Potrei descrivere le sensazioni che provochi dentro di me facendomi sciogliere nella tua voce impossibile, ma Francis in questo è stato encomiabile per il tuo straordinario esordio. Potrei parlare della tua natura angelica che nel tempo si è oscurata in urla e toni gravi da demone oscuro, ma anche questo già bene è stato detto, e NonSonoStatoIo.
Potrei altresì pormi in posizione più critica e parlare di te come di un’artista geniale e poliedrica, eppur umana. Certo, potrei. Ma un punitore dal cuore tenero ha già compiuto tutto ciò in maniera ineccepibile. Non potrò essere originale, Kate, e qualcosa di tutti e tre riecheggerà in quanto dirò; ma lo si consideri allora un omaggio a quanto loro sanno adorarti e a quanto bravi siano stati a descriverlo.
Quante cose vorrei fare, Kate, e quante cose non posso fare. Vorrei essere come la tua voce, eterno e sempre in grado di superare i propri limiti. Vorrei essere come quella voce che mi addormenta la sera, altissima e romantica, inerpicata per le erte distese innevate mentre alla natura selvaggia urla il suo amore; quella voce che riecheggia stridula e impossibile nella testa e poi ti penetra dura nel cuore, tetra e profonda, facendolo tremare di gelo; quella voce che crea in un primo tempo nubi nell’animo per poi dissolverle con un disperato grido di violino.
Ma tutto ciò è parola, e non va bene: te, Kate, vai esplorata, vai assaporata; bisogna viverti, Kate, sublime creatura, delicata come la rugiada nei tuoi video meravigliosi. Ti vedo, ferma eppure così viva e penetrante, nel tuo pelo leonino su quella nuda cassa di legno, la carta da parati illuminata dal sole e dalla tua presenza. E se quanto racchiudi nella cassa magari non sarà immortale come il calcio che mi sconvolse dentro, la tua voce lo renderà comunque meraviglioso.
“Symphony In Blue” è deliziosa, nella sua cadenza parsoniana (Powell alla produzione, Elliott alla batteria e Bairnson – a meno di miei errori - alle fulgide chitarre ne sono l’emblema) e nella sua vocalità avvolgente. “In Search Of Peter Pan” seduce invece in toni da fiaba, le dita di Kate giocano sull’avorio che lei conosce in ogni sua sfaccettatura. Ma come fai ad essere così dolce, Kate? “Wow”, esclamo a bocca aperta, stupore per la tua arte incredibile; ed è esclamazione perfetta, immortale nella sua semplicità. Prende invece piega aggressiva e decisa la bella “Don’t Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake”: l’usignolo nelle sue melodie impossibili è assicurato a terra da un basso efficace e da un arrangiamento allegro. Ma è già tempo di leggenda; “Oh England My Lionheart”: in un clima flautato, una voce angelica e lontana di ere passate ed il suo pianoforte lacerato in accordi soavi a creare magia.
Il ritorno al presente (ma non sulla Terra) avviene in “Fullhouse”, ove la ritmica rarefatta accompagna le mani di Kate in accordi insensati ed allucinati come la voce che le accompagna. Ci si sposta nella stanza tiepida (richiami nel titolo di quel capolavoro che fu pochi mesi prima “Room For The Life”): voce e piano duettano intensi “In The Warm Room”. Segue un altro celebre brano, quella “Kashka From Baghdad” scandita da un basso malinconico (suonato se non erro da Del Palmer) e ricamata da una voce teatrale ed espressiva come poche: traccia di grandissima atmosfera. Ma ecco signore e signori in un tripudio da banda circense ora ottonata ora pungente le evoluzioni sonore della nostra acrobata: “Coffee Homeground” è il numero di questa sera; venghino i signori, venghino. Applausi, certo, ma chiudete gli occhi, ora. La mente è scossa da un “Hammer Horror”, campionario delle potenzialità di Kate Bush: vocalizzi, sovraincisioni, sussurri, ruggiti. La chitarra elettrica può solo tenere il suo passo, nulla più. Incantevole.
L'ellepì è bellissimo, indubbio. Ma chiariamo un punto: non è “The Kick Inside”; la gestazione di questo lavoro (sempre del millenovecentosettantotto) è stata troppo breve in proporzione. Ottimi brani, una grande voce fresca, ma un pizzico di magia in meno: non ci sono Cime Tempestose e uomini con il bambino negli occhi. Ma Kate Bush stava crescendo, cominciava a smettere i panni della musa celestiale e sempre più prendeva a calarsi negli abissi della psiche umana e negli anfratti più oscuri delle sue potenzialità. Nulla è per sempre, dopotutto, come meravigliosamente ci farà capire qualche tempo dopo facendoci sognare e gemere mentre accarezza un contrabbasso.
Sei unica, Kate.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Symphony in Blue (03:37)
I spent a lot of my time looking at blue,
The colour of my room and my mood:
Blue on the walls, blue out of my mouth;
The sort of blue between clouds, when the sun comes out,
The sort of blue in those eyes you get hung up about.
When that feeling of meaninglessness sets in,
Go blowing my mind on God:
The light in the dark, with the neon arms,
The meek He seeks, the beast He calms,
The head of the good soul department.
I see myself suddenly
On the piano, as a melody.
My terrible fear of dying
No longer plays with me,
for now I know that I'm needed
For the symphony.
I associate love with red,
The colour of my heart when she's dead;
Red in my mind when the jealousy flies,
Red in my eyes from emotional ties,
Manipulation, the danger signs.
The more I think about sex, the better it gets.
Here we have a purpose in life:
Good for the blood circulation,
Good for releasing the tension,
The root of our reincarnations.
I see myself suddenly
On the piano, as a melody.
My terrible fear of dying
No longer plays with me,
for now I know that I'm needed
For the symphony.
I spent a lot of my time looking at blue--
No wonder that I blew it!
02 In Search of Peter Pan (03:47)
It's been such a long week.
So much crying.
I no longer see a future.
I've been told when I get older
That I'll understand
It all.
But I'm not sure if I want to.
Running into her arms
At the school gates--
She whispers that I'm a poor kid.
And Granny takes me on her knee.
She tells me I'm too sensitive.
She makes me sad.
She makes me feel like an old man.
She makes me feel like an old man.
They took the game right out of it.
They took the game right out of it.
When I am a man
I will be an astronaut,
And find Peter Pan.
Second star on the right,
Straight on 'til morning.
Second star on the right,
Straight on 'til morning.
Dennis loves to look
In the mirror.
He tells me that he is beautiful.
So I look too, and what do I see?
My eyes are full,
But my face is empty.
He's got a photo
Of his hero.
He keeps it under his pillow.
But I've got a pin-up
From a newspaper
Of Peter Pan.
I found it in a locket.
I hide it in my pocket.
They took the game right out of it.
They took the game right out of it.
When I am a man
I will be an astronaut,
And find Peter Pan.
Second star on the right,
Straight on 'til morning.
Second star on the right,
Straight on 'til morning.
Second star on the right,
Straight on 'til morning.
"When you wish upon a star,*
Makes no difference who you are.
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true."*
03 Wow (04:01)
We're all alone on the stage tonight
We've been told we're not afraid of you
We know all our lines so well, ah-ha
We've said them so many times
Time and time again
Line and line again
Ooh yeah you're amazing
We think you're incredible
You say we're fantastic
But still we don't head the bill
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Unbelievable
When the actor reaches his death
You know it's not for real
He just holds his breath
But he always dives too soon
Too fast to save himself
He'll never make the screen
He'll never make "The Sweeney"
Be that movie queen
He's too busy hitting the vaseline
Ooh yeah you're amazing
We think you are really cool
We'd give you a part my love
But you'd have to play the fool
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Unbelievable
04 Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake (03:16)
Emma's come down.
She's stopped the light
Shining out of her eyes.
Emma's been run out on.
She's breaking down
In so many places,
Stuck in low gear
Because of her fears
Of the skidding wheels,
(The skid of her wheels she feels.)
Skidding wheels,
(The skid of her wheels she feels.)
Spinning wheels.
(Wheel-skidding feeling.)
Her heart is there,
But they've greased the road.
Her heart is out there,
But she's no control.
Oh, come on, you've got to use your flow.
You know what it's like, and you know you want to go.
Don't drive too slowly.
Don't put your blues where your shoes should be.
Don't put your foot on the heartbrake.
(She's losing, she's losing, she's losing, she's losing...)
She's losing that inner flame.
It was burning bright,
But she's losing the light fast.
She's only herself to blame.
Well, take care of yourself,
And remember Georgie.
But she's so O.D.'d on weeping
She can harDLy see
That she's dropping beads.
(Red, red glass is bleeding.)
Dropping beads.
(Red, red glass is bleeding.)
Dropping beads.
(Red, red on the parquet.)
Her heart is there,
But they've greased the road.
Her heart is out there,
But she's no control.
Oh, come on, you've got to use your flow.
You know what it's like, and you know you want to go.
Don't drive too slowly.
Don't put your blues where your shoes should be.
Don't put your foot on the heartbrake
08 Kashka From Baghdad (03:56)
Kashka from Baghdad
Lives in sin, they say,
With another man,
But no one knows who.
Old friends never call there.
Some wonder if life's
Inside at all--
If there's life inside at all.
But we know the lady who rents the room.
She catches them calling a la lune.
At night
They're seen
Laughing,
Loving.
They know
The way
To be
Happy.
They never go for walks.
Maybe it's because
The moon's not bright enough.
There's light in love, you see.
I watch their shadows,
Tall and slim,
In the window opposite.
I long to be with them.
'Cause when all the alley-cats come out,
You can hear music from Kashka's house.
At night
They're seen
Laughing,
Loving.
They know
The way
To be
Happy.
"Watching every night.*
Don't you know they're seen?
Won't you let me laugh?
Let me in your love.
"Watching every night.
Don't you know they're seen?
Won't you let me laugh?
Let me in your love.
"Watching every night.
Don't you know they're seen?
Won't you let me laugh?
Let me in your love.
"Watching every night.
Don't you know they're seen?
Won't you let me laugh?"
09 Coffee Homeground (03:39)
Down in the cellar
You're getting into making poison.
You slipped some on the side,
Into my glass of wine,
And I don't want any coffee--homeground.
Offer me a chocolate,
No thank you, spoil my diet, know your game!
But tell me just how come
They smell of bitter almonds?
It's a no-no to your coffee homeground.
Pictures of Crippin
Lipstick-smeared.
Torn wallpaper.
Have the walls got ears here?
Well, you won't get me with your Belladonna--in the coffee,
And you won't get me with your aresenic--in the pot of tea,
And you won't get me in a hole to rot--with your hemlock
On the rocks.
Where are the plumbers
Who went a-missing here on Monday?
There was a tall man
With his companion,
And I bet you gave them coffee--homeground.
Maybe you're lonely,
And only want a little company,
But keep your recipes
For the rats to eat,
And may they rest in peace with coffee homeground.
Well, you won't get me with your Belladonna--in the coffee,
And you won't get me with your aresenic--in the pot of tea,
And you won't put me in a six-foot plot--with your hemlock
On the rocks.
You won't get me with your Belladonna--in the coffee,
And you won't get me with your aresenic--in the pot of tea,
And you won't get me in a hole to rot--with your hemlock
On the rocks.
With your hemlock on the rocks.
"Noch ein Glas, mein Liebchen?"*
With your hemlock on the rocks.
"Es schmeckt wunderbahr!"*
With your hemlock on the rocks.
"Und ???"
10 Hammer Horror (04:39)
You stood in the belltower,
But now you're gone.
So who knows all the sights
Of Notre Dame?
They've got the stars for the gallant hearts.
I'm the replacement for your part.
But all I want to do is forget
You, friend.
Hammer Horror, Hammer Horror,
Won't leave me alone.
The first time in my life,
I leave the lights on
To ease my soul.
Hammer Horror, Hammer Horror,
Won't leave it alone.
I don't know,
Is this the right thing to do?
Rehearsing in your things,
I feel guilty.
And retracing all the scenes,
Of your big hit,
Oh, God, you needed the leading role.
It wasn't me who made you go, though.
Now all I want to do is forget
You, friend.
Hammer Horror, Hammer Horror,
Won't leave me alone.
The first time in my life,
I leave the lights on
To ease my soul.
Hammer Horror, Hammer Horror,
Won't leave it alone.
I don't know,
Is this the right thing to do?
Who calls me from the other side
Of the street?
And who taps me on the shoulder?
I turn around, but you're gone.
I've got a hunch that you're following,
To get your own back on me.
So all I want to do is forget
You, friend.
Hammer Horror, Hammer Horror,
Won't leave me alone.
The first time in my life,
I leave the lights on
To ease my soul.
Hammer Horror, Hammer Horror,
Won't leave it alone.
I don't know,
Is this the right thing to do?
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