• Voto:
La fortuna non ha mai sorriso ai Ramones, questo bisogna ammetterlo. La loro grandezza fu ricompensata soltanto dopo il loro scioglimento nel 1996, cioè quando il mondo capì di aver perso uno dei più grandi gruppi rock di sempre, di aver perso gli ideatori (o i perfezionatori) del punk rock.
Un pò di riconoscimento (dovuto) non l'avrebbero disdegnato negli anni '70, cioè agli inizi della loro carriera, quando erano incensati dalla critica, ma non ottenevano i risultati sperati con le vendite dei dischi.
Almeno la critica li ha sempre sostenuti (almeno quello) e, anche, giustamente. Dopo "Ramones" (1976), "Leave Home" (1976) e "Rocket To Russia" (1977), dopo le fatiche del live "It's Alive" (registrato nel 1977 e pubblicato due anni dopo), i Fast Four sono pronti per tornare in sala di registrazione per sfornare un altro LP.
I Ramones tornano a registrare con un nuovo batterista però, giacché Tommy Ramone aveva deciso di abbandonare il ruolo del punk rocker per vestire i panni (più consoni) del produttore discografico. Al suo posto fu scelto Marc Bell, compagno di bevute e disastri di Dee Dee Ramone. Da allora sarà per sempre Marky Ramone.
Con i membri allargati metaforicamente a cinque (Tommy si occupò della produzione del quarto album in studio), i Ramones decidono di unire l'utile al dilettevole, cioè sfornare un disco di successo senza rinunciare al loro credo musicale.
Sound che irrimediabilmente risulta intaccato dalla "ragion di mercatura". Nella speranza di imporsi sul mercato discografico, i quattro decidono di virare sun pop punk che offre inaspettati spunti melodici.
All'apparenza il canovaccio stilistico è lo stesso: a parte "I Wanted Everything" e "Questioningly", tutte le canzoni non superano i soliti tre minuti, ma si nota la differenza di sound con i tre primi album. Se "I'm Against It", "Bad Brain" o "Go Mental" sembrano voler dire: "Ehi siamo sempre i Ramones e siamo pronti a dimostrarlo!", altre tracce come "I Just Want To Have Something To Do" o "Needles & Pins" (cover Searchers) sono esempi della nuova linea intrapresa dalla band in quest'occasione. Canzoni orecchiabili, godibili ad un primo ascolto, ma che lasciano l'amaro in bocca pensando che quelli che suonano sono gli stessi di "Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World" e "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment".
A parziale difesa è giusto anche dire che dopo i primi album immensi, era anche giusto tentare una nuova esperienza per evitare di scadere nella ripetitività (rischio sempre dietro l'angolo nel mondo del Punk Rock).
Voglio concludere, però, elogiando il pezzo forte di questo disco: "I Wanna Be Sedated". Il riff incalzante e la melodia orecchiabile la rendono una delle migliori canzoni dei Ramones. Il cantato di Joey Ramone è assolutamente affascinante e trascinante (che ha costretto il sottoscritto ad ascoltarla continuamente!).
Come al solito, l'album non vende come dovrebbe, la critica si divide apertamente tra detrattori e incensori, così come i fan, ma che, per fortuna, non dubitano mai dei loro che, in un modo e nell'altro, riescono sempre a divertirli(ci) come non mai.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 I Just Want to Have Something to Do (02:42)
"Hangin out on Second Avenue
Eating chicken feelin' blue
I just want to be with you
I just want to have something to do
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Well allright
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Wait-now
Wait-now
Hanging out all by myself
I don't want to be with anybody else
I just want to be with you
I just want to have something to do
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Well allright
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Wait-now
Wait-now
(4x)
Hanging out all by myself
I don't want to be with anybody else
I just want to be with you
I just want to have something to do
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Well allright
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
02 I Wanted Everything (03:18)
I heard about the Easter bunny Presents under a Christmas tree
It was dreaming and fantasy There was no Mom or Daddy
I wanted everything I wanted everything I wanted everything
I had the world on my shoulder But I was getting older
Knew I was ready for it Some kind of employment
I wanted everything I wanted everything I wanted everything
All day working on a truck Bringing the groceries up
Not much of a salary No tip for the delivery
I wanted everything I wanted everything I wanted everything
There's no success for me Involved in a robbery
There's money in the supermarket And I'm goin' in after it
I wanted everything
03 Don't Come Close (02:44)
You know it's generally known You got everything at home
Kisses out of desperation Bring you more aggravation
And you don't come close You don't come close You don't come close
You bring out your souvenirs Soak them wet with your tears
You lose your imagination Out of more aggravation
And you don't come close You don't come close You don't come close
You turn red with rage But act your age
Only thing that your regret You need more time to forget
And you don't come close You don't come close You don't come close
06 I'm Against It (02:07)
Well I'm against it
I'm against it
Well I'm against it
I'm against it
I don't like politics
I don't like communists
I don't like games and fun
I don't like anyone
And I'm against it
I'm against it
Well I'm against it
I'm against it
I don't like gee�s and freaks
I don't like circus geeks
I don't like summer and spring
I don't like anything
I don't like sex and drugs
I don't like water bugs
I don't care about poverty
All I care about is me
And I'm against it
I'm against it
Well I'm against it
I'm against it
I don't like playing it fine
I don't like the Vietcong
I don't like Burger King
I don't like anything
And I'm against it
I'm against it
Well I'm against it
I'm against it
Well I'm against it
I'm against it!
07 I Wanna Be Sedated (02:29)
Twenty-twenty-twenty-four hours to go
I wanna be sedated
Nothing to do, nowhere to go home,
I wanna be sedated
Just, get me to the airport, put me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry, before I go insane
I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain
Oh no oh-oh oh-oh
Twenty-twenty twenty-four hours to go
I wanna be sedated
Nothing to do, nowhere to go home,
I wanna be sedated
Just put me in a wheelchair, get me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry, before I go insane
I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain
Oh no oh-oh oh-oh
Twenty-twenty-twenty-four hours to go
I wanna be sedated
Nothing to do, nowhere to go home,
I wanna be sedated
Just put me in a wheelchair and get me to the show
Hurry hurry hurry, before I gonna go
I can't control my fingers, I can't control my toes
Oh no oh-oh oh-oh
Twenty-twenty-twenty-four hours to go
I wanna be sedated
Nothing to do, nowhere to go home,
I wanna be sedated
Just put me in a wheelchair, get me to the show
Hurry hurry hurry, before I gonna go
I can't control my fingers, I can't control my toes
Oh no oh-oh oh-oh
Ba-ba-baba baba-ba-baba, I wanna be sedated
Ba-ba-baba baba-ba-baba, I wanna be sedated
Ba-ba-baba baba-ba-baba, I wanna be sedated
Ba-ba-baba baba-ba-baba, I wanna be sedated
09 Questioningly (03:22)
Questioningly her eyes looked at me And then she spoke
Aren't you someone I used to know And weren't we lovers a long time ago?
Looked at her close Forced her into view
Yes, I said, you're a girl That I once may have knew
But I don't love you anymore Why do you want to talk to me for?
You should have just let me walk by Memories make us cry
In the morning I'm at work on time My boss tells me that I'm doing fine
When I'm going home Whiskey bottle movie on the TV
Memories make me cry And I'm alone just me Just me questioningly
10 She's the One (02:13)
Yeah yeah she's the one
Yeah yeah she's the one
When I see her on the street
You know she makes my life complete
And you know I told you so
She's the one, she's the one
Yeah yeah she's my girl
Yeah yeah she's my girl
When I see her on the street
You know she makes my life complete
And you know I told you so
She's the one, she's the one
She's the one
Know I'll never find a girl like you
But in my heart I'll always love you
Yeah yeah she's the one...
When I see her on the street
You know she makes my life complete
And you know I told you so
She's the one, she's the one
She's the one
Know I'll never find a girl like you
But in my heart I'll always be true
Yeah yeah she's the girl
The best girl in the whole wide world
When I see her on...
She's the one
She's the one, she's the one, she's the one
She's the one, she's the one, she's the one
She's the one, she's the one, she's the one
12 It's a Long Way Back (02:20)
You by the phone You all alone
It's a long way back to Germany
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