Expresso 2222

Gil's fifth studio album marks his return to Brazil after three years of exile in London. It takes its name from a train he used to take from his home town toward Salvador. The title track later gave its name to an electric trio (trio elétrico) that Gil has coordinated in Bahia since 1998.

Several songs are by other writers: Pipoca Moderna by Sebastião C. Biano, played with the Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru, O Canto da Ema by Alventino Cavalcante, Ayres Viana and João do Vale, Chiclete com Banana by Almira Castilho and Gordurinha, and Sai do Sereno by Onildo Almeida, with Gal Costa featured. Gil wrote Back in Bahia, Ele e Eu, Expresso 2222, O Sonho Acabou and Oriente. Gil directed the music, Guilherme Araújo produced and Roberto Menescal coordinated production.

Pitchfork's Kevin Lozano described the sound as more minimal than on Gil's earlier records, squeezing the most out of acoustic guitars and simple percussion with a triangle prominent, and called the album part biography and part science fiction tale. Rolling Stone Brasil ranked it 26th among the greatest Brazilian albums in 2007.