• Voto:
“La mia vita”, dissi a questa donna volendola impressionare “è racchiusa in questo minuto e sedici”.
E le girai la intro di ‘Banging On The Door’.
Che poi è vero, non so spiegare (o non voglio) ma quando ascolto quel frangente, che ho adorato da subito, da che ne ho memoria, mi passa dinnanzi tutta la vita.
“Real Life”, 1991, è un autogol. “Vera vita”, sta a significare un pregresso in cui era tutto poltiglia ? Non capisco, Menti Semplici. Spiegate, volete ?
“Street Fighting Years”, il predecessore, lui era vera vita. Lotte, prigionie, dolore, lacrime.
Questo “Real Life” si colloca pericolosamente all’inizio di un decennio che vedrà irrigidire il pop rock in attesa di revisione. Grunge, brit – pop e sperimentazione (Nirvana, Oasis, Prodigy) sono lì, ammiccano, pronti a dare una spallata a chi vive di rendita, pur dignitosamente.
Comunque: fui felice quando, in uno degli ultimi tour, aprirono la set list proprio con ‘Banging On The Door’, con tanto di intro, non dal vivo ma con la base e vabbe’, ci sta.
La tizia di cui all’inizio mi disse “Ah, bella. Io ascolto Mengoni, Eros, la Nannini”, tipo. Dall’intifada in Irlanda ai bordi di periferia è un attimo. Comunque, poi mi ha bloccato, non ricordo perché.
Ai tempi della pubblicazione di ‘Real life’, quindicenne, fui catturato dal singolo apripista, ‘Let There Be Love’, e acquistai l’album.
Più fresco del predecessore, ma più sbarazzino. Meno pietra miliare, se mi è concesso, più episodio soprassedibile.
Non sono propriamente un fan dei Simple Minds, ma ne apprezzo bontà d’animo, coerenza, innocenza.
La title track, ‘Let There Be Love’, ‘Woman’, ‘Let The Children Speak’, ‘Gosthrider’: sono episodi gradevoli. Sono rock, pop, suonati dignitosamente.
Il disco, però, viene un po’ meno in termini di personalità. La voce (il vocione) di Kerr è rassicurante, e chi ha messo mano alle tastiere al posto di Mick MacNeil ha lavorato bene, lavorato sodo.
Manca un’idea di base, che in ‘Street Fighting Years’ era la lotta, la guerriglia con annessi gli indotti.
Qui, forse per reazione, ci si posiziona su un piano più intimo e introspettivo, anche musicalmente. Ma è come se una mannaia fosse calata a tranciar via il passato, come se reinventarsi fosse una tassa da pagare a qualcuno, come se dopo più di un decennio si fosse ancora sotto esame, cos’hanno da offrire ancora questi Simple Minds ?
Sarò cattivo, sarò sincero: poco. Non a caso, da lì in poi, passeranno dagli stadi ai teatri.
Ed è curioso che quando mi debba auto celebrare, quando mi si chiede una canzone da piazzare a mo’ di manifesto biografico, istintivamente io vada alla intro di ‘Banging On The Door’.
Chiunque di voi, è chiaro, è limpido, chiamato a pescare da questo mazzo, passerebbe oltre. Cito a caso: ci sta che @IlConte faccia l’amore sulle note di ‘Travellin’ Man’, è plausibile.
Ma non ho mai accostato il sesso alla musica. Una volta, forse, ma non con i Simple Minds. La loro immacolata genesi, il ridimensionamento silente e pulito, mi avrebbero destabilizzato.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
02 See the Lights (04:22)
Summer's gone winter's in your eyes
I can feel the thunder storms inside
I wake every morning and the cold winds cover me
All I've got's a ghost of what could be
If you can see the lights shine in front of me
If you can see the lights shout out where you'll be
I'm in a broken dream I stare out into space
You know I called you up cos nothing takes your place
I've got a heart of stone and it's sinking deep inside
I want to tell you love I'm too proud to cry
If you can see the lights shine in front of me
If you can see the lights shout out where you'll be
Summer's gone and I can't tell you lies
Oh forgive me love I'm too proud to cry
If you can see the lights shine in front of me
If you can see the lights shout out where you'll be
Summer's gone and I can't tell you lies
Forgive me love I'm too proud to cry
Too proud to cry
Too proud to cry
Too proud to cry
Written by : Kerr/Burchill Reproduced Without Permission
03 Let There Be Love (04:57)
Secrets of lovers
Whisper tonight
Broken down angel
Got lost in the cold daylight
The city is screaming
And I look for your eyes
Someone to lean on through the night
Your music talks to me and hits me tonight
One candle burning, I hear your voice say
So let there be love
Let there be love
Love
Let there be love
It heals and it hurts
She leads you to heaven's door
And leaves you for dirt
Someone to lean on, that's your own
Some magic conquers me and lives in my soul,
She comes like an ocean and I hear you sing
Love will conquer anything
So let it be love
Let it be love
Love
Let it be love
The wall's down
They're coming down
I can't slow
I know it now
So stay now
Hold on
And I'm praying
So let it be love
Let it be love
Love
Let it be love
I know what I want
I know what I feel
I know what I want
So let there be love
So let there be love
Let there be love
04 Woman (04:40)
Spirit of girl I know's in front of me
I brought her home its where she'd want to be
Picture of some strange tattooed bird on her thigh
Shine on walk on take a walk with me
Something going I can tell
The way you know its meant to be
There's something taking all your life
You're drifting far away from me
Spirit of the one I love walk in the room
It gets so hard when it's all too soon
Lover's lonely planet blue smoke in your eyes
Shine on get home when are you gonna rise
Shook my life
Mercury
You don't live here any more
Shine on
Mercury
Walking the the sunlight to the old courtyard
Where the weather's warm and the air tastes sweet
In a world where words can say what's in her eyes,
She will epitomise, so let her rest in peace.
Something's going I can tell
The way you know it's meant to be
Something taking all your life
And you're drifting far away from me
Something I can tell you
Mercury
Something I can tell you
Really want to tell you I'd really love to tell you
Written by : Kerr/Burchill Reproduced Without Permission
07 African Skies (04:52)
You say you're surprised
I thought I'd write today
Pieces of my life
That time can't fade away
Land lies dry - Africa
And the clouds roll by - Africa
I held you every night
I believed in all you'd say
Now the dust blows in my eyes
But those dreams won't fade away
The sky burns red - Africa
Don't you cry - Africa
Africa
When you cry it rains - Africa
Still the children smile - Africa
When you cry it rains - Africa
When the wild dogs howl - Africa
Still the clouds roll by - Africa
Written by : Kerr/Burchill Reproduced Without Permission
08 Ghostrider (03:21)
Shadows in your room
Like a ghost you never see
Look in to the one you love if you're afraid of me
Ghettos in his eyes
He plays a torch song melody
Listen to the one you love if you're afraid of me
Ghost rider
E S P
Paperback rider
You can't fool me
When all is said and done
Babylon was meant to be
Shitting on the one you love if you're afraid of me
He's got the wild dog in his eyes
He's got a speedball in his brain
Running through the roads of love like a marathon man
Ghost rider
E S P
The devil inside her
Don't want it to be
Yeah the ghost rider
E S P
A paperback rider
Deep down in his soul
Every little boy knows
The he can't stop running so go
Look out
There's been a shoot out for love
I've got the shivers of love
Ghost rider
E S P
The devil inside her
I don't want it to be
Ghost rider
E S P
She's got the devil inside her
Oh no you can't
You can't fool me
Oh no you can't
You can't fool me
Oh no you can't
Yeah the ghost rider
E S P
Oh paperback rider
Oh no you can't fool
Oh no you can't fool
10 Banging on the Door (04:23)
You know that it hurts
These things that you say
But I'll be alright
Don't lose your faith
Just swallow your pride tonight
God only knows this place is strange
Banging on the door again
Banging on the door that's locked forever
Losing on a lover's game
Winning on the one side and losing forever
The air that we breather hangs heavy tonight
Still I look for your face
I'm home all alone again
Some dreams grow old and then they just die
I'm banging on the door again
Still banging on the door that's locked forever
Losing on a lover's game
Winning on the one track and hurting forever
Oh your love is a symphony
All this love over all of me
Oh your love is a symphony
Oh sweet love I can feel it
Still banging on the door again
I'm banging on the door that's sealed forever
Losing on a lover's game
Winning on the one track hurting forever
Written by : Kerr/Burchill Reproduced Without Permission
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Altre recensioni
Di rosharris
"La title track è strepitosa; la testiera introduttiva, l'arpeggio e i riff di Burchill, la voce eterea di Kerr e la ritmica suggestiva ne fanno un pezzo eccezionale."
"Con 'Rivers Of Ice' l'intreccio tastiera/voce fa venire i brividi per la dolcezza di una ballata perfetta."
