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Il 3 luglio 1997 Lou Reed tiene un concerto semi-acustico alla Royal Albert Hall di Londra, in occasione del Meltdown Festival curato dalla compagna Laurie Anderson. Per il rocker newyorkese si tratta di un’assoluta novità perciò per l’occasione si munisce di un’apposita chitarra e sale sul palco supportato dalla rodata band composta da Fernando Saunders (basso), Tony Smith (batteria) e Mike Rathke (chitarra). Lou Reed non è mai banale e invece di mettere in fila le solite canzoni più famose del suo repertorio decide di proporre una scaletta sorprendente ripescando pezzi rimasti nell’ombra, i quali acquistano linfa vitale grazie ai nuovi arrangiamenti.
L’esempio più lampante in questo senso è "New Sensations": contenuta nell’omonimo album datato 1984, non certo uno dei migliori, viene esaltata dall’interpretazione vocale aggressiva impressa da Reed. Altre canzoni, più famose, sono stravolte a tal punto da essere irriconoscibili: "Vicious" è privata dell’attitudine glam che la caratterizzava, "The Kids" diventa più travolgente rispetto alla decadente versione originale contenuta in "Berlin", "Riptide" viene spogliata della chitarra elettrica che ne era la spina dorsale e diventa improvvisamente frenetica, "Dirty Blvd" si dilata in lunghezza e ne acquista in incisività. Il punto forte dei brani è l’interpretazione che ne dà l’autore, il quale con il carisma che lo contraddistingue aggiunge parole, ne omette delle altre, salta intere strofe, pone nuovi accenti, spiazza talvolta l’ascoltatore: solo l’inizio del concerto è come da copione, le bellissime e convenzionali "I’ll Be Your Mirror" e "Perfect Day" scorrono velocemente e lasciano il ruolo di protagonista ad altri pezzi.
La scaletta prevede anche tre inediti: la polemica "Why Do You Talk", la vivace "Into The Divine" e la delicata "Talking Book", i quali derivano da una collaborazione di Reed con Robert Wilson per lo spettacolo teatrale "Time Rocker". Certo, non reggono il confronto con gli altri brani in scaletta, ma si inseriscono alla perfezione nella performance.
La versione su cd è un’ottima testimonianza di questa esibizione, che non è un capolavoro al livello di altri live dello stesso artista (e non rimarrà nella storia del rock), ma che rasenta comunque la perfezione. Quattro stelle e mezzo, e tanti applausi.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 I'll Be Your Mirror (03:18)
I'll be your mirror,
Reflect what you are, in case you don't know.
I'll be the wind, the rain and the sunset, light on your door,
To show that you're home.
When you think the night is in your mind
and inside you're twisted and unkind
Let me stand to show that you are blind
Please put down your hands,
'Cos I see you...
02 Perfect Day (03:50)
Just a perfect day
drink sangria in the park
And then later when it gets dark
we go home
Just a perfect day
feed animals in the zoo
Then later a movie too
and then home
Oh, it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spent it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
you just keep me hanging on
Just a perfect day
problems all left alone
We can do this on our own
it's such fun
Just a perfect day
you made me forget myself
I thought I was someone else
someone good
Oh, it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spent it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
you just keep me hanging on
You're going to reap just what you sow
You're going to reap just what you sow
You're going to reap just what you sow
You're going to reap just what you sow
03 The Kids (04:26)
They're taking her children away
Because they said she was not a good mother
They're taking her children away
Because she was making it with sisters and brothers
And everyone else, all of the others
Like cheap officers who would stand there and flirt in front of me
They're taking her children away
Because they said she was not a good mother
They're taking her children away
Because of the things that they heard she had done
The black Air Force sergeant was not the first one
And all of the drugs she took, every one, every one
And I am the Water Boy, the real game's not over here
But my heart is overflowin' anyway
I'm just a tired man, no words to say
But since she lost her daughter
It's her eyes that fill with water
And I am much happier this way
They're taking her children away
Because they said she was not a good mother
They're taking her children away
Because number on was the girl friend from Paris
The things that they did - ah - they didn't have to ask us
And then the Welshman from India, who came here to stay
They're taking her children away
Because they said she was not a good mother
They're taking her children away
Because of the things she did in the streets
In the alleys and bars, no she couldn't be beat
That miserable rotten slut couldn't turn anyone away
I am the Water Boy, the real game's not over here
But my heart is overflowin' anyway
I'm just a tired man, no words to say
But since she lost her daughter
It's her eyes that fill with water
And I am much happier this way
04 Vicious (05:40)
Vicious, you hit me with a flower
You do it every hour
Oh, baby you're so vicious
Vicious, you want me to hit you with a stick
But all I've got is a guitar pick
Oh baby, you're so vicious
When I watch you come, baby, I just want to run far away
You're not the kind of person around I want to stay
When I see you walking down the street
I step on your hands and I mangle your feet
You're not the kind of person that I want to meet
Baby, oh you're so vicious, you're so vicious
Vicious, you hit me with a flower
You do it every hour
Oh, baby you're so vicious
Vicious, hey why don't you swallow razor blades
You must think that I'm some kind of gay blade
But baby, you're so vicious
When I see you coming I just have to run
You're not good and you certainly aren't very much fun
When I see you walking down the street
I step on your hand and I mangle your feet
You're not the kind of person that I'd even want to meet
'Cause you're so vicious, baby, you're so vicious
Vicious, vicious...
05 Busload of Faith (04:27)
You can't depend on your family
you can't depend on your friends
You can't depend on a beginning
you can't depend on an end
You can't depend on intelligence
ooohhh, you can't depend on God
You can only depend on one thing
you need a busload of faith to get by, watch, baby
Busload of faith to get by
busload of faith to get by
Busload of faith to get by
you need a busload of faith to get by
You can depend on the worst always happening
you can depend on a murderer's drive
You can bet that if he rapes somebody
there'll be no trouble having a child
You can bet that if she aborts it
pro-lifers will attack her with rage
You can depend on the worst always happening
you need a busload of faith to get by, yeah
Busload of faith to get by
busload of faith to get by
Busload of faith to get by, baby
busload of faith to get by
You can't depend on the goodly hearted
the goodly hearted made lamp-shades and soap
You can't depend on the Sacrament
no Father, no Holy Ghost
You can't depend on any churches
unless there's real estate you want to buy
You can't depend on a lot of things
you need a busload of faith to get by, woh
Busload of faith to get by
busload of faith to get by
Busload of faith to get by
busload of faith to get by
You can't depend on no miracle
you can't depend on the air
You can't depend on a wise man
you can't find 'em because they're not there
You can depend on cruelty
crudity of thought and sound
You can depend on the worst always happening
you need a busload of faith to get by, ha
Busload of faith to get by
busload of faith to get by
Busload of faith to get by
busload of faith to get by
06 Kicks (04:15)
Hey man, what's your style
How you get your kicks for living
Hey man, what's your style
How you get your adrenalin flowing now
How you get your adrenalin flowing
Hey man, what's your style
I love the way, try to call now
Hey man, what's your style
I ain't jealous of the way you're living
I ain't jealous of the way you're living
When you cut that dude with just a little mania
You did it so, ... ah
When the blood comma' down his neck ...
Don't you know it was better than sex, now, now, now
It was way better than getting mean
'cause it was, the final thing to do, now
Get somebody to come on to you
and then you just get somebody to
to now, now, come on to you
And then you kill 'em, yeah
You kill 'em, now, now, cause I need kicks ...
I'm getting bored, I need, need, need, need now, now some kicks
Oh, give it, give it, give it, give it to me now, now, kicks
Hey man, what's your style
How you get your kicks for living
Hey man, what's your style
How you get your adrenalin flowing now, now, now, now, now
How you get your adrenalin flowing
Hey man, what's your style
You know, I love the way you drive your car now
Hey man, what's your style
I ain't jealous of the way you're living
Ain't jealous of, now, now, the way you're living
Hey, newspaper ...
You did it so, wow, crudely, now
With that blood coming down his chest
It was way better than sex, now, now
It was way better than getting mean
It was the final thing to do
Get somebody to came, come on to you, then
Get somebody to, ah, come on to you
Better kill them now
Better kill him now, now
Yeah, yeah, yeah, kill him now, now
'Cause I need kicks
I need some kicks
I'm getting bored
I need, need, need, need, need, need, need some kicks
Yeah, need, need, need, need, need, need, need some kicks
Oh, give it now, kicks
Yeah, need some kicks
Yeah, need some k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k, kicks
Oh, give it me now, now
Kicks, kicks, kicks, kicks ...
08 Into the Divine (03:34)
I think you're, oh, so beautiful I think you're so kind And I think I would miss you if you disappear into the divine And I think of an apple core when you start thinking of god And I know I would miss you if you disappear into the divine And I think you're so beautiful beautiful as the blackened space and stars But all I see is a coreless seed when you cry for a God who's not there And I think you're so beautiful and I see you're as the sun That shines out through these galaxies shimmering and warm, ah And I think you're so beautiful, oh, oh, oh, oh and if there's one thing I believe at all It's how much I would miss you if you disappear into the divine It's how much I would miss you if you disappear into the divine It's how much I would miss you if you disappear into the divine How much, how much how much, how much How much, how much how much, how much, how, how much If you disappear into the How much, how much (how much), hey, hey, hey, hey .... How much
09 Coney Island Baby (06:10)
You know, man, when I was a young man in high school
you believe in or not I wanted to play football for the coach
And all those older guys
they said he was mean and cruel, but you know
wanted to play football for the coach
They said I was to little too light weight to play line-backer
so I say I'm playing right-end
wanted to play football for the coach
'Cause, you know some day, man
you gotta stand up straight unless you're gonna fall
then you're gone to die
And the straightest dude
I ever knew was standing right for me all the time
So I had to play football for the coach
and I wanted to play football for the coach
When you're all alone and lonely
in your midnight hour
And you find that your soul
it's been up for sale
And you begin to think 'bout
all the things that you've done
And you begin to hate
just 'bout everything
But remember the princess who lived on the hill
Who loved you even though she knew you was wrong
And right now she just might come shining through
and the -
- Glory of love, glory of love
glory of love, just might come through
And all your two-bit friends
have gone and ripped you off
They're talking behind your back saying, man
you're never going to be no human being
And you start thinking again
'bout all those things that you've done
And who it was and what it was
and all the different things you made every different scene
Ahhh, but remember that the city is a funny place
Something like a circus or a sewer
And just remember different people have peculiar tastes
and the -
- Glory of love, the glory of love
the glory of love, might see you through
yeah, but now, now
Glory of love, the glory of love
the glory of love, might see you through
Glory of love, ah, huh, huh, the glory of love
Glory of love, glory of love
Glory of love, now, glory of love, now
Glory of love, now, now, now, glory of love
Glory of love, give it to me now, glory of love see you through
Oh, my Coney Island baby, now
(I'm a Coney Island baby, now)
I'd like to send this one out for Lou and Rachel
and all the kids and P.S. 192
Coney Island baby
Man, I'd swear, I'd give the whole thing up for you
12 Riptide (04:13)
She's out of her mind
like the wind in the storm
Oh, like the ocean in the dawn
as it disappears, with the riptide
She's out of her mind
she's pulled away by the moon
She's ripped from her sleep
as the cold luna sweep gains control
Ooohhh, what you gonna do with your emotions
Ah, ones you barely recognize
In your sleep I heard your screaming, ooohhh
"This is not voluntary! This is not voluntary!
If this is life I'd rather die!"
In the riptide, in the riptide
She's out of her mind, riptide
like a muscle that swells
You know when you trip
whether you're well or sick, your body aches
She's out with the tide
gone to a prisoner's dance
Where a monkey's her date
eating limbs off a plate with a spoon
Ooohhh, what you gonna do with your emotions
said the seagull to the loon
What you gonna do with your emotions
She said "Please wake me up"
She said "Don't touch me now"
She said "I wish I was dead"
With the riptide
She's out of her mind
riptide, you always win
It happens over and over again
riptide
She's out of her mind
like a hurricane's rain
She does not stand a chance
at this luna dance, riptide
I was thinking of Van Gogh's last painting
the wheatfields and the crows
Is that perhaps what you've been feeling
When you see the ground
as you fall from the shy
As the floors disappears from beneath your feet riptide
She's going out of her mind
out with the tide
out of her mind
riptide
She's going out of her mind
with the riptide
She's going out of her mind
ah, riptide
15 Dirty Blvd. (06:05)
Pedro lives out of the Wilshire Hotel
He looks out a window without glass
And the walls are made of cardboard,
Newspapers on his feet
And his father beats him 'cause he's too tired to beg
He's got 9 brothers and sisters
They're brought up on their knees
It's hard to run when a coat hanger beats you on the thighs
Pedro dreams of being older and killing the old man
But that's a slim chance
He's going to the boulevard
He's gonna end up
On the dirty boulevard
He's going out, to the dirty boulevard
He's going down, to the dirty boulevard
This room cost 2,000 dollars a month
You can believe it, man, it's true
Somewhere there's a landlord's laughing till he wets his pants
No one dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or anything
They dream of dealing on the dirty boulevard
Give me your hungry, your tired, your poor I'll piss on 'em,
That's what the Statue of Bigotry says
Your poor huddled masses,
Let's club 'em to death,
And get it over with and just dump 'em on the boulevard
Get 'em out,
On the dirty boulevard
Goin' out,
To the dirty boulevard
They're going down,
On the dirty boulevard
Goin' out
Outside it's a bright night,
There's an opera at Lincoln Center
Movie stars arrive by limousine
The klieg lights shoot up over the skyline of Manhattan
But the lights are out on the mean streets
A small kid stands by the Lincoln Tunnel
Selling plastic roses for a buck
The traffic's backed up to 39th Street
The TV whores are calling the cops out for a suck
And back at the Wilshire, Pedro sits there dreaming
He's found a book on Magic in a garbage can
He looks at the pictures
And stares up at the cracked ceiling
"At the count of 3," he says,
"I hope I can disappear."
And fly, fly away
From this dirty boulevard
I want to fly
From the dirty boulevard
I want to fly
From the dirty boulevard
I want to fly-fly-fly-fly
From the dirty boulevard
I want to fly away,
I want to fly
Fly, fly away
I want to fly
Fly, fly away
(etc., to end)
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