• Voto:
Reduce dalla sentita partecipazione al "Carnuval Vecc" della mia borgata, con canti e balli in sincera e contagiosa allegria, prima di mettere il mio provato e sudato corpo al di sotto di una necessaria doccia decido di dare una veloce lettura alla pagina debaseriana dedicata ai miei grandi eroi musicali Primus. E mi accorgo, con sorpresa, di non essere indicato tra i conoscitori della band californiana; tengo per me gli epiteti che mi sono venuti in mente, meditando una tremenda vendetta.
Vendetta che si consuma in pochi attimi...beccatevi ciò che segue allora miei adorati e stimati colleghi; tiè !!!
“Mettiamo subito le cose in chiaro, in modo tale da dare una minima logicità al mio argomentare odierno: per il sottoscritto il folle trio, capitanato dall’altrettanto folle (di più, di più!!) Les Claypool, rappresenta l’amore assoluto, i numeri UNO della musica. (cosa che avrò ripetuto alla nausea da quando frequento Debaser; repetita iuvant sostenevano i latini, che ne sapevano di gran lunga molto di più di me).
In questa giornata di baldoria, almeno per quanto mi riguarda, vi voglio narrare del loro esordio uscito nel lontano 1989; un disco dal vivo registrato in due serate successive nella nativa California. Titolo dell’opera e copertina già rendono assai bene l’idea del bizzarro e folle mondo costruito intorno al suono di questi autentici mattacchioni, guidati dal basso inconfondibile, leggendario e dalla voce da cartone animato del leader Les. Accompagnato nelle sue gesta tragicomiche dalla chitarra multiforme di Larry Lalonde, che già si era fatto notare giovanissimo nei Possessed (Seven Churches, Seven Churches!!), e dalla batteria di quel funambolo e campione del controtempo recante il nome di Tim “Herb” Alexander.
L’inizio del live è un qualcosa di travolgente: i nostri per una trentina di secondi omaggiano i canadesi Rush ed il brano “YYZ”; subito dopo inizia la storia del pescatore John, “John the Fisherman” appunto. Ritmi sincopati, testi ironici: funk-metal, hardcore ragionato, fusion, prog…ecc..ecc… Una forma di crossover mai udito prima, con quella carica di sano divertimento che da sempre accompagna le gesta di questi tre fenomeni musicali. Si prosegue con “Groundhog’s Day”, dove dimostrano una tecnica non comune, passando poi per “Tommy the Cat” (ancor oggi un loro cavallo di battaglia dal vivo) e si arriva felici e contenti tra grasse risate al finale dinamitardo della conclusiva “Frizzle Fry”.
Prendete Minutemen, Frank Zappa (sia sempre lodato il genio di Baltimora), Rush, King Crimson, Residents: centrifugateli e smembrateli ed otterrete il meraviglioso e nello stesso tempo oltraggioso suono dei PRAIMUS.
Visti dal vivo cinque volte: una goduria infinita. E sono sempre rimasto affascinato da una cosa nei loro concerti: i tre baldi musichieri non si degnano mai di uno sguardo durante lo show. Tutto è calcolato, tutto è finalizzato, tutto è matematico: a questo punto concedetemi di usare per loro il termine, troppo spesso abusato, di GENIALITA’.
L’inizio di una carriera che ancora prosegue tutt’ora: Les ha sempre scritto, registrato e prodotto ciò che ha voluto, senza tener conto di mode e tendenze; di cazzi e mazzi vari. Non gli importa di vendere, non gli importa di arrivare. Suona molto semplicemente per se stesso e per il piacere che prova nel farlo; del resto “Primus sucks”!
Con il loro balordo approccio musicale, non di facile assimilazione è un bene ricordarlo, hanno da subito scavato solchi bizzarri, trasportando l'ascoltatore in una vertigine senza fine di stranezze soniche; senza a mio avviso mai mostrare segni di autocompiacimento. Sempre con una disinvoltura spaventosa da tanto efficace ed inimitabile.
Non ce n'è per nessuno."
Adesso mi sento meglio; molto ma molto meglio...Harold of the Rocks...
Sperando di aver colmato questa lacuna debaseriana (quindi G leggi e provvedi...AZZ...).
Ad Maiora.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 John the Fisherman (03:53)
One...two...
One, two, three, four.
When he was young
You'd not find him doing well in school.
His mind would turn unto the waters.
Always the focus of adolescent ridicule,
He has no time for farmer's daughters.
Alienated from the clique society,
A lonely boy finds peace in fishing.
His mother says,
"John, this is not the way life's supposed to be."
"Don't you see the life that you miss?"
And he says...
When I grow up I want to be,
One of the harvesters of the sea.
I think before my days are done,
I want to be a fisherman.
Now years gone by we find the man who rules the sea.
He sets out on a dark May morning.
To bring his catch back to this small community.
He doesn't see the danger dawning.
Four hours up, oh the ocean swelled and swelled,
The fog rolled in it started raining.
"The starboard bow! Oh my God we're going down!"
They do not hear his frantic mayday.
And he says...
When I grow up I want to be,
One of the harvesters of the sea.
I think before my days are done,
I want to be a fisherman.
"I'll live and die a fisherman."
Calling John the Fisherman...
02 Groundhog's Day (04:52)
When I woke up this mornin' I felt a pang.
I was hungerin' for some apple pie.
Stumble in the bathroom, hung my hog a little bit.
Washed the sleep out of my eye.
Oh yeah, it's gonna be a fine day.
Scratched myself a bit.
Poured me out a bowl-a corn chex.
Closest thing I could find to apple pie.
Lingerin' taste of toothpaste
Made the milk go down a bit funny.
But you know, them chex they do satisfy.
Oh yeah, this'll be a fine day.
So, after my mornin' rise-n-shine and eat-n-clean.
Had my mind set to hit them streets.
Drizzle from the night left cold puddles out.
Had my black stomp-boots on my feet.
It's my day.
Since I was in kneepants my pop had tried to make me realize. If I
set my mind down to it I could be a big man in the public eye. So
with my big blue collar on, I set out to find the easy way. What an
ice cold bath it was when I found you had to pay to play. To taste
the taste it's a tease that never would subside. The taste is strong
but soured by my learned eyes. Well, if a woodchuck could chuck wood,
he'd get down on his knees to pray. This little snappy boy might see
the light this ground hog's day.
05 Jellikit (03:59)
Jellikit
I just want to satisfy you
I would like to rectify you
Pay no attention to what you've heard
This mediocrity is so absurd. But
I won't listen to erratic advice
Don't make me ask you nice
I just want to satisfy you
I would like to contemplate you
Perhaps sometime we'll irritate you
I won't listen to sparratic advice
Don't make me ask you twice
I just want to satisfy you
Jellikit x 3
I just want to satisfy you
Jellikit
I just want to satisfy you
Jellikit x 6
06 Tommy the Cat (05:26)
" well I remember as though it were a meal ago"
Said Tommy the Cat as he reeled back to clear whatever foreign matter
may have nestled its way into his mighty throat.
Many a fat alley rat had met its demise while staring point blank down
the cavernous barrel of this awesome prowling machine.
Truly a wonder of nature this urban predator.
Tommy the cat had many a story to tell,
But it was a rare occasion such as this that he did.
She came slidin' down the alleyway like butter drippin' off a hot biscuit.
The aroma, the mean scent, was enough to arouse suspicion in even the
oldest of Tigers that hung around the hot spot in those days.
The sight was beyond belief.
Many a head snapped for double - even triple - takes as this vivacious
feline made her her way into the delta of the alleyway where the most
virile of the young tabbys were known to hang out.
They hung in droves. Such a multitude of masculinity could only be
found in one place...
And that was O'malley's Alley.
The air was thick with cat calls (no pun intended),
But not even a muscle in her neck did twitch
as she sauntered straight into the heart of the alleyway.
She knew what she wanted.
She was lookin' for that stud bull, she was looking for that he cat.
And that was me.
Tommy the Cat is my name and I say unto thee...
Say baby do you wanna lay down with me
Say baby do you wanna lay down by my side
Ah baby do you wanna lay down with me
Say baby?...Say baby?
07 Pudding Time (04:20)
You can have a lolly pop
a candy bar a jelly bean.
I'll buy you a rainbow
to hang above your door.
It's pudding time.
Laughter is a sweet
You can't put a price on.
When laughter's all gone
Daddy won't buy you more.
It's pudding time.
It's pudding time children.
Money money money
To buy you things.
Daddy's gonna buy you a
diamond ring.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the kings horses and all the kings men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
San Francisco bay the
Striped bass are dying.
But you're gonna get
That brand new bike
Oh joy
It's pudding time
It's pudding time children.
08 Harold of the Rocks (06:18)
t was a weekend's eve,
I had sex on my breath
I was lookin' for somethin' to see.
With a borrowed black leather
And my best fishin' hat.
Well, it was just Wendy O. and me.
We called old Swamp
Up on the telephone
And said we was comin' on
Down to pick him up
and then, he said,
"Hey Swampy, me and Greeny'll come along -
But only if we can bring a friend."
"His name is Harold."
I said "Okay."
Now, we had a
Swamper, Greeny, Wendy O, Stanley,
Harold of the Rocks and me.
We hopped into my dart
And headed for the nightbreak
To see a man they call Schooly D.
Harold he's a friendly guy.
He rambles on and on.
He'll talk the balls off a rhinosaurus.
Fact is, he just doesn't make much sense.
"Well", Stan said.
"This guy's pretty bizarre, Gus."
Harold of the Rocks.
I saw Harold at a party
Trouzy threw late one night.
I said, "hey man,
Do you remember me?"
He said, "O' course
I do Snapdad and
Let me tell ya right
'Bout now I'm lit
Up like an ol' Christmas tree."
Hey bro you know I'd
like to thank you once again for let'n me
Hang with ya' all across the bay.
when I look back at that night I get me a
Warm spot across my heart."
Then he shook my hand, and walked away.
That's the last I seen of Harold.
Harold of the Rocks.
So in the end,
Swamper and Greeny
Finally succumb to
The ways of Harold.
And in doing so
Each gave just a little bit
Of his soul away.
What a couple of dumbshits.
09 Frizzle Fry (05:47)
Hello all you boys and girls
I'd like to take you to the
inside world
It's quite an irregular place
to be.
But never fear you're safe
with me.
Well,Maybe
Golden hair of macrame'
Agaisnts the face that's
cut from stone.
The white porcelain is
screaming ayee.
Thank God the boy is not
alone
I don't believe in santa claus
I don't believe in spite
I have no use for beauty
dolls.
Especially on this night.
I don't believe in miracles.
I don't believe in lies.
I don't believe in hologram.
For I am the frizzle fry.
Andy's painted green again.
This time they might take him
away.
When barrington starts to
breath again.
It may just take us all away.
I don't believe in charity.
I don't believe in sin.
And if you don't believe in me,
we'll play this tune over
again.
I don't believe in Pinochle
and I dont believe I'll try.
I do believe in Captian Crunch
For I am the frizzle fry
Yes I am the frizzle fry
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