• Voto:
Ci sono video che, in adolescenza, ti aprono gli orizzonti e il cuore. Ebbene, a me questo è capitato con “Hysteria” dei Def Leppard. Le noti affascinanti e romantiche della canzone facevano da contorno ad un filmato struggente ed emozionante, in cui il picco lo si raggiungeva nella parte dell’assolo e nella tenera ballata degli amanti. L’ascolto e la visione di quel clip mi pervasero di una sensazione di malinconia e di sapore intenso che mai la musica era riuscita a provocarmi. Sensazioni che, per l’età che avevo, mi aiutarono a crescere.
I Def Leppard erano la band arena per eccellenza negli anni 80, soprattutto grazie al successo conseguito sia in Europa che negli States (cosa questa abbastanza inusuale per una band hard rock europea) di albums come “Pyromania” e, appunto, “Hysteria”. Una band che, tuttavia, ha dovuto pagare un prezzo alto con la sorte per meritarsi quella notorietà.
Dopo essersi lentamente ripresi per l’incidente d’auto che colpì il batterista Rick Allen, grazie anche alla creazione di una apposita batteria che gli consentì di suonare anche senza il braccio destro, i Leppard dovettero fare i conti con la morte del chitarrista Steve Clark, dovuta ai soliti alcolici e le solite droghe che, purtroppo, tante vite hanno spezzato nel mondo musicale. Ma nonostante ciò, la band ha continuato ugualmente nella sua avventura, anche se dal 1991 (anno della morte di Clark) ne è conseguita una parabola discendente quasi alla stessa velocità di quella che li aveva portati alla conoscenza del grande pubblico nella decade precedente. Ma, a mio parere, i Def Leppard non meritano di sostare nell’oblio in cui versano ormai da qualche tempo (e nonostante la partecipazione come co-headliner al recente Gods of Metal insieme ai Whitesnake).
Non un gruppo che mi seppe dare quelle emozioni.
L’album che vi propongo è “High ‘n’ Dry”, ossia quello immediatamente precedente a quelli che li consacrarono nel gotha del rock e nella musica in generale, e quello più rocckettaro. E’ da premettere che i Leppard si sono sempre tenuti lontani dalle mode glam del periodo ed hanno sempre suonato un rock diretto e senza fronzoli di chiara ispirazione Ac/dc, con profonde venature melodiche.
Rock che emerge potente dai riffs dell’opener “Let It Go”; dalla veloce “Another Hit and Run”, in cui gli acuti di Joe Elliot, di solito morbidi anche nei passaggi più hard rock, si fanno più rabbiosi e corposi; dal sesso, droga e rock e roll di “High ‘n’ Dry”; dal fine romanticismo della stupenda ballata “Bringin’ on The Heartbreak”; dalla strumentale very heavy di “Switch 625”; e, in generale, dalla cadenza e dal ritmo coinvolgente di rock songs quali “You Got Me Runnin’”, “Lady Strange” e “On Throught The Night”.
L’apice dell’album è, a mio avviso, da ricercare in “Mirror mirror”, dai cori trascinanti e dal testo introspettivo. In conclusione, 4 è il voto che dò all’album ma, per i ricordi e le sensazioni suscitatemi in passato, è 5 il voto che merita il Leopardo Sordo.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
03 High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night) (03:26)
Saturday, I feel right
I been drinking all day
Yes, I got a date, a midnight ride
I had to get it away
Yeah, I'm not a loner, I'm not a fool
Don't need a reason, reason to be cool
I got my whiskey, I got my wine
I got my woman, and this time the lights are going out
(Saturday night) High
(Saturday night) High 'n' dry
(Saturday night) I'm high
(Saturday night) High 'n' dry
Ow, I feel bad, I feel mean
I'm up and down and in between
On the bottle, I'm on the line
I'm up and feeling fine
Oh, I'm not a loner, I'm not a fool
Don't need a reason, reason to be cool
I got my whiskey, I got my wine
I got my woman, and this time the lights are going out
(Saturday night) High
(Saturday night) High 'n' dry
(Saturday night) I'm high
(Saturday night) High 'n' dry
Oh, take me high
Saturday, kickin' out
Her train was comin' to me
I gotta move, number one
Saturday night on the run
Wow!
(Saturday night) High
(Saturday night) High 'n' dry
(Saturday night) Got my whiskey
(Saturday night) Got my wine
(Saturday night) Got my woman
(Saturday night) High 'n' dry
You gotta try me tonight
04 Bringin' On the Heartbreak (04:33)
Gypsy, sittin' lookin' pretty
A broken rose with laughin' eyes
You're a mystery, always runnin' wild
Like a child without a home
You're always searchin', searchin' for a feelin'
But it's easy come and easy go
Oh, I'm sorry but it's true
You're bringin' on the heartache
Takin' all the best of me
Oh, can't you see?
You got the best of me
Whoa, can't you see?
You're bringin' on the heartbreak
Bringin' on the heartache
You're bringin' on the heartbreak
Bringin' on the heartache
Can't you see?
Ohh
You're such a secret, misty-eyed and shady
Lady, how you hold the key
Ohh, you're like a candle, your flame's slowly fadin'
Burnin' out and burnin' me
Can't you see?
Just tryin' to say to you
You're bringin' on the heartache
Takin' all the best of me
Oh, can't you see?
You got the best of me
Whoa, can't you see?
You're bringin' on the heartbreak
Bringin' on the heartache
You're bringin' on the heartbreak
Bringin' on the heartache
Can't you see?
Can't you see?
No!
No!
No!
You got the best of me
Oh, can't you see?
You got the best of me
Whoa, can't you see?
You're bringin' on the heartbreak
Bringin' on the heartache
You're bringin' on the heartbreak
Bringin' on the heartache
You're bringin' on the heartbreak
Bringin' on the heartache
You're bringin' on the heartbreak
06 You Got Me Runnin' (04:22)
Hang on
Yeah
Ha ha ha ha ha
I don't care too much
For your backstabbin' and side steppin'
You're all sweet talk, you're all lust
You're the kind, yeah, I don't trust
I gotta get out, step aside
Before you damage my pride
Let me through don't spoil my view
I gotta get away, away from you
Oh no no never thought I'd feel so low
You got me runnin'
You got me runnin'
I ain't gonna hide
And yesterday everything seemed okay
Yeah you better run and hide away
Oh you better hide
You're out, out on the street
But I'm back on my feet
I might lose it, so get wise
Stop your usin' and your lies
Oh my friend don't stick around
Your time is up, the chips are down
Let me through don't spoil my view
I gotta get away, away from you
Oh no no never thought I'd feel so low
You got me runnin'
You got me runnin'
I ain't gonna hide
And yesterday everything seemed okay
Yeah you better run and hide away
Oh you better hide
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You got me runnin', runnin', runnin'
C'mon
Whoah
Oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Runnin' and runnin'
Runnin'
Oh
Watch me run
Runnin', runnin', runnin'
Oh no no never thought I'd feel so low
You got me runnin'
You got me runnin'
I ain't gonna hide
And yesterday everything seemed okay
Yeah you better run and hide away
Oh you better hide
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You can't say no no more
You got me runnin' - You got me runnin'
You got me runnin' - You got me ru
07 Lady Strange (04:38)
Ow
Ooh yeah
Oh
I never needed love before
Till I met you girl
A girl like you I have never seen
You came into my life like a whirlwind girl
You let me know what lovin' really means
Lady strange, oh lady strange I want you
Lady strange, oh lady strange I need you
You got me where you want me girl
So no messin' around
You know I never played that hard to please
I've been here many times before
And walked this sacred ground
But this time you got me on my knees
You got me
Lady strange, oh lady strange I want you
Lady strange, oh lady strange I need you
Lady strange, oh lady strange I want you
Lady strange, oh lady strange I want you
I need you
Oh you're so strange
Oh oh oh
Taking love from you's like taking candy from a baby
But lady strange there is no stranger lady
No
Just you and me we make love, good love
So let me know what lovin' really means
Woman please
Lady strange, oh lady strange I want you
Lady strange, oh lady strange I need you
Lady strange, oh lady strange I want you
Lady strange, oh lady strange I want you
I need you
I need you
I want you
Yeah
09 Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes) (04:07)
Mirror mirror just watchin' with your eye of glass
You're just a fortune wheel with something that I wanna ask
Mirror mirror got my fate lyin' in your hands
You're the fool, you're the juggler
Hangman and lover, you're not like no other
Take a look into my eyes
Tell me what you see
Take a look into my eyes
Tell me is it true?
Take a look into my eyes
Oh when I look at you
Take a look into my eyes
Tell me is it me?
Is it really me?
Mirror mirror gotta know just what you see
My crystal ball, you're lookin' so sly and so sleazy
Mirror mirror hangin' there with that crack in your eye
You make me stumble, make me blind
Time after time and line by line
Mirror mirror oh tell me
You're the fool, you're the juggler
I ain't met a lover, you're like no other
Take a look into my eyes
Tell me what you see
Take a look into my eyes
Tell me is it true?
Take a look into my eyes
Oh it just can't last
Take a look into my eyes
Gonna have to smash the glass
Take a look into my eyes
Take a look into my eyes
Take a look
Take a look into my eyes
Oh yeah
Take a look into my eyes
Take a look into my eyes
Take a look into my eyes
Take a look into my eyes
Take a look
Take a look into my eyes
Look into my eyes
Take a look into my eyes
Tell me if it's me
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
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