Che album!!!
Tre quattro ballate che stendono, un paio di momenti finto scemi, qualche scherzo ben riuscito. Oltre a un bel po' di cosette che non si posson proprio definire.
Del resto parliamo di John Cale, maestro di pop eccentrico e di un sacco di altre cose, eccentriche pure quelle.
I pezzi son nove, quasi dieci e il track by track proprio non me la sento, anche se ci vorrebbe. Che qui in un attimo si passa da nord a sud e ci vuole ancor meno per far si che lo sguardo del gentiluomo si trasformi in quello del criminale.
Insomma trovare il filo è arduo. Facciamo allora che rinunciamo a cercarlo e ci avventuriamo come viene viene.
Ad esempio, si potrebbero incrociare due frasi come “dormire nel sole di mezzogiorno” (da “Buffalo ballet”) e “abbiamo raccolto Dracula a Memphis”.(da “Ship of fools”). Suggeriscono, meglio di qualsivoglia elucubrazione critica, la trasognata malinconia e la grana vagamente sinistra delle ballate di Mr. Cale.
Se poi (da “Fear”) aggiungiamo “la paura è il miglior amico dell'uomo”, il gioco è fatto.
No dai, scherzo, il gioco non è fatto manco per niente.
E' che qui siamo in un terreno che io vorrei dirvi un milione di cose solo che poi la lingua s'inceppa. Quindi, sempre pescando a caso. meglio andar oltre e passare alla sezione “scherzi ben riusciti”.
Ecco allora follie salterine per strumenti giocattolo e viola ronzante o il più perfetto “gentleman style” deturpato da coretti sciocchini e urla psicotiche.
Ci sarebbero poi anche sette otto minuti di musica involuta (e folle e monocorde e grattuggiata), pensate, che so, a una “Sister Ray” finita, chissà come, nel frullatore di Brian Eno.
Poi per la sezione “cose finto sceme” segnalo un pasticcio mezzo Beach Boys e mezzo dio sa che cosa.
Insomma, un bel caos...
Difetti? Ogni tanto, forse, si sente troppo la mente, il disegno del genio.
Mai nelle ballate però, che quelle sgorgano come acqua di fonte filtrata da una raffinatezza senza pari. Roba che il tuo spleen personale è prima cullato e poi portato in cielo.
E comunque il nostro un genio lo era davvero. Poi, per fortuna, era anche abbastanza pazzo.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Buffalo Ballet (03:29)
When Abilene was young and gay
And thunder storms filled up the day
The cattle roamed outside the town
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Then tracks were lain across the plain
By broken old men in torrid rains
The towns grew up and the people were still
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
We all joined in and all joined hands
All joined in to help run this land
Then soldiers came, long long ago
Rode through the town and rode down those who were
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Gold came and went, quickly spent
And the people broke down and often drowned
In the wealth and pain of old Abilene
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
Sleeping in the midday sun
03 Barracuda (03:48)
Dark woman in the water drowning
Sinking in a funny way
Black footing for a face exploding
Mimicking our final days
The ocean will have us all
The ocean will have us all
Dark woman in a cupboard burning
Woman, what have they done
Dark woman like a panther breathing
Woman, what can be done
The ocean will have us all
The ocean will have us all
Cold cost of the death of nothing
Slipping just like nothing did
Burnt scarecrow in the wind was choking
Smoking in the summer heat
Barracuda, barracuda
Wont you lay down your life for me
Won't you love me barracuda
If you always need to bring out the worst in me
Ten morons with their whistles blowing
Howling like a winter gale
Dark woman like a crow a-crowing
Crowing for the carrion meat
The ocean will have us all
The ocean will have us all
Dark forest with the moon arising
Smiling at you out of reach
Cracked window in a chapel dreaming
Hoping that the twain'll meet
Barracuda, barracuda
Wont you lay down your life for me
Won't you love me barracuda
If you always need to bring out the worst in me
04 Emily (04:23)
Oh Emily, I'd love to be
Down by the sea with you
Having tea with you
Walking hand in hand
On the shifting sands
Maybe we'll love again
Maybe we'll love again
Soon the time will come
When we must say
Goodbye my dear dear friend
Till we meet again
Though I'm far away
I'll still hear you say
Maybe we'll love again
Maybe we'll love again
Hold my hand
On the sand
And say once more
Like before
Maybe we'll love again
Maybe we'll love again
Maybe we'll love again
05 Ship of Fools (04:38)
The Ship of Fools is coming in
Take me off I've got to eat
Same old stories same old thing
Letting out and pulling in
Mister, there's a caravan parked out back
Restless hoping for a Christian rider
The black book, a grappling hook
A hangman's noose on a burnt out tree
Guess we must be getting close to Tombstone
The last time we had eaten
Was when the flies were going for free
You could count the hardships by the open doors
But sandwiched in between
Were the fishermen who still
Wished they could sail from Tenessee to Arizona
So hold on, won't be long
The call is on the line
Hold on, Sister's gone
South to give the sign
We picked up Dracula in Memphis
It was just about the break of day
And then hastily prayed for out souls to be saved
There was something in the air that made us kind of weary
By the time we got to Swansea it was getting dark
Tumble, jungles, bugles and the prize
The tides turned west at Amerforth
As if they didn't know what to do
But Garnant stood its ground and asked for more
All the people seemed quite glad to see us
Shaking hands and smiling like the clock
Well we gave them all the message then
That the Ship of Fools was in
Make sure they get home for Christmas
So hold on, won't be long
The call is on the line
So hold on, Sister's gone
South to give the sign
09 Momamma Scuba (04:24)
Momamma Scuba
Scuba woman down me slow
Scuba woman down me slow
Love you
Skin turn to slime
Hold me slow and dub me down
Take me with you, dub me down
Love you
Skin dub me down
Scuba mama sink me down
Love your sinking, hold me down
Love you som much
Skin will drown and drown
Soul in deep, deep ocean water
We hide in the cool, cool shade
Seeking, reaping
Make it only, baby, only
Sleeping the pain away
Well, hug me close and stuff me tight
Quick is quick and kife is knife
Momamma Scuba dance
Dance, dance
Love me brave, my love's on fire
Crack the magnet of desire
Push me further, straight along
I'll still be here when mama's gone
Don't you love mme, my skin woman
Love you
My skin can dry
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