Longe Demais das Capitais
Engenheiros do Hawaii
1986
Why This Album Matters
Longe Demais das Capitais, the debut album by Engenheiros do Hawaii released in 1986, is a fundamental piece in the band's discography, marking the starting point of one of the most relevant trajectories in Brazilian rock. Significantly different from the sound the band would later develop in subsequent works, the album features a strong influence of ska and reggae, revealing a singular and experimental musical facet. This album is also historically notable for being the only one recorded by the group's original line-up, before Marcelo Pitz's departure in May 1987. The proposal to blend regional and MPB references with a modern sound and influences from rockabilly, ska, and reggae, gave the album a unique identity in the effervescent national rock scene of the 80s.
Context
The story of Engenheiros do Hawaii began in late 1984, when the band was formed for a party at the Faculty of Architecture of UFRGS, on 11 January 1985. Success was immediate, leading to invitations to play at various venues in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. The line-up that would record the album was consolidated after the departure of Carlos Stein, who would later found Nenhum de Nós. The group then recorded demos that landed three songs on Ipanema FM radio: "Spravo", "Segurança", and "Sopa de Letrinhas". Local recognition culminated in an invitation to the Rock Unificado festival on 11 September 1985, a crucial event for the nationalisation of Gaúcho rock. There, an RCA record label scout signed Engenheiros and other bands for a compilation and future studio albums. The compilation's release in January 1986 prompted the band to perform their first shows outside Rio Grande do Sul and appear on national TV programmes, garnering attention from the press in major centres.
Recording
The recording sessions for Longe Demais das Capitais took place at RCA studios in São Paulo over four weeks, between May and June 1986. Reinaldo Barriga, who had previously worked with the band's songs on the Rock Grande do Sul compilation, served as the musical producer for the debut album. The process unfolded without major hitches, but with one notable decision: the exclusion of the song "Spravo". Despite having good airplay on Porto Alegre radios, "Spravo" was left off the final album due to a strategic choice by the band. The group considered that the song's lyrics were excessively tied to the Gaúcho capital, with specific references to places in the city, which could make it hermetic and less accessible to a national audience.
Songs
The album opens with "Toda Forma de Poder", the release's big hit, a characteristic rock song of the decade featuring Nei Lisboa on vocals. The song exemplifies the album's aim to harmonise contrasting influences, blending homage to MPB and regionalism with a modern sound. "Segurança", which had previously appeared on the Rock Grande do Sul compilation with an accordion, was re-recorded with a saxophone played by Manito. This was a reference that, in an innovative way for national rock, brought in a musician associated with Jovem Guarda, as well as elements of Latin percussion. Tracks such as "Nossas Vidas" and "Sweet Begonia" demonstrate the prominent reggae and ska influences present in the work, although Gessinger's lyrics were already beginning to explore denser, existential themes, including mentions of suicide in "Nossas Vidas". Other highlights include "Fé Nenhuma", which incorporated a talkbox effect on the guitar, and "Beijos pra Torcida", a fast-paced song with Cold War references. The title track, "Longe Demais das Capitais", begins with a milonga rhythm, built by guitar, bass, and drums, before evolving into a ska. This duality between the traditional and the modern not only echoes the album's title but also suggests the strangeness of making rock far from the country's major urban centres. The album concludes with "Sopa de Letrinhas", the only partnership between Gessinger and Pitz, which, with its accelerated ska, harks back to influences like Os Paralamas do Sucesso and The Police, while maintaining the existential tone of the lyrics.
Legacy
Released on 13 October 1986 by the RCA-Victor label, Longe Demais das Capitais benefited from an excellent promotional strategy by the record company. The album boosted the release of the single "Toda Forma de Poder", which had a professional music video, and "Sopa de Letrinhas", with a more artisanal clip. The video for "Toda Forma de Poder" achieved the feat of being the first Brazilian music video shown on American MTV's programming. Its success was amplified by the inclusion of "Toda Forma de Poder" on the soundtrack of the Rede Globo soap opera Hipertensão and "Segurança" on the Rede Manchete soap opera Corpo Santo. With an extensive national tour, the 'Toda Forma de Tour', the album quickly surpassed 130,000 units sold in its first year, earning the band their first Gold Record. Initial critical reception was marked by press curiosity about the emergence of a band 'from outside' the Rio-São Paulo axis. Many articles were interviews that focused on the strangeness the group provoked, rather than in-depth musical analyses. The band was frequently compared to Os Paralamas do Sucesso, earning them the nickname 'Paralamas do Sul'. Although specialist critics were initially 'lukewarm', the album established the singular aesthetic of Engenheiros do Hawaii, paving the way for one of the most consistent careers in Brazilian rock.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Reinaldo Barriga
Marcelo Pitz
Humberto Gessinger
Marcelo Pitz
Carlos Maltz
Humberto Gessinger
Carlos Maltz, Eurico Salis, L. Roberto Silveira
Eurico Salis
Podcasts
CMM · Crazy Metal Mind
Episódio originalmente publicado em 19/11/2019. No 436º episódio do Podcast mais Rock’n Roll da internets Rômulo Konzen, Daniel Iserhard e Flávio Bandeira batem papo sobre o disco Longe Demais das Capitais do Engenheiros do Hawaii. Trilha sonora do podcast (na ordem): *Engenheiros do Hawaii - Toda Forma de Poder *Engenheiros do Hawaii - Segurança *Engenheiros do Hawaii - Sopa de Letrinhas *Enge
Adega Musical · Andre Valdez
QUANDO TUDO PARECIA DAR ERRADO... NASCEU UM DOS DISCOS MAIS IMPORTANTES DO ROCK BRASILEIROPor Cássio ToledoNesta edição, celebramos os 40 anos da estreia inusitada de uma banda que parecia destinada a durar apenas uma noite... e acabou se transformando em uma das maiores do Brasil.Onde o avesso virou o jogo, o improvável venceu e nasceu o clássico Longe Demais das Capitais, dos Engenheiros do Hawa
No 436º episódio do Podcast mais Rock’n Roll da internet Rômulo Metal, Daniel Iserhard e Flávio Bandeira batem papo sobre o primeiro disco do Engenheiros do Hawaii, analisando faixa por faixa. O post PodCast #436 – Engenheiros do Hawaii: Longe Demais das Capitais apareceu primeiro em Crazy Metal Mind.
Videos
Engenheiros do Hawaii: Análise Completa do Álbum Longe Demais das Capitais
Pitadas do Sal
O que faz Humberto Gessinger ser único como letrista? Análise das Letras | Longe Demais das Capitais
Pitadas do Sal
Books
Analyses
Longe Demais das Capitais – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
"Longe Demais das Capitais" (RCA, 1986), Engenheiros do Hawaii
discosessenciais.blogspot.com
Uma viagem pelas canções de Longe Demais das Capitais "Toda Forma de Poder" abre o álbum como um cartão de visitas perfeito para os Engenheiros do Hawaii. Humberto Gessinger exibe sua habilidade de captar o zeitgeist com uma letra que reflete as inquietações sociais da época.
O nascimento da identidade dos Engenheiros do Hawaii em Longe Demais ...
collectorsroom.com.br
O Engenheiros do Hawaii chegou nesse cenário com Longe Demais das Capitais, um disco que parecia, à primeira vista, deslocado no tempo e no espaço. Mas foi justamente esse deslocamento — geográfico, estético e lírico — que deu à banda gaúcha uma identidade própria e duradoura.
Crítica - Engenheiros do Hawaii - "Longe Demais das Capitais" (1986)
contemporaneatendencia.blogspot.com
Diante desse caos surgia uma banda que iria denunciar tudo que aquilo que era visto: os Engenheiros do Hawaii, formada por alunos da Escola de Arquitetura da UFRGS no dia 11 de Janeiro de 1985.
Longe demais das capitais - escotilha.com.br
escotilha.com.br
Esse é o disco que começa com a famosa "Toda forma de poder", a qual dá bem a ideia de uma das principais dimensões do disco, qual seja, a política. De fato, com exceção talvez de O papa é pop (1990), em nenhum momento os Engenheiros do Hawaii foram tão políticos quanto nesse disco.
Discogs
Longe Demais das Capitais – Discogs
discogs.com