This is the first album
Rita Lee recorded as a solo artist outside the legendary cult group
Os Mutantes. However, as
Mutantes members
Arnaldo Baptista and
Liminha both perform on this one, it could in fact almost be considered another
Mutantes album.
Build Up was also recorded in 1970, the same year that
Mutantes recorded its brilliant third album
A Divina Comedia ou Ando Meio Desligado. As one would expect under these circumstances, the music on
Build Up sounds very
Mutantes-like, with all the inventiveness, originality, and stylistic diversity that characterized the work of that group. Overall, though, this album doesn't quite reach the same sensational artistic heights as
Mutantes' first three albums. Nevertheless, this is a very good album indeed and it definitely constitutes a worthy kick off for
Lee's long-lasting and highly successful solo career. There is no weak song on
Build Up, but the beautiful "José," the humorous yet somehow tasteful "Hulla-Hulla," the elegant "Tempo Nublado," and the cute "Viagem ao Fundo de Mim" deserve extra mentioning. There is also a very good version of
the Beatles' "And I Love Her." Compared to the five albums
Mutantes recorded with
Lee as a member, the songs on
Build Up are less rock-oriented, much less goofy, and more subtle. On all accounts, this album is definitely worth checking out for any fan of
Os Mutantes or
Rita Lee. ~ Philip Jandovský