Quando nel 1993 Phil Collins abbandonò il cadavere in decomposizione che da troppo tempo usurpava il glorioso nome dei Genesis, fu opinione quasi comune che la tomba fosse sul punto di essere chiusa. Tuttavia, il cadavere divenne zombie grazie all'opera di magia nera operata dal sympatico due Tony Banks-Mike Rutherford. I due ingaggiarono Ray Wilson (chi è costui?) alla voce e decisero di far uscire, nel 1997, Calling All Stations", un pessimo disco che fa sembrare capolavoro anche il solo "Abacab". Il disco, che dovrebbe essere un ritorno al rock, ma che è in realtà un'accozzaglia demenziale di suoni che definire pop di pessima fattura sarebbe come dirne elogi, si articola attraverso 11 canzoni, quasi tutte scritte da Rutherford e Banks.
La prima traccia è la title-track, che sa soltanto regalare qualche buona atmosfera qua e là, ma, come tutto il disco, fa generalmente da ninna nanna. Proseguendo troviamo i singoli "Congo" e "Shipwreked"; la prima è veramente brutta, arricchita (???) da tamburi africani e cori etnici che non fanno alcun effetto, mentre la seconda è l'unica canzone che mostra quasi decenza, pur sempre rimanendo nell'ambito pop. "Alien Afternoon" è lunga, ma non si salva per niente, e da qui saltiamo fino all'ultima traccia (l'unica che è quasi degna di essere commentata oltre alle sopra dette), che dura ben 8 minuti, ma che si rivela decisamente orrenda, nonostante una fine abbastanza semi-coinvolgente.
Per dirla breve, "Calling All Stations" è un modo tragico per terminare la pluridecennale carriera di un gruppo che, prima di contribuire alla sua eliminazione, ha molto dato al progressive.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
02 Congo (04:52)
You say that I put chains on you
But I don't think that's really true
But if you want to be free from me
You gotta lose me in another world
Send me to the Congo I'm free to leave
There's always somewhere anybody can lead
Send me to the Congo you have to believe
You can do it if you wanna just do what you please
Like a soldier ant
I will wait for the signal to act
To take a walk right through the door
If you don't want me here any more
Send me to the Congo I'm free to leave
There's always somewhere anybody can lead
Send me to the Congo you have to believe
You can do it if you wanna just do what you please
Into my heart you came
And gave a whole new meaning to my life
Into my world you brought a light
I thought it never would go out
Send me to the Congo I'm free to leave
There's always somewhere anybody can lead
Send me to the Congo you have to believe
You can do it if you wanna just do what you please
You can send me to the Congo I'm free to leave
There's always somewhere anybody can lead
Yes you can send me to the Congo, you have to believe
You can do it if you wanna just do what you please
I would never be the one to say you had no reason
To want me somewhere else far far away
But someday you may understand, someday you will see
That someone who would die for you is all I've ever been
Congo the Congo, if that's how it's got to be
Congo the Congo, if that's what you want from me
I would never be the one to say you had no reason
To want me somewhere else far far away
Someday you may understand someday you will see...
03 Shipwrecked (04:23)
I'm a million miles from anywhere, where can I be
Somewhere out on the ocean
Just take a look out on the horizon, what can you see
There's nothing there for me
I feel shipwrecked, I might as well be shipwrecked
I'm helpless and alone drifting out to sea
I can't believe what you said to me
Even standing on the corner of a busy city street
I still feel so lonely
Why do you say you want to be with me
But the next day say you don't
I'm shipwrecked, I might as well be shipwrecked
I'm helpless and alone drifting out to sea
I can't believe what you said to me
Without you I feel shipwrecked
But I can't let it show
A million miles away from anywhere, ooh, ooh, ohh
Is it my imagination
Or is it getting darker, are the waves getting higher
I'm a million miles from anywhere
A million miles from anything I know
You know that's why I'm shipwrecked
I might as well be shipwrecked
I'm helpless and alone drifting out to sea
I can't believe what you said to me
You know that's why I'm shipwrecked, shipwrecked
Losing my direction
Please come and rescue me (shipwrecked)
Shipwrecked
Shipwrecked
Shipwrecked
Shipwrecked...
08 Uncertain Weather (05:29)
A day of uncertain weather
Captured in a frame forever
A face in a faded photograph
He must have had a life
Maybe with a family
People who meant everything to him
A sinner, a saint, a soldier
Caught up in a war he never
Had a chance to start or build a life
All gone long ago
Leaving no trace
Disappearing like smoke in the wind
To become just a face without a name
Leaving no trace
Disappearing like smoke in the wind
Hopes and fears important plans
Forgotten memories
Footsteps fading in the sand, ooh
Schemes and dreams small and grand
Nothing left to see
Footsteps fading in the sand, ooh
Someone who cast a shadow
Maybe just a lazy man
Doesn't make much difference now it's true
A day of uncertain weather
Captured in a frame forever
A face in a faded photograph
All gone long ago
Leaving no trace
Disappearing like smoke in the wind
To become just a face without a name
One more to add to the total
Of those never heard of again
Yes he's gone
Just a face without a name
Leaving no trace
Disappearing like smoke in the wind
All gone
Just a face without a name
Leaving no trace
Disappearing like smoke in the wind...
09 Small Talk (05:02)
Don't talk back to me, don't talk back to me
Don't talk back to me, don't talk
Going round in circles, hearing too many points of view
Just words to tire me out, small talk I could do without
I would be amazed if you returned to see things my way
Now that you've been disrespectful to my sense of pride
Isn't it a shame that you were lying when you said to me (small talk)
I was the only one, you and I were meant to be
I expect you'll never really feel the way that I do
All of this is with regret, I'm sure you will agree
Say something to me, anything at all
I want you to mean what you say
I've seen all I want to see, and you mean the world to me
I've lived for each moment to be with you, with you, with you
Small talk, small talk, small talk, small talk
You say I don't talk enough, that applies to both of us
Don't try to sound me out, something I could do without
So much goes on inside your head, I often wonder
Have you heard enough to know, there's nothing left to say
Say something to me, anything at all
I want you to mean what you say
I've seen all I want to see, and you mean the world to me
I've lived for each moment to be with you, with you, with you
Small talk
Small talk
Ooh small talk
That's all I ever hear
Small talk
I'll be alright
It may take sometime
But I'll be alright (don't talk back to me)
I'll be alright (don't talk back to me)
(don't want to be alone, nothing worth to carry on)
I'll be alright (don't talk back to me)
(try hard to understand, you won't seem to lend a hand)
I'll be alright (don't talk back to me)
(without you'll fail to see, you never spare a thought for me)
I'll be alright (don't talk back to me)
(so many things you said, going round in circles)
I'll be alright (don't talk back to me)
(I'll rise above it all, enough to see another day)
I'll be alright
I'll be alright
Don't talk back to me...
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di Vinsex
I Genesis senza Collins? Ovvio, direte voi... NON SONO PIÙ I GENESIS. E INVECE NO; COGLIONI!!!!
Ragazzi fugate le suggestioni e non lasciatevi ingannare dalla merda di marca… sempre merda è!!
Di London
"...Calling All Stations... contiene almeno una manciata di belle canzoni, da poco più di tre minuti s’intende, che il gruppo non produceva almeno dal '78."
"'The Dividing Line' è uno dei brani più belli della loro produzione, con un quasi assolo di batteria mai visto prima nella storia del gruppo."