Caro Jerry, 

Sono sempre stata una tua fan fin dai tempi degli Alice in Chains. Mi sono innamorata di "Dirt", delle stupende melodie vocali che tu e il compianto Layne sapevate imbastire su quel tessuto sonoro unico e morboso, impreziosito dal tuo chitarrismo di classe: speciale sia quando affondavi la lama con riff chirurgici e intensi, sia quando rendevi l'aria rarefatta con accordi soffici. I'd like to fly but my wings have been so denied.

Una volta  appurato che gli Alice in Chains non sarebbero più tornati, ho seguito con entusiasmo la tua carriera solista, alla ricerca di quelle irripetibili sensazioni. Sia "Boggy Depot" che "Degradation trip" li ho apprezzati parecchio, in particolare quest'ultimo. Forse perché commossa dalla sua uscita pochi mesi dopo la triste morte di Layne, pezzi potenti  come "Castaway" o "Hellbound" e malinconiche ballate in stile Jar of Flies come "Solitude" o la funerea "Gone" occuparono ampio spazio nella mia playlist di quella estate.

So che i tuoi album solisti non hanno avuto un grande successo, e ciò credo ti sia dispiaciuto parecchio. Che vuoi farci, vecchio mio: mala tempora currunt. Lasciami però darti un consiglio, da vecchia amica. Il tuo posto nella storia del rock l'hai conquistato con gli Alice in Chains, e credo che anche le royalties di quegli album non siano malaccio. Mi spieghi chi te lo ha fatto fare a riformare la band senza il tuo caro amico Layne? Non bastava la reunion per un po' di concerti: adesso leggo che registrerete un nuovo Unplugged (della serie: raschiamo ulteriormente il barile...)  e che - udite udite - cercherete di produrre pure materiale inedito! Proprio tu che in questo album cantavi "Chalking up my dead friends / and loved ones long gone"..... Ti scongiuro Jerry: ferma questa giostra impazzita finché sei in tempo. Here they come to snuff the Rooster....

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   Psychotic Break (04:08)

02   Bargain Basement Howard Hughes (05:38)

03   Anger Rising (06:14)

04   Angel Eyes (04:44)

Homely, thick in mind, never listen
Worn, tired, siren drawn, tunnel vision
Don't forget this chance only live once
Sprung, hypnotized by light, had to get some

Get it all
She said I forgive you
Don't regret our time
You've got to move on love

Angel eyes
Four years and still I dream
Agonize
Such beauty not since seen

Bow down, piper leading, you were one
Hungry, took the prize, then you got dumb
Don't live out your life like a sad song
Sprung, hypnotized by light, had to get some

Get it all
She said I forgive you
You must too or die
You've got to let me go

Angel eyes
Four years and still I dream
Agonize
Such beauty not since seen

Angel eyes
Your face is all I see
Agonize
Forever haunting me

05   Solitude (04:00)

Written by Jerry Cantrell

There's no out, downside up for good
No light, reflection understood
Had to try, perversion satisfied
Insane...so, I indulge the beast awhile

When hurting yourself feels right
And there's nothing familiar in sight
Take the time to pull the weeds
Choking flowers in your life

Or seal your doom
Cold transparent blue
Locked inside a room
In solitude

There's no flesh, my own ghost awaits
Unclean, defiled, hallucinatory state
Lust, sloth, not my only sins
It's just how, when it's time, on a degradation trip...yeah

When hurting yourself feels right
Long gone the will to fight
Take the time to pull the weeds choking flowers in your life

Or seal your doom
Cold transparent blue
Locked inside a room
In solitude
Insanity takes you
So black it's untrue

So black it's untrue

06   Mother Spinning in Her Grave (Glass Dick Jones) (03:53)

07   Hellbound (06:46)

Written by Jerry Cantrell

Going down a last act scene
Curtain call begin bowing
Self-appointed abuse king
Hellbound, that's my belief

Black eat white, cassette thrill
Whatever come, eat your fill
Choke on bones, flowing stream long filled
The truth is to some degree we all steal

Hellbound
Come 'round
Hellbound
Going way down

Justified, a self-made man
All I do is what I can
Edges sharpened, blasted sand
Bizarre, devoted fan

Black eat white, cassette thrill
Whatever come, eat your fill
Choke on bones, flowing theme blown still
The truth is to some degree we all steal

Hellbound
Come 'round
Hellbound
Going to stay down

Warshington (yes, he actually spells it this way...), a fish belly rust
Sad chapter read last page first

Black eat white, cassette thrill
Whatever come, eat your fill
Choke on bones, flowing dream now killed
The truth is to some degree we all steal

Hellbound
Come 'round
Hellbound
Going way down

08   Give It a Name (04:02)

09   Castaway (04:58)

Written by Jerry Cantrell

Day break, wind is blowing strong
No escape, caught on a reef in the storm
Castaway, licking his cracked lips sore
Patient, waits, hoping the rats reach the shore...yeah...yeah

Yesterday, seems a lifetime now
Remembering those he left and how
Out in space laughing at all below
Island stage, plays to his thoughts and ego...yeah...yeah

Dusk fall, fading sun no fire light
Memories amplify his plight
Gathering, searching for shelter above
Feel the sting, choking on hoarded love...yeah...yeah

Thin, cold, tired...castaway

10   She Was My Girl (03:59)

11   Chemical Tribe (06:35)

Should I live so long
To see 'em dropping bombs
Hope I have you near
Check out what comes after here...what comes after here

Generation turned a chemical tribe
Don't really care if we live or die
Generation turned a chemical tribe
Been sold out and it's no surprise

Let the black odds roll
Why we can't tell
Ball inside
Roll me over is this hell...is this hell?

Generation turned a chemical tribe
Don't really care if we live or die
Generation turned a chemical tribe
Been sold out I can't tell you why

No last supper rite
Bitchslapped 'fore you reached the table
Born in ending times
Leaning more toward Cain than Abel

No last supper rite
Bitchslapped 'fore you reached the table
Born in ending times
Possibly more truth than fable

Generation turned a chemical tribe
Generation turned a chemical tribe
Generation turned a chemical tribe
Generation turned a chemical tribe
Been sold out let me say goodbye

No last supper rite
Bitchslapped 'fore you reached the table
Born in ending times
Leaning more toward Cain than Abel

No last supper rite
Bitchslapped 'fore you reached the table
Born in ending times
Possibly more truth than fable

No last supper rite
Bitchslapped 'fore you reached the table
Born in ending times
Leaning more toward Cain than Abel

Bitchslapped 'fore you reached the table
Could it be more truth than fable?

12   Spiderbite (06:37)

13   Locked On (05:37)

Everything you heard I did and maybe then some ok
Does it make you happy and now is it out of the way?
Everything you heard I done and probably then some ok
Does it really matter of course I took it all the way

What more can I say

Locked on--what's the deal?
Faded rock star, push and needle
You don't know, well that's alright
You do your thing, I'll live my life

Every word you read is true, baby I won't deny
Don't you push me over, I ain't even finished my ride
Every word you read is true and maybe that is a lie
Strap session closing and I'm a-going out of my mind

What more can I say

Locked on--what's the deal?
Falling rock star, push and needle
You don't know, well that's alright
You do your thing, I'll live my life

Locked on--what's the deal?
Faded rock star, push and needle
You don't know, well that's alright
You do your thing, I'll live my life

Every song I wrote I meant what I said at the time
Yeah I spent some time looking death right in the eye
Every song I wrote I captured a fragment of time
Dying a little bit makes you appreciate life

Nothing more to say

Locked on--what's the deal?
Faded rock star, push and needle
You don't know, well that's alright
You do your thing, I'll live my life

Locked on--what's the deal?
Falling rock star, push and needle
You don't know, well that's alright
You do your thing, I'll live my life

Locked on
Locked on

14   Gone (05:06)

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  Black Creep

 "Degradation Trip ritrova atmosfere molto più cupe, con quel peso psicologico divenuto ormai un marchio di fabbrica degli AIC."

 "Jerry Cantrell consegna un'opera che non sfigura affatto con gli altri lavori realizzati in passato."