Beach Samba

Easy listening, but not really my thing

This was very calming, she has a soothing voice.

This music is so reminiscent of the cultivated boredom of the late 50s that I almost dislocated my jaw when I yawned. I didn't have to listen to this album either. 1/5

She has a lovely voice, slightly wavering and sometimes even a little off key but beautiful nonetheless. (The auto tuned abomination of today could learn a lot here). Nice gentle songs. I've never heard this version of Parade before but have definitely heard the tune somewhere can't think where. Don't know why this is on the 1001 list but I really liked it.

Kopfschmerzen hervorrufendes Katzengejammer mit Samba und Salsa Tönen. Man erkennt wie schrecklich lange 27 Minuten sein können.

Beach Samba was a pretty good album for what it was. It does feel like an elevator album (It's been a long time since i used that term) but i do feel like it does a good job at being one by being a pleasant and relaxing listen. The times that the album does divert are kinda all over the place when it comes to how good they are. Sometimes they can be cool, like Gilberto having her son sing on track 11 but they can be off-putting at points like that one parade song which did sound rather jarring. However, i still think that this is a good album and one that you should listen to when you want to relax on a beach or something.
Best Song: Misty Roses
Worst Song: Parade (A Banda)

28 minutes of just meh really

Not my thing, but she could sing pretty well. 2.5/5

I don’t like the beach, and I don’t like this album. Just exceedingly dull.

She has an excellent voice for elevator music

I fell in love with Astrud Gilberto's somber yet cozy singing whilst listening to Getz/Gilberto, she was easily the standout performer there, as I wasn't expecting the non-credited singer to be the best part of my introduction to proper bossa nova. It only makes sense, then, that she got a solo career to rival her ex-husband and many other vocal performers from the time. When this album is trying to capture that same spirit as Getz/Gilberto, sans the titular leads, it still works really well, as Astrud's voice is just meant for that easy-listening, elevator music style, and I mean that in a good way. It's so lounge-y, as if I'm stepping into a picturesque version of the 60s, and even the more "high-energy" stuff that appears throughout still works pretty well, such as the final track which reminds me of something that'd be found on an album by Stereolab or Komeda. However, there are a lot of moments here that try too hard to do something different, and really ruin the mood. Parade is straight up not good, and while some of the other songs that are just as repetitive are better, they still are too short to do anything interesting, and when you get tracks like that back-to-back-to-back, it can be kind of draining. It really does shape up in the back half, I feel, and I even think the song with her son is cute, albeit not a song I'd listen to in my free time. Is the album anything spectacular? Absolutely not, it isn't an album I'd consider even a good showcase of its genres, but Astrud Gilberto's voice is oh so sweet and the whole album is so light and breezy that it is difficult to look at the album with too critical of an eye. It's just an enjoyable time, and one that gave me my fix of bossa nova, although all I realize now is I need to listen to her earlier solo albums, as I can only assume those are more what most are looking for out of Gilberto.

I’m at a 3.5 that I'll bump up to a 4.

I don’t really have too much to add; that’s a super competent bossa nova album. I don’t think there was a bad track here – even the Parade song, for as dumb and goofy and cheesy as it was, sort of won me over with how brazenly out of place it is. It definitely didn’t need to be on the album, but it’s not like it’s a bad listen.

This album never does anything to get up into the territory of a 5 – there’s no rousing soundscapes, no signature songs, and nothing that especially sticks out, save for (at least to me) My Foolish Heart, which just kinda won me over. However, I think this maintains a pretty solid standard of quality throughout, and the vibes just connected perfectly with me. It’s a driving album, it’s a study album, and it’s a “do chores” album, but I enjoyed it all the same. Solid, solid 4.

Smooth and beautiful. Parades was a little simple and the child's track didn't land for me, but the rest were quintessential enough to elevate the album

Very alright, but I feel like her other work outshines.

The album gave me restaurant vibes with background jazz music. Lovely orchestral music but it’s really not for me. It has a Disney vibe.

Glad I gave it a go but I want be listening to this again.

Favourite song: My foolish heart
Least favourite song: You dont have to be so nice
Album artwork: Nice cover.

Zo, dit album was al gedateerd toen het uitkwam. Na 5 minuten heb ik mijn oordeel al wel: saai! Dat het ze zelf ook wel door, want er komt ineens een heel circus langs. Dat is dan wel weer een soort jaren '60 grol. Goed, ik ben goed wakker. Néé, direct daarna komt letterlijk een inslaap-speeldoos-geluidje. Wat wil ze nou? Muzikaal schiet het af en toe plots een rare richting op. (Moet dat kind echt?) Maar zelfs dat voorkomt niet dat het geheel eentonig blijft. Ze heeft één manier van zingen. En die is niet bepaald enerverend.

This is pleasant enough but I don’t quite see what’s so remarkable about it.

Good vibes...not the best but a worthwhile listen. 3/5

A sweet and optimistic lil' album.

Breezy Bossa Nova that makes even the most mundane task feel like lounging on a Brazilian terrace with a cocktail in hand. The instrumentation is consistently sublime, featuring fluttering flutes and smooth, buttery percussion that create a relaxing, cinematic atmosphere perfect for a lazy summer afternoon. While the album is remarkably short and sweet, its quirks only add to its nostalgic charm.