Gilberto Gil - Quanta (1997 Reissue 2CD) (2003)

Longtime fans of the Brazilian bard could probably do without the slick synthesizers and sterile drum loops that candy up his 36th album, but no Gil effort is without appeal. Throughout Quanta, he gets by on his gift for melody and his far-ranging imagination (a trademark of the Tropicalia movement). Shouts-out to quantum mechanics, crab vendors, and the goddess Shiva dot his slinky, intricate compositions. "Pela Internet," a buoyant, starry-eyed ode to the information superhighway, makes a strong impression, but the real high point comes toward the end with a trio of songs that rely on little more than acoustic guitar and Gil's mellow, lilting voice. The instrumental "Um Abraço No João" (a tribute to João Gilberto) and the soothing "O Mar E O Lago" find him setting aside cleverness in favor of a gentle, unassuming profundity. Like his comrades in the Tropicalia movement, Caetano Veloso and Tom Ze, Gil possesses an omnivorous intelligence and the talent to pursue every passing fancy. At 20 tracks, Quanta is overstuffed. Busy arrangements and gleaming production sometimes swamp the innate beauty of its songs. Nevertheless, adventurous, attentive listeners will find plenty to delight in.