Conobbi "lo scherzo che uccide" grazie al bellissimo singolo "Love Like Blood" dopo aver letto alcune dichiarazioni dei Nirvana, fu amore al primo ascolto dopodichè una continua scoperta immerso nella loro discografia.
"Night Time" è l'album del grande salto dei Killing Joke: band fondamentale per il panorama rock, post punk dagli anni ottanta in poi. Sicuramente è il lavoro più accessibile (e sempre originale) di tutta la loro carriera nonchè il maggiore successo commerciale che rappresenta al meglio l'evoluzione new wave intrapresa dal gruppo. Fu la prima volta che i Killing Joke archiviarono successi così vigorosi a livello mainstream.
Si tratta di un disco che si avvinghia alla mente grazie a melodie oscure e irresistibili, riff di chitarra libidinosi come solo Geordie Walker sa creare accompagnati dalla voce magnetica di Jaz Coleman, Ferguson alla batteria e al basso un collaudato Paul Raven. Probabilmente la mia formazione preferita nonostante i risultati del folgorante esordio del 1980. "Night Time" è un album mai sottotono, che suona sempre fresco nonostante un marcato sound che richiama quel decennio, mai momenti inferiori, un ritmo incalzante.
I pezzi che lo compongono sono otto potenti gemme che si divincolano tra atmosfere cupe e nello stesso tempo danzerecce: "Night Time", "Tabazan", "Europe", la sopraffina "Kings & Queens", "Darkness Before Dawn", "Multitudes", la ballata dark per eccellenza "Love Like Blood", e il finale con l'ottima "Eighties" (feroce attacco alla politica di Margaret Thatcher) nonchè la madre di "Come As You Are". Ascoltare per credere, infatti non è un mistero che i Nirvana, e molti altri, amassero i Killing Joke. Successivamente Dave Grohl finì per suonare la batteria nel loro album del 2003.
"Night Time" venne registrato a Berlino, agli Hansa Ton Studios, tra agosto e settembre 1984. Coleman dichiarò: "Berlino è il posto dove puoi osservare la perfetta insanità umana". Il disco venne promosso con un tour mondiale che incluse per la prima volta anche il Giappone e l'Australia oltre agli Stati Uniti e l'Europa. Il primo omonimo album viene giustamente ricordato come la loro pietra miliare (col botto) ma anche "Night Time" meriterebbe altrettanta attenzione perchè entrambi, seppur diversi, rappresentano due periodi essenziali del decennio d'oro della band: l'esplosione seminale post punk degli esordi e la fase new wave prima dei successivi episodi dagli anni novanta fino ai giorni nostri. Da segnalare una recente uscita dell'album rimasterizzato e accompagnato da b-sides, diverse versioni dei brani ed altro materiale inedito.
Seminali, irripetibili.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Night Time (04:56)
Night time - turning out the sun
Countdown - pulsing like a machine
Conflict - cars and people, steel on flesh
Night time - desperations sweat on breath
Bloodstains - night covering the crimes
Daytime - shows the face behind the mask
Showtime - law and order life and death
Funtime - a drunken time where all can lie
Come, come with me, we'll run into the night
Come, come and see, sweet madness of night
Night time - party troops and governments
Clubtime - lovers riches promises
No time - running hiding crying tears
It's night time - and time to run from all your fears
Night time
02 Darkness Before Dawn (05:21)
The lore of elders passes judgement on this waste
And finding me or them does lack accepting fate
And as the moments pass another face arrives
We watch them come and go with speed of passing clouds
Forbidden fruits of dreams that rule our thoughts my love
Of lands untouched and ways to come always maybe
But choking on promises meant for the deal
Thinking again the darkest hour before the dawn
Confirming fears that from the dawn of time have been
Retracing footsteps in dark chambers of grey lands
And through the madness through the terror we must pass
As if awaiting sunlight that may never come
In time we face ourselves with all our faults and fears
Now that i know the final conflict is within
I recognise the faces of my friends and hear the call
"Come journey, journey with me through the darkest hour!"
03 Love Like Blood (06:51)
We must play our lives like soldiers in the field.
The life is short
I'm running faster all the time.
Strength and beauty destined to decay
so cut the rose in full bloom.
Till the fearless come and the act is done
A love like blood
a love like blood.
Till the fearless come and the act is done
A love like blood
a love like blood.
Everyday through all frustration and despair
Love and hate fight with burning hearts.
Till legends live and man is god again
And self-preservation rules the day no more.
We must dream of promised lands and fields
that's never fade in season
As we move towards no end
we leani to die.
Red tears are shed on grey.
Till the fearless come and the act is done
. . .
Till the fearless come and the act is done
. . .
05 Tabazan (04:37)
I've tried to understand the ways of men they taught me
They've lost their values as we define a wealth
Semen and blood is all i've got, investments of a future
I'm searching for a new gold yes i'm searching for a new gold
A voice is calling
Move closer to you - yeah
Virile young men run down the street in havoc singing
"I wish to build, i penetrate, i penetrate"
Restricted sexuality gives birth to worlds of terror
And all the time i'm trying to piece new schemes together - help me
Architects erect erections, monoliths are raised
I love the swollen mound i love the swollen mound
All hail the new seed breeding from our hearts and wombs
And night and day run round in circles following sex instinct
Push it between her legs and stretch the lips mother relieve me
Bodies entwined in human tangle at the point of climax
Shoot forth the new gold and at last reason makes perfect sense
I'm shooting, shooting forth
I'm shooting forth the new gold now - ha!
06 Multitudes (04:59)
The multitude excites, the flags are flown
By fireside the programme starts
And i am running through this madness
And all the time i can't relate
We sit around in rooms we talk our fears
Asking why we should go on
God i try to make ends meet the best i can
Playing rhythms out of time
Far from the multitudes a few will always stand
They don't fit in they don't belong - move on, move on this way
Within disorder i assume my role
Laugh and cry as i accept
Eternal indolence through ages
'til restless souls begin to wake
Perfection within decades of dissatisfaction and disillusion
A means to no end, a means to no end
07 Europe (04:37)
Take up your arms pick up your courage
A black sun is rising as the gods of europe sleep
Come back into your strength awaken
Catastrophes atrocities shall summon you my love
Glory glory how we wait in europe
What have they done, what are they doing?
The place i love so butchered ravaged scarred and raped
The years have passed us still we're fighting
'til once again somewhere green lands shall be in sight
Glory glory how we wait in europe
Glory glory how we watch in europe
The day humanity is over
Let nations east and west tremble at the sight
'til standard bearers' eyes are hungry
And reason dead forever - god let it be soon
08 Eighties (03:50)
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties
Eighties - i have to push, i have to struggle
Eighties - get out of my way, i'm not for sale no more
Eighties - let's kamikaze 'til we get there
And we sang
You do it this way
Eighties - by day we run by night we dance, we do
Eighties - i'm in love with the coming race
Eighties - i've got the best, i'll take all i can get
Eighties - i'm living for the eighties
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties - i push
Eighties - i'm living
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties - i struggle
Eighties - i'm living
Eighties - i'm living
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties - i push
Eighties - push, push, struggle
Eighties - i'm living
Eighties - eighties - i'm living
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties - i push
Eighties - push, push, struggle
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(original lyrics)
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties
Eighties - I have to push, I prostitute myself
Eighties - I saw the whole world getting anxious
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
And we sang
In these Eighties
Eighties - I'm sitting on a table talking ideals
Eighties - I got the best, I'll take all I can get
Eighties - Here comes the savage day
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
And we sang
In these Eighties
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties - I push
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties - I struggle
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties - I push
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties - I struggle
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
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Altre recensioni
Di Fidia
Night Time è un’opera che non può essere divisa o analizzata pezzo per pezzo distintamente. Deve essere adorato come una grande opera.
Non uso il telefono, non guardo la televisione, scrivo ancora lettere. Non appartengo a questo ventesimo secolo, in un certo senso.
Di Algeone
I Killing Joke sono stati indubbiamente tra i padri fondatori di svariati filoni del nuovo millennio.
La voce stentorea e ruvida di Jaz Coleman non perde mai l'accento di una rabbiosa disperazione che sembra invocare la giustizia di un destino trascendente.
