• Voto:
Ascoltare questo disco è sentirsi catapultati in un altro mondo. Niente di metafisico, no. Solo polvere, terra, volti, tante facce diverse. Ognuna porta una storia, ed ognuna ce l'ha scritta in volto, e può essere una canzone. Uno che può diventare matto per una sigaretta, e poi quando finalmente la può fumare si sente bene. O un divorzio messicano, oppure pensare che tutto è finito, e come sarebbe bello se anche i muri potessero parlare...
E poi una chitarra sempre a portata di mano, come nelle migliori tradizioni. Ecco, sembra quasi di vedere una scena di qualche western alla Sergio Leone, con il buon Ry - il "filologo", come forse viene chiamato negli ambienti colti - a suonare appoggiato a terra contro un muretto. E tutto intorno i suoi compagni, quelli che con lui condividono la stessa idea di Musica.
Tutto il disco possiede questo profumo, questo intenso aroma di un tempo andato, che bellissimo fu e mai più tornerà. Nelle dolci armonie di Tattler ripensiamo proprio a quella ragazza, sì, proprio quella, il suo viso dolce stampato in fronte. La più bella canzone mai composta da Ry Cooder, che si scrive "musicista" e si legge "ricercatore di tesori perduti". Quello che riprende i tradizionali di Temp 'Em Up Solid e della marcetta - stupenda, invero - Jesus on the Mainline, sorretto dalla sezione fiati magistralmente diretta da George Bohanon. Quello che altresì omaggia Bobby & Shirley Womack con una travolgente versione di It's all over now. Quello che suona divinamente il proprio strumento per tutti i 37 minuti e passa del disco. Quello che appena senti la sua voce in Ditty Wah Ditty dici "ma no dai, come fa a cantare questo? Ma non era meglio se continuava a suonare?..". Ed invece poi ti coinvolge, ti piace. E poi, verso la fine, arriva quel piano, con il grande vecchio Earl Hines che sbuca da un angolo di uno sperduto e fumoso saloon...
E siamo al quarto disco per Cooder, Annus Domini 1974. E se il Nostro si er fatto conoscere già nel 1969, suonando la slide in Love in Vain nel "Let it Bleed" di stoniana memoria - mentre il suo esordio sarà ritardato di un anno - con questo viene raggiunta la cosiddetta quadratura del cerchio. Non che un album come "Into the Purple Valley" fosse di molto inferiore od acerbo, per carità. Ma sicuramente al quarto tentativo Cooder prende pienamente coscienza del suo ruolo di "catalogatore" e "riesumatore" all'interno del mondo della musica rock in generale. Un po' come aveva fatto - a modo loro - la premiata ditta J&R alcuni anni prima, con i primi album (e non solo). E come ha ripreso poi, andando in profondità, questo talentuoso e geniale chitarrista. Un personaggio caduto immeritatamente nell'oblio già da tempo, che meriterebbe senz'altro un altro grado di attenzione, non foss'altro per il ruolo svolto all'interno di una costante rilettura e ricerca delle nostre radici.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Tamp 'em Up Solid (03:22)
(Traditional) Tamp 'em up solid, so they won't come down Tamp 'em up solid, buddy, so they won't come down Tamp 'em up solid, so they won't come down Tamp 'em up solid, buddy, so they won't come down Baby, when you marry your railroad man Every day'll be pay day, dollar bill in your hand Baby, in your hand, baby, in your hand Baby, in your hand, baby, in your hand Mary and the baby laying in the bed Thinking about the money that I ain't made So tamp 'em up solid so they won't come down Tamp 'em up solid, buddy, so they won't come down Captain called the water boy and the water boy laughed Captain kicked the water boy yelling, "Yes, yes, yes" So tamp 'em up solid, so they won't come down Tamp 'em up solid, buddy, so they won't come down And you can do it, and you can do it, and you can do it So they won't come down
02 Tattler (04:19)
(Ry Cooder/Russ Titelman/Washington Phillips)
Whenever you find a man that loves every woman he sees,
There's always some kind of woman that's a-puttin' him up a tree.
Now that kind of man, he ain't got as much sense as a mule.
You know, everyone don't love you, they're just a-playin' you for a fool
Mmmm, oh, no,
It's not hard for you to understand.
True love can be such a sweet harmony
If you do the best that you can.
If you marry the wrong kind of woman and you get where you can't agree,
Well, you just as well could get your hat and let that woman be.
But a man oughta make a good husband and quit tryin' to lead a fast life.
Goin' about dressin' up other women won't put clothes on his own wife
Well, there's lots of good women who wants to marry, and they want to live well at home.
But they're 'fraid they'll might get hold of a rowdy man, can't let other women alone.
And there's lots of good men wants to marry, and they wants to live well at home.
But every time they turn their back, there's another man there askin', "Darlin', is he gone?"
04 Jesus on the Mainline (04:10)
(Traditional)
I know Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Call Him up and tell Him what you want
Well, the line ain't never busy
Tell Him what you want
Wo, that line ain't never busy
Tell Him what you want
Well, the line ain't never busy
Tell Him what you want
Keep on calling Him up
And tell Him what you want
Well, if you want His kingdom
Tell Him what you want
If you want His kingdom
Tell Him what you want
If want His kingdom
Tell Him what you want
Call Him up, call Him up, call Him up, call Him up
You can call Him up and tell Him what you want
Well, if you're sick and wanna get well
Tell Him what you want
Well, if you're sick and you wanna get well
Tell Him what you want
If you're sick and you wanna get well
Tell Him what you want
Call Him up and tell Him what you want
And if you're feeling down and out
Tell Him what you want
And if you're feeling down and out
Tell Him what you want
And if you're feeling down and out
Tell Him what you want
Call Him up and tell Him what you want
I know Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Call Him up, call Him up, call Him up, call Him up
Call Him up and tell Him what you want
09 Ditty Wah Ditty (05:42)
(Arthur Blake)
There's a great big mistery
And it sure is worrying me
It's a ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means
I went out and walked around
Somebody yelled, "Now who's in town ?"
Mister ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means
Some little girl 'bout four-feet-four
Said, "Come on, papa, and gimme some mo'"
Your ditty wah ditty
Your ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means
I went to church, put my hat on the seat
A lady sat on it and said, "Daddy you sho' is sweet"
Mister ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means
I said, "Sister, I'll soon be gone
Just give me that thing that you're sitting on"
My ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means
Then I got put outta the church
'Cause I talked about ditty wah ditty too much
Mister ditty wah ditty
Mister ditty wah ditty
I wished somebody would tell me what ditty wah ditty means
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