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"Wild Things Run Fast", come i cavalli che corrono imprigionati dentro il tubo catodico di un televisore nel dipinto che fa da copertina al primo lp in studio degli anni '80 della compositrice canadese. "Mingus" del '79 era pura roccia jazz con qualche venatura fusion, chiude definitivamente quel capitolo dell'opera di Joni che nei primi anni '80 rimane invece colpita dai suoni caraibici che iniziano a contaminare il rock Fm in modo sempre più evidente. Se ne infatua e l'idea per il nuovo corso è inseriore quella linfa gioiosa e sensualmente carica nelle sue canzoni per portare tutto su un livello fresco anche un poco più radio fiendly rispetto agli ultimi dischi. Joni, dopo essere stata colpita dalle capacità strumentali reggae-pop-jazz-rock dei Police, vuole incidere il nuovo disco con loro come backing band. Le nuove canzoni si prestano molto bene ad essere eseguite dal power trio inglese, ma nel 1981 la band di Copeland è dilaniata dai litigi interni e non coglie l'invito dii Joni Mitchell, un'opportunità unica che viene perduta per una imperdonabile incapacità di giudizio. Così un disco che poteva essere qualcosa di diverso, nuovo e stuzzicante nel fondere due mondi musicali, viene ugualmente messo insieme sfruttando altri session men di lusso come il vecchio amore John Guerin, la chitarra di Steve Lukather, la batteria di Vinnie Colaiuta, contributi vocali di Lionel Ritchie e James Taylor con il sugello di Waine Shorter al sax soprano. Al basso il nuovo amore Larry Klein con cui Joni condividerà la produzione dei dischi fino ai primi anni '90. Il risultato è un disco molto fresco, veloce e godibile. Molto accessibile vede nei pezzi ritmati come la title track e "Solid Love" i momenti più disipegnati ma a rimanere in mente, a far godere la mente, è la sinuosa apertura di "Chinese Cafe" che sfuma in una "Unchained Melody" struggente in cui la Mitchell ricorda a tutti la calda bellezza della sua voce.
Pubblicato nel 1982 è subito un successo e Joni riparte per un tour mondiale. Il decennio si apre molto bene ma l'episodio sucessivo, "Dog Eat Dog" del 1985, la porterà ad un uso troppo invadente dell'elettronica e il suono complessivo risulterà pesante e soffocato lontano dalla freschezza genuina di "Wild Things Run Fast".
Elenco tracce testi e samples
02 Wild Things Run Fast (02:16)
He came
She smiled
She thought she had him tamed
But he was just as wild
Eating from her hand at last
Wild things run fast
In the dark
He could see
The trap that was lying in her
Sweet company
Eating from her hand at last
Wild things run fast
Winter beat the pines about
He heard the heater
Cutting in and out
While she dreamed away . . .
In the night
It snowed
Fast tracks in the powder white
Leading out to the road
Winding from her tender grasp
Wild things run fast
Wild things run fast
Wild things run fast
What makes you run?
Wild thing
I thought you loved me
04 Moon at the Window (03:42)
It takes cheerful resignation
Heart and humility
That's all it takes
A cheerful person told me
Nobody's harder on me than me
How could they be
And, nobody's harder on you than you
Betsy's blue
She says-"Tell me something good!"
You know I'd help her out if I only could
Oh, but sometimes the light
Can be so hard to find
At least the moon at the window--
The thieves left that behind
People don't know how to love
They taste it and toss it
Turn it off and on
Like a bathtub faucet
Oh sometimes the light
Can be so hard to find--
At least the moon at the window--
The thieves left that behind
I wish her heart
I know these battles
Deep in the dark
When the spooks of memories rattle
Ghosts of the future
Phantoms of the past
Rattle, rattle, rattle
In the spoon and the glass
Is it possible to learn
How to care and yet not care--
Since love has two faces
Hope and despair
And pleasure always turns to fear
I find--
At least the moon at the window--
The thieves left that behind
At least they left the moon
Behind the blind
Moon at the window
05 Solid Love (03:05)
We got a break
Unbelievable
We got a break
Right in the middle of this
Hollywood heartache
We got this solid love
All around the town
Good hearts are going under
Love bandits con and plunder
Let nobody put asunder this solid love . . .
We got a chance
Hot dog darlin'
We got a chance
No more, no more
Fly-by-night romance
We got this solid love
Love has always made me
Feel so uneasy
I couldn't relax and just be me
More like some strange disease
Than this solid love . . .
Tested and blessed, darlin'
I'm gonna give you my very best
You're my hope
You're my happiness
You
Open my heart you do
You open my heart
You do
Yes you do
We got a break
Unbelievable
We got a break
Right in the middle of this
Hollywood heartache
We got this solid love
All around the town
Good hearts are going under
Love bandits con and plunder
Let nobody put asunder this solid love . . .
We got a chance
Hot dog darlin'
We got a chance
No more, no more
Fly-by-night romance
We got this solid love
Love has always made me
Feel so uneasy
I couldn't relax and just be me
More like some strange disease
Than this solid love . . .
Tested and blessed, darlin'
I'm gonna give you my very best
You are my happiness
You
Open my heart up you do
06 Be Cool (04:12)
If there's one rule to this game
Everybody's gonna name
It's, be cool!
If you're worried or uncertain
If your feelings are hurtin'
You're a fool if you can't keep cool
Charm 'em
Don't alarm 'em
Keep things light
Keep your worries out of sight
And play it cool
Play it cool
Fifty-fifty
Fire and ice
If your heart is on the floor
Cause you've just seen your lover
Comin' through the door with a new fool--
Be cool
Don't get riled
Smile-keep it light
Be your own best friend tonight
And play it cool
Play it cool
Fifty-fifty
Fire and ice
Don't get jealous
Don't get over-zealous
Keep your cool
Don't whine
Kiss of that flaky valentine
You're nobody's fool
Be cool fool
Be cool
(Lots of other fish in the sea)
Play it cool
Play it cool
Fifty-fifty
Fire and ice
So if there's one rule to this game
Everybody's gonna name
It's--be cool
If you're worried or uncertain
If your feelings are hurtin'
You're a fool if you can't keep cool
They want you to
Charm 'em
Don't alarm 'em
Keep things light
Keep your worries out of sight
And play it cool
Play it cool
Fifty-fifty
Fire and ice
10 Underneath the Streetlight (02:16)
Yes I do--I love you!
I swear on the stars above I do!
I swear on the streetlight on the corner
Shoving back the shadows!
One shadow cursing
Another shadow laughing
Underneath the streetlight
I don't know where they're coming from
I just see 'em passing
Underneath the streetlight . . .
Yes I do--I love you!
I swear on the buildings above I do!
I swear on a billion yellow and T.V. blue windows!
Gayboys with their pants so tight
Out in the neon light
Underneath the street light
A m- m- madman-madman
Kicking over garbage cans
Underneath the streetlight . . .
Yes I do--I love you!
I swear on the blinkin' planes above I do!
I swear on the truck at the stoplight
With his airbrakes moaning!
All night the trucks roll
Up to the tunnel-toll
Underneath the streetlight
They come rollin', rollin'
Rollin' for a living
Underneath the streetlight . . .
Yes I do--I love you!
I swear on the disco sparkle dark I do!
I swear on the be-bop boys
Chasing the black bird
Rock 'n' roll broadcast
Movin' up now full blast
Underneath the streetlight
They come dancin', dancin'
Really rock 'n rollin'
Underneath the streetlight
Yes I do--I love you
I really love you
Yes I do--yes I do
I love you!
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Altre recensioni
Di London
"Il risultato è un disco molto fresco, veloce e godibile."
"La sinuosa apertura di ‘Chinese Cafe’ sfuma in una ‘Unchained Melody’ struggente in cui la Mitchell ricorda a tutti la calda bellezza della sua voce."
