Un ventilatore in un album rock? Vi starete domandando cosa voglia dire questa domanda e non sapreste neanche rispondere.
Un ventilatore in un album rock ... incredibile ma vero,  ma è il suono di un ventilatore ad aprire il quinto album in studio dei Deep Purple, band rock militante dalla fine degli anni '60 in poi, band che nei '70 ha ottenuto la fama mondiale grazie ad album di elevato spessore artistico come In rock e Machine head.

Ebbene, l'album pubblicato tra quelli già citati, Fireball, pubblicato nel 1971, si apre con un effetto sonoro ottenuto grazie al ventilatore di Ian Paice, batterista della band. La canzone che riceve questo privilegio è anche la title track, uno dei cavalli di battaglia dei Deep Purple in tutta la loro carriera.
Uscito di scena il ventilatore finalmente si parte con la musica vera e propria, con l'ingresso della batteria di Ian Paice che introduce a sua volta gli altri strumenti e la voce aggressiva di Ian Gillan. Notevole è il basso distorto di Robert Glover che spicca in un assolo stilisticamente molto riuscito.

Il pezzo che segue, No no no, è un bel pezzo rock, dal sapore funk, eppure i Deep Purple lo considerano come il brano meno riuscito dell'album per la sua lentezza. La voce di Ian Gillan è sempre aggressiva e la batteria fa da sfondo. Verso la fine del brano è il momento di un bellissimo assolo di Jon Lord alle tastiere.

Demon's eye è un pezzo molto orecchiabile: la presenza della chitarra è evidente e l'assolo di Blackmore, chitarrista della band, è uno dei più famosi dei Deep Purple. Anyone's daughter, pezzo che chiude il lato A dell'album, è un pezzo dall'atmosfera country. La voce di Ian Gillan è più quieta e il cantante sembra quasi prendere il ruolo di cantastorie.

In The Mule, brano che apre il lato B dell'album, viene dato spazio alla batteria di Ian Paice: nei live il batterista potrà sfoggiare tutta la sua bravura e versatilità in questo pezzo. Con la seconda canzone del lato B, Fools, la voce di Ian Gillan ritorna aggressiva e nel mezzo della canzone prevale il suono del tamburello. È il brano più lungo dell'album. Il lato B, e conseguentemente l'album, si chiude alla grande con No one came.

Fireball rientra di diritto tra le perle dell'hard rock, un album molto potente, un album senza esclusione di colpi. 

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   Fireball (03:24)

The golden light about you shows me where you're from
The magic in your eye bewitches all you gaze upon
You stand up on your hill and they bebop all around you
They wonder where you're from oh yeah
They wonder where I found you
Oh my love it's a long way
Where you're from it's a long way

I tried to understand you, I tried to love you right
The way you smile and touch me always sets my heart alight
Your lips are like a fire burning through my soul
And people ask me where you're from
They really wanna know
Oh my soul it's a long way
Where you're from it's a long way

Magic woman wreckin' up my soul
Things you tell me have never been told
Magic woman I don't know
Electric before me I love you so I love you so
You're racing like a fireball dancing like a ghost
You're gemini and I don't know which one I like the most
My head is getting broken and my mind is getting bust
But now I'm coming with you down the road of golden dust
Oh my love it's a long way
Where you're from it's a long way

02   No No No (06:54)

03   Strange Kind of Woman (04:07)

There once was a woman
A strange kind of woman
The kind that gets written down in history
Her name was Nancy
Her face was nothing fancy
She left a trail of happiness and misery
I loved her
Everybody loved her
She loved everyone and gave them good return
I tried to take her
I even tried to break her
She said, I ain't for takin' won't you ever learn
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
I spent my money as I took my turn
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
Ooh, I got a strange kind of woman, yes I have
She looked like a raver
But I could never please her
On Wednesday mornings boy you can't go far
I couldn't get her
But things got better, she said
Saturday nights from now on, baby, you're my star
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
I spent my money as I took my turn
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
Ooh, I got a strange kind of woman
Ooh, my soul, I love you
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
I spent my money as I took my turn
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
Ooh, I got a strange kind of woman, yes I have
She finally said she loved me
I wed her in a hurry
No more callers and I glow with pride
I'm dreaming
I feel like screaming
I won my woman just before she died
I want you, I need you, I gotta be near you
I spent my money as I took my turn
I want you, I need you, ha ha ha
Ooh, I had a strange kind of woman, yeah
She was so fat
She was the worst thing you've ever seen
Ooh, my soul, I love you, baby

04   Anyone's Daughter (04:44)

While I stood under your bedroom window
Throwin' up a brick
No one came, I threw one more
That really did the trick
Your daddy came and banged my head
He said what kind of man,
Is this that's hangin' round my girl?
Huh, he threw me in the can
You're a farmer's daughter
You're a farmer's daughter
Why do I always get
The kinda girl I didn't ought to get
I won't get no more
Eggs and water
Now I've laid the farmer's daughter

Imagine I was a full grown man
And I could talk just right
Could I come and see you here
And do this every night?
Wham!
The door comes crashing down
Your daddy's face all pale
Says "come with me you hairy bum"
"I'll put you in my jail"
You're a judge's daughter
You're a judge's daughter
Why do I always get the kinda girl
I didn't ought to get
Now I'm getting
Jail and torture
'Cause I made
The judge's daughter
(Yes I did)
(It was nice)

Seems they're screaming
Law and order
When I go with anyone's daughter

Woman I should like some pease
And daddy hold your tongue
I think you're gonna die of fright
When I tell you what I've done
I can hear your tales and lies
You say I'm dumb and scraggy
But man this dumb and scraggy
Is your daughter's baby's daddy
She's a lucky daughter
Such a lucky daughter
Why did I always get
The kinda girl I didn't wanna get
Now I've got what I always fought for
'Cause I married a rich man's daughter
(What do you think of that?)

05   The Mule (05:21)

No one sees the things you do
Because I stand in front of you
But you drive me all the time
Put the evil in my mind
Used to sing and say my prayers
Live my life without a care
Now I have become a fool
Because I listened to the mule
How can I change when my mind is a friend of a Lucifer hid in the ground
Just another slave for the mule

06   Fools (08:20)

07   No One Came (06:25)

Maybe it's because I'm only starting
That I think it won't take too long
Maybe it's because I can see you laughing
That I think you've got it wrong
Maybe I could be like Robin Hood
Like and outlaw dressed all in green
Someone said what's he gonna turn out like
And someone else said never mind
Well I was big and bold and more than twice as old
As all the cats I'd ever seen
I grew my hair and bought a suit
Of shiny white or was it cream
I shook and shivered danced and quivered
And stood on a mountain top

No one came from miles around and said
Man your music is really hot

Well I knew what they meant because I was a freak
My throat was tired and worn
My pretty face just looked out of place
As they poured on the scorn
I wrote on yellow paper from a man who was the king
He said my boy we'll have some crazy scenes
There weren't any scenes at all like he was talkin' about
He must've been the king of queens
Well I could write a million songs about the things I've done
But I could never sing them so they'd never get sung
There's a law for the rich and one for the poor and there's another one for singers
It's die young and live much longer
Spend your money and sit and wonder

No one came for miles around
And said man your music is really funky

I believe that I must tell the truth
And say things as they really are
But if I told the truth and nothing but the truth
Could I ever be a star
Nobody knows who's real and who's fakin'
Everyone's shouting out loud
It's only the glitter and shine that gets through
Where's my Robin Hood outfit
Well I've come and I've gone before you wink an eye
No one ever cared enough to say goodbye
The money's good and the time you have
Fun and games galore
But you spend your money and lie in bed forgotten
And you wonder what you did it for

No one came from miles around
And said man who's he?

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  Peppe Weapon

 "Fireball è davvero ottimo, molto vario ma inferiore al predecessore."

 "La versione live di 'The Mule' con lo scatenato Paice alla batteria è un vero spettacolo."