• Voto:
Gli Eagles arrivano alla registrazione di questo loro terzo album, datato 1974, assai delusi dagli scarsi esiti del secondo, "Desperado", sul quale contavano molto e a ragione... a mio parere "Desperado" è il capolavoro assoluto del country rock.
Hanno poi pruriti da rocchettari, il loro produttore Glyn Johns (uno che era stato al mixer accanto al produttore Jimmy Page per il primo disco dei Led Zeppelin) li derideva per questo:
"Glyn! voglio che la mia cassa suoni come quella di John Bonham!"
"Ma Don (Henley)! Tu NON sei John Bonham!"
...così decidono, a metà delle registrazioni, di ricomincioare da capo con un nuovo produttore, poi fanno entrare nel gruppo un terzo chitarrista tale Don Felder che piace a loro tanto da sorvolare sul fatto che non sappia cantare (tanto di belle voci ce ne sono già quattro!) e infine danno il massimo risalto ai brani più rock'n'roll, "Already Gone" e "James Dean", mettendoli all'inizio delle due facciate e pubblicandoli come singoli.
Si ma niente da fare, vendite modeste, scoramento... senonchè molti mesi dopo l'uscita del disco la casa discografica pubblica come terzo singolo "The Best Of My Love", una delle ballate dell'album (neanche la migliore fra l'altro, molto più bella ad esempio "My Man", composta, cantata e divinamente accompagnata alla steel guitar dal chitarrista Bernie Leadon): tale canzone schizza al primo posto in classifica e da lì in poi cambia tutto, gli Eagles passano in serie A, da gruppo di culto a superstars, vendendo milioni di dischi, facendo soldi a palate e poi litigi, cocaina, decadenza ecc. ecc.
Il disco è ancora decisamente country rock ma già meno dei due precedenti, Don Henley prende a cantare la maggior parte del repertorio e a scrivere buona parte dei testi, la sua voce tesa ma suggestiva diviene il marchio di fabbrica del gruppo. Glenn Frey, il "capo", si concentra sul canto lasciando gli assoli al nuovo arrivato e a Leadon, ma fa ancora un buon lavoro alla slide in "Midnight Flyer", cantata da par suo (cioè un'ottava sopra del normale) dal bassista Randy Meisner.
E' forse il disco meno conosciuto degli Eagles, nella mia classifica dei loro lavori in studio lo metto per penultimo, superiore solo all'epitaffio "The Long Run". Resta comunque un'ottima prova, di gente che sa comporre e cantare in armonia come pochi altri.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Already Gone (04:15)
Well, I heard some people talkin' just the other day
And they said you were gonna put me on a shelf
But let me tell you I got some news for you
And you'll soon find out it's true
And then you'll have to eat your lunch all by yourself
'Cause I'm already gone
And I'm feelin' strong
I will sing this vict'ry song, woo, hoo,hoo,my my woo,hoo,hoo
The letter that you wrote me made me stop and wonder why
But I guess you felt like you had to set things right
Just remember this, my girl, when you look up in the sky
You can see the stars and still not see the light (that's right)
And I'm already gone
And I'm feelin' strong
I will sing this vict'ry song, woo, hoo,hoo my my ,woo, hoo,hoo
Well I know it wasn't you who held me down
Heaven knows it wasn't you who set me free
So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the key
But me, I'm already gone
And I'm feelin' strong
I will sing this vict'ry song
'Cause I'm already gone
Yes, I'm already gone
And I'm feelin' strong
I will sing this vict'ry song
'Cause I'm already gone
Yes, I'm already gone
Already gone
All right, nighty-night
02 You Never Cry Like a Lover (04:00)
You never cry like a lover should
Sigh when it feels real good
Or see the sky through the stone and wood
You never cry like a lover
I thought I saw somebody I loved
Sleeping deep inside you
If I could catch you in an unguarded moment
I'd stay right here beside you
You never smile at me late at night
Laugh out loud when we get it right
You can't get loose if there's too much light
You never smile like a lover
I can't live with you baby, can't live without it
And sometimes I believe in love
Sometimes I doubt it
But your life goes on
Like a broken down carousel
Where somebody left the music on
You never move like you used to do
Pour it out when you're feelin' blue
Somebody must have put some pain on you
You never cry like a lover
(You never Cry Like a Lover)
Cry
(You never cry like a lover)
You never cry
(Cry like a lover)
Come on and cry
(You never cry like a lover)
03 Midnight Flyer (03:58)
Oo, Midnight Flyer
Engineer, won't you let your whistle moan?
Oo, Midnight Flyer
I paid my dues and I feel like trav'lin' on
A runaway team of horses ain't enough to make me stay
So throw your rope on another man
And pull him down your way
Make him into someone who can take the place of me
Make him every kind of fool you wanted me to be
Oo, Midnight Flyer
Engineer, won't you let your whistle moan?
Oo, Midnight Flyer,
I paid my dues and I feel like trav'lin' on
Maybe I'll go to Santa Fe, maybe San Antone,
Any town is where I'm bound any way to get me gone
Don't think about me, never let me cross your mind
'Cept when you hear that midnight lonesome whistle whine
Oo, Midnight Flyer
Engineer, won't you let your whistle moan?
Oo, Midnight Flyer
I paid my dues and I feel like trav'lin' on
I paid my dues and I feel like trav'lin' on
05 On the Border (04:23)
Cruisin' down the center of a two way street
Wond'rin' who is really in the driver's seat
Mindin' my bus'ness along comes big brother
Says, "Son, you better get on one side or the other."
I'm out on the border, I'm walkin' the line
Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order
I'm try'n' to change this water to wine.
After a hard day, I'm safe at home
Foolin' with my baby on the telephone
Out of nowhere somebody cuts in and
Says, "Hmm, you in some trouble boy, we know where you're been."
I'm out on the border
I thought this was a private line
Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order
I'm try'n' to change this water to wine
Never mind your name, just give us your number, mm
Never mind your face, just show us your card, mm
And we wanna know whose wing are you under
You better step to the right or we can make it hard
I'm stuck on the border
All I wanted was some peace of mind
Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order
I'm try'n' to change this water to wine
On the border
On the border
On the border
On the border
On the border
Leave me be , I'm just walkin' this line
On the border
On the border
All I wanted was some peace of mind, peace of mind
I'm out on the border
On the border
Can't you see I'm tryin to change this water to wine
Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order
Sick and tired of all your law and order
Say Goodnight, Dick.
06 James Dean (03:38)
James Dean, James Dean
I know just what you mean
James Dean, you said it all so clean
And I know my life would look allright
If I could see it on the silver screen
You were the lowdown rebel if there ever was
Even if you had no cause
James Dean, you said it all so clean
And I know my life would look all right
If I could see it on the silver screen
We'll talk about a low-down bad refrigerator,
You were just too cool for school
Sock hop, soda pop, basketball and auto shop,
The only thing that got you off was breakin' all the rules
James Dean, James Dean
So hungry and so lean
James Dean, you said it all so clean
And I know my life would look all right
If I could see it on the silver screen
Little James Dean, up on the screen
Wond'rin' who he might be
Along came a Spyder and picked up a rider
And took him down the road to eternity
James Dean, James Dean, you bought it sight unseen
You were too fast to live, too young to die, bye-bye
You were to fast to live, too young to die, bye-bye
Bye-bye, Bye-bye, Bye-bye, Bye, bye
07 Ol' 55 (04:21)
Well, my time went so quickly
I went lickety-splitly out to my old fifty-five
As I pulled away slowly, feelin' so holy,
God knows I was feelin' alive
And now the sun's comin' up
I'm ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Stars beginning to fade, and I lead the parade
Just a wishin' I'd stayed a little longer
Lord, don't you know the feelin's gettin' stronger
Six in the morning, gave me no warnin'
I had to be on my way
Now the cars are all passin' me,
Trucks are all flashin' me
I'm headed home from your place
And now the sun's comin' up
I'm ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Stars beginning to fade, and I lead the parade
Just a wishin' I'd stayed a little longer
Lord, don't you know, the feelin's gettin' stronger
Well, my time went to quickly
I went lickety-splitly out to my old fifty-five
As I pulled away slowly, feelin' so holy,
God knows I was feelin' alive
And now the sun's comin' up, yes it is
I'm ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Freeway cars and trucks,
Ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks,
Ridin' with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Ridin' with Lady Luck...
08 Is It True? (03:14)
How come you love him when he
Takes you for a fool
He's only lookin' for a good time
How can he love you when he
Treats you mean and cruel
He's not the best thing that you could find
Is it true?
I can't believe it
Is it true?
I just can't see it
Is it true?
Is that you?
When we were young, we didn't really have a care
You were hung up, I had a good line
I never knew it then but, man, I was in love
How could I know it was the right time?
Is it true?
You've lost that feelin'?
Is is true?
You might be leavin'?
Is it true?
Don't wanna find out
Yes, I was so wrong
For leading you on
There wasn't much I could do
I was a wild one, but I can change some
If that's important to you
Is it true- you've lost that feelin'?
Is it true- you might be leavin'?
Is it true?
Is it true?
She's really leavin'
She's really leavin'
09 Good Day in Hell (04:26)
Move in,
Can't you see she wants you
She has you deep in her eyes
You been wond'rin' why she haunts you
Beauty in the devil's disguise
She can tell you all about it
She sees it in the stars
She'll burn you if you try to put her down
Oh well, it's been a good day in hell
And tomorrow I'll be glory bound
Higher,
She can keep you loaded,
Feedin' you whiskey and wine
Fire,
The devil's on the phone, he laughs
And says you're doin' the just fine
In that big book of names I wanna go down
In flames
Seein's how I'm goin' down
Oh well, it's been a good day in hell
And tomorrow I'll be glory bound
Truckin',
That's all that I've been doin'
Ev'ry girl's a fork in the road
Stuck in some sticky situations
Feelin' like I wanna explode
All this gratification and sick conversation
Someone get me out of town
Oh well, it's been a good day in hell
And tomorrow I'll be glory bound
Carico i commenti... con calma
