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Capita spesso che una band o un artista vengano identificati nell’immaginario collettivo grazie alla loro opera più rappresentativa. Si tratta di un’associazione mentale quasi spontanea, ma che altrettanto spesso porta a trascurare gli altri tasselli degni di nota che compongono il mosaico di una carriera. Dall’estate del 1982 i Duran Duran hanno dovuto fare i conti con un ingombrante capolavoro di perfezione come “Rio”, vera croce e delizia per la band di Le Bon. Ma tutti coloro che hanno amato “Rio” fin dalla prima nota del basso di John Taylor dovrebbero ascoltarsi anche questo “Duran Duran”, l’album d’esordio dei cinque di Birmingham datato 1981.
A differenza del celeberrimo secondo capitolo della band “Duran Duran” è un album dall’ascolto meno immediato, dalle sonorità più oscure e dai testi più enigmatici; ma è proprio per questo che racchiude in sè tutto il fascino del diamante grezzo, che una volta trattato e rifinito darà luce, un anno dopo, al fresco e scintillante “Rio”, che ne è quindi suo discendente diretto. In questo primo lavoro self-titled troviamo infatti già tutte le caratteristiche del sound che ha fatto grandi i Duran: la voce istrionica di Le Bon si muove sulle trascinanti linee di basso di John Taylor (vera colonna portante dei pezzi dei Duran) e sulle ricercate atmosfere delle tastiere di Rhodes; il tutto sigillato sullo sfondo dalla solida batteria di Roger Taylor e dai ricami chitarristici del terzo Taylor, Andy. Il disco si apre con i primi grandi classici che hanno lanciato i Duran, “Girls On Film” e “Planeth Earth” (che non scadono mai nella banalità di semplici pezzi pop) cui fanno da contorno altri episodi dal tono più cupo e decadente, come la nostalgica “Anyone Out There” o la minacciosa “Careless Memories” con il suo ritmo incalzante. “Is There Something I Should Know” fa tornare per un attimo al pop più piacevole ed orecchiabile, aprendoci strada verso la seconda parte del disco, decisamente più sperimentale e intraprendente. Ci imbattiamo perciò nell’ipnotica “Friends Of Mine”, nell’acerba Sound Of Thunder (forse il pezzo meno riuscito dell’album) e nella tenebrosa “Night Boat”, splendida cavalcata che sembra perdersi verso lidi ignoti e misteriosi. Il disco si conclude con “Tel Aviv”, uno strumentale in cui le linee melodiche orientaleggianti di chitarra e tastiere si intrecciano con la sezione ritmica di basso e batteria, conferendo al pezzo un carattere esotico ed onirico e sfumando in conclusione verso quello che sarà il successivo capitolo della saga dei ragazzi di Birmingham.
“Duran Duran” fu registrato nel mese di dicembre del 1980, e lo stesso gruppo nelle interviste successive ricordò lo sforzo emotivo richiesto per completare le registrazioni dopo l’improvvisa notizia dell’assassinio di John Lennon (8 dicembre), che rese più grigio e freddo quel triste inverno 1980. In primavera però l’album era ormai finito e i Duran erano in rampa di lancio: pubblicato il 15 giugno 1981 “Duran Duran” raggiunse la posizione n.3 in patria, restando in classifica per 117 settimane e forgiandosi del disco di platino: per Le Bon e i suoi compari si erano aperte le porte del successo che di lì a poco li avrebbe travolti anche oltreoceano.
Che dire di più? “Duran Duran” è sicuramente un album di qualità con molti spunti di interesse, forse per certi aspetti anche migliore di “Rio”: per la sua energia, per le sue atmosfere un po’ sinistre e nevrotiche e per i suoi ottimi pezzi, che non perdono mai d’intensità. Un disco fondamentale e imprescindibile per tutti gli amanti dei Duran e della pop music anni ’80.
P.S. Un’ultima nota (nostalgica) per la copertina: semplice sfondo bianco, il nome del gruppo in una scritta rossa che ricorda quelle dei cartoni animati, e la foto dei cinque in pose ammiccanti con capigliature e abiti più o meno improponibili tipici dell’inconfondibile moda dell'epoca. Altra musica, altro stile, altri tempi.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Rio (05:37)
Moving on the floor now babe you're a bird of paradise
Cherry ice cream smile I suppose it's very nice
With a step to your left and a flick to the right you catch that mirror way out west
You know you're something special and you look like you're the best
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio, Rio dance across the Rio Grande
I've seen you on the beach and I've seen you on TV
Two of a billion stars it means so much to me
Like a birthday or a pretty view
But then I'm sure that you know it's just for you
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio, Rio dance across the Rio Grande
Hey now woo look at that did she nearly run you down
At the end of the drive the lawmen arrive
You make me feel alive, alive alive
I'll take my chance cause luck is on my side or something
I know what you're thinking I tell you something I know what you're thinking
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twists across a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio, Rio dance across the Rio Grand
Her name is Rio she don't need to understand
And I might find her if I'm looking like I can
Oh Rio, Rio hear them shout across the land
From mountains in the north down to the Rio Grande
Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do
02 My Own Way (04:54)
I saw you at the airace yesterday April showers get out of my way
Fear of flying no not me
I'm never bothered what you say someone's kid just lives for today
It ain't your problem anyway
Cause I've got my own way, I can find my own way, cause I've got my own way
Cause I've got my own way, I can find my own way, cause I've got my own way
Number one public figure what a pain just puts another rattle in your brain
Take another green but it's not the same
So now you're on the sandlane everyday dancing with the bulls in any old way
Running like a fox to keep up with me
Cause I've got my own way, I can find my own way, cause I've got my own way
Cause I've got my own way, I can find my own way, cause I've got my own way
I'm on 45 between 6th and Broadway, 45 between 6th and Broadway 45
I'm drinking 7UP between 6th and Broadway 7UP between 6th and Broadway, 7UP
Cause I've got my own way, I can find my own way, cause I've got my own way
Cause I've got my own way, I can find my own way, cause I've got my own way
03 Lonely in Your Nightmare (03:49)
Even on the darkest night when empty promise means empty hand
And soldiers coming home like shadows turning red
And when the lights of hope are fading quickly then look to me
I'll be your homing angel I'll be in your head
Because you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
And there's heat beneath your winter let me in
I see the delta traces living lonely out on the limb
And a passing glimmer warm beneath your skin
Please tread gently on the ground when all around you earth turns to fire
Only get a second chance when danger's on the wind
Because you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in
And it's silent on your stone field let me in
Must be lucky whether when you find the kind of wind that you need
Come on show me all the light and shade that made your name
I know you've got it in your head I've seen that look before
You've built your refuge turns you captive all the same
Because your lonely in your nightmare let me in
And it's barren in your garden let me in
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in
Because it's silent on your stone field let me in
And you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
Because you've waited through your ice age let me in
Because you're so lonely in your nightmare let me in
And it's cold out on the stone range let me in
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in
04 Hungry Like the Wolf (03:40)
Dark in the city, night is a wire
Steam in the subway, earth is a fire
Do dodo do dodo do dodo do dodo do doo doo
Woman, you want me, give me a sign
And catch my breathing even closer behind
Do dodo do dodo do dodo do dodo do doo doo
In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Stalked in the forest, too close to hide
I'll be upon you by the moonlight side
Do dodo do dodo do dodo do dodo do doo doo
High blood drumming on your skin, it's so tight
You feel my heat, I'm just a moment behind
Do dodo do dodo do dodo do dodo do doo doo
In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Scent and a sound, I'm lost and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme
I howl and I whine, I'm after you
Mouth is alive, all running inside
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
Burning the ground, I break from the crowd
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
I smell like I sound, I'm lost and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf
05 Hold Back the Rain (03:47)
We're miles away from nowhere
And the wind doesn't have a name
So call it what you want to call it
Still blows down the lane.
People tell me, I haven't changed at all
But I don't feel the same
And I bet you've had that feeling too
You can't laugh all the time.
And if the fires burn out, there's only fire to blame
(Hold back the rain)
No time for worry 'cause we're on the roam again
(Hold back the rain)
The clouds all scatter and we ride the outside lane
(Hold back the rain)
Not on your own so help me please... hold back the rain.
So what if the words ain't rhyming
Did you think that it's just a game
I probably didn't even say that right
And I really don't give a damn.
Okay go off and wander
I'm guilty just the same
Sometimes you're needed badly
So please come back again.
And if the fires burn out, there's only fire to blame
(Hold back the rain)
No time for worry 'cause we're on the roam again
(Hold back the rain)
The clouds all scatter and we ride the outside lane
(Hold back the rain)
Not on your own so help me please... hold back the rain.
And if the stars burn out, there's only fire to blame
(Hold back the rain)
No time for worry 'cause we're on the roam again
(Hold back the rain)
The clouds all scatter and we ride the outside lane
(Hold back the rain)
Not on your own so help me please hold back the rain.
Hold back the rain
(repeated..)
07 Last Chance on the Stairway (04:19)
I don't remember quite how I met you wasn't long ago
I just get a picture of sun in your eyes the waves in your hair
Maybe it's something said in a movie or you could've said last night
It just took me out on a limb and I don't really know what I'm doing here
And sometimes I'm caught in a landslide and my beats so in time can you look at me
I'm out of reach I'll talk if it feels right I've had my last chance on the stairway
Funny it's just like a scene out of Voltaire twisting out of sight
Cause when all the curtains are pulled back we'll turn and see the circles we've traced
Ain't no game (ooo-ooo) when you're playing with fire
It doesn't seem right that we fight so the party runs all night
And sometimes I'm caught in a landslide and my beats so in time can you look at me
I'm out of reach I'll talk if it feels right I'm so nervous to say tell me can't you see
And if you want I'll fall off forever I can't say no more baby dance with me
And please don't say leave it till later I've had my last chance on the stairway
Wonder why (wonder why ooo-ooo) what makes me rise so high
Maybe it's something they put in your perfume or the look in your eyes
It could be the atmosphere sinking ooo I don't even know what you're thinking
I don't even know what you're drinking but it keeps this heaven alive
And sometimes I'm caught in a landslide and my beats so in time can you look at me
I'm out of reach I'll talk if it feels right I'm so nervous to say tell me can't you see
And if you want I'll fall off forever I can't say no more baby dance with me
And please don't say leave it till later I've had my last chance on the stairway
Last chance on the stairway, last chance on the stairway
Last chance on the stairway, last chance on the stairway
Last chance on the stairway, last chance on the stairway
Last chance on the stairway
08 Save a Prayer (05:25)
You saw me standing by the wall,
Corner of a main street
And the lights are flashing on your window sill
All alone ain't much fun,
So you're looking for the thrill
And you know just what it takes and where to go
Don't say a prayer for me now,
Save it 'til the morning after
No, don't say a prayer for me now,
Save it 'til the morning after
Feel the breeze deep on the inside,
Look you down into the well
If you can, you'll see the world in all his fire
Take a chance
(Like all dreamers can't find another way)
You don't have to dream it all, just live a day
Don't say a prayer for me now,
Save it 'til the morning after
No, don't say a prayer for me now,
Save it 'til the morning after
Save it 'til the morning after,
Save it till the morning after
Pretty looking road,
I try to hold the rising floods that fill my skin
Don't ask me why I'll keep my promise,
Melt the ice
And you wanted to dance so I asked you to dance
But fear is in your soul
Some people call it a one night stand
But we can call it paradise
Don't say a prayer for me now,
Save it 'til the morning after
No, don't say a prayer for me now,
Save it 'til the morning after
Save it 'til the morning after
Save it 'til the morning after
Save it 'til the morning after
Save it 'til the morning after
Save a prayer 'til the morning after
09 The Chauffeur (05:13)
Out on the tar plains.
The glides are moving.
All looking for a new place to drive.
You sit beside me.
So newly charming.
Sweating dew drops glisten fresh in your side.
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind.
The front of your dress all shadowy lined.
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart.
Way down the lane away.
Living for another day.
The aphids swarm up in the drifting haze.
Swim seagull in the sky.
Towards that hollow western Isle.
My envied lady holds you fast in her gaze.
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind.
The front of your dress all shadowy lined.
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart.
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind.
The front of your dress all shadowy lined.
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart.
Sing, Blue Silver.
And watching lovers part.
I feel you smiling.
What glass splinters lie so deep in your mind.
To tear out from your eyes.
With a thought to stiffen brooding lies.
And I'll only watch you leave me further behind.
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind.
The front of your dress all shadowy lined.
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart.
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind.
The front of your dress all shadowy lined.
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart.
Sing, Blue Silver.
Sing, Sing Blue Silver
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Altre recensioni
Di Justpg
"Rio rappresenta un mix delle atmosfere duraniane fatte di rock, funky, dark e melodico unito al pop, suoni originali e unici."
"La musica dei Duran spesso confusa con il semplice pop è invece ricca di individualità artistica."
Di claudio carpentieri
"Ero con mia moglie Linda nello stesso studio dove si stava registrando 'Rio'. Una sera li andai a trovare e mi fecero ascoltare questa nuova canzone 'Save a Prayer'. Subito dissi loro che con quel pezzo avevano un successo tra le mani." (Paul McCartney)
"Una vera e propria prova di quando la musica popolare si eleva a seducente forma d'arte."
Di Palau
SÌ, RIO è un capolavoro!
I Duran Duran sono un gruppo formato da ragazzi intelligenti e colti; con Rio hanno sfornato un fottutissimo e meraviglioso lavoro musicale.
