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Flint, Michigan, città-dormitorio sviluppatasi cinquant'anni fa in seguito al boom della Ford ma oggi ridotta a una città fantasma, fra le sue case in rovina sopravvive solo qualche famiglia di vecchi e un pugno di disperati. Da queste parti il nascente rock duro dei sessanta/settanta dovette fare i conti con l'imperante rhythm'n'blues, Detroit e la gloriosa etichetta Tamla Motown erano veramente a un passo di là dal fiume, le radio locali eruttavano il nuovo verbo rock ma soprattutto black music 24 ore su 24, tutte le più grandi stelle di colore venivano lì vicino a registrare e a tenere concerti seguitissimi.
I Grand Funk Railroad crebbero a Flint, amavano i Cream e Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix e Otis Redding e così, per quanto bombastico e caciarone il loro rock fosse nelle intenzioni e nella realtà, il calore e l'anima della musica nera lo hanno sempre attraversato rendendolo unico ed irripetibile, scandalosamente sottovalutato da tanti appassionati che tengono presente solo la parte finale della loro carriera, più commerciale e annacquata.
In questo disco dal vivo del 1970 il rhythm'n'blues è però messo al minimo e non c'è certo traccia di annacquamento! I Grand Funk sono giovani, agli inizi di carriera, davanti alla folla immensa dell'Atlanta Pop Festival e allora ci danno dentro di brutto. E' un disco dal vivo come se ne pubblicavano una volta, con il pubblico giustamente alto nel mix, incertezze (poche) e cappelle (tante) lasciate ben in vista e non corrette in studio. Risultato: tiro pauroso, energia a livelli atomici, più che adeguata perizia strumentale asservita totalmente a far andare la gente davanti a loro fuori di melone. Perfettamente riusciti in questo.
A far casino sono solo in tre: Mark Farner è il leader, cantante e chitarrista, un meticcio (pellerossa e biondo!) coi capelli lisci fino al culo e una voce alta e penetrante piena di soul, picchia come un fabbro sulla chitarra (tutta di metallo, color verde mimetico e con distorsore incorporato, oggi gloriosamente esposta in un Hard Rock Cafè) ma a cantare ha imparato dai fratelli neri e si sente e si gusta. E' viva la sua voce, violenta e piena di anima, stecche comprese. A sostenerlo c'è il bassista più rumoroso di sempre, Mel Schacher si aiuta con un distorsore per avere un suono che dire corposo è un eufemismo, è proprio grasso, grosso, bisonteo, i suoi riff geniali e ripetitivi tengono in piedi i pezzi e fanno tremare le casse dello stereo. Il batterista Don Brewer dà una mano a Farner nei vocals ma più che altro ci dà dentro a tenere il ritmo, con ottima tecnica e velocità.
Sono ottanta minuti d'inferno, dall'iniziale Are You Ready sommersa per buona parte dall'entusiasmo del pubblico, al bis Into The Sun, con due sole pause per rifiatare, il blues Heartbreaker e la pianistica Mean Mistreater.
Curiosamente in commercio si trovano versioni del cd sia doppie che singole (l'LP del 1970 è doppio). I Grand Funk ancora oggi fanno concerti in Usa (senza Mark Farner, che gira con un suo gruppo). Sono miliardari ma non se la tirano, giusto Brewer che gioca a golf e in borsa , Schacher alleva e protegge cervi selvatici nelle foreste del Michigan, Farner è attivissimo con Greenpeace e nelle iniziative a favore dei nativi americani. Gente con le palle, i grezzi sono altri. Sono nella storia del rock.
Elenco tracce testi e video
03 Paranoid (07:17)
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 ...
04 In Need (10:32)
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 ...
05 Heartbreaker (07:11)
Once I had a little girl,
Sometimes I think about her,
But, buddy, you know
She's not really there.
When memories do call,
I just, I just can't live without her
But tryin' all the time
Is so hard to bear.
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
I don't cry no more,
I live while I'm flying,
But I'll think back,
And you can hear me say:
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
Heartbreaker, can't take her,
Heartbreaker, bringing me down.
06 Inside Looking Out (12:53)
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.
07 Words of Wisdom (00:46)
Mark: We ... we have a new album out, it was released the fifteenth. It's called Closer To Home. We'd like to do one ... we'd like to do one from the album. Ah ..., but before we do, I feel that ah ..., I have to tell you something because I know that if you were in my place that you would do it for me.
Mark: Ah ... brothers and sisters, there are people out there that look just like you or maybe ah ..., your brother ah ..., but they're not. And, when they hand you something, don't take it -- don't take it, okay?
Mark: This is Mean Mistreater ...
08 Mean Mistreater (04:58)
Mean mistreater, you make me cry,
You lay around, and watch me die.
Mean mistreater, can't you see I'm real?
Are you satisfied, with the way you feel?
I've tried hard to live without you, in so many ways.
I just can't help myself from thinking of you, for the rest of my days.
Heartache is at my door step, won't leave me alone.
I just can't get used to it, now that I'm on my own.
I know all about you, your childhood days,
Your mom and dad, your pretty face.
Mean mistreater, if you need me,
I'm needin' you to set me free.
Mmmm ...
10 T.N.U.C. (11:05)
You won't find me, knockin' at your door.
I've known forever, you don't love me no more.
If you don't want to lay there, with your mouth shut tight,
I'm gettin' myself together, yes, I'm leavin' tonight
You ain't gonna' find nobody, to treat you like I do.
I been down on my knees, you treat me like a fool.
Now, I know what you're tryin' to do, awww, it ain't gonna' happen.
'Cause I just done got hip to you, I'm gonna' walk out laughin'.
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