Ancora scioccata dal pastrocchio dell’ultimo album, ho deciso di rivisitare i Muse degli esordi: quelli del loro primo LP, 'Showbiz'. E che esordi!
Sebbene l’influenza dei Radiohead caratterizzi fortemente tutto il disco (perché i Muse non erano, e ripeto erano, altro che i RH con un pizzico di hardrock, barocco e, se vogliamo, di britpop) Showbiz rimane inequivocabilmente un’ ”ottima copia”. Addirittura in un episodio, quello d’apertura, supera volentieri qualche canzone dei loro principali ispiratori. Quando Bellamy ha scritto “Sunburn”, la prima traccia, non doveva avere più di 21 anni e mi sorprende la maturità di questa canzone che oggi rimane la mia preferita del loro repertorio. Si apre con un fantastico arpeggio al pianoforte… poi quando attacca il basso sopraggiunge la pelle d’oca (and I’ ll feel guilty conscience grown), il ritornello ha anch’esso un suono potente e superbo… la canzone termina con un altro arpeggio, questa volta però molto più vertiginoso a chiudere una canzone ambiziosissima.
L’originalità non peggiora affatto con la famosissima “Muscle Museum” dove troviamo di tutto: introduzione del basso memorabile, motivo di chitarra dal suono latino, ritornello apocalittico e finale con un acuto pazzesco di Bellamy che echeggia una chitarra elettrica. Muscle e museum sono le parole che nel dizionario inglese (non so dove l’ho letto) rispettivamente precedono e succedono a Muse, da qui il titolo. “Fillip” si apre con una sorta di rock energico, malato e irrequieto per poi sfociare in un interludio dal falsetto piagnucolante alla “Paranoid Android”. Dopo quest’ottimo trittico d’inizio, la qualità della musica comincia a degradare.
Degne di nota: “Falling Down”, molto Buckley; la title track, ossessiva, parte in sordina e culmina in un impressionante acuto del cantante nel cui cimentarsi, esagero, non so se una mezzosoprano ci sarebbe riuscita; “Unintended”, ballata triste, lugubre, dolce, sentita e molto toccante; “Uno” nella quale assistiamo all’ormai ricorrente esplosione di chitarra nel rit. e la traccia di chiusura, una notevole love song.
I Muse erano, e ripeto erano, una band talentuosa, perché, nonostante le numerose ispirazioni (se si parla dei primi Muse è impossibile non chiamare in causa Radiohead e Buckley) ricevute, erano riusciti a connubiare influenze diverse in una musica ricercata e, tutto sommato, non priva di estro e originalità. È chiaro, ad ogni modo, che stiano cercando di sorprenderci con nuove svolte di carriera, come d’altronde hanno sempre fatto i Radiohead, ma non credo riusciranno mai ad eguagliare la bellezza delle loro prime due opere.
5 stelle Showbiz non se le merita, ciò è dovuto alla presenza di troppe canzoni per così dire riempitive, in ogni caso un ritorno alle origini per il prossimo album di certo non farebbe loro male.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Sunburn (03:54)
Come waste your millions here
Secretly she sneers
Another corporate show
A guilty conscience grows
And I'll feel a guilty conscience grow
And I'll feel a guilty conscience grow
She burns like the sun
and I can't look away
And she'll burn our horizons
make no mistakes
Come let the truth be shared
No-one ever dared to break
These endless lies
Secretly she cries
She burns like the sun
And I can't look away
And she'll burn our horizons
Make no mistakes
And I'll hide from the world
Behind a broken frame
And I'll run forever
I can't face the shame
And I'll hide from the world
Behind a broken frame
And I'll run forever
I can't face the shame
02 Muscle Museum (04:22)
She had something to confess to
But you don’t have the time so
Look the other way
You will wait until it’s over
To reveal what you’d never shown her
Too little much too late
Too long trying to resist it
You’ve just gone and missed it
It’s escaped your world
Can you see that I am needing
Begging for so much more
Than you could ever give
And I don’t want you to adore me
Don’t want you to ignore me
When it pleases you
And I’ll do it on my own
I have played in every toilet
But you still want to spoil it
To prove I’ve made a big mistake
Too long trying to resist it
You’ve just gone and missed it
It’s escaped your world
Can you see that I am needing
Begging for so much more
Than you could ever give
And I don’t want you to adore me
Don’t want you to ignore me
When it pleases you
And I’ll do it on my own
I’ll do it all by myself
You will never make it
03 Fillip (04:01)
It's happening soon
It's happening soon
It's scent has been blowing in my direction
To me it is new
To me it is new
And it's not gonna change for anybody
And it's gonna be
Our last memory
And it's led me on
And on to you
It's got to be here
It's got to be there
It's got to be now
Or I'll lose forever
To me it is strange
This feeling is strange
But it's not gonna change for anybody
And it's gonna be
Our last memory
And it's led me on
And on to you
Accuse me
Trust me
I never knew
That you were the one
You were the one
And it's gonna be
Our last memory
And it's led me on
And on to you
And it's gonna be
Our last memory
And it's led me on
And on to you
05 Cave (04:45)
Leave me alone, it's nothing serious
I'll do it myself, it's got nought to do with you
And there's nothing you could do
You can see it and you can almost hear it too
You can almost taste it, it's nought to do with you
And there's still nothing that you could do
So come in my cave
And I'll burn your heart away
Come in my cave
And I'll burn your heart away
Please close your ears and try to look away
So you'll never hear a single word I say
And don't ever come my way
Leave me alone, it's nothing serious
I'll do it myself, it's got nought to do with you
And there's still nothing you could do
So come in my cave
And I'll burn your heart away
Come in my cave
And arrest me for my mistakes, yeah
06 Showbiz (05:17)
Controlling my feelings for too long
Controlling my feelings for too long
Controlling my feelings for too long
Controlling my feelings for too long
Forcing our darkest souls to unfold
And forcing our darkest souls to unfold
And pushing us into self destruction
Pushing us into self destruction
They make me
Make me dream your dreams
They make me
Make me scream your screams
Trying to please you for too long
Trying to please you for too long
In visions of greed you wallow
Visions of greed you wallow
Visions of greed you wallow
Visions of greed you wallow
They make me
Make me dream your dreams
They make me
Make me scream your screams
Controlling my feelings for too long
Controlling my feelings for too long
And forcing my darkest soul to unfold
And forcing our darkest souls to unfold
And pushing us into self destruction
And pushing us into self destruction
They make me
Make me dream your dreams
They make me
Make me scream your screams
07 Unintended (03:57)
You could be my unintended choice to live my life extended
You could be the one I’ll always love
You could be the one who listens to my deepest inquisitions
You could be the one I’ll always love
I’ll be there as soon as I can
But I’m busy mending broken Pieces of the life I had before
First there was the one who challenged all my dreams and all my balance
She could never be as good as you
You could be my unintended choice to live my life extended
You should be the one I’ll always love
I’ll be there as soon as I can
But I’m busy mending broken Pieces of the life I had before
I’ll be there as soon as I can
But I’m busy mending broken Pieces of the life I had before
Before you
08 Uno (03:38)
This means nothing to me
'cause you are nothing to me
And it means nothing to me
That you blew this away
'cause you could have been number one
If you only found the time
And you could have ruled the whole world
If you'd had the chance
You could have been number one
And you could have ruled the whole world
And we could have had so much fun
But you blew it away
You're still nothing to me
And this is nothing to me
And you don't know what you've done
But I'll give you a clue
You could have been number one
If you'd only had the chance
And you could have ruled the whole world
If you'd had the time
You could have been number one
And you could have ruled the whole world
And we could have had so much fun
But you blew it away
You could have been number one
And you could have ruled the whole world
And we could have had so much fun
But you blew it away
09 Sober (04:04)
Royal Canadian blended
the spicy aroma had mended me
Matured for years and imported
into my glass you poured it
And you're the only reason that I remain unfrozen
Suppose it stands to reason
That you would turn on me
You're so solid
You're so solid
It burns inside of me, 'cause you're so solid
It burns inside of me
Wild Turkey's been chosen
Its caramel nose can smell me
Arbourler, Jameson I love you
the single malts come burning
And you're the only reason that I remain unfrozen
Suppose it stands to reason
that you would turn on me
You're so solid
You're so solid
It burns inside of me, 'cause you're so solid
It burns inside of me
Royal Canadian blended
the spicy aroma had mended me
And you're the only reason that I remain unfrozen
Suppose it stands to reason
that you would turn on me
You're so solid
You're so solid
It burns inside of me, 'cause you're so solid
It burns inside me
10 Escape (03:31)
You would say anything
And you would try anything
To escape your meaningless
And your insignificance
You're uncontrollable
And we are unlovable
And I don't want you to think that I care
I never would, I never could again
Why can't you just love her?
Why be such a monster?
You bully from a distance
Your brain needs some assistance
But I'll still take all the blame
'cause you and me are both one and the same
And its driving me mad
And its driving me mad
I'll take back all the things that I said
I didn't realize I was talking to the living dead
And I don't want you to think that I care
I never would, I never could again
You would say anything
And you would try anything
To escape your meaningless
And your insignificance
11 Overdue (02:26)
You needed it when I was away
And no matter what I say
You’ll never forget when I wasn’t there so
Why should I care?
I’m young but I know that I’m aroused
You know that I care
You should have been there
You know that I care
You should have been there
It doesn’t matter where I have gone
I just can’t afford to
Pay for all the mistakes that you have made
It’s about time I was paid
I’m young but I know that I’m aroused
You know that I care
You should have been there
You know that I care
You should have been there
You know that I care
You should have been there
You know that I care
You should have been there
You know that I care
You should have been there
You know that I care
You should have been there
12 Hate This & I'll Love You (05:09)
Oh I am growing tired
Of allowing you to steal
Everything I have, you're making me feel
Like I was born to service you
But I am growing by the hour
You left us far behind
So we all discard our souls
And blaze through your skies
So afraid to die
'Cause I was born to destroy you
And I am growing by the hour
I'm getting strong in every way, yeah, yeah
You led me on, you led me on, you
Oh, and I'm getting strong in every way, yeah, yeah.
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di Mr_Iko
Showbiz è musica fresca e frizzante, il disco scorre bene tra rock istintivo e ballad tradizionali.
I Muse fanno musica poco impegnativa, che si ascolta di getto senza problemi.
Di B.L.A.C.K.
"Le prime note di 'Sunburn' cominceranno subito a farvi capire se, con pure vari 'spunti', l'album non è poi così male."
"Compratelo masterizzatelo scaricatelo, fate quello che volete ma ascoltatelo. Oppure no, se non vi piace. A voi la scelta."
Di Starblazer
Il grunge è un'ombra, un malessere espresso in musica in forme diverse da ogni autore.
"Muscle Museum" è uno dei capolavori assoluti del rock contemporaneo: potente, profonda, incalzante.
Di mauromuse
Un disco d’esordio pressoché perfetto.
Showbiz è un disco dolce, graffiante, con vaghi accenni malinconici.
