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Rufus Wainwright è un trentenne canadese che non ha impiegato molto ad entrare nel mondo della musica; cresciuto infatti in una famiglia di musicisti (il padre è Loudon Wainwright III e vi vedo già lì a dire, e chi sarebbe costui?), è stato illuminato dal pop dopo aver speso l'intera adolescenza chino sul pianoforte a studiare arie d'opera ed i grandi compositori del passato.
Seduto al piano ed accompagnato da una band che ha il compito di assecondare gli umori, Rufus racconta con buona voce dodici storie di amori e sbadataggini, dando così l'idea di indirizzarsi verso un gradevole mix fra il pop dei Beatles ed un gusto classico per la composizione.
La bellezza delle sue composizioni, non si potrebbero chiamare diversamente, è che ogni canzone di Rufus ne contiene molte di più: il suo songwriting segue percorsi bizzarri e al tempo stesso ammalianti. Così già Greek Song, seconda traccia di questo suo Poses, unisce con voluttà i ritmi della marcetta militare, l'esotismo di un violino indiano e la melodia decadente di un pianoforte a coda, solenne come in un requiem.
Poses è il suo secondo album e risale ormai al 2001, a questo sono seguiti Want One e l'appena pubblicato Want Two, ma a mio parere questo è il suo lavoro migliore, il più bello e accessibile.
La sua musica è così: seduce e al tempo stesso stordisce, con canzoni complicate negli arrangiamenti, eppure capaci di arrivare alle nostre zone più intime. La sua voce è inconfondibile, il suo è un timbro particolare, dolce, potente, spesso quasi un lamento, dopo il primo ascolto è impossibile dimenticarsene.
Ci sono artisti così, capaci con la voce o con le canzoni di arrivare profondamente dentro di noi lasciandoci una sensazione quasi di fastidio per aver violato la nostra intimità. La sua bellezza sta proprio in questo, quando lo ascolti ti senti denudato di ogni maschera esterna e al tempo stesso cullato in un mondo barocco e lontano.
Vi consiglio, per farvi un'idea, l'ascolto della sua cover di Across the Universe dei Beatles, brano anche presente nella colonna sonora di I Am Sam.
Per chi avesse visto The Aviator, sappiate che il giovane pianista del film è proprio lui. Benvenuti a corte...
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk (04:44)
Cigarettes and chocolate milk
These are just a couple of my cravings
Everything it seems I like's a little bit stronger
A little bit thicker, a little bit harmful for me
If I should buy jellybeans
Have to eat them all in just one sitting
Everything it seems I like's a little bit sweeter
A little bit fatter, a little bit harmful for me
And then there's those other things
Which for several reasons we won't mention
Everything about 'em is a little bit stranger, a little bit
harder
A little bit deadly
It isn't very smart
Tends to make one part
So brokenhearted
Sitting here remembering me
Always been a shoe made for the city
Go ahead accuse me of just singing about places
With scrappy boys faces have general run of the town
Playing with prodigal sons
Takes a lot of sentimental valiums
Can't expect the world to be your Raggedy Andy
While running on empty you little old doll with a frown
You got to keep in the game
Retaining mystique while facing forward
I suggest a reading of a Lesson in Tightropes
Or surfing Your High Hopes or adios Kansas
It isn't very smart
Tends to make one part
So brokenhearted
Still there's not a show on my back
Holes or a friendly intervention
I'm just a little bit heiress, a little bit Irish
A little bit Tower of Pisa
Whenever I see ya
So please be kind if I'm a mess
Cigarettes and chocolate milk
Cigarettes and chocolate milk
03 Poses (05:02)
The yellow walls are lined with portraits
And I've got my new red fetching leather jacket
All these poses such beautiful poses
Makes any boy feel like picking up roses
There's never been such grave a matter
As comparing our new brand name black sunglasses
All these poses such beautiful poses
Makes any boy feel as pretty as princes
The green autumnal parks conducting
And the city streets a wondrous chorus singing
All these poses oh how can you blame me
Life is a game and true love is a trophy
And you said
Watch my head about it
Baby you said watch my head about it
My head about it
Oh no oh no oh no
Oh no oh no no kidding
Reclined amongst these packs of reasons
For the smoke the days away into the evenings
All these poses of classical torture
Ruined my mind like a snake in the orchard
I did go from wanting to be someone now
I'm drunk and wearing flip-flops on Fifth Avenue
Once you've fallen from classical virtue
Won't have a soul for to wake up and hold you
In the green autumnal parks conducting
All the city streets a wondrous chorus
Singing all these poses now no longer boyish
Made me a man ah but who cares what that it
And you said watch my head about it
Baby you said watch my head about it
My head about it
Oh no oh no oh no
Oh no oh no well you said
Watch my head about it
Baby you said watch my head about it
My head about it
Oh no oh no oh no
Oh no oh no no kidding
04 Shadows (05:35)
Who will keep, keep me in this evening
Even though they are not here with me
I could be a great star
Still I'm far from happy
Finally, filled the world around me
Fighting through, fighting through the whiskey
I could be a great star
still I'm far from happy
Out of these shadows comes the light
Shadows comes the light
You will keep, keep me in this evening
Even though you are not here with me
I could be a great star
Still I'm far from happy
I could be a great star
I could be a great star
I could be a great star
I could be a great star
Out of these shadows
Comes the light
Out of these shadows
Comes the light
Shadows comes the light
05 California (03:23)
California, California
You're such a wonder that I think I'll stay in bed
Big time rollers, part time models
So much to plunder that I think I'll sleep instead
I don't know this sea of neon, thousand surfers, whiffs of freon
And big nights back east with Rhoda
California, please
There's a moment I've been saving
A kind of crucifix around this munchkin land
Up north freezing, little me drooling
That's Entertainment's on at eight
Come on Ginger, slam
I don't know this sea of neon, thousand surfers, whiffs of freon
And my new grandma Bea Arthur
Come on over
Ain't it a shame that at the top
Peanut butter and jam they served you
Ain't it a shame that at the top
Still those soft skin boys can bruise you
Yes, I fell for a streaker
I don't know this sea of neon, thousand surfers, whiffs of freon
Ain't it a shame that all the world
Can't enjoy your mad traditions
Ain't it a shame that all the world
Don't got keys to their own ignitions
Life is the longest death in California
California, you're such a wonder that I think I'll stay in bed
So much to plunder that I think I'll sleep instead
You're such a wonder that I think I'll stay in bed
So much to plunder that I think I'll sleep instead
07 Grey Gardens (03:08)
"It's very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present,
you know what I mean?"
Honey, I'm a roller concrete clover, Tadzio, Tadzio
Arm wrestle your mother simply over, Tadzio, over you
But beware my heart can be a pin, a sharp silver dragonfly
Tryin' to get my mansions green
After I've Grey Gardens seen (gardens seen)
In between tonight and my tomorrows, Tadzio, where've you been
In between tonight, I know it's Tadzio
Tadzio, don't you fight
Honey can you hear me, in between
Been draggin' a dragonfly
Tryin' to my mansions green
After I've Grey Gardens seen (gardens seen)
Honey, won't you hold me tight (hold me tight)
Get me through Grey Gardens tonight
Tadzio, Tadzio
Tadzio, Tadzio
Tryin' to get my mansions green
After I've Grey Gardens seen (gardens seen)
Honey, won't you hold me tight (hold me tight)
Get my through Grey Gardens tonight
Tadzio, Tadzio
Tadzio, Tadzio
08 Rebel Prince (03:44)
Where is my master, the Rebel Prince,
Who will shut all these windows?
It's these windows all around me,
It's these windows who are telling me
To rid my dirty mind of all of its preciousness.
Where is my master, the Rebel Prince ?
They're breaking everything trying to get to me
in this two-bed hotel,
Just to me before this window sill
Does rid my dirty mind of all of its preciousness.
Oh I can see him now
Though it's so far away,
Amongst the roving crowd
Going the other way
Confounded anger burning with love for me.
Ou est mon maître le Prince Rebelle,
Qui va fermer toutes ces fenêtres ?
Ce sont ces fenêtres autour de moi,
Ce sont ces fenêtres qui m'appellent,
Qui m'appellent.
Marigold, marigold, marigold
I'm leaving the Roosevelt Hotel
Marigold, marigold, marigold
I'm leaving the room we knew so well.
09 The Consort (04:25)
prepare your things, dissolve your mind
'cause I'm your consort
beautiful queen of seventeen
a blood red moon has spared our bed
but not your rivals
beautiful queen
prepare to reign, no more to hide
with I your faithful consort
by your side
let streamers fly and cannons roar
on your arrival
beautiful queen
tomorrow night, prepare to walk
on anyone her highness ever wants
and trust in me, you're not alone
together we'll wreak havoc on the throne
trust in me, you're not alone
even though my throne's slightly
smaller than yours, beautiful queen
together we'll wreak havoc, you and me
together we'll wreak havoc, you and me
together we'll wreak havoc, you...
prepare your things, dissolve your mind
'cause I'm your consort
beautiful queen of seventeen
11 Evil Angel (04:43)
For to see my depth of sorrow
You are not allowed to follow me
Into this town square
And then run away
Evil angel with your cleft tongue
When you kissed me
On this town square
All the lights came on at sunset
Thought you'd stay
Evil angel bearing apples
When you kissed me
On this drawbridge
As the boats do
How was I to know you'd flee
Tear down these monuments
Bury the coat of arms
And build for me a factory
Evil angel when you're faced with hatred's
Daggers in my honor
You're no match no scratching hearts that no longer bleed
Oh Evil angel tear down the monuments
Evil angel bury the coat of arms
And rebuild for me these memories
For to see my depth of sorrow
12 In a Graveyard (02:22)
wandering properties of death
arresting moons within our eyes and smiles we did rest
among the granite tombs to catch our breath
worldly sounds of endless warring
were for just a moment silent stars
worldly boundaries of dying
were for just a moment never ours
all was new
just as the black horizons blue
then along the bending path away
i smiled in knowing i'd be back one day
Carico i commenti... con calma
