Uh-oh! Ci fanno notare che questa recensione compare anche (tutta o in parte) su "100 Dischi Ideali Per Capire Il Rock" di Ezio Guiatamacchi
Quando, alla fine del 1976, le dolci melodie di "Hotel California" cominciavano a passare incessantemente nelle radio di tutto il mondo, nessuno era in grado di percepire cosa si nascondesse dietro quelle canzoni apparentemente pacate, dietro a quelle armonie vocali perfette, dietro quelle romantiche note di chitarre tipicamente west. Sembrava solo il nuovo favoloso lavoro della miglior band country-rock americana. Solo quando si comincia a prestare più attenzione all'inquietante testo della titletrack trapela qualcosa di quello che si nascondeva dietro il nuovo disco degli Eagles. Ciò che emergeva non era molto bello a vedersi.
A vent'anni da quei giorni, quando la storia è stata ricostruita da interviste e biografie, essa appare come un doloroso ritratto di decadenza, di invidia, di lacerazioni interne; in perfetto stile rock, ma molto vicino allo spettro della morte. Infatti questa è una storia di droga e di rock'n' roll. Di gelosia e di invidia. L'altra parte della California assolata, dove sfilano le belle ragazze. Eppure già le immagini, a cominciare dalla copertina, avrebbero dovuto far capire qualcosa: quel maestoso hotel alla luce di un tramonto apparentemente tranquillo ma che riflesso in quelle luci blu e nelle ombre incipienti appare assai gelido; i cinque membri della band all'interno, con quei volti sfatti come se fossero passati attraverso le fiamme dell'inferno; e infine quella hall lussuosa abbandonata, eccetto per una figura in lontananza che spazza, come se nulla fosse, il pavimento.
Un po' di storia, allora: quando gli Eagles si accingono ad entrare ai Record Plant Studios di Los Angeles nel marzo del 1976 sono la band più popolare degli Stati Uniti. Una carriera quella degli Eagles breve ma folgorante, che ha fatto del country-rock la formula più di successo in America. Per questo disco si dovevano comunque trovare strade nuove. Le registrazioni avvengono in un clima per nulla sereno. Basta questo episodio per capirlo. Una sera, mentre si trova nella casa da lui affittata per quel periodo, Meisner sente bussare alla porta. Sono Don Felder e Joe Walsh con il volto stravolto. Dissero che stavano rovinando tutto. Durante quegli otto mesi in studio i cinque consumarono quantità industriali di cocaina, mettendo a dura prova il loro fisico e il loro sistema nervoso. Risulta difficile credere che un gruppo di persone che si odiano tanto abbia potuto produrre un disco così bello; eppure è successo.
Tutte queste sensazioni traspaiono evidenti, a cominciare dalla title-track, l'addio al sogno della California, quella delle buone vibrazioni e del "pace & amore". Dal testo si capisce che il sogno è divenuto un incubo claustrofobico, l'hotel che rappresenta la California del successo è un posto pieno di pericoli da cui nessuno potrà mai andarsene. Lo splendido cambio di assoli nel finale tra le chitarre di Felder e quella di Walsh porta tutto a svanire nella nebbia della musica. La California è vista come un microcosmo nel quale si riflette il resto del mondo.
Alla fine delle registrazioni, Frey e Henley, nonostante tutto sono soddisfatti del risultato: infatti dichiararono che da ora in poi gli Eagles non scrivevano solo canzoncine da classifica. "Hotel California", consciamente o no, è un concept album, tra l'altro pubblicato giusto in tempo prima che l'anno del "Bicentenario" e i relativi grandi festeggiamenti per i duecento anni di esistenza degli Stati Uniti, volgano al termine. Un concept album dove lo stile di vita della cosiddetta "California del Sud", cioè il mondo delle star e del cinema, viene amaramente denunciato attraverso la storia del "nuovo ragazzino in città" che aspira al successo arrivando poi a vivere una "vita nella corsia di sorpasso" per finire rinchiuso nel finto paradiso dell'Hotel California dove finalmente capisce che è stato tutto "tempo sprecato".
Questi concetti sono espressi in "New Kid In Town", "Life In The Fast Lane", "Wasted Time" e nella stupenda "Hotel California", la canzone capolavoro dell'album, nonché la più famosa. In "The Last Resort" alla fine aleggia una speranza, quella della resurrezione. Henley e Frey sicuramente avranno tiranneggiato i loro compagni, ma non si può dire che il risultato abbia dato loro torto: l'unico brano composto da Randy Meisner, la pur carina "Try And Love Again", è un innocuo country-rock come quello che apparteneva al passato degli Eagles e c'entra ben poco con il resto del disco, con la complessa struttura pianistica, vocale e orchestrale di brani magnifici. Joe Walsh, per conto suo, firma l'hard rock in "Life In The Fast Line" che annuncia il futuro degli Eagles, quelli di "The Long Run". L'unico contributo dell'altro membro della band, Don Felder è "Victim Of Love", composta però insieme a Frey e Henley.
A tutt'oggi questo disco ha venduto più di dieci milioni di copie. Ma l'Hotel California sta già chiudendo i battenti, e per chi si è attardato dentro non c'è più speranza. I venti del punk stanno già soffiando forte intorno al suo edificio, e adesso non è più il tempo di "sognare la California". Il viaggio è finito.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Hotel California (06:30)
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell'
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
I thought I heard them say...
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
(Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year, (Any time of year) you can find it here
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes Bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
So I called up the Captain
'Please bring me my wine'
He said,'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine'
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
(Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise, (What a nice surprise) bring your alibis
Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in their master's chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
'Relax,' said the night man
We are programmed to receive
You can checkout any time you like
But you can never leave!
02 New Kid in Town (05:03)
There's talk on the street; it sounds so familiar
Great expectations, everybody's watching you
People you meet, they all seem to know you
Even your old friends treat you like you're something new
Johnny come lately, the new kid in town
Everybody loves you, so don't let them down
You look in her eyes; the music begins to play
Hopeless romantics, here we go again
But after awhile, you're lookin' the other way
It's those restless hearts that never mend
Johnny come lately, the new kid in town
Will she still love you when you're not around?
There's so many things you should have told her,
but night after night you're willing to hold her,
Just hold her, tears on your shoulder
There's talk on the street, it's there to
Remind you, that it doesn't really matter
which side you're on.
You're walking away and they're talking behind you
They will never forget you 'til somebody new comes along
Where you been lately? There's a new kid in town
Everybody loves him, don't they?
Now he's holding her, and you're still around
Oh, my, my
There's a new kid in town
Ooh, hoo
just another new kid in town
Ooh, hoo
Everybody's talking 'bout the new kid in town,
Everybody's walking' like the new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
I don't want to hear it
There's a new kid in town
I don't want to hear it
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
03 Life in the Fast Lane (04:46)
He was a hard-headed man
He was brutally handsome, and she was terminally pretty
She held him up, and he held her for ransom in the heart
of the cold, cold city
He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude
They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude
They had one thing in common, they were
good in bed
She'd say, 'Faster,faster. The lights are turnin' red."
Life in the fast lane
Surely make you lose your mind, mm
Are you with me so far?
Eager for action and hot for the game
The coming attraction, the drop of a name
They knew all the right people, they took
all the right pills
They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavily bills.
There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face
She pretended not to notice, she was caught up
in the race
Out every evening, until it was light
He was too tired to make it, she was too tired
to fight about it
Life in the fast lane
Surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh huh
Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst
They didn't see the stop sign,
took a turn for the worst.
She said, "Listen, baby.You can hear the engine
ring.We've been up and down this highway;
haven't seen a goddam thing."
He said,"Call the doctor. I think I'm gonna crash."
"The doctor says he's comin', but you gotta pay him in cash."
They went rushin' down that freeway, messed around
and got lost
They didn't care they were just dyin' to get off
And it was life in the fast lane
Life in the fast lane
04 Wasted Time (04:56)
Well baby, there you stand
With your little head, down in your hand
Oh, my God, you can't believe
It's happening again
your baby's gone, and you're all alone
and it looks like the end.
And you're back out on the street.
And you're tryin' to remember.
How will you start it over?
You don't know if you can.
You don't care much for a stranger's touch,
but you can't hold your man.
You never thought you'd be alone
this far down the line
And I know what's been on your mind
You're afraid it's all been wasted time
The autumn leaves have got you thinking
about the first time that you fell
You didn't love the boy too much, no, no
you just loved the boy too well, farewell
So you live from day to day, and you dream
about tomorrow, oh.
And the hours go by like minutes
and the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something
to make them go away
And I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind from wonderin' what
I left behind and from worrying 'bout this wasted time
Ooh, another love has come and gone
Ooh, and the years keep rushing on
I remember what you told me
before you went out on your own:
"Sometimes to keep it together,
you got to leave it alone."
So you can get on with your search, baby,
and I can get on with mine
And maybe someday we will find,
that it wasn't really wasted time
Mm,hm
Oh hoo, ooh, ohh,
Ooh,ooh, mm
06 Victim of Love (04:09)
What kind of love have you got?
You should be home, but you're not
A room full of noise and dangerous boys
still makes you thirsty and hot
I heard about you and that man
There's just one thing I don't understand
You say he's a liar and he put out
your fire
How come you still got his gun in your hand?
Victim of love , I see a broken heart
You got your stories to tell
Victim of love, it's such an easy part
and you know how to play it so well
Some people never come clean
I think you know what I mean
You're walkin' the wire, pain and desire
Looking for love in between
Tell me your secrets, I'll tell you mine
This ain't no time to be cool
And tell all your girlfriends,
you "been around the world" friends
that talk is for losers and fools
Victim of love, I see a broken heart
I could be wrong, but I'm no
Victim of love, we're not so far apart
Show me, what kind of love have you got?
Victim of love, you're just a victim of love
I could be wrong , but I'm not
Victim of love, now you're a victim of love
What kind of love have you got?
What kind of love have you got?
What kind of love have you got
07 Pretty Maids All in a Row (03:58)
Hi there,
How are 'ya?
it's been a long time
it seems like we've come a long way
My, but we learn so slow
and heroes, they come
and they go
and leave us behind as if
we're s'pposed to know why
Why do we give up our hearts to the past?
and why must we grow up so fast?
And all you wishing well fools
with your fortunes
someone should send you a rose with
love from a friend,
it's nice to hear from you
again
And the storybook comes to a close
Gone are the ribbons and bows
Things to remember places to go
Pretty Maids all in a Row
Oh, oh oh, oh......
09 The Last Resort (07:28)
She came from Providence,
the one in Rhode Island
Where the old world shadows hang
heavy in the air
She packed her hopes and dreams
like a refugee
Just as her father came across the sea
She heard about a place people were smilin'
They spoke about the red man's way,
and how they loved the land
And they came from everywhere
to the Great Divide
Seeking a place to stand
or a place to hide
Down in the crowded bars,
out for a good time,
Can't wait to tell you all,
what it's like up there
And they called it paradise
I don't know why
Somebody laid the mountains low
while the town got high
Then the chilly winds blew down
Across the desert
through the canyons of the coast, to
the Malibu
Where the pretty people play,
hungry for power
to light their neon way
and give them things to do
Some rich men came and raped the land,
Nobody caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and Jesus,
people bought them
And they called it paradise
The place to be
They watched the hazy sun, sinking in the sea
You can leave it all behind
and sail to Lahaina
just like the missionaries did, so many years ago
They even brought a neon sign:''Jesus is coming''
Brought the white man's burden down
Brought the white man's reign
Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs and
justify our bloody deeds,
in the name of destiny and in the name
of God
And you can see them there,
On Sunday morning
Stand up and sing about
What it's like up there
They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise,
kiss it goodbye
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Altre recensioni
Di Grasshopper
"Se bastasse una bella canzone a fare di un disco un capolavoro, 'Hotel California' lo sarebbe senz'altro."
"Nel complesso discreto, ma il finale è uno scivolone che chiude un disco tutto in calando."
