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Incredibile, ma vero, manca una recensione di questo cult di Cat Stevens!
Per colmare la lacuna devo tornare indietro di ben 45 (quarantacinque anni) per riesumare quello che a mio parere è il capolavoro dell'autore inglese figlio di padre grecocipriota, giudizio all'epoca d'uscita ampiamente condiviso dai coetanei, nonostante gli illustrissimi predecessori: "Catch a Bul at Four", "Teaser and the Firecat" e "Tea for the Tillerman", album di tutto rispetto, con brani memorabili entrati nella storia della Musica, più o meno leggera. Con "Fireigner" Cat, fa un passo avanti per mezzo della complessa "Suite" che occupa l'intera prima facciata, aiutato o spinto da una certa tendenza in voga in quel periodo, basti pensare a "Close to the Edge" uscito l'anno prima e al Disco di Mike Olfield suo contemporaneo.
Ascoltata oggi la suite, il brano più lungo scritto e musicato da Stevens, appare ancora freschissima e scorre via che neanche te ne accorgi, nonostante l'elevata la longevità. Suo degno corollario sono i 4 brani del lato B, fra i quali forse ancor più celebre è "The Hurt" in cui la grinta del nostro eroe è nel pieno del suo fulgore, per smorzare la quale passa il solco alla lenta ballata di "How Many Times", piuttosto adatta, sempre ai tempi per il classico lento da intorto. Molto più ritmata e complessa segue "Later", brano caratterizzato da cambi di ritmo e riprese sviolinate che portano alla logica e congruente conclusione in "100 I Dream" altro pezzo assai ritmato e pervaso dalla voce contrastata ed inconfonbile di Cat
Ritornando all'album, molti non sapranno a cosa è dovuto il suo titolo ed io non sto qua di certo a svelare quanto noto, ovvero che Stevens, arricchitosi a dismisura grazie al successo riscosso dai tre album precedenti e tampinato dal fisco britannico, certamente più "preciso", almeno negli anni '70 di quello nostrano, pensò bene di smammare almeno per 6 mesi all'anno dalla Perfida Albione per rifugiarsi in quel paradiso, non solo fiscale, che doveva essere il Brasile d'allora, dove però egli si sentiva un'esule "straniero" (poverino!). Di conseguenza l'album fu registrato e prodotto in Giamaica, isola all'epoca. molto ben attrezzata per questo genere d'imprese grazie al passaggio del tornado Marley e della musica raggae in genere, inoltre a dispetto dell'accoglienza lusinghiera del suo pubblico non fu altrettanto ben accolto dalla critica che ne sminuì il valore ed anche per i motivi di cui sopra non rese concretizzabile un tour promozionale, cosa assolutamente necessaria a quei tempi poveri di rilanci sui media più disparati come oggi giorno. Ciò ne decretò di fatto un relativo insuccesso, il primo della sua lunga carriera, salvo in Australia dove viceversa raggiunse picchi di vendite dovuti forse alla numerosissima colonia di origini greche colà stazionata.
Difficile prevedere l'accoglienza di un album del genere nel pubblico moderno, a me poco importa ed il mio giudizio rimane fermo, di certo "Foreigner" rappresentò l'apice della carriera musicale di Cat Stevens che già dal successivo "Buddha and the Chocolate Box" inizia l'inesorabile crisi musicale e non. Grafica poverina o se preferite essenziale, in bianco e nero; qualità tecnica del vinile migliorabile e viceversa peggiorata nella digitalizzazione su CD.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Foreigner Suite (18:23)
There are no words, I can use
Because the meaning still leaves for you to choose
And I couldn't stand to let them be abused, by you.
Dreams I had just last night
Made me scared, white with fright
But I'm over to that Sunnyside Road
Over to that Sunnyside Road
Fortunes come and fortunes go
But things get better babe, that's one thing I know
And I'm over to that Sunnyside Road
Over to that Sunnyside Road
I have a friend that I have met
Who gives me love and a certain respect
Just a little respect, everybody needs just a little respect
That means you. . .you...
And in a little while our love will spread
To you
Ain't no matter who inside this world you know
There'll he someone who will love you just for who you are
Really are
Dreams I had just last night
Made me worried to face up to the light
But I'm over to that Sunnyside Road
Over to that Sunnyside Road
Come on now it's freedom calling
Come on over and find yourself
Come on now it's freedom calling
Come on in and remind yourself
Oh darling, you see my face
But it's in my heart that's where it's taking place
And I couldn't stand to let it go to waste
Can you ...
Oh love, sweet blue love
No man can ever get enough
But maybe one day we'll all die in love
Will you . .. Oh love, sweet love, my... love
Oh babe, understand
Take my love that's all I have at hand
Please say you will ... Don't say you can't
Oh Will you Will you Will you
The moment you walked inside my door
I knew' that I need not look no more
I've seen many other girls before, ah but darling
Heaven must've programmed you
The moment you fell inside my dreams
I realised all I had not seen
I've seen many other girls before, ah hot darling
Heaven must've programmed you
You can live in the largest house
And eleven apartments too
Run your own private plane
And a boat in Malibu
But 'till you know' deep down what inside you really need
Well I love you baby, Ooh my dear
And I think about you sometimes
But when you're with me boy it chokes my mind
Come on now it's freedom calling
Come on over and find yourself
Come on now it's freedom calling
Come on in and remind yourself
Man must fight for freedom sure that's what most other people would say
Look for a body to lead them but there's too many to lead them away.
Why wait until it's your time to die before you learn what you were born to do'?
Come on now it's freedom calling but there's only one freedom for you.
Love, love boy...
And I can't wait to be with you tomorrow night.
Won't you give me your word that you won't laugh
Cos you've been a saving grace to me
And I'd hate to face a day without you around
My life would be without sound
Love, love, love, love must've made you on a Sunday
Cos you taste to me as good as God made honey taste babe
And the sky all glistens with gold
When you're talking to me
And the whirling wind turns to song
Why it sets my soul free
Love, love. love. love must've made you on a Sunday
There are no words. I can use
Because the meaning still leaves for you to choose
And I couldn't stand to let them be abused, by you
02 The Hurt (04:20)
You say you want to seek the truth, but it's hard to find
No one to help you, your friends don't have the time
So you ride around in your car. switch on the radio
You want to relate to something you once read in a book
What kind of a way to try to take a look
Until I got hurt I was looking, I was on my way
Until I got hurt, until I got hurt, darling I painted my face grey
Until I got hurt, 'till got hurt, why didn't I
I didn't think of this until I got hurt
'Till I got hurt. baby. I didn't know' what love is
You say you want to learn to laugh 'cause music makes you cry
But the tears you shed are only in your eye
So you turn to any phoney mouth with a tale to tell
But he's just a hoaxer don't you know, selling peace and religion
Between his jokes and his karma chewing gum
Until I got hurt, I was looking, I was the same as you
Until I got hurt, until I got hurt, I did not know what to do
Until I got hurt, 'till I got hurt, why didn't I
I didn't think of this until I got hurt
'Till I got hurt, baby, I didn't know what love is
Young son, don't let me down, young son
I'm trusting you to keep on, never turn away now
Hold on, never let go, now hold on
Turn your heart to the bright sun
Love will come your way
Cos 'till you make that final show
You'll never know what love you've been missing
Missing
You say you want to seek the truth but you work alone
No one to help you and nobody to push you on
So you sit at home drinking your wine, television on
You wait for a miracle, cos you say one day one'll come along
(But wishful thinking, boy) any minute now You might be gone
I'd like to help you brother but that would be wrong
Until I got hurt, I was looking, I was on my way
Until I got hurt, until I got hurt, darling I didn't know which way
Until I got hurt, 'till I got hurt, why didn't I
I didn't think of this until I got hurt
'Till I got hurt, baby, I didn't know what love is
Until I got hurt, oh I didn't know what love is
04 Later (04:45)
Later,
I want to talk it out with you
Try to get my message through
That's not all I want to do
Later
Later,
I want to feel your body close
From your head down to your toes
Maybe help you fold your clothes
Later
I want to spread the news, don't want to soft soap you
We're meant to live and love together girl . . . Oh babe
There's nothing I can do, oh darling
I love you
There's no way you can stay home, alone, babe
Later
I want to talk it out with you
Try to get my message through
That's not all I want to do
Later
Later...
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