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Coordinate spazio temporali alla ricerca della “perfect pop song”
La scelta, decisamente felice, di allungare un paio di biglietti eurici al buon Alessandro (per una volta senza approfittare neppure per un attimo della sua proverbiale disponibilità) in cambio del disco di Josh Rouse, la devo alla lucida penna “Socratica”.
Chi è Alessandro? Penna socratica?
Certo, scusate, come potete saperlo... Alessandro è il titolare del benedetto negozietto vicino all’ufficio. Uno dei pochi rimasti a fronteggiare il burrascoso mare di un mercato travolto dal download globale, ostinato sostenitore delle musiche che ama, prima ancora che pusher favorito.
Ma l’altra domanda è invece davvero bizzarra, se non siete dei nuovi arrivati: si tratta di Socrates, il recensore DeBasico che ci ha regalato decine di pagine perfette. Dotato di un fiuto particolarmente efficace che gli consente di individuare il talento pop tra centinaia di facce, nella vastità di una folla babelica. E di una speciale predisposizione nel descriverne i frutti.
Insomma, nella recensione di Socrates di “1972” (2003) scoprivo che il disco dispensava “Dieci canzoni dieci di raffinato, fantasioso, ispirato cantautorato...”. Come se Rouse affondasse nella data del titolo una sonda per estrarre lo spirito di un’epoca e declinarlo nel suo personale stile.
Tracciando una coordinata temporale nel percorso verso l’eterna chimera della perfetta canzone pop.
Così non ho esitato di fronte alla bella copertina di “Nashville”: in che direzione si era snodato, quel percorso?
Il titolo sembra indicare una seconda dimensione, questa volta spaziale, utile a tracciare la rotta.
Nashville è stata città d’adozione del Rouse per dieci anni, dopo un girovagare che l’ha portato a lambire più stati. Teatro anche di un matrimonio finito.
Ma questo disco è tutto fuorché una prevedibile cartolina spedita dalla città madre del country.
Spiazza sentire, piuttosto, echi di un’attitudine inglese: qualche traccia di Smiths, in certe chitarre, (“Winter In The Hamptons” dove anche la voce cede a tratti ad una inclinazione Morrysseiana) l’eterea densità di atmosfere che rimandano ai Prefab Sprout. Mentre qui e là si proietta l’ombra lunga, ma alleggerita in trame sempre cristalline, di un rock di matrice seventies. Un po’ Rolling Stones acustici, come se usciti depurati da “Some Girls”, incontrassero appunto i Prefab (“Saturday”). Un po’ il vecchio Neil Young, nell’andamento del pianoforte che tratteggia “Sad Eyes”, ad esempio. Prima della coda esplosa in cori e archi che la chiude.
Ma la voce di Rouse è in grado di fornire una versione personale ed aggiornata dell’ibrido che presenta. E’ una voce misurata che non rinuncia a farsi dolente ed espressiva, ma rifugge l’enfasi.
Che traccia melodie “naturali” e mai banali. Una delle caratteristiche che percorrono tutto il disco e a tratti sorprendono per l’apparente facilità di tanti, piccoli, momenti quasi perfetti.
Come misurata e attenta risulta la produzione di Brad Jones che dosa la sostanza sonora in un equilibrio che sfiora spesso l’ambita perfezione formale.
Un disco soffice, che vive di sfumature. Destinato a ripetuti ascolti che sveleranno i dettagli di un lavoro ad primo sguardo omogeneo. Forse più di quanto dovrebbe.
Perché se la meta che questo songwriter errabondo (oggi domiciliato in Spagna) insegue è ancora la stessa, altre coordinate andranno tracciate.
L’orizzonte sul quale brilla luminoso l’irraggiungibile astro della perfect pop song è infatti destinato a spostarsi continuamente, mentre ci spingiamo nella sua direzione.
Ma in fondo il tragitto è spesso la vera meta del viaggio.
E per quel che mi riguarda ci sono in “Nashville” molti buoni, semplici, motivi per percorrerlo più di una volta.
In attesa della prossima tappa.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 It's the Nighttime (04:04)
You play your stereo loud
You got your headphones on
I see you dancing around
To your favorite song
It's ‘Who do you Love'
I wanna know his name
And does he feel like I feel
Is he standing in the rain
I'm out in the street
The city lights above
It's the nighttime baby
Don't let go of my love
You've come a long way baby
From your days at school
I heard you're really living uptown
I'm just a downtown fool
And would it be all right
If I took you for a ride
Took you out on the town
Maybe someplace nice
Out in the street
City lights above
It's the nighttime baby
Don't let go of my love
And maybe later on
After the late late show
We can go to your room
I can try on your clothes
You know I'm not the kind of man
To come on so strong
But when you look as good as you do
I knew it wouldn't be long
I'm out in the street
The city lights above
It's the nighttime baby
Don't let go of my love
It's the nighttime baby
Don't let go of my love
Yeah, It's the nighttime baby
Don't let go of my love, love
Don't let go of my love
02 Winter in the Hamptons (03:08)
Bah, dah dot dah, bah lah ba lah bah
Here we go, singing our songs with our soul
The winter has gone, where do we belong
We have stayed too long
Friday night, we’re so uptight we get stoned
Sit in the Hamptons, it is too cold
We have stayed too long
Spring is finally here and we’re so well dressed
It’s a talent and it’s our style
So put on your hat because the forecast is rain clouds
Bah, dah dot dah, bah lah ba lah bah
Bah, dah dot dah, bah lah ba lah bah
Never know, Americans seem such a bore
Embarassed and still we are hanging on
We have stayed too long
And we'll fly, take a trip, see the Euro sites
Our money is gone, where do we belong
We have stayed too long
Sick of living here, we’re such a mess
Cause the government, they’re all liars
So put on your hat because the forecast is rain clouds
Bah, dah dot dah, bah lah ba lah bah
Bah, dah dot dah, bah lah ba lah bah
Bah, dah dot dah, bah lah ba lah bah
Bah, dah dot dah, bah lah ba lah bah
03 Streetlights (04:24)
Rock and roll
You are envy, I am
So uncool
Still I want to do the best I can
Let's meet on the corner and act like we're old friends
We can talk about the streetlights
The people
Surrounding you
In a haze
Won't you tell me how it feels
To be a nervous man
At the wheels
You don't have a master plan
But you will start today
You will start today
I called you up
Cause I felt so guilty
Ended up
It was not such a pretty scene
Let's dump the ashtray, wipe the table clean
We can talk about the streetlights
The people
Surrounding you
In a haze
Won't you tell me how it feels
To be a famous man
At the wheel
You don't have a master plan
But you will start today
You will start today
You will start
When all of your fear is gone
And you're thinking that you're strong
Enough
To make the jump up to the big big sky, sky
We can talk about the streetlights
The people
Surrounding you
It's a strong pull
We can talk about the streetlights
The people
Going down
And you will start today
You will start today
You will start today
You will start
Today
04 Caroliña (03:30)
Down in Tennessee
Sits a girl alone
She sings along with her favorite songs on the radio
Only friends she sees
Are on TV
Magazine and movie stars are her only family
Yeah they're all she needs
Carolina's so
Happy on the outside
She keeps frowning inside
In the Nashville sky
Shines a diamond bright
Carolina says it's for the boys after midnight
She drifts off to sleep
And in her dreams
She lives in California in a mansion by the sea
Yeah that's who she could be
Carolina's so
Happy on the outside
She keeps frowning inside
Carolina's so
Happy on the outside
She keeps frowning inside
And then she wakes to find out
Her dream is real (It's real)
It's real (It's real)
It's real (It's real)
It's real
Carolina's so
Happy on the outside
And now she's smiling inside
Smiling inside (Inside)
Smiling inside (Inside)
Smiling inside (Inside)
Smiling inside
07 Saturday (04:22)
I would swim across the ocean
I would lay down on a bed of nails
But I’ll spare you all the bullshit
I will spare you all the desperate details
Saturday I’m on that plane
I’m flying home to you
And when our time is lonely and you know
When our time is hard to be away
And I’m playing my guitar in some basement club
A thousand miles away
Saturday I’m on that stage
I’m feeling down and blue
Saturday I’m on that plane
I’m flying home to you
Ooh, hell yeah
I’ll be home soon
Hell yeah
I’ll be home soon
I will treasure every moment
I will lay down on the couch and watch TV
And when you’re done with work
And I will take you to see a matinee
Saturday I’m on that stage
I’m feeling down and blue
Saturday I’m on that plane
I’m flying home to you
To you
Ooh, hell yeah
I’ll be home soon
Hell yeah
I’ll be home soon
Hell yeah
I’ll be home soon
Hell yeah
I’ll be home soon
08 Sad Eyes (04:48)
Southern style
Things are slow
You’re watching all the speeding cars
Moving like you wish you could
But oh, it’s too bad
Cause they’ve stolen all your happiness and good times
But I’m gonna get you into the light
And I’m gonna find a way that is right
And I’m gonna get you into the light
And make it okay
Sad eyes
You are the only one whose
Whose blue skies are gray
So don’t cry
You’ll be the only one to make them go your way
You’re so young
And so bored
You were staying out 'til late
Cause it was what your husband hated
But oh, it’s too bad
Cause he’s stolen all your happiness and good times
But I’m gonna get you into the light
And I’m gonna find a way that is right
And I’m gonna get you into the light
And make it okay
Sad eyes
You are the only one whose
Whose blue skies are gray
So don’t cry
You’ll be the only one to make them go away
Yeah you could make them go away
Took a lot of tears but all you had to find was
Sympathetic years, the ones you left behind yeah
Took a lot of tears but all you had to find was
Sympathetic years, the ones you left behind yeah
And I’m gonna get you into the light
And I’m gonna find a way that is right
And I’m gonna get you into the light
And make it okay
Sad eyes
You are the only one whose
Whose blue skies are gray
So don’t cry
You’ll be the only one to make them go away
Sad eyes (Took a lot of tears but all)
You are the only one whose (You had to find was)
Whose blue skies are gray (Sympathetic years, the ones you left behind)
So don’t cry (Took a lot of tears but all)
You’ll be the only one to make them go away (You had to find was)
Yeah you could make them go away
Yeah things are gonna go your way
Oh they're bound to go your way
Carico i commenti... con calma
