This is a compilation of Caetano Veloso songs that, through the years, have appeared on the soundtracks of the hugely popular Brazilian telenovelas (soap operas) on TV Globo. The novelas theme makes a quite inventive excuse for the record company to release yet another compilation of Veloso songs. Among the songs included on this compilation are classic and quintessential Veloso compositions, such as "Alegria, Alegria," "O Leaozinho," "Queixa," and "Coracao Vagabundo," that appear on most compilations of Veloso's catalog. But there are also some slightly less obvious songs: for example, "Escandalo," "Shy Moon," and Marcos Valles' beautiful bossa "Samba de Verao." Also included is Veloso's magnificent and enormously popular version of Peninha's "Sozinho," and also his exquisite 1982 cover of the melodramatic ballad "Sonhos" by the same composer. Most of the tracks on this compilation are gentle, catchy, melodious, and beautiful -- which probably explains why they were selected for the novelas' soundtracks in the first place. The fantastic quality of Veloso's songs makes this a highly enjoyable compilation, although it is not especially representative of his overall work through the years. On the other hand, the relatively streamlined selection of songs makes them work quite well together, which is usually not the case when it comes to compilations of Caetano Veloso's catalog, due to the artist's enormous stylistic inventiveness and versatility. ~ Philip Jandovsky

Rovi