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La fine degli anni '70 per Richard Starkey è coincisa con una serie di fallimenti discografici notevoli. Abbandonata la formula "all-stars", che aveva fatto le fortune di "Ringo" e in parte di "Goodnight Vienna", il batterista aveva puntato suoi brani originali scritti in coppia con Vini Poncia per "Ringo The 4Th" ma il risultato fu un disastro totale insieme al successivo "Bad Boy" nel '78 (questa volta un disco di cover di rock'n'roll). Non bastasse la brutta piega che ha preso la carriera musicale Ringo ha seri problemi di alcolismo che coinvolgono anche la neo compagna Barbara Bach. Per risollevare un po' le sue sorti decide di chiamare in aiuto il vecchio amico Lennon per provare a mettere insieme un disco più che decoroso. Il fato però porta via John nel dicembre '80 e Ringo rimane solo con qualche demo e tanta incertezza.
Arrivano però in soccorso Paul e George che decidono di donare all'amico in difficoltà qualche brano per il suo nuovo Lp che si intitolerà "You Can't Fight Lightning". George ha in mano "All Those Years Ago", Paul (con ciò che resta dei Wings nell'81) raccoglie dal fondo del barile "Attention" e "Private Property" che incide insieme a Laurence Juber, Linda e Howie Casey al sax. Ringo dal canto suo ha una nuova versione di "Back Of Boogaloo" è altri brani scritti da Harry Nilsson e Stephen Stills. Harrison alla fine tiene per "Somewhere In England" il suo brano e lo scambia con l'ironica "Wreck My Brain" e dopo tutto il titolo del lavoro di Ringo cambia in "Stop And Smell The Roses".
Come in molti altri lavori di Ringo anche in questo Lp dell'81 c'è del discreto materiale, i brani composti dagli altri ex-beatles sono orecchiabili e concepiti per la voce nasale dell'amico. Si tratta di un lavoro abbastanza sufficiente e scorrevole, suonato molto bene come sempre ma che non risolleva alla fine la traballante carriera dell'interprete. Agli inizi degli anni '80 sembra difficile per Ringo trovare una collocazione credibile nel panorama musicale, ha i suoi estimatori ma in una realtà dominata dalla New-Wave "Stop And Smell The Roses" annega nelle classifiche. Il fallimento del rilancio porterà sempre di più uno spento Ringo ad aggrapparsi alla bottiglia; il disco successivo, "Old Wave", non vedrà nemmeno una distribuzione mondiale e il batterista sparirà letteralmente per il resto del decennio risucchiato nel vortice della dipendenza da super alcolici insieme alla moglie.
Elenco tracce e testi
02 Wrack My Brain (02:21)
Wrack my brain, wrack my brain,
till my head's filled with pain,
wrack my brain.
All dried up, I'm all dried up,
all I have's this empty cup,
all dried up.
What i have, you don't want,
what you want, I can't give.
I got out of touch with you and yours,
the way that you live.
I try to do my best for you,
while the sky pours down the rain,
wrack my brain.
With a will there's a way,
but there's no way I can see,
coming up with something you'd enjoy
as much as tv
All the same, I play the game,
up and down old memory lane,
wrack my brain, (wrack my brain)
till my head is filled with pain,
wrack my brain, (wrack my brain)
while I slowly go insane,
Wrack my brain. (wrack my brain)
04 Attention (03:20)
Ev'rybody needs attention,
ev'rybody wants to smile,
ev'rybody needs a mention,
attention, attention, for a while.
Come on, baby, give it all you've got,
get into the power of the plot.
you know we'll only get it if we try,
give me your attention for a while.
Feel it, feel it when you tell me,
you've got time to give me,
time can run away.
See it, see it in the children,
people of tomorrow,
living for today.
Your love is fine,
your love can be mine.
Come on, baby, give it all you've got,
get into the power of the plot.
you know we'll only get it if we try,
give it your attention for a while.
Ev'rybody needs attention, (ev'rybody needs attention)
ev'rybody wants to smile, (ev'rybody wants to smile)
ev'rybody needs a mention, (ev'rybody needs a mention)
attention, (attention)
attention, (attention)
for a while.
Give me your attention for a while.
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo.
06 Dead Giveaway (04:31)
By Richard Starkey and Ron Wood
PEOPLE LIKE YOU SEE IT COMIN' A MILE OFF,
FIND IT HARD STAYIN' IN LINE.
IT'S NOT THAT NO ONE REALLY HEARS YOU,
JUST THAT NOBODY REALLY CARES.
LIKE SOMEONE WHO'S JUST SEEN THE LIGHT,
LIKE SOMEONE LOOKING FOR A FIGHT.
SAME THING EV'RY DAY, BEING FOOLISH,
BEING ASKED TO LOSE YOUR SEAT.
DON'T LOOK TO ME ASKIN'
TO BE HELPED UP TO YOUR FEET.
DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY?
YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
DEAD GIVEAWAY.
DON'T LOOK TO ME 'CAUSE I KNOW YOUR GAME,
NONSENSE MERCHANT, HALL OF FAME.
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, YOU'RE A BLIND DRUNK,
AND IF YOU AIN'T THAT, YOU'RE FAR TOO STONED.
'CAUSE YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
SMELL A RAT IN EV'RYTHING YOU DO.
WELL, YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
ASKED TO LEAVE EV'RYWHERE YOU GO.
PEOPLE SAY YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
DEAD GIVEAWAY,
DEAD GIVEAWAY,
DEAD GIVEAWAY.
SOMEBODY KNOCKIN' AT THE DOOR!
YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
I'VE SEEN YOU HAPPY ALL THE TIME.
DON'T LIVE LONELY LIFE,
DEAD GIVEAWAY.
WELL, IT'S A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
YOU'RE A DEAD GIVEAWAY,
DEAD GIVEAWAY,
NOBODY REALLY CARES,
DEAD GIVEAWAY.
DEAD GIVEAWAY,
DEAD GIVEAWAY,
DEAD GIVEAWAY,
DEAD GIVEAWAY.
10 Back Off Boogaloo (03:17)
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.
11 Wake Up (03:45)
One, two
I wake up calling your name,
But it's still not the same as have you right here with me.
And if you go away, for only a day,
You know that i'll still love you.
There is nothing better than to love you,
When you're near the way is clear, i love you.
You gotta know
What is it for
Why is it so
And can you tell me?
I will be right there
Willing to share ev'rything i can with you.
And when you're by my side
I've no reason to hide i dream all my dreams about you.
There is nothing better than to love you,
When you're near the way is clear, i love you.
You gotta know
What is it for
Why is it so
And can you tell me?
You and me are all we need, stay with me.
Lovers need each other, please, stay with me.
You gotta know
What is it for
Why is it so
And can you tell me?
You gotta know
What is it for
And can you tell me?
Why is it so?
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