• Voto:
Ringo era il più scarso dei quattro, non aveva un aspetto bellissimo, sempre malaticcio e fragile di costituzione, ma aveva un enorme senso dell'umorismo che lo ha aiutato nei momenti difficili e che gli ha permesso di costruire una carriera solista più che dignitosa e molto ricca.
Naturalmente non sono grandi lavori, per lo più sono giochi o prese in giro molto orecchiabili specchio dell'artista che li ha incisi, ma alcuni sono godibili e rendono giustizia alla voce nasale di questo buffo personaggio della scena del rock. "Goodnight Vienna" vede la luce nel mese di Dicembre del 1974 e nonostante sia trainato da qualche facile canzoncina, "No No Song", non riesce a sfondare e si piazza al trentesimo posto nella classifica britannica; per Ringo è iniziato il periodo del riflusso dopo i fasti commerciali di "Ringo" e tutto il resto della sua carriera sarà segnato da successi molto modesti.
Il disco viene registrato a Los Angeles e vanta la collaborazione con il vecchio collega e amico Lennon che compone la title track, che proprio aperta da John alla voce è una canzone scanzonata condita da ottoni squillanti e un ritmo indiavolato per un testo leggero il cui titolo non ha nulla a che fare con la capitale austriaca ma è semplicemente un modo di dire inglese (una sorta di imprecazione). Segue la scialba "Occapella", primo di una serie di standard americani molto amati da Ringo ma che non rendono molto con la sua voce, molto meglio "Oo We" con Dr John al piano e Klaus Voorman al basso per un brano ancora una volta scoppiettante con un coro femminile molto azzeccato. "Husband And Wives" è una canzone acustica che dovrebbe essere interpretata con ben altri toni, e non come una lagna infinita da Ringo, bellissimo l'inedito di Elton John, "Snookeroo", che continua sui toni ballabili e divertenti che fanno di questo lavoro un prodotto godibile. Le canzoni scritte da Ringo, "All By Myself" e "Call Me" non stonano ma non sono esempi eccezionali di composizione, del resto la più bella canzone scritta da Ringo è la spassosa "Octupus's Garden" su "Abbey Road" in cui gli altri quattro gli reggono tutto a meraviglia.
Per il resto una versione di "Only You" dei Platters molto curiosa e riuscita e una reprise finale di "Goodnight Vienna" con ancora un Lennon scatenato insieme a tutta la banda che ha preso parte alla lavorazione dell'album. Un disco quindi che si può ascoltare, è facile ed è divertente, certo Ringo non ha una grande voce, infatti quando vuole fare il Sinatra stona troppo, ma alla fine si apprezza.
Elenco tracce testi e video
05 Snookeroo (03:29)
By Elton John and Bernie Taupin
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!
I WAS BORN IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND,
I WAS RAISED IN A WORKING TOWN.
I BROKE ALL THE RULES WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL,
BUT THE TEACHER'S COULDN'T PIN ME DOWN.
I TRIED TO MAKE MY PARENTS PROUD
BY ADAPTING THE SOCIAL POWERS.
OH, PIGS WILL FLY AND THE EARTH WILL FRY,
WHEN THEY GET ME DOING HONEST HOURS.
SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO, DADDY'S GOING ON THE BOOZE.
MOTHER USED TO CUT MY HAIR AND SISTER USED TO MAKE THE NEWS.
WELL, IT WAS TWO ROOMS UP AND TWO ROOMS DOWN,
WE WERE SENTENCED BY THE WRECKING CRANE.
OH, I WAS BORN ON THE EVE OF HALLOWEEN
AND SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO'S MY NAME.
I NEED SOMEONE TO COOK FOR ME
AND TURN ME LOSE AT NIGHT.
I COULD SPEND MY LIFE WITH A FACTORY GIRL,
'CAUSE A FACTORY GIRL'S MY TYPE.
I HEAR THEM GOSSIP ON THE STREET,
MOST OF WHAT THEY SAY IS TRUE.
OH, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT I HEAR THEM SAY,
"THERE GOES THAT LAZY, NO GOOD SNOOKEROO."
SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO, DADDY'S GOING ON THE BOOZE.
MOTHER USED TO CUT MY HAIR AND SISTER USED TO MAKE THE NEWS.
WELL, IT WAS TWO ROOMS UP (two rooms up)
AND TWO ROOMS DOWN, (two rooms down)
WE WERE SENTENCED BY THE WRECKING CRANE.
OH, I WAS BORN ON THE EVE OF HALLOWEEN
AND SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO, (Snookeroo)
SNOOKEROO'S MY NAME.
(Oo-oo, oo-oo, oo-oo, oo-oo)
SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO, DADDY'S GOING ON THE BOOZE.
MOTHER USED TO CUT MY HAIR AND SISTER USED TO MAKE THE NEWS.
WELL, IT WAS TWO ROOMS UP (two rooms up)
AND TWO ROOMS DOWN, (two rooms down)
WE WERE SENTENCED BY THE WRECKING CRANE.
WELL, I WAS BORN ON THE EVE OF HALLOWEEN
AND SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO,
SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO,
SNOOKEROO, SNOOKEROO,
SNOOKEROO'S MY NAME, YEH.
08 No No Song (02:35)
By Hoyt Axton
Huh-huh! Huh-huh
(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
(Aye-aye-aye-aye)
A LADY THAT I KNOW JUST CAME FROM COLUMBIA,
SHE SMILED BECAUSE I DID NOT UNDERSTAND.
THEN SHE HELD OUT SOME MARIJUANA, HA HA!
SHE SAID IT WAS THE BEST IN ALL THE LAND.
AND I SAID,
"NO, NO, NO, NO, I DON'T SMOKE IT NO MORE,
I'M TIRED OF WAKING UP ON THE FLOOR.
NO, THANK YOU, PLEASE, IT ONLY MAKES ME SNEEZE,
AND THEN IT MAKES IT HARD TO FIND THE DOOR."
(Ah-ah-aye-aye)
A WOMAN THAT I KNOW JUST CAME FROM MAJORCA, SPAIN,
SHE SMILED BECAUSE I DID NOT UNDERSTAND. (Parazzi! Parazzi!) (Olé!)
THEN SHE HELD OUT A TEN POUND BAG OF COCAINE,
SHE SAID IT WAS THE FINEST IN THE LAND.
AND I SAID,
"NO, NO, NO, NO, I DON'T SNIFF IT NO MORE,
I'M TIRED OF WAKING UP ON THE FLOOR.
NO, THANK YOU, PLEASE, IT ONLY MAKES ME SNEEZE,
AND THEN IT MAKES IT HARD TO FIND THE DOOR."
(Aye-aye-aye-aye)
(Aye-aye-aye-aye)
(Aye-aye-aye-aye)
(Aye-aye-aye)
A MAN THAT I KNOW JUST CAME FROM NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, OO, (oh no!)
HE SMILED BECAUSE I DID NOT UNDERSTAND.
THEN HE HELD OUT SOME MOONSHINE WHISKEY, OH HO,
HE SAID IT WAS THE BEST IN ALL THE LAND. (and he wasn't joking!!!)
AND I SAID,
"NO, NO, NO, NO, I DON'T DRINK IT NO MORE,
I'M TIRED OF WAKING UP ON THE FLOOR.
NO, THANK YOU, PLEASE, IT ONLY MAKES ME SNEEZE,
AND THEN IT MAKES IT HARD TO FIND THE DOOR."
WELL, I SAID,
"NO, NO, NO, NO, I CAN'T TAKE IT NO MORE,
I'M TIRED OF WAKING UP ON THE FLOOR.
NO, THANK YOU, PLEASE, IT ONLY MAKES ME SNEEZE,
AND THEN IT MAKES IT HARD TO FIND THE DOOR."
HEY YEH!
"I'LL JUST HAVE ANOTHER DRINK, BARMAN, HAVE YOU GOT A LARGE BRANDY?"
09 Only You (and You Alone) (03:27)
(Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo, oo-oo)
Only you can make this world seem right,
Only you can make the darkness bright.
Only you and you alone
Can thrill me like you do,
And fill my heart with love for only you.
Only you can make this change in me,
For it's true, you are my destiny.
When you hold my hand i understand
The magic that you do.
You're my dream come true,
My one and only you.
-"only you can make this world seem right,
Only you can make the darkness bright."
Only you and you alone
Can thrill me like you do,
And fill my heart with love for only you.
Only you can make this change in me,
For it's true, you are my destiny.
When you hold my hand i understand
The magic that you do.
You're my dream come true,
My one, my one and only you.
Only you,
Only you,
Only you,
Only you,
Only you, (only you)
Only you, (only you)
Mm-mm-mm-mm,
Mm-mm-mm-mm, (only you)
Mm-mm-mm-mm.
12 Back Off Boogaloo (03:22)
Back off Boogaloo
I said
back off Boogaloo
Come on
back off Boogaloo
Boo.
What d'yer think you're gonna do
I gotta flash right from the start.
Wake up meat head don't pretend that.
You are dead get yourself up off the cart.
Get yourself together now
and give me something tasty.
Evrything you try to do
you it shure sound wasted.
Back off Boogaloo
I said
back off Boogaloo.
You think you're groove
standing there in your wallpaper shoes
and your socks that match your eyes.
Back off Boogaloo
I said
back off Boogaloo.
Come on
back off Boogaloo.
Carico i commenti... con calma
