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Il Sig. Scaruffi definisce questo gruppo i primi brit-poppers americani.
Canzoni come "Go, Hippie", la settima, dal sound molto Oasis-style potrebbero far giustamente pensare questo.
In realtà questa band formata dal cantante chitarrista Collington e dal polistrumentista Schlesinger porta avanti un sound sixties leggero e accattivante fatto di brani che hanno solo ad un primo ascolto un sapore pop. Nascondono, e neanche tanto bene, un grande studio per la musica melodica '60/'70 americana con ritornelli accattivanti suoni molto friendly ed una varietà compositiva invidiabile.
Il tentativo di raccontare a tinte acquerellate la provincia americana (anche mostrandone i falsi miti e la fregatura di fondo dell'AMERICAN DREAM) è davvero splendido in "Utopia Parkway" che deve molto anche al flower movement e alla psichedelia più felice e meno sperimentale. Se non mi credete, sentitevi Amity Gardens, la nove, poi prendetevi un disco qualsiasi dei The New Pornographers e chiedetevi quante volte questo disco sia stato ascoltato negli stereo della band canadese che adesso si è fatta portavoce del revival-flower-pow-movement più colorato.
"Utopia Parkway" del 1999, discreto successo in america da noi non se ne è affatto parlato, è rappresentativo del sound della band ed è, a mio parere, il loro risultato migliore. "Red Dragon Tattoo" e "Denise" sono brani immediatamente fruibili che non nascondono armonizzazioni e cura dei suoni notevoli a scapito delle liriche, che, nei Fountains tendono ad essere un pò facilotte.
Le altre recensioni che forse troverete in giro li liquidano sempre come Beach boys sound o band sfigata, ma non credo che la fortuna di una band si stabilisca dal fatto che sia o meno conosciuta oltreoceano. Di certo non li rende automaticamente dei Loser che sono invece proprio tutt'altro anche nello stile. Intanto qui in italia i Fountains of Wayne, nominati in un episodio di 'The 4400' sono diventati un luogo: in uno degli episodi una tipa bionda invitava uno dei protagonisti per un weekend alle fontane di Wayne dove andavano tutti per via di un concerto...
Un gran bel disco da ascoltare in automobile a un volume importante quando si è imbottigliati nel traffico cittadino.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Utopia Parkway (03:07)
Well I've been saving for a custom van
And I've been playing in a cover band
And my baby doesn't understand
Why I never turned from boy to man
I got it made
I got it down
I am the king
Of this island town
I'm on my own
I'm my way
Down Utopia
Utopia Parkway
And while I'm waiting for my time to come (waiting for my time to come)
I'm gonna get a little shopping done (get a little shopping done)
I'll get some paper and a staple gun (staple gun)
And put my name in front of everyone
I got it made
I got it down
I am the king
Of this God damn town
I'm on my own
I'm my way
Down Utopia
Utopia Parkway
Gonna let my hair grow down my back
Gonna brace myself for the big attack
And they'll never know what hit them when it comes
03 Denise (02:33)
I know this girl named Denise
She makes me weak at the knees
She drives a lavender Lexus
She lives in Queens
But her dad lives in Texas
When she holds me
I can't help myself
Won't you tell me
Do you love me Denise?
Do you love me Denise?
Oh baby tell me please
I heard she used to be married
She listens to Puff Daddy
She works at Liberty Travel
She has a heart made of gravel
She controls me
She can't help herself
Won't you tell me
Do you love me Denise?
Do you love me Denise?
Oh baby tell me please
09 Amity Gardens (03:11)
Angel broke her wing
Oh, you poor thing
The hum of the motor gave way to
The tick tick ticking of the clock
And the rattle of springs
The Buick's in the drive
It's good to be alive
And if you knew now what you knew then
You wouldn't want to go home
Wouldn't want to go
If you knew now what you knew then
You wouldn't want to go to Amity Gardens again
It isn't very much, but
for now it's home
A room in the shadow of a funny-looking man
On the phone to the bank about a default loan
I thank you very much
Ta ta we'll be in touch
And if you knew now what you knew then
You wouldn't want to go home
Wouldn't want to go
If you knew now what you knew then
You wouldn't want to go to Amity Gardens again
Where you came from
And act like you tried
Cause somethings are better kept
Deep down inside
But you'rs not driving
You're along for the ride
Just checking out the scene
And taking in the green
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11 Lost in Space (02:20)
Have you seen that girl
With the strange look on her face
She's a pretty little thing but she's lost
Lost in space
She's in another world
Yeah, she's off in a distant place
She's a pretty little thing but she's lost
Yeah, she's lost in space
Yeah, she's lost in space
And I can't understand a word she says
And I don't know why she's such a mess
And I can't get through, no matter what I do
But I love her anyway
And she walks the Earth
But she's not from the human race
She's a pretty little thing but she's lost
Yeah, she's lost in space
Yeah, she's lost in space
And I can't understand a word she says
And I don't know why she she's such a mess
And I can't get through, no matter what I do
But I love her anyway
I try to talk to her
But it seems like such a waste
Cause she's a pretty little thing but she's lost
Yeah, she's lost in space
Yeah, she's lost in space
Yeah, she's lost in space
Yeah, she's
14 The Senator's Daughter (03:44)
Hockey teams have playoff dreams
Teenage girls read magazines
No one hears the desperate screams of the techno DJ
What does he say?
He say
Sha la la la la la
He say
Sha la la la la la
I'm floating away
On oceans of grey-blue water
I'm rising above
I'm falling in love with the senator's daughter
I'm floating away
On oceans of grey-blue water
I'm rising above
I'm falling in love with the senator's daughter
Crossing guards start traffic jams
Soccer moms drive minivans
No one sees the anchor man on the instant replay
What does she say?
She say
Sha la la la la la
She say
Sha la la la la la
I'm floating away
On oceans of grey-blue water
I'm rising above
I'm falling in love with the senator's daughter
I'm floating away
On oceans of grey-blue water
I'm rising above
I'm falling in love with the senator's daughter
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