Stillness is a concept album -- the title tune opens and closes it in moody stillness -- and a transition piece all at once, for
Sergio Mendes seemed to be searching for a viable way out of the
Brasil '66 formula. Indeed, "Righteous Life," using a different L.A. rhythm section, is really a folk-rock record, a good one, and a far cry from the bossa-propelled '60s. So is the funky voodoo cover of
Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth" in its own way, though the old
Brasil '66 sound does come in very handy in a superb treatment of another folk-rock song,
Joni Mitchell's "Chelsea Morning." Yet
Mendes also experiments with different, more authentically Brazilian rhythm patterns in a brilliantly propulsive rendition of
Gilberto Gil's "Viramundo" and a lovely
Oscar Castro-Neves/
Sebastiao Neto tone poem, "Celebration of the Sunrise." This would also be
Lani Hall's farewell to
Sergio Mendes, leaving the band in mid-album on the way to becoming Mrs.
Herb Alpert and starting a solo career, to be replaced by the Brazilian
Gracinha Leporace, who is now Mrs.
Sergio Mendes. Overlooked in its day,
Stillness is the great sleeper album of
Sergio Mendes' first A&M period. ~ Richard S. Ginell