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Tornano i Mercury Rev, con nuove pagine fiabesche e sognanti.
Già, pagine: la confezione del cd è un vero e proprio volumetto. La copertina cartonata che ritrae una fata-farfalla viola e oro, le illustrazioni nel booklet, la consistenza stessa della carta: sembra proprio un antico libro di favole.
E premere i tasti dello stereo con dentro "The Secret Migration" (V2 Music, 2005) è come sfogliare le pagine di "Racconti Fantastici Dell'Ottocento", una raccolta curata da Italo Calvino (Arnoldo Mondatori Editore, 1983), che - fortunata coincidenza - sto leggendo in questi giorni. Stupefacenti sono sia le atmosfere delle due opere, sia - a tratti - la loro sintonia.
Leggo per esempio la storia Sortilegio D'Autunno, di un autore romantico tedesco; e ascolto Secret For A Song, traccia di apertura del disco. In entrambe, una dama dal fascino irreale e inquietante; e un segreto confidato con l'anima in pena.
Scrive nel 1809 Joseph von Eichendorff: "Mi baciò sulle labbra e scomparve negli oscuri corridoi. Una gemma del suo fiore scintillò nel movimento e al suo bacio mi serpeggiò nelle vene un'atterrita voluttà. Ripensai con terrore alle spaventevoli parole che mi aveva sussurrato andandosene".
Canta oggi Jonathan Donahue: "Dawn brought a wild light back into her tired eyes / like violets / opening her eyelids to the light / ... / I'll take you where the morning stars burns just for you / my dark country bride / I'll tell you a secret / I'll sell you a secret for a song".
Dall'introduzione di Calvino: "Se nella maggior parte dei casi l'immagine romantica crea attorno a sé uno spazio popolato d'apparizioni visionarie, vi è pure il racconto fantastico in cui il soprannaturale resta invisibile, 'si sente' più di quanto non 'si veda', entra a far parte d'una dimensione interiore".
Già: si sente, eccome. I racconti dei Mercury Rev sono 'sonici', di suoni soprannaturali: tappeti d'archi, scintillii levigati, la voce eterea di Jonathan, le chitarre allucinate di Grasshopper, i tocchi del produttore Dave Fridmann, sempre più padrone di questi temi (i suoi stessi tocchi di recente hanno colorato le musiche di - ne cito solo due - Sparklehorse e The Flaming Lips) e sempre più in sintonia con la via del dream-pop imboccata dai Mercury Rev negli ultimi lavori.
Siamo distanti dalle vette di "Deserter's Songs" (1998) e ancor più dalla bizzarra psichedelia degli esordi ("Yerself Is Steam" era del 1991), ma non si può certo dire che questo 2005 sia iniziato male nel mondo fatato delle sette note. Tutto il contrario.
...Ah, quel libro di racconti, leggetelo. Assaporerete, nelle tonalità dell'epoca, una modernissima e squisita veduta sull'interiorità dell'individuo. E vi dispiacerà arrivare alla parola "Finis", la stessa scritta in fondo al booklet di "The Secret Migration".
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Secret for a Song (04:01)
Dawn brought a wild light, back into her tired eyes,
Like violets, opening her eyelids to the light,
Oh she was golden, I caught her still glowing,
I told you where we're goin' girl,
We're off for a dark country ride
I'll tell you a secret, I'll sell you a secret for a song,
Some day I'll tell you and take you back home where you belong
All the leaves are falling, Two suns are slowly rising,
I'll take you where the morning star burns just for you,
My dark country bride
I'll tell you a secret, oh I'll sell you a secret for a song,
I'll give you my soul, babe, an one day you'll give me yours
Oh I'll tell you a secret, I'll sell you my secret for a song,
I'll give you my soul, babe, an one day you'll give me yours
I'll tell you a secret, I'll sell you my secret for a song,
Some day I'll tell you and take you back home where you belong
03 Diamonds (03:51)
Look how the sun, captured by the rain,
Glimmers and falls, and lands in golden balls,
Like a bracelet hung, from a spider's web,
For me to show to you, like gifts,
That you won't forget...
For as long as you live...
See how the rain, captured by the leaves,
Shimmers and falls, and lives on in diamond balls,
Like a necklace hung, over limb and branch,
For me to show to you, like gifts,
That you won't forget...
For as long as you live...
Watch how the stars, captured by the sky,
Appear to die, before our eyes and live on, in other ways,
Well tonite they're mine, for me to show,
For me to shower you, like gifts,
That you won't forget...
For as long as you live...
And you will always have...
For I will always give them...
To you
04 Black Forest (Lorelei) (04:46)
If I was a white horse...an offered you a ride...
Thru a black forest
If we took a strange course...promised you a danger...
For a while
Ooh-ooh (..a white horse)...Lorelei
Ooh-ooh (..a white horse)...Lorelei
There's no way 'round the forest...the only way is thru
An' there's no way I'll ever make it on my own..without you
But if you are persuaded...by all those dragonflies offering you a ride...
I'll know why
Ooh-ooh (..a white horse)...Lorelei
Ooh-ooh (..a white horse)...I'll know why
I'll know why
Forests come in all size...danger many shapes...
Well who's to say
If I was a white horse...offered you a ride...
Thru a black forest
06 In the Wilderness (02:32)
Has she found a way to make her man work out rite,
An' has she found a way to let her man into her life,
Has she found a way to teach her man some control,
Oh to make him understand her, as a whole,
Will she find a way to tell him just how lost she is,
An' will he find a way to lead her out of the wilderness,
Take her by surprise, and not by force,
Oh able to withstand, all her storms,
In the wilderness..things aren't what they seem,
In the wilderness..life is but a dream,
That flows on..that flows on...
Will he find a way to let her play such a sacred role,
Will she find a way to forgive him as a whole,
Oh how can he have been so blind for so long,
An' how can the woman I love, be so strong
In the wilderness..things aren't what they seem,
In the wilderness..life is but a dream,
That flows on..that flows on...
07 In a Funny Way (04:01)
On a summer day you can hear her call,
But in a funny way she reminds you of the fall,
On a summer day you can hear her call,
But in a funny way she reminds you of the fall,
Thru the fields an the streams an the lakes an the trees,
An the grass an the logs run all my dogs,
And I am home again
In the autumn air,
You can see her smile,
But in a funny way she reminds you of a child,
In the autumn air,
You feel her soul unfold,
And in a funny way you feel your own explode,
Thru the fields an the streams an the lakes an the trees,
An the grass an the logs run all my dogs,
And I am home again
Ahhhh Ahhhh
Ahhhh Ahhhh
On a winter day,
You can hear her call,
But in a funny way when the snow begins to fall
On a winter day,
You can hear her call,
And in a funny way,
You love her even more
Thru the fields an the streams an the lakes an the trees,
An the grass an the logs run all my dogs,
And I am home again
Thru the fields an the streams an the lakes an the trees,
An the grass an the logs run all my dogs,
And I am home again
On a summer day you can hear her call,
But in a funny way she reminds you of the fall,
On a summer day you can hear her call,
But in a funny way she reminds you of the fall
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di zaireeka
Sono incazzato nero. Soprattutto con me stesso.
Trattasi effettivamente di album piatto, noioso e manierato.
Di Dune Buggy
La band ha attenuato i toni "ipnotici" e ritornata a un rock più genuino.
Purtroppo pecca del disco sono canzoni come "My Love", che suonano ripetitive e noiose.
