Prima di affrontare l’ennesimo capitolo della saga Purple è legittimo chiedersi: che motivo ha una band alla soglia dei quarant’anni di carriera di continuare ad incidere album privi di mordente e lontani dai lavori che l’ha resa epocale? Per giunta, non trattandosi del gruppo del momento non possiamo nemmeno ipotizzare un vincolo contrattuale, dato che si tratta di una band che, pur avendo alle spalle una quantità innumerevole di capolavori in questo momento non costituisce un elemento di rilievo per il mercato discografico. Purtroppo non possiamo offrire una risposta esauriente, ma, dopo avervi lasciati a questa oscura dissertazione, iniziamo ad analizzare questo album dal titolo eccentrico: l’apertura è affidata alla dirompente “House of Pain”, uno spensierato hard rock più vicino agli Aerosmith del tempo che furono piuttosto che ai “porpora” che conosciamo: il bridge centrale è arricchito da un ispirato assolo di Morse, chitarrista dal gusto espressivo fuori dall’ordinario, in grado di risollevare anche le sorti delle composizioni meno riuscite. La successiva “Sun Goes Down” ricalca le atmosfere buie di brani storici quali “Bloodsucker” e “Perfect Strangers”, semplificandone la struttura ed appiattendone i picchi emotivi : il risultato è gradevole ma certamente non memorabile.
Con “Haunted” la band ci sorprende presentandoci un’ elegante prova di ispirata classe, rivelando una particolare abilità nel realizzare ballate, tipologia di brano mai abbastanza valorizzata nella storia del gruppo: questa soluzione, vuoi per scelta stilistica o per risparmiare fatiche vocali ad un attempato Gillan, si rivelerà la carta vincente di questo album.
Le successive “Silver Tongue”, “Razzle Dazzle” e “Pitcures Of Innocence” sono puri episodi di mestiere musicale, semplici ed accattivanti canovacci su cui esibire l’eleganza chitarristica di Morse e la classe del nuovo acquisto Don Airey alle tastiere, rimpiazzo del leggendario Jon Lord.
Anche “Never a Word” e “Doing It Tonight” si dimostrano piacevoli quanto prive d’effetto, entrambe dimostrazioni di versatilità musicale, purtroppo non sostenute da una struttura convincente.
Un discorso a parte merita “Walk On”, un blues dagli accenti melodici che ricorda da vicino la malinconia di una struggente “Wasted Sunsets”: Ian Gillan esibisce una delle sue più sentite interpretazioni, discostandosi dalle sue consuete timbriche per privilegiare uno stile ineditamente “coverdaliano”, valorizzando così il contesto melodico del pezzo.
Il brano che dà il titolo al disco, un rock eseguito in tempo dispari con divagazioni progressive, non si allontana dai consueti canoni stilistici del gruppo, con un risultato pregevole, anche se non illuminante per essere la canzone-simbolo di un album.
Dunque “Bananas”, come del resto molte pubblicazioni degli ultimi quindici anni da parte dei Deep Purple, non aggiunge nulla al cammino artistico da loro intrapreso nell’oramai giurassico 1968, confermando l’abilità tecnica e la grinta di una band che ha detto molto nella storia del rock, ma che forse ha cercato di dire più del necessario.
“Bananas” si dimostra il lavoro ben fatto di una band a cui rimane poco da comunicare ma che lo fa con molta classe.
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01 House of Pain (03:34)
Have you ever had a woman that could make you crazy
Have you ever had a woman that could drive you mad
Have you ever had a woman give you so much trouble
And the best lovin' you ever had
My friends all say I'm losing it big time
But I know where I've got to go
I'm going back there again
I'm going back there again
I'm going back there again
Back to the house of pain
Have you ever had a rock that just keeps on rollin'
Have you ever seen a train comin' down the track
Have you ever jumped into the cold, cold river
And know there's no turning back
My friends all say I'm crazy, baby
But I know where I must go
I'm going back there again
I'm going back there again
I'm going home
Back to the house of pain
Have you ever had a weight that was much too heavy
Have you ever had a burden that was yours alone
Have you ever spent a night when you kept on waiting
Staring at the telephone
My friends all say I'm crazy
But I know where I've got to go
I'm going back there again
I'm going back there again
I'm going back to my woman
Back to the house of pain
03 Haunted (04:22)
I hear the beating of your wings
As if you're playing on my strings
In mysterious ways
You draw me in
To a love
Beyond all understanding
Beyond my reach
So far away
But it seems
Like only yesterday
I'm Haunted
Haunted
Is that what you wanted
All that's left
Is the ghost of your smile
It stays awhile
Then fades away
I hear your footsteps on the ground
Tempting me to turn around
It's just the echo
Of a disenchanted lover
Shuffling aimlessly
Homeward bound
To empty rooms
And picture frames
And Friends
Who can't recall our names
I'm Haunted
Haunted
Is that what you wanted
All that's left
Is the ghost of your smile
It stays awhile
Then fades away
04 Razzle Dazzle (03:28)
I don't have the time of day
I don't know what day I is
Someone's falling on my head
Get up:get up
We're going out on the raz
Razzle dazzle
Call it what you want
To me it don't matter
It's where I belong
It's a matter of distinction
A real fine line
Between an orgy of destruction
And a wonderful time
This room's so cold and bare
There's nothing here for me
I've got to find some heat somewhere
Get up:get up
We're going out on the raz
Razzle dazzle
Call it what you want
It really doesn't matter
When I'm bangin' on a gong
While someone's holding out
To a willing congregation
And we can all forget about
The state of the nation
Can't hear a thing
But I see your lips are moving
I'm working on my thinking
And I think it's improving
I'm going to get the blame
So I might as well deliver
If only I can swim across
This weird human river
I know I started out
With the best of intentions
Some blinding inspiration
And a few not-to-mention
And now I'm looking deep
Into the last dying embers
Shouting what are we doing here
And nobody remembers
I've lost a friend or two
I don't know where they have gone
Only one thing I can do
Get up:get up
I'm going out on the raz
Razzle dazzle
Call it what you want
To me it don't matter
It's where I belong
It's a matter of distinction
A real fine line
Between an orgy of destruction
And a wonderful time
05 Silver Tongue (04:04)
All right...I'm standing here on moving station
All the world is traveling by
To strange outlandish destinations
There they go, I wonder why
I may be crazy
But I'm no stupid
I get along
I use my silver tongue
You know I can dream in any language
Flying on my magic bed
And I don't need to work my passage
All I do is use my head
I may be crazy
But I'm no stupid
Sometimes I ramble
The I'm Lucid
I might seem lazy
But I'm hurting no-one
I get along
I use my silver tongue
I know exactly what you're thinking
But you don't know what's in my mind
You went too fast and now your sinking
Because you forgot to read the signs
09 Never a Word (03:46)
Never a word, a word so true
Passed between us, me and you
Heard you found your pot of gold
That's the story i've been told
Never a word was said in vain
Some were never said again
Some were lost in lovers heat
Some lay fallen at our feet
All day all night, I think of you and only you (x2)
Never a word escaped my lips
Silenced by your finger-tips
All this time so hard to breathe...Hard to breathe
10 Bananas (04:50)
I've got nothing to say today
I used my words up yesterday
I'm just lying here in the sun
Watching you guys having fun
Seven days and seven nights
Working till you got it right
Don't help me I'll help myself
I'll pull some crackers off the shelf
She had her hair done yesterday
Now she's coming out to play
First you pull and then you push
Two in the hand and one in the bush
Oh, my love is
So excited
When I say we've
Been invited
Now we're going
To the palace
Dressing up for
Tea with Alice
Some will rise and some will fall
Some will come to nothing at all
The strangest people have the power
To lead me to my darkest hour
How can you be sure it's me
When it's payment on delivery
Oh, my love is
So excited
When I say we've
Been invited
Now we're going
To the palace
Dressing up for
Tea with Alice
Now my love is
Richer than rich
'Cause I studied
Mathematics
Graduated
Without honours
Everyone has
Gone Bananas
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