Il discorso del "era meglio prima" non regge il colpo con gli Scritti Politti di Green Gartside e David Gamson, che nel 1985 rilasciano il loro insuperato capolavoro. Green Gartside, impegno politico e scritti gramsciani, droga e cultura, soggiorno sempre in ordine e uno scheletro perennemente con un libro in mano. Uno che scrive nell'82 un album pop, e dentro ci infila un pezzo dedicato a un filosofo decostruzionista. O che butta giù versi tipo "The weakest link in every chain, I always want to find it/The strongest words in each belief, and find out what's behind it". Uno che nel '78 era convinto di aver detto tutto, mentre gli altri lo prendevano a calci in culo per andare avanti. Rigorosamente dopo un'assemblea comunitaria in cui si spiegano i nuovi programmi.

Capolavoro, si diceva. Nell'anno di "Songs to Remember" esce "Thriller" ed è una mezza rivoluzione. Ecco che al secondo tentativo sulla lunga distanza l'emaciato leader ci riprova, magari con qualche dose di poppetto in più; meglio ancora se made in casa Jackson. Gartside sfodera un falsetto d'altri tempi, supportato da bordate di sequencer e arrangiamenti futuristici. Beninteso, sempre di pop stiamo parlando: un pop certamente più commerciale (mio dio, che brutta parola!) dell'album d'esordio, ma certo non meno raffinato. Possono andare insieme commerciale e raffinato? Ma sì che possono. Provate a non scuotere le chiappe su Perfect Way o Don't Work That Hard. O a non andare in deliquio per l'intro paradisiaco di Absolute, tastiere tastierose e basso pompatissimo. Cultura da ballare quello che si proponeva all'epoca, una lunga pista da ballo su cui i nostri piedi sudaticci si asciugavano sui versi di The Word Girl - "poi il tuo sangue e la tua carne si fecero parola", per celebrare l'essenza più profonda del genere femminile.

Certo non è facile oggi vedere il video di Perfect Way, con quel dimenarsi del ciuffone biondo che sembra uscire dallo schermo. Ma sapere che poco dopo lo stesso spilungone poteva cantare A Little Knowledge - di nuovo l'amore come conoscenza, "adesso so che amarti non è conoscerti" - calma tutte le maledizioni lanciate verso quei terribili Ottanta.

Perché tutti noi almeno una volta nella vita abbiamo pregato a letto come Aretha Franklin.  

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   The Word Girl (Flesh & Blood) (04:24)

02   Small Talk (03:39)

Small talk small talk small talk
Ooh we're tired of prophesying
We heard the word was good but it's stupefying
Small talk get up and do some death defying small talk

I heard a whisper
that careless talk costs more than you bargained for
In seventh heaven if a thing's worth doing it's worth doing badly

Small talk oh baby it's so inconsequential
Everybody heard enough about your big potential
Small talk oh no information given small talk

Small talk oh well your such a little socialite
We heard your chit chat now you get it up and get it right
Small talk oh show us what your made of baby small talk

03   Absolute (04:25)

Absolute on power drive I need you so to keep me alive
Absolute I long for you a girl to make a dream come true

Absolute a principal to make your heart invincible to love
Ooh love you ... holy girl your lips of clay
Will whisper words of yesterday
Holy girl my paramour I know too much to be so sure

Holy girl you kiss away the meaning of the working day
For love / ooh love you ...
Where the words are worn away we live to love another day
Where the words are hard 'n' fast we talk of nothing new but the past

Where the words are vodka clear forgetfulness has brought us near
Absolute a principal to make your heart invincible

To love oh to love to love




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

04   A Little Knowledge (05:02)

05   Don't Work That Hard (03:59)

I need love for the power got to understand
I need love for the power got the upper hand
I need love for the power use it oh so fast
I need love for the power love'll never last

And I don't work that hard not for love
Drowning in my teardrops
And I don't work that hard not for love
Drowning in my teardrops

Oh I'll be good want you so much
give me the word wrap it for love
Oh I'll be true oh I love you so much
give me the word and I'll honour and obey

I submit for approval got to understand
I submit for approval got the upper hand
I submit for approval use it oh so fast
I submit for approval n'love'll never last

I got a piece for the wicked use it oh so fast
I got a piece for the wicked love'll never last

I'm gonna work that hard oh for love
Even in my teardrops
I'm gonna work that hard oh for love
Even in my teardrops

06   Perfect Way (04:33)

I took a backseat a backhander I took her back to her room
I better get back to the basics for you
You gotta conscience compassion you got away with the word
You gotta heart full of complacency too
I don't have a purpose omission I'm empty by definition
I got a lack girl that you'd love to be
You wanna diva a deduction you wanna do what they do
Wanna do damage that you can undo

Apart from everyone away from your love
A part of me belongs apart from all the hurt above

I got a perfect way to make a new proposition
I got a perfect way to make a justification
I got a perfect way to make a certain a maybe
I got a perfect way to make the girls go crazy

I took a day job amendment I took a liking to you
I took a page out of my rulebook for you
You wanna message a confession you wanna martyr me too
You wanna margin of error for two
Maybe tomorrow the next letter or when the weather gets better
I've got to wait here for your moon to turn blue
I made an offer an exception I made a sense out of you
You took a good look at your book but I knew

In times of tenderness in terms baby so true
Until such time as I can understand all the things you do

Want to forgive you for all the things that you do
Wanna forget how to remember with you
Maybe tomorrow the next letter or when the weather gets better
I've got to wait here for your moon to turn blue

This is a perfect way to make a new proposition
This is a perfect way to make a justification
This is a perfect way to make a certain a maybe
This is a perfect way to make the girls go crazy

07   Lover to Fall (03:51)

08   Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) (04:48)

here's nothing I wouldn't be
To get to be together
There's nothing I wouldn't be
My heart depends on me
There's nothing I wouldn't do
Including doing nothing
There's nothing I wouldn't do
For you to be with me now sugar

Each time I go to bed I pray like Aretha Franklin
Each time I go to bed I pray like Aretha Franklin
Nothing, oh nothing
Because baby, baooo
I'm a would be
W. O. O. D.
I'm a would be would be
B. E. E. Z.

There's nothing I wouldn't do
To make you want for nothing
There's nothing I wouldn't do
My heart belongs to you
There's nothing we shouldn't do
To get to be so happy
There's nothing we shouldn't do
Oh, let's forget taboo now sugar

Each time I go to bed I pray like Aretha Franklin
Each time I go to bed I pray like Aretha Franklin
Nothing, oh nothing
Because baby, baooo
I'm a would be
W. O. O. D.
I'm a would be would be
B. E. E. Z.

Each time I love you
You know what I need to do
And each time I need you
Oh, baby you know, you know, know, kn-know

(I)
(Ooh!)
(Ooh!)
Each time I go to bed I pray like Aretha Franklin
Nothing, oh nothing
Because baby, baooo
I'm a would be
I'm a would be
W. O. O. D.
I'm a would be would be
B. E. E. Z.

There's nothing I wouldn't take
Oh, even intravenous
There's nothing I wouldn't take
To get to be approved
There's nothing I wouldn't be
Oh that's the gift of schizo
There's nothing that's new to me
I've seen it all before now sugar

Each time I go to bed I pray like Aretha Franklin
Each time I go to bed I pray like Aretha Franklin
Nothing, oh nothing
Because baby, baooo
I'm a would be
W. O. O. D.
I'm a would be would be
B. E. E. Z.

09   Hypnotize (03:34)

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