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I Dire Straits sono stati un fuoco di forte e luminosissima intensità consumatosi in un tempo assai ristretto, una meteora perenne che ha riempito le radio per metà di un decennio scalando nuove classifiche ogni anno; il gruppo ha avuto un'ascesa quasi verticale considerando il passaggio dal nulla al tour mastodontico di Brothers In Arms avvenuto nel giro di soli sette anni, dal 1978 al 1985.
Dopo questo periodo di ininterrotte luci e copertine, Mark Knopfler e soci decidono di darci un taglio. Si torna così al nulla, la seconda metà degli anni 80 regala ai fans solo una raccolta, "Money For Nothing", contenente mezzo indedito (una versione live di "Portobello Belle", completamente diversa dalla versione studio) e un concerto in onore di Mandela tenutosi assieme ad Eric Clapton. Nel frattempo Mark Knopfler si cimenta con diversi progetti alternativi, quali colonne sonore, dischi incisi con altri (Chet Atkins e il gruppo dei Notthing Hillbillies) e concerti con il già citato Clapton, ma all'inizio del nuovo decennio il richiamo del mercato diventa pressante e così nasce "On Every Street", sesto album in studio dei redivivi Dire Strairs.
La tournè che ne seguirà regalerà alle folle un Mark Knopfler dai capelli ormai d'argento arrivato all'apice della sua tecnica, ma un po' in debito di sentimento. "On Every Street" non soddisfa a pieno chi per sei lunghi anni ha aspettato un nuovo album, la qualità delle incisioni è sempre eccellente ma quel che manca sono i brani indelebili, quelli che fanno sospirare d'emozione, che solitamente erano di casa in un disco dei Dire Straits. L'album ha dalla sua di essere il più vario, come generi musicali presentati, dell'intera discografia del gruppo, questo a conferma che Knopfler è ormai un maestro la cui abilità si rivela sotto varie forme.
"Calling Elvis" ha il compito di presentare al pubblico i rinati Dire Straits, una sorta di "scusate il ritardo", così come un "cercavate noi?". Il pubblico risponde più per nostalgia che per la bellezza del pezzo in sè, che in effetti pur essendo un buon ritorno sulle scene riassume perfettamente l'anima dell'intero disco, cioè "carino, ma niente di eccezionale". La title-track già convince di più, con un inedito Knopfler a cantare accompagnato dal solo pianoforte prima di lasciarsi andare in una toccante, trascinante coda strumentale.
Seguono le inconsistenti "When it comes to you" e "Fade to black", mentre "The bug" è un divertente rockabilly che troverà spazio anche durante la tournè che verrà. Più affascinante è "You and your friend", in cui si ritrovano quegli assoli capaci di toccare il cuore che tanto s'erano fatti mancare dal lontano 1985, quando chi ora ascolta questo disco ancora non aveva cominciato ad avere capelli bianchi e ballava "Walk of life" in discoteca. "Heavy fuel", secondo singolo dell'album, ripropone un po' lo stile di "Money for nothing" pur senza suonare come un'autocelebrazione. Piacevole.
"Iron hand" ha quello stile country che caratterizzerà parte della futura discografia solista di Knopfler mentre la dolce "Ticket to heaven" dona un tono romantico all'album, ampliando ulteriormente la gamma di generi presentati. "My parties" è uno dei pezzi meglio riusciti del disco, un vivace accompagnamento di ottoni colora questa canzone dall'atmosfera notturna e accesa, con la voce di Knopfler che si mantiene sulla sua linea pacata facendosi seguire da tutti gli strumenti. "Planet of new Orleans" è un altro episodio interessante, qui i Dire Straits giocano con il jazz sfornando un pezzo che sarebbe piaciuto a Sade.
"How long", infine, saluta tutti coloro che hanno seguito i Dire Straits e li hanno aspettati così a lungo e lo fa in puro stile Mark Knopfler, vale a dire schivo e tranquillo, come quando alla fine di un concerto alza il braccio per salutare la gente con un semplice gesto e un sorriso augurando a tutti la buonanotte prima di ritirarsi.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Calling Elvis (06:27)
Calling Elvis - is anybody home
Calling Elvis - I'm here all alone
Did he leave the building
Or can he come to the phone
Calling Elvis - I'm here all alone
Well tell him I was calling just to wish him well
Let me leave my number - heartbreak hotel
Oh love me tender - baby don't be cruel
Return to sender - treat me like a fool
Calling Elvis - is anybody home
Calling Elvis - I'm here all alone
Did he leave the building
Or can he come to the phone
Calling Elvis - I'm here all alone
Why don't you go get him - I'm his biggest fan
You gotta tell him - he's still the man
Long distance baby - so far from home
Don't you think maybe you could put him on
Well tell him I was calling just to wish him well
Let me leave my number - heartbreak hotel
Oh love me tender - baby don't be cruel
Return to sender - treat me like a fool
Calling Elvis - is anybody home
Calling Elvis - I'm here all alone
Did he leave the building
Or can he come to the phone
Calling Elvis - I'm here all alone
02 On Every Street (05:04)
There's gotta be a record of you someplace
You gotta be on somebody's books
The lowdown - a picture of your face
Your injured looks
The sacred and profane
The pleasure and the pain
Somewhere your fingerprints remain concrete
And it's your face I'm looking for on every street
A ladykiller - regulation tattoo
Silver spurs on his heels
Says - what can I tell you, as I'm standing next to you
She threw herself under my wheels
Oh it's a dangerous road
And a hazardous load
And the fireworks over liberty explode in the heat
And it's your face I'm looking for on every street
A three-chord symphony crashes into space
The moon is hanging upside down
I don't know why it is I'm still on the case
It's a ravenous town
And you still refuse to be traced
Seems to me such a waste
And every victory has a taste that's bittersweet
And it's your face I'm looking for on every street
04 Fade to Black (03:51)
I wonder where you are tonight
You're probably on the rampage somewhere
You have been known to take delight
In gettin' in somebody's hair
And you always had the knack
Fade to black
I bet you already made a pass
I see a darkened room somewhere
You run your finger round the rim of his glass
Run your fingers through his hair
They scratch across his back
Fade to black
Well maybe it's all for the best
But I wish I'd never been lassooed
Maybe it's some kind of test
But I wish I'd never been tattooed
Or been to hell and back
Fade to black
05 The Bug (04:17)
Well it's a strange old game - you learn it slow
One step forward and it's back to go
You're standing on the throttle
You're standing on the breaks
In the groove 'til you make a mistake
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going to lose it all
You gotta know happy - you gotta know glad
Because you're gonna know lonely
And you're gonna know bad
When you're rippin' and a ridin'
And you're coming on strong
You start slippin' and slidin'
And it all goes wrong because
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger baby
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going to lose it all
One day you got the glory
One day you got none
One day you're a diamond
And then you're a stone
Everything can change
In the blink of an eye
So let the good times roll
Before we say goodbye, because
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger baby
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going to lose it all
The best rockband ever
06 You and Your Friend (05:59)
Will you and your friend come around
Are you and your friend gonna get on down
Will you and your friend come around
Or are you and your friend gonna let me down
If you talk to one another
I'm a hungry man
Let me know one way or the other
So I can make my plans
Will you and your friend come around
Or are you and your friend gonna get on down
Will you and your friend come around
Or are you and your friend gonna get on down
I relive the situation
Still see it in my mind
You got my imagination
Working overtime
07 Heavy Fuel (04:56)
Last time I was sober, man I felt bad
Worst hangover that I ever had
It took six hamburgers and scotch all night
Nicotine for breakfast just to put me right
'cos if you wanna run cool
If you wanna run cool
If you wanna run cool, you got to run
On heavy, heavy fuel
My life makes perfect sense
Lust and food and violence
Sex and money are my major kicks
Get me in a fight I like dirty tricks
'cos if you wanna run cool
Yes if you wanna run cool, you got to run
On heavy, heavy fuel
My chick loves a man who's strong
The things she'll do to turn me on
I love the babes, don't get me wrong
Hey, that's why I wrote this song
I don't care if my liver is hanging by a thread
Don't care if my doctor says I ought to be dead
When my ugly big car won't climb this hill
I'll write a suicide note on a hundred dollar bill
'cos if you wanna run cool
If you wanna run cool
Yes if you wanna run cool, you got to run
On heavy, heavy fuel
09 Ticket to Heaven (04:26)
I can see what you're looking to find
In the smile on my face
In my peace of mind
In my state of grace
I send what I can
To the man from the ministry
He's a part of heaven's plan
And he talks to me
Now I send what I can to the man
With the diamond ring
He's a part of heaven's plan
And he sure can sing
Now it's all I can afford
But the lord has sent me eternity
It's to save the little children
In a poor country
I got my ticket to heaven
And everlasting life
I got a ride all the way to paradise
I got my ticket to heaven
And everlasting life
All the way to paradise
Now there's nothing left for luxuries
Nothing left to pay my heating bill
But the good lord will provide
I know he will
So send what you can
To the man with the diamond ring
They're tuning in across the land
To hear him sing
I got my ticket to heaven
And everlasting life
I got a ride all the way to paradise
I got my ticket to heaven
And everlasting life
All the way to paradise
10 My Parties (05:33)
Well this is my back yard - my back gate
I hate to start my parties late
Here's the party cart - ain't that great?
That ain't the best part baby - just wait
That a genuine weathervane - it moves with the breeze
Portable hammock baby - who needs trees
It's casual entertaining - we aim to please
At my parties
Check out the shingles - it's brand new
Excuse me while I mingle - hi, how are you
Hey everybody - let me give you a toast
This one's for me - the host with the most
It's getting a trifle colder - step inside my home
That's a brass toilet tissue holder with its own telephone
That's a musical doorbell - it don't ring, I ain't kiddin'
It plays america the beautiful and tie a yellow ribbon
Boy, this punch is a trip - it's o.k. in my book
Here, take a sip - maybe a little heavy on the fruit
Ah, here comes the dip - you may kiss the cook
Let me show you honey - it's easy - look
You take a fork and spike 'em - say, did you try these?
So glad you like 'em - the secret's in the cheese
It's casual entertaining - we aim to please
At my parties
Now don't talk to me about the polar bear
Don't talk to me about the ozone layer
Ain't much of anything these days, even the air
They're running out of rhinos - what do I care?
Let's hear it for the dolphin - let's hear it for the trees
Ain't running out of nothing in my deep freeze
It's casual entertaining - we aim to please
At my parties
11 Planet of New Orleans (07:48)
Standin' on the corner
Of Toulouse and Dauphine
Waitin' on Marie-Ondine
I'm tryin' to place a tune
Under a Louisiana moonbeam
On the planet of New Orleans
In a bar they call The Saturn
And in her eyes of green
And somethin' that she said in a dream
Inside of my suit I got my mojo root
And a true love figurine
For the planet of New Orleans
New Orleans - the other planet
With other life upon it
And everythin' that's shakin' in between
If you should ever land upon it
You better know what's on it
The planet of New Orleans
Now I'm tryin' to find my way
Through the rain and the steam
I'm lookin' straight ahead through the screen
And then I heard her say
Somethin' in the Limousine
'Bout takin' a ride across the planet of New Orleans
If she was an ace
And I was just a jack
And the cards were never seen
We could have been the king and queen
But she took me back to her courtyard
Where magnolia perfume screams
Behind the gates and the granite
Of the planet of New Orleans
12 How Long (03:49)
How long, how long baby
How long has it been
How long you gonna keep me wondering
How long before you see
Stallin' me was wrong - how long
How long, how long you gonna keep
Slappin' my hands away
How long you gonna keep my love at bay
How long before you're sure
My love is strong - how long
How long, how long you gonna keep
Tellin' me you like me fine
How long until I'm gonna make you mine
How long before you wake up
And find your good man gone - how long
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Altre recensioni
Di claudio carpentieri
"Uno dei compiti più ardui di un disco è far peregrinare la mente tra pensieri, ricordi e sogni, compito nel quale On Every Street riesce pienamente."
"Il grande capo si circonda di eccezionali session men che portano l’album a livelli altissimi, dimostrando maturità e innovazione."
Di Knopfler76
La purezza della chitarra, quella compensa (quasi tutto).
Calling Elvis, come un buon Barolo. Più invecchia, più si lascia amare.
Di Knopfler76
Calling Elvis, come un buon Barolo. Più invecchia, più si lascia amare.
La purezza della chitarra, quella compensa (quasi tutto).
Di marcoliam
Un disco che ogni anno non invecchia, si rinnova, semplice rock’n’roll di impatto e di classe indiscussa.
Un autentico quadro sonoro da ascoltare e riascoltare, senza singoli ma con un equilibrio perfetto.
