• Voto:
Sade Adu è una donna fortunata: bellissima e nata con il dono di una voce d'oro ma non solo, quello che per lei ha fatto veramente la differenza è soprattutto la sua non comune eleganza, ed anche un'intelligenza superiore alla media; intelligenza nel mantenere al suo fianco un gruppo storico di musicisti abili e fidati, nel non cedere alle lusinghe del mainstream più sciatto ed in balia di mode passeggere, nell'aver sempre anteposto la qualità alla quantità. Tanta lungimiranza ha sicuramente dato i suoi frutti, e si vede: anche se l'apice commerciale della corrente quiet storm è ormai passato da tempo il nome di Sade suscita ancora oggi grande rispetto ed ammirazione, ed il suo identificarsi con un solo stile, ben preciso e codificato le ha consentito di diventarne una vera icona, molto più che una semplice esponente seppur di spicco. Un anno di distanza tra il primo e il secondo album, tre tra il secondo e il terzo, quattro tra il terzo e il quarto, otto tra il quarto e il quinto, una lunga attesa coronata da un fiore all'occhiello nella produzione dell'artista anglo-nigeriana: "Lovers Rock".
"Lovers Rock" è il suo album che prediligo maggiormente: più coeso e strutturato dei suoi predecessori, scorre in maniera più fluida e ha una personalità più definita; il sound è caldo e ricco di influssi latini e reggae ma l'arrangiamento sobrio, spesso e volentieri unplugged lo rende molto intimo e confidenziale, un fiorire di arpeggi ed atmosfere bittersweet che non fa assolutamente rimpiangere il fascino in abito da sera di alcuni suoi cavalli di battaglia come "Smooth Operator" o "Paradise". "Flow", "King Of Sorrow" e "Somebody Already Broke My Heart" sono gli episodi più rappresentativi di questo nuovo corso stilistico e formano un continuum, sembrano quasi fondersi in un'unica canzone diventando il cuore pulsante di "Lovers Rock", un vortice lento dal retrogusto amaro ma intenso, atmosfere da crepuscolo d'estate. Questo mood riflessivo si adatta perfettamente anche a tematiche molto diverse da quella sentimentale, come nel caso di "Slave Song" e "Immigrant", la prima in particolare è sicuramente uno dei punti più alti della carriera di Sade a livello di songwriting: semplicità assoluta, solo ritmo e voce per una preghiera, una poesia, un canto di redenzione, di coraggio e speranza nell'ora più buia, "I pray to the almighty, let me not to him do as he has unto me, teach my beloved children who had been enslaved to reach for the light continually". Impegno e riflessione ma anche un tocco vellutato, dolce e consolatorio, che si manifesta nella gentilezza e sensibilità della breve ed acustica lullaby "The Sweetest Gift", in una splendida ballad reggae, luminosa e ricca di calore umano ed emotivo come "By Your Side", e nella chiusura "It's Only Love That Gets You Through", interpretazione vocale da pelle d'oca, delicata e toccante, di uno spiritual sorretto da una perfetta combinazione organo-piano.
"Lovers Rock" è un album emotivamente molto intenso ma in alcuni frangenti concede atmosfere più rilassate, della piacevoli "pause" strategiche che aggungono slancio, equilibrio ed ulteriori sfumature all'insieme, come una languida e vaporosa "All About Our Love", il passo felpato e soulful di "Every Word" e naturalmente "Lovers Rock", tributo all'omonimo sottogenere musicale, fusione tra reggae e black music nordamericana, limpida e leggera, sobria ed elegante come tutto l'album a cui dà il titolo. Un album bellissimo e forse un po' sottovalutato, purtroppo, che mostra Sade in una veste diversa: matura, riflessiva, più intima, un po' meno diva, con in più le "solite" qualità già ampiamente mostrate, in quanto a stile, raffinatezza e buon gusto "Lovers Rock" non ha proprio nulla da invidiare a "Diamond Life" o "Stronger Than Pride" e la sua peculiare semplicità negli arrangiamenti fa risaltare ulteriormente una voce inconfondbile, tutti presupposti più che sufficienti per invogliare ad un ascolto, senza contare la capacità di creare fin dal primo ascolto un forte legame emotivo ed empatico, cosa che forse vale per me e non per altri ma che costituisce una ragione in più per consigliarlo caldamente.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 By Your Side (04:38)
You think I'd leave your side baby?
You know me better than that
You Think I'd leave you down when you're down on your knees?
I wouldn't do that.
I'll tell you you're right when you're wrong...
Oh Oh oh-oh-oh-oh
And if only you could see into me...
Oh when you're cold I'll be there to hold you tight to me
When you're on the outside baby and you can't get in
I will show you, you're so much better than you know
When you're lost, and you're alone and can't get back again
I will find you darling, and I'll bring you home
And if u want to cry I am here to dry your eyes,
and in no time you'll be fine.....
You think I'd leave your side baby?
You know me better than that.
Think I'd leave you down when you're down on your knees?
I wouldn't do that
I'll tell you you're right when you want
Oh, oh
If only you could see into me....
Oh when you're cold I'll be there to hold you tight to me, baby.
Ohh when you're alone I'll be there by your side baby, by your side baby.
Oh when your cold I'll be there to hold you tight to me, to me baby.
Ohh when you're alone I'll be there by your side baby.
02 Flow (04:38)
Ooh baby mm
When you hold me
Oh Oh
When you hold me the sound
Is it possible I could feel this
good I could really love you
the way I do
Is it possible I would feel this
good I could really love you
the way I do
See me (within the light)
Flowing (take me to you)
Like the river to the sea
You come down (im in the light)
You cover (pull me to you)
And the waves rush over me
I feel a love light rush over me
I feel the love turn to me
And then your love just
creeps over me
Over me
See me (within the light)
Flowing (take me to you)
Like the river to the sea
You come down (im in the light)
You cover (pull me to you)
And the waves rush over me
Ooh baby mm
When you hold me
Oh oh
When you hold me
And I wont let you go
I wont let you go
And I wont let you go
I wont let you go
Take up your love
Take up your love
Take up your love
And come to me
This love's not a liar
To cold its a fire
Im on the run
And its a comfort to me
Take up your love
Take up your love
Take up your love
And come to me
This loves not a liar
To cold its a fire
Im on the run
And its a comfort to me
And I wont let you go
I wont let you go
And I wont let you go
I wont let you go
04 Somebody Already Broke My Heart (05:04)
You came along when I needed a savior
Someone to pull me through somehow
I've been torn apart so many times
I've been hurt so many times before
So I'm counting on you now
Somebody already broke my heart
Somebody already broke my heart
Here I am
So don't leave me stranded
On the end of a line
Hanging on the edge of a lie
I've been torn apart so many times
I've been hurt so many times before
So be careful and be kind
Somebody already broke my heart
If someone has to lose, I don't want to play
Somebody already broke my heart
No, no I can't go there again
You came along when I needed a savior
Someone to pull me through somehow
I've been torn apart so many times
I've been hurt so many times before
So I'm counting on you now
Somebody already broke my heart
If someone has to lose, I don't want to play
Somebody already broke my heart
No, no I can't go there again
/ lg
06 Slave Song (04:17)
i see them gathered see
them on the shore
i turned to look once more
and he who knows me not takes me to the belly
of darkness
the tears run swift and hard and when they fall
even the comfort of a stone would be a gain
there was a time
when i thought
i would have to give up
but i'm thankful that i'm
strong as i am and i'll try to do
the best i can
tears will run swift and tears will come that fall like rain
i pray that it's swift though tears will fall as cold as pain
i pray to the almighty
let me not to him do
as he has unto me
teach my beloved children
who have been enslaved
to reach for the light continually
so many times i prayed
so many times i've prayed
for you
prayed for you
the tears run swift and hard and cold as pain
even the comfort of a stone would be a gain
had i not the strength and wisdom of a warrior
i would have to give up
but i'm thankful that i'm
strong as i am
and i'll try to do the best i can
tears will run swift and tears will come that fall like rain
i pray that it's swift though tears will fall as cold as pain
i pray to the almighty
let us not do as he has unto us
teach my beloved children
i've been a slave
but reach for the
light continually
wisdom is the flame
wisdom is the brave warrior who will carry us into the sun
i pray that it's swift though tears will come that fall like rain
so many times so many times
08 Every Word (04:08)
i saw a picture
how could you be so careless
how could you have done that
to us
and i write this letter
i send it all back to you
and every word you said
in there every word
oh oh
how could you have done that to us
you treated me like a stranger
and all the time i was loving you
all your slick moves they were once innocent moves
i wanted to look up to you
i really trusted you
and every word you said
in there every word
oh oh
how could you have done that to us
i was loving you like a child
all the time you were smiling the same smile
i was loving you like a child
i really trusted you
every word you said
every word you said
love is what the word was
every word you said
every word you said
all the time you were smiling
love is what the word was
every word you said
every word that you said
i was loving you like a child yeah
and all the time you were smiling the same smile
i was loving you like a child
i really trusted you
every word you said
every word that you said
i send it back to you yeah
every word you said
every word that you said
i send it all back to you yeah
every word you said
every word you said
i send it all back to you
back to you
09 Immigrant (03:51)
coming from where he did
he was turned away from
every door like joseph
to even the toughest among us
that would be too much
he didn't know what it was
to be black
'til they gave him his change but didn't want to touch
his hand
to even the toughest among us
that would be too much
isn't it just enough
how hard it is to live
isn't it hard enough
just to make it through a day
the secret of their fear
and their suspicion
standing there looking
like an angel
in his brown shoes
his short suit
his white shirt
and his cuffs a little frayed
coming from where he did
he was such a dignified child
to even the toughest among us
that would be too much
isn't it just enough
how hard it is to live
isn't it hard enough
just to make it through a day
coming from where he did
he was turned away from
every door like joseph
to even the toughest among us
that would be too much
he didn't know what it
was to be black
'til they gave him his change but didn't want to touch
his hand
to even the toughest among us
that would be too much
10 Lovers Rock (04:18)
i am in the wilderness
you are in the music in the man's car next to me
somewhere in my sadness
i know i won't fall apart
completely
when i need to be rescued
and i need a place to swim
i have a rock to cling to
in the storm
when no-one can hear
me calling
i have you i can sing to
and in all this
and in all my life
you are the lovers rock
the rock that i cling to
you're the one
the one i swim to in a storm
like a lovers rock
i am in the wilderness
you are in the music in the man's car next to me
somewhere in my sadness
i know i won't fall apart
completely
and in all this
and in all my life
you are the lovers rock
the rock that i cling to
you're the one
the one i swim to in a storm
like a lovers rock
you are the lovers rock
the rock that i cling to
you're the one
the one i swim to in a storm
like a lovers rock
when i need to be rescued
you're there
when i need a place to swim to
in the storm
i think of you
and in all my life
and in all my life
you are the lovers rock
the rock that i cling to
you're the one
the one i swim to in a storm
like a lovers rock
Carico i commenti... con calma
