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Anno 1977. Roger Daltrey pubblica il suo terzo album solista, "One Of The Boys". Questo non è un disco Who-style. Scordatevi gli Who, scordatevi che Daltrey è il loro cantante (e che cantante!).
Si parte con "Parade" di Philip Goodhand-Tait, una bella canzone che riflette la disillusione di Roger per lo star system. La seconda traccia è un brano country, "Single Man's Dilemma" (firma: Colin Blunstone): non male, anche se qui la voce di Roger non ci sta benissimo...
Il terzo pezzo, "Avenging Annie" di Andy Pratt, è considerato da molti uno dei momenti migliori del Daltrey solista ed è il brano del disco più simile allo stile degli Who (grazie anche alla presenza di John Entwistle al basso). "The Prisoner" è invece una ballata ispirata a John McVicar, che Roger interpreterà nel film a lui dedicato del 1980. E' una delle tre canzoni di "One Of The Boys" scritte da Daltrey in collaborazione con Tony Meehan e David Courtney: è questa la prima volta che Roger collabora alla scrittura di alcuni dei pezzi per i suoi dischi solisti.
La quinta canzone è "Leon", sempre di Goodhand-Tait, e non so ancora se mi piace o la trovo irritante, di sicuro comunque non è fra le mie preferite. Si passa poi alla title-track, scritta da Steve Gibbons della Steve Gibbons Band, considerata dal suo interprete "la My Generation del 1977"; un paragone che vede vincitrice di larga misura la canzone degli Who. Non che "One Of The Boys" sia una brutta canzone, anzi è una delle migliori del disco, ma paragonarla a "My Generation" è un po' azzardato. La settima traccia è "Giddy", scritta nientepopodimeno che da Sir Paul McCartney. Bella? No, è uno scarto bruttino del Macca, del tutto anonimo. L'opera si risolleva con le ultime tre canzoni: "Written On The Wind", "Satin And Lace" e "Doing It All Again". La prima è una canzone d'amore scritta da Paul Korda e interpretata molto bene da Roger. Uscì anche come singolo in Gran Bretagna ma non ebbe alcun successo. La seconda è una ballatona molto bella con Daltrey in forma smagliante. L'ultima canzone è un'altra ballata scritta da Daltrey-Meehan-Courtney (come "Satin And Lace") caratterizzata da un ben riuscito falsetto, atipico per Roger.
Nella versione rimasterizzata del 2005 ci sono quattro bonus-track: due outake ("Martyrs And Madmen" e "Treachery") che non mi dicono niente, così come "You Put Something Better Inside Me", b-side del singolo "One Of The Boys". Bella invece "Say It Ain't So Joe" di Murray Head, singolo sia negli USA che in Gran Bretagna, che Roger fa sua con facilità, caratterizzandola non poco rispetto all'originale.
In questo disco Roger Daltrey dimostra di volersi cimentare in generi a volte diversissimi dai suoi standard, con risultanti a volte ottimi a volte stucchevoli. Sicuramente non un disco fondamentale, anche se un paio di gemme ci sono anche qua.
Elenco tracce testi e video
03 Avenging Annie (04:32)
(Andy Pratt)
They ran through hills and forest
As two under a spell
He was a city boy Floyd the outlaw
And she thought she new him well.
Long after that great summer
When she first came into her fame
And the avenger from Oklahoma
Was added to her name
The avenger she became.
Well they call her avenging Annie
The avenger of womanhood
She spends her whole life telling lies
These on a messand over good
Running around playing games
She'll take all these spoilt younghippies
They're surrounding your bed, she'll blow your head
She'll put you through a change.
What you've done to others
She'll do unto you.
Then she met her sensitive outlaw
He was the best thing she ever did seen
She was to be his wife for the rest of her life,
No!
But she was so blind she could never had seen.
So she joined up with her outlaw
And headed for California.
He treated her worse than she'd ever imagined
He didn't say he didn't want her around
He kept it up so long, she couldn't be strong
He run her right into the ground.
After five long years,
He picked her up and slapped her down.
Then she told her friends about him
They all were on her side
But she could see through the haze he looked so pale
She put her head right down and she cried.
For her poor lover
She cried like a mother for her poor lover.
And now she lives on a mountain top
And she's almost thirty-five
And she's found her peace and found her release
Happyjust to be alive.
And she might go back to her Floyd
If she thinks it's the thing to do
He gave up murder and theft after she left
And you know she still loves him to
Just like a worn out shoe
Just like a worn out shoe
Just like a worn out shoe
Just like a worn out shoe
Just like a worn out shoe
Just like a worn out shoe
Just like a worn out shoe
Well they call her avenging Annie
The avenger of womanhood
She spends her whole life telling lies
Leads them on a mess and over good.
11 Say It Ain't So Joe (04:18)
Say it ain't so, Joe please
Say it ain't so
That's not what I want to hear Joe and I've got a right to know.
Say it ain't so, Joe please
Say it ain't so
I'm sure they're telling us lies Joe please tell us it ain't so.
They told us that our hero has played his trump card
He doesn't know how to go on.
We're clinging to his charm and determined smile
But the good ole days are gone.
The army and the empire may be falling apart
The money has gotten scarce.
One mans word held the country together
But the truth is getting fierce.
Say it ain't so, Joe please
Say it ain't so
We pinned our hopes on you Joe and they're ruining our show.
(Guitar Solo)
(Ooo Babies)
Don't you think we're gonna get burned
(Ooo Babies)
Don't you think we're gonna to get turned
We're gonna get burned
We're gonna get learned
Where going to get turned
Where going to get burned
Where going to get burned
Ooo learn
Turn
Burned
Ooo burned
Yea.....
Say it ain't so, Joe please
Say it ain't so
That's not what I want to hear Joe please tell us it ain't so
Say it ain't so, Joe please
Say it ain't so
I'm sure there telling us lies Joe and I've got a right to know
They told us that our are hero has played his trump card
He doesn't know how to go on.
We're clinging to his charm and determined smile
But the good ole days are gone.
The army and the empire may be falling apart
The money had gotten scarce
One mans word held the country together
But the truth is getting fierce.
Say it ain't so, Joe please
Say it ain't so
That's not what I want to hear Joe and I've got a right to know
Say it ain't so, Joe please
Say it ain't so
They keep on telling us lies Joe please tell us it ain't so
Say
Say it ain't so
Say it ain't so
Cause I've got a right to know
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