• Voto:
Quando sul finire degli anni '90 raggiunsi la saturazione da metal, avvertii un irrefrenabile voglia di novità. Li avevo proprio scandagliati tutti i generi del metallo... Dall'hard rock al glam, dal grunge al thrash. I primi capelli iniziavano a cadere e l'head banging mi dava sempre più problemi! E poi tutti i gruppi nuovi del new-metal o cross over (a parte Slipknot e System of a Down) che fosse mi facevano proprio onestamente cacare! Ma a cosa potevo dedicarmi? La dance anni '80 era roba da amar-cord delle medie per quanto bellissima; del pop avevo già abusato nei primissimi anni del liceo, e mi sapeva tanto di riso in bianco bollito quando uscivo dai classici Bowie o Duran Duran. Di cosa potevo dunque musicalmente farmi? Non potevo mica continuare a 30 anni ad ascoltare "Master of Puppets" a palla in macchina no? Cacchio mentre tutti i miei amici andavano alla "Dance Valley" io ero rimasto l'unico a voler andare al "Monsters of Rock"! Più che retrò mi sentivo SFIGATTO.
Ebbi la folgorazione quando, accidentalmente, ascoltai per la prima volta "The Fat of the Land" dei PRODIGY. Beh... non si poteva proprio dire che quei suoni non fossero accattivanti. E poi facevano pogare anche loro alla fine no? Mmm... decisi di approfondire la ricerca... NIN? "The Downward Spiral"? Cazzo geniale. Quindi l'elettronica si poteva applicare al metal con l'industrial! E al solito Mike Patton ci aveva visto lungo. BLUVERTIGO, "Metallo non Metallo"; ah ok e anche al pop volendo. E poi quei gruppi mi richiamavano sempre alle sonorità dell'unica band non metal che avevo da sempre coltivato (un pò di nascosto dai miei amici metallari) i DEPECHE MODE. Non sarà mica che dentro di me, là in fondo si nascondeva un anima elettronica? DAFT PUNK, "Homework". Ero fottuto! CHEMICAL BROTHERS, "Dig Your Own Hole"; non era ancora il 2000 che ero già perso nell'elettronica! E adesso? Aiuto! Cosa faccio? Ho continuato. E nel mio navigare in un genere che erroneamente pensavo fosse avulso da abilità e tecnica, scopro un gruppo nuovo che mi piace al giorno. TIGA, LADYTRON, PLANET FUNK, !!!, ROYKSOPP, le mie ultime scoperte preferite.
Da profano del genere mi imbatto nel mezzo del cammino di mia vita negli LCD SOUNDSYSTEM. Li ricordavo soprattutto per il loro singolo di qualche anno fa, "Daft Punk is Playing in my House", carino con quel basso che pompava sotto sempre uguale. E che dire del video? Anche se il vero capolavoro del loro primo album è a mio avviso "Beat Connection", un pezzo quasi progressive con una signora batteria tradizionale sotto veloce e i bongo che salgono a chiamare l'elettronica che esce solo dopo 2 minuti di puro tribale. Non riesco a imbrigliare questo gruppo in un genere definito, e questo già è buon segno. C'è un pò di "acid house", un pizzico di "garage rock", un tocco di "psychedelic pop" il tutto in salso beat '70. Non sono niente male. Per carità, non vi sto scrivendo per dirvi che questo "Soud of Silver" (marzo 2007) sia un album che farà la storia della musica, ma scorre via liscio. Il piedino batte sul pavimento in tutti i pezzi e sui singoli... parte la voglia di dance sfrenata! Ci stà dentro, niente da dire. 9 tracks, il giusto per non sforare. Ottima la intro "Get Innocuos" con un bel wall of sound elettronico. Dopo, a parte i due "radio friendly" "North America Scum" (voto7) e "Time To Get Away" (voto 8, con un cantato molto James Brown), quasi tutti gli altri pezzi passano i 7 minuti di durata. "Someone Great" sembra un pezzo scritto da Tiga, con molti richiami ancora ai Daft Punk. La 5 e la 6 sono dei riempitivi accettabili. Si ha l'impressione di essere piombati in una disco della New York anni '70, con afro-dj che però hanno i suoni del 2000 a disposizione. La chitarrina funky sotto molto pezzi, ricorda un pochino gli Arctic Monkeys, mentre il basso richiama un pò troppo spesso i classici giri dei Daft Punk, ma tutto sembra voluto e studiato a tavolino. E poi tò, un accenno di punk in "Watch the tapes". La 8 spazia nell'elettronica più pura (il classico "ho studiato anch'io i Kraftwerk") con ottimi suoni e un gran basso sotto. L'album si chiude con una lenta serenata dedicata alla città di New York.
James Murphy (tra i fondatori della DFA Records) è una bella testolina. Polistrumentista, canta e suona completamente i suoi progetti LCD Soundsystem per poi farsi accompagnare da eccellenti musicisti live (il bassista è quello dei !!!). Il primo album "Soundsystem" era certamente più innovativo e creativo. Questo è più curato nei particolari, meno grezzo, meno istintivo ma più tecnico. Sono abbastanza certo avrà meno successo del precedente, ma forse personalmente quasi mi piace di più. Sembra voler imboccare la strada della vera ricerca, abbandonando pezzi commerciali da grandi balere come invece in alcuni pezzi del primo. Nel complesso ascoltabilissimo, gradevole e simpatico. Il potenziale di Murphy però sembra un pò condizionato dal voler sempre assecondare sia i discotecari che i rockettari, senza riuscire a prendere una scelta netta che forse gli darebbe più "rabbia creativa".
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Get Innocuous! (07:11)
home- home in the late-night
and away- away in the half-life
except sunday- crushed by the boring
until played and plagued by the tourists again
when once you had believed it
now you see it's sucking you in
to string you along with the pretense
and pave the way for the coming release
alone and prone in the half-light
and late- late in the real-life
if you find a way into the gold rush
you will stay until the morning comes
you can normalize
don't it make you feel alive
get innocous!
02 Time to Get Away (04:11)
Its time to get away, its time to get away from you
Its time to get away, its time to get away from you
You brought a lot of money
But me, look it’s a tidy ?
And you, you make me sleep
I try and try
But you’re under my knee
And I start to be sensible (if you know what I mean)
And so its time to get away, Its time to get away from you
I’m dying to get away, I’m dying to get away
Next time we’ll talk it over
And we can start again
For you, I caught a lot of static
And me, I would like it automatic
Ah-what what what what what did you think would happen next?
Ah-what what what what what could it ever be?
Though its time to get away, its time to get away from you
I’m dying to get away, I’m dying to get away
Next time let’s talk about it
And maybe start again
To think I used to pity you
To think I used to pity you, it’s true
To think I used to pity you
To think I used to talk to you, it’s true
Next time we can talk about it
Or even start again
I couldn’t tell you what you wanted
(You know what I’m saying?) I knew you were low man,
But the truth is I was shocked
[Of] power eyes, eyes never lie
Kids, Kids never lie
03 North American Scum (05:25)
Oh, oh oh
Oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
We are North Americans
And for those of you who still think we're from England
We're not, no.
We build our planes and our trains till we think we might die,
Far from North America,
Where the buildings are old and you might have lots of mimes.
Aha, oh, oh.
I hate the feelin' when you're looking at me that way
Cause we're North Americans
But if we act all shy, it'll make it ok;
Makes it go away.
Oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
When we're North American
But in the end we make the same mistakes all over again
Come on North Americans
We are North American scum
We're from North America
And all the kids, all the kids, that want to make a scene
Here in North America
When our young kids get to read it in your magazines
We don't have those
So where's the love, where's the love, where's the love, where's the love, where's the love tonight?
But there's no love man, there's no love and the kids are uptight
So throw a party till the cops come in and bust it up
Let's go North Americans
Oh you were planning it I didn't mean to interrupt
Sorry
I did it once and my parents got pretty upset
Freaked out in North America
But then I said the more I do it, the better it gets
Let's rock, North America
We are North American scum
We're from North America
We are North American scum
We are North American
New York's the greatest if you get someone to pay the rent
Wa-hoo North America
And it's the furthest you can live from the government un huh huh
Some fat American Christians might disagree
Here in North America
But New York's the only place we keep them off the street
Boo boo Now we can't have parties like in Spain where they go all night
Shut down in North America
Or like Berlin where they go another night, alright, un huh un huh
You see I love this place that I have grown to know
Alright, North America.
And yeah, I know you wouldn't touch us with a ten-foot pole
'cause we're North Americans.
We are North American scum
We are North Americans
We are North American scum
We love North America
Take me back to the states man!
North American scum
Where we can be in any one of million new bands!
North American
Where the DJ gigs arn't as fun!
Here in North American scum
Don't blame the Canadians!
Let's go North America!
04 Someone Great (06:25)
I wish that we could talk about it,
But there, that's the problem.
With someone new I could have started,
Too late for beginnings.
The little things that made me harassed,
Are gone in a moment.
I miss the way we used to argue,
Locked in your basement.
I wake up and the phone is ringing,
Surprised, as it's early.
And that should be the perfect warning,
That something's a problem.
To tell the truth I saw it coming,
The way you were breathing.
But nothing can prepare you for it,
The voice on the other end.
The worst is all the lovely weather,
I'm sad it's not raining.
The coffee isn't even bitter,
Because what's the difference?
There's all the work that needs to be done,
It's late for revision.
There's all the time and all the planning,
And songs to be finished.
And it keeps coming,
And it keeps coming,
And it keeps coming,
Till the day it stops
(Repeat x3)
And it keeps coming,
(Repeat x7)
Till the day it stops.
I wish that we could talk about it,
But there, that's the problem.
With someone new I could have started,
Too late for beginnings.
You're smaller than my wife imagined,
Surprised you were human.
There shouldn't be this ring of silence,
But what are the options?
When someone great is gone.
(Repeat x8)
We're safe, for the moment.
Saved,
For the moment.
06 Us v Them (08:29)
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
And so all the good people wanna rescue
All the small people wanna talk to you
All the clever people wanna tell you
All the little people wanna dance its true
But the time has come, the time has come, the time has come, the time has come
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come, the time has come
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
And so all the good people wanna rescue
All the small people wanna talk to you
All the clever people wanna tell you
All the little people wanna dance its true
Cloud, block out the sun
Over me, over me
And spoil, spoil all the fun
Won’t you please
Cloud, block out the sun
Over me, over me
And spoil, spoil all the fun
Wont you please
If you please, please anyone
Talk to me talk to me
All you boys, lonely and drunk
On your knees
Us and Them
Over and over again
Us and Them
Over and over again
Us and Them
Over and over again
Us and Them
Over and over and over again
Because all the good people wanna rescue
All the small people wanna talk to you
All the clever people wanna tell you
All the little people wanna dance its true
So its Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over and over and over
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over and over and over
All the good people wanna rescue
All the small people wanna talk to you
All the clever people wanna tell you
All the little people wanna dance its true
Its just Us and Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us and Them
Over and over again
07 Watch the Tapes (03:55)
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
I get all confused when you mix up the dates....
Woah!
Don't gimme the pretend you come for the weekend
And you stay for the week
You say that you hate it but that's how you made it
Just to keep it oblique
We're both high high high, high high on lemon sips
We're all suh-suh-suh sucked-in-by parlour tricks
Oh the people deceive you the kids never leave
Cuz you make them at home
You try to appease them and they show you the stick
But still you pick up the phone
But hey man, you can take it
As long as they don't shove you out in the cold
It's not getting better, no it's not getting better, man
It's just getting old
And ah ooh! We do what we're programmed to do--
Hey we do what we're told
Ah woo-hoo
I never remember to carry my book when i get on the bus
You never forget it's your time to collect
When they are making a fuss
We're both high high high, high high on lemon sips
We're all high high high, high high on wiggling hips
And ah ooh! You break off your plans for the weekend
And ah ooh! You can tell them the dates
But that don't mean they'll let you go
Ah woo-hoo
Yeah
Ah woo-hoo
Don't gimme the pretend you come for the weekend
And you stay for the year
Avoid all the plans cuz we're making our day jobs
Into a steady career
We're both high high high, high high on lemon sips
We all claw claw claw, cli-climb-on to sinking ships
And ah ooh! Avoid all the cold sideways glances
And ah ooh! Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!
And then turn to stone
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
You turn 25 and now you're all out of escapes
C'mon
Hey the rock writer told me to tell you:
"Though you're great and you're brave
You still lack that which makes you a star."
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
We all get a little drunk and then we act like apes
Ow!
08 Sound of Silver (07:07)
Sound of Silver talk to me,
Makes you want to feel like a teenager.
Until you remember the feelings of
A real live emotional teenager
Then you think again
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Altre recensioni
Di halo1
James Murphy è stato indubbiamente colui che meglio di tutti ha ridefinito il concetto di indie rock nel nuovo decennio.
"Sound of Silver" è un disco che nella sua maggiore brevità forse riassume meglio l'essenza stilistica e creativa di Murphy e compagnia.
