Sono passati tre anni dal folgorante "Office of Strategic Influence", progetto voluto da Kevin Moore e Jim Matheos, militanti rispetivamente nei Chroma Key e nei Fates Warning, ma tutto questo sotto la supervisione di sua maestà Mike Portnoy.
Il progetto inevitabilmente, dopo un disco d'esordio che fu quasi stroncato dalla critica, ma che a me piacque davvero molto, torna con un album che mi stupisce nuovamente. "Free" è nuovamente perlaceo: meno incentrato su una matrice di stampo progressive e quindi più disegnato per colpire l'ascoltatore con canzoni più dirette e dall'ascolto più semplice.
Il loro primo tentativo era davvero pregevole, ma subiva a volte le iomposizioni di un genere che vuole composizioni ardue e a volte l'obbligo della suite. Questo invece è davvero ottimo ancor di più: lo si capisce dalla prima traccia e dalla seconda: rispettivamente "Sure You Will" dall'andamento techno e la rockeggiante "Free". Sarebbe invece difficila da catalogare "Go", molto basata sull'elettronica, mentre la successiva "All Gone now" richiama le chitarre al protagonismo in un andamento quasi monotono e monocorde ma piacevolissimo.
"Home was good"
è nuovamente dominata dalla calda voce di Moore (in questo disco meno
monotona del precedente) e dall'elettronica. C'è da sottolineare
l'ottimo lavoro alla chitarra e alla batteria. Mai invadenti: Portnoy
sebbene potrebbe strafare in qualsiasi momento si presta bene al
progetto presentando una preformance davvero ottima, semplice ma
diretta ed eficace. Un ottima sorpresa è "Once", molto vicina nuovamente ad atmosfere che richiamano il rock d'annata, soprattutto sembra figlia dei Kraftwerk.
L'elettronica, come già detto in precedenza (e rischio di ripetermi), fa davvero da padrona indiscussa: "Better", "Simple life", "Kicking"
ne testimoniano la presenza piacevole e per niente fastidiosa, anzi, si
sposa ottimamente nelle atmosfere progressive che permeano l'album.
Lascia perplessi invece l'ultima traccia: "Our Town" è una
ballad acustica, dall'incedere country. Sembrerebbe davvero fuori luogo
ma se analizzata in fondo sembra davvero il giusto epilogo per questo
ottimo album.
Naturalmente di questo disco si parlerà pochissimo. Pochi conoscono questi progetti e pochi ne daranno giusto merito acquistando questa piccola gemma. Ed è un peccato enorme perchè trovare lavori del genere è davvero raro. Consigliato a chi ama il progressive ma anche a chi vuole uscire un pò fuori dalla solita musica.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Sure You Will (03:46)
First, I bit you and spit you out
When there was a doubt
Now, I'm calling you when I can
What is a man?
I did it my way, I did it my way
I did it my way on the highway, highway
Did it my way, I did it my way
I did it my way on the highway, highway
Be yourself by yourself
Get yourself a little green pasture
Keep yourself to yourself
Save yourself
Sure you will, sure you will, sure
Give, take, crowd control
They get in my way when I'm starting my day and
Teamwork, self-control
Is making me blue so I knew what I had to do
I did it my way, I did it my way
I did it my way on the highway, highway
Did it my way, I did it my way
I did it my way on the highway, highway
Be yourself by yourself
Drive yourself a little bit faster
Keep yourself to yourself
Save yourself
Sure you will, sure you will, sure
(What is a man?)
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure
Be yourself by yourself
Get yourself a little green pasture
Keep yourself to yourself
Save yourself
Sure you will, sure you will
Be yourself by yourself
Drive yourself a little bit faster
Keep yourself to yourself
Save yourself
Sure you will, sure you will, sure
02 Free (03:22)
Free!
Last man to the bottom
Last man to the bottom
Last man to the bottom
I consider myself free
Last man to the bottom
Last man to the bottom
Last man to the bottom
I consider myself free
Run run run outside
Keep your head covered
Get back in, "Outside?
Are you outta your mind?"
You're free
Watch your mouth
And watch your television
If something don't look right
Dial 1-800-YOURE FREE
Free
You're free
Free
You're free
Run run run outside
Get your hair colored
Hang that thing outside?
Are you outta your mind?
You're free
Watch the sky
And your television
If something don't look right
Dial 1-800-YOURE FREE
Free
You're free
Free
You're free
03 Go (04:16)
On the first day
I set the scene in a magazine
And now I've hurt someone
In the next scene
I cracked the code of the episode
And now I'm having fun
In a house in the mountains
There's a way to fall asleep
And I know when I find it
I will let this go
I can still feel my hope
Which crushed by the force of chromosomes
Its a trailmap to a beartrap
Separating poor torn camoflage
Under house, under water
Lay a wing-clipped history
And I know when I find it
I will let this go
On the first day
I set the scene in a magazine
And now I hurt someone
In the next scene
I cracked the code of the episode
And now I'm having fun
In a house in the mountains
There's a way to fall asleep
And I know when I find it
I will let you go
05 Home Was Good (05:03)
Go on ahead
Your story is just where you left it
Go on ahead
But I still can't believe you can't help it
95% happened in the home
Swallowed by the bed and caught in the phone
Hammering the walls, and sleepwalking falls
Overstepping out and haunting the halls
Go on ahead
Go on ahead
95% happened in the home
Swallowed by the bed and caught in the phone
Hammering the walls, and sleepwalking falls
Overstepping out and haunting the halls
Go on ahead
Go on ahead
06 Bigger Wave (04:32)
First think of a name, ok
Try to keep it the same, the same all day
Now go over your lines
Relax, relax, get into character
Now open an eye, nice try
But put a foot on the floor, then one more
'Cause we're going live, in five.. four...
Get into character
I was thinking we can walk on the water and still find reasons to swim inside
But now I'm worried there's a bigger wave just behind this one
I was thinking there's a bigger wave
I was thinking there's a bigger wave just behind this one
I was thinking there's a bigger wave
I was thinking there's a bigger wave
I was thinking there's a bigger wave
I was thinking we can walk on the water and still find reasons to swim inside
But now I'm worried there's a bigger wave just behind this one
I was thinking
I was thinking we can walk on the water and still find reasons to swim inside
Now I'm worried there's a bigger wave just behind this one
Just behind this one
07 Kicking (03:53)
Again, again
Four times last night
I was on the visitors side
Anybody felt this?
Deep end, 3am
And if it rains again
I think I'm gonna break it again, again
Again again
Again again
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
Point that phone at the floor
You can fire anyone else in a name of hope
Haven't we been through this, haven't we been through this before?
That's my bedroom door you're kicking
Kicking, kicking, kicking
Four-star sanity tripped on a memory
Trapped under water and cold
We drift, blank refugees, tossed 'round roughly
And scream at the border control
Its easy ''(I'm gonna break...)''
Just start kicking
Kicking, kicking, kicking
''(I'm gonna break...)''
Kicking
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
08 Better (04:06)
Things got better when you left, your friends always say that
But I think you better check your leaving memo contract
You don't get to say, you don't get to say goodbye
And I don't want to be the one, but I could try
Things got better when you left, I hang my hat upon it
People say I'm somewhere else, what's so sad about it?
Even though it means, even though it means goodbye
And I don't want to be the one
I don't want to be the one here
I don't want to be the one, but I could try
You're not talking and I'm not talking
The dog's not talking and no one's talking at all when you're home
No bark in the street, no bark in the yard, no bark in the house
Next bark is the sound of my own war for peace
Things got better when you left, so tell your friends about it
I've been saying it to myself, that I can't live without it
Even though it means, even though it means goodbye
And I don't want to be the one
I don't want to be the one here
I don't want to be the one, but I could try
I don't want to be the one, but I could try
09 Simple Life (04:00)
I want a color tv and a newspaper blocking the door
I want a credit card key and a new phonebook on the floor
I want a getaway map of the hallway
I want a bird's eye view of the Hyundai
So I can sleep sleep sleep, or maybe I'll just sit in the car
'Cause here there's no silence ''(so so simple, its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
Best thing is keep singing ''(so so simple, its)''
I want a colorform theme and a vending machine down the hall
I want a ready-made bed and a passport safe in the wall
I want to have it just the way I couldn't give it
I want a life that lives the way we could of lived it
So I can sleep sleep sleep, or maybe I'll just sit in the car
But here there's no silence ''(so so simple, its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
Best thing is keep singing ''(so so simple, its)''
But here there's no silence ''(so so simple, its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
Best thing is keep singing ''(so so simple, its)''
''(so so simple, its)''
''(so so simple, its)''
''(so so simple, its)''
Best thing is keep singing
10 Once (06:38)
''(Once)'' I didn't know you but I saw your trash on the curb
''(Once)'' I'd sit and watch it burn, I couldn't find any words.
''(Now)'' I think I've found them, turns out you've got some words of your own
''(Now)'' Let's try to hide them for ''(once)'' this story, this story
''(Once)'' You made no questions and I try to hum back the words
''(Once)'' Go see it our way when we promised no one gets hurt
''(Now)'' Let's visualize it again, we'll write it right off the page
''(Now)'' Feels so imaginary, ''(once)'' this story, this story
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's film is falling
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's over, it's over
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's over, it's over
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's over, it's over
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's over, it's over
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
11 Our Town (03:20)
Okay, hey, I'm going outside
You can put the plate back on the shelf
And its cold, though the snow isn't falling
The neighbor can speak for himself
And the cold, hard, look in your eye
Is more than a line in the sand
And the truth gets hard to imagine
The hours get harder to stand
There's a seasick terminal passenger singing this song to himself
Till the store-bought soul on his skeleton leaks into somebody else
He's a seesaw caught in a storm, a hurricane after the war
When he drinks all the blood you can offer, he still wants more
Lemon plains, and rumbling trains
Are shaking the ground in our town again
Thought it twice, and kicking the ice
I got myself turned back around, singing
Everything's gonna be fine, sure that we'll both be okay
Hey, I'm backing outside, now just put the plate back on the shelf
And its cold, though the snow isn't falling
The temperature speaks for itself
Its a moonlit reason to quit, and nobody answers the phone
So if there's still blood left in your body, I'll come back home
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