It speaks volumes that, 40 years after the fact,
nothing has even casually resembled the late-'60s/early-'70s run of Os
Mutantes. It says even more that Live At The Barbican Theatre 2006, recorded after a
three-decade hiatus, sounds like it could be an unearthed document from the
band's prime. Time may dull other rockers of similar vintage, but Os Mutantes'
enigmatic, widescreen salsa psychedelia is impossible to neutralize. This live
snapshot is stretched out over two discs, and it features the closest thing to
an original lineup one could hope for: Founding brothers Srgio Dias and Arnaldo
Baptista form the core. The rambunctious classics "Technicolor," "I Feel A
Little Spaced Out," and "Ave Gengis Khan" are brought to life like the band
never left, and special guests Devendra Banhart and hot left-field folk
producer Noah Georgeson join the band for "Bat Macumba."