Que País É Este 1978/1987
Legião Urbana
1987
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
Que País É Este 1978/1987, Legião Urbana's third studio album, is a seminal work in the Brazilian rock scene, released in 1987. More than an album of unreleased tracks, it stands as an anthology of compositions that spanned years of Renato Russo's creative trajectory, the band's vocalist and main songwriter, presenting songs to the public that date back to his pre-Legião Urbana phase. The album merits special attention for compiling a repertoire that, otherwise, might have remained in bootleg versions or never officially recorded. It captures the essence of an extensive period of the artist's creation, offering an in-depth view of his compositional process and the roots that forged Legião Urbana's musical identity. With a style that blends punk rock, alternative rock, post-punk and folk rock, the record stands out for the band's characteristic lyrical and instrumental approach. The album cover, featuring a caricature of drummer Marcelo Bonfá, already signals the peculiar story behind its formation, alluding to the guitar changes until Dado Villa-Lobos' arrival.
Context
The initial project envisioned a double album, Mitologia e Intuição (also known as Disciplina e Virtude), which would combine material from this album and the previous one, Dois, but the idea was rejected. Following the success of Dois, the record label pressured the band to release a third album, even without sufficient new repertoire, as only "Angra dos Reis" and "Mais do Mesmo" were composed after the previous record. Renato Russo, in addition to the record label's pressure, felt an urgency to record songs from the Aborto Elétrico era, such as "Que País É Este", "Conexão Amazônica" and "Tédio", before Capital Inicial did so. The inclusion of "Faroeste Caboclo", from Renato's "Trovador Solitário" phase, and "Eu Sei", composed between Aborto and Legião, also helped to make up for the lack of unreleased tracks and to combat the proliferation of bootleg recordings of these songs on the radio. The album's title, Que País É Este 1978/1987, precisely reflects this temporal arc of the songs' composition.
Recording
The album was completed in just one month, with recordings taking two weeks. Songs like "Que País É Este", "Conexão Amazônica", "Tédio" and "Química" were recorded in a single take. The production of all tracks was by Mayrton Bahia. During the recording process, tensions began to escalate between bassist Renato Rocha and the other band members, as well as with the EMI-Odeon team. Rocha's constant delays and his difficulty in executing bass parts according to Renato Russo's expectations led the band to regret having hired him.
Songs
Among the tracks, "Angra dos Reis" alludes to the construction of a nuclear power plant in the city of Rio de Janeiro state, while "Mais do Mesmo", which was intended as the album's original title, later named a compilation by the band. "Faroeste Caboclo", composed in 1979 during Renato Russo's "lonely troubadour" phase, stands out for its more than nine minutes in length, 159 verses and absence of a chorus, narrating the story of João de Santo Cristo. Russo compared it to Bob Dylan's "Hurricane" and, at the time of its release, it was the band's longest song. The album also includes "Depois do Começo", the only song he wrote that Renato Russo admitted he did not appreciate, considering it pretentious and based on an earlier Aborto Elétrico composition, "Anúncio de Refrigerante". Meanwhile, "Química" had already been previously recorded by Os Paralamas do Sucesso on their debut album, Cinema Mudo.
Legacy
Que País É Este 1978/1987 achieved enormous commercial success in Brazil, selling over one million copies and becoming Legião Urbana's third best-selling album, which earned it a Diamond Disc from the ABPD. The album and its songs continue to be milestones in national rock, with "Que País É Este" ranked at position 81 on Rolling Stone Brasil's list of "100 Maiores Músicas Brasileiras", and elected as "Brazil's most striking protest song" in an iG poll in 2013. The album's tour was marked by incidents, including the famous concert in Brasília, at the Mané Garrincha Stadium, in June 1988, which gathered 50,000 people. The performance was marred by delays, an attack on Renato Russo and objects being thrown onto the stage, culminating in a riot that left 380 people injured and a lawsuit against the band by the Federal District Government. This episode intensified Renato Russo's stage fright and led to a more introspective approach in the band's work, influencing the subsequent album. In contrast, a month later, at the Maracanãzinho concert, the audience threw daisies onto the stage in support of the band.
Tracks
Credits
Mayrton Bahia
Renato Russo
Dado Villa-Lobos, Renato Rocha, Renato Russo
Dado Villa-Lobos, Renato Russo
Marcelo Bonfá
Renato Rocha
Dado Villa-Lobos
Marcelo Bonfá, Renato Russo
Dado Villa-Lobos, Marcelo Bonfá
Mayrton Bahia, Renato Luiz, Sérgio Bittencourt
Renato Luiz, Sérgio Bittencourt
Jorge Brum
Jorge Davidson
Fernanda Villa-Lobos
J.C. Mello
Ricardo Junqueira
Marcelo Benzaquém, Ricardo Junqueira
Videos
"QUE PAÍS É ESTE", da Legião Urbana (1987): um presente de natal... por falta de ideias!
Júlio Ettore
Plágio dos Ramones? A história de "QUE PAÍS É ESTE" (Legião Urbana)
Júlio Ettore
Films
Books
Analyses
Que País É Este 1978/1987 – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Legião Urbana - Que País é Este [1987] - Consultoria do Rock
consultoriadorock.com
Whether one likes it or not, for many, Renato Russo somewhat became this symbolic figure. True to the punk style that characterised Aborto Elétrico, "Que País é Este" already opened with its strong criticism and message, which became an anthem for the band from then on.
Especial Legião Urbana parte 3, 'Que País É Este' 1987: "Como é que ...
teoriacultural.com.br
'Que País É Este', despite all the controversy surrounding its production, an album practically without any unity, featuring a repertoire of songs still from the Aborto Elétrico era, it's ironic that it became an instant success and one of Legião Urbana's biggest hits.
Discografia Comentada: Legião Urbana - Que País é Este 1978/1987
discografiacomentada.blogspot.com
Politicised and punk, Que País é Este maintained the standard demonstrated on previous albums, especially regarding the quality of its compositions. It was also awarded a Diamond Disc by ABPD, having surpassed the mark of one million copies.
MUSICA&SOM: Há 38 anos, em 30 de novembro de 1987, a Legião Urbana ...
tabernanovostempos.blogspot.com
Que País É Este (1978/1987) was released by EMI on 30 November 1987 and quickly became a commercial success, selling over one million copies in Brazil – and remains, to this day, Legião Urbana's third best-selling album.
