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Bissare un capolavoro è uno dei crucci maggiori di tutti i musicisti rock. C’è chi sceglie la strada del cambiamento, abituando la propria audience fin da subito al disequilibrio stilistico. C’è chi cavalca l’onda del successo, magari aggiungendo con pazienza nuovi tasselli alla propria proposta. “The Last In Line” segue sicuramente la seconda scuola di pensiero, nascendo teatralmente come un bis.
Primo tra gli elementi di novità è il tastierista Claude Schnell, il cui inserimento è qui udibile nel più classico “Ronnie Dio pensiero”: archi e gingle tastieristici dosati cum grano salis, giusto per dare orecchiabilità a bridges e ritornelli. I tempi (per fortuna) non sono ancora maturi per la svolta melodica che seguirà col successivo “Sacred Heart” (1985). Le chitarre regalano soli in progressione di gran classe: la vena compositiva di Viv Campbell non si è ancora esaurita, anche se, quanto ad idee, “Holy Diver” resta ineguagliato per qualità e quantità. Ecco perché (i detrattori) attribuiscono il successo di quell’album alla circostanza che molto materiale fu clandestinamente trafugato dagli “Sweet Savage”, la band da cui fu pescato il chitarrista irlandese. Se si sia trattato solo di alcuni riff o di veri e propri pezzi incompleti non lo sapremo mai, probabile è che qualche spunto sia in effetti confluito nel primo lavoro solista di Ronnie Dio.
“The Last In Line” comunque, è la riprova che la band non diede alle stampe un capolavoro grazie all’opportunismo. Dunque brani ancora aggressivi, tempi serrati ed incalzanti, coadiuvati dagli artigli della Les Paul di Campbell. Ancor prima che sulle hits, mi permetto di soffermarmi sui pezzi meno noti. L’hard‘n’heavy dei riff di “Brethless”, che viaggia sulle aggressive sonorità delle strofe, cui dà appunto respiro il mid-tempo dei bridges. “Eat Your Heart Out”, irruenta e malefica, eccezion fatta per i soli, potrebbe tranquillamente essere inserita in “Angry Machines” (1996). In “Mistery” già si ode il sound tastieroso che verrà, tuttavia non dispiace, perché inserita come episodio nel giusto contesto. I pezzi più famosi (“We Rock”, “The Chains Are On” e la titletrack) sono le colonne sonore dell’adolescenza del sottoscritto, quindi non mi è possibile valutarle con serenità.
Comunque rock assolutamente d’alta scuola. Non posso omettere neppure quella cavalcata che porta il nome di “Evil Eyes”, grande song dalle adrenaliniche partiture chitarristiche. Ciò detto, ricordo l’incontestabile messa agli atti delle qualità canore del piccolo grande Ronald Padavona. Considerando anche la moda dell’epoca (tutto il pezzo un’ottava sopra dall’inizio alla fine), mai si avvale a pieno di quel falsetto che tanti finti virtuosi mascherano oggi ad arte, spesso solo per mistificare le proprie scarse qualità di vocalist.
“The Last In Line”, nel suo genere, è un altro caposaldo imprescindibile. L’unica nota storta se vogliamo è quella di essere a tratti simile al suo predecessore.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 We Rock (04:35)
You watch their faces
You'll see the traces
Of the things they want to be
But only we can see
They come for killing
They leave and still it seems
The cloud that's left behind
Oh, can penetrate your mind
But sail on, sing a song, carry on
Cause We Rock, We Rock, We Rock, We Rock
We pray to someone
But when it's said and done
It's really all the same
With just a different name
So many voices
All giving choices
If we listen they will say
Oh, we can find the way
But we'll sail on, sing a song, carry on
Cause We Rock, We Rock, We Rock, We Rock
We Rock, We Rock, We Rock, We Rock
We Rock!
We Rock
You watch their faces
You'll see the traces
Of the things they want to be
But only we can see
They come for killing
They leave and still it seems
The cloud that's left behind
Can penetrate your mind
Sail on, sing a song, carry on
Cause We Rock, We Rock, We Rock, We Rock
We Rock, We Rock, We Rock, We Rock
Ride out - stand and shout - carry on
Sail on - Sing your song - carry on
Cause We Rock, We Rock, see how We Rock
We Rock
That's rock
We Rock
We Rock
02 The Last in Line (05:47)
We're a ship without a storm
The cold without the warm
Light inside the darkness that it needs, yeah
We're a laugh without a tear
The hope without the fear
We are coming - home
We're off to the witch
We may never never never come home
But the magic that we'll feel
Is worth a lifetime
We're all born upon the cross
The throw before the toss
You can release yourself
But the only way is down
We don't come alone
We are fire we are stone
We're the hand that writes
Then quickly moves away
We'll know for the first time
If we're evil or divine
We're the last in line
We're the last in line
Two eyes from the east
It's the angel or the beast
And the answer lies between
The good and bad
We search for the truth
We could die upon the tooth
But the thrill of just the chase
Is worth the pain
We're off to the witch
We may never never never come home
But the magic that we'll feel
Is worth a lifetime
We're all born upon the cross
The throw before the toss
You can release yourself
But the only way you go is down
03 Breathless (04:09)
You said a single word
But no one really heard
Sometimes we scream alone
It's always worse at night
When darkness kills the light
We're in the danger zone
You wait with pounding heart
You know it's just the start
Cause you're Breathless, ready to burn
Breathless, willing to learn
Breathless, the circle still turns
You're Breathless
Living inside your mind
Who knows the things you'll find
There could be hell or rainbows
But it's a funny thing
The more you feel the sting
You're just a leaf that the wind blows
You've been this way before
One step and you're through the door
And you're Breathless, ready to burn
Breathless, the circle still turns
Breathless, willing to learn
You're Breathless
07 Mystery (03:58)
Can you hear me
Can you see
There's a storm on the edge of the sky
Does it matter
It does to me, I can tell you why
When there's thunder, there should be rain
But it don't always follow the rule
And is the wise man always right? No he can play the fool
It's always a Mystery, not what it seems to be
It's always a Mystery, just like you and me
We are lightning
We are flame
And we burn at the touch of a spark
If there's fire, but no one sees
There's only the dark
Just imagine, will you try
I can see that you've opened your mind
Silver linings can disappear, but they always shine
It's always a Mystery, not what it seems to be
It's always a Mystery, just like you and me
09 Egypt (The Chains Are On) (06:57)
In the land of the lost horizon
Where the queen lies dark and cold
When the stars won't shine, then the story's told
When the world was milk and honey
And the magic was strong and true
Then the strange ones came and the people knew
That the chains are on
In the land of no tomorrow
Where you pray just to end each day
And your life just slowly melts away
Each day you hear the sand as it moves and whispers
Come and sail on my golden sea
Maybe one day you'll be just like me... and that's free
But still your chains are on
You've seen them walking on the water
You've seen flying through the sky
They were frightening in the darkness
They had rainbows in their eyes
Whe the world was milk and honey
And the magic was strong and true
The the strange ones came and the people knew
That the chains are on
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