Rita Lee - Novelas (2002)

Novelas is a compilation of Rita Lee songs that have appeared on Brazilian TV soap operas (telenovelas) through the years. The album features a few of Lee's best and most famous songs, such as the 1975 rock classic "Esse Tal de Roque Enrow," the sarcastic funk of "Agora é Moda," and the enchanting "Eu e Meu Gato" from her great 1978 album, Babilonia. The version of the Beatles cover "Minha Vida" (In My Life) on this compilation isn't the same (or as good) as the version found on her successful 2001 album, Aqui, Ali, Em Qualquer Lugar. The compilation also includes a couple of more or less uninspired songs released by Lee during the '80s, the least artistically impressive period of her career. Thanks to the inclusion of some of her classic recordings from the '70s, however, Novelas could work reasonably well as an introduction to her work, but there are several better Lee compilations, such as Meus Momentos and Brazilian Collection. Those two and other collections give a much better picture of the music of Rita Lee -- one of Brazil's most celebrated, charismatic, and talented artists.