Rita Lee: The Annotated Discography

[Texto originalmente publicado na edição Nº 136 da Rolling Stone Brasil, de dezembro de 2017]

Born in São Paulo on December 31, 1947, the iconic Rita Lee Jones a few years ago, she retired from the stages and studios. Since then, she has pursued a new career as a writer, and in 2016, she released her critically acclaimed autobiography.

the influence of Rita Lee it is immeasurable. In the 1960s, she was the serelepe figure of psychedelics. The mutants. But in the next decade, when the band started to take itself a little too seriously, Rita was waived. She didn’t leave it for less and became a hitmaker with a handful, showing that she didn’t need her old teammates.

Rita released a series of albums that were commercially successful. These records revealed the more playful and hedonistic side of Brazilian pop music, and on them Rita imprinted an unmistakable São Paulo accent. She also sang in a peculiar and sensitive way to the female condition.

we celebrate Rita Lee with a selection of the most outstanding albums recorded by the true and eternal Queen of Brazilian Rock.

essentials

Build Up ★★★★
Polydor 1970
Rita Lee’s first LP was released while the singer was still part of Os Mutantes. The idea was that she would pursue a solo career in parallel, and that way the titular band would continue to support
sound to her in the studio. Build Up’s hit was a version by Nara Leão of the French hit “Joseph”, which was named “José”.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life ★★★★
Polydor 1972
This was supposed to be an Os Mutantes album, but due to contractual issues it was only credited to Rita, with the artist taking care of most of the vocals. On the LP, the experimentalist and tropicalist spirit was still alive. The title track’s message was premonitory.

Behind Portohas a city ★★★★
Philips 1974
Rita was disconnected from Os Mutantes in 1974 and severed relations with the members. She started from scratch alongside the Tutti Frutti group, led by guitarist Luiz Carlini. Without the restrictions imposed by the band,
Rita was able to release her more pop side in this album that brought the hit “Mamãe Natureza”.

forbidden fruit ★★★★★
Free Sound 1975
Bringing a hard rock footprint, the singer’s second work with Tutti Frutti highlighted the emblematic “Ovelha Negra”, in which Rita already pointed out that she would never be someone conventional. “Esse tal de Roque Enrow” (partnership with Paulo Coelho) and “Agora só Graças Você” were also successes in her debut on the Som Livre label.

tickets andFlags ★★★★
Free Sound 1976
The opening, “Corista de Rock”, already demonstrated Rita’s profession of faith in the genre. Her new phase was going from strength to strength, and the songs she made were becoming more and more humorous and effervescent. “Yellow Witch”, by Raul Seixas and Paulo Coelho, is another good surprise from the consistent
Entries and Flags.

underrated

Babylon ★★★★
Free Sound 1978
Full of contagious melodies, Babilônia also won the radios. There were several hits on the LP, such as “Miss Brasil 2000” and “Jardins da Babilônia”.

Rita Lee ★★★★
Free Sound 1979
The singer switched from guitars to keyboards, something evident in the hit “Mania de Você”. Roberto de Carvalho, Rita’s new husband, was becoming increasingly influential.

Rita Lee ★★★★
Free Sound 1980
The devastating singles “Lança Perfume” and “Baila Comigo” confirmed Rita’s phenomenal success. The album has other gems, such as the ultra-paulistana “Ôrra Meu!” and the romantic “Caso Sério”.

Health ★★★★
Free Sound 1981
This was another asset of Rita and Roberto. The spirit of the old Carnival marches joined
to pop and new wave. She broke out with the consecrated “Banho de Espuma” and “Saúde”.

Rita Lee and Roberto de Carvalho ★★★★
Free Sound 1982
“Cor de Rosa Choque”, the theme of TV Mulher, a former women’s program on Rede Globo, was the highlight.
The curiosity is “Brazil with S”, with João Gilberto.

Sugarplum ★★★½
Free Sound 1983
The upbeat opener, “On the Rocks,” became Bombom’s most significant song. By quoting several politicians of the time in a way that was considered pejorative, “Arrombou o Cofre” was banned from being broadcast on the radio.

Rita Lee in Bossa ‘n’ Roll ★★★½
Free Sound 1991
In this successful live recording, Rita joined the rock melody to the bossa nova beat, reinventing “Doce Vampiro”, “Baila Comigo” and “Ovelha Negra”, among other hits.

worth listening

Rita and Roberto ★★★
Free Sound 1985
The hit “Vírus do Amor” marked the work, and in it Rita and Roberto plotted an efficient tour of adult pop. The sound of the 1980s is present in “Noviças do Vício” and “Molambo Souvenir”.

fatal flirt ★★★
EMI 1987
Rita and Roberto followed the successful formula. Here, it is possible to pick out some very good things, such as “Bwana” and “Pega Rapaz”. Rita recalled her youth with a Portuguese version of the standard “Blue Moon”.

Zen zone ★★★
EMI 1988
The rock “Nunca Fui Santa”, yet another declaration of principles by Rita, became the flagship of Zona Zen. The ballad “Livre Outra Vez” and the synthpop “Cruela Cruel” also stood out on this 1980s-inspired LP.

Rita Lee and Roberto de Carvalho ★★★
EMI 1990
This record, a little more rocky, closed a cycle – Rita and Roberto separated professionally for a while. The country song “Perto do Fogo” (a partnership between Rita and Cazuza) stood out.

pray ★★★
Biscuit Fino 2012
If Rita doesn’t change her mind, Reza will go down as her last studio effort. It is an eclectic record, featuring ballads, tracks with an electronic edge, a bit of MPB and, naturally, rock.