Just as everything came together to make Sgt Pepper possibly the most influential creative work of our time, so it did in Brazil with Mutantes by Os Mutantes. Though not quite as commercially successful as the Beatles' album, it similarly expands/explodes their previous work with the help of genius arranger Roger Duprat as George Martin, taking in everything from music hall (Rita Lee), demented folk (Noa va se perder por ai) and opera, acid rock, South American pop, Star Trek and Ben Hur (all on opener Dom Quixote). Like the Beatles on Sgt Pepper and perhaps less like The Byrds or Beach Boys on their - admittedly brilliant - Sgt Pepper responses The Notorious Byrd Brothers and Smiley Smile, Mutantes transcends its influences to provide something totally new with a glorious psychedelic sheen that just elevates it to the highest pinnacle of musical achievement, and to the highest pinnacle of the CD pile time and again; The Byrds might boast the most critically acclaimed drum break for Notorious... on Goin' Back, but on Dom Quixote Os Mutantes definitely have the best squeaky toy break of all time. No question.
This much inspiration is slightly perverse. On first listen, it's almost too much; the constant key and tempo shifts along with the wild flights between up and downbeat can leave you disorientated. But it's a dazzling dizziness. A couple more plays and any confusion is replaced with deep admiration for such cutting edge song-writing, arrangement, production and performance artistry. 'Genius' is so over-used these days but in this rare case, it doesn't do justice to such a brilliant record.