E' il '68, anno particolarmente felice dal punto di vista musicale: i Doors e i Jefferson Airplane sono sulla cresta dell'onda, Jimi Hendrix è intento a rivoluzionare completamente l'uso della chitarra elettrica e i Pink Floyd partono per remoti viaggi lisergici dai quali Syd non tornerà mai più. Ma accanto all'ondata psichedelica, mostri sacri come Bob Dylan e Tim Buckley tengono viva la scena del cantautorato: in questo clima fiorente cominciano ad emergere anche le donne: cantautrici come Joni Mitchell o Laura Nyro, per esempio, avevano tutte più o meno qualcosa da dire. Questo "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" è infatti la prova che, almeno dal punto di vista artistico, le donne non sono certo inferiori agli uomini...
La musica di Laura Nyro parte dal soul del Bronx di New York, in cui nel 1947 è nata, per poi raffinarsi sempre di più, mescolandosi con il blues e il jazz ed evolvendosi attraverso armonie complicate ma estremamente trascinanti. La voce di Laura, potente ed emozionante ma allo stesso tempo considerevole dal punto di vista tecnico, è il sublime mezzo che unisce questi elementi e conduce l'ascoltatore lungo il percorso spirituale della protagonista. Il disco è una sorta di concept che illustra la parabola di una ragazza che diventa adulta: alla crescita di Eli corrisponde anche una crescita della portata emotiva dei brani; i primi tre pezzi, infatti, ricalcano il soul più classico e costituiscono la parte "facile" dell'album: "Luckie" è una canzone dalla cadenza irresistibile con un motivo vocale tanto semplice quanto efficace; "Lu" invece suona come un fantastico e leggero soul che scivola addosso come pioggia d'aprile; "Sweet Blindness", la più orecchiabile del lotto, cattura per la sua immediatezza, ma ti induce all'ascolto ripetuto per settimane al pari di una droga.
Con "Poverty Train", invece, le orecchie iniziano a fare da tramite per portare la musica al cuore: l'inizio è sofferto, con la chitarra elettrica che si alterna a quella acustica ad intonare un tristissimo blues. Poi un basso e un vibrafono, e una voce lontana che recita: "Last call for the poverty train". Da qui la canzone acquista il ritmo e diventa un meraviglioso piano-pop, con un arrangiamento sontuoso e una melodia vocale struggente, fino ad involversi di nuovo in un requiem blues sommerso da suoni indefiniti: una perla. "Lonely Woman" è invece uno splendido blues sorretto dal piano e dal sax, con la voce di Laura in primo piano.
Forse il brano più significativo dell'album, e sicuramente uno dei più belli, è "Eli's Coming", che rappresenta il vertice emotivo dell'LP. Dopo un inizio sommesso, un amalgama di voci su un piano scatenato richiama il tumulto interiore di Eli, fino a quando gli strumenti rallentano e, su un meraviglioso e avvolgente giro di basso (uno dei migliori che abbia mai sentito) la Nyro si lascia andare a una stupenda coda al grido di "Eli's coming, you'd better hide your heart".
All'inizio frenetico di "Timer", che poi acquista le caratteristiche di un soul normale, seguono due brani più placidi: "Emmie", lenta e sospesa su eterei archi, è forse il pezzo meno degno di nota; "Stoned Soul Picnic", più ritmata e arrangiata coi fiati, è invece molto trascinante e, non a caso, verrà reinterpretata dai 5th Dimension e avrà grande successo.
Non so se sarete d'accordo con me, ma trovo che il vero capolavoro dell'album sia "Woman's Blues": dopo un'intro lenta, in cui Laura dà sfoggio delle sue qualità vocali, parte un blues frenetico semplicemente indimenticabile, con un groove di basso talmente bello che è impossibile trovare ulteriori aggettivi, una chitarra che non poteva e non doveva suonare altre note, una batteria con il sound più azzeccato e caldo che possa esserci, e una voce che non fa altro che crescere di spessore fino al bridge, per poi diventare quasi isterica nella coda, con quel "Damn be done" ripetuto più volte che fa il verso ai fiati in sottofondo. 3 minuti e 48 secondi praticamente perfetti.
Se "Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)", pezzo diviso in tre parti (la prima quasi country, la seconda più nello stile della Nyro e la terza dolce e sussurrata) è gia sufficiente a dimostrare la sfrenata fantasia della cantautrice newyorkese, la successiva "December's Boudoir" non fa che confermare che ci troviamo davanti una compositrice con i controcoglioni: si tratta di una sorta di mini-suite retta principalmente dal pianoforte e dalle tre ottave di estensione della Nyro, che cambia continuamente ritmo ed emoziona ad ogni ascolto, nonostante sia costruita su armonie complesse e non certamente orecchiabili.
La traccia finale "The Confession" mette in risalto l'animo jazz di Laura: dopo uno splendido ritornello che si libra su un fantastico tappeto strumentale, il pezzo cresce d'intensità fino a quell'urlato "I confess", per poi continuare nella coda, con Laura che sensualmente grida: "Love my lovething, love is surely gospel". Una degna conclusione, senza alcun dubbio.
Sappiamo purtroppo che ad un artista eccellente spetta, nella maggior parte dei casi, una morte prematura. E così è stato per Laura, morta di cancro ovarico a soli 50 anni proprio come la madre. Non ha mai avuto grande successo in vita, al contrario di artisti quali 5th Dimension e Tree Dog Night che hanno cantato le sue canzoni guadagnando un sacco di soldi. Forse ciò è dovuto al suo comportamento schivo o al suo rifiuto per lo show business, chi lo sa... In ogni caso, noi a distanza di 40 anni ascoltiamo la sua musica che, aldilà di ogni meccanismo artificioso e commerciale, è bellissima.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Luckie (03:03)
Yes, I’m ready, so come on, Luckie.
Well, there’s an avenue of Devil who believe in stone.
You can meet the captain at the dead-end zone.
What Devil doesn’t know is that Devil can’t stay, doesn’t know he’s seen his day.
Oh, Luckie’s taking over and his clover shows.
Devil can’t get out of hand cause Luckie’s taking over and what Luckie says goes.
Dig them potatoes if you’ve never dug your girl before, poor little Devil,
He’s a backseat man to Luckie forever more.
Yes, I’m ready, so come on, Luckie, Luckie inside of me, inside of my mind, inside of my mind.
Don’t go falling for Naughty. Don’t go falling for Naughty, he’s a dragon with his double bite.
Sure can do his shortchanging out of sight.
An artist of a sort but a little bit short of luck, this lucky night.
Oh, Luckie’s taking over and his clover shows.
Devil can’t get out of hand cause Luckie’s taking over and what Luckie says goes.
Dig them potatoes if you’ve never dug your girl before, poor little Naughty,
He’s a backseat man to Luckie forever, a backseat man to Luckie forever more, hey, hey, hey.
It’s a real good day to go get Luckie, go get Luckie.
I’m gonna go get Luckie, I’m gonna go get Luckie.
I’m gonna go get, I’m gonna go get, you gotta go, get on down and get away.
You gotta go, get on down and get away. You gotta go, get on down and get away.
You gotta go, get on down and get away from you, hey hey, from you, yes,
Yes, I’m ready, yes, I’m ready, ready for Luckie.
02 Lu (02:47)
Silver was the color, winter was a snowbell.
Mother of the wind boys, living off the lovewell with Lu.
And everybody's calling Luie, Luie Luie, you got a thing about you.
Keep the light going for Luie and Luie keeps on pushing through.
Amber was the color, summer was a flame ride,
Cooking up the noon roads, walking on God's good side,
I was walking on God's good side, God's good side with Lu.
And everybody's calling Luie, Luie Luie, you got a thing about you.
Keep the light going for Luie and Luie keeps on pushing through.
Keeps on pushing through, through, he keeps on pushing.
I will always be fair, be there for Lu, forever and ever more,
everybody, everybody, everybody yeah.
And everybody's calling Luie, calling Luie, everybody's calling Luie calling
my man, my man Luie, calling Luie, my man Luie…
03 Sweet Blindness (02:42)
Let's go down by the grapevine, drink my Daddy's wine, get happy.
Down by the grapevine, drink my daddy's wine, get happy, happy.
Oh, sweet blindness, a little magic, a little kindness. Oh, sweet blindness, all over me.
Four leaves on a clover, I'm just a bit of a shade hung over.
Come on baby, do a slow float you're a good looking riverboat
and ain’t that sweet eyed blindness good to me?
Down by the grapevine, drink my Daddy's wine, good morning.
Down by the grapevine, drink my Daddy's wine, good morning, morning.
Oh, sweet blindness, a little magic, a little kindness. Oh, sweet blindness, all over me.
Please don't tell my mother, I'm a saloon and a moonshine lover.
Come on baby, do a slow float you're a good looking riverboat
and ain’t that sweet eyed blindness good to me?
Don't ask me cause I ain't gonna tell you what I've been drinking,
ain't gonna tell you what I've been drinking, ain't gonna tell you what I've been drinking,
wine of wonder, wonder, (by the way).
Oh, sweet blindness, a little magic, a little kindness. Oh, sweet blindness, all over me.
Don't let daddy hear it, he don't believe in the gin mill spirit.
Don't let daddy hear it, he don't believe in the gin mill spirit.
Come on baby, do a slow float you're a good looking riverboat
and ain’t that sweet eyed blindness good to me?
Now, ain’t that sweet eyed blindness good to me?
04 Poverty Train (04:21)
last call for the poverty train
last call for the poverty train
it looks good and dirty on shiny light strip
and if you don't get beat you got yourself a trip
You can see the walls roar see your brains on the floor
become God become cripple become funky and split
why was i born
i saw the devil and he's smiling at me
i heard my bones cry devil why's it got to be
devil played with my brother devil drove my mother
now the tears in the gutter are floodin the sea
why was i born
oh baby it looks good and dirty them shiny lights glow
a million night tramps tricks and tracks will come and go
you're starvin today but who care anyway baby it feels like i'm dying
now i swear there's something better than gettin off on sweet cocaine
it feels so good it feels so good
getting off the poverty train
morning
06 Eli's Comin' (04:00)
Eli's comin'. Eli's comin' (Eli's a-comin'). Girl, you better hide your heart, your loving heart.
Eli's a-comin' and the cards say broken heart, oh broken heart.
Eli's comin', hide your heart, girl, Eli's comin', hide your heart, girl.
Girl, Eli's a-comin', you better hide, girl, Eli's a-comin', you better hide.
Girl, Eli's a-comin', you better hide, girl, Eli's comin', hide your heart, girl.
You better, better hide your heart, Eli's comin', better walk.
Walk but you'll never get away, no, you'll never get away from the Burn and the heartache,
I walked to Apollo and the bay, and everywhere I go,
Eli's a-comin' (she walked but she never got away).
Eli's a-comin' (she walked but she never got away).
Eli's a-comin' and he's comin' to get ya (she walked but, she walked but)
Get down on your knees (she walked but she never got away), Eli's comin',
(Hide it, hide it, hide it) Girl, Eli's a-comin', you better hide, girl, Eli's a-comin', you better hide. Girl, Eli's a-comin', you better hide, girl, Eli's comin', hide your heart, girl (hide it).
You better, better hide your heart Eli's comin', better walk.
Walk but you'll never get away, no, you'll never get away from the burn and the heartache.
I walked to Apollo and the bay, and everywhere I go,
Eli's a-comin' (she walked but she never got away).
Eli's a-comin' (she walked but she never got away).
Eli's a-comin' and he's comin' to get ya (she walked but, she walked but).
Get down on your knees (she walked but she'll never get away). Get down on your knees.
No, no, no, no Lord, I said no, no, no, no, no, no (hide it).
She can (hide it) hide it, (hide it). You better (hide it). Somebody (hide it). You got to (hide it).
Eli's comin'. Eli's comin' (Eli's a-comin'). Well, you better hide your heart, your loving heart.
Eli's comin', better hide your heart, girl. Eli's comin', better hide your heart, girl.
Eli's comin', better hide your heart, girl. Eli's comin', better hide your heart, girl…
07 Timer (03:26)
Uptown, going down, old life line, walking down faster, walking with the master of time.
My lady woke up, she broke down, she got up, she let go,
Take me Timer, shake me Timer, let it blow, let it blow.
My darling friends, oh, I belong to Timer, he changed my face.
You're a fine one Timer, you've got me walking through the gates of space.
I keep remembering indoors that I used to walk through,
baby, I'm not trying to talk you down.
But I could walk through them doors onto a pleasure ground.
It was sweet and funny, a pleasure ground.
Didn't know about money, did not know about Timer, did not know about Timer.
Holding to my cradle at the start but now my hand is open
and now my hand is ready for my heart.
So let the wind blow Timer, I like her song.
And if the song goes minor, I won't mind.
And Timer knows the lady's gonna love again.
Time says the lady rambles never more.
If you love me true, I'll spend my life with you and Timer.
You're a jigsaw Timer, God is a jigsaw souling with, souling.
You're a jigsaw Timer, God is a jigsaw souling with, souling with Timer, Timer…
08 Stoned Soul Picnic (03:50)
Can you surry, can you picnic? Can you surry, can you picnic?
Come one, come on and surry down to a stoned soul picnic.
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic. There'll be lots of time and wine.
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine,
red yellow honey, Sassafras and moonshine, moonshine. Stoned soul, stoned soul.
Come on, come on and surry down to a stoned soul picnic. Surry down to a stoned soul picnic.
Rain and sun come in akin, and from the sky come the Lord and the lightning.
And from the sky come the Lord and the lightning.
Stoned soul, stoned soul, surry on, soul.
Surry, surry, surry, surry.
There'll be trains of blossoms (there'll be trains of blossoms).
There'll be trains of music (there'll be music).
There'll be trains of trust, trains of golden dust.
Come along and surry on sweet trains of thought, surry on down.
Can you surry, can you surry?
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic. Surry down to a stoned soul picnic.
There'll be lots of time and wine. Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine,
red yellow honey, Sassafras and moonshine, moonshine. Stoned soul, stoned soul.
Surry on soul. Surry, surry, surry, surry. Surry, surry, surry, surry…
09 Emmie (04:24)
Oo la, la, la, oo la, la, la, la.
Emily and her love to be, carved in a heart on a berry tree.
But it's only a little farewell love spell, time to design a woman.
Touch me, oh wake me, Emily you ornament the earth for me.
Emily, you're the natural snow, the unstudied sea, you're a cameo.
And I swear you were born a weavers lover, born for the loom's desire.
Move me, oh sway me. Emily, the ornament, the earth for me.
Emmie, your Momma’s been calling you.
Who stole Mama’s heart and cuddled in her garden?
Darling Emmie, la, la, la, oo la, la la.
You're my friend and I loved you, Emily, Emily, Emily, Emily.
She got the way to move me, Emmie. She got the way to move me, yeah.
She got the way to move me, Emmie. She got the way to move me, get up and move me...
11 Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe) (03:01)
Farmer Joe, I’m the meanest woman you know, woman you know, she said,
Farmer Joe, I’m the meanest woman you know, woman you know.
I let you slide about an hour ago, now.
Farmer boy, get your gun, run, run, run. Farmer boy, get your gun, run, run, run, run, run, run.
Farmer boy, get your gun, run, run, run.
Farmer boy, get your gun and run, run, run like a son of a gun from love.
Running from the mindreader, run baby, run.
Got a date with the town shoe maker you know, baby you know,
she said, I can’t wait for your cornfields to grow, baby to grow.
Whoa, baby, whoa baby, give my bags and let the good wind blow.
Give my bags and let the good wind blow. Give my bags and let the good wind blow.
I’ve got to see about a man I know.
Fire, flames of gold rush my mind. Fire, flames of gold rush my mind.
Sock it to the railroad, baby. Baby, there’s a train whistle coming.
Baby, there’s a train whistle coming.
Once it was alright, alright, baby. Once it was alright, alright, baby.
Once it was alright, alright, no…
13 The Confession (02:49)
Super summer sugar coppin'
In the mornin'
Do your shoppin' baby
Love my lovething
You may disappear
But you'll be back I swear
Would you love to love me baby?
I would love to love you baby now
Would you love to love me baby?
I would love to love you baby now
Super summer sugar croppin'
In the mornin'
Do you shoppin' baby
Love my lovething
Super ride inside my lovething
You may leave the fair
But you'll be back I swear
Would you love to love me baby?
I would love to love you baby now
Would you love to love me baby?
I would love to love you baby now
I keep hearin' mother cryin'
I keep hearin' daddy through his grave
"Little girl, of all the daughters
You were born a woman
Not a slave"
Oh I hate my winsome lover
Tell him I've had others
At my breast
But tell him he held my heart
And only now am I a virgin
I confess
Love my love thing
Love is surely gospel
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Altre recensioni
Di ulysses
Una voce soave e mozzafiato fa il resto.
Questo Eli And The Thirteenth Confession è un capolavoro assoluto del cantautorato al femminile.
