• Voto:
Il secondo disco dell'accoppiata Nash-Crosby è cupo, deciso, dai toni assolutamente meno suadenti. Non c'è più un manifesto generazionale da partorire perché i vent'anni sono finiti da un pezzo; non c'è più nessun motivo per essere gli incantevoli della Summer Of Love, per fare i fighi con le chitarre al falò, ed anzi i capelli di David cominciano già a cadere (in compenso il girovita non pare in espansione).
Il loro ritorno assieme è più intricato, meno trasognato, le trame si sono infittite, le marcette di Nash non sono più così allegre e romanticone, ma quando va bene semiserie. La psichedelica di Crosby c'è ancora, ma spesso è solo una variante per della musica di matrice confidential, su cui spesso Nash sguazza farcendo di pianoforte il tutto.
L'intrigante "Mama Lion", la lisergica "Bittersweet" nata da un loop di pianoforte, il rock nashiano di "Take The Money And Run", l'oscura e fintamente placida "Naked In The Rain", il jazz-rock velato di psichedelica, zeppo di accelerazioni e frenate, di "Low Down Payment": non ci sono spiagge, non ci sono onde, non ci sono tavole da surf, falò, feste, orge. Forse non ci sono più nemmeno sogni ed ideali. C'è introspezione, ci sono nervi tesi, sorrisi amari, c'è la presa di coscienza, c'è il dolore per la perdita (la madre di Crosby), c'è il sogno adolescenziale di un mondo migliore che t'accorgi sta andando disatteso.
C'è la ballata country di "Cowboy Of Dreams", condotta dal piano anziché dalle chitarre, c'è "Homeward Through The Haze", una ballatona soul e confidenziale che si dimostra ottimo terreno dentro cui piantare i semi di peyote di Crosby. C'è il Nash forse più incazzoso di sempre nel finale di "Field Worker", non che sia capace di metterci paura, ma non aveva mai suonato così pesante, lui che è stato sempre leggiadro e leggero.
Infine, c'è il folk lisergico che par essere divenuto canto medievale. Quindi il brano vira verso un prototipo di dream pop per infine ritornare tra i fidati sentieri della canzone crosbyana, aiutata nello straniarsi da inserti del solito zampillante piano di Nash: è la finale "To The Last Whale", medley tra "Critical Mass" e la titletrack, vertice assoluto di un disco che con l'easy listening non ha poi molto a che vedere. Non un capolavoro, ma un disco genuino ed azzeccato, che trasuda amarezza e delusione, sconforto e disdetta. Crosby e Nash, da veri nostri fratelli hippies, non fanno nulla per nascondersi, anzi ci aiutano nella comprensione.
The west was won, ragazzi, the west was won.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
03 Bittersweet (02:37)
On the one side, truth towers like a cliff
On the other side, love dangles by a thread
And here is a climber who cannot find his eyes
And a falling woman wishing she was dead
Both side, why is it always bittersweet?
And the broken cloudy days
when I need the sunÅ’s heat
I need the heat, oh both ways
Why is it always bittersweet
And the broken cloudy days
When I need the sunÅ’s heat
Oh, I need the heat
Why, why is it bittersweet?
And the broken cloudy days
Is when I need the sunÅ’s heat
I need the heat
Drums: Russell Kunkel
Bass: Leland Sklar
Electric guitar: Danny Kootch
Acoustic piano: David Crosby
Electric piano: Craig Doerge
Electric organ: Carole King
04 Take the Money and Run (03:22)
words and music by Graham Nash
© 1975 Thin Ice Music (ASCAP)
Take the money and run
Like a their across a neighborŒs yard
Take the money and run
like a ghost out in the night
Take the money and run
`cause you found out that it wasnŒt hard
to take the money and run
because you were out of sight
You cannot tell me any more lies
You cannot pull the wool over my eyes
Take the money and run
Take the money and run
`cause the summer sun is sinking down
Take the money and run
`cause the four winds may not blow
Take the money and run
`cause the verdict has been handed down
Take the money and run
because thereŒs no place left to go
You cannot give me any more time
YouŒve already taken too much of mine
Take the money and run
Take the money and run
like a thief across a neighborŒs yard
Take the money and run
like a dog out in the night
Take the money and run
because you found out that it wasnŒt hard
to take the money and run
because you were out of sight
You cannot give me any more time
YouŒve already taken too much of mine
Take the money and run
Drums: Russ Kunkel
Bass: Tim Drummond
Electric guitar: Danny Kootch
Electric slide and fiddle: David Lindley
Vocals: David Crosby and Graham Nash
05 Naked in the Rain (02:27)
music: David Crosby words: David Crosby and Graham Nash
© 1975 Staysail Music (BMI)
The clown sat speechless, looking in his mirror
unable to remember how to paint his face
Staring at the image, slowly getting clearer
Wondering if his fear or his heart would win the race
When it dawns on you
what it takes from you
living under clouds of pain
thereŒs a storm in you
you donŒt know what to do
Just when you think youŒre going insane
you lie naked in the rain
Fluttering pages of faces
no two alike
Choice is your soulŒs moment
for its light to strike
Drums: Russell Kunkel
Bass: Tim Drummond
Acoustic slide: David Lindley
Acoustic guitars: David Crosby and Joel Bernstein
Electric guitar: Daniel Kootch
Electric piano: Craig Doerge
Congas: Graham Nash
08 Cowboy of Dreams (03:28)
words and music by Graham Nash
© 1975 Thin Ice Music (ASCAP)
Saw a sign on the highway
I was driving along, way home
On a hilltop is where I belong
I took a look at the hole
Where my head used to be
And I'll sing you a song
That descended on me
The way I live
Determines the way
My people survive
Yes the way I live
Determines the way
My people survive
So I went to the country
To look up a friend
Cause I heard that the house
And the barn had a blend
I took a look at the hole
Where the bird used to be
And I'll sing him a song
Because he sang one for me
The way I live
Determines the way
My people survive
Yes the way I live
Determines the way
My people survive
And the names of the cowboys
Will all blow away
Like the dust off the desert
On a hot windy day
I've tried so hard to tell you
In so many ways
That I'm scared of the heartache and scenes
With the cowboy of dreams
Drums: Russ Kunkel
Bass: Tim Drummond
Electric guitar: Graham Nash
Acoustic piano: Craig Doerge
Fiddle: David Lindley
Other Vocal: Joel Bernstein
09 Homeward Through the Haze (04:04)
words and music by David Crosby
© 1975 Staysail Music (BMI)
First rain of winter
First fall from grace
It's my first hollow echo
In the halls of praise
How could Samson
I thought he was blind as a bat
How cold he have torn down
The temples like that
And how could little Caesar
How could he know whereof he spoke
When all of his wheels are turning him into a joke
Cause the blind are leading the blind
And I am amazed at how they stumble
Homeward through the haze
Got the soul of a ragpicker
Got the mind of a slug
I keep sweeping problems
Under my rug
And all of my fine
My fine fair weather friends, Yeah
Will have no more time
To make their amends
Cause the blind are leading the blind
And I am amazed at how they stumble
Homeward through the haze
Drums: Russ Kunkel
Bass: Leland Sklar
Electric piano: Craig Doerge
Acoustic piano: Carole King
Electric guitar: Danny Kootch
Electric guitar: David Crosby
Additional vocals: Carole King
Organ: Graham Nash
Vocal: David Crosby and Graham Nash
Other Harmony: Carole King
10 Fieldworker (02:45)
words and music by Graham Nash
© 1975 Thin Ice Music (ASCAP)
Digging in your fields
Pulling up your food
No matter how I feel, don't do me no good
“Treat me like a human�?, is all I got to say
The man that I am working for won't let me get away
I came across your border just to work for you
I give you all I got to give
What more can I do?
Don't give me law and order
Tell me to stick around
While standing in the picket line
you try and shoot me down down
I come to your country to work on the land
Watching the seeds as they die in the sand
Fighting for your freedom with a hoe in your hand, fieldworker
Fieldworker
Digging in your fields
Pulling up your food
No matter how I feel, don't do me no good
“Treat me like a human�?, is all I got to say
The man that I am working for won't let me get away
Drums: Levon Helm
Bass: Tim Drummond
Electric piano: Stan Celeste
Acoustic piano: Graham Nash
Electric guitar: David Crosby
Electric slide: Ben Keith
Electric slide: David Lindley
Percussion: Russ Kunkel
Carico i commenti... con calma
