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Mancano ancora 3 anni (o forse 2?! non ricordo) per l'uscita di "Painkiller" che è in agguato, siamo nel 1988 e i Judas Priest pubblicano questo "Ram It Down".
Non sprecherò commenti sulla gloriosa band icona e pioniera del genere heavy, ma vi dirò cosa contiene questo disco, che credo tutti i fan del genere già sappiano, e quindi non so se parlare a dei profani dell'heavy metal o descrivere qualcosa che tutti voi (true metaller) di certo condividerete (almeno spero...).
I Judas si presentano bene come non mai, con il giusto connubio di freschezza e tradizionalità. Freschezza perché i Judas sono davvero in forma e tradizionalità perché comunque la loro musica è legata al filone del metal classico, testimoniata dal songwriting di questo disco.
Le canzoni spiccano tutte, in particolare la opener (introdotta da un urlo tipico alla Halford) e pezzi come "Heavy Metal", "I'm a Rocker", "Monsters Of Rock" e "Blood Red Skies", in cui Tipton e Downing dimostrano di essere dei veri guitar heroes. Si fa infatti un gran parlare del tecnicismo anni '80 e di tutti i chitarristi che emersero dal focolaio dell'epoca, discussioni che da ragazzi (più o meno adolescenti) erano infinite perché ognuno voleva la sua ragione e far prevalere il suo chitarrista preferito. E allora si sprecavano lusinghe ai vari Malmsteen, Satriani, Gilbert e tanti tanti altri... Ma soffermandosi un attimo, ragazzi, secondo me questi due non hanno avuto niente da invidiare a nessuno, con tutto il rispetto per gli altri: riffs d'acciaio e assoli inarrivabili! Ecco cosa contiene (tra gli altri elementi) un disco dei Priest, e le canzoni che vi ho citato lo dimostano, oltre ovviamente a tutto quello che hanno fatto vedere durante gli anni nella loro carriera.
Fatta questa parentesi chitarristica, vi segnalo poi una cover della celeberrima "Johnny B. Goode" di Chuck Berry (anni '60) che qui troviamo con la carrozzeria "metallizzata" che la rende consona all'album in cui è stata inserita, e la bellissima conclusiva "Love You To Death" dove Halford duetta con la chitarra nel finale.
Insomma un album dove ci sono tutti gli ingredienti del classico metal e dei Judas Priest, che sfoderano tutte le loro armi migliori. Questo, se non è un capolavoro, poco ci manca, ma solo perché come ho detto all'inizio di lì a poco uscirà "Painkiller".
Un must da collezione.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Ram It Down (04:48)
Raise the sights, the city lights are calling
We're hot tonight, the time is right, there's nitro in the air
In the street is where we'll meet, we're warning
On the beat, we won't retreat, beware
Thousand of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down
Bodies revvin� in leather heaven in wonder
Lights are dimmin� and heads are swimmin� as thunder hits the stage
Hell breaks loose, turn on the juice get stronger
We metal maniacs begin to rave
Thousand of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down
Shout it out, we're all together now
Shout it out, we join as one, one
(SOLO,SOLO...)
Thousand of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to,
Razing the place to,
Razing the place, to the ground
06 Blood Red Skies (07:50)
As the sun goes down, I move around
Keeping to the shadows
Life, hangs by a thread
And I've heard it said, that I'll not see tomorrow
If that's my destiny, it'll have to be
So I'll face the future
Running out of time
I'm on the line
But I'll go down fighting
Felt the hand of justice
Telling wrong from right
Threw me out upon the street in the middle of the night
Cybernetic heartbeat
Digital precise
Pneumatic fingers nearly had me in their vice
Not begging you
I'm telling you
You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me,
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you under
blood red skies
Through a shattered city, watched by laser eyes
Overhead the night squad glides
The decaying paradise
Automatic sniper
With computer sights
Scans the bleak horizon for its victim of the night
Not begging you
I'm telling you
You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me,
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you under
blood red skies
As the end is drawing near
Standing proud, I won't give in to fear
As I die a legend will be born
I will stand, I will fight
You'll never take me alive
I'll stand my ground
I won't go down
You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me,
Under blood red skies
You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you under
blood red skies
You'll never take me alive
I'm telling you
Hands of justice
I will stand, I will fight
As the sun goes down
I won't give in to fear
07 I'm a Rocker (03:58)
The greatest times, I've ever known
They're locked inside o' me
And carved out of stone
I've broken hearts
Made people sing
I've drove a million miles
I've done everything
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
Do as I feel as I say
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
And no one can take that away
Bring on the night
That's when I live
I come alive inside
Give all I can give
I live each day
Like it's my last
I live for rock and roll
I never look back
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
Do as I feel as I say
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
And no one can take that away
I'm a rocker
And I'm always revvin' up
I'm a rocker
I can never get enough
I'm a rocker
It's something in my blood
I'm a rocker
Wouldn't change it even if I could
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
Do as I feel as I say
I'm a rocker, Oh oh
And no one can take that away
08 Johnny B. Goode (04:39)
Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans
Way back up with the woods among the Evergreens
There Stood a cabin made of earth and wood
There lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode
Who never ever learned to read or write so well, but he could play a guitar just like ringing bell
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Sitting in the trees by the railroadtrack
All engineers sitting in the shade
stumming with the rhytm that the drivers made
people passing by, they stopped and said, "Oh my, but how that country boy can play"
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
Johhnny B Goode! Go Johnny!!!
His mother told him someday you will be a man
And you will be the leader of a big old band
Many people coming from a miles around
To hear you play your music till the sound goes down
Maybe someday you name will be in lights, saying Johnny B Goode Tnight
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
Johnny B Goode!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
Johnny B Goode
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!!! Go Johnny Go!!
Go go!! Go Johnny Go Go Go!! Go Johnny Go!!
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Altre recensioni
Di frank1979
"Ram It Down è l’opener di questo fantastico lavoro, un urlo in grado di spezzare in due il cuore dell’ascoltatore."
"UNA LEZIONE DI HEAVY METAL!!"
Di ELECTRIC EYE
Ram It Down sprigiona fin da subito energia da tutti i pori, splendida!
Una song di Heavy Metal con la M maiuscola, metal aggressivo, erotismo allo stato puro.
