Seguendo la strada maestra indicata dai Jesus and Mary Chain, fatta di suoni stratificati di chitarre intrise di feedback su cui si innestavano melodie dal sapore squisitamente pop, i due giovani chitarristi Jason Pierce e Pete “Sonic Boom” Kember avevano dato vita al progetto Spacemen 3. Nei primi lavori della band, il sound caratterizzato da muri di chitarre distorte era forse ancora troppo debitore dell’eredità dei “padri” sopracitati e troverà una completa e personale maturazione solo a partire da questo disco: un concept-album sull’ esperienza dell’ overdose.
Le atmosfere rarefatte, le divagazioni tipicamente trance, lo spaziamento in diverse direzioni stilistiche hanno dato maggiore eterogeneità al classico repertorio del gruppo che, con The Perfect Prescription, ha dato vita ad uno dei più interessanti lavori della musica psichedelica degli anni ’80.
L’adrenalinica “Take me to the Other Side” che apre il disco si muove con grande vigore su un sottofondo di riverberi radioattivi di chitarra e, insieme a “Things ‘ll Never Be the Same”, dove elettriche increspature nevrotiche disseminate in un paesaggio sonoro vicino all’orgia rumoristica pungolano un cantato di inquieta solitudine, saranno gli unici due pezzi in cui è possibile riconoscere i “vecchi” Spacemen 3.
La deliziosa “Walkin’ With Jesus” è una ballata dove chitarra acustica ed un sommesso organo portano l’ascoltatore a braccetto tra le nuvole ed è seguita da un'altra romanza “Ode to Street Hassle” in cui il motivo di chitarra viene reiterato in loop all’unisono con l’organo mentre un baritonale canto-parlato dà una tangibilità materica al pezzo che sembra quasi l’altra faccia della medaglia del precedente.
“Ecstasy Symphony/Transparent Radiation (Flashback)” è uno splendido pezzo che prende il via da territori Kosmic-music per poi dispiegarsi in un climax carico di riviviscenze e di emozioni grazie ad un intreccio di rara bellezza ed eleganza tra canto bisbigliato, violino e pianoforte. E’ come se l’assunzione di droghe, arrivati a questo punto del disco, raggiunga il picco per quanto riguarda la stimolazione dei nostri centri psichici ed emozionali.
Questo stato di grazia si propaga anche al nostro corpo nella successiva “Feel so Good”, in cui calme voci dal potere quasi benefico, chitarre acustiche ed un’ovattata tromba danno un sensazione di quieto torpore alle nostre membra.
“Come Down Easy” è un’ ariosa cavalcata country appena “bagnata” nella parte centrale da sbruffi elettronici. Il disco si conclude con “Call the Doctor” in cui la voce con un eco spettrale e una chitarra che tende man mano ad un controllato impennarsi, danno la suggestione di essere l’anima che sta lasciando il proprio corpo in coma a causa dell’ overdose e che lo stia a guardare a mezz’aria.
Splendido disco, ma per che chi scrive i successivi Playing With Fire e Dreamweapon sono ancora meglio...4stelle!
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Take Me to the Other Side (04:39)
I have a passion sweet Lord
And it just won't go away
I have it each and every day Lord
Sure as the sun comes up each day
Come on take me for a ride
Take me to the other side
Come on take me for a ride
Come on baby take my hand
And we'll walk across the sand
We'll go to places we ain't been
See all the things that we ain't seen
Come on take me for a ride
Take me to the other side
Come on take me for a ride
I have a passion sweet Lord
And it just won't go away
I have it each and every day Lord
Sure as the sun comes up each day
02 Walkin' With Jesus (05:09)
I walked with Jesus and he would say
"Oh you poor child, you ain't comin' to me no way
You've found Heaven on Earth, gonna burn for your sin"
But I think I'll be in good company down there with all my friends
Well I got around to thinking 'bout what Jesus said to me
Cos if Heaven's like this, then that's the place for me
Long, long time between now and my death
And I gotta have my fun so I've chosen what's best
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of confusion
The sound of love
So listen sweet Lord, forgive me my sin
‘Cos I can't stand this life without all of these things
Know I done wrong, but I've Heaven on Earth
Know I done wrong, but I could have done me worse
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of confusion
Well, here it comes
Here comes the sound
The sound of love
Here it comes
Here it comes
Here it comes
The sound of love
The sound of love
The sound of love
Jesus please meet me at the centre of the earth
Cos these wings are gonna fail me and I could have done me worse
Yeah I could have done me worse
Yeah I could have done me worse
03 Ode to Street Hassle (04:00)
Well I've been to some far out places
I've read the writing on the wall
But today I walked with Jesus and together
Together we walk tall
And as we sat there talking
Jesus turned to say to me
"You'd better learn and love this life ‘cos there's things
There's things that are hard to see"
And as I sat there thinkin'
Once again he turned to me
He said "I've given you temptation but these things
These things have got to be"
So I just sat and listened
To what Jesus said to me
‘Cos sometimes you gotta listen, if there's things,
If there's things you just can't see
And while we were out walking
Once again he turned to me
And as I looked into his eyes his thoughts
His thoughts just came to me.
Well some people never listen
You know some people just won't see
But I can see and hear these things
These things have got to be.
05 Feel So Good (05:30)
Don’t it feel so good
Lord I feel so good today
Don’t it feel just fine
Lord I feel so fine
Takes me out of my mind
Lord…
Takes me out of my mind
Don’t it feel so good
Lord I feel so good
Don’t it feel just fine
Lord I feel so fine
Takes me out of my mind
Takes me out of my mind
….so good today
Don’t it feel so good
Lord I feel so good today
Don’t it feel just fine
Lord I feel so fine
Takes me out of my mind
It takes me out of my mind
Don’t it feel so good
Lord I feel so good today
Don’t it feel just fine
Lord I feel so fine
Lord I feel so good today
Lord I feel so fine
Lord…
‘Cos it feels so good
Lord I feel so good today
Yeah it feels so fine
Lord I feel so fine
Takes me out of my mind
Lord…
Takes me out of my mind
…goin’ down today
Lord I ain’t goin’ down
Lord I ain’t gonna die today
Lord I ain’t gonna die
Lord I ain’t goin’ down today
Lord I feel so good today
Ba Baba Ba-ba ba-ba ba-ba Baba Ba-ba ba-ba ba-ba
Baba Ba-ba ba-ba ba-ba Baba Ba-ba ba-ba ba-ba
Don’t it feel so good
Lord I feel so good
Don’t it feel so good
Lord I feel so good today
Don’t it feel so good
Lord I feel so good today
Don’t it feel just fine
Lord I feel so fine
Takes me out of my mind
Lord I feel so good today
Takes me out of my mind
Lord I feel so fine
Takes me out of my mind
Lord…
Everything’s just fine
That’s just fine
Lord I ain’t goin’ down today
Lord I ain’t goin’ down
07 Come Down Easy (06:48)
by Kember/Pierce
In 1987 all I wanna do is fly
All I want for you to do is reach up to the sky
Well well well, and come down easy
Well well well, and come down easy
Lord I'm gonna shake it
Lord I'm gonna make it
Sure I'm gonna take it
‘Cos I feel, yeah I feel, alright, alright
In 1987 all I wanna do is get stoned
All I want for you to do is take my body home
Well well well, and come down easy
Well well well, come down easy
Lord I'm gonna shake it
Lord I'm gonna make it
Sure I'm gonna take it
‘Cos I feel, yeah I feel, alright, alright, alright
Meet me children meet me
Meet me at the top of the sky
All I want for you to do
Is take yourself a little higher
Well well well, and come down easy
Well well well, come down easy
Lord I'm gonna shake it
Lord I'm gonna make it
Sure I'm gonna take it
‘Cos I feel, yeah I feel, alright, alright, alright
Yeah I feel alright, alright, alright
Take it down, take it way down low
Down, down, down, down, down
Take it way down low
About as low as you can go
I don't know
I don't know
I don't know, but…
I don't know, but I shake it babe
Shake it babe, shake it babe
Shake it baby, shake it babe, shake it babe
Yeah so I can fly
Yeah, just take it a little higher now
Yeah, come down easy
Lord I'm gonna shake it
Lord I'm gonna make it
Sure I'm gonna take it
‘Cos I feel, yeah I feel, alright, alright, alright
Shake it babe…
Jesus Christ I was only shakin', Lord…
Shake it babe
Shake it baby
Shake it baby
Shake it babe
08 Call the Doctor (03:50)
Call the doctor pretty baby, you know I'm near to my last breath
You'd better hurry now honey, or you're gonna be my death
You'd better throw away the spoons and all the other dirty things
Cos when the law arrives this evening, I don't think they'll wait and ring
Call the doctor pretty baby, tell him he's gotta rush and run
Cos I think I've had too much babe, tell him it ain't no fun
Hey there's the door now pretty baby, see who's on the other side
Tell them to back up with the wagon now I think I'm going for a ride
Tell them I did it to myself babe, and I lived a life of sin
Tell them black ain't always white babe, and without sure ain't within
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di N.I.B.II.O
"Jason Pierce e Pete Kember sembrano veramente i figli spirituali dei Red Krayola e dei 13 Floor Elevators."
"The Perfect Prescription è il loro apice, capace di ridare nuova linfa al sofferente rock inglese della metà degli anni 80."
Di nino
"Questo disco è rivoluzionario e militante dove la maggior parte del rock arrabbiato è al massimo liberale."
"Il loro grande manifesto, via dopo il raid farmaceutico del debutto, con in mano le chiavi dell’armadietto delle medicine."
Di Cervovolante
Una sinfonia minimale che va oltre il concetto stesso di musica e diventa un portale verso l'ignoto.
The Perfect Prescription non è solo un album; è un portale verso l'ignoto, un'odissea che sfida i confini della realtà.
