Devo ammettere che questo ultimo disco degli ELO classici non mi aveva mai invogliato al suo ascolto, un po' per l'anno di pubblicazione nel terribile (musicalmente parlando) 1986 e un po' per la copertina decisamente troppo '80s. Sbagliavo, e di molto. Questo "Balance of Power" è a 33 anni di distanza ancora un album di pop-rock che regge bene a differenza di molti suoi contemporanei, "Invisible Touch" dei Genesis oggi è quasi inascoltabile nella sua estrema plasticosità. I suoni di Simmons, synt-bass e sintetizzatori sparati a mille su refrain bubble gum ci sono tutti ma l'insieme è così prodotto bene da Lynne che il risultato è molto piacevole all'ascolto. L'intro con "Heaven Only Knows" è sui terreni di un power pop barocco che stende subito, ritornelli ariosi stratificati su più voci e melodia terribilmente orecchiabile così come la successiva "So Serious", "Getting to the Point" è la sontuosa ballatona con ritornello di grande pomposità a cui Lynne ci ha già abituati nei dischi precedenti. "Secret Lives" inizia come un tema quasi reggae per telefilm anni '80, uno di quelli con la famigliola felice modello Bradford per poi accelerare su di un ritrnello più consono agli ELO. Si torna su terreni più tipici della band con il singolone scala hit "Calling America", uno di quesi pezzi che entrano subito in testa senza troppa fatica, "Endless Lies" è invece uno scarto del precedente "Secret Messages", brano che si avvicina ad una visione di pop classico che strizza l'occhio all'opera. Al disco seguirà l'ultimo tour mondiale della band, tour molto intenso e produttivo che lascerà però poi Lynne interessato ad altri progetti in particolare si toglierà tutte le vesti sintetiche per tornare ad un rock basilare con il suo amico George Harrison su "Cloud Nine" nel 1987. Da questo ritorno alle origini nasceranno i Travelling Wilburys nel 1988 e una nuova aria di puro rock'n'roll invaderà le classifiche mondiali lasciando il power pop elettronico di "Balance of Power" negli scaffali delle offerte.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 So Serious (02:43)
Night after night
I try to make it all fit together
Night after night
I see you as someone I remember
You took me by surprise
Opened up my eyes
Now we gotta talk this over
Can it really be so serious?
To be all broken up and delirious
I guess we've really been out of touch
But can it really be so serious?
(Serious, so serious)
Day after day
I know it's not the way
That you want it
Day after day
I try to find the key
But it don't fit
(Day after day)
But you know how it is
(Night after night)
No matter what I did
(Day after day)
We gotta talk it over
Can it really be so serious?
To be all broken up and delirious
I guess we've really been out of touch
But can it really be so serious?
(Serious, so serious)
Tonight, tonight
I'm thinking over
Everything you said to me
Tonight, tonight
I'm sorry but
I just didn't see
(Day after day)
And now it's up to you
(Night after night)
There's nothing else to do
(Day after day)
We've gotta talk it over
Can it really be so serious?
To be all broken up and delirious
I guess we've really been out of touch
But can it really be so serious?
(Serious, so serious)
(Serious, so serious)
Is it so serious?
Serious, so serious
03 Getting to the Point (04:30)
It's out of control (Out of control)
And there's nothing I can do now
Out of control (Out of control)
Spinning softly through the blue now
And look beyond these walls
As the meaning starts to dawn
It's getting to the point
Getting to the point.
It's out of control (Nothing I can do)
Like a fire that keeps on burning
And nobody knows (What I'm going through)
And the thoughts just keep returning
And all you had to say
Was that you were gonna stay
It's getting to the point
Getting to the point.
It's getting to the point
Where nobody can stop it now
It's getting to the point
Of no return
And all that I can do
Is stand and watch it now
Watch it burn, burn, burn
It's getting to the point
Where reasons are forgotten
It's getting to the point
Where no one knows
And all that I can do
Is say I'm sorry
But that's the way it goes...
Getting to the point.
Forever
Is a long, long way
Forever
Takes your breath away
I'd like to talk about it, try to understand
It's getting to the point
Getting to the point.
It's getting to the point
Where nobody can stop it now
It's getting to the point
Of no return
And all that I can do
Is stand and watch it now
Watch it burn, burn, burn
It's getting to the point
Where reasons are forgotten
It's getting to the point
Where no one knows
And all that I can do
Is say I'm sorry
But that's the way it goes...
It's getting to the point (Getting to the point)
Getting to the point (Getting to the point)
It's getting to the point (Getting to the point)
Getting to the point.
08 Calling America (03:28)
(Somebody...)
Told her that there was a place like heaven
Across the water on a 747
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world.
And pretty soon she's really got the notion
Of flying out across the big blue ocean
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world.
Talk is cheap on satellite
But all I get is (static!)
Information, I'm still here
Re-dial on automatic.
CHORUS
Calling America (can't get a message through)
Calling America (that's what she said to do)
Calling America (that's where she has to be)
Calling America (she left a number for me)
Calling America.
But I'm just talking to a satellite
Twenty thousand miles up in the sky each night
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world.
All I had to do was pick up the phone
I'm out in space, trying to talk to someone
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world.
She left a number I could call
But no one's there, no one at all
There must be something going wrong
That number just rings on and on.
REPEAT CHORUS
Said she'd call when she'd been gone a while
Guess she's missing me across the miles
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world.
REPEAT CHORUS
Calling America, Calling America
Calling America, Calling America...
10 Send It (03:07)
The sun still shines way up above
but it don't matter now because the dream is gone
the dream is just a memory, oh yeah
if you see my dream, send it back home to me
the stars still glow up in the night
but somehow they don't seem so bright
the dream is gone, the dream is just a memory, oh yeah
if you see my dream, send it back home to me
'cause I've been waiting for a long, long time
thought I'd found a way
now I just wait for someone to call
I'm waiting for it every day
send it on the wires, send it on a plane
send it on an express, but send it back to me again
the music plays so loud and clear
but somehow I can't make you hear the dream is gone
the dream is just a memory, oh yeah
if you see my dream send it back home to me
when you get what you want it's a long way down
and you can see for miles around
when you lose it nothing is for real
if you see my dream send it back to me
send it on the wires, send it on a plane
send it on an express, but send it back to me again
send it on the wires, send it on a plane
send it on an express, but send it back to me again
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