Durante l’anno di grazia 1969 c’era in America un signore chiamato John Cameron Fogerty che cantava e suonava la chitarra e un gran numero di altri strumenti in un gruppo che si chiamava Creedence Clearwater Revival. Creedence era un nome di persona (pare che la persona in questione si chiamasse Creedence Newball), Clearwater era stato ispirato da uno spot televisivo sulla pulizia dei fiumi (diceva “It’s cool, clear water”), mentre Revival era indicativo del modo del gruppo di intendere le tradizioni e le radici di tutta la musica che potesse essere passata sotto il termine “americana”. In quel periodo l’ispirazione di John e dei suoi compagni Tom, Doug e Stu era all’apice e continuava a sfornare una serie impressionante di album e di singoli di livello assoluto, tra cui questo gioiello intitolato “Willy and the Poor Boys”.
Sono dieci episodi, tutti (tolto forse “Poorboy Shuffle”, poco più di un’improvvisazione folk) di qualità enorme, a cominciare da “Down on the Corner”, probabilmente uno dei più grandi ever-green di sempre, “It Came Out of the Sky”, ennesimo esempio di come deve essere un brano rock’n’roll, semplice, diretto e potente allo stesso tempo. La cover di turno è “Cotton Fields” di Huddie Ledbetter, una canzone che tratta di schiavitù dei neri che coltivavano i campi di cotone. “Feelin’ blue” è una swamp-song incisiva e dal riff chitarristico essenziale tipico di John Fogerty. Con “Fortunate Son” è rock’n’roll ruvido e con la voce di John Fogerty sporca e micidiale al tempo stesso. “Questa è una country song che ho scritto poco tempo fa”. Con queste parole John usava introdurre in concerto “Don’t Look Now”, un veloce country di poco più di due minuti. Uno dei tanti apici dell’ album è il meraviglioso adattamento di una tradizionale flok song americana, “The Midnight Special”, un pezzo che probabilmente doveva essere passato anche dalle parti di Woody Guthrie (non ne ricordo l’autore, ma forse era lui), canzone che parla di treni, di stazioni e di vita povera. Lo strumentale “Side O’ the Road” è un esempio del grande affiatamento della band, grandi la chitarra solista di John e la precisione e la metronomia del basso di Doug e della batteria di Stu. La conclusiva “Effigy” è un rock-blues di grandissimo impatto che lascia spazio anche ad improvvisazioni chitarristiche (mai sopra le righe, per la verità, e sempre dentro certe coordinate come era tipico dei CCR).
Un disco assolutamente fantastico, che ogni buon affezionato della musica americana deve avere nella sua discoteca personale. Ecco, si parlava di pezzi semplici e diretti. Probabilmente era proprio la semplicità la prerogativa numero uno dei CCR, potrebbe sembrare un limite ma in musica non lo è assolutamente, ricordiamoci che essere semplici in musica NON E’ assolutamente semplice, tutt’altro. Buon ascolto.
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01 Down on the Corner (02:49)
Early in the evenin' just about supper time,
Over by the courthouse they're starting to unwind.
Four kids on the corner trying to bring you up.
Willy picks a tune out and he blows it on the harp.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Rooster hits the washboard and people just got to smile,
Blinky thumps the gut bass and solos for a while.
Poorboy twangs the rhythm out on his kalamazoo.
And Willy goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
You don't need a penny just to hang around,
But if you've got a nickel, won't you lay your money down?
Over on the corner there's a happy noise.
People come from all around to watch the magic boy.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
02 It Came Out of the Sky (02:57)
Oh, It Came Out Of The Sky, landed just a little south of Moline.
Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn't b'lieve what he seen.
Laid on the ground a-shakin', fearin' for his life.
Then he ran all the way to town screamin' "It Came Out Of The Sky."
Well, a crowd gathered 'round and a scientist said it was marsh gas.
Spiro came and made a speech about raising the Mars tax.
The Vatican said, "Woe, the Lord has come".
Hollywood rushed out an epic film.
and Ronnie the popular said it was a communist plot.
Oh, the newspapers came and made Jody a national hero.
Walter and Eric said they'd put him on a network T.V. show.
The White House said, "Put the thing in the Blue Room".
The Vatican said, "No, it belongs to Rome."
And Jody said, "It's mine and you can have it for seventeen million."
Oh, It Came Out Of The Sky, landed just a little south of Moline.
Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn't b'lieve what he seen.
Laid on the ground a shakin', fearin' for his life.
Then he ran all the way to town screamin' "It Came Out Of The Sky."
Oh!
03 Cotton Fields (02:57)
When I was a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was down in Louisiana
Just a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home
It may sound a little funny
But you didn't make very much money
In them old cotton fields back home
It may sound a little funny
But you didn't make very much money
In them old cotton fields back home
Oh when those cotton balls get rotten
You can't pick you very much cotton
In them old cotton fields back home
It was down in Louisiana
Just a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home
I was over in Arkansas
People ask me what you come here for
In them old cotton fields back home
I was over in Arkansas
People ask me what you come here for
In them old cotton fields back home
04 Poorboy Shuffle (02:25)
(at the very faint beginning:)
Poorboy Shuffle.
OK. Is it workin'?
You heard it. Ha Ha Ha!
Hey Rooster! Hey, Rooster!
(laughter)
HEY!
(instrumental)
06 Fortunate Son (02:22)
Some folks are born made to wave the flag
ooh, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail To The Chief"
oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no senator's son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman come to the door
Lord, the house look a like a rummage sale, yes
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
Yeah, some folks inherit star spangled eyes
ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask them, how much should we give
oh, they only answer, more, more, more, yoh
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no military son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no no no
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate son, no no no
08 The Midnight Special (04:15)
Well, you wake up in the mornin', you hear the work bell ring,
And they march you to the table to see the same old thing.
Ain't no food upon the table, and no pork up in the pan.
But you better not complain, boy, you get in trouble with the man.
CHORUS:
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine a everlovin' light on me.
Yonder come miss Rosie, how in the world did you know?
By the way she wears her apron, and the clothes she wore.
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand;
She come to see the gov'nor, she wants to free her man.
CHORUS
If you're ever in Houston, well, you better do the right;
You better not gamble, there, you better not fight, at all
Or the sheriff will grab ya and the boys will bring you down.
The next thing you know, boy, Oh! You're prison bound.
CHORUS
CHORUS
10 Effigy (06:34)
Last night
I saw a fire burning on
The palace lawn.
O'er the land
The humble subjects watched in mixed
Emotion.
CHORUS:
Who is burnin'?
Who is burnin'?
Effigy.
Who is burnin'?
Who is burnin'?
Effigy.
Last night
I saw the fire spreadin' to
The palace door.
Silent majority
Weren't keepin' quiet
Anymore.
CHORUS
Last night
I saw the fire spreadin' to
The country side.
In the mornin'
Few were left to watch
The ashes die.
CHORUS
Why?
Why?
Why?
Effigy.
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