• Voto:
Ho deciso di recensire questo disco per due motivi. Il primo è che Knopfler è in assoluto uno dei mie Artisti preferiti, il secondo è nato dopo aver letto l’ultima recensione di "Shangri-La" fatta su questo sito nella quale si diceva che "The Ragpicker's Dream" sarebbe un album sotto tono... pensiero che non condivido affatto… anzi.
The RPD ha fatto l’opposto di quello che aveva fatto "Sailing To Philadelphia" ovvero è cresciuto col tempo ad ogni ascolto.
"Way Aye Man" è un pezzo (oltre che dal bellissimo testo) decisamente trainante, carico, dove la Les Paul del Nostro la fà da padrone (non per niente aprirà praticamente sempre lo Shangri La tour al primo posto in scaletta!). "Devil Baby" è dolcissima… una canzone se vogliamo “romantica” semplice e delicata.
"Hill Farmer’s Blues" altro gran bel pezzo che parte lento e che cresce nel finale con un continuo intrecciarsi di sonorità elettriche e acustiche come solo il nostro sà fare.
"Qualità Shoe" sembra 1 pezzo scritto per i redivivi Notting come "Daddy’s Gone To Knoxville", entrambe decisamente piacevoli e godibilissime.
Bellissima invece è "Marbletown" dove Mark dà un saggio del suo ben noto e superlativo fingerpicking, il Maestro è lui e sinceramente non avevamo dubbi al riguardo....
Ma veniamo alle due perle ”nascoste” del disco. Le chiamo nascoste perché a un primo ascolto scivolano via, piacevolmente si, ma scivolano... mentre in realtà sono l’emblema del nuovo Knopfler che crea melodie delicate dall’incantevole bellezza; la title track di fatto è di una bellezza commuovente, provate ad ascoltarla in una di quelle fredde giornate che precedono le vacanze natalizie e poi mi dite...
Chiude "Old Pigweed" altro gioiellino soft ma di una bellezza adamantina. Tra le migliori ballate scritte dal Knopfler solista in assoluto… riascoltate… riascoltate e riascoltate per credere.
Lo ammetto che l’avevo erronemante un po’ accantonato, sopprattuto all’inizio. Insomma su 12 canzoni 8 che rimangono ben stampate dolcemente nella memoria. Se vogliamo forse è l’album più malinconico di Knopfler ma non per questo di certo il meno bello!
P.s.: La copertina e tutto il booklet in generale testimoniano in toto il clima che si respirerà ascoltando questo bellissimo disco.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
05 Quality Shoe (03:58)
You got your toecaps reinforced with steel
Hard-wearing sole and heel
Make those tired feet feel like new
Take your pick, black or brown
Great for the country or the man in town
You're gonna need a quality shoe
You don't want no stand-by pair
'cos these'll take the wear and tear
Made to take good care of you
For that trip by road or rail
For extra grip on those rocky trails
You're gonna need a quality shoe
Now they maybe ain't too hot for dancing
But i don't foresee too much of that
You ain't exactly gonna be prancing
Around in the moonlight
With a cane and a top hat
If you could use a change of pace
And be excused from the rat race
Just take a look at what's on view
Lace 'em up, walk around
I guarantee you can't wear 'em down
You're gonna need a quality shoe
Now i wish you sunny skies
And happiness wherever you may go
But you got to realise
There'll be wind, there'll be rain
And occasional snow
You're gonna want to smile in them
If you're gonna walk a mile in them
There'll be times when you'll be blue
To laugh at rainy days and then
Make your getaways in them
You're gonna need a quality shoe
You got your toecaps reinforced with steel
Hard-wearing sole and heel
Make those tired feet feel like new
Take your pick, black or brown
Great for the country or the man in town
You're gonna need a quality shoe
06 Fare Thee Well Northumberland (06:31)
Come drive me down to the central station
I hate to leave my river Tyne
For some damn town that's god-forsaken
Fare thee well, Northumberland
Although I'll go where the lady takes me
She'll never tell what's in her hand
I do not know what fate awaits me
Fare thee well, Northumberland
My heart beats for my streets and alleys
Longs to dwell in the borderlands
The north-east shore and the river valleys
Fare thee well, Northumberland
I may not stay, I'm bound for leaving
I'm bound to ramble and to roam
I only say my heart is grieving
I would not gamble on my coming home
Roll on, Geordie boy, roll
Roll on, Geordie boy, roll
Roll on, Geordie boy, roll
Roll on, Geordie boy, roll
So drive me down to the central station
I hate to leave my river Tyne
For some damn town that's god-forsaken
Goodbye old friend of mine
Although I'll go where the lady takes me
She'll never tell what's in her hand
I do not know what fate awaits me
Fare thee well, Northumberland
So roll on, Geordie boy, roll
Roll on, Geordie boy, roll
Roll on, Geordie boy, roll
Roll on, Geordie boy, roll
07 Marbletown (03:36)
Roll out here mister
If you need a little rest
Lay me down in Marbletown
A bone yard is the best
There was a bad bull on the railroad
Tried to pull me off this train
Lay me down in Marbletown
'Til the coast is clear again
I can hear them a-hollerin'
'We got a man down here
We got a man down'
I'm gonna flip me a cannonball
That won't stop for anyone
Lay me down in Marbletown
Wait 'til morning comes
I'm gonna roll out here in the tombstones
Wait here on my train
Lay me down in Marbletown
I hope that it don't rain
And I can still hear them hollerin'
'We got a man down here
We got a man down'
Roll out here mister
If you need a little rest
Lay me down in Marbletown
A bone yard is the best
09 Coyote (05:58)
Look at me coyote
Don't let a little road dust put you off
You can't judge a book
Well, you know that stuff
There's a tear in my upholstery
And a hole in my shoe
But don't you just wish that you could
Make half of the speed I do
Speed I do, speed I do, speed I do
You can't catch me coyote
Though there may be blood on the tracks
There may be some bridges burning
Behind our backs
But I got my laundry on the backseat
And an itinerary too
And don't you just wish that you could
Make half of the speed I do
Speed I do, speed I do, speed I do
Speed I do, speed I do, speed I do
Now I'm a speck on your horizon
Getting smaller fast
An ambush wouldn't be surprising
I hope it's better than your last
Once again the roadrunner
Leaves the coyote in the dirt
You've got another plan of action
But we all know it ain't never gonna work
It must be hard having dog dreams
That never come true
And don't you just with that you could
Make half of the speed I do
Speed I do, speed I do, speed I do
Speed I do, speed I do, speed I do
12 Old Pigweed (04:35)
Everything was in there
That you'd want to see
Corned beef and onions
And true love
Turnips and tinned tomatoes
Parsnips and a few potatoes
A couple extra blessings
From above
Now this here mingle-mangle
Was my best one yet
A big old bad goulash
Worth waiting for
And I'm just about to dip my can
Taste some brotherhood of man
When I get a feeling
That there's a flaw
Who put old Pigweed
In the mulligan?
Was it you?
Who put old Pigweed
In the mulligan stew?
I close my eyes
For just a minute
What do you do?
Who put old Pigweed
In the mulligan stew?
You won't find self-improvement or philosophy
In a dumpster sitting by
The kitchen door
There's plenty leek and humble pie
Ain't too much ham on rye
Sometimes I wonder
What I'm looking for
But a spoonful of forgiveness
Goes a long, long way
And we all should do our best
To get along
Add a pinch of kindness crumbling
To your loving dumpling
Okra for thickening
When something's wrong
But who put old Pigweed
In the mulligan?
Was it you?
Who put old Pigweed
In the mulligan stew?
I close my eyes
For just a minute
What do you do?
Who put old Pigweed
In the mulligan stew?
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Di claudio carpentieri
Questo è un disco risolutamente knopfleriano dove vengono focalizzati i vecchi amori.
Mi immagino il paradiso come un luogo ove la musica folk incontra la musica blues.
