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Solitamente, il 1994 non è considerato il periodo d’ oro di Morrissey; sebbene in quell’ anno abbia piazzato il suo unico singolo nella top 50 della classifica di Billboard (la trascinante “The More You Ignore Me, The Closet I Get” ) e abbia raggiunto il primo posto nelle charts anglosassoni, il suo nome continua inevitabilmente a rievocare gli anni ’ 80 targati Smiths, o al massimo i suoi inizi da solista, con una serie di singoli di successo, il sold-out in 23 minuti alla Hollywood Bowl e lo scandalo del Finsbury Park a cui seguirono le note accuse di razzismo da parte dell’ Nme. Eppure, ascoltando questo disco, non si può fare a meno di notare la maturità raggiunta dai testi, mai così profondi (finalmente non troppo ancorati a tematiche tardo-adolescenziali e sempre meno diretti), e la raffinatezza delle composizioni di Boorer e Whyte, capaci di mettere su dei brani di un pop rock maturo e mai banale.
L’album, grazie anche alla mano del produttore Steve Lillywhite (già con gli U2), risulta estremamente compatto ed omogeneo, ed un’atmosfera di elegante malinconia pervade l’ intero disco, come si intuisce fin dalla intensa opening-track, “Now My Heart Is Full” . Le uniche canzoni che spezzano l’andamento sommesso e cupo del disco (il già citato singolo “ The More You Ignore me… ” e “ Billy Bud” ) rimangono pezzi pregevoli, ma perdono fascino in mezzo a tracce intrise di pathos quali quelle che li circondano. Morrissey ci canta del valore dell’ amicizia (“Hold On To Your Friends” , “Speedway” ), della sua incapacità d’amare (“I Am Hated For Loving” ), dell’ importanza di trovar se stessi (“Why Don’ t You Find Out For Yourself” ), e si mostra abile cantastorie in quadretti narrativi sotto forma di canzone in pezzi quali “Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning” , “ Billy Bud” e “Spring-Heeled Jim” .
Musicalmente l’album si discosta sia dalla sua precedente produzione che dal grunge e dal brit-pop allora imperanti; le chitarre non graffiano mai, anzi cercano delicati arpeggi e confortevoli melodie su cui Morrissey poggia con destrezza la sua voce, mai tanto calda, e richiamano talvolta armonie da pop da camera anni ’ 60 (“The Lazy Sunbathers” , “Used To Be A Sweet Boy” ). In definitiva, questo è il picco più alto della carriera di Morrissey da solista, un disco splendido, intenso e a tratti commovente. Forse non il migliore per conoscerlo, ma senz’ altro il migliore per apprezzarlo.
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02 Spring-Heeled Jim (03:47)
Spring-heeled Jim winks an eye
he'll "do," he'll never be "done to"
he takes on whoever flew through
"Well, it's the normal thing to do"
Spring-heeled Jim lives to love
Now kissing with his mouth full
And his eyes on some other fool
So many women
His head should be spinning
Ah, but no!
Spring-heeled Jim slurs the words:
"There's no need to be so knowing
Take life at five times your average speed, like I do"
Until Jim feels the chill
"Oh, where did all the time go?"
Once always in for the kill
Now it's too cold
And he feels too old
03 Billy Budd (02:08)
Say, Billy Budd
So you think you should?
Oh, everyone's laughing
Say, Billy Budd
So you think that you should?
Everyone's laughing!
Since I took up with you
Things have been bad
Yeah, but now it's 12 years on
Now it's 12 years on
Yes, and I took up with you
I took my job application into town
Did you hear? They turned me down
Yes, and it's all because of us
Oh, and what was in our eyes
Oh, what was in our eyes, yeah
I said, Billy Budd
I would happily lose
Both of my legs
I would lose both of my legs
Oh, if it meant you could be free
Oh, if it meant you could be free
(Don't leave us in the dark!)
04 Hold On to Your Friends (04:02)
A bond of trust
Has been abused
Something of value
May be lost
Give up your job
Squander your cash - be rash
Just hold on to your friends
There are more than enough
To fight and oppose
Why waste good time
Fighting the people you like
Who would fall defending your name
Don't feel so ashamed
To have friends
But now you only call me
When you're feeling depressed
When you feel happy I'm
So far from your mind
My patience is stretched
My loyalty vexed
You're losing all of your friends
Hold on to your friends
Hold on to your friends
Resist - or move on
Be mad, be rash
Smoke and explode
Sell all of your clothes
Just bear in mind:
There just might come a time
When you need some friends
05 The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get (03:44)
The more you ignore me
The closer I get
You're wasting your time
The more you ignore me the closer I get
You're wasting your time
I will be
In the bar
With my head on the bar
I am now
A central part
Of your mind's landscape
Whether you care
Or do not
Yeah, I've made up your mind
The more you ignore me
The closer I get
You're wasting your time
Beware!
I bear more grudges
Than lonely high court judges
When you sleep
I will creep into your thoughts
Like a bad debt that you can't pay
Take the easy way
And give in
Yeah, and let me in
Oh, let me in
It's war
It's war
It's war...
11 Speedway (04:29)
And when you slam
Down the hammer
Can you see it in your heart?
All of the rumours
Keeping me grounded
I never said, I never said that they were
Completely unfounded
So when you slam
Down the hammer
Can you see it in your heart?
Can you delve so low?
And when you're standing
On my fingers
Can you see it in your heart? ...ah...
And when you try
To break my spirit
It won't work
Because there's nothing left to break
Anymore
All of the rumours
Keeping me grounded
I never said, I never said that they were
Completely unfounded
You won't sleep
Until the earth that wants me
Finally has me
Oh you've done it now
You won't rest
Until the hearse that becomes me
Finally takes me
Oh you've done it now
And you won't smile
Until my loving mouth
Is shut good and proper
FOREVER
All of the rumours
Keeping me grounded
I never said, I never said that they were
Completely unfounded
And all those lies
Written lies, twisted lies
Well, they weren't lies
They weren't lies
They weren't lies
I never said
I never said
I could have mentioned your name
I could have dragged you in
Guilt by implication
By association
I've always been true to you
In my own strange way
I've always been true to you
In my own sick way
I'll always stay true to you
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