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Magazine atto terzo. "Il corretto uso del sapone" - prova di maturità di una band non così spesso ricordata - è in realtà l'ideale prontuario musicale sul modo di mettere assieme Roxy Music, Sparks, il primo (primissimo) Eno solista e combinarli tutti con la frenesia e il nervosismo post-punk della nuova onda britannica. Senza far gridare al capolavoro, magari; ma confermando il già intuibile spessore di Devoto & soci e la statura dello stesso Devoto (alla cui causa si, ammetto di essere molto devoto...) sia come performer sia come autore in possesso di doti narrative non proprio comuni.
...strano destino, quello che mi ha rimesso dinanzi a questo LP che non ascoltavo da tanto, e che ho riscoperto in circostanze del tutto fortuite assieme a "Swing To The Right" dei MIEI (perdonatemi il possessivo, e non è un pleonasmo) Utopia. Ormai dimenticato in soffitta, dove l'avevo relegato per fare spazio ad altro, l'ho riesumato dovo averne riletto su una rivista ed essermi detto, con immancabile ingenuità visto che tempo prima questo vinile l'avevo stra-amato: "Però, c'erano anche loro". Infatti. Non c'era solo Howard Devoto col suo novello progetto inaugurato con l'ancora acerbo "Real Life"; c'era Dave Formula, c'era John McGeogh che avrei rivisto nei Banshees, c'era il futuro "seme cattivo" Barry Adamson. Tutti nomi importanti, nomi che in qualche modo mi dicevano qualcosa, che però non ricordavo tanto bene in un discorso di gruppo. Questo disco capitava insomma di proposito, e già dalla prima nota balenavano i ricordi; a rendere tutto più chiaro, a mettere a fuoco contorni ancora sfocati.
Ecco là, ogni cosa era al suo posto. Il r'n'r "futurista" di "Because You're Frightened", quella chitarra e quella batteria che ricordavano quanto Devoto aveva - brevemente - fatto nei Buzzcocks; ma con tutt'altro stile, tutt'altro "appeal" - se si può dire. E quel riff. Il rockabilly lunatico e assurdo di "Model Worker" (già, le modelle, soggetti ambigui non a caso tanto amati da Ferry, Manzanera e Mackay), e quelle trame sintetiche, avvolgenti delle tastiere di Formula. Le stesse che ritrovo in "I'm A Party" - appunto, pezzo molto festaiolo ma marcatamente "eniano" nell'ispirazione, penso soprattutto al Brian di "Here Come The Warm Jets", e penso in particolare a un pezzo di quell'album che si intitolava "Cindy Tells Me"; per di più, con quell'intermezzo jazzato/rétro/mezzo swingante che magari in una canzone del genere non vai a cercare. "You Never Knew Me" è il primo episodio veramente maiuscolo, ricordo che quando il disco arrivava a quel punto incominciavo a godere, col refrain che rimaneva nella testa e quel finale quasi epico, con il coro in sottofondo, quel piano che a suonarlo avrebbe benissimo potuto essere Roy Bittan e quel basso che pulsava e graffiava - ma l'avrebbe fatto sempre di più, di solco in solco. Per esempio a sostenere il lunatico e tutt'altro che semplice muoversi di "Philadelphia" e "I Want To Burn Again" - introduzione acustica, penso al Bowie "spaziale" songwriter dei tempi di "Space Oddity", almeno per i primi secondi. E tocco il vertice con "Thank You". "Thank You" cosa, però...? Precisazione d'obbligo: "Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again". Si, ci siamo già incontrati, decisamente. Sylvester Stewart. Adamson pompa e slappa, riprende pari pari il giro di Larry e lo incolla tra il drumming funky (naturale) di John Doyle e la voce svagata di Howard, in palla più che mai - quando si dice, "questa cover è proprio riuscita" - è questo il caso, e con certi monumenti non è facile andarsi a confrontare. Che le nuove leve britanniche siano versate in fatto di black music lo si sapeva, del resto, e i due pezzi successivi (non aspettatevi riempitivi) lo stanno a dimostrare. E poi una "Song From Under The Floorboards" che in 4 minuti e poco più ti condensa tutto quello che la new wave era nel 1980 - McGeogh immenso, e sottolineo IMMENSO, non solo in questo ma in tutti i pezzi dal primo all'ultimo; sì, di chitarra-new wave uno del genere poteva parlare, eccome, non meno di altri più rinomati colleghi.
A quel punto McGeogh, Formula e Adamson andranno a "sbiadire in grigio" nei Visage, per spopolare sulle piste da ballo di mezzo mondo. L'avventura dei Magazine non era del tutto conclusa, ma di sicuro era concluso il periodo migliore. Il periodo perfetto per ripescarli, per chi già li conosceva, e magari anche per scoprirli - per le giovani leve.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Because You're Frightened (03:56)
You love me because you're frightened
and I'm falling in love with you
because I'm getting frightened
of the things you somehow make me do
you love me because you're frightened
I can easily believe my eyes
your fear is my finest hour
my fear is your disguise
Look what fear's done to my body
A frightening world
is an interesting world to be in
in the Forbidden City
or on The Roof of the World
or at the receiving end
of the nine o'clock news
however you put your mind to it
you can find fear where you choose
Look what fear's done to my body
You want to hurt
you want to crave
you want to praise and curse and blame
you want to believe just what you like
then you want to hurt and crave again
They took you to the top of the mountain
they showed you the valley
you bought it
you couldn't wait, could you!
Look what fear's done to my body
You want to hurt ...
02 Model Worker (02:53)
I'm sick of working on the land
I wanna work with machines and look handsome
I have been indulging
in ostentatious display
doing little more than eat
three square meals a day
And I've been shirking my duty
so I've been sending gifts to curry favour
But because I love you
and because you love me
a model worker
I'II willingly be
I need a holiday, I've not been well
take me to the Brocade River Hotel
And I just want to know
while the revolution lasts
will it enable me
to swallow broken glass!
I'm not too worried by hegemony
I know the cadre will look after me
And I just want to know while the revolution lasts
will it enable me to swallow broken glass!
I have been indulging in ostentatious display
doing little more than eat three square meals a day
But because I love you ..
03 I'm a Party (03:05)
I'm such and such
I'm a scream
bad choices take me to task
you'll see
I'll take out the car
but nobody'll want to crash
Take me with you
I'm a party
I don't know where I've been
so all things being equal
I'm a party
I won't know where we're going
You could do me a favour
do whatever you want to
I will let you hurt me
because I know it hurts you
it hurts you
What you say goes
I'm a party
all over the town
I fell into you
I keep up with all that's coming down
So, what's shaking!
I'm a parry
you've got me racing, you've got me racing
the sound of a siren
in all the spaces between
You could do me a favour ...
I know it hurts you
I'm a party
04 You Never Knew Me (05:26)
I don't want to turn around
and find I'd got it wrong
or that I should have been laughing all along
you're what keeps me alive
you're what's destroying me
do you want the truth or do you want your sanity ?
You were hell
and everything else was just a mess
I found I'd stepped into the deepest unhappiness
we get back
I bleed into you
thank God that I don't love you
all of that's behind me now
still seems to be above you
I don't know
I don't know whether I ever knew you
but I know you
I know you never knew me
I don't know
I don't know whether I ever knew you
but I know you
I know you never knew me
Do you want to!
Hope doesn't serve me now
I don't move fast at all these days
you think you've understood
you're ignorant that way
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry
I'm sorry I can't be cancelled out like this
we had to kill too much
before we could even kiss
I don't know ...
06 I Want to Burn Again (05:17)
The newcomer arrives
possession and guilt in his face
apologises to the Customs man
for the gaping hole in his suitcase
says 'I've seen where promises are made
I've seen how people are undone
it's always done
man to man
one to one
I'm ditching an empty suitcase
I've been in Storytown
I've been swimming in poisons
been slowing up and down
I've known the eeriest wounds
the soul's long quarantine
when no rewards remain
no one and nothing comes clean
I've been blown about for years
on my way to you
I've been blown about for years
on my way to you
and I still turn to love
I want to burn again
and I still turn to love
In a room
where arrangements are made for success
you try to say that you possess me
by your caress
I met your lover yesterday
wearing some things I left at your place
singing a song that means a lot to me
I've known a certain grace
I've been blown about for years
on my way to you ..
and I still turn to love
I'm still turning
I want to burn again
08 Sweetheart Contract (03:20)
We drank from cups on standard-issue sofas under scaffolding
informed sources said we were seen by observers - it's a meeting
I received an education
I was dominant for hours
I won myself a wealth of weapons, supermassive wealth
under a sweetheart contract which clearly stated
'Strength is always health'
I had one upper hand
I was dominant for hours
I want to be there, on the far side of sin
I've been putting myself through hell, waiting for hell to begin
I got insurance
I was dominant for hours
My tour-de-force is to forget all that's gone on around and about me
my manners are forever and whatever sells the newspapers suits me
I got an education
I was dominant for hours
I had one upper hand
I was dominant for hours
I got insurance
I was dominant for hours
We'd better give it back, it's not ours
09 Stuck (04:07)
In the rush
the rush of my senses
in the heat
the heat of this moment
in the Palace of Nations
I think I can love you out of weakness
In the heat of this moment I stick myself in laughter
Run for it
I'm running away
know-it-all
I will return again
pushing myself so helpless
hopeless
when I can love you out of weakness
Which of us is to blame!
I'm stupid
I only know enough to get out of the rain
Oh, I really tiptoe, I really tiptoe
Stop
when you cease to amaze me
take a look
my part in the pattern
I know it'll never matter
so I stick myself in laughter
I may love you out of weakness
is that what I was afraid of!
10 A Song From Under the Floorboards (04:11)
I am angry I am ill and I'm as ugly as sin
My irritability keeps me alive and kicking
I know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit
I know beauty and I know a good thing when I see it
This is a song from under the floorboards
This is a song from where the wall is cracked
By force of habit, I am an insect
I have to confess I'm proud as hell of that fact
I know the highest and the best
I accord them all due respect
But the brightest jewel inside of me
Glows with pleasure at my own stupidity
This is a song ....
I used to make phantoms I could later chase
Images of all that could be desired
Then I got tired of counting all of these blessings
And then I just got tired
This is a song ...
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