Volume Dois


Volume Dois is the ninth studio album released by the Brazilian rock band Titãs. Following the success of the previous album, Acústico MTV, Volume Dois features unplugged arrangements of previously recorded Titãs' songs, along with some new ones, and features musicians from the São Paulo Municipal Symphony Orchestra. It is one of their most successful albums, having sold more than 1 million copies as of 2015.

Background, production and concept

In the final performances of the Acústico MTV tour, Titãs already talked about a future studio album with more acoustic versions of their songs. They were even already performing "É Preciso Saber Viver" by the time.
By the time of the album release, members Tony Bellotto and Paulo Miklos commented that the band did not want to give in to electronic sounds: "We are a stage band, we like to play. It doesn't make sense, in a numerous band, to wait for the computer sequence before coming in with the guitars. This happened around the times of Õ Blésq Blom Acoustic is the valuing of melodies, the electronic 'thing' more disturbed us than helped us".
Vocalist and keyboardist Sérgio Britto labeled the album as a "complement" to Acústico MTV, and not simply a new acoustic effort, pointing also that songs became lighter, but not necessarily acoustic.

Recording and song information

The album recording sessions lasted for 4 months, a process that then vocalist and bassist Nando Reis would later consider tiresome. The band once again invited producer Liminha, seeking to repeat the quality of albums such as Cabeça Dinossauro and Jesus não Tem Dentes no País dos Banguelas, but Reis considered the final result as below expectations, citing that Liminha overused then new Pro Tools to almost completely recreated entire arrangements; he also re-recorded some of his bass parts, for example on "Desordem".
The recording sessions were temporarily paused when drummer Charles Gavin's girlfriend was kidnapped. Also during the recording sessions, acoustic guitarist Marcelo Fromer took a one-month leave to travel to France and comment the 1998 FIFA World Cup for SporTV channel.
The hit "Sonífera Ilha" was chosen as the opening track for being "emblematic. Cheesy, trying to be pop, inventive", according to Bellotto.
When asked if "Caras Como Eu" was a song about feeling old, its author Bellotto replied:
Also asked it the song was a farewell one, he answered:

Release and marketing

The album was introduced to the press in a press conference hosted at restaurant Terraço Itália, atop Edifício Itália. A promotional tour succeeded, with its shows divided into three parts: one electroacoustic, one acoustic and one more rock-oriented, containing old hits not used in the album. Reproducing the performance of their predecessor in 1997, it was elected by Folha de S.Paulo readers as the best album and show of 1998.
In a contest promoted at Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo, students were invited to create canvases inspired by the album, and the winner would have their work reproduced and displayed in stores to promote the new release.

Personnel

Titãs

Guest musicians