• Voto:
"Go Baby Go Go!
We're right behind you
Go baby Go Go!
Yeah we're looking at yo."
Fortunatamente non era tutto come questo odioso singolo Beautifulgarbage (2001), album che sancisce il ritorno dei Garbage, dopo 3 anni di silenzio.
Forti dell'ottimo riscontro ottenuto col folgorante omonimo esordio, ed il successivo Version 2.0, Shirley & soci ci riprovano, stavolta con un prodotto che dividerà critica e fan come non mai, prodotto quest'ultimo, che vede un cambio drastico di intenzioni artistiche e non : diventano infatti più marcate le influenze elettroniche che solo a tratti accompagnavano i precedenti lavori, (sarà un caso che di questi tempi, nelle charts imperversano "Exciter" dei Depeche Mode, il selftitled dei Gorillaz, e "Blowback" di Tricky?). Le melodie si fanno più frizzanti e radiofriendly, i suoni più morbidi, i video meno studiati rispetto ai tempi che furono. Viene quindi a mancare quasi del tutto la componente Pop Rock di indimenticabili episodi come "Vow" ed "I Think I'm Paranoid", (salvo poi ricomparire, e più presente che mai, sul successivo "Bleed Like Me"), che tanto resero al progetto del guru Butch Vig, che da venerabile mente dei successi dei vari "Nevermind", "Siamese Dream", oltre che produttore per Garbage, Sonic Youth ed altri grossi progetti, attualmente ritrovo finito a sguazzare tra gli studi di Green Day e Jimmy Eat World. Se poi guardiamo la Shirley che si divide tra apparizioni su Terminator e serie televisive di serie b, il preoccupante crollo della band, cominciato con il mezzo flop (vendite parlando) di "Bleed Like Me", è ben visibile!
Rinnovamento in vista quindi? E' chiaro, anche il look ne risente, con l'ormai 35enne Manson in un inedita e patinatissima versione, bionda, un po retrò, un po troietta, che sembra ricalcare in toto la nonnetta Minogue di Fever che, nel frattempo sta facendo stragi di vendite con la sua seconda giovinezza artistica (tutto molto discutibile, figa rimane figa). Butch, Steve e Duke, abbandonano invece la posa vagamente grungiosa-alternativa degli esordi, per far posto ad un immagine più sobria e seriosa, per inciso i classici menosi in nero, alla U2 e Radiohead, che tanto attirano il pubblico femminile di mezz'età. Stesso discorso, graficamente parlando, va fatto per la copertina pregiata, dove alloggia una rosa rossa che quasi fa a botte col -già non privo di contrasto- titolo (bellissima spazzatura), [curiosa anche l'edizione limitata che si apre come una rosa]. Non molto ricco il booklet, con testi e ringraziamenti di sorta.
Dalle premesse parrebbe quindi trattarsi di un lavoro mediocre, e fin troppo studiato dal "volpone" Vig, per ottenere un forte impatto commerciale, (non che il sound di "Nevermind" ambisse ad altro), e la sinistra-ermetica-nichilistica recensione già presente sul database non è che una delle tante critiche arrivate su web e carta stampata, per un disco andato molto bene anche nello stivale; critiche che vanno a parare quasi sempre su questo eccessivo (innegabile per carità) fattore commerciale. Tuttavia proverò ad analizzare e trecbaitreccare meglio un disco, che pur non raggiungendo il fascino del grandioso 95's, ha comunque ugualmente molto da offrire.
"Shut Your Mouth" apre le danze più che dignitosamente, l'arrangiamento, beat in primis, risulta molto più curato del solito, (Vig abbandonerà le bacchette per dedicarsi maggiormente a tastiere/drumbeats/produzione), incuriosisce non poco il connubio di chitarre elettriche, scratch, e synth cupi. Perversa e chiccosa "Androgyny", che pur avendo principalmente nelle liriche il suo punto di forza (il titolo è tutto un programma), non manca di ottime trovate in produzione. Fuori luogo la "natalizia" (?!) "Can't Cry These Tears", poco digeribile per via del motivetto esageratamente sdolcinato, e quelle irritanti campane, dove figurano persino velati richiami anni 60. Ottima l'interpretazione di Shirley sull'interessante "Til The Day I Die" dove tra una moltitudine di scratches, choir sintetizzati, e controcori, a spiccare sono ancora gli incisivi beat artificiali di Vig (una garanzia).
L'atmosfera si fa malinconica, un piano ci introduce la splendida "Cup Of Coffee", ballata dal testo intenso e maturo (una rarità, essendo proprio il songwriting, il tallone d'achille dei Garbage), cosiccome intenso è il vocale insolitamente abbattuto e sofferto di una Manson in "versione Version 2.0" (difficile non trovare similitudini col Trip Hop tutto archi e basse frequenze di You Look So Fine). "Silence Is Golden" presenta soluzioni già esplorate in passato ma sempre funzionanti, come il seattleiano (l'esperienza di Butch torna sempre utile) alternarsi, di strofe "calme" su impostazione ballad, e ritornelli potenti con riffoni taglienti che sfociano in chorus da urlo. La dancereccia "Cherry Lips" invece, come peraltro già sottolineato sull'incipit, non ha esattamente nella potenza di cui sopra, la sua particolarità : si tratta infatti di un inutile canzoncina ipermielosa, che ad oggi rappresenta il punto più basso della carriera dei recensiti; leggermente meglio nell'esecuzione live!
Al che mi ricordo sistematicamente del tasto skip, e ci pensano le energiche "Parade" ("Oh let's bomb the factory / That makes all thewannabes / Let's burst all the bubbles / That brainwash the masses" merita senza dubbio una citazione), e "Breaking Up Girl" con i loro deliziosi refrain a risollevare le sorti del disco, sicuramente tra gli episodi più piacevoli di quest'ultimo, impreziositi come sono ancora una volta dalla convincente performance della frontleader scozzese. C'è spazio anche per altre due ballate, (e qui la rossa sa sempre come esaltarsi), in tal caso la sensuale "Drive You Home", e la coinvolgente "Nobody Loves You", (accompagnamenti molto ispirati) non fanno altro che confermare questa tesi. 100 % elettronica invece "Untouchable" che riprende gli stilemi intrapresi su Androgyny, e dove non possono certo mancare i brevi ponti di onirica struttura (ormai un marchio di fabbrica), apparentemente fuori luogo, ma a conti fatti incredibilmente amalgamati con il resto! Non lascia il segno il lounge mascherato da pop della closertrack "So Like A Rose", si ci aspettava senz'altro di più, visto e considerato che proprio sulla traccia finale i nostri hanno sempre dato il meglio, osando regolarmente con pezzi di pregevole fattura, dal sound sempre distante da quanto già ascoltato nel resto del disco, basti pensare a Milk su Garbage, You Look So Fine su Version 2.0, ed Happy Home su Bleed Like Me.
Interessante anche il contenuto multimediale offertoci dai quattro : inserendo il cd in un computer, oltre a poter ascoltare i brani in un apposito player sullo stile dell'artwork, sarà infatti possibile avere a disposizione un interfaccia con alcuni frammenti sonori, loop, samples, e vocals acapella usati nel disco, a cui assegnare vari slot, per poter scomporre e rivoluzionare le canzoni del disco, proprio come fosse un piccolo campionatore!
Contenuti bonus o meno, non si tratta certamente di un album imperdibile, e per chi desideroso di conoscere-approfondire la band è praticamente scontato il solito consiglio dei primi due lavori, tuttavia rimane qualcosa di fresco e ben realizzato, e come da prassi, in un cd dei Garbage sono molti i generi e le influenze che si susseguono, mantenendo sempre e comunque un'omogeneità non irrilevante, non stancando mai l'ascoltatore. E' proprio questo un fattore fondamentale per chi apprezza questa band, che potrà far piacere a tutta quella schiera di ascoltatori dai gusti eclettici e aperti, che ricercano spesso e volentieri questa particolarità in quel che vanno ad ascoltare. Certo ecletticità è una parola grossa per questo lavoro.. per quanto creativo sia l'operato di Vig & co (è notevole la mole di lavoro in produzione), rimangono i punti deboli, come quei 2,3 brani troppo banali, quelli poppeggianti, il discutibile contorno etc, (parliamo comunque dei singoli andati in alta rotazione, e non poteva essere altrimenti), che hanno sicuramente contribuito a partire prevenuti nei confronti di questo, diciamocelo, più che onesto album.
Tornando indietro, nel 2001, restando nel panorama commerciale, sono uscite releases molto interessanti : pensiamo a Parachutes dei Coldplay, Origin Of Symmetry dei Muse, Gorillaz, andati fortissimo su scala mondiale, ma mantenendo una qualità di fondo non indifferente, che aiuta a far passare in secondo piano ogni minimo pregiudizio sulla commercialità, autenticità ( e seghe mentali varie) del lavoro in questione. Qualità che non manca nemmeno a Beautifulgarbage, checchè se ne dica!
Da rivalutare.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Shut Your Mouth (03:25)
Welcome
We love you
We hate you
We love you
We want you
We need you
We wish we were like you
They say you're a saint
You're a whore
You're a sinner
That he had you
He made you
He can't live without you
Would you confess if we asked
That you nurture the urge
To declare that it's time
To settle down
With a man of your own
You want a baby
A family
A piece of security
Shut your mouth
Try not to panic
Just shut your mouth
If you can do it
Shut your mouth
Try not to panic
Just shut your mouth
If you can do it
Just shut your mouth
What's your opinion of the dire situation
In our land here
Our guest here
Of course you'll be nice here
How do you feel about God and religion
Are you good people
Bad people
Guess it doesn't matter people
Your place
My place
Make her bring that famous face
You got some
You want some
You wanna let me get you some
We know your music but of course we'd never buy it
It's too fake man
Right man!
(We don't give a fucking damn)
Shut your mouth
Try not to panic
Just shut your mouth
If you can do it
Shut your mouth
Try not to panic
Just shut your mouth
If you can do it
I hear you say it
Play it smart girl
Win the game love
Give'em what they want
What they want to see and you could be a big star
You could go far
Make a landmark
What have you been reading you smart girl?
Win the game love
Give'em what they want
What they want to see and you could be a big star
You could go far
Make a landmark
Make a shitload
And the world spins by
With everybody moaning
Pissing, bitching and everyone is shitting
On their friends
On their love
On their oaths
On their honor
On their graves
On their mouths
And their words say nothing
Shut your mouth
Try not to panic
Just shut your mouth
If you can do it
Shut your mouth
Try not to panic
Just shut your mouth
If you can do it
Just shut your mouth
I wanted to say something
Oh shut your mouth
I wanted to say something
Just shut your mouth
I wanted to say something
Oh shut your mouth
I wanted to be something
Just shut your mouth
02 Androgyny (03:09)
When everything is going wrong
And you can't see the point of going on
Nothing in life is set in stone
There's nothing that can't be turned around
Nobody wants to be alone
Everybody wants to love someone
Out of the tree go pick a plum
Why can't we all just get along?
Boys
Boys in the girl's room
Girls
Girls in the men's room
You free your mind in your androgyny
Boys
Boys in the parlor
Girls
They're getting harder
I'll free your mind in your androgyny
No sweeter a taste that you could find
Than fruit hanging ripe upon the vine
There's never been an oyster so divine
A river deep that never runs dry
What you need (11 X)
The birds and the bees they hum along
Like treasures they twinkle in the sun
Get on board and have some fun
Take what you need to turn you on
Boys
Boys in the girl's room
Girls
Girls in the men's room
You free your mind in your androgyny
Boys
Boys in the parlor
Girls
They're getting harder
I'll free your mind
I'll free your mind
I'll free your mind
I'll free your
Boys
Behind closed doors and under stars
Girls
It doesn't matter where you are
Boys
Collecting jewels that catch your eye
Girls
Don't let a soulmate pass you by
Boys in the girl's room
Girls in the men's room
You free your mind in your androgyny
Boys in the parlor
They're getting harder
I'll free your mind
I'll free your mind
Boys in the girl's room
Girls in the men's room
You free your mind in your androgyny
Boys in the parlor
They're getting harder
I'll free your mind
I'll free your mind
I'll free your mind
I'll free your
Boys
Girls
Boys
Girls
03 Can't Cry These Tears (04:16)
I just don't care anymore
I've reached the end of the road
I just don't care anymore
Won't cry these tears anymore
Can't find it in the bible
Can't find it on t.v.
Can't find it in diamonds
There's something inside me that just won't allow me to
Find it in music
Can't find it in my soul
Can't find it in chocolate
Oh babe I can't hide it I can't even find it in you
I just don't care anymore
I've reached the end of the road
I just don't care anymore
Won't cry these tears anymore
There's no way she can kiss you the way that I do
I heard that you miss me
Oh you should be careful of who you've been talking to
Long nights without you have taught me to be strong
I've cut all of my losses
Think no more about it because I couldn't find it in you
I just don't care anymore
I've reached the end of the road
I just don't care anymore
Won't cry these tears anymore
There was a time I thought I'd die
If you should ever leave me high and dry
And you don't want me anymore
It's time to settle the score
I just don't care anymore
I've reached the end of my tether
I've torn all the letters up
I just don't care anymore
Won't cry these tears anymore
I just don't care anymore
I've reached the end of my rope and it's time that I told you so
I just don't care anymore
Won't cry these tears anymore
It's time to settle the score
04 Til the Day I Die (03:27)
I will love you till the day that I die
I will love you till the day that I die
You walked into the room
The sun hit my eyes
The force you struck me down caught me by surprise
You sprung the mojo and it worked like a charm
I felt invincible with you in my arms
I must confess it can feel good to feel pain
Like breaking waves or getting caught in the rain
Playing those games cause we had nothing to do
I was oblivious I was losing to you
I will love you till the day that I die
I will love you till the day that I die
I will love you till the day that I die
I will love you till the day that I die
Holy Jesus
Holy rock �n roll
The more I gave to you the more you grew bored
And making love became the waging of war
No peace
No tenderness
No fun anymore
I will love you till the day that I die
I will love you till the day that I die
I will love you till the day that I die
I will love you till the day that I die
I dreamt that I called out your name
You turned your face to me and started to say
Something so beautiful it hurt deep inside
So I will love you till the day that I die
Farewell
Farewell
I'm sure gonna leave you (I will love you till the day that I die)
Farewell
Farewell
I'm sure gonna leave you (I will love you till the day that I die)
Farewell
Farewell (I will love you till the day that I die)
I'm sure gonna leave you (I will love you till the day that I die)
Farewell
Farewell (I will love you till the day that I die)
I'm sure gonna leave you (I will love you till the day that I die)
Farewell
Farewell (I will love you till the day that I die)
I'm sure gonna leave you (I will love you till the day that I die)
Farewell
Farewell (I will love you till the day that I die)
05 Cup of Coffee (04:30)
You told me you don't love me
Over a cup of coffee
And I just have to look away
A million miles between us
Planets crash into dust
I just let it fade away
I'm walking empty streets
Hoping we might meet
I see your car parked on the road
The light on at your window
I know for sure that you're home
But I just have to pass on by
So no, of course we can't be friends
Not while I'm still this obsessed
I guess I always knew the score
This is how our story ends
I smoke your brand of cigarettes
And pray that you might give me a call
I lie around in bed all day just staring at the walls
Hanging round the bars at night, wishing I had never been born
Give myself to anyone who wants to take me home
So no, of course we can't be friends
Not while I still feel like this
I guess I always knew the score
This is where our story ends
You left behind some clothes
My belly somersaults
When I pick them off the floor
My friends all say they're worried
I'm looking far too skinny
I've stopped returning all their calls
And no of course we can't be friends
Not while I'm still this obsessed
I want to ask where I went wrong
But don't say anything at all
It took a cup of coffee
To prove that you don't love me
06 Silence Is Golden (03:48)
If I am silent
Then I am not real
If I speak up then
No one will hear
If I wear a mask there's
Somewhere to hide
Silence is golden
I have been broken
Safe in my own skin
So nobody wins
If I raise my voice
Will someone get hurt?
And if I can't feel
Then I won't get touched
If no truth is spoken
Then no lies can hide
Silence is golden
I have been broken
Safe in my own skin
So nobody wins
Silence is golden
Nobody gets in
Safe in my own skin
So nobody wins
Did you hear me speak
Do you understand
Did you hear my voice
Will you hold my hand
Do you understand me
Won't someone listen?
Nobody gets in
My body's a temple
But nothing is simple
Silence is golden
I have been broken
Something was stolen
Safe in my own skin
Safe in my own skin
Won't someone listen?
My body's a temple
But nothing is simple
My body's a temple
But nothing is simple
Something was stolen
I have been broken
I have been broken
Silence is golden
I have been broken
Safe in my own skin
07 Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!) (03:12)
She gave you everything she had,
But she was young and dumb, she'd just turned twenty-one
She didn't care to hang around,
So when the shit came down why she was nowhere to be found
This life can turn a good girl bad
She was the sweetest thing that you had ever seen
You're such a delicate boy,
In the hysterical realm,
Of an emotional landslide,
In physical terms
With your cherry lips and golden curls,
You could make grown men gasp when you'd go walking past
And in your hotpants and high-heels,
They could not believe that such a body was for real
It seemed like rainbows would appear,
Whenever you came near the clouds would disappear,
Because you looked just like a girl,
Your baby blues would flash and suddenly a spell was cast
You're such a delicate boy,
In the hysterical realm,
Of an emotional landslide,
In physical terms
You hold a candle in your heart,
You shine a light on head and heart,
You make the whole world wanna dance,
You've bought yourself a second chance
Go baby, go go, we're right behind you,
Go baby, go go, yeah we're looking at you,
Go baby, go go, oh we're right behind you,
Go baby, go baby, yeah we're right behind you
Go baby, go baby, oh we're right behind you
Go baby, go baby, yeah we're looking at you
Go baby, go baby, oh we're right behind you
Go baby, go baby, yeah we're looking at you
You hold a candle in your heart
(Go baby, go go)
You shine a light on head and heart
(Go baby, go go)
You make the whole world wanna dance
(Go baby, go go)
You've bought yourself a second chance
(Go, baby, go baby, go)
10 Parade (04:06)
Parade
KABOOM
Get it right
Get it right now
Get it right
Do it good
Get it right now
KABOOM
Get it right
Get it right now
Get it right
Do it good
Get it right now
Oh let's bomb the factory
That makes all the wannabes
Let's burst all the bubbles
That brainwash the masses
(Chorus)
As far as I can tell
It doesn't matter who you are
If you can believe there's something worth fighting for
The color of an eye
The glory of a sudden view
The baby in your arms
The smile he always shoots at you
Believing (believing) in nothing (in nothing)
Makes life (makes life) so boring (so boring)
So let's pray (so let's pray) for something (for something)
To feel good (to feel good) in the morning (in the morning)
(Chorus)
KABOOM
Get it right
Get it right now
Get it right
Do it good
Get it right now
KABOOM
Get it right
Get it right now
Get it right
Do it good
Get it right now
Oh doctor we're dying
There's no use in crying
So live for tomorrow
And do what you have to
(Chorus)
So let's pray (so let's pray) for something (for something)
To feel good (to feel good) in the morning (in the morning)
11 Nobody Loves You (05:07)
Watching the days slip by so fast
Knowing our fate has long been cast
Working our fingers to the bone
Cause nobody loves you when you're gone
Coughing up feeling just for you
To find something real to hold on to
But there is a hole inside my heart
Where all of my love comes pouring out.
You know you'll always be my man
But grab yourself sweetness where you can
Cause sooner or later we're going to die
Left to the dogs under the sky
I cracked a piece of broken glass
Coughing up feeling just for you
To find something real to hold on to
But there is a hole inside my heart
Where waves of my love come tumbling out.
You say that all the good is gone
That I have forgotten who I am
Free as a bird, Wild as the wind
But somehow I cannot let you in
12 Untouchable (04:02)
This is nothing new to me
It takes more than what you've got
To frighten me
I'm not scared of you
There's nothing you can do
Or take from me
CHORUS:
Untouchable
You think you're untouchable
You know
No one's untouchable
You're bound to lose the game
There's no one else to blame
You play so safe
And you're not risking enough
You are doomed to be undone
I swear I'll be the one
To bring you down
It's all your fault
Cause you got caught
CHORUS:
It must be nice
To be so sure
And never feel insecure
It must feel good to believe
You're always right
And you're never wrong
You've got something to say
You say it to my face
And be a man about it
You got a problem with me
Don't go behind my back
Just like a baby
Untouchable (pride comes before)
You think you're untouchable (you take a fall)
You know (you best beware)
No one's untouchable (your woman's gone)
Untouchable (pride comes before)
You think you're untouchable (you take a fall)
You know (you best beware)
No one's untouchable (your woman's gone)
No one's untouchable
You think you're untouchable
You know, no one's untouchable
No one's untouchable (4 X)
13 So Like a Rose (06:17)
Baby thinks he's dying
Lost inside his bedroom
Mommy won't stop crying
And daddy's always working
There's no going back
There's no going back
There's no going back
On this one
Baby wakes up with the sun
While everyone is sleeping
He thinks he's going crazy
But this could be the big one
There's no going back
There's no going back
There's no going back
Sleeping with ghosts
It's such a lonely experience
The stars are out tonight
Only they can hear you breathing
You're so like a rose
You're so like a rose
You're so like a rose
I wish you could stay here
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