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La vita privata di Eric Clapton quanto a popolarità ha sempre viaggiato alla stessa stregua di quella artistica, divenendone anche una ineluttabile conseguenza. Dall'innamoramento (im)possibile di Pattie Boyd (la moglie di George Harrison) agli eccessi con fumo, alcool e cocaina, un'esistenza sempre su una sottilissima linea di equilibrio dove coraggio e voglia di vincere facevano da contraltare a fragilità ed insicurezza.
Durante la metà degli anni '80 (seppur fossimo ancora in presenza del connubio alcool-droghe) Clapton pone le basi di una rinascita che troverà compiutezza con la decade successiva. Nel 1984 con l'uscita di Roger Waters dai Pink Floyd, Clapton dona le proprie mani al servizio del collega nel discreto "The Pros and the Cons of the Hitch Hiking" per cui suonerà anche delle date dal vivo. Nel maggio del 1985 sospenderà la sua apparizione in tv a The Late Night with Dave Letterman durante la quale presenterà senza preavviso la celebre "White Room" che non eseguiva da circa 30 anni. Con la presenza a quello che verrà ricordato come l'evento mediatico del decennio il Live Aid, il chitarrista del Surrey insieme alla sua band e con il poliedrico Phil Collins, darà vita ad una performance di quasi 18 minuti in cui eseguirà anche"She's Waiting" presa proprio dal precedente "Behind The Sun", di cui il batterista dei Genesis era stato co-produttore insieme a Ted Templeman (Van Halen, Montrose e The Doobie Brothers su tutti) e Lenny Waronker (The Doobie Brothers e Paul Simon tra gli altri).
"August" ( il decimo sigillo personale riguardo alla sua carriera solista) prosegue su quella linea di adattamento ad una certa modernità musicale iniziata col suo precedente lavoro, lasciando alle mani di Collins (presente anche in sala regia) percuotere le pelli, evidenziando un Clapton ad ampio raggio, capace di esprimersi naturalmente attraverso brani magari facilmente accessibili ("Run" e "Behind The Mask"), ma anche altri in cui provano a prevalere sentimento ed intensità ("Walk Away" e "Bad Influence"). E seppure i sintetizzatori guadagnano terreno pur senza essere inopportunamente invadenti ("Hold On" e "Grand Illusion"), alcune canzoni vivono anche di luce riflessa della gloria del passato, attraverso infallibili (ma quanto inaspettate?) pennellate in grado di dar vivacità ai colori di una sublime tela, ordendo perlopiù canzoni sfacciatamente radio friendly ("Take A Chance" o "Miss You"), elargendo a completamento un intuibile pur se squisito gusto ritmico ("Hung Up On Your Love" e "Tearng Us Apart" con Tina Turner).
Il disco dedicato allo sfortunato figlio Connor (nato per l'appunto il 21 agosto 1986 e venuto meno all'età di 5 anni cadendo dal 49esimo piano di un grattacielo...) è un lavoro dolente in cui a primeggiare non è di certo il musicista innovatore ammirato al fianco di Jack Bruce e Ginger Baker, bensì un Clapton più intento a mostrare l'aspetto più soft della sua musica attraverso cui esprimere un personalissimo modo di far convivere (con meno naturalezza, permettetemelo...) blues e rhythm and blues giocandosi anche la carta delle ospitate di rilievo (Gary Brooker dei Procol Harum e la leonessa del rock su tutte). Sia ben inteso siamo di fronte ad un album che vede consolidare una vena pop in grado di sposarsi artatamente ad un suono contemporaneo, ma lasciando trasparire un artista stanco che disattende gli amanti di quella rivoluzione musicale di cui era stato artefice, e che avrebbero voluto ritrovare quella magia che aveva ripreso ad aleggiare con quel "Money And Cigarettes" di appena alcuni anni prima.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
05 Walk Away (03:51)
by Marcy Levy and Richard Feldman
You leave a trail of tears wherever you go.
One of us will hold you, the other one won't.
But I could never share your love or leave it behind.
Break his heart, not mine.
Do you remember tender moments we shared?
How could this true affection vanish into thin air?
He's not worth the trouble, baby; he's just a waste of your time.
Oh, break his heart, not mine.
Don't you walk away,
You know you're gonna miss me.
Don't you walk away, walk away.
You're gonna miss me,
You're gonna miss my love.
So don't you walk away,
Don't you walk away, walk away.
Don't you walk away, walk away.
So I'll be waiting in the backroom, baby, when you kiss him goodbye.
Oh, break his heart not mine, but...
Chorus
Don't you walk away, walk away.
Oh don't you walk away.
I know you're gonna miss my love.
Don't you walk away, walk away.
Don't you walk away.
You're gonna miss my love.
Don't you walk away, walk away.
07 Take a Chance (04:52)
by Eric Clapton, Greg Phillinganes and Nathan East
If I don't take a chance,
If I don't make a move,
If I don't go looking for new romance,
How will I ever find my groove?
If I don't play around,
How am I gonna have my fun?
If I tried to settle down,
Would I be fooling anyone?
I'm out on a limb above a sea of bliss;
I don't know why I feel this way.
I only know I love it.
And I feel so free today.
You know I feel so free today.
That's right, I feel so free, no matter where I go,
But I feel so free today.
If I don't make mistakes,
If I don't play the fool,
If I have to worry 'bout the heart I break,
How am I ever gonna learn the rules?
I'm looking for danger inside the sweetest smile;
I don't know why I feel this way.
I only know I love it.
Chorus
Chorus
09 Miss You (05:05)
by Eric Clapton, Greg Phillinganes and Bobby Columby
Don't change your mind,
I ain't got the time to sit and wonder.
I'm doing fine.
If you decide to leave, I won't go under.
You know I've come this far without you;
It won't be too hard to be alone.
I've got choices all around me,
So I won't be spending too much time at home.
Girl, I'm gonna miss you.
I'm gonna miss you, baby.
I can't forgive you,
Instead I'm gonna miss you, baby.
No, don't say a word.
I already heard that you don't love me.
In your state of mind,
I don't need to hear your side of the story.
Your friends all said we had a future
And I don't think I really want to know.
My friends keep telling me to lose you
And how glad they'll be when you decide to go.
Chorus
I broke my back to make you happy.
Sometime, somehow, someone's got to care.
If you think you're better off without me,
Just remember, it's a dirty world out there.
Chorus
I'm gonna miss the ground you walk on,
Gonna miss the air you breathe.
I'm just not quite happy, baby,
'bout your crazy plans to leave.
10 Holy Mother (04:54)
Holy Mother, where are you?
Tonight I feel broken in two.
I've seen the stars fall from the sky.
Holy mother, can't keep from crying.
Oh I need your help this time,
Get me through this lonely night.
Tell me please which way to turn
To find myself again.
Holy mother, hear my prayer,
Somehow I know you're still there.
Send me please some peace of mind;
Take away this pain.
I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait any longer.
I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait for you.
Holy mother, hear my cry,
I've cursed your name a thousand times.
I've felt the anger running through my soul;
All I need is a hand to hold.
Oh I feel the end has come,
No longer my legs will run.
You know I would rather be
In your arms tonight.
When my hands no longer play,
My voice is still, I fade away.
Holy mother, then I'll be
Lying in, safe within your arms.
11 Behind the Mask (04:46)
by Chris Mosdell, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Michael Jackson
All along, had to talk about it,
Like a two-edged sword, he touched you and it stabs me.
All along, knew you were a phony girl,
Sit behind the mask where you control your world.
Yesterday he had you in his arms;
When I'm holding you, I feel his bitter charms.
I can't judge what you do to me.
Camoflage the truth, indulge your fantasy.
Who do you love? Is it me now, is it him babe? I don't know.
Who do you love? Is it me babe, is it him now? I don't know.
There is nothing in your eyes; that's the way you cry.
All is grand, all is bright. You're just studying my mind.
There is nothing in your eyes; that's the way you cry.
All is grand, all is bright. You're just studying my mind.
Was I invited to your masquerade?
Well the party's over so now take off your face.
You say you love, but it's hard to see
When you're in his arms, throwing rocks at me.
Chorus
I walk around suffering in my doom.
When I come to you, you're sitting in your room.
The truth is news, I have longed to trace.
So take off the mask so I can see your face.
Who do you love? Is it me baby, is it him now? I don't know.
Who do you love? Is it me babe, is it him baby? I don't know.
Who do you love? Is it me babe, is it him now? I don't know.
Who do you love? Is it me now, is it him baby? I don't know.
Who do you love? Is it me baby, is it him now? I don't know.
Who do you love? Is it me baby, is it him now? I don't know.
Who do you love? Is it me baby, is it him? I want to know.
Who do you love?
12 Grand Illusion (06:22)
I saw you in a dream, it hit me like a bright light
Flashing on a screen, visions of my whole life.
I used to chase the moment of desire
Back to when my young heart burned like a fire.
It was just a, nothing but a grand illusion.
Heart was quicker than the eye.
Nothing but a grand illusion,
Legend in my own mind.
I held you in my arms till the other side of midnight.
Kept you in my mind, you got me through some long nights.
Standing on the threshold of desire,
Caught between the madness and the fire.
It was just a, nothing but a grand illusion.
Heart was quicker than the eye.
Nothing but a grand illusion,
Legend in my own mind.
It was all a grand illusion.
Hand was quicker than the eye.
Nothing but a grand illusion,
Legends in our own minds.
I used to chase the moments of desire
Back to when my young heart burned like a fire.
It was just a, nothing but a, it was all a grand illusion.
Nothing but a grand illusion.
It was all a grand illusion,
Legend in my own mind.
It was just a grand illusion.
Nothing but a grand illusion.
It was just a grand illusion,
Legends in our own minds.
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