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A metà del 1989 John Taylor, carismatico bassista sempre in bilico tra rock, funk e sperimentazione, realizzò che il gruppo, per esprimere al massimo il notevole potenziale, doveva tornare a contare cinque elementi. "Notorious" (1986) e "Big Thing" (1988) avevano costretto lui, Simon Le Bon e Nick Rhodes a ridurre il progetto a trio. Andy Taylor, il chitarrista storico, ancora inebriato dalla fortunata parentesi con i Power Station, aveva annusato il progetto "Notorious" giusto il tempo per arricchire il brano "American Science", per poi lasciare il testimone a Warren Cuccurullo, scuola Frank Zappa, che chiese ed ottenne il posto con una caparbietà che non passò inosservata. Mossa azzeccata: l'artefice di "Ordinary World", ormai lo si è evinto, è lui. Roger Taylor, batterista, alzò semplicemente bandiera bianca. Andò a vivere in campagna, precursore inconscio del celebre brano di Cutugno, per riposare in compagnia della prima moglie Giovanna. Se la prese comoda: lo rivedremo, fresco come una rosa, in occasione della reunion del 2001 che darà vita ad "Astronaut" (2004). "Notorious" e "Big Thing" rappresentano il punto più alto dell'intera discografia, anche se l'eco di "Rio" tende a spazzare via questa certezza: il suond si fa più pulito, elaborato, sofisticato, ma gran parte del pubblico non apprezza. Le vendite calano, solo il Bel Paese sembra non patire l'onda d'urto del dissenso e continua a mandare i ragazzi su, in alto, nelle classifiche. John lo vive com un (mezzo) fallimento. A ragion veduta, perché "Liberty" venderà poco, pochissimo; il problema non era dunque il numero dei componenti. Bisognava, piuttosto, dare tempo al tempo. Trovare i singoli giusti, guardarsi intorno, capire dove e come lo scenario pop di fine anni '80 stava evolvendo. Invece, si decise di introdurre a pieno regime Cuccurullo, da già che suonava con loro in pianta stabile dal 1986 sia dal vivo che in studio. E alla batteria ? Dalla dipartita di Roger, si fece affidamento su Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers) che però, in quanto session musician inside, non si legò mai seriamente a nessun progetto. Ferrone ebbe carta bianca in "Notorious", mentre in "Big Thing" la velata impronta dance di alcuni brani impose l'utilizzo dei sintetizzatori (basti pensare a "Drug"). John pensò al "Big Thing Tour". Li aveva accompagnati l'allampanato Sterling Campbell, talentuoso quanto basta per ambire ad un posto da titolare. John ebbe la brillante (sic.) idea di ospitarlo in casa propria. Armato di tanta buona volontà ma anche di poco buon senso, Campbell aveva l'abitudine di esercitarsi sui pezzi in piena notte, togliendo il sonno al povero Taylor. E insomma, accadde che con "Liberty" i Duran Duran si presero troppo poco sul serio. "Notorious" e "Big Thing" erano diversi ma simili: si ascoltino, tanto per dire, "A Matter Of Feeling" e "Palomino". La radice è quella, insomma. Melodia pura, schietta. Con il progetto "Liberty", invece, rockeggiarono, strimpellarono, si diedero un tono duro ma uscirono completamente dagli schemi. Uscire dagli schemi non è un delitto, ma loro lo fecero senza una logica. Decisero di fare i cazzari, decisero che i demo e le sessions fossero un'autentica figata, ma il prodotto finito si perse nel missaggio e i primi a non esserne soddisfatti furono loro. "Liberty" non è un brutto album, tutt'altro. Alcuni tra i brani preferiti dai fans fanno capolino qui. Se ne avete la pazienza, andate a curiosare tra i sondaggi, nei forum, o su Facebook: "Serious" e "My Antarctica" li troverete sempre tra i must, tra i preferiti dallo zoccolo duro. Peccato che poi, l'album, si perda in troppi rivoli e rivoletti. Per dire: passi la scanzonata "Violence of summer", singolo apripista. Ma poi diamoci un tono, dico io. I ragazzi abbozzano, con "Liberty" (il brano), che avrebbe meritato miglior airplay. Piacevole, ottimamente armonizzato, scorre via fluido. Qualcuno inizierà a storcere la bocca su "Hothead", tre minuti abbondanti di campionamenti, rap e chitarre distorte su frammenti elettrici. Il brano funziona in parte. "Serious" riconcilia e coinvolge immediatamente l'ascoltatore, anche il più disattento: il brano è melodico, mai banale, irresistibile il riff di chitarra. Ma poi, apriti cielo. A cosa serve "All Along The Water" ? Perché inserirla in una track list degna ? Per rovinarla ? Per ammazzare il prodotto finito ? Sono passati diciassette anni, ma ancora non ne ho risposta. "My Antarctica" è il mancato singolo, il canto del cigno dell'album, l'apostrofo rosa. Ho reso l'idea, credo. Uno volta la musicassetta speranzoso (perché io ho i miei annetti, sì, e "My Antarctica" chiudeva il lato A, ndr) e ricomincia a sbuffare. Oddio: se gli strumentisti sanno suonare, ed in questo i Duran non sono secondi a nessuno, uno non dice "che schifo". Ma non basta mettere note e accordi in successione e darci dentro. Non basta per catturare orecchio e consenso. "First Impression" (Cuccurullo un paio d'anni più tardi la rielaborerà e ne estrarrà la meravigliosa "Come Undone", ndr), "Read My Lips" (il ritornello ci sta, ci si poteva lavorare: perccato venga proposto solo due volte), "Can You Deal With It" (che carina, l'intro), "Venice Drowning", "Downtown": tutti brani superficiali, dove Simon ricerca (senza mai trovare) una macelata sensualità ed ognuno degli altri membri sembra cercare di voler sovrastare i compagni con il proprio strumento. L'amalgama non è mai coeso, il più delle volte è sconclusionato fino a scadere nel patetico. Ah: l'edizione giapponese ha pensato bene di premiare l'acquirente con un'ulteriore gemma (si fa per dire), la malus....scusate, la bonus track "Yo Bad Azizi". Dio ce ne scampi. I fans però, si sa, devono sempre fare tendenza. Così, nel 1999, compare come per magia online "Didn't anybody tell you", il bootleg con i demo e con i brani che non hanno trovato posto nell'edizione definitiva, e viene subito etichettato a capolavoro. Non è così: semplicemente, il suono è ruvido e l'intonazione incerta, così come succede alla stragrande maggioranza dei bootleg, ma, posso assicurare, nessuna alchimia e nessuna incompiuta. E comunque, no. Non commettete l'errore di considerare "Liberty" un aborto, di soprassedere. C'è del buono, e quel buono fa salvaguardato, messo in uno scrigno. Perché è il viatico che ci accompagna alla redenzione, e redenzione vuol dire "The Wedding Album" (se canto : "But I won't cry for yesterday...", a cosa pensate ? Giusto). Se lo avete già, risporveratelo, il "Liberty". Se non ce l'avete, compratevelo. Lo si compra facile, lo si paga poco, nei vari siti di aste o negozi online. Buon ascolto.
Elenco tracce e testi
02 Liberty (05:01)
(if you wanna stay with me, at your liberty
if you wanna be with me, at your liberty)
-
(ahh, ohh, do-doo)
I'll tell you something,
To let you understand the way I feel, just what you mean to me
Thank you for fine times, we nearly made it all -
The way we know, it wasn't meant to be.
You say we feel the same, there ain't no blame.. to decide
But if a little time, could change your mind, I'll be here..
And you can call me (if you wanna stay with me) at your liberty.
You can hold me (if you wanna be with me) at your liberty.
(Do you, do you)
Do you remember, how lover's right for summers - even nights,
Would never seem to end,
And as December, comes stirring with that finger of desire
To feel it once again
You worry 'bout you're friends, what if they find what's going on?
But if you want to try to make it come alive, I'll be here..
And you can call me (you wanna stay with me) at your liberty.
You can hold me (you wanna be with me) at your liberty.
And you can call me (you wanna stay with me) at your liberty.
And you can touch me girl (you wanna run to me) at your liberty.
Help me out!
I live in doubt
Sort me out, yeaaaahhhhhhh....
-
Don't make it every night, don't wanna be the love of your life
So if you are inclined to spend a little time, I'll be here..
And you can call me (if you wanna stay with me) at your liberty.
You can hold me (if you wanna be with me) at your liberty.
And you can call me (if you wanna stay with me) at your liberty.
And you can touch me girl (if you wanna run to me) at your liberty.
Touch me girl, (if you wanna stay with me) at your liberty.
Help me out, (if you wanna be with me) at your liberty.
Sort me out, (if you wanna run to me), at your liberty.
Or you can set me free (if you wanna run to me), at your liberty.
(if you wanna stay with me, at your liberty).
(if you wanna be with me, at your liberty).
(if you wanna stay with me, at your liberty).
(if you wanna run to me, at your liberty).
At your liberty...
03 Hothead (03:31)
(We will continue...er...to...er...watch
This situation very closely)
Here in the shadows where we stand
Watching lady, watching man
(And it may take nature three years the experts
Say to make up for the damage done)
Greedy for pictures as they roll
We see the planet lose control
(The average credit card holder has
About $750 of revolving debt)
Hothead! evolution nonstop evolution
Hothead!
Hothead! evolution nonstop evolution
Hothead! ....... Hothead
Time, time will change the picture
(Ah it's a good sign)
About time, time will change the picture
Power to change the point of view
But what is fake and what is true
(There are charges today that a consumer product
Is torching homes and killing Americans)
Blow by blow you're telling me
You'll change the course of history
(Our television tends to come out of Hollywood
Action cars, crashes, chases)
Hothead! evolution nonstop evolution
Hothead!
Hothead! evolution nonstop evolution
Hothead! ....... hothead
Time, time will change the picture
(Ah it's a good sign)
About time, time will change the picture
I turn you on you turn me off
Right now I'm suffering from this culture shock
Spread confusion wherever you can
With shaking heads and shaking hands
Cue propoganda to manipulate
Where there's megabucks you protect the state
Let the body break and the body tumble
So you build it up, then you watch it crumble
Time will change the picture
Evolution, nonstop evolution
About time, time will change the picture
Evolution, nonstop evolution
About time, time will change the picture
Evolution, NONSTOP!
04 Serious (04:21)
Oh woman you make me feel
Like I'm on fire
Oh woman you make it real
It's the only way for me
So if we sometimes fight
Doesn't mean we got problems
Ain't always black and white
who cares anyway?
Doesn't have to be serious
Doesn't have to be serious
Serious
Doesn't have to be serious
Doesn't have to be serious
Oh baby you get so wild
MMM.. Too much understanding
Oh baby you're such a child
Full up with on love and tears and cryin'
Don't worry if you're confused
We all tend to be sometimes
The whole world is getting used
That's just the way it is...
May be right, ooh it may be wrong
Doesn't have to be serious
Being hard isn't being strong
Doesn't have to be serious
Fighting for love, fighting for pain
Doesn't have to be serious
And if you win, Oh, what do you gain?
Doesn't have to be serious
Ooh, doesn't have to be serious
Maybe right, oh but maybe wrong
Doesn't have to be serious
Fighting for love, fighting for pain
Doesn't have to be serious
And if you win, oh what do you gain?
Doesn't have to be serious
Maybe right, oh but maybe wrong
Doesn't have to be serious
Being hard, isn't being strong
06 My Antarctica (05:01)
Once I thought that I was in control
But that was just another trick of fate
Playing with my life
There have been some times
I was so tied up
And I said to myself
Gotta break it all
But didn't really try
Two hearts beating in this place you've made
You know nothing changes my Antarctica
You can make your rhymes
And paint your rules
In black and white
For me to memorize
But never understand
And there will be time
For a thousand vows
Oh a thousand promises
We forgot
To be realized
Two hearts beating in this place you've made
You know nothing changes my Antarctica
One life pumping
We make love to make our heat
And we throb in my Antarctica
We'll keep the rhythm going
And we'll remember
We'll keep the laughter flowing
And we'll remember
We let the music jangle
And we'll remember
Two hearts beating in this place you've made
You know nothing changes my Antarctica
One life pumping
We make love to make our heat
And we throb in my Antarctica
Caught and sheltered this is what you made
You know I will stay here
In Antarctica
And you
Will stay here
With me
08 Read My Lips (04:30)
(ROCK IT!)
I got something
You got nothing to lose
I could give you
So much more than you're used to
Move a little closer
Maybe we can slip away
Right now we could use a little privacy
All too much attention from your friends in here
Move a little closer
Trust me
I'm not on the make
(That's a lie)
If I could pull you over
C'mon lady, what d'you say
Get a grip
Don't resist
Read my lips
It's a trip
Ain't a risk
Read my lips
Get a grip
Don't resist
Read my--
(lips)
Part of you wanna get lucky
Part of you wanna go trade
Part of you wanna come looking
Part of you want to stay.....
(ROCK IT)
Get a grip
Don't resist
Read my lips
It's a trip
Ain't a risk
Read my lips
She's all mine...
09 Can You Deal With It (03:48)
(words and music: Duran Duran)
There must be somebody
Who'll make love to me.
Blow the rules away
And trash these yesterdays.
Live in simpathy
Use psychology.
To find the twist in me (ah-ha)
Can you deal with it?
Recent enquiry
Showed now boundry.
Loves the only way
Can you handle it?
Can you deal with it? (oowa)
Can you deal with it?
Can you deal with it? (oowa)
Can you deal with it?
Can you deal with it?
When you aint sorry? (Can you deal with it?)
For all that you appologise (Can you deal with it?)
Working up to something,
I know you're up to something...
Yeahhhh...
Can you deal with it? (somethings got to happen)
Can you deal with it? (somethings got to get me up)
Say you deal with it? (but nothing never happens)
Can you deal with it? ('cos nothings ever good enough)
Say you deal with it?
Can you deal with it? (somethings got to happen)
Can you deal with it? (somethings got to get me up)
Say you deal with it? (but nothings gonna happen)
Can you deal with it? ('cos nothings ever good enough)
Say you deal with it?
11 Downtown (05:22)
(words and music by Duran Duran)
Deliver use from evil, we go with the flow.
Here's a little secret, I think you ought to know.
Providers and abusers, they know where to go.
With Sundays refugees, from Sunday TV shows.
(Downtown!) All of the way down
(Downtown!) All of the way downtown
(Downtown!) All of the way down
(Downtown!) All of the way downtown..
Lets sink imagination, past your wildest while (All of the way downtown)
Go way delow, below, below, is it such a crime?
Ahhhh The Uptown, can't teach you how to live,
They don't have the time
'Cos where I'm gonna take you, is a state of mind.
Ahhoouu
(chorus)
You better learn to use your heart
You gotta loose your money
You better use it all up
'Cos you can't take it with you when you're going down..
You never come home babe
You never come home baby
And you'll never be alone, all of the way downtown
All of the way downtown
You never come home babe
You never come home baby
And you'll never be alone, all of the way downtown (down, down)
All of the way downtown
You never come home babe
You never come home baby
And you'll never be alone, all of the way downtown
All of the way downtown
You never come home babe
You never come home baby
And you'll never be alone, all of the way downtown...
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