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A poche settimane dall'uscita di "Dark Horse", ultima fatica pop-rock targata Nickelback, mi accingo a parlarvi di "Curb", album pubblicato nel 1996 e primo lavoro ufficiale della band di Vancouver dopo l' EP "Husher".
Il motivo del mio ripescaggio sta nel fatto che bisogna assolutamente tracciare una netta linea di divisione tra i primi lavori della band e le ultime 'opere', insomma per essere chiari le varie "Photograph", "Someday", "Gotta Be Somebody" sono solo una faccia della medaglia, quella più in vista (purtroppo) da qualche anno a questa parte, altresì il passato del quartetto strizza l'occhio al grunge.
Dopo un primo ascolto la prima cosa che si evince è la sorprendente vena canora di Chad Kroeger, più tirata rispetto ad ora che spesso rimanda ai vari Cobain e Staley (Nirvana ed Alice In Chains) e non solo, senza però sdegnare l'approccio melodico e cool, caratteristica presente da sempre nel sound dei canadesi.
Parte molto bene l'album con "Little Friend" e "Pusher", pezzi carichi e coinvolgenti che fanno da apripista alla prima grande canzone dell'album, ovvero "Detangler", ottima base alternative e ritornello che si memorizza in due/tre ascolti. Dopo la cupa e aritmica title-track "Curb", troviamo "Where?", altro gran pezzo, nell'ordine il primo che non presenta sfilacciature grunge ma un ottimo rock vecchio stampo. Come appunto detto precedentemente il timbro e le melodie di Kroeger rimandano ad icone del passato, ebbene il primo e unico singolo "Fly" ne è la dimostrazione; fatti i dovuti scongiuri e paragoni, il sound distorto rimanda tantissimo ai Nirvana, sono passati solo due anni dalla morte di Cobain e le influenze si possono sentire dopo solo pochi secondi di ascolto. Scendendo nei particolari anche le liriche sono meno scontate rispetto al presente, nella stessa "Fly" Kroeger viene colpito dalla risposta che la madre da lui alla domanda: "Dove va l'uomo quando muore?" La risposta è che dopo la morte, volando può andare in paradiso o all'inferno. Allora sceglie di uccidersi con una pistola (ogni riferimento è puramente casuale) per vedere dove vola, se vola (wait to fly). Ovviamente mi sono permesso di dare una mia interpretazione al testo, ma le liriche e il videoclip (anche se in modo ovviamente più implicito e nascosto), sembrano dire lo stesso. Tornando all'album, in "Just Four" la batteria e gli accordi delle chitarre sono pressochè identici a quelli di "Smells Like Teen Spirit" e questa è una nota negativa, comunque il cantato è incisivo e convincente, infatti il pezzo verrà poi ripreso nel 2001, verrà riprodotto in una forma più soft e farà parte dell'album di maggior successo della band, ovvero "Silver Side Up".
Buone performance anche nei pezzi finali come "Left" e "I Don't Have", quest'ultimo uno dei brani di maggior spessore dell'album e probabilmente della carriera della band.
Benchè a tratti i campionamenti risultano sin troppo evidenti, "Curb" presenta degli ottimi spunti, forse azzardo a dire che rientra nei migliori cd alternative rock degli ultimi anni, senz'altro entra nella mia personale top ten. Ci tengo a sottolineare cercando di non essere ripetitivo che l'album rispecchia i veri Nickelback, che pian piano col passare degli anni accantoneranno le loro preferenze musicali e le loro idee per dar spazio ad un pop-rock che sa troppo di commerciale e scontato.
Ascoltate "Curb" , rimarrete non necessariamente soddisfatti, ma sicuramente sorpresi.
NB: La copertina non è quella originale del 1996, a causa dello scarso successo che ebbe all'inizio, il Cd viene ripubblicato nel 2002 sfruttando l'onda di "Silver Side Up", uscito l'anno prima.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Little Friend (03:48)
Manhunt to find your daughter
Buried underneath the water
Now they consult a psychic
Find how much I like it
And now I've found a little friend
And now it's just you and me
Borrow one and we will make three
I say we steal one more
Just like we did once before
And now I've found a little friend
It's too fast
This won't last
And to touch
Hurts too much
And now I've found a little friend
And now I thought I told her
That she won't get much older
And now I've found a little friend
And now it makes no difference
Cause I am not quite in yet
And now its on the table
Cause she's perfectly able
And now I've found a little friend
02 Pusher (04:00)
And some say
Why you follow some things so long
So I asked him
And he convinced me before long
Now its over
And I've seen him, don't come back anymore
And he said...
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
Throw a stone into the water
The ripple is broke
Burn the baby
Just for holding the candle too close
Take it all back
Search for justice, don't live there anymore
And he said
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
And why do you see me in this way?
The way that I did
I gave him the means to the end
Yes I did
I bothered not to believe in this way
The way that I did
I made him just to see in this way
The way that I did
I need
I don't ask much anymore
I found
I found something
03 Detangler (03:41)
I asked you to stay
But you said there's no way
I begged-- you to call
And you leave me after all
I know I'm not to blame
I know you don't feel the same
Didn't even tell me why
You just left me here to die
I stand, I fall, I bounce off these 4 walls
You laugh, you leave
And you leave me here alone
I'm guilty too
for giving all to you
Well, that's my one sin
Sorry for giving in
Didn't mean to waste your time
Thanks for wasting mine
Could have to tried to let me be
Would you just set me free?
I stand, I fall, I bounce off these 4 walls
You laugh, you leave
And you leave me here alone,
Is this how its gonna be
It's fine for you and not for me
Did you even care at all
You stand, I fall
Could I pay you not to...
04 Curb (04:51)
Have I gone all too far?
Have I been here before?
If I have let me know
How it goes
Take her place
And I will
See her face
No reason
Let it slide
And I will
Watch her die...
To run through fields
To find, and I will
Hold, then lead, then lie
And I will... no I won't
Is it now really time?
Can I just give mind, if
I can simply trade
Deal Made
Take her place
And I will
See her face
No reason
Let it slide
And I will
Watch her die...
To run through fields
To find, and I will
Hold, then lead, then lie
And I will... no I won't
Run, hide away from me
Desouled, to seek, decide
And I will, no I won't
Run through fields to find
Hold then lead, then lie
And I will
Run, desouled, and
Hold, to heal, to find
And I can't
Where?
I was wrong to think that I could ever trust in you,
I was wrong to think that you might want to trust me, too.
Here I am, here I am,
Here I stand,
Here I am, here I am, here I am, here I stand.
I was wrong to think that I could ever love in you,
I was wrong to think that you might want to love me, too.
Here I am, here I am,
Here I stand,
Here I am, here I am, here I am, here I stand.
So where the hell are you?
So where the hell are you?
So where are you when I need someone, too?
I'm tired of needing you.
06 Falls Back On (02:57)
No, I don't guess
I don't sacrifice
And I know
I don't realize
Just how much
I can idolize ... and I know
And then I find it falls back on
On to me, to see, believe
And down onto you, We do, it's true
And I won't beg to stay, to leave, or to believe
A word you say, and then I guess
It all falls back on you
To find out (find out)
What's the deal
And I guess you don't
Simplify
It's just, you had to
Had to take, and I know
There's a fine line between right and wrong
And I know we knew all along
Just how much I can half belong ... and I know
And then I find out it all falls back on you
Cause I'm really up on this
Cause I've seen it before
Where the hell did I get through you?
07 Sea Groove (03:58)
Take away from me
That what you just gave
Nothing left to heal
Nothing left to save
Given half a chance
Given what we've spent
I will not repay
I will not repent
I don't wanna leave
I don't wanna stay
Get away from me
Stay the hell away
And I will give up my mind
And I will give my way
And I will pluck out my eyes
Yes I will feel my way
Yes I will
Is there something wrong
With the way I feel
I don't wanna beg
I don't have to steal
Let me prove myself
Let me earn your trust
Let me betray
The way that we discussed
I don't want to thieve
I don't want to snatch
Get away from me
Stay the hell away
And I will give up my mind
And I will give my way
And I will pluck out my eyes
Yes I will feel my way
Yes I will
In open hand, unopened gift
Her broken bones, her head won't lift
A decade since you've been gone
Mend the cracks and say so long
Say so long
08 Fly (02:53)
Father, tell me somethin'
Where do bad men go when they die?
And mother says you'll go there but
Wings for her and I and I don't mind
Cause I have always wanted to learn to...
Fly... learn to
Fly... learn to
Fly... learn to
Fly...
Brother, tell me somethin'
If I take this, am I going to die?
And he says no, so then I figure what the hell
I'll try cause it's my life
So light the match and you and I will...
Fly... learn to
Fly... learn to
Fly... learn to
Fly...
Cause I'm on my hands and knees I've crawled eternity to beg forgiveness
And someday I'll be there I swear to you, God, as my witness
For all the trusts I've broke and, let justice know, it's just that easy
Cause I'm a liar, I conspired, I'm a liar...
And father tell your son,
It's not your gun and bloody hands
Don't hide behind locked doors
In dresser drawers those bullets wait to fly...
Fly... wait to
Fly... wait to
Fly... wait to
Fly...
Cause I'm on my hands and knees I've crawled eternity to beg forgiveness
And someday I'll be there I swear to you, God, as my witness
For all the trusts I've broke and, let justice know, it's just that easy
Cause I'm a liar, I conspired, I'm a liar...
09 Just Four (03:54)
I want take his eyes out
Just for looking at you
Yes I do
I want to take his hands off
Just for touching you
Yes I do
And I want to rip his heart out
Just for hurting you
And I want to break his mind down
Yes I do
And I want to make him
Regret life since the day he met you
Yes I do
And I want to make him
Take back all that he took from you
Yes I do
And I want to rip his heart out
Just for hurting you
And I want to break his mind down
Yes I do
10 Left (04:03)
I saw the river, just pulled him down
I knew the man who hunted him down
We watched the river, take him away
Before he died, I could have sworn he said
I am the only one
I am the only one left
Tired and afraid lies a saddened man
Knelt beside him with head in hand
And escaped on a lonely breath
But before he died I could have sworn he said
I am the only one
I am the only one left
Who ever gave a damn about you
I am sorry
I am sorry
I was wrong
I was wrong
I've been wrong for way too long
I am sorry that you're gone
11 Window Shopper (03:42)
Forevers a lonely time and the dogs aren't always
Aren't always on my mind
Cause I didn't free them
The scenery is burning me cause I'm still in it
So why don't you free me
Cause its not my business
What he's done to me
Control is all you really need
And I guess I had it coming, my fault for not runnin
I just dressed too tempting cause your heads fuckin empty
And I can't believe it
I can't believe that you didn't see me
Passing glances fall on me
like screams on deaf ears
They're all laughing at me
with encouraging cheers.
Carico i commenti... con calma
