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Il debutto dei Semisonic è esattamente come me lo aspettavo. Forse, nel 1996, era spiazzante, e forse, tutt'al contrario, quel modo di suonare non poteva non essere naturale ed ovvio. Non ricordo e non so. A distanza di così tanto tempo dico che è esattamente come me lo immaginavo: dopo la (brutta) fine del grunge, la sopravvivenza è data non da chi finge per denaro lo stesso impeto e la stessa sofferenza, ma da chi molto più onestamente si limita a fare qualcosa di meno roboante. E questo qualcosa è tagliarsi i capelli, armarsi di buona volontà, levarsi le lentine che ti irritano gli occhi e rimettere les lunettes, togliersi quelle camicie di flanella che siamo a ferragosto, sfilarsi gli anfibi e i calzettoni di spugna, e soprattutto ritornare ad un approccio di scrittura più classico. Non soltanto al poprock ed al rootrock, ma anche all'altrock di molti dei padri del grunge.
Insomma, questo esordio dei Semisonic, che vuoi o non vuoi sono sempre di Minneapolis, sembra nascere per obbedire ad un chiarissimo imperativo: stemperare. Proprio in questo senso s'incammina la buona parte della tracklist, a cominciare da "F.N.T.", poproot melodico arrangiato secondo i canoni di bellezza rockettara allora in voga, o per "Down In Flames", decisamente più duretta.
Melodia semplice su buoni riffs, oppure chitarroni su roba facile ("If I Run" e "Delicious"): non è indie-punk-pop in stile Weezer, piuttosto grunge-root-pop. Roba così, comunque, quando il rock era il genere musicale del divertimento, sarebbe stata da antologia, ma oggi potrebbe venirti voglia di passare avanti dopo trenta secondi d'ascolto. Per inciso, la più divertente è "Brand New Baby", manco fosse la versione vitaminizzata di una hit dei Supertramp.
Dan Wilson decisamente non osa col sound, ma sa cos'è la melodia. Nella quasi titletrack "Across The Great Divide", tra l'altro, piazza un ritornello che hai già sentito... Oddio, ma sembra proprio la recente "Long Road To Ruin" dei Foo Fighters! Poi ci penso un attimo su, e mi chiedo: quanta roba lo sfortunato Dan Wilson ed il fortunatissimo-miracolato Dave Grohl avranno rubato qua e là all'alt-rock del passato? In fin dei conti così fu per molti, in quella decade, persino tra i più rappresentativi. E qui, in questo suo porsi tra il poprock, il root, l'indie-alt acustico o press'appoco, Dan Wilson sembra un po' il Lou Barlow un po' piacione di certi suoi lavori solisti.
La vicinanza ispirativa all'élite dell'alternative storico rimbomba forte nell'indie diagonale di "The Prize", e tutto sembra ancor più chiaro. In "No-one Else" i Semisonic dànno saggio di gran gusto e di sensibilità chill, e nella conclusiva "I'll Feel For You" sembrano venire dalla Londra sonnolenta del 1977 e di "Animals".
Ci sono pezzi che altro non possono essere che riempitivi, da qualunque punto di vista osserviate-ascoltiate "The Great Divide", ed a seconda del vostro approccio al poprock, vi troverete a scartare i brani più semplici o quelli più duretti, quelli più lenti o quelli di meno facile presa. Detto ciò a me pare che i Semisonic abbiano in questo disco dimostrato di poter fare e di poter essere un po' tutto (tranne che grunge puro) ed abbastanza credibilmente. Come spesso avviene, però, più sono le cose che sai fare e più voli basso, ed in questo esordio mancano i singoloni spaccachart da un lato, ed i brani più "harditi" dall'altro. Mancano, cioè, i due estremi.
La musica rock non pare fatta per i moderati, ma solo per gli estremisti, anche se finti o bugiardi; il rock è buono ovviamente per i paradossi, le contraddizioni, tipo gente che col rock non fa altro che lagnarsi da mattina a sera ma che poi c'ha i megamiliardi e le figone. Il mondo della musica rock, insomma, credo sia l'unico mondo in cui se sei di centro perdi sicuro. E forse proprio per questo mi piace più degli altri mondi.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 F.N.T. (03:29)
Fascinating new thing
You delight me, and I know you're speaking of me
Fascinating new thing
Get beside me, I want you to love me
I'm surprised that you've never been told before
That you're lovely
And you're perfect
And that somebody wants you
(Come on now)
Fascinating new thing
The scene makin', want a temporary saviour
Fascinating new thing
Don't betray them by becoming familiar
I'm surprised that you've never been told before
That you're lovely
And you're perfect
And that somebody wants you
I'm surprised that you've never been told before
That you're priceless
And you're precious
Even when you are not new
Lallallalallallalaa x3
I'm surprised that you've never been told before
That you're lovely
And you're precious
And that somebody wants you
I'm surprised that you've never been told before
That you're priceless
Yeah, you're holy
Even when you are not new
(Come on now) x2
Fascinating new thing (fascinating new thing) x2
02 If I Run (04:16)
Morning comes and morning goes
Now it's me against the sun
The day goes by and darkness grows
And it's over before it's done
Well I know it'll be alright if I just get on the road
If I run I can free my worried mind
Yeah I know on the day I die I will lose my heavy load
But I wouldn't want to leave you behind
All my time keeps creeping on
Now I've grown into a man
But Mr. Child still wants to run
From the cradle to the van
Keep thinking it'll be alright if I just get on the road
If I run I can free my worried mind
Keep thinking of the day I die when I lose my heavy load
But I wouldn't want to leave you behind
03 Delicious (03:57)
You're delicious
When you call me
I've got nothing left to wait for
You're delicious when you see me
I've got nothing left to pray for
Woo-hoo, woo-hoo
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
You're delicious
Come and feed me
I've got nothing left to cry for
You're delicious
Oh you sweet thing
You've got something I should open wide for
I would give my one last chance to you
Never to waste it
I would give my one last kiss to you
If you told me that you wanted to taste it
You're delicious
When you call me
I've got nothing left to sigh for
You're delicious
When you save me
I've got nothing left to die for
04 Down in Flames (04:02)
It's not the pain, that I'm used to it
It's feeling like I'm already dead
I see from a ceiling of misty spirit
Rising from a place in my head
And I never even get to go down
Down in flames
I said, friend you have a life to see
Why do you want to scare me so?
All the suffering and mystery me
I can't even pretend to know
So you never even get to go down
Down in flames
You never even get to go down
Down in flames
We had plans to explore the stars
Be rejected by stage door guards
Mining for gold, the time unreels
Not stifling behind Suburban wheels
Not stifling behind Suburban wheels
Yeah
The plan was to burn up when the air was clear
We'd all wear our visors down
Not from a spark in the atmosphere
Not this man-sized hole in the ground
Now your father's face is frozen between anger and tears
You're mother's hair's amazingly gray
And I'm seeing these friends for the first time in years
It's icicle reunion day
And you never even get to go down
Down in flames
You never even get to go down
Down in flames
05 Across the Great Divide (03:00)
Over mountains, that's where my love lives
A long, long ride to sunland here where I did this
Across the great divide alone (wondering open afraid and)
Arriving alive unknown (unknown unwise and unaided)
If I could I might
Send my love on a plane ride
A black cross high in a blue sky
A green cross gliding on a million pines
Across the great divide alone wondering open afraid and,
Arrive in a life unknown (unknown unwise and unaided)
Across the great divide alone (wondering open afraid and)
Try to find a life unknown (unknown unwise and unaided)
07 The Prize (03:58)
The night of a thousand verses
One thousand friends said have you heard
What we expected
We are all working late and
Waiting to win a prize we don't deserve
And live to collect it
Can't you see I'm weary
Maybe this news can wait
The night of a thousand verses
One thousand strivers strain to hear
A voice that's left us
And the magazines still have to sell us
Twelve mastergeniuses a year
It's all so shameless
Can't you see I'm weary
Maybe this news can wait
Can't you see I'm blurry
Maybe this news can wait
Maybe there was a message in it
I don't know where you hid it
Maybe there was a piece that will fit
I don't know where to fit it
Tell me what kind of prize can you get
Where you don't want to win it?
Can't you see I'm weary
Maybe this news can wait
Can't you see I'm blurry
Maybe this blues can wait
09 Brand New Baby (03:37)
Time, you needed time
Out of the mainstream
Out on your only
Alone, to find yourself somehow
So I'm a bit surprised you lately
Beside a brand new baby
Well if it makes you happy now
I guess that's great
I guess you're not mine
Brand new baby beside you now
Oh, yeah
I guess that's great
You don't see me cryin'
And there's nobody to slow you down
Oh, yeah
If you're feeling sorry, try to contain it
You don't need to save me
Don't waste your pity anyhow
And you might like to believe I'm devastated
To see you with your lovin' baby
Well if it makes you happy now
I guess that's great
I guess you're not mine
Brand new baby beside you now
Oh, yeah
I guess that's great
You don't see me cryin'
And there's nobody to slow you down
Oh, yeah
Seen you with your brand new baby
Sure, it phases me just to hear you laughing
Makes me just a little crazy
But I guess it's a great thing
If it makes you happy now
10 Falling (03:37)
High above the midway lights
High above the rides
You, me and the sky
The whole world looks small tonight
And you said we could never really fly
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me, why did I keep thinkin' 'bout your calling
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me, why do you keep thinkin' that your falling
Swayin', sighin' at the skywheel top
Then you say that I could never make you mine
The lights, springs, constellations will turn and stop
Kiss me once again and change your mind
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me, why did I keep thinkin' 'bout your calling
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me, why do you keep thinkin' that your falling
Falling
Falling...
08:49, 14 April 2006 (PDT)08:49, 14 April 2006 (PDT)08:49, 14 April 2006 (PDT)
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me, why did I keep thinkin' 'bout your calling
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me, why do you keep thinkin' that your falling
If you're right
Tell me why
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me, why do you keep thinkin' that your falling
Falling...
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