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Clube da Esquina 1972
Album · by Milton Nascimento ↗ View artist

Clube da Esquina

When you dive into Clube da Esquina, you encounter a work born from the union of Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges. This double album, released in March 1972 under the EMI-Odeon label, was a milestone: Milton's fifth studio album and Lô's first, marking the beginning of his solo career. The gestation of this sound occurred in November 1971, between the serenity of Praia de Piratininga in Niterói and the effervescence of the Odeon Studios in Rio de Janeiro. There, alongside musicians who formed the homonymous collective they themselves helped create, a musical proposal was woven that fused MPB, baroque pop, folk, and jazz with touches of rock, psychedelia, and even classical music. The political context of the Brazilian military dictatorship in the background influenced the lyrics, which explored friendship, freedom, and youth. The iconic cover, captured by Cafi, shows two children, Cacau and Tonho, on a rural road near Nova Friburgo, a place with personal resonance for Milton.

Year
1972
Songs
21
Duration
64 min 16 seg
Listen to the album ★

21 song|s

Song list

# Title Available ⏱
01

Paisagem da janela

Intermediate

2:58 01

Tudo que você podia ser

2:56 02

Cais

2:45 02

Me deixa em paz

Advanced

3:05 03

O trem azul

4:05 03

Os povos

4:30 04

Saídas e bandeiras nº 1

0:45 04

Saídas e bandeiras nº 2

Intermediate

1:30 05

Nuvem cigana

Intermediate

3:00 05

Um gôsto de Sol

Advanced

4:20 06

Cravo e canela

Intermediate

2:32 06

Pelo amor de Deus

Advanced

2:06 07

Dos cruces

Intermediate

5:22 07

Lilia

2:33 08

Um girassol da côr de seu cabelo

4:13 08

Trem de doido

Intermediate

3:58 09

San Vicente

Advanced

2:47 09

Nada será como antes

3:23 10

Ao que vai nascer

3:20 10

Estrêlas

0:29 11

Clube da Esquina nº 2

Intermediate

3:39

About the album

Clube da Esquina, according to DoReSol

Initially, the Brazilian press did not seem to understand the audacity of Clube da Esquina, calling it "poor and disposable." However, time and word-of-mouth proved otherwise. The album found its audience, both in Brazil and abroad, and critical perception evolved to consider it a fundamental work. Its relevance has been maintained, being included in the reference book *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* in 2010, and receiving subsequent recognitions such as Best Brazilian Album of All Time by the podcast Discoteca Básica in 2022, and a prominent place on Paste magazine's list in 2024. Songs like Cais, with its enveloping atmosphere, or O trem azul, which conveys a sense of sonic journey, are examples of the richness hidden within this work.

The spirit of this collective, Clube da Esquina, was forged in the 1960s in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, at the crossroads where Milton Nascimento and the Borges brothers—Lô Borges, Márcio Borges, and Marilton Borges—began to collaborate. Milton had moved to the capital in 1963, meeting the brothers at the Edifício Levy. The connection between Milton and Lô, for example, dates back to when Lô was a child and encountered Milton playing the guitar, a meeting that marked the beginning of a mutual influence. This network of musicians and friends, fueled by Milton's growing projection, laid the groundwork for the creation of this album. The recording sessions were extensive, spanning days and nights, marked by improvisation and deep collaboration among the artists.