• Voto:
Quando Kurt morì, sul vassoio rimanevano ancora parecchie briciole e qualche fettina della torta del grunge. Gli adolescenti, infondo, non erano ancora ventenni; i ventenni non ne avevano ancora trenta, la generazione non era stata ancora rimpiazzata e la domanda di grunge superava decisamente l'offerta. Ma a chi dare lo scettro del re? Chi per la successione? Chi, se i Pearl Jam si rifiutarono di seguire la loro strada degli esordi? Nel '96 Billy Corgan pubblicò il suo manifesto generazionale, autoproclamandosi l'erede... Tutto coincideva alla perfezione, infondo: basti pensare alla sua relazione con Courtney Love, precedente nel tempo a quella che legò in matrimonio l'american sweetheart a Cobain. "Nonostante la mia rabbia sono ancora un topo in gabbia": questa frase andrebbe bene anche in italiano, e forse in tutto il mondo ed in tutte le sue lingue... Una frase universale, per tutti i giovani di un'intera generazione... Qualche annetto dopo, è a Corgan che si affidò Courtney per affrontare il primo disco della vedovanza. Tutto fa pensare che fu proprio Billy il re pro-tempore del grunge, il re della fine dell'impero.
Prima della fumata bianca in suo favore, gli altri papabili erano Dave Grohl che esordiva, Layne Staley ed il suo ultimo cd d'inediti, i Soundgrarden di "Black Hole Sun"... E per quanto riguardava le new entries? Piuttosto che citare Gavin Rossdale dall'Inghilterra, Dolores O'Riordan dall'Irlanda, o peggio ancora Daniel Johns dall'Australia, un nome, ed americano, anzi dell'occidente americano, lo faccio io, pur sapendo che per questo mi sarà tirata parecchia merda addosso: Art Alexakis. Forse, per MTV e le majors, non c'era nulla di più promettente e, chissà, affidabile di Art: Staley aveva i suoi problemi, Cornell fece un altro disco con la band, carino, poi si mise in testa che doveva divenire il nuovo Jeff Buckley... Dispiace ammetterlo, ma se questi dovevano essere gli eredi di Cobain...
Alexakis sì che andava bene: era ben più brutto di Cobain, è vero, ma sempre meglio di Corgan dalla futura zucca pelata, fin lì il fratello gemello di Geena Davis; eppoi visse un'infanzia e un'adolescenza che, al confronto, quelle di Billy il triste furono tutte balocchi e spensieratezza. A tal proposito, ciò che non mi quadra è come mai si sia presa in grande (enorme?) considerazione il piacere di Corgan per la stesura di liriche autobiografiche: coloro che si trovano a valorizzare quei versi sono più o meno gli stessi che condannano Alexakis, indicandolo quale speculatore comandato dalle majors, finto alternativo, compiaciuto del proprio malessere esistenziale e dei vari misfatti compiuti fino ad allora. Gli si contesta una falsità di fondo, che a mio parere deriva soltanto dalla consapevolezza che, per una volta nella storia dell'umanità, si stesse vivendo in un periodo in cui era finalmente possibile trarre profitto dall'essere un loser. L'ho scritto anch'io in una mia rece (autocitazionismo?): mai come in quegli anni più sfigato, perdente e fuori dal mondo eri e meglio t'andava a finire.
Dunque perché non prenderlo in considerazione, lui che in alcuni pezzi di questo "Sparkle And Fade" dedica la canzone al diretto interessato come se ce l'avesse davanti, o come se stesse suonando live? A maggior ragione se descrive la donna come una mantide religiosa, se in "Heroin Girl" fa un pezzo che è un misto tra le Hole e "Come And Play" degli Offspring... Lui che ha la spudoratezza di presentandare del grunge non da pogare ma da ballare con la hit "Santa Monica"?
Certo, c'è parecchia roba standard, come il punkazzo di "You Make Me Feel A Whore", le cui incazzature chitarristiche in vista del ritornello suonano quantomeno sospette, o come "Heartspark Dollarsign", punk divertente con sonorità garage ma struttura beach. Gli standards spaccasassi di "Chemical Smile" e di "Twistinside", il punk come mille di "Nehalem", il punkwave intelligente di "Queen Of The Air" e di "My Sexual Life"... Epperò ci sono delle grandi canzoni, come "Summerland", "Electra Made Me Blind" e "Pale Green Stars"... Nulla di tutto ciò che Art propone, comunque, s'avvicina ai ritornelli catchy nirvaniani, il ché non fa di lui un doppione; figurarsi cos'abbia a che vedere con Cornell, Staley e Doctor Zero!
"Sparkle And Fade", dell'anno 28 d.K. è un disco suonato benone e prodotto volutamente a minchia di poverello, lontano dall'essere un capolavoro quanto però dall'essere la merda di cui si va dicendo in giro. Disse bene chi asserì che Alexakis ereditò sì da certa musica come fecero i grandi del grunge, ma che contrariamente a costoro non riuscì ad elaborare la sua cifra personale. Pur mantenendo, dico io, una consistenza sonora granitica, persino negli episodi più pop del futuro. Ma non è sulla musica, che forse è bene centrarsi.
Il perno della diatriba è il seguente: è stato il signor Alexakis artista degno di seria considerazione, nel suo scrivere e cantare disagi e rovine sue e di chi gli stava attorno? E' una colpa attingere al proprio bagaglio di sventure nella piena consapevolezza che le stesse cose che lo stavano portando alla rovina l'avrebbero, grazie all'intervento d'una major discografica, portato alla fama, al successo ed alla ricchezza? Si, ok, anche alla critica feroce ed al disprezzo di certi puristi, nondimeno a stroncature senza possibilità d'appello, ma sempre e comunque all'aver vissuto il proprio momento di gloria (se quello di Cobain durò 4 anni, ad Art poteva bastare anche la metà), all'aver fatto il proprio gruzzoletto, ed oggi al poter continuare a sopravvivere dignitosamente grazie alla propria passione (gli Everclear, sebbene i cambi di line-up stravolsero il trio, sopravvivono a tutt'oggi attorno al leader: la fine di tante bands, e guarda caso la fine anche degli Smashing Pumpkins).
I testi di Alexakis sono il centro della querelle: se li si considera fasulli tout court allora a morte Alexakis. Ma se li si considera autentici malgrado l'autocompiacimento, allora perché non rivalutare i primi tre dischi degli Everclear?
A voi la scelta; io la mia l'ho già fatta anni fa.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Electra Made Me Blind (03:43)
I shake the dust from this small town
I turn and follow the western wind down
I go and pack up my shiny things
Amd go, yeah just go
I'll find a new life in old L.A.
Yeah, stupid happy with everything
I pulled myself down so easily
I know, I know, I know
I met Electra when living down
saw her spinning around and around
I never knew much about her past
I knew enough that I didn'task
living isn't a simple thing
I know
no one said it's supposed to be
I know
July she lied. . .
living isn't a simple thing for me
I know ways to make it easier
02 Heroin Girl (02:23)
I used to know a girl...
She had two pierced nipples and a black tattoo
We'd drink that Mexican beer
We'd live on mexican food
Yeah, I wish I could go back
Yeah, back in time
Esther used to be
The kind of girl that you would never leave
She'd do anything
To give me what I need for my disease
She'd do anything
I can hear them talking in the real world
But they don't understand
That i'm happy in hell
With my Heroin Girl
Yeah, with my Heroin girl
Esther used to be
The kind of lover that you would never leave
She'd do anything
To give me what I need for my disease
She'd do anything
I can hear them talking in the real world
Yeah, but they don't understand
I am losing myself in a white trash hell
Lost inside a Heroin girl
They found her out in the fields
About a mile from home
Her face was warm from the sun
But the body was cold
I heard a policeman say
Just another overdose...
Just another overdose!!
Esther used to be
The kind of lover that you would never leave
She'd do anything
To give me what I need for my disease
Yeah, she would do anything
03 You Make Me Feel Like a Whore (02:47)
I took your word like it was gospel
I'm so eager to believe
Yeah I like it when
You talk to me
It feels so good
Inside your shadow;
It's the place I need to be
Yeah you know
I need to climb
You like a tree
There is this place inside
Where all the good things die
Sometimes I feel like a whore
Sometimes I feel like a whore
I hate the way I am around you
I'm so nervous and weird
Sometimes I feel like I'm
Breathing underwater
You treat me like I am on fire
Like I'm something to eat
You make me hate what I see
When I see me
Yeah I dream of the day
When I learn how to make you pay
Someday I'll teach you to beg
Some day, some day
Yes I live for the day
When I can hear you say
You make me feel
Like a whore
Yes I dream of the time
When I can make you mine
Maybe then I'll feel half alive
More alive,
so alive
There is this place inside
Where all the good things die
You make me feel like a whore
04 Santa Monica (03:11)
I am still living with your ghost
Lonely and dreaming of the west coast
I don't want to be your downtime
I don't want to be your stupid game
With my big black boots and an old suitcase
I do believe I'll find myself a new place
I don't want to be the bad guy
I don't want to do your sleepwalk dance anymore
I just want to see some palm trees
I will try and shake away this disease
We can live beside the ocean
Leave the fire behind
Swim out past the breakers
Watch the world die
I am still dreaming of your face
Hungry and hollow for all the things you took away
I don't want to be your good time
I don't want to be your fall back crutch anymore
I'll walk right out into a brand new day
Insane and rising in my own weird way
I don't want to be the bad guy
I don't want to do your sleepwalk dance anymore
I just want to feel some sunshine
I just want to find some place to be alone
We can live beside the ocean
Leave the fire behind
Swim out past the breakers
Watch the world die
05 Summerland (03:42)
let's just drive your car
we can drive all day
let's just get the hell away from here
for i am sick again
just plain sick to death
of the sound of my own voice
we can leave behind
another wasted year
let's get some cheap red wine
and just go flying
we can do the things
all the things you wanted to
no one cares about us anyway
i think i lost my smile
i think you lost yours too
we have lost the power
to make each other laugh
let's just leave this place
and go to summerland
it's just a name on the map
it sounds like heaven to me
we can find a town
be just how we want to be
no one here really cares about us anyway
we can find a place
make it what we want to be
no one really gives a fuck about us anyway
we can live
live just how we want to live
no one here really cares about us anyway
we can be
everything we want to be
we can get lost in the
fall, glimmer, sparkle, and fade
the sparkle and fade
fall, glimmer, sparkle and fade
fall, glimmer, sparkle and fade
forget about our jobs
at the record store
forget about all the
losers that we know
forget about all the
memories that keep you down
forget about them
we can lose them in the
sparkle and fade
fade...
the sparkle and fade
fall, glimmer, sparkle, and fade...
06 Strawberry (02:35)
Never been here, never coming back
Never want to think about the things
That happened today
Want to lay down on
the warm ground
I think I'm going to need
A little time to myself
Don't fall down now
You will never get up
Don't fall down now
I ask you for a slow ride
Going nowhere
You look like Satan
You ask me if I want to get high
Couple of bags down in old town
You tie your arm and
Ask me if I wanted to drive
Don't fall down now
You will never get up
Don't fall down now
Last thing I recall
I was in the air
I woke up on the street
Crawling with my strawberry burns
Ten long years in a straight line
They fall like water
Yes, I guess I fucked up again
Don't fall down now
You will never get up
Don't fall down now
07 Heartspark Dollarsign (02:52)
(Oriignally a 'Colorfinger' song)
Time stops when the whispers blare
The voices drop hard,
But the eyes still stare
The world resolves into a
Death's head grin
Because i walk with pride
With a black girlfriend
My mom said not to bring her around
Cause she's black
My family would put her down
I'll break the white-trash
Ties that bind
Trade a love so pure for
A hate so blind
She said -- she said
Forget the fact that i don't
Look like you
She said -- she said
You're possessed with a power
Bigger than the pain
Time stops when we lie so close
In my room where we share
What no one knows
From the day that we start
Until the day that we end
I know i know i know now
We will never find a place
Where we could just fit in
Me and my black girlfriend
She said -- she said
Fend for yourself -- you're alone
She said -- she said
You are possessed with a power
Bigger than the pain
A power bigger than the pain
Heartspark dollarsign
08 The Twistinside (04:37)
We have been sleeping with the lights on
Just about every night
Because we were afraid what the dark might bring
I know, I know it's just a childish fear
That grows and grows wild in the middle of me
I'm gonna get a new tattoo
Black and stretching round my arm
Like a life that is visible and real
I know, I know it's stupid and immature
I just want to give shape to the face
That twists inside
Both you and me
Breathing fire doesn't look good on a resume
Neither does anything else we do
We got to get ready for the real world
Yeah yeah we got to grow up
You know I like to die for a while
Everyday in the afternoon
I like to let the arms of a bar
Wrap around me tight
I'm just gonna sprawl in the front booth
Big drink above my head
Cross eyed and smiling as I watch the world
Go twisting by
I don't want to die with you
Or live in the same dark room
I don't want to see your bloodshot eyes no more, no more
I just want to take this girl- all curls and big brown eyes
Man I can't shake the pain
Of wanting her, needing her
I know the secret of your soul
And I just don't want to know
Yeah, man we got to grow up
10 Nehalem (01:53)
There is this rumor about
They say you're leaving Nehalem
Ever since our baby died
You've been seen with another guy
The whole damn town is talking now
They say you're leaving Nehalem
Hey don't you want me to go?
Hey don't you want me?
They say you're losing your mind
They say you're leaving Nehalem
You know how the bad words get around
Big noise in a hard small town
Tell me if you want me to go
Just tell me if you want me
They say you're leaving Nehalem
They say you're leaving me
Yeah, I know you need to break away
I don't give a fuck about what those people say
I hope you fing everywhere you go
All the good things that you need to know
They say you're losing your mind
They say you're leaving Nehalem
There is this rumor out
They say you're leaving Nehalem
They say you're leaving me
They say you're leaving Nehalem
I know you're leaving me
I know you're leaving Nehalem
I know you're leaving me
11 Queen of the Air (02:59)
There is a dream I used to have
My dream swallowed me whole
There is a bridge where I hate to go
That is where I first saw her
High on a bridge
I seen her red hair shining
There is a girl-I never knew
She was my Aunt Virginia
They said that she-she just disappeared
They said I look just like her
High on the bridge I seen her
Dancing, waving to me there
She smiled and raised her head
Then she took to the Air
There is a dream I can't escape
My memories come back to me
There is a hell that I can't escape
My memories come back to me
I heard the truth about it
Pictures and headlines hidden away
I heard the truth about my real mom
Jumping from the bridge that day
Now I know why ever since I was 3 years old
Been having the same nightmare
Now I know the truth about Virginia
Why she took to the Air
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