1981 un anno molto importante per la musica in generale, esce il primo album dei Depeche Mode, potrei fermarmi qui il resto penso che lo conoscano tutti: milioni e milioni di dischi venduti, successo, droga, voci di separazioni e tutto quello che deve succedere per essere importanti nel music business dei giorni nostri e non solo.

"Speak and Spell" lo ascoltai per la prima volta a 15 anni (4 anni dopo la sua uscita) dopo aver ascoltato per bene i successivi tre album dei DM; ne rimasi incantato, primo perché non centrava niente con quello che avevo ascoltato fino a quel giorno e poi perché suonava in un modo fantastico.
Ero sul treno che ogni mattina alle 7 mi portava a scuola, munito di libri e di un Walkman da due soldi, mi misi così ad ascoltarlo, la prima sensazione fu quella di puro delirio elettronico, mi sembrava di volare dentro una camera di gomma e di rimbalzare da una parte all'altra della stanza colpendo le pareti in modo violento ma senza accusare nessun dolore, sospeso nel vuoto, ma con melodie semplici e delicate che riempivano lo spazio mancante, una mitica kr55 che martellava ad un ritmo militare mi faceva saltare senza modo di fermarmi, una canzone dietro l'altra da New Life ad Any Second Now passando per Photographic, Puppets e Boys Say Go! inghiottii quel disco senza più energie per riflettere.

Chi lo ha già ascoltato mi dirà che non capisco niente di musica, infatti non voglio esaltare questo disco anche perché ne hanno fatti sicuramente di migliori, ma penso che questo disco è l'eccezione che conferma la regola, un grande gruppo riesce a fare dischi che non centrano niente l'uno con l'altro e capolavori di puro tecno pop come Just Can't Get Enough!

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   New Life (remix) (03:59)

02   Puppets (03:59)

Get that feeling, head is reeling
You think you're in control, but you don't know me baby
I can move you, I can soothe you
I can take your places in a different way
And I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say
I'll be your operator baby, I'm in control

Watch your action, close reaction
And everything you're thinking babe inside your head
Conversation, my creation
Nothing that you do unless I said
And you don't know the consequences of the things you say
I'll be your operator baby, I'm in control

All the things you try to prove, babe
All the words we said before
I'm only part of what I started, babe
You can't stop me anymore

Get that feeling, head is reeling
You think you're in control, but you don't know me baby
I can move you, I can soothe you
I can take your places in a different way
And I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say
I'll be your operator baby, I'm in control

03   Dreaming of Me (03:44)

Light switch
Man switch
Film was broken only then
All the night
Fused tomorrow
Dancing with a distant friend

Filming and screening
I picture the scene
Filming and dreaming
Dreaming of me

So we left
Understanding
Cleancut so we're sounding fast
Talked of sad
I talked of war
I laughed and climbed the rising cast

Quickly I remembered
Fused and saw a face before
Timing reason
Understanding
Like association whore

04   Boys Say Go! (03:08)

You don't understand, this is in demand
And I think that I have to show you
Try to look inside, take me for a ride
In a day and the night get to know you

Boys meet, boys get together
Boys meet boys it's forever
Don't say no, boys say go!

I can run away never stay
And the rain and the pain and the sorrow
I'm not very sure when you close the door
In the end it's the same as tomorrow

Boys meet, boys get together
Boys meet boys it's forever
Don't say no, boys say go!

05   Nodisco (04:15)

I saw you in the picture, I saw you play the part
This ain't nodisco
There's thousand watching you
You take this too far
This ain't nodisco
Sometimes when I wonder if you're taking a chance
This ain't nodisco and you know how to dance

Move me disco
Baby don't you let go
This ain't nodisco

Part one, act one
Everyone pretend
This ain't nodisco
This more a story
And we're reaching the end (the end)
This ain't nodisco
Always makes me happy when you're taking a chance
This ain't nodisco and you know how to dance

Move me disco
Baby don't you let go
This ain't nodisco

I saw you in the picture, I saw you play the part
This ain't nodisco
There's thousand watching you
You take this too far
This ain't nodisco
Sometimes when I wonder if you're taking a chance
This ain't nodisco and you know how to dance

Move me disco
Baby don't you let go (3x)
This ain't nodisco

06   What's Your Name? (02:44)

Sometimes watch you walk the street at midnight
Sometimes I can feel you in the air
Looking good knew you would
All the time I understood

Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty

Everybody seems to look your way now
(Everybody seems to look your way)
Everybody wants to know your name
(Hey, hey, what's your name)
Feeling bright just tonight
Hear them say you're out of sight

Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty

Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty

All the boys we got to get together
All the boys together we can stand
We can go never know
All the things we need to show

Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty

Hey you're such a pretty boy (you're so pretty)
Hey you're such a pretty boy (you're so pretty)
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty (P-R-E, double-T-Y)

Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty

07   Photographic (04:57)

A white house, a white room - the programme of today
Lights on, switch on your eyes are far away
The map represents you and at the tape is your voice
Follow all along you till you recognize the choice

I take pictures, photographic pictures
Bright light, dark room
Bright light, dark room

I said I'd write a letter, but I never got the time
And I'm looking to the day I mesmerize the light
The years I spent just thinking of a moment we both knew
A second passed like an empty room, it seems it can't be true

I take pictures, photographic pictures
Bright light, dark room
Bright light, dark room

I take pictures, photographic pictures
Bright light, dark room
Bright light, dark room

Bright light, dark room (repeat until fade)

08   Tora! Tora! Tora! (04:28)

They were raining from the sky
Exploding in my heart
Is this the love in disguise
Or just a form of modern art?

From the skies you could almost hear the cry
Tora! Tora! Tora!
In the town they were going down
Tora! Tora! Tora!

I had the nightmare only yesterday
You played the skeleton
You took my love the dark dark day
I played an American

From the skies you could almost hear the cry
Tora! Tora! Tora!
In the town they were going down
Tora! Tora! Tora!

I played an American (repeat until fade)

09   Big Muff (04:24)

Instrumental

10   Any Second Now (Voices) (02:33)

11   Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo mix) (06:44)

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  Superbia

 "'New Life' è un brano davvero ben fatto, con tastiere e drum machine che vi resteranno impressi."

 "'Just Can't Get Enough' rispecchia meglio l'album come una delle canzoni più famose e trascinanti del gruppo."