C'è ben poco da dire, da commentare o da consigliare quando i Cocteau Twins sono i protagonisti. Tanto si è ripetuto su questa band Scozzese, eppure la loro fama non è ancora certo all'altezza del loro merito, della loro Arte.

La duplice voce di Elizabeth Fraser, come una scia di luce si leva, all'inizio fluorescente e cristallina, da bimba ingenua e dispettosa, poi in seguito più opaca, ruvida, quasi cinicamente assorta nelle proprie elucubrazioni cinguettanti e fantasiose, a tratti così simile a quella dell'ambiguo collega Jon Birgisson (Sigur Ròs).

Fatto sta che i Nostri decisero un giorno di sollevarci un pò dal mesto pensiero che mai potremo assaporare ancora quelle dolci litanie dream-pop di cui per così tanto tempo vi cullammo l'anima, ed ancor meno vedere altre squisite testimonianze dei veri Cocteau Twins, e non Elizabeth Fraser-e-basta che verso gli ultimi anni partecipa ad effimere presenze prima qui, poi là tra il crudele e sanguinario mondo delle colonne sonore (pur essendo sempre ottime prove, non c'è che dire). E come meglio accontentarci ?
Porgendoci su un piatto d'argento un meraviglioso box-set (art-work superbo, grafica sbalorditiva) che contenesse tutto (o quasi) il contenuto artistico di cui fino a poco potevano godere i pochi privilegiati che possedevano gli lp (introvabili, appunto). Il risultato ? Bé, non è neppure da chiedere.

In ognuno dei 4 splendidi cd di "Lullabies To Violaine" sfido io a trovare una canzone che non sia una perla, un dono che la divinità, chiunque fosse, volle donare all'Umanità sottoforma di auree corde vocali della nostra beniamina; certo, sono trascorsi tanti, troppi anni e troppo tempo è stato letteralmente perso, gettato al fango, ma lei è ancora qui, loro sono ancora qui, vivi, a deliziarci con i loro rituali orgiastici, con quelli autentici spasmi libidinosi di stelle filanti, colori acuti e fosforescenti, suoni che trafiggono e sfondano le barriere della realtà terrena inondandoci di luce intensa, chissà come, chissà dove...

E, avvolti nella nitida e fioca bramosia di un'utopica reunion di quelle che a volte accadono, proprio come i miracoli (vedi i compagni di etichetta Dead Can Dance nella fastosa e trionfale tournée del 2005), godiamoci quest'ennesima opera da maestro che tanto ci allieterà nel torpore delle calde giornate estive.

Elenco tracce testi e samples

01   Feathers-Oar-Blades (04:26)

Their fate
And hot
Their face
They're haters

Then they form, then hands
Then they form, then hands

Crestfallen
Weaken
Here comes the oppressors
Oppress, fallen, weaken

Feathers-oar blades
Spitting their feathers

Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades

Crestfallen
Weaken
Here come those oppressors
Oppress, fallen, weaken

Ordered
To attention
The choice of this party

Use your hands, he talked to him
Use your hands, he talked to him

Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out oar blades
Spitting out
Spitting out

02   Alas Dies Laughing (03:38)

Flaxen, the dress is born
Crush a crushing stone
Tie a starching walls
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form

Flaxen, the dress is old
Fingers, this dress is tied
Tie a starching walls
Wake takes a mumbling form

Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form

Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a

Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form

Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a
Wake takes a

03   It's All but an Ark Lark (08:04)

It's all for my
All for my
All of my
All of my
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma

It's all for my
All for my
All of my
All of my
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma

Barking, bighting at monster sails
Barking, bighting at monster sails
Barking, bighting at monster sails
Barking, bighting at monster sails

It's all but an, all but an ark lark

It's all for my
All for my
All of my
All of my
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma

It's all for my
All for my
All of my
All of my
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma
Charisma

Is mocking bird my lullabies?
Is mocking bird my lullabies?
Is mocking bird my lullabies?
Is mocking bird my lullabies?

It's all but an ark lark
It's all but an ark lark
It's all but an ark lark

Off in my
Off in my
Off in my
Off in my

04   Peppermint Pig (7" version) (03:24)

05   Laughlines (03:19)

06   Hazel (02:49)

Oh, on the phone
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
Ta- tattletale
And on the phone
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball

Oh, on the phone
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
Ta- tattletale
And on the phone
Julie outside
Julie outside
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball

Oh, on the phone
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
Ta- tattletale
And on the phone
Julie outside
It's a scuttle
I'm a cheater
Julie outside
Oh, I slammed sleighs to him
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
I slammed the sleighs down
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Tinted
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball
Eight ball

Oh, I slammed sleighs to him
No, not grapevine
Ti- tinted
I slammed the sleighs down
Julie outside
As a scuttle
Your playground
Across you
Julie outside
In vagrance
Playground
Julie outside
I won't need you
Julie outside

07   Sugar Hiccup (12" version) (03:37)

08   From the Flagstones (03:38)

At times I've seen you from the armyard
At times I've seen you from the flagstones

At times I've seen you from the balustrade
At times I've seen you from the flagstones
And you can't cajole
And you can't cajole
And you can't cajole
And can't cajole

At times I've seen you from the aureole
At times I've seen you from the flagstones
Like another goalstone
You may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
You may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
You may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
And you may cajole
And make a joke

At times I've seen you from the balustrade
At times I've seen you from the flagstones
At times I've seen you from the balustrade

09   Hitherto (03:52)

Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes

Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes

Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes

Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes

Hidden to your heavy side
I couldn't tell your head is so deep
Hidden to her own hidden account
I must have let her dame holes

10   Because of Whirl-Jack (03:26)

Fly, won't you fly?
It comes overreaching
It's that whirly-gig
It's also for jack...

Whoever comes clean or a hullaballoo
For whip-stitching
Please won't you fly?

Please won't you, please won't you, please won't you fly?

11   The Spangle Maker (04:40)

12   Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops (alternate version) (04:47)

13   Pepper-Tree (03:58)

Gotta, gotta, gotta gain his voice
On pepper tree
Harden, harden, harden dont's and wont's
My easel she

You gotta, gotta, gotta gain his voice
On purple scotch
Harden, harden, harden dont's and wont's
My easel touch

Gain his voice
On pepper tree
Heart's been swallowed whole
Who's real muse and she

You gotta, gotta, gotta gain his voice
On purple scotch
Harden, harden, harden dont's and wont's
My easel touch

Gain his voice
On pepper tree
Heart's been swallowed whole
Who's real muse and she

Heart's been swallowed whole
Who's real muse and she

You gotta, gotta, gotta gain his voice
On purple scotch
Harden, harden, harden dont's and wont's
My easel touch

14   Aikea Guinea (alternate version) (03:57)

15   Kookaburra (03:18)

To a girl who you mind
A starry sky memory
When Eros spurns Rococo
Rouge thus far
- chorus -
She's spark run away for you
Do you know what we call the moon

There is no end
Ca candle blown, she'll doubt
Faced with past losing


chorus

And you my god
Can't give show
Can't give
Til you go dancing
Forgive my love
Ca candle blown
she will not

And you my god
Can't give show
Can't give
Til you go dancing

-chorus(slightly different)-

So she'll decide
To marry can we come to be

16   Quisquose (04:10)

You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

what polite

Jesus Jenny Gemini
Has all of it criss-crossed
High electron power failing
Hit by degree

You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

what polite
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

Quise qualledo qualledo quallido quallido do do do do au
a Rococo au oahoo

hurt polite
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

Jesus, seasonal, his name, comical

what polite
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

what polite
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

cheerfully
You da dao ao surround
Where what why how how how how

17   Rococo (03:05)

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  NonSonoStatoIo

 Lullabies To Violaine consente a chiunque di avvicinarsi al loro mondo a 7”

 Robin Guthrie, nonostante l’impegno, a volte esagera con i suoi ‘metodi di correzione’