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In piena era grunge arriva il secondo lavoro solista di Bob Mould. Il cantante chitarrista di Minneapolis, dopo un esordio poco convincente e tutto sommato poco ispirato di "Workbook" e del suo folk-alternative rock, decide di riappocciarsi al rock. Ma il passato non torna mai per come fu, ed in effetti ancora una volta pochi sono i pezzi che rimandano alla gloriosa avventura degli Husker Du.
In fin dei conti, però, questo altro non è che un buon segno, poiché alla ripetizione di standards (nel rispetto della regola che vede i "sequels" mai eguagliare nella qualità e nel successo gli "originali"), Bob preferisce regalarci cinque canzoni di rock basate su grandi melodie sopra a schemi di riff in ripetizione. La migliore è "Stand Guard", la più orecchiabile è "It's Too Late", quasi disarmante, per essere composta da uno che, fino a poco tempo prima, ogni volta che metteva a tracolla la chitarra, andava in autocombustione istantanea. Le altre sono la sofferta "Stop Your Crying", la veloce "Out Of Your Life" e la spettacolare "Hear Me Calling", tutta in levare e dai bei vocalizzi in coro.
Più tradizionali, la punksong "Disappointed" ed il violento finale caustico di "Sacrifice - Let There Be Peace". Nel mezzo, un episodio di folk nella ballata gradevole ma troppo tradizionale, intitolata "The Last Night", e due brani rock cadenzati, "Hanging Tree" ma soprattutto "One Good Reason", che sembra uscire dritta dritta dall'ala meno commerciale del Seattle Sound, Screaming Trees in testa. Viene da chiedersi, anzi viene da lambiccarsi il cervello ed enucleare una per una le band che dal gusto degli Husker Du (non solo di Bob) abbiano attinto qualcosa - o molto - da far proprio. Emblematica, a tal proposito, l'iniziale title-track, che somiglia alla celebre "Crush With Eyeliner" di quegli strambi R.E.M. del periodo "Monster", con in più uno special di chitarrazze ed urla che in quaranta secondi ti spiega il perché di mezza discografia dei Nirvana.
Un lavoro che vale, aldilà delle assonanze con le band emergenti di allora, per la melodia e la solarità di cinque gioielli di rock songs e su dei restanti brani, magari poco ispirati, ma sui quali si percepisce quale sia la solidità generale della struttura compositiva di Bob Mould, nonché le sue indiscutibili capacità di arrangiatore ed interprete.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
03 It's Too Late (04:03)
Lately I've been thinking
And how the whole world's come undone
Everybody's got this sinking feeling
Feeling they're on the run
But I know a place where time stands still
I can picture it in my mind
But I'm not sure if we can get there
(There is no reason reasons rhyme
Why can't you see we're almost out of time)
It's too late it's too late it's too late
To cover what you've done
It's too late it's too late it's too late
To call for anyone at all
Well I guess I should be so brave to think that I'm the only one who knows
It's too late it's too late it's too late
To cover what you've done
Oh no we need a change (This world's stranger now)
Now is not the time to run away (There must be a way)
A way that we could listen to the warning signs so pay attention
This is my intention to prevent this fate before it gets too late
And as the hands of the clock go round and round
And the world keeps marching on
Can you afford to let it fall now?
(The fish in all the streams are dying
Fluorocarbons fill the sky
And I don't really want to die before my time has come)
It's too late it's too late it's too late
To cover what you've done
It's too late it's too late it's too late
To call for anyone at all
Well I guess I should be so brave to think that I'm the only one who knows
It's too late it's too late it's too late it's too late
Now now
It's too late
(Lately I've been thinking
Haven't had that sinking feeling now)
10 Disappointed (04:10)
Well I'm sorry you're disappointed
But times they change and so did I
Standing still and getting nowhere quicker
Well it seems I didn't have to try
But now I've found a reason to move on
And you won't miss me much now that I'm gone
You don't seem disappointed
The three years I went to college
Didn't make much of a difference to me
Made me feel so safe I didn't have to think
About the things I really wanna be
So don't get caught up in that trap
They'll make you feel like you've been trapped
Into owing them your gratitude
And all the other platitudes
That make you feel important when you go
But now I've found a reason to move on
And you won't miss me much now that I'm gone
You don't seem disappointed
'Cause when you're gone, somebody else will come along and take your place
It doesn't make me feel any less a member of the human race
This ain't no race
Well I'm sorry you're disappointed
But I don't feel that way today
I am free from all the crazy games you played
I am free from all the things you say
And I don't mean to make a mockery of the things
you thought I'd say when I left, but I'm not disappointed
And if I felt the urge to say you're wrong
Well, I just hold the words inside and laugh
And you'd be disappointed
So disappointed
So disappointed
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