Concluso il primo ascolto di Shootenanny si ha l'impressione che i tempi di Electro-shock blues (1998) siano ormai lontanissimi nei pensieri di Mark Oliver Everett (you can call him E).
I tormenti, i dolori, le disgrazie familiari che avevano caratterizzato i testi e i suoni duri, taglienti di quel disco sembrano assenti in questo nuovo cd. Ne avevamo avuto già sentore ascoltando gli ultimi due lavori del gruppo (Daisies Of The Galaxy del 2000 e Souljacker del 2001).
Ma a differenza di questi l'ascolto di Shootenanny lascia uno strano senso di serenità. Conoscendo Mr E ho pensato ad un inganno ed in parte è cosí. Infatti, soffermandosi piú attentamente sul connubio musica-testi, si vede affiorare in passi diversi la rabbia e il dolore di E attraverso l'evocazione di ricordi e immagini di freudiana memoria.
Ad esempio, il brano di apertura dell'album "All In A Day's Work", un bel blues sporco in cui la voce ovattata di E sembra essere pienamente a suo agio, è tutto un programma: When I was born / The doctor said / There's something wrong / Inside that baby head.
Successivamente nella straziante Agony: Friends tellin' me / That maybe I need / Some psychiatric help.
A parte questi momenti, tuttavia, l'album si evolve progressivamente verso atmosfere serene e piú rilassate (Fashion Awards ad esempio) e si chiude con una ballata che lascia aperti spiragli di fiducia verso la vita (Somebody Loves You).
Sotto il profilo musicale Shootenanny si discosta dalle ultimi produzioni del gruppo, mantenendo, però, uno stile che mescola pop, rock e folk. Gli arrangiamenti sono molto più essenziali, asciutti e l'elettronica è presente in maniera minore (si veda la delicatissima Love Of The Loveless).
Nell'insieme il cd non è male, ma rispetto agli altri lavori degli Eels sembra manchi qualcosa, ovvero quel lampo di genio, quel cenno di poesia che può rendere un disco indimenticabile e Shootenanny non lo è.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Saturday Morning (02:55)
Saturday Morning
And who's gonna play with me?
Six in the morning, baby
I got a long, long day ahead of me
The parents are sleeping soundly
The neighbors are dead as wood
I'm getting up and coming over
We gotta rock the neighborhood
Nothing's ever gonna happen 'round here
If we don't make it happen
Sleep away the day if you want to
But I got something that I gotta do
It's Saturday Morning
And this ain't the place for me
I'm giving you warning, baby
We got a whole big, fat, world to see
Nothing's ever gonna happen 'round here
If we don't make it happen
Sleep away the day if you want to
But I got something that I gotta do
It's Saturday Morning
And who's gonna play with me?
Six in the morning, baby
I got a long, long day ahead of me
Saturday morning
Saturday morning
04 Love of the Loveless (03:32)
Don’t got a lot of time
Don’t give a damn
Don’t tell me what to do
I am the man
If there’s a god up there
Something above
God, shine your light down here
Shine on the love
Love of the loveless
Love of the loveless
Don’t have too many friends
Never felt at home
Always been my own man
Pretty much alone
I know how to get through
And when push comes to shove
I got something that you need
I got the love
Love of the loveless
love of the loveless
love of the loveless
the love of the loveless
All around you people walking
Empty hearts and voices talking
Looking for and finding
Nothing
Don’t got a lot of time
Don’t really care
Not selling anything
Buyer beware
If there’s a god up there
Something above
God, shine your light down here
Shine on the love
Love of the loveless
love of the loveless
loveof the loveless
love of the loveless
Don’t got a lot of time
Don’t give a damn
Don’t tell me what to do
I am the man
Love of the loveless
love of the loveless
love of the loveless
the love of the loveless
love of the loveless
05 Dirty Girl (02:41)
I like a girl with a dirty mouth
Someone that I can believe
We had a window, not open too long
But that time is good and gone
And if I ever see her again
Just walking by with some new guy
I know that we will need to pretend
And hope our eyes keep telling lies
Sit on the back porch and wonder �bout her
What is she doing right now?
Making somebody a happier man
Dying her hair back to brown
Once in a while your life gets so good
Worth all the trouble of the past
That was the case but I think I always knew
Good things don't ever last
And if I ever see her again
Just walking by with some new guy
I know that we will need to pretend
And hope our eyes keep telling lies
I like a girl with a dirty mouth
Know that I can trust her
We had our time but it didn't last too long
And that time is good and gone
That time is good and gone
06 Agony (03:07)
Not gonna be alright
No, I'm not gonna be alright
nothin' is alright now
not gonna see the sun come up
when i'm goin' down
'cause everyday i'm here
all i feel is sheer
agony
Friends tellin' me
that maybe i need
some pychiatric help
yeah, they're always so quick to tell you
just how to get over it
I look into the mirror
and all i see is age fear
and agony
If i could just remember what it was like
when i was younger
oh, the joy and happiness
replaced with hunger
and all i've got to show
for the seeds that didn't grow
is agony
09 Lone Wolf (02:47)
I am a lone wolf
I always was and will be
I feel fine, I am resigned to this
I am a lone wolf
I am a lone wolf
Got my cares
Wrapped up all nice and neat
In my suitcase
I'll take it down the street
To a place with plenty of space for me
I am a lone wolf
I am a lone wolf
It blows my mind
That people wanna try to get inside my tired head
I am a lone wolf
I am a lone wolf
I am a lone wolf
Nobody needs to get too close to me
You'll only see this truth
I am a lone wolf
10 Wrong About Bobby (02:46)
I was wrong about Bobby
I admit he's not the dumbest angry, young nitwit
No he can cut it with the best
And you'd better get out of his way
His girlfriend keeps him living in
A world where fear will always win
And if you see him out tonight
Well, you'd better get out of his way
You gotta give it up for the new modern man
He's gonna have a ball
Give it all that he can
Someday he's gonna show us all, I bet
Out in the sun while we're all soaking wet
If it's a dry life that you want
Then you'd better get out of his way
You gotta give it up for the new modern man
He's gonna have a ball
Give it all that he can
I was wrong about Bobby, don't you know
He's had it tough and he had to make a go
But if he doesn't stop fucking with me
Well, he'd better get out of my way
Yeah, he'd better get out of my way
He'd better get out of my way
Carico i commenti... con calma
