Marcos Valle

Marcos Valle's self-titled LP from 1970 finds the Brazilian maestro slowly making his way from the poignant bossa nova ballads of Samba '68 to the juiced-up electronic-funk of his mid-'70s masterpieces. Consequently, for every ballad like 'Que eu Canse e Descanse' or 'Ele e Ela' (the latter complete with giggling and nearly audible lovers' talk), Valle throws in a track like 'Pigmaliao,' featuring a brassy orchestra and tilting rhythms continually being interrupted by jack-in-the-box studio effects, or the final track, 'Suite Imaginaria,' a four-part work of experimental woodwinds, baroque vocal choirs, and soft arrangements. Preceding the suite, however, are two of his finest pop songs: 'Os Grilos' and 'Freio Aerodinamico.' Definitely not a seamless listen, and since the best tracks are covered well on his hits collections, Marcos Valle is a pick only for you'll-buy-anything collectors floored by everything his hand touches.