, however, this music is mostly rooted in the American Jazz Rock and English Space Rock/Fusion. The Art-Rock component rarely reveals itself, as well as the Prog-Metal one (yeah, Prog-Metal). Direct comparisons aren't too applicable to SNDCD, so before calling some names as an example, I must make a reservation that any parallels I will draw operate only on a structural level. Then, the kindred bands would definitely be Return To Forever, Hawkwind, and ELP. Of course, all the said is topical only with regard to the first disc, at least until I hear the second one. The first six tracks are outstanding. The vocals are present on five of them (those exceeding 10 minutes in length), though each is more than largely instrumental, if it's possible to say so. The first composition, the nearly 11-minute Introduction, is the only bearer of Prog-Metal, but then, it's the basic direction here. The attendant one is authentic Jazz Rock, though at the end the band entered the realm of Space -Rock and -Fusion to remain there until the fourth track. Aggressive bass and guitar lines and a driving, intricate drumming, sometimes nearly robbed by big African congas, set the pitch, giving way to swirling improvised solos of electric piano and organ to become the department of authentic Jazz-Fusion. The band does jazz (all right reserved:-) their way through twists and turns that leave me very pleased, without traditional features, such as swinging rhythms and syncopations, which aren't much to my taste. There are numerous jams, but melody always remains an important attribute of the music, as the band dexterously combines strong technical craftsmanship with a creative and emotional inspiration. The instrumental piece, Tema de Batera, with drums and percussions as the primary soloing instruments, signifies the change of the style. Since now, Jazz Rock becomes the master of the situation. The following two songs: Rara Confluencia and Bote Salva Vidas contain elements of symphonic Art-Rock in the vocal-based themes, while heavy textures, Space Rock-related included, were lost almost completely. Here, penetrating electric piano solos come to the fore even more frequently, alternating with those of Moog in the Art-Rock-related arrangements. The heavy sound returns on the seventh track, Tinta Preta Fosca. This is an original, very good Hard Rock. However, it's vocal heavy in comparison with the preceding tracks and, after all, it just runs counter to them stylistically. All in all, this is a listenable song, so I can agree with its presence on the CD, though I would've marked it as a bonus track. But why the hell were last two opuses included here? These Blues and Rock & Roll numbers are extremely traditional and are enormously primitive. I've heard the like many times in my life, and I really wonder why their authorship is credited to SNDCD. It was a gross error to put in the album just everything the band has ever played, especially since the sound quality of these two does not correspond to the band's affirmation I cited in my Prolusion. Thankfully, the CD is very long, and the first six tracks-masterworks run the whole 65 minutes!

SNDCD - 1976/2004 - "Cuidado Com o Verdi" (79 min)

TRACK LIST:

1.  Bote Slva Vidas 12:10
2.  Sonhas Paulinho 9:04
3.  Tinta Preta Fosca-II 6:01 
4.  Aguq Lompa 7:34
5.  Fragmento Instrumental 2:15
6.  Tema de Batera-II 5:35
7.  Blues do Verdi 17:20
8.  Rajada Runaway 10:50
9.  Sinal da Paranoia 8:45

Credits/Lineup: same

Analysis. Just as on the first disc, here we get seven songs and two instrumental pieces. However, this time out it managed without worthless makeweights, while the running time of each CD is practically the same (79:26 and 79:39). I must admit, there was reason to talk of Italy's progressive school, although artifacts of its legacy are striking only on Tinta Preta Fosca-II, which is filled with Italian romanticism and vocals alike and is slightly overextended. The music reigning on the first two tracks, Bote Slva Vidas and Sonhas Paulinho, is a blend of Art-Rock and Jazz-Fusion, with vestigial elements of Space Rock on the former (faded away right there). Aguq Lompa and Fragmento Instrumental follow in a similar direction, but are intensive nearly throughout and aren't liable even to theoretical comparisons. These four would be my favorites on this album. However, the other songs, save the aforementioned PFM-infected Tinta Preta Fosca-II, aren't much inferior to these. Tema de Batera-II begins and develops as a fast, hard-edged instrumental Prog-Metal (yes, once again), while the second two thirds of the piece are nothing else but a concerto for drums and assorted percussion. The 17-minute epic, Blues do Verdi, ranges from a bluesy Hard Rock to the same, but heavily-and-positively influenced by the primary style's features. It's a good song, but would've been excellent had it the larger quantity of independent instrumental arrangements. The last two tracks find the band returned to the Art-Rock + Jazz-Fusion formula, this time of an English school, however. Excellent stuff. Both remind me of Manfred Mann's Earth Band and such their songs as Time Is Right, Crossfade, Countdown, et al from "Nightingales & Bombers", Mann's jazziest album since "Chapter III".

Conclusion. This is much more than an historical document. Both the albums are worthy additions to the list of rewarding music from the seventies and are just essential music, at least overall. I believe my Top-20-'76 got tired of waiting for this band:-)

VM: March 3 & 4, 2005

Related Links:

Musea Records
Rock Symphony Records