380 km. Questa la distanza che mi separa da un sogno. Vicino o lontano che si consideri non importa, l’ho colmata un giorno ed è stato come non mi aspettavo, sono rimasto totalmente incosciente.

Distanze siderali accomunano il mio rapporto con questo disco. Ho sempre avuto paura di rimetterlo sul lettore. È il cd più consumato, graffiato, unto che ho. Vorrà dire qualcosa.

Quei riquadri rosso sangue sulla copertina hanno inciso l’anima, questa prende il volo ogni volta che mi approccio a Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons. È il disco che rappresenta per me la differenza tra innamoramento ed amore. L’ascolto come facevo da bambino ma ora sono cresciutello. L’ascolto e m’illudo di capire cosa voglia trasmettere.

È un monito a non rimanere ancorati al passato, a capire le proprie emozioni e a lasciarsi travolgere da esse. Non lo prendo alla leggera perché ricordo che fin da piccolo queste melodie incutevano forte angoscia e soggezione. Come l’attrazione fatale della falena notturna per i lampioni, ho sempre sbattuto contro quest’opera, nel tentativo di coglierne sfumature nascoste, un’essenza.

Ed è sempre una nuova scoperta, perché il timbro di Kazu Makino non solo è inafferrabile, è velenoso, stride con grazia sui comuni mortali che hanno avuto il piacere di ascoltarlo almeno una volta nella propria vita.

Gli errori commessi, si spera in buona fede, vengono smascherati quando metto su il cd. Come fa un supporto così piccolo a contenere tanta grandezza? L’umore generale che aleggia è cupo, come triste è la sorte di chi rimugina sui propri passi. Molte fotografie mentali si susseguono all’ascolto. Quadretti sanguigni appunto, ferite aperte, cicatrici che faticano a guarire. A volte, nelle giornate buone, riesco quasi a visualizzare queste immagini e provo stupore e dolore.

Non è un caso se il primo verso del disco recita così:

Lying on my back, I heard music

Felt unsure and catastrophic

Had to tell myself it's only music

It blows my mind, but it's like that

Non è un caso se le due composizioni (per il sottoscritto) più rilevanti sono precedute da brevi digressioni strumentali, come a voler prendere un respiro profondo. Poi la discesa in un baratro fatto d’attrazione e allontanamento, di incomprensioni profonde tra due persone che cercano d’amarsi, di capirsi. È un botta e risposta tra Makino e Amedeo Pace, un rincorrere affannato di lui che prova a cogliere l’intimo mistero nascosto in lei.

You’ll be a freak

And I will keep you company

Questo l’ultimo sussurro del disco, l’ennesima marcia funebre del vuoto che incorre tra due persone che si vogliono bene ma che non conoscono l’amore, o se volete, dell’incomunicabilità.

Ora il cd l’ho in macchina, non lo schiodo di lì perché diventato parte integrante della carrozzeria insieme al santino di Keith Moon. Se un giorno qualcuno mi chiedesse di mettere su qualcosa saprei esattamente che esperienza fargli provare: il voltastomaco, le farfalle in pancia, l’innamoramento che precede l’amore e la consapevolezza che il tutto si regga su un filo sottilissimo. Quello di un ragno che attende un suo simile, pronto ad iniettare un veleno dolcissimo.

Elenco tracce testi e video

01   Equally Damaged (00:40)

02   In Particular (06:05)

Lying on my back, I heard music
Felt unsure and catastrophic
Had to tell myself it's only music
It blows my mind, but it's like that

Anyone there? What could you tell me?
Afraid of what? Would you ever know?
Everyone else is really boring
Anyone else wouldn't be good enough

Some place safe, I would imagine
Someone new would be so cruel
Incurable paranoiac, hysterical depression

X X X Alex I'm your only friend
X X X Alex your love will sing for you
(repeat)

Some place safe, I would imagine
Someone new would be so cruel
Incurable paranoiac, hysterical depression

X X X Alex
X X X Alex X X
X X X Alex
X X X Alex your love will sing for you

03   Melody of Certain Three (03:53)

Crawl, crawl as a child
Move like a man
Pushing like a father
Pulling like a friend
Whatever it takes forever it seems
But despite of all that all is well

Sexing like stone
Hot as the sand
Entering a life
Exiting with a man
Whatever it takes forever it seems
But despite of all that all is well

Sometimes i spin around for days
Skip and chase and say
Forget about tomorrow
Until i realize
This valid and logic motion
Is what keeps me from moving
I don't understand

Running running on tracks
With feet on the ground
It will only slow me down
And which way the wind blows
I run like a man ready to go anywhere

When i am so timid
You'll be my words
When i am most effective
You act like a stone
Whatever it takes forever it seems
But despite of all that all is well

04   Hated Because of Great Qualities (04:42)

Secret, so sorry, but I forgot
Secret, secret, we are bound to forget
I was worried I might be rude to you
So worried that I was
It's a lie to serve the truth
And I'm still guilty
Oh, I missed
So be it
Everywhere, everything you ever touch
Cutting it won't do it
There's nothing to it
You were sorry that I was alone
So sorry you ran away
Putting it on me, but you already knew it
Oh, it was never meant to be
So be it
I can't understand this at all
I can't pronounce this at all
These are different matters
These are uncertain feelings
These should never be discussed
So keep it to yourself
Oh, I missed
So be it
Everywhere, everything you ever touch
Cutting it won't do it
There's nothing to it
You were sorry that I was alone
So sorry you ran away
Putting it on my, but you already knew it
Oh it was never meant to be
So be it
I can't understand this at all
I can't pronounce this at all
These are different matters
These are uncertain feelings
These should never be discussed
So keep them to yourself

05   Loved Despite of Great Faults (04:12)

06   Ballad of Lemons (01:54)

07   This Is Not (04:50)

Once she loved a boy. But he did not love her.
His name was Jun. Disillusioned she tried to forget.
So she left everything & traveled to the other side of the world.
But life was like a dream.
A series of meaningless movement.

And then by chance she met you & your brother.
The moment she saw you.
She knew you were made for her.

You're never out of her thoughts. She sees only you.

If it was yesterday he'd felt free just like her
He could have been with her
But today can't be anymore
Tomorrow maybe yes. But today he is not there.

I heard someone say
That mind keeps wondering from desire to contempt
From contempt to desire
Never ever feeling bored. Cause we think we are free.
I think it's so pathetic. Don't you ?
Were you listening to me. No not even one word.

I heard someone say that mind keeps wondering
Life is like a dream. A series of meaningless movement.
I heard someone say
Let's go to the other world
Because we think we are free. A series of meaningful
Movement

La la la

08   A Cure (05:23)

Everybody knows he is a pleaser
Nothing else than just a teaser
Teaser of his own faint smile

Yes and how he’s so amusing
Smiling can be so consuming
And so strange to explain

Oh I know how I think I might
Have known of you somehow and
What your name was

Like any other man in many ways he’s not
Like life itself a mystery or two
Hey Mr. Pleaser would you smile for me

Yes and how many times he hasn't
Spoken just to please not to displease
Please her if you please

Oh I see how his life resembles
Yours and you somehow are like him.

I see I know I’ve been too good for you
you know he’s just like me
pleasing you and now all
you do is wish
I was more and more like him
if so would you consider keeping me
closer I know,

He turns his head and doesn't see you
but when he does he looks to greet you
how are you? Good luck!!

So now I call myself a pleaser
this time sitting on a secret
one secret everybody knows

Oh I see how
His life resembles yours
And you somehow are like him.

I see I know I’ve been too good for you
you know, you know that he is just like me
pleasing you and now and now
All you do is wish
I was more and more like him
if so would you consider keeping me
closer if so, you know if I was more and more like him
If so would you consider keeping me closer? I know,
I know if I was more and more like him. If so..

09   For the Damaged (03:02)

Maybe again
He will be alone
Guess we're equally damaged
Find your name
Do it all the same equally
Signal when you can't breathe no more

Say you were me
Then you could see the view
You'll know we are equally damaged
Don't be a fool, make it easier
You'll learn to say when
Signal if you can't say, "no more"

Don't cross your finger
Sundays will never change
They keep on coming
You'll be a freak
And I'll keep you company...

10   Mother (02:08)

You pay for that
You're wrong if you think it was a loan.
I'm on to you
You're fading out
You wrong if you think I'm alone
I will never fall

11   For the Damaged Coda (02:37)

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  donzaucher

 Non è facile classificare la loro musica, né azzardare accostamenti con altri gruppi esistenti.

 Se avete modo, ascoltatevelo, secondo me è un disco sottovalutato e poco conosciuto!


Di  ZiOn

 Il loro noise-rock sembra stemperarsi, lasciando spazio a momenti più melodici ma non per questo meno originali.

 Ottimo album, vivamente consigliato a tutti coloro che lo abbiamo perso, o come ottimo punto di partenza per conoscere i Blonde Redhead.


Di  The_dull_flame

 Kazu è una sirena che ha perso il punto d'approdo ed è sperduta in mezzo ad una tempesta di onde devastanti.

 Molto più cattivo e acido di 'Misery', ma ancora sorprendente.