Piccola premessa:
Quando lessi il libro "100 dischi ideali per capire il rock hard e heavy", uno dei gruppi che mi incuriosì di più furono questi Bad Company, anche perchè nello spazio loro dedicato veniva citata una frase attribuita a Bruce Dickinson che faceva più o meno così: "Io un cantante di talento? Forse non avete mai sentito Paul Rodgers"...
Quando ascoltai per la prima volta i Bad Company scoprii finalmente chi fosse questo Paul Rodgers e quanto quella frase fosse dannatamente vera...
Detto ciò, passiamo a parlare del disco in questione...
Un anno dopo lo strepitoso "esordio" (le virgolette sono d'obbligo, vista l'esperienza già ben consolidata dei quattro componenti) omonimo datato 1974, a parere di chi scrive uno dei migliori dischi degli anni '70, i Bad Company tornano sulle scene con questo "Straight Shooter", dando conferma di quanto quel primo disco non fosse un episodio isolato.
Le coordinate su cui si muove "Straight Shooter" sono più o meno le stesse di "Bad Company", facendo perno sulla voce strepitosa e l'interpretazione sempre eccellente di Paul Rodgers e sul chitarrismo sempre misurato e funzionale alla canzone di Mick Ralphs, supportati dall'ottima sezione ritmica marchiata Boz Burrell e Simon Kirke.
I presupposti per realizzare un gran disco ci sono tutti e i quattro non tradiscono le attese, pur senza tentare di realizzare una fotocopia di "Bad Company" (impresa non certo facile), anzi, qui trovano più spazio le chitarre acustiche e le tastiere e le sonorità sono forse meno bluesy e rocciose, ma gli 8 pezzi proposti sono comunque di ottima qualità, che si tratti di "Shooting Star" e "Feel Like Makin' Love", senza dubbio i più radiofonici e conosciuti, delle due ballate "Weep No More" e "Anna", firmate da Kirke, o dell'hard rock di "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" e di "Deal With The Preacher".
Il livello generale di "Straight Shooter" è leggermente inferiore rispetto all'illustre predecessore, col quale pochi dischi reggerebbero il confronto, ma questo non sminuisce certo il suo valore e chi ama un certo tipo di rock suonato con grande classe (e qui ce n'è da vendere) troverà pane per i propri denti, perchè i Bad Company sanno scrivere grandi canzoni e non hanno nessun bisogno di fare inutile sfoggio di tecnicismi vari.
E poi canta Paul Rodgers, mica ligabue...
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Feel Like Makin' Love (05:16)
Baby, when I think about you, I think about love
Darling, I don't live without you and your love
If I had those golden dreams of my yesterday
I would wrap you in the heaven, but they lay dying on the way
Feel like makin'...
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love to you
Baby, if I think about you, I think about love
Darling, if I live without you, I live without love
And if I had the sun and moon, and they were shining
I would give you both night and day, love satisfying
Feel like makin'...
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love to you
And if I had those golden dreams of my yesterday
I would wrap you in the heaven, really dying all the way
Feel like makin'...
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love to you
Well, I feel like makin' love
Well, I feel like makin' love
Well, I feel like makin' love
Feel like makin' love to you
Well, I feel like makin' love
Well, I feel like makin' love
Well, I feel like makin' love
Feel like makin' love to you
Well, I feel like makin' love
Well, I feel like makin' love, yeah
Well, I feel like makin' love, yeah
Feel like makin' love to you
Yeah, feel like makin' love, love
Well, I feel like makin' love...
04 Shooting Star (06:18)
Johnny was a schoolboy
When he heard his first Beatles song
'Love Me Do' I think it was
And from then it didn't take him long
Got himself a guitar
Used to play every night
Now he's in a rock 'n' roll outfit
And everything's alright
Don't you know?
Johnny told his Mama,
"Hey, Mama, I'm goin' away,
Gonna hit the big time,
Gonna be a big star someday"
Mama came to the door
With a teardrop in her eye
Johnny said, "Don't cry Mama,
Smile and wave goodbye"
Don't you know?
Yeah......
Don't you know that you are a shooting star?
Don't you know?
Don't you know?
Don't you know that you are a shooting star?
And all the world will love you just as long
As long as you are
Johnny made a record
Went straight up to number one
Suddenly everyone loved
To hear him sing the song
Watchin' the world go by
Surprisin' it goes so fast
Johnny looked around him and said,
"Well, I made the big-time at last!"
Don't you know?
Don't you know?
Don't you know that you are a shooting star?
Don't you know?
Don't you know?
Don't you know that you are a shooting star?
And all the world will love you just as long
As long as you are
Johnny died one night, died in his bed
Bottle of whiskey, sleeping tablets by his head
Johnny's life passed him by like a warm summer day
If you listen to the wind you can still hear him play
Don't you know that you are a shooting star?
Don't you know?
Don't you know that you are a shooting star?
Don't you don't you don't you don't you don't you know?
Don't you know that you are a shooting star?
05 Deal With the Preacher (05:03)
I need love, the kind I've never known before
You need it too, the kind that makes you feel so good, baby
I want to give, give you all the love you need
Well, I'm a loner, and that's the way I want to be, yeah
Let me say as the sun climbs across the sky above
So your smile filled me with a stronger love
Just as you and I, watchin' the morning sky, oh yeah
Somehow I know it's time for me to say goodbye, yeah, yeah
Here's why : can't make a deal with the preacher, oh yeah, yeah
And I can't make a bargain in heaven, now
Angel, you came to my window
Angel, you came to my door
I was a fool and I let you in
I sure ain't no fool anymore!
Yeah, yeah, you better believe me right now baby
Oh, yeah
As the sun climbs across the sky above
So your smile filled me with a stronger love, mm
Just as you and I, watchin' the morning sky
And somehow I know it's time for me to say goodbye
I can't make a deal with the preacher, you know yeah
And I can't make a bargain in heaven, yeah, yeah
Heaven knows me by now
I can't make a deal, oh no, no, no, no
I love you baby, I love you baby
I can't make a deal, make a deal, make a deal
Make a deal, make a deal, yeah, yeah
You know and I can't make no bargain in heaven
Listen, I can't make a deal, make a deal, make a deal
Make a deal, make a deal, oh, oh
And I can't make no bargain in heaven, oh yeah
Make a deal...
07 Anna (03:44)
I got a sweet little angel and I love her so
She's there when I need her, she understands when I say go
In the night, when she says "Hold me", it makes me feel so strong
Living with her unfolds me, she gives me strength to carry on
I don't need anyone else
If I did I would be fooling myself
Anna, Anna
And I know if she left me, my world would turn cold
She's the best liitle lady that a man could ever hold
When I'm down, she knows what to say
She clears my blindness away
And in the night, she says "Hold me", it makes me feel so strong
I don't need nobody else
If I did I would be fooling myself
Anna, Anna
I found me a simple woman, yeah yeah
A simple woman
I have found me a simple woman, oooh yeah
A simple woman for a simple man
I found me a simple woman,
A simple woman, oh yeah yeah yeah
08 Call on Me (06:02)
When the rain is falling and you feel like you are a stranger
And the time is passing you by is a lonely time and you want to fly
Call on me, call on me
Call on me, call on me
I'll be by your side
When you turn around, needing somebody there
Who can give you love and show you good care
If there's a place inside you that's empty and cold
You may need my love, to have, to hold
Call on me, call on me
Call on me, call on me
I'll be by your side
To keep you satisfied
I want to keep you satisfied
Call on me, call on me
Call on me, call on me
I'll be by your side
To keep you satisfied
When the clear light of a winter's day
Blows cold and hard and the future is grey
You can always have the fire of love
To keep you warm as the sun above
Call on me, call on me
Call on me, call on me
I'll be by your side
To keep you satisfied
I'll be by your side
To keep you satisfied
Don't worry about the rain, baby
I'll keep you dry
I'll keep you warm inside
And satisfied
Don't worry about the rain
I'll keep you dry, I'll keep you dry
Call on me, baby, call on me, baby
Carico i commenti... con calma
