Gotye, questo strano personaggio. Alzi la mano chi non l'ha conosciuto tramite la sua super-mega-ultra hit (di cui non farò neanche il nome) che girava su ogni benedetto canale musicale audio/video. Se avete alzato la mano, stima per voi. Sapete già dove andrò a parare. Dicevo, quindi ti ritrovi a sentire per l'ennesima volta la sopra citata hit, ma senti che c'è qualcosa di più, bisogna indagare più a fondo. Ascolti tutto l'album. Capisci che ci avevi visto giusto. Il passo successivo all'ascolto di "Making Mirrors" è, paradossalmente, un passo indietro. Si dà il caso infatti che il ragazzo abbia alle spalle due dischi, pieni di polvere che va necessariamente spazzata via con un bel soffio. Vi si aprono le porte di "Like Drawing Blood".
Non riuscireste a catalogare questo disco neanche sforzandovi. Il termine (cucito su misura) di "laptop music" non rende l'idea neanche lontanamente. Si tratta semplicemente di scoperchiare il cranio dell'artista, prenderne del sangue e spargerlo su una tela (la copertina in questo senso è evocativa). Ed allora, cos'è Gotye? E' groove, è gioco, è spensieratezza, è rimanere costantemente e piacevolmente spiazzati. E' sperimentazione allo stato puro, con un caldo cuore che pulsa all'impazzata. Il ritmo è la colonna portante del disco, batteria e percussioni sono onnipresenti. D'altronde cii troviamo di fronte ad un batterista con i fiocchi, in possesso di un pad che gli permette di giocherellare a suo piacimento con qualsiasi trama percussionistica. Penso di aver reso abbastanza bene l'idea. Se ci aggiungiamo una collezione sterminata di vecchi vinili condita da una particolare attenzione per il sampling e per la musica "vintage", lo scenario è ben delineato. Non c'è un pezzo uguale all'altro. Una galleria d'arte in cui non c'è una continuità, ogni stanza è colorata diversamente, ha una forma diversa, e all'interno c'è un'opera che non c'azzecca assolutamente nulla con le altre. Urgenza jazzy ("Puzzle With a Missing Piece"), dolci ballate ("Hearts a Mess"), montagne russe vocali ("Thanks For Your Time"), atmosfere "orientaleggianti" ("The Only Way"), forme pop/rock più standard ma sempre rielaborate in chiave personalissima ("Learnalilgivinanlovin", "The Only Thing I Know"). E ti pare addirittura di sentire urla e schiamazzi di strani animali provenienti dai sedili posteriori della tua auto ("Seven Hours With a Backseat Driver").
E' un viaggio dispendioso. Lungo la strada troverete un paesaggio dalle mille sfaccettature, curve tortuose (o forse dovrei dire sinuose), tanta ispirazione. Cogliere in pieno ogni singolo aspetto, ogni singolo particolare sarà un'attività lunga, ma allo stesso tempo dolcissima. Ed un solo viaggio non basterà. Alla fine però, mentre starete guidando indietro verso casa ("Night Drive"), vi accorgerete che è stato bello, interessante, stimolante. Che avete visto posti mai visti (stranissimi ma bellissimi), che vi siete divertiti. Rapiti da un percorso in cui non ci si può annoiare. Sempre in movimento, stare fermi è impossibile. Fisicamente e mentalmente. Torni a casa, stanco morto, ti stendi sul letto. Ma sai che lo rifarai. Ti è rimasta dentro tanta roba. La cosa più vistosa è un segno, proprio lì, dentro la tua testa. E' sangue, sangue misto: un po' belga, un po' australiano...
Elenco tracce testi e video
03 Hearts a Mess (06:06)
Pick apart,
The pieces of your heart,
And let me peer inside,
Let me in
Where only your thoughts have been
Let me occupy your mind
As you do mine
You have lost
Too much love
To fear, doubt and distrust
(It’s not enough)
You just threw away the key
To your heart
You don’t get burned
(’Cause nothing gets through)
It makes it easier
(Easier on you)
But that much more difficult for me
To make you see…
Love ain’t fair
So there you are
My love
Your heart’s a mess
You won’t admit to it
It makes no sense
But I’m desperate to connect
And you, you can’t live like this
Love ain’t safe
You won’t get hurt if you stay chaste
So you can wait
But I don’t wanna waste my love
04 Coming Back (06:53)
You've been gone much longer
Than you ever said you had the plan to
I'm just gonna wait 'till you come home
Though I count the days, they're grey without you
The weather's much better when I think about you
I'm just gonna wait till you come home
Empty glasses, burnt out matches
Curtains drawn on near-full blackness
I'm sleeping through the day
You're coming home
To reclaim this heart you owned
Lover
Leave me
Make me burn
You're coming back!
You're coming back!
I'll wait patiently
For your return
You're coming back!
You're coming back!
I'm clutching at straws
I'm climbing up the walls
But every time I fall
Back into my hole
I'm feeling like a wretch
I'm looking for a catch
But you're an itch that I can't scratch
I know you're coming back
You've been gone so long you're fading
And it takes all the time I can find just retaining
Thoughts of things we did while you were here
But I know you will return my dear
05 Thanks for Your Time (04:18)
(In complete contrast, a pop song, and a pop singer. In a different way, this has its own magic. The magic of an accompaniment, tailor-made in the fashion of today. For this occasion, this singer, and this song)
You have been placed in a queue
But your call is valuable
It's very valuable
We hope this doesn't inconvenience you
Because you're valuable
You're so very valuable!
If you wish to make a complaint
We can handle it, we're well prepared to handle it
Of course you may have to wait
But that's understandable
Isn't that understandable?
Don't ask me, I just work here man
Don't ask me, I just work here man
(It sounds to me like you need help!)
We're very good to you
I hope you know we're good to you
(Let me put you through to someone else)
They'll know just what to do!
I'm sorry, I can't help you
Don't ask me, I just work here man (x4)
(Work here man)
Don't ask me, I just work here man
Don't ask me, I just work here man
Oh don't ask me, I just work here man
(I just work here man)
Person dials 1223
Computer: Directory assistance
Person: Hi, could I please speak to Miss...
Computer: What name please?
Person: Oh, s***
Computer: I'm sorry, I didn't hear that
Person: Just put me through
Computer: I'm sorry, yes or no, did you request Melbourne Zoo?
Person: No, you b****
Computer: Please hold, and an operator will complete your request
(Music)
Person: Oh, f*** it
(Hangs Up)
Why don't you fill out a form?
We can't get back to you
Of course we can't get back to you
But rest assured, we'll take your comments on board
Your thoughts make change!
Thanks for your time (x4)
Thanks for your time
(Don't ask me, I just work here man)
Thanks for your time
(Don't ask me, I just work here man)
Thanks for your time
(Don't ask me, I just work here man)
...Let's spend some time together, we'll save you money...
(Record scratch)
06 Learnalilgivinanlovin (02:49)
If yer always tryin’ to get to the top
You don’t get to the bottom of nothin’!
Then you’re gone before you know it;
You’d better stop! (STOP!)
Learn a little givin’ and lovin’
It’s been done before
C’mon, do it again!
Coz if it’s good
Then you should share it round
What’s the use of keeping
all the good things that you’ve found to yourself?
Learn a little, learn a little
Learn a little givin’
Learn a little, learn a little
Learn a little givin’ and lovin’
You don’t gotta keep no other man down
For you to get up
There’s no need to worry
Just don’t give away your self-respect
Coz if it’s all you’ve got left
The rest don’t really matter now anyway honey!
But give away love (GIVE IT!)
And give it for free
No strings attached
Just don’t ask for it back
Learn a little, learn a little
Learn a little givin’
Learn a little, learn a little
Learn a little givin’ and stop!
Givin! Learn a little givin’
It’s been done before
C’mon do it again!
Learn a little, learn a little
Learn a little givin’ and lovin’
08 A Distinctive Sound (06:17)
This will teach them, how to groove
One, two, three, hit!
Alright, let's get acquainted
Let's get acquainted
Hello there
Let's get acquainted
Music, from the base perspective
This is a journey into sound
A journey which, along the way
Will bring to you new colour,
New dimension, new values
And... a new experience:
Stereophonic sound
And now ladies and gentlemen
Our feature act tonight:
(opera singing)
STOP!
Stop, hit it, hit it, hit it, hit it, AH!
Come on! (come on, come on)
That was the harpsichord
Nowadays most people seem to prefer
The television or radio to the harpsichord
But you still hear the piano all the time
The flute couldn't do that!
These are some of the difficulties with being
In this position and talking to you
And just wanting really deeply to relate to you
And touch you; not physically, but with vibration
Aha ha ha!
Aha ha ha!
Aha ha ha!
Aha ha ha!
Aha ha ha!
Never heard metal sound like that before...
The drummer is the heartbeat
Everything comes from him
The beat, the time
He is the heartbeat
It's just like the heart pumping blood to the rest of the body
He is the heartbeat of the whole band, of a group
He is the heartbeat
I think around the midpoint of my career
I started to experiment with sounds
Then it became very important to me to
Get a distinctive sound
Get a distinctive sound
Get a -get- get a distinctive sound
Get a distinctive sound
Maybe if I spend more time practicing
Eventually, I can get it together
Um, here's some more music
AH!
Alright, here we go!
Gonna use a little power pips like I showed you before
We're gonna chuck 'em real good
A minor to F!
Just like all the heavy metal guys use, okay?
Let's get some of that smoke, just like on MTV
Yeah, alright!
(Music)
Alright
Yeah, alright
(Would you say that again?)
Alright
Yeah! Aha ha ha!
Let's play a note
Alright
Yeah alright
Come on! (come on, come on)
Here's some more music
Alright
Yeah! Aha ha ha!
Get a distinctive sound
Get a distinctive sound
Get a - get - get a distinctive sound
Get a distinctive sound
We've covered a lot of ground, haven't we?
If there's a part of our story you don't understand
Why don't you turn this record over and start playing over again
Over again
Over again...
Carico i commenti... con calma
