A nice overview of the second chapter of work from this Brazilian giant – with notes by David Byrne, and titles that include "Michelangelo Antonioni", "Iatapua", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Um Tom", "Baiao Da Penha", "Haiti", "Fina Estampa", "13 De Mato", "O Estrangeiro", and "Mahata". CD

A beautifully spare album from Caetano Veloso – one of his greatest albums of the 80s, and quite unlike anything else he did in the decade! The sound here is almost a bit like Joao Gilberto's classic 1973 album for Polydor – mostly just acoustic guitar and vocals, recorded with a slight echo and a really warm feel overall – a quality that offers up a whole new side of Veloso's genius, with only a bit of added percussion on a few tracks. Caetano's vocals are wonderful – personal, intimate, and very rich, despite the quite setting – and titles include "Get Out Of Town", "Terra", "Nega Lauca/Billie Jean/Eleanor Rigby", "Luz Do Sol', "Trilhos Urbanhos", "Odara", and "Saudosismo". CD

Another great chapter in the always-surprising later career of Caetano Veloso – and a record that's unlike anything else he's recorded before! The style here is a real change both from some of his more ambitious and more experimental works of late – and the album mostly features small combo backing, set up alongside Veloso's vocals in styles that are slightly punky, slightly arty – in a way that reminds us a fair bit of work from the hippest side of the New York scene in the early 80s. The structure of the songs is often simple, but extremely fresh – very inventive twists and turns of a few basic elements, all to match the poetry of Veloso's own lyrics. Moreno Veloso co-produced the set – and titles include "Outro", "Rocks", "Deusa Urbana", "Waly Salomao", "Musa Hibrida", "Odeio", "O Heroi", and "Um Sonho". CD

A landmark album for Caetano Veloso – a full set of tracks sung in English, as beautifully done as we ever could have hoped! The arrangements are really fresh – in a style that makes the album far more than just a set of standards – and instead gives it the edgey approach of some of Caetano's best recent work. The set was co-produced by Jacques Morelenbaum, and has a range of instrumental approaches that shifts to fit the mood of each new track – and given that the work on the set runs from tunes by Cole Porter to Nat King Cole, Nirvana, David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan – you can imagine the changing moods at work! Titles include "So In Love", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Diana", "Manhattan", "Nothing But Flowers", "Cry Me A River", "Nature Boy", "Jamaica Farewell", "If It's Magic", "Detached", "Blue Skies", and "Something Good". Loads of tracks, too – 22 in all – and packaged beautifully! CD

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A far-reaching album by Caetano – with a wide scope of sounds and influences, from tribal/ethnic percussion, to subtle jazzy backdrops, to guitar-driven numbers that hint at a brief return to rock music. The rich tapestry of themes and images are perfectly linked by Veloso's always-wonderful voice – impeccably rich-toned, with a sound that only seems to get better with age. To us, the record's his first really striking album since 1997's Livro – although it's got a lot more subtlety, in the manner of some of his mid 70s work, like Bicho or Joia. Titles include "Michelangelo Antonioni", "Zera A Reza", "13 De Maio", "Zumbi", "Meu Rio", and "Sou Seu Sabia". CD