• Voto:
Sei anni di prigione son lunghi. Il tempo scorre piano, maledettamente lento, in testa uno ha mille pensieri, tormenti, attimi di sconforto, di debolezza. Si ha anche tutto il tempo per pensare al proprio passato, valutare cose positive o negative e ti viene fuori un senso di rivalsa, di febbrile voglia di uscire e di risorgere, di riabbracciare il tuo strumento e tirare fuori davanti al mondo il meglio di se...Questo ovviamente posso solo immaginarmelo, non sono mai stato in galera e spero non accada mai, chi lo sa, comunque penso che questo sia stato lo stato d'animo di Arthur Lee in quel periodo.
Nel lontano ormai 1967, Lee aveva solo 22 anni e con il suo gruppo, i Love, diede alla luce la sua opera più profonda ed importante, l'album "Forever Changes", ormai considerato un "masterpiece" dagli addetti ai lavori e dagli appassionati di musica in generale. In quel periodo non se lo cagò nessuno però; nell'era della "summer of love", della musica allegra, felice, spensierata, pochi o nessuno avevano notato la bellezza di quest'opera, che difatti vendette molto poco e solo successivamente venne rivalutata ed elevata a grande album. Canzoni ben realizzate, ben suonate, ma attorniate da un profondo senso di malinconia, incertezza, che ben si distanziavano dal modo di vivere e di pensare dei giovani in quel periodo; inoltre il disco fu anche poco pubblicizzato dal vivo, poche date e poche canzoni dell'album furono suonate live dalla band, soprattutto a causa della volontà di Lee di non allontanarsi troppo da Los Angeles e dintorni, impaurito dal fatto di non poter reperire con facilità l'eroina, di cui era (come gli altri della band) consumatore accanito.
Uscito dalla galera, nel 2001 Lee aveva voglia di rimettersi in gioco, salire su un palco e riportare alla luce la sua opera magna, divertendosi e lasciando alle spalle un brutto periodo della sua vita. Ingaggiò una band, i Baby Lemonade, musicisti eccellenti che da sempre avevano amato ed apprezzato la musica dei Love, ed una sezione orchestrale svedese, diretta dal compositore Gunnar Norden, voglioso di portare in giro per il mondo finalmente l'intero album, cosa mai successa prima. I concerti partirono dall'Inghilterra, precisamente con la data a Milton Keynes, scelta ideale in quanto fu proprio in quel paese che l'album arrivò al numero 24 in classifica, migliore posizione mai ottenuta dall'opera, mentre la data che fu registrata per poi comparire sul disco è quella al Royal Festival Hall del 15 gennaio.
Lee e soci vennero accolti da un grande applauso mentre salivano sul palco; Lee ringrazia il pubblico e la band parte subito con l'arpeggio acustico iniziale di "Alone Again Or", meravigliosa canzone di apertura, caratterizzata dal morbido cantato del leader, impreziosito dal grande lavoro della sezione orchestrale, dai fiati mariachi e dall'ottimo lavoro della band che riproduce fedelmente l'originale in studio. "A House Is Not A Motel" inizia con il suo potente incedere, rivitallizzata anche da uno splendido gioco di chitarre tra Lee ed il preciso Squeezebox, che si lancia anche in un potente assolo che delizia il pubblico. La delicatezza e la purezza di "Andmoreagain" è a mio modo di vedere eccezionale; morbida, avvolgente, delicata e cantata in modo sentito e vivo dal musicista di Memphis, eccezionale interprete e con una voce degna degli anni d'oro passati. Lee, sempre magro come un chiodo e visibilmente invecchiato da una vita sempre vissuta al massimo, sembra ringiovanito e rivitalizzato nello stare sul palco a fare quello che gli viene meglio; canta con il cuore le canzoni, sempre con quella voglia di stupire ed incantare il pubblico presente, che lo incita e lo ama. "The Red Telephone", altro pezzo classico dell'album, appare anche meglio in versione dal vivo, come anche la magistrale "Live And Let Live". Dopo la spensierata "Bummer In The Summer" è la volta della fantastica "You Set The Scene", che partendo con un ritmo sostenuto, si trasforma in una delicata ballata d'altri tempi; il ritmo cala, la canzone si trasforma e si snoda su percorsi diversi, il lavoro dei fiati e dei violini è eccellente, niente lasciato al caso, tutto ben studiato ed emozionante. C'è ancora tempo per altri classici della band, "Seven And Seven Is", uno dei cavalli di battaglia dell'album "Da Capo" e "My Little Red Book", storico brano di Bacharach già presente nell'album omonimo di debutto dei Love, sempre eseguite in modo impeccabile dai vari strumentisti.
Posso solo consigliarvi di cercare il disco in questione, molto ben fatto e fedele all'originale in studio, toccante, emozionante, che trasmette gioia ma allo stesso tempo quella malinconia positiva che valorizza le canzoni. Lee morì qualche anno dopo di un male incurabile e violento ma l'eredità lasciataci è enorme e per questo da appassionati di buona musica lo ringrazieremo per sempre...
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Alone Again Or (04:20)
Yeah, said it's all right
I won't forget
All the times I've waited patiently for you
And you'll do just what you choose to do
And I will be alone again tonight my dear
Yeah, I heard a funny thing
Somebody said to me
You know that I could be in love with almost everyone
I think that people are
The greatest fun
And I will be alone again tonight my dear
Yeah, I heard a funny thing
Somebody said to me
You know that I could be in love with almost everyone
I think that people are
The greatest fun
And I will be alone again tonight my dear
02 A House Is Not a Motel (04:06)
At my house I've got no shackles
You can come and look if you want to
In the halls you'll see the mantles
Where the light shines dim all around you
And the streets are paved with gold and if
Someone asks you, you can call my name
You are just a thought that someone
Somewhere somehow feels you should be here
And it's so for real to touch
To smell, to feel, to know where you are here
And the streets are paved with gold and if
Someone asks you, you can call my name
You can call my name
I hear you calling my name yeah all right now
By the time that I'm through singing
The bells from the schools of wars will be ringing
More confusions, blood transfusions
The news today will be the movies for tomorrow
And the water's turned to blood, and if
You don't think so
Go turn on your tub
And it it's mixed with mud
You'll see it turn to gray
And you can call my name
I hear you call my name...
03 Andmoreagain (04:05)
And if you'll see Andmoreagain
Then you will know Andmoreagain
For you can see you in her eyes
Then you feel your heart beating
Thrum-pum-pum-pum
And when you've given all you had
And everything still turns out
Bad, and all your secrets are your own
Then you feel your heart beating
Thrum-pum-pum-pum
And I'm
Wrapped in my armor
But my things are material
And I'm
Lost in confusions
'Cause my things are material
And you don't know how much
I love you
Oh, oh, oh...
And if you'll see Andmoreagain
Then you might be Andmoreagain
For you just wish and you are here
Then you feel your heart beating
Thrum-pum-pum-pum
And I'm
Wrapped in my armor
But my things are material
And I'm
Lost in confusions
'Cause my things are material
And you don't know how much
I love you
Oh, oh, oh...
07 Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale (03:57)
Verse 1:
What is happening and how have you been
Gotta go but I'll see you again
And oh, the music is so loud
And then I fade into the...
Verse 2:
Crowds of people standing everywhere
'Cross the street I'm at this laugh affair
And here they always play my songs
And me, I wonder if it's...
Verse 3:
Wrong or right they come here just the same
Telling everyone about their games
And if you think it obsolete
Then you go back across the street
Yeah, street, hey hey
Verse 4:
When I leave now don't you weep for me
I'll be back, just save a seat for me
But if you just can't make the room
Look up and see me on the...
Verse 5:
Moon's a common scene around my town
Here where everyone is painted brown
And if we feel that's not the way
Let's go paint everybody gray
Yeah, gray, yeah
08 Live and Let Live (05:13)
Oh, the snot has caked against my pants
It has turned into crystal
There's a bluebird sitting on a branch
I guess I'll take my pistol
I've got it in my hand
Because he's on my land
And so the story ended
Do you know it oh so well
Well should you need I'll tell you
The end-end-end-end-end-end-end-end
And...
Yes I've seen you sitting on the couch
I recognize your artillery
I have seen you many times before
Once when I was an Indian
And I was on my land
Why can't you understand
And so the story ended
Do you know it oh so well
Well should you need I'll tell you
The end-end-end-end-end-end-end-end
And...
Served my time
Served it well
You made my soul
Write the rules
In the sky
But ask your leaders
Why Why
Oh, the snot has caked against my pants
It has turned into crystal
There's a bluebird sitting on a branch
I guess I'll take my pistol
I've got it in my hand
Because he's on my land
And so the story ended
Do you know it oh so well
Well should you need I'll tell you
The end-end-end-end-end-end-end-end
And...
Served my time
Served it well
You made my soul
10 Bummer in the Summer (02:34)
Well I remember when you used to look so good
And I did everything that I possibly could for you
We used to ride around all over town
But they're puttin' you down for bein' around with me
But you can go ahead if you want to
'Cause I ain't got no papers on you
In the middle of the summer I had a job bein' a plumber
Just to pass till the fall it was you I wanna ball all day
Ah-we were walkin' along, honey, hand in hand
I'm a-thinkin' of you, mama, when you're thinkin' of another man
But you can go ahead if you want to
'Cause I ain't got no papers on you
(No, I don't I ain't got no papers on myself)
All alone on the bone when I didn't have a home
When I saw the way I was and I knew where I was supposed to be
I was twitchin' so I turned and it's really hard to learn
That everyone I saw was just another part of me
But you can go ahead if you want to
'Cause nobody's got no papers on you
(No, babe, it's just a falsehood)
11 You Set the Scene (07:50)
Where are you walking, I've seen you walking
Have you been there before?
Walk down your doorsteps, you'll take some more steps
What did you take them for?
There's a private in my boat and he wears
Pins instead of medals on his coat
There's a chicken in my nest and she won't
Lay until I've given her my best
At her request she asks for nothing
You get nothing in return
If you want she brings you water
If you don't then you will burn
You go through changes, it may seem strange
Is this what you're put here for?
You think you're happy and you are happy
That's what you're happy for
There's a man who can't decide if he should
Fight for what his father thinks is right
There are people wearing frowns who'll screw you up
But they would rather screw you down
At my request I ask for nothing
You get nothing in return
If you're nice she'll bring me water
If you're not then I will burn
This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going
There'll be time for you to start all over
This is the only thing that I am sure of
And that's all that lives is gonna die
And there'll always be some people here to wonder why
And for every happy hello, there will be good-bye
There'll be time for you to put yourself on
Everything I've seen needs rearranging
And for anyone who thinks it's strange
Then you should be the first to want to make this change
And for everyone who thinks that life is just a game
Do you like the part you're playing
I see your picture
It's in the same old frame
We meet again...
You look so lovely
You with the same old smile
Stay for a while...
I need you so, oh, oh, oh, oh
And if you take it easy
I'm still teethin'
I wanna love you, but
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...
This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going
There'll be time for you to start all over
This is the time and this is the time and
It is time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time...
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