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Primordiale è l'aggettivo più adatto a definire il sound dei Blue Cheer, combo californiano di fine '60. Interpreti di un selvaggio e allucinato modo di suonare il cosiddetto "blues elettrico", i Blue Cheer vengono quasi esclusivamente ricordati per la loro infuocata versione del classico di Eddie Cochran, "Summertime Blues".
Il primo album, Vincebus Eruptum, rappresenta il picco della loro produzione musicale e il testamento sonoro della band, il cui merito maggiore rimane, indipendentemente dalle loro canzoni, quello di aver ridefinito il significato di "heavy sound", alzando i volumi a dismisura e puntando tutto su un impatto ritmico devastante. Al periodo - 1968 - nessun gruppo della Bay Area, dove dominava il sound folkeggiante alla Grateful Dead, suonava così "rumoroso" e stonato; per trovare gruppi simili bisognava difatti spostarsi in quel di Detroit.
Marchi di fabbrica inconfondibili dell'officina Blue Cheer rimangono la voce roca e sguaiata del bassista Dick Peterson e il drumming neandertaliano di Paul Whaley, ossessivo ed inquietante. Su tutto si ergeva la sei corde di Leigh Stephens, dispensatore di riff tagliati con l'accetta, il quale suppliva alla sua non eccelsa tecnica chitarristica tramite un debordante utilizzo del fuzz e un approccio quasi carnale con lo strumento.
Vincebus Eruptum si apre con la sopraccitata cover di Cochran, trasfigurata in una danza tribale, e prosegue con un blues canonico ma dall'alone malato ("Rock Me Baby"), caotiche cavalcate a base di chitarre impazzite ("DOctor Please"), pseudo-blues in partenza per lo spazio ("Out Of Focus"), assalti sonici che si trasformano in improvvisazioni di feedback ("Second Time Around") e un'altra cover passata al tritacarne ("Parchment Farm" di Mose Allison).
Un disco e una formazione, quindi, che hanno creato un sound megalitico, preconizzando di un anno lo stile dei vari mostri sacri dell'hard rock britannico, e che hanno ispirato, nel bene (Mudhoney, Kyuss, Monster Magnet, e in genere la scena stoner-psichedelica attuale) e nel male (l'Heavy metal più scontato e arido) molta della musica "pesante" a venire.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Summertime Blues (03:47)
I'm gonna raise a fuss ,
I'm gonna raise a holler
About workin' all summer
Just to try the eart a dollar
Well ev'ry time I call my baby
Try to get late...
Sometimes, I wonder what I'm gonna do
But there ain't no cure,
For the summertimes blues
Well my mom and papa told me son
Ya gotta earn some money
Uh if ya wanna use the car
To go a ridin' next sunday
A well I didn't go to work
Told the boss I was sick
Sometimes, I wonder what I'm gonna do
But there ain't no cure,
For the summertimes blues
I'm gonna take two weeks
Gonna have a fine vacation
I'm gonna take my problems
To the United Nations
Well I called my congress man
You're too young to vote
Sometimes, I wonder what I'm gonna do
But there ain't no cure,
For the summertimes blues
I'm gonna take two weeks
Gonna have a fine vacation
I'm gonna take my problems
To the United Nations
Well I called my congress man
You're too young to vote
Sometimes, I wonder what I'm gonna do
But there ain't no cure,
For the summertimes blues
03 Doctor Please (07:53)
(Dickie Peterson)
Help me please, Doctor
Doctor, won't you please
I need your pain killer, Doc
Shot inside of me.
Well I ain't got no money, child
But I been here before
Cash me in, Fill me up
Why don't you throw me out the door!
Well help me, Doctor
Well why won't you
Why don't you
C'mon and help me please
Won't you please
Whoa, I need your good living
Shot inside of me, Yeah!
I got this funny feeling
Feeling inside my head
Without your good living, Doc
Well I believe that I'll be dead
Doctor don't you turn me down
And won't you hear what I say
I need your good living, Doc
And I need it right away!
Well help me, Doctor
Well why don't you
Why won't you C'mon and help me please
Won't you please
Without your good living
No! What would I be!
Alright!
I got this funny feeling
Feeling inside my head
Without your pain killer, Doc
Well I believe that I'll be dead
Doctor don't you turn me down
Don't burn me away
I need your pain killer, Doc
And I need it right away.
Well help me, Doctor
Well why won't you
Why don't you
C'mon and help me please
Won't you please
Without your pain killer, Doc
Lord! What would I be - Alright, Stick it to me Doctor!
04 Out of Focus (03:58)
Alright!
A cold, cold darkness
And past confusion
Is quickly calling
Yeah, all of my illusions
Now won't somebody
Tell me what's wrong
Tell me what's wrong with me.
From within
The magic madness
I could feel deep in my heart
A little bit of gladness
Now won't somebody
Tell me what's wrong
Tell me what's wrong with me.
Won't somebody
Tell me what's wrong
I been searchin'
Searchin' so long
Oh, won't somebody
Oh, won't somebody
Tell me what's wrong with me.
Alright!
Won't somebody
Tell me what's wrong
I been searchin'
Whoa so goddamn long
Oh, won't somebody
Oh, won't somebody
Tell me what's wrong with me.
And then from out
Of a mystic dream
There came an angel
She spread her wings.
Now don't nobody
Tell me what's wrong
Tell me what's wrong with me.
05 Parchment Farm (05:49)
(Mose Allison)
I been sitting over here on Parchment Farm
I been sitting over here on Parchment Farm
I been sitting over here on Parchment Farm
Ain't ever done nobody no wrong.
Oh Lord, I bet I'll be here for the rest of my life.
Oh Lord, I bet I'll be here for the rest of my life.
Oh Lord, I bet I'll be here for the rest of my life.
All I did was shoot my wife.
She was no good!
I done picking that cotton in a leather foot sack.
I done picking that cotton in a leather foot sack, yes I have.
I done picking that cotton in a leather foot sack.
A goddamn shotgun at my back.
I been sitting over here on Parchment Farm
Ain't ever done nobody no wrong, no!
I done sitting over here on the longest time.
I been sitting over here on the longest time.
I done sitting over here on the longest time.
All I did was drink my wine.
I swear I'll be here for the rest of my life.
Yeah, I know I'll be here for the rest of my life.
I know I'll be here for the rest of my life.
All I did was shoot your wife.
She was no good, you can take my word for it!
I been sitting over here on Parchment Farm
I been sitting over here on Parchment Farm
I been sitting over here on Parchment Farm
All I did was shoot my arm.
Oh, no!
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