Prima del mash up e del bastard pop, prima dei dj set, della svolta dance e del (relativo) successo commerciale, e soprattutto prima di tradire le grandi attese con il sopravvalutato "Any Minute Now", i Soulwax sono stati innanzitutto una grande indie pop band, dotata dell'innata capacità di scrivere canzoni nel vero senso della parola, che si fissavano nella mente al primo ascolto grazie anche ai loro ritornelli killer, ma mai banali o troppo facilotte.
Mi spiace molto dover parlare al passato perchè era davvero una grande band quella capitanata dai fratelli Dewaele, ma purtroppo i Soulwax non sono più tutto ciò. Questo "Much Against Everyone's Advice" è uscito nel 1998, in un periodo in cui ogni cosa proveniente dal Belgio sembrava essere un piccolo miracolo musicale fatto di grazia e concretezza, ed è per inciso un piccolo capolavoro. I Soulwax in questo disco stupiscono per la loro capacità di scrittura semplice ma particolare e ricercata, innestando melodie di stampo quasi beatlesiano su pop rock colto di marca dEUSiana, mentre quando le chitarre si fanno più dure sembrano nel loro piccolo rievocare certi Nirvana. Non originali nel senso stretto della parola, sanno fare a trarre molto bene ispirazione dalla fonte e rielaborare il tutto scrivendo canzoni assolutamente personali e sentite, che riescono a colpire ed emozionare chi è all'ascolto grazie alla loro malinconia di fondo. Tutta la tracklist è assolutamente da manuale, ma spiccano "Conversation Intercom", "More Than This" (il vero apice del disco, molto pacata e distesa con chitarra acustica su batteria elettronica, poi assolo di chitarra che sembra uscito da un disco degli ultimi Beatles) , "Overweight Karate Kid", "Scream" (con il suo stupendo crescendo), "Saturday" (quasi una rivisitazione di "Billie Jean" di Michael Jackson, tanto che poi i Soulwax ne hanno fatto una versione mash up utilizzando la base del pezzo di Jackson...).
Caldamente consigliato l'acquisto in quanto il disco, oltre ad essere in nice price, è di facile reperibilità. Non ve ne pentirete perchè oltre a grande musica c'è anche altro: fantastici l'artwork e il booklet (molto vintage con grafica ispirata ai vecchi vinili, bella idea!), e ottima anche la sezione cd-rom (per il 1998 era una grossa, grossa novità...), in cui c'è tra le altre cose un videogioco in stile Space Invaders che da solo vale l'acquisto del disco.
Mi viene spontaneo concludere dicendo una cosa: rispetto totalmente i fratelli Dewaele, il loro coraggio di cambiare e il fatto che si siano evoluti e che suonino con convinzione quello che piace a loro, ma a me i Soulwax piacevano di più prima...
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Conversation Intercom (03:06)
Time and time again
translation seems to sabotage
the words
you know what is said
is not what is heard
Damn this mean device
It makes a whispering man sound as if he cries
It's the pinnacle of what is typical
CONVERSATION INTERCOM
you hear what i say but
it comes out all wrong
CONVERSATION INTERCOM
you say what i see still
you speak in different tongues
Don't act like a fool
It makes you so uncool and
that's what it does best
'cause if anything
it's just a temper-test
Fill in your own words
yeah
1-800 Dial-to-be-heard
It's the pinnacle
of what is cynical
CONVERSATION INTERCOM
you hear what i say
but it comes out all wrong
CONVERSATION INTERCOM
you say what i see still
you speak in different tongues
........
clap your hands and you know what to do...
my ears attends to you...
as people listen intently...
can you copy?....
do you receive?...
do you receive?...
Damn this mean device
It makes a whispering man sound as if he cries
02 Saturday (03:11)
saturday, oh saturday
how cruel of you to go away
you turn us on and you don't even have the decency to stay
we think that we're so cool
and make the others drool
walking like a chameleon
turn around and turn me on and make that sound you do so well 'cause
I'm not dancing i'm just shifting weight
I thought that you could tell
we think that we're so cool
and make the others drool
talking like a chameleon
SOMETIMES love KILLS TIME
IT JUST MIGHT TONIGHT
neon claws and drama queens agree to like the local band
everyone is smoking filter cigarettes all over again
we think that we're so cool
and make the others drool
walking like a chameleon
SOMETIMES love KILLS TIME
IT JUST MIGHT TONIGHT
03 When Logics Die (03:29)
And the place of sadness
I occupy with dignity
was left like a dream among stones
and the words that you spill
from the mouth that you fill
they abandon their grace and fatigue
oh, to feel without touching
and speak without talking
excluded
from the feeling you earn
how I wish we could mend this
or learn how to throw away
as we look for someone to blame
love's been denied
don't be polite
I owe you nothing
when logics die
And the dream is a night
But eternal the kiss
But I guess you already knew
I'm the orgy and the distant cool
the friend you will never fool
I like the way you oppose me
let the last thoughts languish
and try and distinguish
you'll spill the tissues of lies
how I wish we could mend this
or learn how to throw away
as we look for someone to blame
love's been denied
don't be polite
I owe you nothing
when logics die
04 Much Against Everyone's Advice (02:48)
I
seem to have a history
at missing the point
at this stuff
apparently
very absentmindedly
I care
but never enough
for
...
you
TIIIIIIIIIME-to put the record straight
TIIIIIIIIIME-to stop communicating
please anticipate
AND I'M TRYING TO COMPREHEND THE THINGS I WRITE
AND I'M LIVING THE LIE THAT I CANNOT SATISFY
MUCH AGAINST EVERYONE'S ADVICE
I'M STILL TRYING I'M TRYING I'M TRYING I'M TRYING
faith
cheated me of everything
but I laughed until
I stopped
publicly
very, very openly
I sat alone with my thoughts
for
...
TIIIIIIIIIME-to put the record straight
TIIIIIIIIIME-to stop communicating
please anticipate
AND I'M TRYING TO COMPREHEND THE THINGS I WRITE
AND I'M LIVING THE LIE THAT I CANNOT SATISFY
MUCH AGAINST EVERYONE'S ADVICE
I'M STILL TRYING I'M TRYING I'M TRYING I'M TRYING
05 Overweight Karate Kid (02:04)
Like an overweight karate
kid you could moonwalk over my heart
using candour as painkiller
tastes like vanilla to me
occasionally
someone please make go home, I'm
the worst at being alone
just tell me I ought to watch
INFOMERCIALS FOR LOVE
and buy all of their trust
saturdays have shown us I'm not
the world's most talkative guy
you say it's fine
but I can always try and answer
with amplified anger, and
then cry inside
someone please make go home, I'm
the worst at being alone
just tell me I ought to watch
INFOMERCIALS FOR LOVE
and buy all of their trust
06 Proverbial Pants (04:27)
Don't let this heart pollute you
cross your legs and hope to die, 'cause
saturday night was god's way
of telling me I ought to
know- proverbial pants
please not again
oh proverbial pants
please not again
All i can do is warn you
in some stupid-half way
please tell me that you love me
but not too loud
oh-proverbial pants
please not again
DON'T COME TOO CLOSE CAUSE YOU'LL RUIN IT
YOU'LL HOLD IT AGAINST ME
INEVITABLY
CONSEQUENTLY
tell me what am i wearing
when you think of me?
this ought to be embarassing
you- not me
oh-proverbial pants
please not again
DON'T COME TOO CLOSE CAUSE YOU'LL RUIN IT
YOU'LL HOLD IT AGAINST ME
INEVITABLY
CONSEQUENTLY
08 Too Many DJ's (04:31)
everybody wants to be the dj
everybody thinks it's oh so easy
you think you belong and you come on strong,
but I can still tell the right from the wrong.
I could never be that kind of girl
nobody takes the time to turn
you always act as if it's understood,
but sweet revenge is finger-lickin' good
if only I could sell myself
the way that even I would buy
if only I could sell myself
the way that even I would buy
Something's got to give
'cause I don't know
Here's one thing how to understand me
loneliness tastes like cotton candy.
You answer "I love you" with "I know",
never check the messages on your answerphone
if only I could sell myself
the way that even I would buy
Something's got to give
'cause I don't know
09 Temptingly Yours (02:26)
Maybe I'm wrong
but I could've sworn
I saw your eye twitch.
Didn't object,
what did you expect?
Now I have to tell you:
Don't come back to tempt me.
I'm happy in my misery.
You asked what I did,
I did what you asked,
but I couldn't get it
right from the start
you went for my heart,
now i have to ask you
Don't come back to tempt me.
I'm happy in my misery.
It was your idea in the first place
and I know it takes two but on certain days
I try not to think of how it would be if....
I don't pretend
to know where it ends
wish I could care less.
One time I cried more
in 1994
but that doesn't count I guess.
10 Scream (03:38)
Like she was scream
I try to hear
what's in my dreams
I gotta fear
I cannot breathe
please hold me tight
I try to feel
don't talk so fast
this radioactive she
what she does to me
caught her inside, cuts like a knife
she's like a scream to me
I'm not afraid
I cannot help
there's no disguise, no alibies
what do I think
I cannot say
something about me
like she was here
this radioactive she
what she does to me
caught her inside, cuts like a knife
she's like a scream to me
11 Funny (04:34)
wasn't it supposed to be funny?
wasn't it supposed to be funny?
wasn't it supposed to be funny?
wasn't it supposed to be funny?
sample playing:
save our souls
wasn't it supposed to be funny?
wasn't it supposed to be funny?
sample playing:
save our souls
whispering:
wasn't it supposed to be-
wasn't it supposed to be-
wasn't it supposed to be-
wasn't it supposed to be-
wasn't it supposed to be-
wasn't it supposed to be-
Carico i commenti... con calma
