Ideale sottotitolo: Deal-with-it.
Il buon vecchio Robbie è più o meno l’archetipo ideale di superstar/popstar al maschile per come la intendo io: carisma, fascino, la giusta dose di faccia da schiaffi, e soprattutto ha sempre proposto (almeno per quello che conosco io, cioè fino al 2007/2008 circa) un Pop di buona fattura e soprattutto con connotazioni inequivocabilmente britannico-europee, quindi già di per sé migliore di qualsiasi “controparte” d’oltreoceano. Ottimo interprete, dinamico, eclettico, mai svenevole, diciamo che sono perfino disposto a perdonargli certe collaborazioni con una tale sciacquetta australiana, pensate un po’, dopotutto il business e business e lui è un gran figo.
Un gran figo… uhm… ditemi un po’, esiste forse un genere musicale capace di incarnare il concetto di “figo” nella sua accezione più classy meglio dello swing? Suvvia, già il nome basta a evocare un immaginario visivo inconfondibile; brillantina, champagne, un’attitudine bon-vivant, superficiale quanto basta, di cui tutti avrebbero bisogno, nella giusta misura, almeno secondo me. Io se non altro non me la faccio mai mancare per quanto posso.
Con questi presupposti, ritengo “Swing When You’re Winning” del 2001 il punto più alto della carriera di Robbie, almeno da un punto di vista puramente interpretativo. Un’impeccabile collezione di standards interpretati con una perfetta attitudine da entertainer/cabarettista. Ci sta dentro alla grande, lui, melodie intramontabili come “Mack The Knife”, “Things” e “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head” gli calzano come un guanto, e tra l’altro si tratta di perfette cartine al tornasole per valutare lo spessore di un interprete: ve lo immaginate qualche parvenu made in disney qualsiasi alle prese con roba del genere? Eh eh eh…
Tra performance di tono più smooth come “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” e “One For My Baby”, un'introduzione pomposa e broadwayana quanto basta come “I Will Talk And Hollywood Will Listen” e un paio di singoli impeccabili, “Somethin’ Stupid” e “Mr. Bojangles” il tempo vola via con assoluta classe e leggerezza, raggiungendo gli apici in un paio di squisiti moment di puro cabaret, “Me And My Shadow” e soprattutto l’impagabile “Well, Did You Evah!”, capolavoro di porteriana memoria.
Gran bella cosa sarebbe se le cosiddette stars fossero tutte come Robbie, capaci com’è lui di intrattenere, con un occhio di riguardo per la classe e lo stile, per tradizioni come quella celebrata in questo album. Robbie è forse l’ultimo erede, ovviamente figlio dei suoi tempi, ovviamente con le debite proporzioni, della stirpe dei Freddie Mercury, degli Elton John, forse dei George Michael, oppure dei Ron Dennis e dei Frank Williams, dei James Hunt e dei Jenson Button, tutta gente che ha a suo modo contribuito a dare un’immagine inconfondibile (e invidiata, per buone ragioni) alla Perfida Albione. Che Dio e la Regina l’abbiano in gloria.
Ora, come buona norma, dovrei chiudere con dei versi in grassetto; direi che in questo caso
“What a swell party this is!”
Potrebbe bastare.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
02 Mack the Knife (03:20)
Mack The Knife
Oh the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear,
And he shows them, pearly white,
Just a jackknife has MacHeath, babe,
And he keeps it, out of sight,
Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, dear,
Scarlet billows start to spread,
Fancy gloves, oh, its old MacHeath, babe,
So there's never, never a trace of red
On the sidewalk, oh, Sunday morning, dontcha know,
Lies a body just oozin' life,
And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner,
Could that be our boy, Mack the knife?
From a tug boat, down by the river, dontcha know,
There's a cement bag just dropping on down,
That cement's there, it's there for the weight, dear,
Five'll get ya ten old Mack, he's back in town
D'ja hear 'bout Louie Miller, he disappeared, baby,
After drawing out all, his hard-earned cash,
And now MacHeath spends, he spends just like a, like a sailor,
Could it be, could it be, could it be, our boy's done something rash?
Now Jenny Diver, oh Sukey Tawdry,
Look out Miss Lotte Lenya, and ole Lucy Brown,
Yeah, the line forms on the right, babe,
Now that Macky's back in town
I said Jenny Diver, woah, oh Sukey Tawdry,
Look out Miss Lotte Lenya, and ole Lucy Brown,
Yeah the line forms on the right, babe,
Now that Macky's, back in town...
Look out, old Macky is back, wow!
06 Straighten Up and Fly Right (02:38)
A buzzard took a monkey for a ride in the air,
The monkey thought that everything
was on the square.
The buzzard tried to throw the monkey
off his back,
The monkey grabbed his neck and said,
"Now listen, Jack..."
Straighten up and fly right,
Straighten up and stay right
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top.
Ain't no use in divin',
What's the use in jivin'?
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top.
The buzzard told the monkey,
You are chokin' me.
Release your hold and I'll set you free.
The monkey looked the buzzard right
dead in the eye and said,
Your story's so touching, but it sounds
just like a lie.
Straighten up and fly right
Straighten up and stay right
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top.
Straighten up and fly right
Straighten up and stay right
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top.
Ain't no use in divin'
Ain't no good in jivin'
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow - your - top.
Fly right!
08 Mr. Bojangles (03:19)
Bojang,Bojangle
Bojang,Bojangle
Bojang,Bojangle
Bojang,Bojangle
Bojang,Bojangle
*whistle*
I knew a man
Bojangles and he'll dance for you
In wornout shoes
With silver hair a ragged shirt
And baggy pants
He would do the old soft shoe
He would jump so high
Jump so high
Then he'd lightly
touch down
Told me of the time he worked with
with Minstrel shows
travelling throughout the south
Spoke with tears for fifteen years
How his, How his dog and he
They would travel about
But his dog up and died
got up and died
And after twenty years he still grieves
He said I dance now and
every chance in the Honky Tonks
For my drinks and tips
But most the time I
I spend behind these county bars
You see son I,
I drinks a bit
Then he shook his head
Oh Lord when he shook his head
I could swear I heard somebody say please, please
That`s Mister Bojangles
Call him Mister Bojangles
Mister Bojangles come back and dance
And dance and dance, please dance
Mister Bojangles
Mister Bojangles
ahhmm, Mister Bojangles
Come back and dance
And dance and dance, please dance
Come back and dance again Mr Bojangles
11 Ain't That a Kick in the Head (02:29)
How lucky can one guy be?
I kissed her and she kissed me.
Like a fella once said:
"Ain't that a kick in the head?"
The room was completely black,
I hugged her and she hugged back.
Like a sailor said quote:
"Ain't that a hole in a boat?"
My head keeps spinnin',
I go to sleep and keep grinnin'
If this is just the beginnin'
My life is gonna be beautiful.
I've sunshine enough to spread,
It's just like the fella said.
Tell me quick,
ain't that a kick in the head?
Like the fella once said:
"Ain't that a kick in the head?"
Like the sailor said quote:
"Ain't that a hole in a boat?"
My head keeps spinnin',
I go to sleep and keep grinnin'
If this is just the beginnin'
My life is gonna be beautiful.
She's telling me we'll be wed,
She's picked out a king size bed,
I couldn't feel any better or I'd be sad.
Tell me quick,
Oh, ain't that a kick...?
Tell me quick,
ain't that a kick in the head?
13 Have You Met Miss Jones? (02:35)
Have you met Miss Jones
Someone said as we shook hands
She was just Miss Jones to me
Then I said Miss Jones
You're a girl who understands
I'm a man who must be free.
And all at once I lost my breath
And all at once was scared to death
And all at once I own the earth and sky
Now I met Miss Jones
And well keep on meeting till we die
Miss Jones and I
And all at once I lost my breath
And all at once was scared to death
And all at once I own the earth and sky
Now I met Miss Jones
And well keep on meeting till we die
Miss Jones and I
Miss Jones and I
Miss Jones and I
15 Beyond the Sea (07:45)
Somewhere, beyond the sea
Somewhere waiting for me...
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing
Somewhere, beyond the sea
She's there watching for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to her arms
I'll go sailing
It's far, beyond the stars
It's near, beyond the moon
I know... beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon...
We'll meet, beyond the shore
We'll kiss just like before
Happy we will be beyond the sea
And never again, I'll go sailing
I know, beyond a doubt...
My heart... will lead me there soon
We'll meet, I know we'll meet, beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before
Happy we will be beyond the sea...
And never again, I'll go sailing
No more sailing
So long, sailing, sailing
No more sailing
Goodbye, farewell, my friend
No more sailing
So long, sailin'
No more sailing
No more, farewell
Auf wiedersehen (to ya and ya and ya)
No more sailing
(No more) Oh, no more sailing
No more, no more
No more sailing...
No more
One more time
No more sailing...
Yeah
Carico i commenti... con calma
