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"Down In Albion" dei Babyshambles non è un album semplice da giudicare nè quanto meno da recensire. Correva l'anno 2005, successivo al fatidico 2004 che aveva visto l'uscita del secondo album, omonimo, e lo scioglimento della più grande band indie inglese degli ultimi 10 anni: The Libertines.
Peter Doherty, meglio conosciuto come Pete, chitarrista, cantante e leader del gruppo assieme a Carl Barât, era all'epoca, un po' per i suoi meriti artistici e per i suoi demeriti penali, un po' per il suo personaggio di rockstar/poeta maledetto e soprattutto per la sua love story con Kate Moss, uno dei personaggi più chiaccherati d'oltremanica e si stava apprestando a tornare sulle scene con la sua nuova band, che inizialmente doveva essere poco più che un progetto temporaneo "di cazzeggio": i Babyshambles appunto. Il nuovo debutto è affidato ancora una volta alla produzione dello storico ex chitarrista dei Clash Mick Jones, che già aveva prodotto i due album dei Libertines. Si tratta di una sorta di concept album con la storia della Bella e la Bestia (Pete e Kate?) come sfondo, in cui traspare il lato romantico e apollineo di Doherty, sino a quel momento ben celato dietro il personaggio della rockstar trasgressiva e decadente, che era già da poco venuto a galla col singolo "For Lovers", registrato in collaborazione con Wolfman, e che troverà la sua massima espressione nel primo e splendido album da solista del 2009 "Grace/Wastelands".
E' un lavoro pensato ma paradossalmente mal prodotto e poco curato, composto da ben 16 tracce, gran parte delle quali risalenti all'epoca Libertines e di cui erano già in circolazione le demo, con la durata complessiva di circa un'ora, in cui la miscela garage/punk-pop/rock non funziona alla perfezione e, anzi, ai primi ascolti alla lunga stanca, trovando un giusto assestamento solo dopo diverse riproduzioni. L'apertura è affidata al prolisso duetto con Kate Moss "La Belle Et La Bête", che lascia poi posto al singolo scalaclassifiche "Fuck Forever", autentico manifesto e sintesi del Doherty-pensiero. Da qui è un susseguirsi di revival garage punk con freno a mano semitirato, tra cui il buon singolo "Kilamangiro" e il coinvolgente lamento romantico di "In Love With A Feeling", sino all'inedito reggae di "Pentonville", che tanto richiama a memoria l'era "Sandinista!" dei Clash. Tornando ad un passato più recente si passa a "What Katy Did Next?", chiaro sequel di "What Katy Did?", presente nell'album omonimo dei Libertines, che apre l'ipotetico lato b del disco, in cui il sound grezzo tipicamente punk lascia spazio ad un timbro invece più tipicamente acustico. Su tutte la ballata-inno capolavoro "Albion", drammatico e toccante quadro dell'underground inglese, per altro già registrata come demo ai tempi dei Libertines, e preceduta da un folle minuto di intermezzo sonoro che fa quasi pensare ad un Lou Reed epoca "Metal Machine Music" più che al nuovo prodigio del rock britannico. Diventato molto più gradevole il disco va avanti tranquillamente con un paio di tracce sulla farsa riga di "What Katy Did Next?", sino a sfociare e concludersi con il coro di "Merry Go Round", canzone gemella della già citata e lodata "Albion".
Si tratta nel complesso di un buon disco, che però, intendiamoci, non verrà di certo ricordato per essere il nuovo "Pet Sounds", e che non è nemmeno paragonabile allo splendido "Up The Bracket", esordio dei Libertines ed autentica pietra miliare rock del nuovo millennio. Tuttavia "Down In Albion" resta ad oggi probabilmente l'album più vario della carriera, per altro sinora non poi così lunga, di Pete Doherty: lavoro che risulta ancora acerbo ma che più di ogni altro manifesta le vere intenzioni e le vere vocazioni artistiche del "poeta-rockstar maledetto". Sperando che la sua carriera possa finalmente riprendere a pieno regime anche in studio, magari con una reunion definitiva dei Libertines a ormai un anno e mezzo di distanza dalla reunion del 2010 per il festival di Reading e Leeds, non ci resta altro che rispolverare i suoi vecchi lavori, splendidi ma non ancora completamente maturi, immaginando come sarebbe potuto andare senza i guai penali di troppo, gli eccessi di droga e alcol e la triste fine della relazione con Kate Moss. Ma Doherty oggi ha ancora solo 32 anni, e praticamente ancora una vita davanti in cui poter dimostrare di essere davvero il genio che viene dipinto, soprattutto in patria, dai numerosi fan e da molti critici.
Ammesso che non l'abbia già dimostrato a sufficienza.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 La Belle et la Bête (05:05)
I'll tell you a story but you won't listen
It's about a nightmare steeped in tradition
It's the story of a coked-up pansy
Who spents his nights in flights of fancy
Met two fellas over gin and mixers
They talked for a while and soon got the picture
One was a souped up Soho mincer
And the other was a pikey with a knowledge for scripture
Then the conversation turned evil... (evil)
Talked, talked and talked about people
Why did you do it to so many people?
Stumbled left out of the boozer,
Threw some schrapnel to the legless fusalier,
An endless ceiling and another light,
With a half-tenner smile and you're looking alright.
That girls out way ahead of the game
Way ahead of the game
Way ahead of the game
You've turned your back upon her
One too many times
Spent all her hard earned money
Getting high she sang
(Kate Moss)
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
She's la belle et la bete at the ball
La belle et la bete at the ball
La belle et la bete at the ball
You know she could have us all
You've turned your back upon her
One too many times
Spent all her hard earned money
Just getting high...
She sang
(Kate Moss)
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me? (than she)
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me? (than she)
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than she?
I'll tell you a story but you won't listen
It's about a nightmare steeped in tradition
It's the story of a coked-up pansy
Who spents his nights in flights of fancy
Met two fellas over gin and mixers
They talked for a while and soon got the picture
One was a souped up Soho mincer
And the other was a pikey with a knowledge for scriptures
Then the conversation turned evil (evil)
Talked and talked and talked about people
Why did you do it to so many people?
That girls out way ahead of the game
Way ahead of the game
Way ahead of the game
Out Way ahead of the game
You've turned your back upon her
One too many times
Spent all her hard earned money
Just getting high...
She sang
(Kate Moss)
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
Is she more beautiful than me?
Is she more beautiful, is she more beautiful
02 Fuck Forever (04:37)
Its one and the same, one and the same oh
So whats the use between death and glory?
I can't tell between death and glory?
Happy endings, no, they never bored me
Happy endings, they still don't bore me
But they, they have a way
They have a way to make you pay
And to make you toe the line
Sever the ties
Because I'm so clever
But clever ain't wise
Fuck forever
If you don't mind
Oh fuck forever?
If you dont mind, dont mind, I dont mind, I dont mind
Oh whats the use between death and glory?
I cant tell between death and glory?
New labour and tory
Purgatory and no happy families
Its one and the same, one and the same
No, its not the same
Its not supposed to be the same
You know about that way
The way they make you pay
And the way they make you toe the line
I've severed my ties
Oh, you're so clever, you're so clever
But you're not very nice
So fuck forever
If you don't mind
Oh I'm stuck forever
In your mind, your mind, your mind
But have you heard about that way
To make you feel I should soon make you pay
And to make you toe the line, line
I sever my ties
Oh well I never
Sever the ties
And fuck forever
If you don't mind
See I'm stuck forever
Oh I'm stuck in your mind, your mind, your mind
I never played this on the radio
Oh they never played this on the radio
04 The 32nd of December (03:08)
32nd Of December
Don't talk about it
Don't want to know about it
Arguing with you's no good
You'll be nobody's fool but you'll almost speak...
Don't let me know about it
Don't let me know about the 32nd of December
Oh, thats the night I'm trying so hard to forget
All you do is you come around and make me remember
What I try, oh that I, what I....
Still you talk about it
Still don't wanna know all about it
Anybody want tea?
Anybody, thank you, ah fuck me
But don't speak
And don't talk about it
Don't talk about the 32nd of December
Thats the night im trying so hard to forget
So all you do is you phone me, and I remember
Remember what I try
That I, what I...
You know that I...
You was a stickler for manners
So don't you say goodbye
No, not to a good old friend,
I get by, please
I get by
And get by
Argggh, so what you running from?
Still, ahh don't talk about it
Still, don't want to know about it
Don't want to know about it
The 32nd of December
Thats the night im trying so hard to forget
All you do is come around and make me remember
Remember what I try
What I, that I...
... nice reason, I'll go
But they'll never do
They'll never do
05 Pipedown (02:35)
Oh Paddy put the pipe down
If you got the right sound
If it's not the right sound
Neither am I, oh my oh my
Do your sums
Work out a fairer way
If it comes undone
Just paper over the cracks
And there ain't no turning back
Oh on The Sun
They make you out to be a tearaway
Comes undone
Ahh I just spoke to matt
pat,they want the money back
Ah put the pipe down
If you got the right sound
If it's the right sound
Oh my, oh my
Do your sums
Work out a fairer way
Can you play no fun
Oh what you think of that
Cause they wanted but...
You better pipe down
You got the right sound
Put the pipe down
Oh my, oh my, oh my
Na na-na na-na...
Oh Paddy put the pipe down
If you got the right sound
If it's not the right sound
Neither am I, oh my oh my
Oh Paddy put the pipe down
If you got the right sound
If it's the right sound
Oh my, oh my, oh my
06 Sticks and Stones (04:51)
Now here's a tale
Tale I will tell
Blood lust after no sweet love
And a many, many things I do so well
Oh you know that's the end
That's the end so far away down
They said that I was as good as dead
And there was hope, but not for us together
My friend, my only friend
Oh well you know that that's the end
And that's the end so far away down
Skip... fame on the run
Don't look back into the motherf**king sun, no
Oh well you know that that's the end
And that's the end so far away down
Sticks and stones
May break my bones
Oh but your words
They really kill me
Sticks and sto-o-o-o-ones
May break my bo-o-o-o-ones
Sticks and stones may break my bones
Oh but your words they really kill me
And there you know that's the end
But there can never be and end
07 Killamangiro (03:13)
Ohhh ohhh ohhhh
Why would you pay to see me in a cage?
And why would you pay to see me in a cage?
Some men call the stage
Listen now
I have gone
You will know
I was the only one that would have died
What was wrong in the eyes of the unwell and unwise
And I killed a man for his giro today
Wasn't very gay, I didn't mind
I was a money man anyway
Killed a man for his giro today
Why, would you pay
Why, would you pay
To see me in a cage
It's all across the stage
And know
When the night has come
You might say
I was not the only the one who would've died
What was wrong in the eyes of the cruel and unwise
And I killed a man for his giro today
On the off chance that you miss me
To the radio
I thought you might like to know you broke my heart
Can only sadden up or hedge your bets
Or take a chance and never get you again
All my ties, time and time
I keep on trying hard not to try too hard
When I forgive, I won't forget
To killing time, so I'm better now
I don't need it...
Anything that makes you, feel hate
Can do without hate
Now I believe in love
Now I have gone
Oh yeah, I will pay
For everything you've done
What was wrong
In the eyes of the unwell and unwise
And I killed a man for his giro today
Ohhh ohhh ohhhh
10 Pentonville (03:49)
It's rough
It's wicked and rough
It's hard
Pentonville rough
It's tough
It's wicked and rough
It's hard
Pentonville rough
Now in Pentonville there's all type of nation
Russian, Columbian and Jamaican
Latvian, Croatian and a Polishman
Indian, Chinaman down from Vietnam
And from the Carribbean an Jamaican
Poorly paid people formed the Irish gang
And the Scottish and the Englishman
They're rough
Pentonville tough
It's hard
Wicked and rough
Yeah rough
Pentonville tough
It's hard
Wicked and rough now
Everyday, it's the same
People can't get better
No they can't get tamed
And black up the heads of the sick and the lame
Some men jump out of their brains
Cause they can't take the pressure
Or the shame or the pain
When they see the life, it go down the drain
In Pentonville it's a different ball game
It's rough
Pentonville tough
It's hard
Wicked and rough
Yeah rough
Pentonville tough
It's hard
Wicked and rough now
Lying on my lumpy mattress
Lying on my back
Staring up at the ceiling
Counting all the cracks
And what's happening behind me
Look over my shoulder back
Bill Cole got my breakfast pack
He won't give it back
Ooooooooooh
It's rough
Pentonville tough
It's hard
Wicked and rough
Yeah rough
Pentonville tough
It's hard
Wicked and rough now
Everyday, it's the same
People can't get better
No they can't get tamed
And black up the heads of the sick and the lame
Some men jump out of their brains
Cause they can't take the pressure
Or the shame or the pain
When they see the life, it go down the drain
In Pentonville it's a different ball game
So A wing, B wing, C wing and G Wing
Come help us sing
A wing, B wing, C wing and G Wing
Come help us sing
Because it's rough
Pentonville tough
It's hard
Wicked and rough
Yeah tough
Pentonville rough
It's hard
Wicked and rough
11 What Katy Did Next (03:07)
There's a lesson I have learnt
If you play with fire you will get burnt
Hell hath no fury
Like woman scorned
I'll tell you my story
Make you wish you never, wish you...
Wish you never never, wish you never been born
I may never learn, never know
I may live and learn but never know
I may crash and burn, oh no
I may take my turn
If you love her, then tell her you love her and
You could be kissing her soon
If you need her, oh, tell her you need her and
You won't be missing her soon
Oh, but for a love to be true
It must come from her too
It's a lesson hard learned
If you play with fire you will get burnt
Hell hath no fury
... (?)
Oh, I may never learn, you never know
I may live and learn, never know
I may crash and burn, oh no
I may take my turn
If you love her, then tell her you love her and
You could be kissing her soon
If you need her, oh, tell her you need her and
You won't be missing her soon
12 Albion (05:24)
Down in Albion
They're black and blue
But we don't talk about that
Are you from 'round here?
How do you do?
I'd like to talk about that
Talk over
Gin in teacups
And leaves on the lawn
Violence in bus stops
And the pale thin girl with eyes forlorn
More gin in teacups
And leaves on the lawn
Violence in dole queues
And the pale thin girl
Behind the checkout
If you're looking for a cheap sort
Set in false anticipation
I'll be waiting in the photo booth
At the underground station
So come away, won't you come away
We could go to...
Deptford, Catford, Watford, Digberth, Mansfield
Ahh anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
Yellowing classics
And canons at dawn
Coffee wallahs and pith helmets
And an English song
Mmm... Reebok classics
And canons at dawn
Terrible warlords, good Warlords
And an English song
Oo if you're looking for a cheap sort
All glint with perspiration
There's a four-mile queue
Outside the disused power station
Now come away, oh say you'll come away
We'll go to...
Satsworth, Senford, Weovil, Woomoyle, NEW-CAST-LE
If you are looking for a cheap tart
Don't glint with perspiration
There's a five-mile queue
Outside the disused power station
Now come away (away), won't you come away
We'll go to...
Bedtown, Oldham, Nunthorpe, Rowlam, Bristol
Aaa-nywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion...
13 Back From the Dead (02:52)
I heard it said
You had come back from the dead
You were playing so fine
Scooping up the soul of the wine
Courage my boy, when you look them in the eye
Try not to look too scummy
If you want some money
If you need some money now, oh...
This ain't no happy place to be
There's nothing nice around me
Nothing nice about me
Oh almost everyone agrees
It's a hell of a year for you and me my friend
Oh promises, promises
I know you've heard them all before
Love is, love is, love is, love is, love is...
Oh well it's just around the corner
I heard it said
You had come back from the dead
Playing so fine
Even if you don't show up on time
Courage my boy
When you look them in the eye
Laugh if they try to be funny
If you need some money now, oh...
14 Loyalty Song (03:32)
Ah, tell me
What did I dream?
Cause nothing's as it seems
On the way back down, for me
What did I dream?
Cause nothing's as it seems
On the way back round, for me
Nothing's gonna keep me from my
What did I dream?
No one's gonna keep me from my
What did I dream?
We're on the one road
Maybe the wrong road
It's the road to fuck knows where
We're on the one road
Maybe the wrong road
But we're together now so I don't care
Nothing's gonna keep me from my
What did I dream?
No one's gonna keep me from my
No one'll fucking keep me from my
No one's gonna keep me from my
What did I dream?
And if I confide in you today
I know you don't believe a single word I say
I found solace in the flood
And everybody knew that I would
Cause I'm alright
And there's a slight crack in my chimney
So tell me
What did I dream? (x3)
Nothing's as it seems
On the way back round for me
What did I? (x3)
What did I dream?
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di giov
Pete Doherty ha dato vita al più disastroso disco rock della stagione musicale.
"Down In Albion" rappresenta l'apice del nulla.
Di FUCKFOREVER
Down in Albion non può essere un album che piace subito al primo ascolto, ci vuole tempo per capirlo.
Ogni singola nota, ogni singolo verso escono dalla testa di un pazzo, di un tormentato, di un ragazzo sensibile.
Di Apple_of_sodomY
Se nell’album non c’era la voce e la chitarra di Pete Doherty, l’album non era un niente.
Killamangiro e Fuck Forever ce lo ripetono continuamente, con la sua voce Sex Pistols vs Beatles.
Di Poeta Maledetto
Pete Doherty ha un talento enorme, ma è rovinato dalla droga e dall'assenza di passione.
Non basta drogarsi, prendere in mano una chitarra e suonare alla cazzo di cane per essere definito rock'n'roll.
