Astrud Gilberto – Beach Samba (1967)

Super Awesome South America logo by Sarca @ caughtmegaming

Made in South America Artist #1: Astrud Gilberto

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[Album 472/1001]

Pandering: A speaker telling the people what they want to hear, even if it’s not what the speaker actually believes or represents.

With a meticulously packaged message that’s guaranteed to please, the audience can’t help but nod along approvingly.

Exhibit A: Community Season 2, Episode 17. How to win a student council election.

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Exhibit B: Bo Burnham’s Country Song. How to appeal to a modern, stadium country fan.

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Exhibit C: Astrud Gilberto’s Beach Samba?

When listening to this album, I can’t help but feel suspicious that I’m being pandered to.

It contains so many things that gain my instant and irreversible approval.

Take the first 20 seconds or so of the opener Stay:

– The bossa nova groove

– The warbling flute

– The syncopated acoustic guitar chords

– The lovely low vocal, offset by some tasty vibraphone

I was sold before she even launched into the sales pitch!

And I blissfully nodded along the rest of the way.

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Beach Samba is probably an entirely ‘authentic’ recording, without an ounce of artistic integrity sacrificed in pursuit of widespread approval.

However, in the event I’m on the receiving end of some pandering, the stakes are pretty low: there’s a chance this review won’t play a major role in any upcoming elections/world-altering events.

So if this Astrud Gilberto album was indeed a carefully constructed package, tailor-made for listeners in my demographic 5 decades after its initial release, I say pander away Astrud, I’m all ears!