Expresso 2222
Gilberto Gil
1972
Why This Album Matters
Expresso 2222 is a fundamental milestone in Gilberto Gil's discography and in Brazilian music, representing the artist's triumphant return to Brazil after his exile in London. Released in July 1972, the album masterfully synthesises the influences Gil absorbed in Europe, such as English rock, jazz and psychedelia, with the rich musical traditions of the Brazilian Northeast, like baião and forró, in addition to samba. The work stands out for its musical hybridity, which combines nostalgia with the future, and tradition with modernity, all permeated by Gil's joyful and spontaneous singing. The album's sound is organic, driven by a rhythmic and syncopated acoustic guitar, pulsing basslines and a striking piano, creating a sonic tapestry that sounded universal whilst also encompassing the artist's backyard with a modern vision.
The artist's modern sonic powerhouse fuses elements of Brazilianness, from the popular and archaic to modernity.
Antônio do Amaral Rocha · Rolling Stone Brasil
Context
The album Expresso 2222 emerges from a period of great significance in Gilberto Gil's life: his return to Brazil in January 1972, after a forced three-year exile in London. In December 1968, Gil and Caetano Veloso, leaders of the Tropicalista movement, were arrested by the Brazilian military dictatorship on charges of subversion. In mid-1969, both departed for exile, where Gil came into contact with the vibrant British music scene, exploring rock, jazz and the musical avant-garde of the era. The album's name is a homage to a train Gil used to take from his hometown to Salvador. The first two verses of the title track were even written in London, encapsulating the feeling of travel, freedom and transformation that marked this period and his return to his homeland. This context of exile and reunion with Brazil lends the album a profound layer of personal and political resonance.
Recording
Expresso 2222 was recorded in April 1972 at Eldorado studio in São Paulo, utilising a 16-channel mixing desk, which was ultra-modern technology and a novelty in phonographic recording in Brazil at the time. Executive production was handled by Roberto Menescal, then artistic director of Philips, credited as production co-ordinator, with Guilherme Araújo as production director and Gilberto Gil himself as musical director. The backing band, though described as 'economical' or 'basic', featured essential musicians: Gilberto Gil (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals and percussion), Lanny Gordin (electric guitar, notably on bass for "O Canto da Ema" and "Chiclete com Banana", at the suggestion of producers seeking his familiarity with Brazilian rhythms), Bruce Henry (bass), Tuti Moreno (drums and percussion), and Antônio Perna (piano and celesta). The audio engineers were Christopher Barton and Marcus Vinicius (Vinicão).
Songs
The album Expresso 2222 comprises nine tracks, which reflect the confluence of influences absorbed by Gilberto Gil during his period of exile and his reunion with Brazilian roots. The title track, "Expresso 2222", is one of the artist's most significant anthems, conveying a message of hope and belief in the future, an ageless song. Other notable songs include "Back in Bahia", a Gil composition that reflects the feeling of return, and reinterpretations of classics like "O Canto da Ema" (by João do Vale, Aires Viana and Alventino Cavalcanti) and "Chiclete com Banana" (by Almira Castilho and Gordurinha), where Gil demonstrates his ability to redesign samba and forró with the use of the electric guitar and his rhythmic acoustic guitar. Gal Costa's participation in the vibrant "Sai do Sereno" (by Onildo Almeida) adds another layer of sonic richness, whilst the song "Ele e Eu" (written in London) draws introspective comparisons between Gil and Caetano Veloso, addressing their contrasting personalities.
The Zabumba de Caruaru (PE) pipe band, from the Biano family, opens the procession with two instrumental minutes of their "Pipoca moderna" (which would later have lyrics written by Caetano Veloso). It is the locomotive of Expresso 2222, with its beautiful object-cover by Edinízio Ribeiro, "which departs directly/ (...) for after the year 2000".
Tárik de Souza · 300 Discos Importantes
Legacy
Expresso 2222 solidified its place as one of the most revered albums in Gilberto Gil's discography and a classic of MPB. In October 2007, Rolling Stone Brasil magazine recognised its importance, listing it in 26th position among the 100 greatest Brazilian music albums. The title track, "Expresso 2222", transcended the album, becoming one of Gil's most popular and enduring songs. Its impact was so great that it inspired the name of the famous trio elétrico co-ordinated by Gilberto Gil at Bahia Carnival since 1998, which annually brings together art, culture and celebration. The album, which celebrated Gil's return from exile, continues to be a source of musical fuel, reaching new generations and affirming the artist's ability to converge traditions and modern influences into a timeless work.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Gilberto Gil
Guilherme Araujo
Gal Costa
Bruce Henry
Tutty Moreno
Lanny Gordin
Antonio Perna
Roberto Menescal
Christopher Barton, Marcus Vinicius
Edinizio Ribeiro
Aldo Luiz
Edson Dos Santos, Eduardo Clark, Silvia Tinoco
Podcasts
Em janeiro de 1972, Gilberto Gil recebeu permissão do Governo Militar para retornar ao Brasil depois de um período de exílio de quase dois anos na Inglaterra. Inspirado pelo retorno ao país e as experiências adquiridas além-mar, o cantor e compositor baiano deu vida a uma de suas principais obras: "Expresso 2222". Entre ecos do movimento tropicalista, o trabalho marcado pelo cruzamento de ritmos f
Fim de Tarde Eldorado · Rádio Eldorado
Gabriel Alegreti destaca 'Expresso 2222', álbum lançado em 1972 por Gilberto Gil, marcando seu retorno ao Brasil após 3 anos exilado em Londres.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Roda de conversa sobre os melhores discos que completam 50 anos em julho de 2022. Participação de Daniel Cuca Moreira, Lúcio Brancato e Marcelo Parker. Produção e apresentação de Eduardo Osorio. 10 MELHORES DISCOS DE JULHO DE 1972 1º) Expresso 2222 (Gilberto Gil) 2º) Super Fly (Curtis Mayfield) 3º) Never A Dull Moment (Rod Stewart) 4º) Trilogy (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) 5º) Sonhos E Memórias (E
Videos
"Expresso 2222" - Gilberto Gil | Os melhores discos da MPB nos anos 70 | Alta Fidelidade
Alta Fidelidade
Expresso 2222 / Gilberto Gil : DISCOS CINQUENTÕES (1972-2022)
Papo de Musica
3000 Best Albums [2997] Gilberto Gil - Expresso 2222 (1972) Dan's Mini Album Review
Dan's Mini Album Reviews
Análise de Expresso 2222
Flavio Mendes
50 anos do disco ‘Expresso 2222’: conheça a história desse clássico da MPB
acessompb
Clássicos VFSM - Gilberto Gil: "Expresso 2222"
Vamos Falar Sobre Música
Films
Gilberto Gil Antologia Vol.1
2019
The documentary goes through works composed by the Bahian musician between 1968 and 1987. Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil, one of the most well-known members of the Tropicália generations, revisits some of his most famous works on this documentary.
Gilberto Gil: Tempo Rei
1996
Tempo Rei is the first audiovisual record of Gilberto Gil's vast work, celebrating the artist's thirty-year career, celebrated in 1996. Gil recalls his artistic trajectory, recalls striking facts and reveals some intimacies. Completely filmed on film, it includes great successes of the artist like Madalena, Cores Vivas, Vamos Fugir, Procissão and Expresso 2222.
Amor e Sorte com Gilberto Gil
2020
Gilberto Gil's music and poetry in the voices of different generations of artists, and his wisdom in his own voice.
Books
The 500 Greatest Brazilian Albums of All Time
Ricardo Alexandre · 2022
The election was spearheaded by journalist Ricardo Alexandre, creator of the Discoteca Básica podcast. Ricardo consulted 162 specialists including journalists, YouTubers, podcasters, musicians, record-shop owners and producers. The result was published as a 200-page hardcover book, with graphic design by Fernando Pires.
Gilberto bem perto
Gilberto Gil, Regina Zappa · 2013
Esta é uma biografia abrangente de Gilberto Gil, co-escrita com o próprio artista e a jornalista Regina Zappa. O livro oferece um panorama detalhado de sua vida, carreira, influências e o processo criativo por trás de sua obra, incluindo os álbuns mais importantes.
300 Important Albums of Brazilian Music
Charles Gavin, Tárik de Souza, Carlos Calado, Arthur Dapieve · 2008
Conceived by Titãs drummer and musical researcher Charles Gavin, the 434-page book brings together covers and reviews of albums released between 1929 and 2007. The texts were written by journalists Tárik de Souza, Arthur Dapieve and Carlos Calado.
Gilberto Gil Expresso 2222
1982
Este livro, cujo título se refere diretamente ao álbum, é uma obra dedicada especificamente a 'Expresso 2222' de Gilberto Gil, oferecendo uma análise aprofundada sobre a criação, o contexto e o impacto desse trabalho seminal do artista.
Analyses
Expresso 2222 – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Expresso 2222 – The 100 Greatest Albums of Brazilian Music
Antônio do Amaral Rocha · Rolling Stone Brasil
O projeto gráfico deExpresso 2222inaugura o disco-objeto. Inicia também a fase elétrica de Gil, que mistura temas futuristas (expresso 2222 seria um disco voador?), o distante ano 2000 com Jackson do Pandeiro, forró, Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru, João do Vale e Oriente. A usina sonora moderna do artista funde elementos de brasilidade, do popular e arcaico à modernidade. É um retorno às raízes logo após o exílio londrino. Traz na bagagem a consciência de que o sonho tinha acabado e era necessário buscar uma nova forma de viver e de fazer música.
Álbum de 1972 em que Gilberto Gil festejou a volta do exílio, 'Expresso ...
g1.globo.com
Quinto álbum solo gravado em estúdio por Gil, tendo sido lançado em julho daquele ano de 1972, Expresso 2222 chega com viço aos 50 anos festejados em 2022.
Gilberto Gil - Expresso 2222 - by Rafael Morettini
umcatalogo.substack.com
O refrão de "Expresso 2222" me acompanhava no trajeto. "Expresso" é o quinto trabalho de estúdio de Gilberto e Gil e primeiro disco lançado após a sua volta de Londres, em 1972, onde havia morado por três anos, após o exílio imposto pela ditadura militar.
"Expresso 2222" (Philips, 1972), Gilberto Gil
discosessenciais.blogspot.com
Escrita por Gilberto Gil em Londres, "Ele E Eu" fecha o lado 1 do álbum Expresso 2222. Nessa canção, Gil traça comparações entre a sua personalidade com a do seu amigo Caetano Veloso. Enquanto Caetano é a inquietude e racionalidade, Gil é a calmaria e o misticismo.
Discogs
Expresso 2222 – Discogs
discogs.com