Avevo dodici anni quando mio papà mi parlò per la prima volta dei leggendari Dire Straits. Ora ne ho diciassette e lo sto ancora ringraziando. Soprattutto per quel giorno, nel reparto cd di un grande magazzino, mi indicò un cd in offerta, dalla copertina interamente rossa, che rispondeva al nome di "Making Movies". Lo comprai e fu uno degli aquisti più azzeccati da quando posso comprarmi qualcosa. A papà non è che piacessero punto e basta, ma sapeva già spiegarmi perchè i Dire Straits fossero geniali; la chitarra splendida di Mark Knopfler, i testi eleganti e poetici, certe inflessioni prog anni '70 (ma queso l'ho scoperto solo poco fa). E io mi presi una cotta furibonda per loro. Che dura da sei anni ormai. Perchè? Perchè in questo disco c'è il genio, la poesia, la musica di Mark e compagni.
Inizia con "Tunnel Of Love", una dolcissima storia d'amore che comincia con il "Carousel Waltz", una sorta d'intro di venti secondi al brano (nei live durava oltre due minuti) che poi cresce e s'innalza in un riff trascinante, dolce e potente allo stesso tempo, d'immediata presa sullo spettatore ma non per questo commerciale. Il ritmo è bello tosto fino al sesto minuto e poi s'abbassa per ricominciare in un crescendo stupendo e geniale, fino ad una serie di assoli di chitarra e tastiere magnifici, una serie di botta e risposta divini.
Scopersi poi che già da questa canzone si era stabilito un netto distacco stilistico dai due dischi precedenti, che però si rivela un gran passo in avanti per questo gruppo; ora le influenza country di Knopfler sono più pacate e la sua Stratocaster ha più spazio per esprimere il suo genio.
Segue "Romeo And Juliet", una delle più belle canzoni d'amore di sempre, dolcissima e triste allo stesso tempo, capolavoro assoluto di tutte le ballate della storia del rock; con le sue noto dolcissime iniziali, con il testo che è a dir poco sublime, con il suo arpeggio finale che resta uno dei momenti più belli di tutta la loro produzione, fa innamorare l'ascoltatore alla prima volta. Sei minuti di poesia allo stato puro. Si ritorna su sonorità più allegre e veloci in "Skateaway", carino ma non eccitante perchè forse manca di quell'impennata che tutti ci aspetteremmo, per poi proseguire in "Expresso Love", leggermente simile a "Tunnel Of Love", ma di caratura inferiore, che è un pezzo pregevole di cui abbiamo un'ottima esecuzione live in "Alchemy".
"Hand In Hand" è dolcissima ma nient'affatto melensa, più ruvida di "Romeo & Juliet", e ci dispiace di non averne testimonianze dal vivo, perchè è proprio un buon pezzo, e il colmo è che figura come uno dei brani "comprimari" in un disco così eccezionale, mentre in qualsiasi altro disco sarebbe un brano protagonista. "Solid Rock" è un buon rock veloce e diretto, piuttosto amato dal gruppo, ed è forse l'ultimo brano "allegro della band" (se si escludono quelli di "Extended Dance Play"); dopo i brani saranno più riflessivi, un po' più duri e più impegnati. "Les Boys" è un pezzo ironico ma debole e tralasciabile, mi aspettavo molto di più per il brano di conclusione di questo disco, soprattutto dopo essermi emozionato per tutte le altre sei canzoni.
Difetti? Finisce troppo presto, ma è quello ideale per conoscere i Dire Straits e per innamorarsene, parola di uno che è con loro nel tunnel of love da cinque anni e rotti...
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Tunnel of Love (08:08)
getting crazy on the waltzers but it's the life that I choose
sing about the sixblade sing about the switchback and a torture tattoo
and I been riding on a ghost train where the cars they scream and slam
and I don't know where I'll be tonight but I'd always tell you where I am
in a screaming ring of faces I seen her standing in the light
she had a ticket for the races just like me she was a victim of the night
I put a hand upon the lever said let it rock and let it roll
I had the one arm bandit fever there was an arrow through my heart and my soul
and the big wheel keep on turning neon burning up above
and I'm just high on the world
come on and take a low ride with me girl
on the tunnel of love
it's just the danger when you're riding at your own risk
she said you are the perfect stranger she said baby let's keep it like this
it's just a cake walk twisting baby step right up and see
hey mister give me two give me two now cos any two can play
and the big wheel keep on turning neon burning up above
and I'm just high on the world
come on and take a low ride with me girl
on the tunnel of love
well it's been money for muscle another whirligig
money for muscle and another girl I dig
another hustle just to make it big
and walkaway walkaway
and girl it looks so pretty to me just like it always did
like the spanish city to me when we were kids
oh girl it looks so pretty to me just like it always did
like the spanish city to me when we were kids
she took off a silver locket she said remember me by this
she put her hand in my pocket I got a keepsake and a kiss
and in the roar of the dust and diesel I stood and watched her walk away
I could have caught up with her easy enough but something must have made me
stay
and the big wheel keep on turning neon burning up above
and I'm just high on the world
come on and take a low ride with me girl
on the tunnel of love
and now I'm searching through these carousels and the carnival arcades
searching everywhere from steeplechase to palisades
in any shooting gallery where promises are made
to walkaway walkaway
to walkaway walkaway from cullercoats and whitley bay out to walkaway
and girl it looks so pretty to me like it always did
like the spanish city to me when we were kids
girl it looks so pretty to me like it always did
like the spanish city to me when we were kids
02 Romeo and Juliet (05:54)
A love struck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a street light, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"
Juliet says, "Hey it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack"
He's underneath the window, she's singing, "Hey la, my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here, singing up at people like that"
Anyway, what you gonna do about it?
Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start,
And I bet, then you exploded in my heart,
And I forget, I forget, the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame,
Both dirty, both mean, yes, and the dream was just the same,
And I dreamed your dream for you, and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?
Well, you can fall for chains of silver, you can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say, "Oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him"
Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die"
There's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
I can't do the talk like the talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you
I can't do anything 'cept be in love with you
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat and the band company
And all I do is kiss you, through the bars of a rhyme
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you, anytime
Ah Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die
There's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?
And a love struck Romeo, sings the streets a serenade,
Laying everybody low, with a love song that he made
Finds a convenient street light, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"
"You and me babe, how about it?"
03 Skateaway (06:18)
i seen a girl on a one way corridor
stealing down a wrong way street
for all the world like an urban toreador
she had wheels on on her feet
well the cars do the usual dances
same old cruise and the kerbside crawl
but the rollergirl she's talking chances
they just love to see her take them all
no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
hallelujah here she comes queen rollerball
enchante what can i say don't care at all
you know she used to have to wait around
she used to be the lonely one
but now that she can skate around town
she's the only only one
no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
she gets rock n roll in a rock n roll station
and a rock n roll dream
she's making movies on location
she don't know what it means
but the music make her wanna be the story
and the story was whatever was the song what it was
rollergirl don't worry
d.j. play the movies all night long
she tortures taxi drivers just for fun
she likes to read their lips
says toro toro taxi see ya tommorow my son
i swear she let a big truck graze her hip
she got her own world in the city
you can't intrude on her
she got her own world in the city
cos the city's been so rude to her
come slippin and a slidin
life's a rollerball
slipin and a slidin
skateaway that's all
shala shalay hey hey skateaway
she's singing shala shalay hey hey
skate away
05 Hand in Hand (04:48)
the sky is crying the streets are full of tears
rain come down wash away my fears
and all this writing on the wall
oh i can read between the lines
rain come down forgive this dirty town
rain come down and give this dirty town
a drink of water a drink of wine
if i been hard on you i never chose to be
i never wanted no one else
i tried my best to be somebody you'd close to
hand in hand like lovers are supposed to
as you'd sleep i'd think my heart will break in two
i'd kiss your cheek i'd stop my self from waking you
but in the dark you'd speak my name
you'd say baby what's wrong?
oh here i am baby i'm coming back for more
i'm like the wave that's got to roll into the shore
yes and if my love's in vain how come my love is so strong.
now you and me go parallel together and apart
and you keep your perfect distance and it's tearing in my heart
did you never feel the distance
you never tried to cross no line
now it's another dirty riverand another dirty scar
and i don't know who's kissing you and i don't know where you are
so far from home don't you think of me some time
sky is crying see the streets are full of tears
rain come down to wash away my fears
and all this writing on the wall
oh i can read between the lines
06 Solid Rock (03:19)
well take a look at that
i made a castle in the sand
saying this is where it's at you know
couldn't understand now
if i realised that the chances were slim
how come i'm so surprised when the tide rolled in
i wanna live on solid rock
i'm gonna live on solid rock
i wanna give i don't wanna be blocked
i'm gonna live on solid rock
well i'm sick of potential
i'm sick of vanity now
i'm sticking to essential reality now
i don't know what's worse
try to make a silk purse
living an illusion living in confusion
well a house of cards
was never built for shock
you could blow it down in any kind of weather
now two solid rocks two solid blocks
you know they're gonna stick
yeah they're gonna stick together
because the heart that you break
that's the one that you rely on
the bed that you make
that's the one you gotta lie on
when you point your finger cos your plan fell through
you got three more fingers pointing back at you
i wanna live on solid rock
i'm gonna live on solid rock
i wanna give i don't wanna be blocked
i'm gonna live on solid rock
i'm solid rock now
07 Les Boys (04:06)
les boys do cabaret
les boys are glad to be gay
they're not afraid now
disco bar in germany
les boys are glad to be
upon parade now
les boys got leather straps
les boys got ss caps
but they got no gun now
get dressed up get a little risque
got to do a little s & m these days
it's all in fun now
les boys come on again
for the high class whores
and the businessmen
who drive in their mercedes benz
to a disco bar in old munchen
they get the jokes that the d.j. makes
they get so nervous and they make mistakes
they're bad for buisness
some tourist take a photograph
les boys don't get one laugh
he says they're useless
late at night when they've gone away
les boys dream of jean genet
high heel shoes and a black beret
and the posters on the wall that say
les boys do cabaret
les boys are glad to be gay
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di claudio carpentieri
"Making Movies rappresenta la continua evoluzione di un gruppo in perenne ascesa."
"Tunnel Of Love apre le danze con un suono scintillante e un assolo finale da consacrati campioni."
Di AJM
Knopfler ha svoltato, ha capito di poter suonare la sua chitarra come un pifferaio magico farebbe con il suo piffero (magico).
'Romeo and Juliet' seguirà Knopfler fino all'ultimo dei suoi concerti e milioni di cuori fino all'ultimo dei loro battiti.
Di Dany94
I Dire Straits sono l'esempio di come si fa musica.
Non finirò mai di amare quei 5 secondi!!
