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1993: Dave King, dublinese trapiantato a Los Angeles con un passato da frontman heavy/hair metal nei Fastway dell’ex Motorhead Eddie Clarke ha l’occasione della vita: un contratto discografico con la Epic Records: King è intenzionato a dare una svolta al suo percorso artistico e proporre nuove sonorità coniugando il suo retaggio hard/heavy con la fiorente tradizione folk punk della natia Irlanda: il progetto, in parte già collaudato dai Pogues, è senza dubbio interessante ma la major, dimostrando una formidabile miopia e mancanza di attributi, non lo prende nemmeno in considerazione.
Sostanzialmente è proprio da questo rifiuto che nascono i Flogging Molly: Dave King non è tipo da demordere facilmente e, insieme alla futura moglie Bridget Regan e altri sconosciuti strumentisti ricomincia da un pub di Los Angeles, il Molly’s Malone appunto, riuscendo dopo alcuni anni ad ottenere un contratto con la SideOneDummy Records: considerando il loro status di indipendenti e le tendenze di un mercato discografico orientato verso tutt’altri tipi di sonorità, i Flogging Molly riscuotono un successo notevole, riuscendo a raggiungere posizioni altolocate anche in classifiche mainstream come la Billboard Top 200; e ascoltando album come questo “Within A Mile Of Home” del 2004 ci si rende conto delle abnormi proporzioni della cantonata che presero i capoccia della Epic.
“Within A Mile Of Home” è il classico album che da solo vale un greatest hits: fiddle, flauti, banjo e mandolino si integrano alla perfezione con le chitarre elettriche dando origine a roboanti inni celtic punk, l’allegra e ironica “Screaming At The Wailing Wall”, il crescendo incalzante di “To Youth (My Sweet Roisin Dubh)”, inserita nella colonna sonora di Fifa 2005 e la sgangherata “Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon”, con la sua bellissima intro acustica “The Wrong Company”, oltre a travolgenti danze piratesche come “Seven Deadly Sins”, “Queen Anne’s Revenge” e la più articolata “Tobacco Island”, ed epici anthems da concerto, “Within A Mile Of Home” e “Light Of A Fading Star”, in cui Dave King si esalta dimostrando il suo antico retaggio con prestazioni canore che per timbro e stile ricordano quasi il miglior Ronnie James Dio, ma questo album non è solo energia e immediatezza, il ritmo rallenta spesso e volentieri in ballate come “Factory Girl”, agrodolce e semiacustica, dall’atmosfera vagamente retrò e il brano più irish del disco, la maestosa e dolente “Whistles The Wind”, fino alla chiusura che non ti aspetti, “Don’t Let Me Die Still Wondering”, magistrale power ballad dedicata a Johnny Cash, sostenuta dal fiddle di Bridget Regan e da un formidabile Dave King, che suggella in grande stile un album praticamente perfetto; energico e orecchiabile ma senza ruffianerie, facile e immediato ma resistente alla prova del tempo, derivativo, certo, forse anche già sentito e sicuramente debitore ai Pogues, ma non per questo privo di una propria identità: in altre parole un gran disco: vero, sincero, vibrante, che riesce sempre a regalare emozioni.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Screaming at the Wailing Wall (03:41)
Forgot how come every wrong's been done, with deals no Christ should allow
Once the communist, now the terrorist with blood as thick as yours
Now a caravan of clouds warns us all of winter showers
Then a rattle, comes a rain with each bullet screams your name
Oh how come this carrying storm pours little on the truth?
Where the smoking gun's a familiar song echoes
With the bombed-out cars come the falling stars from a heaven we'll never know
And the nameless names on the misspelled graves grow tall
We're still screaming at the Wailing Wall
I liberate your people's fate, spoke the burning bush
But the song of beasts, drown their oil-soaked teeth
Their dollar is mighty and true
Now the eagle soars the sky over refugee and child
And to all there is no end, another day in perfect hell
So how come the carrying storm pours little on the truth?
Where the smoking gun's a familiar song echoes
All hail
Now a caravan of clouds warns us all of deadly showers
Then a rattle, comes a rain with each bullet screams your name
So how come this carrying storm pours little on the truth?
Where the smoking gun's a familiar song echoes
With the bombed-out cars come the falling stars from a heaven we'll never know
And the nameless names on the misspelled graves grow tall
We're still screaming at the Wailing Wall
Oh I liberate your people's fate, as we scream at the Wailing Wall
02 Seven Deadly Sins (02:50)
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
So the years rolled by and several died
And left us somewhat reelin'
Johnny strummed his Tommy gun
Left blastin' through the ceiling
So what became of rebels
Who sang for you and me?
Grapplin' with their demons
In the seach for liberty
Suffers who suffer all
Can swim upon the desert
Where avarice have ravaged all
In spite of good intentions
Don't fill your mouth with gluttony
For pride will surely swell
But nothing's unforgiven in the four corners of hell
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
Envy and its evill twin
It crepy in bed with slander
Idiots they gave advice
But sloth it gave no answer
Anger kills the human soul
With butter tales of lust
While pavlov's Dogs keep chewin'
On the legs they never trust
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
But It's the only life we'll know
Blaggards to the bone
So don't wreck yourself
Take an honest grip
For there's more tales beyond the shore
Ah the years rolled by and several died
And left us somewhat reelin'
In and out came crawlin' out
And spewed upon the ceiling
So what became of rebels"
That sang for you and me
Grapplin; with their demons
In the seach for liberty
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
07 The Wrong Company (00:36)
Well I fell into prison about a quarter till three
Where I found in my cell a glass waiting for me
So I filled what was empty and I pulled up a stool
But he stood in the corner, the old devil wouldn't move
He said, "You drink when you're lonely." "No I drink when I want!"
He said, "You'll never be sober." "Sure, why would I want that?"
I only drink to be merry but unfortunately...
I'm in the wrong prison cell and the wrong company
13 Within a Mile of Home (03:54)
Dust falls on the empty halls of my old school
Where the memories fade like the casualty, a forgotten fool
Now wide-eyed has become the blind of spoken rule
As equal only deep is now the word
The lesson's not the answer you once heard
"Don't turn your back on me, don't ever let me down"
She said, "I picked you up each time before you hit the ground
Your selfish face is now erased when someone mentions you
And the darkness that you left is overstepped aside
Will disappear in clouds, the sun arrives
Within a mile of home, within a mile of home"
Oh worry, oh my worry has it been that long?
The whistle keeps on blowing but the chills all gone
His empty frame cannot explain, there's nothing left inside
So sing to me a song from yesterday
When laughter filled the tears that we now make
"Don't turn your back on me, don't ever let me down"
She said, "I picked you up each time before you hit the ground
Your selfish face is now erased when someone mentions you
If only you had seen what I now see
And turned the corner where you would of been
Within a mile of home, within a mile of home"
So sing to me, sing me a song, a song from yesterday
And when the laughter turned these tears before the promises, then they'll slip away
Don't turn your back on me, dont't turn your back on me, don't ever let me down
Don't turn your back on me, dont't turn your back on me, don't ever let me down
We are within a mile, we are within a mile, within a mile of home
We are within a mile, we are within a mile, within a mile of home
We are within a mile, we are within a mile, within a mile of home
We are within a mile, we are within a mile, within a mile of home
14 The Spoken Wheel (02:48)
Your passin' broke the silence
On that dark October day
The sun was headin' for the west
As it did I heard you say
I set my sail for a gentle breeze
Now I leave this world as it was meant to be
And you, did you listen to anything I said?
Did you ever listen to me?
Though now it seems you'll never know
But every lad to a man must grow
Till winter comes to celebrate
Then proudly chills the bone
When at last they bury me
Into this ground you'll someday see
And you, did you listen to anything I said?
Did you ever listen to me?
Though the face we wear
Sometimes seldom speaks
From the babe that cries
To this grown man's feet
May the hand still write
And it's heart shape keep
Till our fathers, sons and daughterss agree
So I will pave this road till glory
Sets our broken spirit free
From every cross-soaked nail pours endless rain
With tears no eye should see
But they could fill our highest ocean
And the rivers in between
With every blade that flowers must grow
then drown
With love our cruelest sea
15 With a Wonder and a Wild Desire (03:05)
So with a wonder and a wild desire
I will crawl from under every weight
With a wonder and a wild desire
Bless the day it was I shared your name
Yesterday forever speaks your grave
Hail the shower from the broadside
To the heavens down below
Draw one last breath from your fanning ship
Sink the hunger in us all
Shake the hand that speaks of freedom
Kiss hate one final bow
Till each twilight falls then rests till dawn and tomorrow's never sleep
So with a wonder and a wild desire
I will crawl from under every weight
With a wonder and a wild desire
Bless the day it was I shared your name
With each word forever speaks your grave
And of the fool we shall not mention
That depraves the cries of youth
Drag not your strength from government
But from the voices they abuse
So with a wonder and a wild desire
I will crawl from under every weight
With a wonder and a wild desire
Bless the day it was I shared your name
Yesterday forever speaks your grave
Only time will tell when this rain of hell, shall wither in defeat
Separate the bread they forgot to share, till the milk still left to feed
Though this body aches then disappeared into the ground, our seeds
He said, "I'd, I'd always comfort thee"
So I will pave this road to glory
Which is the broken spirit's soul
Resignate with perfect reason
Shut life's last gloomy door
So with a wonder and a wild desire
I will crawl from under every weight
With a wonder and a wild desire
Bless the day it was I shared your name
With a wonder and a wild desire
I will crawl from under every weight
With a wonder and a wild desire
Bless the day it was I shared your name
Yesterday forever speaks your grave
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