Questo disco è un sussurro, giunto quasi per caso a scuotere. Nato da un silenzio di quasi 12 anni, si tramuta in talento che si dirama in un doppio cd dal titolo fantomatico: "Aerial", che descrive perfettamente l'atmosfera del disco. Leggero come un soffione, ma anche violento come uno schiaffo.
La prima parte è semplicemente straordinaria: "King Of The Mountain" da il là: fantasia trip hop, tribale sbilenca, ritornello aperto come un ventaglio e strofe sussurrate in modo languido ed erotico. Pura sensualità sonora, che continua con "Pi", tam tam di tastiere frammezzate su un lamento, unico, di una Bush in preda a sogni ed incubi, con la sensibilità orinica di una vergine ti trama qualcosa nelle orecchie e tesse suoni, mentre canta come una sirena il numero del pi greco. Quindi si passa a "Bertie", una semplicissima ballata in punta di piedi, che si rivela la migliore dell'album: strumenti medievali per una canzone d'amore materno, una delle migliori dell'artista inglese. Della prima parte non possono non essere segnalate anche "Mrs. Bartolozzi", canzone costruita su un sospiro, che ricorda non poco una Bjork Medùlliana più melodica e pop, "Joanni", pezzo easy-listening dal ritornello rock e testo che parla di una guerriera coraggiosa, come la canzone: una delle meno aspettate in un album, che era anticipato come "la svolta elettronica-jazz di Babooshka" e "How To Be Invisible", basso abile e percussioni ostinate per una voce febbrile, che si trasforma in profondità. La prima suite viene chiusa da "A Coral Room", nenia su pianoforte che diventa abisso, sepolcrale come gli inferi, ma non inquietante, quanto la visione tenera del male.
La seconda parte, invece, si rivela molto meno riuscita, troppo astratta, troppo omogenea e lineare per riservare bellezza. Eppure qualcosa si trova: "Somewhere In Between", ballata afro-jazz che si fa riascoltare più volte e la conclusiva "Aerial", un delirio assoluto di 8 minuti, in cui alla fine Kate Bush si mette ad urlare e ad imitare il canto degli uccelli. Grandiosa. In mezzo, poco o niente, esercizi di stile, che spesso diventano interessanti ("Sunset", "Nocturn") o fini a sè stessi ("An Architect's Dream" o "Prologue"... dove o perdio! Kate canta una strofa in italiano! XD).
Un disco poetico e maligno, tenero e sensibile, inquieto e calmo, che non ha nulla a che vedere con la bellezza obliqua di "Hounds Of Love", "The Dreaming" o "Sensual World", ma è comunque un gradito ritorno. Sicuramente. Continua così, Kate!
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 King of the Mountain (04:53)
Could you see the aisles of women?
Could you see them screaming and weeping?
Could you see the storm rising?
Could you see the guy who was driving?
Could you climb higher and higher?
Could you climb right over the top?
Why does a multi-millionaire
Fill up his home with priceless junk?
The wind is whistling
The wind is whistling
Through the house
Elvis are you out there somewhere
Looking like a happy man?
In the snow with Rosebud
And king of the mountain
Another Hollywood waitress
Is telling us she’s having your baby
And there’s a rumour that you’re on ice
And you will rise again someday
And that there’s a photograph
Where you’re dancing on your grave
The wind is whistling
The wind is whistling
Through the house
Elvis are you out there somewhere
Looking like a happy man?
In the snow with Rosebud
And king of the mountain
The wind it blows
The wind it blows the door closed
03 Bertie (04:18)
Here comes the sunshine
Here comes that son of mine
Here comes the everything
Here's a song and a song for him
Sweet kisses
Three wishes
Lovely Bertie
The most wilful
The most beautiful
The most truly fantastic smile
I've ever seen
Sweet kisses
Three wishes
Lovely Bertie
You bring me so much joy
And then you bring me
More Joy
04 Mrs. Bartolozzi (05:58)
I remember it was that Wednesday
Oh when it rained and it rained
They traipsed mud all over the house
It took hours and hours to scrub it out
All over the hall carpet
I took my mop and bucket
And I cleaned and I cleaned
The kitchen floor
Until it sparkled
Then I took my laundry basket
And put the linen all in it
And everything I could fit in it
And all our dirty clothes that hadn't gone into the wash
And all your shirts and jeans and things
And put them in the new washing machine
Washing machine
Washing machine
I watched them go 'round and 'round
My blouse wrapping itself in your trousers
Oh the waves are going out
My skirt floating up around my waist
As I wade out into the surf
Oh and the waves are coming in
Oh and the waves are going out
Oh and you're standing right behind me
Little fish swim between my legs
Oh and the waves are coming in
Oh and the waves are going out
Oh and the waves are coming in
Out of the corner of my eye
I think I see you standing outside
But it's just your shirt
Hanging on the washing line
Waving its arm as the wind blows by
And it looks so alive
Nice and white
Just like its climbed right out
Of my washing machine
Washing machine
Washing machine
Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy
Get that dirty shirty clean
Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy
Make those cuffs and collars gleam
Everything clean and shiny
Washing machine
Washing machine
Washing machine
05 How to Be Invisible (05:32)
I found a book on how to be invisible
Take a pinch of keyhole
And fold yourself up
You cut along a dotted line
You think inside out
And you're invisible
Eye of Braille
Hem of anorak
Stem of wallflower
Hair of doormat
I found a book on how to be invisible
On the edge of the labyrinth
Under a veil you must never lift
Pages that you must never turn
In the labyrinth
You stand in front of a million doors
And each one holds a million more
Corridors that lead to the world
Of the invisible
Corridors that twist and turn
Corridors that blister and burn
Eye of Braille
Hem of anorak
Stem of wallflower
Hair of doormat
Is that the wind from the desert song?
Is that the autumn leaf falling?
Or is that you walking home?
Is that the wind from the desert song?
Is that the autumn leaf falling?
Or is that you walking home?
Is that a storm in the swimming pool?
You take a pinch of keyhole
And fold yourself up
You cut along a dotted line
You think inside out
You jump 'round three times
You jump into the mirror
And you're invisible
06 Joanni (04:56)
All the banners stop waving
And the flags stop flying
And the silence comes over
Thousands of soldiers
Thousands of soldiers
Who is that girl? Do I know her face?
Who is that girl?
Joanni, Joanni wears a golden cross
And she looks so beautiful in her armour
Joanni, Joanni blows a kiss to God
And she never wears a ring on her finger
All the cannon are firing
And the swords are clashing
And the horses are charging
And the flags are flying
And the battle is raging
And the bells, the bells are ringing
Who is that girl? Do I know her face?
Who is that girl?
Joanni, Joanni wears a golden cross
And she looks so beautiful in her armour
Joanni, Joanni blows a kiss to God
And she never wears a ring on her finger
Joanni, Joanni, Joanni, Joanni blows a kiss to God
And she just looks beautiful in her armour
Beautiful in her armour
[French]
Elle parle à Dieu et aux anges
Dans ses prières
Venez Sainte Marguerite
Venez Sainte Catherine
Elle a besoin de vous deux.
Les voix, les voix du feu
Chante avec moi petite soeur,
Les voix, les voix, les voix
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di gabbox
Un raggio di sole in questi giorni grigi. Abbagliante e necessario.
Disco memorabile. Nel senso che si fa pensare, immaginare e desiderare, già dopo il primo ascolto.
Di The Punisher
La classe c'è tutta, niente da ridire, ma si respira "poca anima" racchiusa in suoni non particolarmente accattivanti o moderni.
Un disco che dopo un paio di ascolti immagino verrà riposto nel punto più improbabile della propria parete discografica.
