La nascita dei 16 Horsepower si perde nella polvere della storia recente degli States, nel loro modo sabbioso di suonare un folk dal sapore southern e mistico. Messi su da quel genio di David Eugene Edwards all'inizio degli anni '90, hanno partorito quattro dischi in studio:essi sono da considerarsi vere e proprie pietre miliari del folk più gotico e religiosamente sentito che sia mai stato pensato e composto.
Nonostante abbiano tracciato i binari di un folk/country dai contorni southern, perso nei risvolti del tempo, non hanno mai trovato tutta la notorietà che avrebbero meritato. Fautori di un revival della musica tipica dell'America, nei lavori dei 16 Horepower si può tranquillamente ascoltare il suono (rivisitato in maniera originale e assolutamente densa) della tradizione blueseggiante e folkloristica d'oltreoceano.
Questa straordinaria capacità di rievocazione viene messa in musica da Edwards (leader e maggior compositore del gruppo) anche attraverso l'aiuto del percussionista Jean Yves Tola, il bassista Pascal Humbert e il chitarrista Steve Taylor. Questa è la line up di Low estate, il secondo capitolo della loro discografia, pubblicato dalla A&M Records nel 1997. Definire quest'album entro dei termini ben precisi è fin troppo riduttivo e chi conosce lo stile della band e di Edwards in particolare sa a cosa mi riferisco. In Low estate non c'è soltanto folk o folk rock, non si ascolta soltanto country ma bensì tutto questo amalgamato con le più disparate sotto influenze musicali: alzi la mano chi non avverte anche lampi di un certo tipo di gothic oppure chi non avverte tra il suono ovattato o graffiante delle percussioni e del banjo una specie di "blues desertico" dai tratti originalissimi. Tutto questo è ben presente in Low estate, che facendo da filo conduttore trascinerà questi stessi elementi nel successivo (e ancor più splendido) "Secret south".
La tambureggiante "My narrow mind" chiarisce la concezione stilistica dei 16 Horsepower, mentre "For heaven's sake" si firma come una delle tracce più belle e controverse della band, assoluta perla del disco. Nonostante la canzone prima citata rappresenti a mio parere l'highlight dell'album, essa non è l'unica degna di nota. Tralasciando alcuni pezzi che sanno di anonimato ("Brimstone rock" e "Phyllis ruth" in particolare) tutte le altre composizioni si attestano su livelli più che degni: bellissima la ballata dal sapore acido "The denver grab" così come "Black lung" che somiglia tanto ad una ballata popolare intorno alle fauci calorose di un fuoco.
Low estate è quindi un album dalle molteplici sfaccettature, tunte ben cesellate tra loro per poter essere "masticate" fin da subito. Un lavoro complesso e difficile da mandare giù, ma una volta compiuto questo viaggio tra le viscere desertiche degli Stati Uniti, esso avrà portato i suoi frutti. Un lungo cammino di religiosa potenza...
1. "Brimstone Rock" (4:29)
2. "My Narrow Mind" (2:58)
3. "Low Estate" (4:10)
4. "For Heaven's Sake" (4:55)
5. "Sac Of Religion" (3:28)
6. "The Denver Grab" (5:03)
7. "Ditch Digger" (3:22)
8. "Pure Clob Road" (3:43)
9. "Phyllis Ruth" (4:36)
10. "Black Lung" (2:27)
11. "Dead Run" (3:20)
12. "Golden Rope" (4:15)
13. "Hang My Teeth On Your Door" (2:36)
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Brimstone Rock (04:28)
Listen closely to me now my darlin' girl
There's one who's out to have you
An jus his breath will burn your curls
Don't you fret
You needn't bother
Don't you fret
Here comes the father yet
Whatcha doin' up atop my roof
Creepin' cross them shingles
You 'bout scared me half to death girl
What's your name Ruthie Lingle
Oye I heard your talkin'
That little Jesus geek
Need a good ass good ass clockin'
Oye I seen your mockin'
Don't you dare boy - think my Lord
Hath done forgotten No
I beseech thee Lord clear my head
Before once again I scar the soul of that girl in my bed
O Lord clear my bed
For once again I scar the soul of that girl in my head
02 My Narrow Mind (02:58)
Wicked, wicked
From the mouth I spout - o Lord
Don let these thoughts come out
My knees they knock and my feet they fail
The thoughts I think I see your face turn pale
Take my hand an' you will see - the one in the wayback
Take my hand an' you will be the one atop the swayback
Your word so pretty
Yes I love that sound
My heart like a hammer does pound
My breath it leaves me to speak it
My legs they tremble to the ground
Wish I was a bible thumpin' fool
Ye from the old school
A mind as narrow as the road I walk
Always upright when I talk but
Take my hand and you will see...
03 Low Estate (04:12)
To Hell with boys creepin' up slowly
Swingin' them shovels 'round
Diggin' up words of pleasure
From evil hollow ground
O - An here's one now girl
The devil is in his eye
You'd better start stirring up soil boy
Or hear e'r you'll lye
Whispered to you in the dark
And I think you heard me say
Let's say goodbye like we said hello
In a friendly kind of way
Ye Charlie's neat & Charlie's keen but
David he's a dandy
David he's a nice young man
He feeds the girls on candy
Whispered to you in the dark
And all that sordid gain
Let's say goodbye like we said hello
In a friendly kinda way
Now what I done's my damage
An what you do is your'n
Y'all got nothin' on me
But I'll take that there
Crown of scorn
04 For Heaven's Sake (04:54)
I surely knew it was a trap ye
Yet my hands they would not listen
I shoulda known your word was flap
Comin' out all sweet an' drippin'
O so where could I go - yes but to the Lord
I been to your house an' see what you adore
I left there stiff - stiff as a board
Where could I go but to the Lord
When will I hurt for heaven's sake
When will I suffer for the sake of heaven
All my love well it is madness
Freely given to you folks with gladness
I will not live and die - no not by the sword
I am weak without the joy of the Lord
Taste and see that the Lord is good
Let's bend our knees like we know we should
We can't see clear - our eyes are made of wood
Taste and see boy that the Lord is good
05 Sac of Religion (03:28)
I'm a rompin' dead boy on a long road
What opened up my eyes to this
I'm just trying to keep 'em closed
Hey feller what ya got in that sac
Is it somethin' fer me?
A little knowin' is a dangerous thing boy
Please take it from me
'Cause I'm gone for today boys
Gone - but never far away
She won't come - an' I won't follow
Shadows lick the day
I entertained that thought so much
It'll never go away
Get outta here you yellow bellied snake
Slither your way through town
If e'r see you again -
Put you in the ground
'Cause I'm gone for today boys
Gone, but never far away
I'll burn lovely
Swoop on down an' grab me round
Land on me I'll burn lovely
Swoop on down - Jus' take off that
Singeing singing gown
06 The Denver Grab (05:08)
See my love cut down the lane
Sways and grinds ooh, that's your play
Ya treat me like your prayers
Though I'm alone
Yer drivin' me to pray, "Trouble" I'm undone
Hold me up
Will ye be my doll?
Hold me up
'Till the sun it cometh down
I didn't want it no
Blood is to blame
There's a little fury on me and I'm o.k.
Don't tell me that
You'll descend 'cause
I'm no bedlam - I'm your friend
See the girl -- The girl's alone
See the boy -- Away from home
Don't tell him nothin'
Leave well enough alone
Boy, oh boy, the boy's a stone
08 Pure Clob Road (03:43)
Are you weary my friends
Of my comin' 'round
Draggin' my chains 'cross your floor
You once had a stained glass look in your eye
Well, not any more
The train moves fast
As I walk this track
Carryin' sin in my sack
Same in the front as it is in the rear
He's taken our stripes on his back
On down to here
I cannot walk if you did not walk
I cannot breathe if you did not breathe
Sin in my marrow
Well this road is so narrow
No I cannot walk
This road is pure clob
On down to here
I figured that I would fall
Ye well I left it all
Sin in my marrow
Ye well this road is so narrow
I cannot walk
My Lord this road is pure clob
09 Phyllis Ruth (04:37)
The chill of coffeeville
She's in those hills still
Kindness of her face so white
The chill of coffeeville
Lord pray it be your will
That she dwell in your house tonight
As one with spirit yes
She goes where it goes
What my little girl sees from the sill
Nobody knows
As one with spirit yeh
She goes where it leads
O boy - that's where my little girl feeds
Should I do - do like you
Look long with swing eyes
An never talk about it
Phyllis Ruth
Yeah I should - do as you would
Walk right up to that box of wood
Step up girl
How far is heaven
I'll go tonight - be a man about it
Boy an hold you tight
11 Dead Run (03:21)
The devil's brand is on my bones
An from inside the holy ghost groans
Sure as shootin' the undertaker knows
He lays the headstones in endless rows
Ye one an all we croak like a raven
It's the dead an the dyin' we're cravin'
Ye one an all
Follow the man tall
Hear his voice
An drop to a dead crawl
Hey boy
Look straight at the sun
To the center you make a dead run
You're gonna halfta cut off both my hands
I got pride as big as Dixie Land
I wanna sit where the velvet is red yes an
Where can I lay this apple core?
I wanna drink of the blood that was shed girl
I can't breathe anymore
Ye that's right she's waltzin' out the door
To dandy lions waitin'
Ye that's right she wants more
She's my lady in waitin'
12 Golden Rope (04:16)
Oh, fire is the color of my true love's hair
Near to the father sits his golden chair
With prayer and petition to the king on his left
Light is the burden that I bear
Oh, so enchanting are these lovely chains that bind you
'Neath their deadly weight the lord's eye did find you
With fear and tremblin' before the one with your wounds
Your eyes are as empty as my savior's tomb,
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
There you are, hangin' by the golden rope
There you lie, no hope
Warm is the breath of his holy spirit
He who has ears to hear let him hear it
Torn were the hands of the worthy lamb
May you know his name and fear it
Warm is the breath of his holy spirit
May you know his name and fear it
There you are hangin' by the golden rope
There you lie, no hope
13 Hang My Teeth on Your Door (02:35)
your sympathy is my simple joy
your bossom my mobile home
free from the thunder that tore me asunder
i have you as my own
and i hold you over rolling on the floor
naked you say this is the way
let's sing an' dance some more
and there's love sore love in your eyes
there's rest love rest for me your lonely boy
rosey cheeks an' ruby lips fade with every sigh
dance in the middle an' flee from the ghetto
an' tango thigh to thigh
and please dare - show bare your need to me again
this is the way - redeem the day
an' daily pull me in
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