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Subito dopo gli irraggiungibili Bad Religion, il trono dell'HC Melodic 90's, spetta senza ombra di dubbio ai californiani Pennywise, prodotti e lanciati proprio da mamma Epitaph.
Anni luce distanti da certi cazzeggi di nofxiana memoria, cantilene da checca pop-punk alla Billie Joe , e scontati slogan distribuiti a destra e manca, i Pennywise si fanno notare, sin dai convincenti esordi, come una formazione sveglia e sincera, forti di quel lirismo intelligente ed impegnato, sul filone dei tanto cari Bad Religion, che tanto li ha accompagnati durante l'ormai ventennale carriera, in un genere che comincia a risentire dei primi sintomi di commercializzazione/declino, complici il successo mondiale, e i consensi positivi che band mediocri come Offspring, e appunto, Green Day, stanno raggiungendo. Riaggrappandoci al paragone di cui sopra - che più avanti sarà ovvio ripetere -, possiamo tranquillamente accostare questo terzo album, About Time (1995), al capolavoro di Greg & soci, No Control, pietra miliare con cui il recensito in questione ha molto da spartire, sia sotto il punto di vista musicale, con brevi composizioni veloci e taglienti, sorrette dalla classica spiccata dote per melodie memorabili ed avvincenti, sia come tematiche, nel caso dei due dischi, più vicine di quanto si creda.
Prima di sviscerare cotanto lavoro, doveroso ricordare un curioso aneddoto : prima che About Time venisse alle stampe, Jim & compagnia, che nelfrattempo avevano cominciato a farsi apprezzare con i primi buoni lavori, live, e le varie apparizioni sulle Punk O Rama, ricevettero richieste da svariate major per un nero su bianco, allo scopo di ricalcare i successi di metà 90 di Offspring e Green Day, richieste e colloqui sistematicamente rifiutati dai nostri, rimasti fedeli alla Epitaph, (che allora non aveva ancora il monopolio assoluto nel settore melodico insieme a Fat Wreck), fattore interessante che contribuisce a dargli una buona reputazione, e credibilità, in un genere ormai inflazionato da band per adolescenti che puntano più sull'immagine, e l'airplay radiofonico, che sulla passione nel proporre determinata musica e concetti.
Lontano dalla tiepidità e mediocrità dei lavori post 90, qui troviamo la band californiana in forma smagliante, con il compianto bassista Jason Thirsk (che dopo una lunga battaglia con l'alcolismo, morirà un anno dopo, accindentalmente suicida), a dare un ultimo (come sempre eccelso) contributo alla causa, andando a plasmare un lavoro coinvolgente e completo come pochi. [Jason verrà poi omaggiato sulla toccante "Bro Hymn", nel successivo album, ad oggi pezzo di punta della formazione]. Ne consegue quindi un discreto successo commerciale (l'album entrerà sulla prestigiosa classifica Billboard) che, oltre l'indiscutibile qualità musicale, e la solita impronta melodica tipica dei Pennywise, offre un ottimo songwriting, dall'anticonformismo, alle consuete e composte critiche sociali, ponendo particolare rilievo alla voglia di cambiare le carte in regola di una società ormai paralizzata, massificata e dogmatica, temi che da sempre trovano terreno più che fertile sui lavori dei colleghi Bad Religion.
Brani come la poderosa e coinvolgente "Peaceful Day", (picco più alto del disco), colpiscono per la straordinaria carica in grado di sprigionare, che si va ad aggiungere alle riuscite melodie-cori da pogo, si facilmente assimilabili, ma con il vantaggio non indifferente di non scadere mai sul banale, forti anche di un notevole testo, che fa luce sulla piattezza della società odierna. Potenza e melodia ancora più presenti su "Waste Of Time", decisa presa di posizione contro la religione, dove sono l'ottimo lavoro di Jason, e del chitarrista Fletcher ad emergere. Significativa e caparbia "Perfect People", con la sua intro dal vago sapore fusion, che sfocia poi in un gran concentrato di energia, complice il magistrale supporto del batterista Byron; qui le liriche mettono in risalto come nella società attuale, si dia troppa importanza all'aspetto esteriore, e come le persone perfette, in quanto tali trovano e ottengono facilmente quello che vogliono, (non sono ossessionato dai Bad Religion, ma molti di questi pezzi sembrano veramente usciti fuori dal loro '89). Ancora a livelli alti sulla tirata "Every Single Day" (notevoli i cori), la bellissima midtempo "Searching", (qui un Jim particolarmente ispirato nelle linee vocali), e la travolgente, "Not Far Away" , che poi insieme ad "It's What You Do With It", è l'episodio in cui tutti i 4 componenti danno il 110 %, (non che siano da meno sul resto dell'album, ma i gradevoli assoli, la più che funzionante accoppiata drumming-riffing, ed un Lindberg ancora in stato di grazia, fanno si che tutto il loro potenziale renda al massimo su questi frangenti). Byron si mantiene a buonissimi livelli anche su "Freebase", dove va a coprire quello che è forse l'unico episodio in cui Jim risulta avere un approccio troppo debole al microfono (approccio che negli anni 2000 sarà quasi di default), ripagato però dai buoni accompagnamenti, e dall'intenso songwriting, che zomma un argomento scontato e di facciata, quanto spinoso, come il perdere una persona cara per dipendenza, (agghiacciante, e dannatamente profetico, vista la fine che soltanto un anno dopo spetterà al povero Jason • fine tristemente nota a tutti • •
• mentre il resto del gruppo era impegnato in un tour, si ubriaca ad una festa, si spoglia e accidentalmente si spara un colpo alla pancia. • • Nonostante le continue battaglie legali la band e i familiari non sono riusciti ad evitare che la foto si diffondesse su internet, dove ancora oggi è visibile su alcuni siti.
Sulle velocissime "Try", "Killing Time", e "I Won't Have It", si fa ancora più marcata l'ombra BR, e dei loro primi furiosi lavori, la velocità sale a dismisura, le rullate di Byron sono sempre dinamiche e precise, il muro sonoro di riff fa sempre la sua sporca figura, e sorregge i vocal, qui particolarmente accesi, di Jim. Singolo con tanto di bel video skateoriented e citazione ai Black Flag, invece "Same Old Story", unico punto leggermente sotto la media.
32 Minuti x 12 tracce, produzione e registrazione di alto livello, per questo grande album, che di fatto dopo talmente tante citazioni, puo essere eletto a degno erede novantiano della gemma "No Control" dei Bad Religion, che per fortuna, con la loro lezione, non hanno soltanto acceso la miccia per l'insorgere di 1000 cloni di qualità discutibile (Lagwagon, Millencolin, Rise Against & co, spesso prodotti proprio da loro), ma hanno ben influenzato ragazzi determinati e dalle buone qualità, come nel caso dela band californiana in questione, che con questo album, che rasenta la perfezione, raggiunge il picco più alto della carriera.
Immancabile se apprezzate l'hardcore melodico potente e veloce, due particolarità molto presenti su About Time, e su gran parte della prima produzione dei Pennywise.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Waste of Time (02:20)
I got a question, for all you sinners
Have you ever wondered is this all there is to life?
A quick adventure, not much to mention
A slow procession leading us to die!
Is there a heaven, a distant valley,
A golden meadow waiting for us in the sky?
No one right answer, spirit seems broken
Still I just can't help but wonder why?
Seems like a tragic waste of time,
Who cares what happens when you die?
Life's too short to wonder why,
Get on with your life
In towering churches, and holy temples
They all conspired to tell me how to live my life,
But no religion, or new theism
Could ever provide proof to quench my mind
And now I wonder, who's sky I'm under
Is there a heaven waiting for me when I die
No one right answer, spirit seems broken
Still I can't help but wonder why
Seems like a tragic waste of time
Who cares what happens when you die?
Life's too short to wonder why
Get on with your life
So many questions I can't tell the difference
Too many abstract thoughts now wrestle in my mind
Through the darkness somewhere should be waiting
A final truth to shower me with light
Their pearls of wisdom, and tales of glory
They feed me nicely until I found it was all a lie
No one right answer, spirit seems broken
And still I can't help but wonder why?
Seems like a tragic waste of time
Who cares what happens when you die?
Life's too short to wonder why
Get on with your life
Your life!
03 Perfect People (03:06)
All the perfect people- Shallow and deceitful
Staring back at me on TV in magazines
Look so good like a box of fresh wrapped twinkies
What the hell happened to me?
So I took a drive to a rich and wealthy country
Saw everything I wanted and everything I need
Went right up and tried to join their party
You oughta seen the look when they saw me
Fucked up eyes- Stupid grin
Perfect people won't let me in
Who's who list- Where's my name
They won't let me join their games
I bet you think that I'm insane
There's no one left for me to blame
Screw the perfect people
Fuck they all look the same
We're not much to look at
Too short, dumb and so fat
Never gonna win a beauty pageant it's a curse
Always gonna be a better doorman
At the best clubs
How could things be any worse?
Don't have much to go on don't want your opinion
Don't have much to gain and I ain't got much to lose
Looks like you got it all and I'd really like to
Get some
You got something I could use
04 Every Single Day (02:41)
So many people, longing to be
Living their lives regretlessly,
Trying to repress the pain in their lives
Reassuring themselves, living with lies
No way to break through, not on my own
Can't push away all the sorrow I've known,
Have to release every thought or care,
And take control, life is a dare
Woah oh,
I can't start over today,
Woah oh,
Live my life a different way,
Can't I find a way to erase bad times
To make everything ok,
I'll start over and live, every single day,
Every single day, every single day ay ay ay yeah,
oh oh
Regrets, and memories, no remorse, no apologies
No reason for me to despair, no future at all,
Ask if I care
I've got time, on my side, twenty four hours in my life
Can't hang on to what's in my past,
Full speed ahead, hard and fast
Woah oh,
I Can't start over today,
Woah oh,
Live my life a different way,
Can't I find a way to erase bad times
To make everything ok,
I'll start over and live, every single day,
Every single day, every single day ay ay ay yeah,
oh oh
At the end with each dropping sun,
Can't erase what has been done, who cares
What happened long ago, I don't want to know oh oh oh
I can't start over today
Woah oh,
Live my life a different way
Can't I find a way to erase bad times
To make, everything ok,
I'll start over and live, every single day
Can't face tomorrow with these thoughts
Of yesterday,
I can't escape the lies and make them go away
Wish I had the answers, to help me make it through
Can't shake these images no matter what I do
I guess I'll use them to make a stronger man,
I'll use each
Twisted tortured memory to help me understand
And I will learn
From mistakes that everyone makes, I've got
To find a way
I guess I'll have to live with them, every single day
Every single day, every single day ay ay ay yeah,
Every single day!
05 Searching (02:57)
Can't run, can't hide
No one here gets out alive,
It don't get better, that's the best you're gonna get
The deal is in now place your bets
I can't eat, can't sleep,
Knowing that nothing's gonna satisfy me
Another blip up on a television screen,
Among the oceans of stars
Tonight I will rage, against the forces of fate
The tide is turning my way,
You should know better than to fuck with me
Tonight I will rage, against the forces of fate
You'd best get outta my way, oh
I'm not gonna fade away, slowly
Inside, my mind, is a clock tick-tocking time
Ain't gonna stop until my last day's done
You wanna try me well come get some
Tempt fate, can't wait,
I gotta get out there's no time to hesitate,
Not gonna waste it with the cynical fools,
Can't bring me down
Tonight I will rage, against the forces of fate
The tide is turning my way,
You should know better than to fuck with me
Tonight I will rage, against the forces of fate
You'd best get outta my way, oh
I'm not gonna fade away,
So if you want to try this disposition,
Sacrifice all you know
Sanitize your religion,
Take your life and renew, and do what you wanna do
Can't eat, can't sleep,
Knowing that nothing's gonna satisfy me
Another blip up on a television screen,
Among the oceans of stars
Tonight I will rage, against the forces of fate
The tide is turning my way,
You should know better than to fuck with me
Tonight I will rage, against the forces of fate
You'd best get outta my way, oh
I'm not gonna fade away, slowly
06 Not Far Away (02:54)
Hey it's my time
To change my direction in life just by reading the signs
Hey it's my turn
To see how many of my bridges will burn
I feel something breathing down my neck
Thought of tomorrow's got me like a nervous wreck
No time for sorrow it's your judgement day
It's not far away It's not far away
There's a shiny coffin for you to rot in
And waste your days
It's not far away
Hey I got something to say
Before the spirit of life starts slippin' away
I'm not gonna end my life
Wishing for one more chance again to get it right
I hear voices echo from the grave
Whispering softly it's your judgement day
Hey I won't rest in peace
Until this world is sick of hearing from me
Hey get outta my way
I got alot more living to do before my
judgement day
07 Freebase (02:43)
I got some shit for sale you oughtta get some
You'll be the highest guy that ever lived
It might kill you man you won't even know it
I can feel your best sense starting to give
You take the chance you lose control
The lessons from your past you need to know
Take one more hit of base
That shit is gonna blow up in your face
Ripping glass shards through your heart
You got a problem man you ought to fix it
You think you're geting hig
Until it's too late well you wont even know it
You better stop before you hit a dead end
When I see you out on the street
A different story everytime we meet
You been hanging with a different crowd
Your acting tough and your talking loud
It's getting worse for you every single day
A bad habit and it won't go away
Where you gone where's my best friend
I can't help you cause you won't let me in
09 Try (02:34)
You've been looking for me in the most obvious places
Still I'm nowhere to be found
I'm perched atop the highest buildings in the city
And I'm inrigued as I look down
All the ants below share the same comfortable existence
But they still wear the same frown
What ashame that they can't see the beauty
That's surrounding them when there's so much around
Try don't choose to walk away
There's a part within your soul it just takes
Time to find it
When you try take time and seize the day
Cause after today's gone
You'll never have the chance again
So try
While I sit here with so many thoughts
I'm listening to the rain
Falling to the ground
I'm just hoping somday soon all thge unhappy people find
Solace in the sound
And listen to the old cliches that all the elders say
That life goes by too fast
I just wish there was some way that I could stop the clock
And make the good times last
Don't throw it all away no one
You must realize it's all in your mind
Don't emphasize the pain on one particular day
If you feel you're starting to slide
Just pull yourself together
Remember all that matters is you try
10 Same Old Story (02:44)
It's patience trying
when you tell me how to live
but you don't know anything
your expectations are wearing thin
you won't even take a look
to see another way
you aren't even listening
take your ideals and go away
Chorus:
I'm not cut from the same mold
I don't read from the same old story
I'm not cut from the same mold
I don't know who you think i should be
I'm not cut from the same mold
I don't read from the same old story
I'm not cut from the same mold
Done with yours i'm living my life for me
Tell me father
did i turn out so bad
didn't i look up to you?
took every piece of advise you had
go to school get a job
send me on your way
you aren't even listening
take your dreams and go away
Chorus
For so long i've tried to understand
the qualities you thought made up a real man
now it's time for me to find out for myself
i'm getting fed up
i don't need your help
you never listen to both sides of the story
you never listen
you won't listen to me
Chorus
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