Una risposta adeguata agli inconcludenti Babyshambles di Pete Doherty, anima nera e tossica degli ormai disciolti Libertines, doveva necessariamente arrivare dal suo ex compagno di scorribande Carl Barat, non a caso considerato tra i due il “bravo ragazzo assennato”.
Barat, il cui unico merito è quello di essere prima di tutto un musicista, dimostra col suo nuovo gruppo di avere capitalizzato al massimo le esperienze accumulate durante la breve eppure intensa avventura dei Libertines.
La ricetta musicale dei Dirty Pretty Things, la cui formazione è prevalentemente composta da membri del precedente gruppo di Barat, non ci riserva particolari sorprese: le dodici tracce di 'Waterloo To Anywhere', ineccepibili quanto si vuole nella loro andatura sincopata, mostrano tuttavia tutti i limiti di un genere sempre più ripetitivo e fastidiosamente “autoreferenziale”.
Le miriadi di band anglosassoni influenzate da Barat e Doherty hanno contribuito, saturando il mercato discografico e le orecchie del pubblico, ad appiattire la scena musicale britannica e a suggerire la paradossale impressione che i Dirty Pretty Things siano quasi dei cloni dei nuovi gruppi che adesso vanno per la maggiore.
Brani come il singolo Bang Bang You’ re Dead, Blood Thirsty Bastards e la penultima Last Of The Small Town Playboys sono ben strutturati, forse perfino troppo. La sensazione è che Barat, a differenza di quello scapestrato di Doherty, abbia fatto un po’ troppo il primo della classe. Il risultato?
Un disco di poco sopra la media, comunque noioso e deludente.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Deadwood (02:27)
You got the world boy
This all you make it?
You had the choice lad
You wouldnt take it
The oldest charm
Only the best for you
And the years of my life,
Some they were so good,
But now and again I feel
I was a coward
Are the holes in my soul
In tatters for all these tears
Well you dont see it that way
A way, a way
We’lll have it today
The dancing ones they really mean it
But something boy,
somethings gonna change
A way, a way
Youve got it they say
How do they know
When theyve never seen it?
And what will you do
When they forget your name?
Well you’ll up and get another one
Don’t give me that face
I know when I should live in disgrace
Not dig up the deadwood
I knew this place was never the place for me
And of the years that rolled by
Yeah some were so good
But now I know that
You were the coward
The holes in your soul
In tatters for all these years
But you cant see it that way
A way, a way
Well have it today
The dancing ones they really mean it
And mark my words
Something’s gonna change
A way, a way
Youve got it they say
But how do they know
When theyve never seen it?
And what will you do
When they forget your name?
Well you’ll up and get another one
A way, a way
We’ll have it today
The dancing ones they really mean it
But something boy
somethings gonna change
A way, a way
Youve got it today
But how do they know
When theyve never seen it?
And what will you do
When they forget your name?
Well you’ll up and get another one
02 Doctors and Dealers (03:17)
I don’t believe in anything
They tell me’s set in stone
They say that were together
But I’m sat here on my own
In the company of strangers
This trigger happy scene
Well if a heart do like a hind
Then there is nothing in-between
Oh no, no I don’t mind
Oh no, no I don’t mind
Cause I can call someone to bring the fight on
(the doctors and the dealers)
Get someone to shed some light on
(miracle cure, soul stealers)
Crack pot quacks with cracked up egos
(prescribing old placebos)
Collecting junk that we dont need, no
I see them now and then
Still spitting out those lies
Strange it doesn’t bother me
I’ve got my own disguise
And there’s really not that much of me
For Jesus left to save
If savings only bartering
My soul can be his pay
Oh no, no I dont mind
Oh no, no I dont mind
Cause I can call someone to bring the fight on
(the doctors and the dealers)
Yes someone to shed some light on
(miracle cure soul stealers)
Crack pot quacks with cracked up egos
(prescribing old placebos)
Collecting junk that we dont need, no
You got the ball
I was lucky to get the chain
But now I have to watch the crowds
Haphazardly chasing down the drain
So what does it do?
Nothing for me
What about you?
The doctors and the dealers
The doctors and the dealers
The doctors and the dealers
They come to you
They come to me
They come in droves
Oh one two three
They come to you
they come to me
They come in droves
Oh one two three
They come to you
they come to me
They come in droves
Oh one two three
They come to you
Oh they come to me
They come in droves
Oh one two three
They come to me
03 Bang Bang You're Dead (03:33)
I knew all along
That I was right at the start
About the seeds of the weeds
That grew in your heart
Self satisfaction for the factions
Who formed to tear us apart
Oh I gave you the midas touch
As you turned round to scratch out my heart
Oh what did you expect?
Oh tell me what did you expect?
To lay it on my head?
So is it all upon my head?
Bang bang you're dead!
Oh I'm so easily lead
Bang, bang, you're de-e-ead!
Put all those rumours to bed
Bang, bang you're dead
I knew all along
But I was loathed to believe
There was nothing but spite
Fury and lies in the words that you weave
Bring our illusion to a conclusion
With all our unsold dreams
Put it to bed, kick it in the head
Oh won't they just let it be
Bang bang you're dead!
Oh I'm so easily lead
Bang, bang, you're de-e-ead!
Put all those rumours to bed
Bang, bang you're dead
Bang bang bang bang you're dead
04 Blood Thirsty Bastards (03:10)
The world seems out of touch now
I don’t get out so much
I don’t feel the same
In these bones anymore
My heels are all worn down
My loyalties are torn
I’m finding different paths now
I never saw before
And it hurts less every day
The paths lead me away
Lead me away from those
Blood Thirsty Bastards
Making plans for no one
But themselves
In this world of disaster
I just need someone
For myself
All the sycophants and vampires
Well I packed them off to hell
Oh I’ve been up for days now
I hope no one can tell
I do my bit oh yes
To cleanse my hands from lies
Im feeding up the zombies
Hatched from their own eyes
And from these eyes
The weary eyes-cum shadows
Of a very different man
Blood thirsty bastards making plans for no one
but their own
I got to be my own master
get away from these braggards, tricksters, foolish clones
Oh look at how they laugh at you now
What did you do to make this bad become true
For heavens sake
such a silly mistake
You’re a legend in your mind
But a rumour in your room
They all followed me down here
To an alleys dirty end
Oh I had nothing to give them
I just thought they were my friends
Doesnt matter now
I’m angry anyhow
So its the best way I can deal with
Blood thirsty bastards
making plans for no one
But their kind
Only now do I see it
I know I don’t need it, no
I pay them no mind
Blood thirsty bastards making plans for no one
But themselves
In this world of disaster
I just need someone
To myself
05 The Gentry Cove (02:32)
Run they said to a promised land
Run and find us a helping hand
Don’t come back till the sun is gone
Don’t come back till the war is won
We all set out with our hearts in hand
A cold wind covered up a line in the sand
All so young
Nothing to lose
Pieces of silver and a dead mans shoes
And oh do you know what I’m saying
Strike a light to guide us
Somewhere
Tempest swells our worlds collide
Arrows from above and the salt in our eyes
Then as the sky began to bruise
We all sought shelter from the breaking news
Oh did I ever show you
All the great memorials, all the factory floors
And oh though you know I don’t know you
Now that were here
Let’s make them proud
On and on and on and on and on and on we go
Traipsing over bridges
Over corpses down below
And all the while we could have smiled
For one thing on our minds
The very thing you strive for
Is the thing that makes you blind
Run they said to a promised land
Run and find us a helping hand
Don’t come back till the sun is gone
Don’t come back till the war is won
Tempest high, stories tall
Thought that we learnt nothing at all
Then at last the day was saved
With flowers borrowed from a dead friends grave
And oh even still I don’t know you
Maybe I’ll show you
If you’ve eyes to see
And so farewell
And so farewell
And so farewell
And so farewell to it
06 Gin & Milk (03:05)
I’m in to myself
On uncertain terms
I put gin in my milk
To kill all the germs
As I pray for the day
That life will return
And I pray for myself
But I never learn
No I never learn
See I really like you
But I’m nothing like you
I try oh so hard
But don’t get so far
You get my respect
But we don’t connect
Were in it together
So I’ll love you forever
I love you forever
And so it rains on
No one gives a fuck about the values I would die for
Not the faceless civil servants
The rudimentary crack whore
No one gives two fucks about the values I would kill for
Give them something to die for
Give me something to die for
You won’t really see me
I live in old movies
Cloaked tightly in sin
So they wont come in
Its like spying on cities
Through cracks in the floor
Thought I knew what the blag was
But now I’m not sure
What do I know anymore?
And no one gives a fuck
About the values I would die for
Not the baseist civil servant
The rudimentary crack whore
And no one gives two fucks
About the values I could kill for
Give them something to die for
Give me something to die for
Still I’m into myself
On uncertain terms.
I put gin in my milk
It kills all the germs
As I pray for the day
That life will return
And I pray for myself
But I never learn
No I’ll never learn
No one gives a fuck
About the values I would die for
Not the faceless civil servant
A rudimentary crack whore
No one gives two fucks
About the values I would kill for
Give me something to die for
Give me something to die for
No one’s too perturbed
About the things that I would cry for
I’ve been trying all my life
Until there’s nothing left to try for
No one’s too perturbed
About the things that I would live for
Give me something to try for
Give me something to try for
07 The Enemy (03:36)
So far dishonest as the day is long
Im sorry so I'll go now
But I love you so it wont be long
And the spectres in the masonary remind us of the things that might have been
Isn't it time you washed your face
It looks like a burnt out fireplace
And I am awash with memories
And worrying complexities
But in time (in time)
You'll find it very scary
It's hard to live respectfully
The Enemy as I know it is right inside my head
The Enemy as I know it is right inside my head
Everyones still all over the place
And not to humble to embrace
And oh my gosh the memories
But your arrogance perplexes me
Now this time (this time)
I shouldn't be so lary
Just try to live respectfully
The Enemy as I know it is right inside my head
The Enemy as I know it is right inside my head
So are you giving it a shot now
And it all came back and you did a little turn now
Well they didn't like that
Are you going to give it up for?
(And the spectres in the masonary remind us of the things that might have been)
All you need's a gentle heart
To see you through endless dark
All you need's a gentle heart
To see you through endless dark
The Enemy as I know it is right inside my head
The Enemy as I know it is right inside my head
The Enemy as I know it is right inside my head
The Enemy as I know it is right inside my head
09 You Fucking Love It (01:53)
She could never ever ever ever ever ever ever get it into her thick head
So when pretending ends shell have scattered her friends
And she'll find she'll wake up dead
There's no card above receivers
Still it's all so remote
Behind the bench at the rec
Where she lost fifty notes
(she says) "I used to have a future
But now I don't know
Just dependence and repentance and a ready-brek glow"
Just put your money in
Bruised and battered shins
You fucking love it
You fucking love it
Back on your feet again
Out on the beat again,
You fucking love it
Yeah yeah yeah
Drunk as a skunk
Lean as a dean
Always the same
Since she was thirteen
You want it
You lame duck
You want it
Youre out of luck
You've always been a seedy fuck
So whats it gonna be?
Just put your money in
Bruised and battered shins
You fucking love it
You fucking love it
Back on your feet again
Out on the beat again,
You fucking love it
Yeah yeah yeah
When you boil it down
We descend from clowns to dogs
Just put your money in
Bruised and battered shins
You fucking love it
You fucking love it
Back on your feet again
Out on the beat again,
You fucking love it
Yeah yeah yeah
When you boil it down
We descend from clowns to dogs
10 Wondering (02:54)
We were so pretty now is this it
You and I are too young for this
No blood no lust or spit
But still there is something there to play upon
A flash of instant thereabouts you'll miss it and it's gone
But still it's good to be in love with someone
When you've always had to be with no one.
She said everyone's a story of their own
But if we don't leave now we'll find ourselves with no way home
And so we strolled on all bangered and confused
At first it wasn't pretty but we soon undid that rouse so
Now we got something in many other ways
All the boys together and a knees up on the way
Still it's good to be in love with someone
When you've always had to be with no one.
She said everyone's a story of their own
But if we don't leave now we'll find ourselves with no way home
Find ourselves with no way home
And it occurred to me, I think on Lambeth Road
There's no more need to question life
Or cry for what I'm owed
And now it's over so now it's done
The English sun is setting and the rude boys on the run oh
Still it's good to be in love with someone
When you've always had to be with no one.
Still I need you to remind me every day
The lives and loves we've lost and broken on the way
Here's to tomorrow and the lonely streets we'll roam
But if we don't leave now we'll find ourselves with no way home
Just to think we're almost home
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