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Qualcosa del genere tenteranno di farla nientepopodimenochè i Flaming Lips di "Hell's Angels' Cracker Factory" nell'anno di grazia 1989: voci in sottofondo, stazioni radio che cambiano, brevi incipit di musica classica, chiamate telefoniche, una sirena di allarme, il pianto di un neonato.
No, questo non è un gruppo da freakpsichedelia: sono Mark, Don e Mel, il power trio rock per eccellenza negli Stati Uniti (...e in Italia) nel 1970. E questa è l'intro di "Paranoid": le fobie dell'uomo del ventesimo secolo che annaspa contorcendosi in migliaia di watt di wawawawawawawa chitarristici sciolti nell'acido.
L'ononimo (aka Red Album per la sgargiante copertina rossa) dei Grand Funk Railroad quasi chiude con questa gemma che ogni formazione cremosamente triangolare dovrebbe mandare giù a memoria. Il manuale del perfetto rocker: l'assolo lancinante della Sears Country Gentleman di Mark Farner e le scale di basso del terrificante Fender di Mel Schacher faranno tintinnare i pezzi di cristalleria del salotto buono e battere il soffitto con il manico della scopa gli inquilini del piano di sotto.
Un album che converte alla giusta causa del rock appena la puntina tocca i primi solchi. Costringe ad abbandonare immediatamente qualunque cosa si stia facendo, lecita o illecita, difficile o di routine, piacevole o dolorosa. Perché "Got this thing on the move" insinua l'impulso irrefrenabile di scendere in strada diretti ad un negozio di strumenti musicali per comprare una chitarra elettrica, oppure un basso o una batteria. Invece "Please don't worry" fa quasi pensare di rivenderli subito dopo, perché questi tre sono dei mostri inarrivabili: il terrificante basso di Mel è come l'arco di Ulisse, noi non riusciremmo a tenderne nemmeno una corda mentre lui è capace di stendere i Proci usurpatori con quelle note poderose che colpiscono dritto alla bocca dello stomaco.
Bluesoni elettrici in crescendo come "High Falootin' Woman" fanno roteare la testa immaginando di avere capelli ancora più lunghi di Farner che spreme l'ugola, è un miraggio ma funziona! Come funziona maledettamente un boogie sanguigno come "In Need", con un tellurico Schacher che porta fuori campo l'ago del sismografo posto a misurare le scosse ondulatorie e sussultorie del pavimento della nostra stanza.
Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi, i detroitiani MC5 del grande hard rock made in Usa di "High Time", vengono legati lungo le rotaie della ferrovia dove la locomotiva Grand Funk passerà a tutta velocità maciullandoli in mille pezzi.
E come terminare uno dei più grandi dischi rock se non con i dieci minuti che aggrediscono "Inside Lookin Out"? La cover degli Animals ci mette un po' a decollare, ma quando aggancia il groove diventa un diesel inarrestabile alimentato da riffs di basso pulsante, assoli sfrerraglianti di chitarra torrida e una batteria che è un metronomo.
Dopo il Red Album i Grand Funk perderanno parte di quella spontaneità selvaggiamente naive per attestarsi su un superbo rock di mestiere che li farà diventare stramiliardari, ma ormai il danno era già stato fatto. Vestiti come Mark, capelli ben oltre le spalle, gilet di pelle sul torso nudo, il braccialetto al bicipite e le maledizioni del vicinato costretto a passare il resto della giornata con le mani sulle orecchie... quante bands non sarebbero mai nate senza Mark, Don e Mel!
PLAY LOUD!!!
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Got This Thing on the Move (04:40)
Come on over to my side, it's where you wanna' be.
Come on over to joy ride, and let your morals be.
Ain't no way to deny it, if it's in your soul.
You don't know 'till you try it, baby, let the good times roll.
Let me taste your life. Let me fill your stream.
Let me make you feel it right now, just lay back and dream.
Got this thing on the move, it's beginin'.
Got a strange kind of feeling, under my skin.
I hear my baby knockin', at my front door.
She knows what I got, she wants some more.
And when it's all over, I start to come down.
Think of the restin' place, I'll leave the ground
02 Please Don't Worry (04:20)
If somebody tells you "look out boy,"
"That stuff you're doin' is way too strong."
Pay them no mind, just give 'em time,
Keep your head, you can't do no wrong.
CHORUS
Please don't worry, 'bout no jury,
There's so many, of us anyway.
If somebody tries to bust you,
'Cause you had their daughter late last night.
Don't get me wrong, but, you must be strong,
And, you just can't get uptight.
CHORUS
If somebody says you look funny,
'Cause the way you dress, to them, ain't right.
Say "Hey, can't you see, you look funny to me?"
"But, I'm just tryin' to be polite."
CHORUS
CHORUS
CHORUS
04 Mr. Limousine Driver (04:27)
Hey, Mr. limousine driver,
Can I ask you a favor, please?
Let her in my door and don't look back here no more,
I know you can do it with ease.
Although, we're on our way from the show,
And you don't like to get off the track.
Please, Mr. chauffeur, let's talk things over,
'Cause she says she loves me and that's a fact.
Can you hear what I'm sayin', it's not like I'm prayin',
You know, because you've done it before.
So, why make me wait, please don't hesitate,
Just get back here, and let her in my door.
Hey, Mr. limousine driver,
I know you know where it's at.
Too late will be later, you just read your evening paper,
And don't worry 'bout what's goin' on in back.
Hey, Mr. limousine driver ...
Hey, Mr. limousine driver ...
05 In Need (07:54)
Hey, hey, mama; mama, what you tryin' to do?
You keep on talkin' to me, 'till your face turns blue.
Well, do you think I'm a young boy, yet to make up my mind?
Well, I'm just castin' all my toys, I'm gonna' leave what's behind me, behind.
I'm gonna' leave what's behind me, behind.
I saw an old high school friend, just the other day,
He didn't ask me how I'd been, he asked me "how was my pay?"
Now, do you call this a friendship, judging from what he said?
If you do, I've a real tip: ain't nobody gonna' know about my bread.
Ain't nobody gonna' know about my bread.
If you got somebody, that you can trust to the very end,
I said if you do, I want to be like you, 'cause you sure got a real good friend.
You sure got a real good friend.
Friend ...
Friend ...
07 Paranoid (07:52)
Did you ever have that feeling in your life, that someone was watching you?
He don't have no reason, that's right. But, still he's there watching you.
Someone is waiting just outside the door, to take you away.
Everybody knows just what he's there for, to take you away.
But, you don't know why he's been waiting.
But, you don't know why he's been waiting.
Spent too much time anticipating.
Spent too much time anticipating.
Did you ever think it could be you, that's just outside the door?
There's just one way to find out if it's true. So, what you waiting for?
Oh, get yourself together now, my friend, and step outside the pad.
If there's no one waiting for you there, my friend, I think you should be glad.
But, who wasn't there that you should look out for?
But, who wasn't there that you should look out for?
Get back inside your wall, and shut the door.
Get back inside your wall, and shut the door.
You don't have nobody, don't need nobody, can't love nobody,
You're better off by yourself.
You ain't feelin' too bad, you're driving me mad, and say you're bad,
You're better off by yourself.
You don't have nobody, don't need nobody, can't love nobody,
You're better off by yourself.
You ain't feelin' too bad, you're driving me mad, and say you're bad,
You're better off by yourself.
Ahhhhh ...
08 Inside Looking Out (09:31)
I'm sitting here lonely like a broken man.
I serve my time doin' the best I can.
Walls and bars they surround me.
But, I don't want no sympathy.
No baby, no baby,
All I need is some tender lovin'.
To keep me sane in this burning oven.
And, when my time is up, you'll be my reefer.
Life gets worse on God's green earth.
Be my reefer, got to keep smokin' that thing.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I said now baby ... baby ..., let me smoke it ... smoke it ...
Makes me feel good ... feel good, yes, I feel good ... ahhhhh ...
Yes, I feel alright ... feel alright ..., yes, I feel alright ... feel alright ...
Yes, I feel alright ... Ahhhhh ...
Ohhhhh ...
Ice cold water is runnin' through my veins.
They try and drag me back to work again.
Pain and blisters on my mind and hands.
I work all day making up burlap bags.
The oats they're feeding me are driving me wild.
I feel unhappy like a new born child.
Now, when my time is up, you wait and see.
These walls and bars won't keep that stuff from me.
No, no, baby,
Won't keep that stuff from me.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I need you right now mama.
I need you right now baby.
Right by my side, honey.
All night long.
Make me feel alright ...
Yes, all ..., yes, all ..., yes, all ... alright.
You better come on up and get down with me.
I'll make you feel real good, just you wait and see.
Make me feel alright ..., yes, I feel alright ...
Yes, all ..., yes, all ..., yes, alright.
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di JonnyORiley87
A distanza di ben 50 anni dalla sua uscita, questo lavoro mantiene intatta la sua notevole forza espressiva.
Cantato a polmoni pieni, chitarra sporca, aggressiva e assai pregna di Blues di Farner e base ritmica di prim'ordine.
