Il rocker canadese, non pago della pubblicazione del fortunato album "MTV unplugged" nel 1997 quale diversificazione del suo repertorio in direzione intimista, ci ha riprovato nel 2010 con una scelta ancor più radicale per questo "Bare Bones", programmatico sin dal suo titolo "Nude ossa": un'intera tournée intercontinentale effettuata in coppia con un pianista, senza sezione ritmica, senza orchestra, senza il fido e bravissimo chitarrista ed alter ego Keith Scott, con addosso una semplice chitarra acustica Martin e occasionalmente un'armonica.
L'album dal vivo in questione è il risultato di quel giro di concerti, con canzoni riprese un po' qua e un po' la in giro per l'America e l'Europa; ben venti gli episodi, scelti con cura nell'ormai copiosissima discografia, alternando quelli più noti, i classici del repertorio, con alcune cose più defilate.
Sta invecchiando bene, il canadese di Vancouver (classe 1959). Passati decisamente i cinquanta, grazie anche e forse soprattutto alla dieta vegana riesce a mantenere il fisico snello e asciutto come in gioventù. Anche buona parte della chioma bionda è al suo posto, neanche tanto ingrigita... solo qualche ruga che circonda bocca ed occhi fa un minimo giustizia degli anni accumulati. E la voce c'è ancora tutta, malgrado le migliaia di concerti senza risparmiarla e ad onta dello stile assai roco e spacca laringe adottato dal nostro, così caratteristico, così penetrante.
Ha avuto molto dalla vita questo rocchettaro/canzonettaro di talento, nonché fotografo di successo, per giunta. Qualcuno gli ha dato del paraculo... perché no? Certo non è mai andato in cerca delle cose difficili, ma l'arte di mettere insieme cinque o sei accordi e di cantarci sopra qualcosa di incisivo e trascinante non è da tutti, e a lui è riuscita molto bene. A ben guardare, grazie pure ai giusti partners... basta scorrere le note del libretto di questo dischetto per intuirlo: nessuna canzone porta la sua firma solitaria, i suoi successi nascono tutti da collaborazioni (con l'ex-amico e compagno di gruppo Jim Vallance, col produttore "Mutt" Lange in primis, e poi altri).
Adams è un rocker organizzato, furbo, bravo, essenziale, lucido e determinato; una specie di Bruce Springsteen ma dal timbro più chiaro e leggero, dall'impegno e dalla socialità meno estroversi e torrenziali. Fa le sue cose con convinzione sin dal primo giorno, ne ha ricavato grande successo, ha fatto un pacco di soldi ma gira in jeans e maglietta bianca e con questi va anche sul palco, non ha bisogno di tirarsela ed è evidente quanto ancora si diverta, visto che non rallenta. E' bello sentirlo in questa dimensione più raccolta e semplice dell'abituale arena rock in cui si è più abituati a vederlo, armato quasi solo della sua voce. Bryan è comunque strumentista non virtuoso ma solido e sicuro: ha fatto concerti suonando la chitarra ritmica spalleggiato da un altro chitarrista, da un bassista e da un batterista; si è poi infilato al collo una chitarra basso e fatto altre tournée in trio, coadiuvato solo dal fido Scott e dall'ugualmente affidabile batterista Mickey Curry.
Qui, come già detto, ha voluto con se solo il pianista Gary Breit, che rimpolpa un poco la maggior parte dei brani, neanche tutti, i quali così scarnificati e semplici si affidano totalmente al calore interpretativo del protagonista, al sicuro sferragliare della sua Martin oltreché, naturalmente, alla preziosa consistenza melodica ed armonica della loro struttura: semplici apparivano in origine ed arrangiati col gruppo, semplici restano senza più cori, assoli, batteria che pesta, gorgoglii d'organo e panorami di tastiere.
Anche in questa veste spiccano alcune sue perle, tipo quella "I'm Ready" (dal suo terzo album "Cuts Like A Knife" del 1983) che resta una grandiosa e toccante canzone d'amore, oppure il country rock di "Cloud Number Nine" (questa da "On A Day Like Today" del 1998), che pare nata per essere liofilizzata con il solo accompagnamento di acustica, o come ultima citazione la sorprendente "You'd Been A Friend To Me", tratta dalla colonna sonora di un ancor recente (e modesto) film della Disney con protagonisti John Travolta e Robin Williams.
Prendere o lasciare, con Bryan Adams. Trattasi di pop rock, ma lo è stato anche quello di Chuck Berry, il papà di tutti questi rocker dal suono rotondo e accattivante, e nessuno può avere niente da dire su di lui, spero.
Io perciò prendo, e consiglio il disco. Se qualcuno storce il naso giacché Adams gli risulta zuccheroso o troppo melodico, qui non c'è pericolo: ci stanno solo un pianista abbastanza defilato e poi lui, che scherza col pubblico, si diverte, si rilassa e poi riparte a pennare in su e in giù e a rovesciare con grinta le sue canzoni in versione folk sulla platea e nelle orecchie di chi ascolta, senza sovrastrutture, senza trucchi, senza inganni, diretto e schietto.Elenco tracce e testi
02 Here I Am (03:47)
Here I am - this is me
There's no where else on earth i'd rather be
Here I am - its just me and you
Tonight we'll make our dreams come true
CHORUS
It's a new world - it's a new start
It's alive with the beating of young hearts
It's a new day - its a new plan
I've been waiting for you - here I am
here we are - we've just began
And after all this time our time has come
ya here we are - still goin' strong
right here in the place where we belong
(chorus)
Here I am - next to you
And suddenly the world is all brand new
Here I am - where I'm gonna stay
Now there's nothin standin in our way
Here I am - this is me
(chorus)repeat
03 I'm Ready (04:02)
I'd like to see you - Thought I'd let you know,
I wanna be with you everyday,
'Cause I've got a feeling that's beginning to grow,
And there's only one thing I can say.
I'm ready - To love you,
I'm ready - To hold you,
I'm ready - To love you,
I'm ready - To hold you,
I'm ready as I'm gonna be.
You left me a long note - When you left me here,
Told me that love was hard to find,
But baby it's easy and I'll make it clear,
There's only one thing on my mind.
I'm ready - To love you,
I'm ready - To hold you,
Baby I'm ready - To love you,
I'm ready - To hold you,
I'm ready as I'm gonna be.
06 (Everything I Do) I Do It for You (05:21)
Look into my eyes
You will see, what you mean to me
Search your heart , search your soul
And when you find me there, you'll search no more
Don't tell me it's not worth trying for
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for
You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you
Look into your heart , you will find
There's nothing there to hide
so, take me as I am, take my life
I would give it all, I would sacrifice
Don't tell me it's not worth fightin for
I can't help it, There's nothin I want more
You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you
Ohhhh
There's no love, like your love
And no other, could give more love
There's nowhere, unless you're there
All the time, all the way
Look into your heart, babe.
Ohh, you can't tell me it's not worth tryin for
I can't help it, there's nothin I want more...
Yea, I'd fight for you, I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you, yeah I'd die for you...
You know it's true
Everything I do
ooooh
I do it for you
07 Cuts Like a Knife (04:43)
Drivin' home this evening,
I could've sworn we had it all worked out,
You had this boy believin',
Way beyond the shadow of a doubt.
I heard it on the street,
I heard you might've found somebody new,
Well who is he baby - Who is he,
And tell me what he means to you.
I took it all for granted,
But how was I to know,
That you'd be letting go.
Now it cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right,
It cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right.
There's times I'd been mistaken,
There's times I thought I'd been misunderstood,
So wait a minute darlin',
Can't you see we did the best we could.
This wouldn't be the first time,
Things have gone astray,
Now you've thrown it all away.
And it cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right,
It cuts like a knife,
Yeah but it feels so right.
I took it all for granted,
But how was I to know,
That you'd be letting go.
Now it cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right,
Now it cuts like a knife,
But it feels so right.
08 Please Forgive Me (03:48)
Still feels like our first night together
Feels like the first kiss and it's gettin' better baby
No one can better this
Still holdin' on, you're still the one
First time our eyes met - the same feeling I get
Only feels much stronger - I wanna love you longer
You still turn the fire on
So if you're feelin' lonely don't
You're the only one I ever want
I only wanna make it good
So if I love ya a little more than I should
Please forgive me - I know not what I do
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
Don't deny me - this pain I'm going through
Please forgive me - if I need ya like I do
Please believe me - every word I say is true
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
Still feels like our best times are together
Feels like the first touch
We're still gettin' closer baby
Can't get close enough
I'm still holdin' on - you're still number one
I remember the smell of your skin
I remember everything
I remember all your moves - I remember you yeah
I remember the night - you know I still do
So if you're feelin' lonely don't
You're the only one I ever want
I only wanna make it good
So if I love you a little more than I should
Please forgive me - I know not what I do
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
Don't deny me - this pain I'm going through
Please forgive me - if I need ya like I do
Oh believe me - every word I say is true
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
One thing I'm sure of - is the way we make love
The one thing I depend on
Is for us to stay strong
With every word and every breath I'm prayin'
That's why I'm sayin'
Please forgive me - I know not what I do
Please forgive me - I can't stop loving you
Don't deny me - this pain I'm going through
Please forgive me - if I need you like I do
Babe believe me - every word I say is true
Please forgive me - If I can't stop loving you
Never leave me - I don't know what I do
Please forgive me - I Can't stop loving you
Can't stop loving you
11 Cloud Number Nine (03:48)
Clue number one was when you knocked on my door.
Clue number two was the look that you wore.
And that's when i knew, it was a pretty good sign,
That something was wrong up on cloud number nine
Well it's along way up and we won't come down tonight
Well it may be wrong but baby it sure feels right
Chrous
And the moon is out and the stars are bright
And whatever comes s'gonna be alright
'Cause tonight you will be mine - up on cloud number nine
And there ain't no place that I'd rather be
And we can't go back but you're here with me
Yeah, the weather is really fine - up on cloud number nine
Now he hurt you, and you hurt me
And that wasn't the way it was supposed to be
So, baby tonight let's leave the world behind
And spend some time up on cloud number nine
Well it's along way up and we won't come down tonight
Well it may be wrong but baby it sure feels right
Well we won't come down tonight
Ya we won't come down tonight
No we won't come down tonight
Chrous
and the moon is out and the stars are bright
and what ever comes gona be alright
coz tonight you will be mine on cloud -number nine
and there int no place i rather be
and we can go back but you here with me
yeh the weather is really fine- up on cloud number nine.
We can watch the world go by - up on cloud number nine...
13 Heaven (04:44)
Oh - thinkin' about our younger years,
There was only you and me,
We were young and wild and free.
Now nothin' can take you away from me,
We've been down that road before,
But that's over now,
You keep me comin' back for more.
Baby you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart,
It isn't too hard to see,
We're in heaven.
Oh - once in your life you find someone,
Who will turn your world around,
Bring you up when you're feelin' down.
Ya - nothin' could change what you mean to me,
There's lots that I could say,
But just hold me now,
'Cause our love will light the way.
Baby you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
Ya - love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart,
It isn't too hard to see,
We're in heaven.
I've been waitin' for so long,
For somethin' to arrive,
For love to come along.
Now our dreams are comin' true,
Through the good times and the bad,
Ya - I'll be standin' there by you.
And baby you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart,
It isn't too hard to see,
We're in heaven - heaven.
You're all that I want,
You're all that I need.
18 Straight From the Heart (03:24)
I could start dreaming but it never ends,
as long as your gone we may as well pretend.
I've been dreaming,
straight from the heart.
You say its easy but whos to say,
that we'd be able to keep it this way.
But its easier,
commin' straight from the heart.
(CHORUS)
Ohhhh, give it to me straight from the heart,
tell me we can make, another start.
You know i'd never go,
but as long as I know its commin straight from the heart.
I see you on the streets from other time,
and all the words would just fall out of line,while we dreaming.
Straight from the heart.
(CHORUS)
Ohhhh, give it to me straight from the heart,
tell me we can make, one more start.
You know i'd never go,
but as long as I know, its commin straight from the heart.
Ohhhhh,
Go and leave me darling.
Ohhhhh,straight from the heart,
tell me we can make, one more start
You know i never go, as long as i know....GIVE IT TO ME NOW.
Straight from the heart,
tell me we can make one more start.
You know i' never go as long as i know it commin straight from the heart
GIVE IT TO ME...ohhhhh, nooo
Ohhhh, nooo
Straight from the heart,
You know I'd never go as long as I know,
It's commin striaght from the heart.
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