Amazingly, his box set, Serie Grandes Nomes--which my friend owns, not me--is great all the way through. (Unlike similar sets by Gilberto Gil, etc.)
― Amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 9 February 2003 21:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
TMFTMLhttp://intonation.blogspot.com
― TMFTML (TMFTML), Sunday, 9 February 2003 22:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Edd Hurt (delta ed), Monday, 10 February 2003 14:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
http://www.furious.com/perfect/jorgeben.html
(hope that survives the auto-link munging)
Includes this gem: "In 1989, he changed his name to Jorge Ben Jor; the result of a mix up over royalty payments that went to George Benson instead of Ben."
― arch Ibog (arch Ibog), Monday, 10 February 2003 14:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Rockist Scientist, Monday, 10 February 2003 14:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
Er, who do they have working at the BMI accounts payable department? "Uh, Mr. Kingsley, can we have those 45,000 pounds back, it was meant to go to Ben E. King."
― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 10 February 2003 16:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Daniel (dancity), Monday, 10 February 2003 17:01 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Daniel (dancity), Monday, 10 February 2003 17:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― JasonD (JasonD), Monday, 10 February 2003 17:16 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 10 February 2003 17:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
As for Jorge Ben, he's doomed outside Brazil to "number three" status, whereas in Brazil (especially Rio) he's the king of modern samba, extremely beloved and popular. (Most of the other big Tropicalistas are from Bahia or--Milton Nascimento, Lo Borges--Minas Gerais, and Rio wasn't especially "cool" back then.) But search out Brazilian Hits and Funky Classics and Serie Sem Limite for two great greatest-hits discs.
And to hear an excellently sloppy 79-minute drunken collab between Ben and Gil from 1975, get your hands on Ogun/Xango, which is amazingly cool despite Gil's persistent pitch problems.
― Neudonym, Monday, 10 February 2003 17:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
Taj Mahal later recorded a song called "Jorge Ben." True!
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 10 February 2003 18:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 10 February 2003 18:47 (twenty-one years ago) link
does anyone know if this 60s version is still available??
― JasonD (JasonD), Monday, 10 February 2003 20:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Daniel (dancity), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 09:13 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Neudonym, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 15:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
I think he's the best--I like Veloso (read his memoir recently), but he's kind of the Sting of Brazilian music, very nice, melodic, a little too genteel for my taste. Plus he's just so derivative of João Gilberto (yeah, all the post-bossa musicians owe him a lot, but Caetano really takes it too far). Still, Gil and Veloso's '90s collab, "Tropicalia 2," is the best thing either one of them has done in years. I like "Livro" pretty well too. Tom Ze is great--he's in his own category, actually. Mutantes are also very good, but Gil is so much more prolific, with a few duds here and there, but overall, he's consistent. He's certainly more listenable, at his most over-produced, than Paul McCartney... "O Sol De Oslo" was his best album in ages.
― Edd Hurt (delta ed), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 16:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
-- Neudonym
Is this the same record as "Gil and Jorge"?
― Edd Hurt (delta ed), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 16:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Kerry (dymaxia), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 16:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
Which Veloso are you basing this judgment on?
― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 16:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 16:52 (twenty-one years ago) link
So--which version of C.V.? All of them, really--I find his voice "beautiful" but inexpressive; he's so concerned with "singing beautifully" that nothing much comes across most of the time (for me, at least). A good example would be the two versions of "Tradicao" on Gil's "Realce" and Gil/Veloso's "Tropicalia 2." The orig. version, by Gil, is maybe a big cheesy--slick Fender Rhodes sound and all--but the vocal has so much character. Whereas the 1993 version, sung by Veloso, and with a really beautiful acoustic guitar arrangement, done more slowly, is nice, but his vocal just expresses...nothing... to me, it lacks character. Gil is more soulful, in my opinion.
I find this affects all his work, at least to my ears. His guitar playing is competent but again, it's just a watered-down version of João's. So I guess it's a matter of taste--I've seen C.V. live, though, and enjoyed it immensely.
― Edd Hurt (delta ed), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:43 (twenty-one years ago) link
Or, for that matter, any of Gil's late-60s/early-70s self-titled albums, which might be better than CV's at that? Some of the weird stuff on Side 2 of Gil's 1969 album out-collage anything being done anywhere; and that's on a record that also includes "Aquele Abraco," which might be the most beautiful pop melody, maybe, ever?
Jorge Ben, though, to un-hijack the thread, doesn't get enough credit for being slightly subversively experimental in his own Flamengo-loving heavy-drinking common-man way. Discuss?
― Neudonym, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
Here's his breakdown: http://www.slipcue.com/music/brazil/ben.html
― Neudonym, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 18:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
-- Amateurist
Yeah--I like it, mostly.
Gil: I really love "Aquele Abraço"--what a great song. "Refazenda" too.
I don't know why no one has put out a good two-disc Gil best-of in this country, with translations.
don't really know that much about Jorge Ben beyond "Africa Brasil"--I own this "Personalidade" best-of on Jorge Ben (Jor) but I've never really been able to get into it, seems mostly unformed and crude to me, but I'm probably just u.f. and c. myself.
― Edd Hurt (delta ed), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 20:13 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Space Is the Place (Space Is the Place), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 15:51 (nineteen years ago) link
Sacudin Ben Samba - 'nice' early album. never excited me that much but also never turned it off.
A Tábua de Esmeralda - probably my favorite of his albums. super duper emotional. at one point it sounds like he's about to cry as he's singing.
i have a few more on vinyl that i don't remember the titles to and can't find the covers to remember, but they are all very good. only complaint is, as someone said upthread, they get a bit samey.
― JaXoN (JasonD), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 18:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 18:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― JaXoN (JasonD), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 19:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 19:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 19:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― flëétwøöd måçk (jaxon), Friday, 7 July 2006 22:23 (seventeen years ago) link
I just received the Força Bruta album which they were pushing at Dusty Groove, but now I see that it is on the um, Dusty Groove label and am a little afraid to put it on.
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 20 July 2007 01:25 (sixteen years ago) link
i dunno. 1970. i bet it's amazing.
― jaxon, Friday, 20 July 2007 02:09 (sixteen years ago) link
Why? That's one of his classic albums.
― mitya, Friday, 20 July 2007 02:10 (sixteen years ago) link
Actually, I know one tune from the comps, "Mulher brasiliera," and I like that one so we'll see how it goes.
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 20 July 2007 02:10 (sixteen years ago) link
OK, I took a break after the end of disc two of my other purchase, the Benny Moré box, put this on and yeah it's pretty cool. Funky soul, kinda like Bill Withers, I guess. The leadoff track I recognize from a comp too, "Oba lá vem ela."
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 20 July 2007 02:30 (sixteen years ago) link
Ooh it's the top seller at Other Music in NY and Chicago Reader's Peter Margasak is blogging about it. Slipcue.com suggests it's a bit mellow but still gives it the thumbs up.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 20 July 2007 12:50 (sixteen years ago) link
http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/post-no-bills/2007/07/12/dusty-groove-gets-groovier/
― curmudgeon, Friday, 20 July 2007 12:53 (sixteen years ago) link
JaXon: >does anyone have a clue which album the song Comanche from the Black Rio comp comes from? a google/amg/discogs search turns up nothing.
Jorge Ben - Negro e Lindo
― Paul, Sunday, 9 September 2007 03:09 (sixteen years ago) link
thank you, one year later.
― jaxon, Sunday, 9 September 2007 08:59 (sixteen years ago) link
It looks like Dusty Groove will be reissuing Ben's eponymous 1969 LP — Rogerio Duprat-directed, with "Take It Easy, My Brother Charles" — in August. I'm excited!
― eatandoph, Tuesday, 20 May 2008 19:27 (fifteen years ago) link
was africa brasil reissued on vinyl? is there a 12" or 45 out there of 'taj mahal'?
― deej, Tuesday, 20 May 2008 19:30 (fifteen years ago) link
awesome!
― s1ocki, Tuesday, 20 May 2008 20:14 (fifteen years ago) link
can't believe what africa brasil is selling for now... $100 or up. somebody please reissue this thing.
a banda do ze pretinho from 1978 is pretty slamming, btw
― Edward III, Saturday, 28 June 2008 17:35 (fifteen years ago) link
I've been listening to Jorge Ben for a few years now but until this year I realized how important his music is for me. For albums I'd recommend I'd go with his early 70's albums:
Jorge Ben (1969) Forca Bruta (1970) A tabua de esmeralda (1974) Africa Brasil (1976)
He is very prolific (last time I checked he had 35 albums under his belt) but I recommend starting with any of these 4 albums first, as it captures Ben at his most wildly inventive and features many of his catchiest songs.
― Moka, Friday, 4 July 2008 19:54 (fifteen years ago) link
O Bidu Silencio No Brooklyn (1967) is pretty glorious too, though the sound quality isn't great. I would add Ben (1972), which includes what I think is his first recording of "Taj Mahal."
― eatandoph, Friday, 4 July 2008 20:42 (fifteen years ago) link
I bought Africa Brasil brand new from Amazon.co.uk about 18 months ago; it's not going for £60+ second hand from a seller. Fucking hell.
Anyway, if you like Africa Brazil you should probbaly try the new Seu Jorge album, America Brasil O Disco, which is some kind of (very good) tribute / ideological/aesthetic follow-up.
― Scik Mouthy, Saturday, 5 July 2008 06:48 (fifteen years ago) link
o bidu is the missing link tween samba-era jorge and what came later, a more important listen than '69's s/t imo
supposedly there's two v diff mixes of that album floating around but I've never been able to track down the dry mix (t'other is heavily reverbed)
― a hard dom is good to find (Edward III), Wednesday, 4 December 2013 19:59 (ten years ago) link
He sings on a track on the recent Natalia Lafourcade album. Its her tribute to Agustin Lara album, and their rendition of the cut has a bit of a Brazilian feel to it. I don't know Lara's music (his prime was 1930 to 1960s) and I haven't tried to find other versions to compare. But its good to see Ben in the public eye (at least the Latin rock public eye if not crossover with US or UK or elsewhere)
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 4 December 2013 20:48 (ten years ago) link
Dusty Groove has Africa Brasil back in stock and reasonably priced:http://www.dustygroove.com/item/700774
Still waiting on those other reissues. . .
― austinato (Austin), Sunday, 6 July 2014 15:06 (nine years ago) link
His best record in my opinion but many prefer A Tábua de Esmeralda
― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Sunday, 6 July 2014 19:39 (nine years ago) link
BENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/24/Ben_-_Jorge_Ben_Album.jpg
get at me when this is ready
― it's not a fedora, it's a trill bae (m bison), Sunday, 6 July 2014 19:41 (nine years ago) link
whoa huge jpg
I know. They're saying August now.
― austinato (Austin), Sunday, 6 July 2014 22:03 (nine years ago) link
x-post -Not in stock anymore:
Africa Brasil CD (Item 700774) Universal (Japan), 1976 — Condition: New Copy
Just Sold Out!
CD
Add toWatch List
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 8 July 2014 20:01 (nine years ago) link
They'll restock, surely.
― austinato (Austin), Tuesday, 8 July 2014 22:46 (nine years ago) link
Played Jorge doing "Taj Mahal" on the Spotify playlist at my wedding reception this past weekend....It made me very happy
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 9 July 2014 13:39 (nine years ago) link
Congrats.
― austinato (Austin), Wednesday, 9 July 2014 13:49 (nine years ago) link
Which version?
― it's not a fedora, it's a trill bae (m bison), Wednesday, 9 July 2014 14:36 (nine years ago) link
I recall grabbing a short one from a comp I think
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 10 July 2014 04:33 (nine years ago) link
man that doesnt help there are like 5 versions of taj mahal
― it's not a fedora, it's a trill bae (m bison), Thursday, 10 July 2014 04:49 (nine years ago) link
does it start with 4 on the floor and a horn section and some cuica?
― it's not a fedora, it's a trill bae (m bison), Thursday, 10 July 2014 04:51 (nine years ago) link
chill out dude's on his honeymoon
― socki (s1ocki), Thursday, 10 July 2014 19:20 (nine years ago) link
actually it's really crucial and time sensitive that we know exactly which version he played. curmudgeon?
― J. Sam, Thursday, 10 July 2014 19:24 (nine years ago) link
JORGE BEN IS RLY IMPT TO ME
― it's not a fedora, it's a trill bae (m bison), Thursday, 10 July 2014 19:58 (nine years ago) link
Bear up, m bison
― Don't Want To Know If Only You Were Lonely (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 10 July 2014 20:00 (nine years ago) link
good drunk song
― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Friday, 11 July 2014 04:22 (nine years ago) link
Back in stock for $13.99 + postage:https://www.dustygroove.com/item/700774
(along with a few other great JBJ titles)
― austinato (Austin), Thursday, 24 July 2014 13:23 (nine years ago) link
thanks
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 24 July 2014 18:16 (nine years ago) link
Those Dusty Groove reissues that were listed for August no longer show up in search results on the site.
― eatandoph (Neue Jesse Schule), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 06:07 (nine years ago) link
Sorry. Maybe they'll get more back in soon (Japanese editions). Glad I jumped on and bought Africa Brasil while it was available.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 15:50 (nine years ago) link
Back when I covered Luaka Bop's 21rst Anniversary collection, I started off by thinking out loud about this Ben song, one of my all-time faves by anybody anywhere; any comments on its (and his) back story etc. would be welcome:
Is "Ponta De Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma)" really about where slavesarrived in Brazil? Or did I just expand a mental legend over theyears, trying to explain and contain the unsettling, unsettled poiseand expanse of Jorge Ben's rolling, grinding samba soul classic?Literally, it's about soccer, but the key line "um ponta de lan aAfricano" doesn't match the title ("Point of the African Lance",ouch!), and the line's translation---"an African point man" (also "Umponta de lan a decidio", " A man whose mind is made up")—is prettypointed too. Word to Brazil's 60s junta, and to its polite society,which has long tended to insist that Brazilians aren't hung up onrace. But it sounds like big Ben's got all of the above and somethingelse on his mind, that he's listening to, listening for. Sounds likehe's still listening.The restless example of Ben (who could have played it safe, withrespectably salt-of-the-earth pop star status established early)further schooled Beleza Tropical, the reputation-making debut releaseon Luaka Bop, the New York City label founded by David Byrne in 1988Beleza… arrived like a ship from post-bossa nova Brazil, mostly filledwith discreetly fabulous and accomplished descendants of thetale-telling, refugee gamesters in Boccaccio's Decameron. The crew ofBeleza… can mostly be ID'd as members and fellow travelers of the '60sTropicalia movement, who had been exiled or isolated because of yadda yadda; he's the point man get it.
― dow, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:08 (nine years ago) link
this album! begins with one of the absolutest most alltime-enest jams ever.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Tuesday, 8 October 2019 16:53 (four years ago) link
wow yeah that slays! never heard this record before
― “Hakuna Matata,” a nihilist philosophy (One Eye Open), Tuesday, 8 October 2019 17:27 (four years ago) link
Taj Mahal later recorded a song called "Jorge Ben." True!― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, February 10, 2003 1:45 PM (eighteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, February 10, 2003 1:45 PM (eighteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink
This is cracking me up.
I just got the s/t from 1969 after having it on mp3 on an old ipod for years and remembered it's one of my favorite albums ever. Just gorgeous. I used to listen to it on the beach over the summer with my wife's family. Like a salve on a hot day.
― keto keto bonito v industry plant-based diet (PBKR), Monday, 10 May 2021 23:39 (two years ago) link
https://tomhull.com/ocston/blog/
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 May 2021 00:02 (two years ago) link
The Gil e Jorge album is just the perfect album to groove to and get lost in on the weekend.
― glumdalclitch, Tuesday, 11 May 2021 00:15 (two years ago) link
been playing a lot of negro é lindo lately, what an album closer "palomaris" is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lriSjRl77A
― class project pat (m bison), Tuesday, 11 May 2021 03:28 (two years ago) link
xp lol at Taj Mahal "Jorge Ben." All the albums mentioned in this revive are fantastic. I'll add one that I don't see discussed much: 10 Anos Depois (1973), which is a series of medleys of his best-known material from the first 10 years of his career, all performed in the early 70s style of the Ben and A Tábua de Esmeralda albums. Basically Jorge Ben megamix, a non-stop samba-rock party
― J. Sam, Tuesday, 11 May 2021 11:57 (two years ago) link
I know a bunch of his albums but not Negro e Lindo. I'll give it a listen this week.
― keto keto bonito v industry plant-based diet (PBKR), Tuesday, 11 May 2021 12:11 (two years ago) link
that’s a good oneforça bruta is incredible
― brimstead, Tuesday, 11 May 2021 20:33 (two years ago) link
I listened to Negro e Lindo while on the beach a couple of weeks ago. Perfect music for cooling off while baking in the hot sun.
― Captain Beefart (PBKR), Monday, 16 August 2021 19:47 (two years ago) link
I'd say Solta o Pavão is the most slept-on classic Ben album of at least several.
― Dexter Holland's Opus (Deflatormouse), Monday, 16 August 2021 19:55 (two years ago) link
negro e lindo is the one from his ultra classic run that i've yet to add to my collection proper. the muhammad ali tribute is alltime.
i heard solta o pavão in passing once and when i was told what it was it just seemed like, "yeah this is predictably badass in that case." still haven't procured a copy of it, for whatever reason.
― things repeat forever and there never is a remedy (Austin), Monday, 16 August 2021 20:05 (two years ago) link
i love jorge ben so much, i would fall to pieces if i ever saw him perform live
― class project pat (m bison), Monday, 16 August 2021 23:12 (two years ago) link
I saw him live in London in the early 00s. A few times he did that medley thing where he appeared to think 'yeah I can chalk off a few favourites here', which to me sounded a bit cheesy and 'Las Vegas years'. But he was charming and it was of course amazing to see this icon on stage.
― giraffe, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 07:48 (two years ago) link
A few times he did that medley thing where he appeared to think 'yeah I can chalk off a few favourites here', which to me sounded a bit cheesy and 'Las Vegas years'.
That's a pretty good summary of the entire "10 Anos Depois" album. I thought it'd be fun too have all the jams on 1 record, but they don't do justice to the originals at all.
(for my money, Força Bruta is peak JB)
― enochroot, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 08:44 (two years ago) link
The hits set his audience want to hear [or what he thinks they want to hear] and the golden period in the late 60s/early 70s including Força Bruta, the self-titled one, A Tabua de Esmeralda, Solta.., etc seem to be two different worlds.
― giraffe, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 09:30 (two years ago) link
― brimstead, Friday, 20 August 2021 20:25 (two years ago) link
― Dexter Holland's Opus (Deflatormouse),
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 16 January 2022 17:33 (two years ago) link
its got some heaters for sure, "cuidado com o bulldog", "para ouvir no radio", "dorothy" top my list
― class project pat (m bison), Sunday, 16 January 2022 17:52 (two years ago) link
Never even heard of that one! Will have to give it a spin soon.
― Little Big Man Yells at Red Cloud (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 April 2023 13:32 (one year ago) link