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Spandau Ballet - Parade (1984)
Fuori è brutto tempo, gli elementi impazzano, le meteore scatarrano sui vetri, e che c'è di meglio se non inforcare un cannocchiale e guardare indietro nei propri ricordi? E allora, giù un cuba libre e via un altro scheletro in vinile nell'armadio.
Seconda puntata stessa festa, stesso mare, 30 ottobre 1984. Come sapete recensisco solo dischi che ho intensamente. Un disco deve essere stato consumato, non può essere valutato se non alla prova del tempo: se invecchia bene, se regge i confronti e se non viene rivenduto nei mercatini dell'usato a mezzo euro.
Dunque, anche se gli Spandau non erano tra i miei gruppi preferiti, avevo letto una pessima recensione su Rockstar del singolo Only when you leave, vocione alla Filippo d'Edimburgo dell'antipatico cantante -veniva definita. Eppure Parade mi girò intorno alle orecchie fin da quel lontano fine 1984. Motivo? Alla festa del mio amico ritardato c'erano sempre novità musicali, -gli Spands arrivarono in testa alle classifiche solo in pieno 1985, quindi era una primizia metterlo come sottofondo ad un party. Non era come oggi, che un mp3 schizza subito in giro in tutto il mondo, allora dischi e cassette avevano lunghi lanci promozionali, dai risultati a volte imprevedibili. Dunque, stesso divano, stesso gruppo di piacioni anni 80, ed Emanuela, la sedicente cugina di Max detto Retard: come nel copione dell'anno prima, la lady con la faccia come il suo bottom, mi ritorna sotto con un candido: Ciaoooo ti ricordi di me? -sì sì dico io, e allora?. Sembravamo gli attori di un film, l'annoscorso a Marienbad, pietrificati negli stessi gesti dell'anno scorso.
Il momento era topico, io sotto un occhio di bue di luce psichedelica della casa, color verde, questa fighetta stronza in tutina aderente di velluto marrone chiaro leopardato, e i compagni di classe che mi guardavano aspettando le mie mosse e sopratutto sapendo della buca presa l'anno prima...Guardo Enzo che con un occhiata affermativa mi dice in alfabeto morse :evvai no, che aspetti, chettefrega, non lo vedi quant'è carina, metti da parte l'orgoglio..." E Roberto telepaticamente mi dice: fà un pò come te pare, ma stavolta fai il duro eh, è lei che ti cerca, non tu..."
Insomma tra il fuoco incrociato delle occhiate degli amici, le mie occhiaie da astinenza e e l'occhio del fanale verde, optai per un vabbé facciamo finta che ci casco un'altra volta. Insomma io ed Emanuela ci sediamo su un divano, lei si scusa per l'anno prima, bla bla, che lei frequentava un altro ed era indecisa, bla bla, eppoi a sorpresa mi dice "senti andiamo a parlare di là, tiamo un pò più soli?-Ed io sempre più con lo sguardo da playboy de noantri- vabbé.
Insomma avevo salvato la faccia, tutti a dire alla fine c'è cascata la bambina, il Rivoli non perde più colpi, eh sì, non ha smentito la fama di uno dei più fighi della scuola...
E mentre lei parlava parlava, l'amavo e l'odiavo, e sul piatto technics girava a loop Parade, non so chi diavolo aveva messo quel 33... ed io così concentrato a limonare con lei, che l'album quasi non lo sentivo. Il vocione tenorile di Tony Hadley, le chitarrine dei fratelli Kemp, finte funky rock, finte come il boom economico 80ies, condite con spruzzi di sax allo zucchero filato di Norman, filavano via come sottofondo del più noioso party lounge di paninari dell'epoca. Eppure, tra i Campari e qualche sprazzo di lucidità dell'ora tarda, mi colpirono Highly strung, un pò meno I'll fly for you, Nature of the beast dramatica, bellissima, eppoi Revenge for love-la mia rivincita..., Always in the back of my mind, la struggente With the pride. Tutto l'album sfilava via così, meno bello del precedente True, il vero capolavoro degli Spands, ma non posso non ricordarlo con piacere proprio per il suo disimpegno e la sua fatuità puramente anni 80. Canzoni belle e formali, ben suonate e ben arrangiate, pulite come i Roxy music senza Eno, quelli più commerciali, con testi che ricordano i diciassettenni che scrivono poesie d'amore furtive sotto il banco durante la lezione.
Come andò a finire? Siccome subodorai subito che Manuelita tendeva ad avere i piedi in due scarpe, la storia durò molto poco. Mi sono sempre chiesto se su quella nostra timida storia avesse influito l'enorme distanza tra i nostri quartierche erano agli antipodi, io Nuovo Salario, lei all'Eur. Ma oggi mi chiedo: gli Spands erano i cugini opoveri dei Duran? Ragazzi dal vivo gli Spand spaccavano, il loro concerto al palazzetto dell'Eur nell'87 fu meglio di quello dei Duran allo stadio Flaminio. Giuro, io c'ero.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Only When You Leave (05:12)
Laying in the after glow,
I only want to learn what you know,
But now you're leaving...
How many hearts must you break?
How many calls must I make?
But now you're leaving...
In this world, all that I choose has come unbearable
But love is in your touch
Ooh, it's killing me so much
Only when you leave
I need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
Fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Oh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
I only want to make this things last,
So how could this have gone so fast?
And now you're leaving...
How many times must I learn?
It' s only when you've gone that I burn,
And now you're leaving...
In the end, all that I left has come unbearable
It's hard to change your mind,
So leave it all behind
Only when you leave
I need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
Fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Oh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
02 Highly Strung (04:11)
This is the song of little Jo
she's not the girl I used to know
forever screaming all the day and night
she used to be a diplomat
but now she's down the laundromat
they washed her mind
and now she finds it hard
I know her name
but now she never seems the same
she don't talk to me
'cause she can't take no sympaty
because she's highly strung
oh highly strung, she's undone
highly strung
she's stepping out upon the ledge,
she's got a gun against her
she's wired up to blow
the power line
she's walking out upon the knife
she'll take you to the edge of life
just like the song,
the pressure is on again
I know her name
but now she never seems the same
she don't talk to me
'cause she can't take no sympaty
because she's highly strung
oh highly strung, she's undone
highly strung
this si the song of little Jo
she's not the girl I used to know
03 I'll Fly for You (05:37)
Passion take the wind
and break me from this tie
we're mortals on the earth
oh but God's up in the sky
I haven't got a clue
I haven't got a thing
but what I give to you
is all that I could bring
I'll give you all my time
that's everything to me
you know my only crime
is this flight of fantasy
Chorus:
because I've nothing else here for you
and just because it's easier than the truth
oh if there's nothing else that I can do
I'll fly for you
because I've nothing else here for you
and just because it's easier than the truth
oh if there's nothing else that I can do
I'll fly for you
Passion take the wind
and break me from this tie
we're mortals on the earth
oh but God's up in the sky
I haven't got a clue
I haven't got a thing
but what I give to you
is all that I could bring
because I've nothing else here for you
and just because it's easier than the truth
oh if there's nothing else that I can do
I'll fly for you
because I've nothing else here for you
and just because it's easier than the truth
oh if there's nothing else that I can do
I'll fly for you
I'll fly for you
I'll fly...
I'm just an average boy
you're more than an average girl and
when you sing to me the 'shoo be doos'
you sing so well
and don't you know that when I'm under you
I'm overjoyed
because I've nothing else here for you
and just because it's easier than the truth
oh if there's nothing else that I can do
I'll fly for you
because I've nothing else here for you
and just because it's easier than the truth
oh if there's nothing else that I can do
I'll fly for you
I'll fly for you
I'll fly for you
I'll fly
06 Always in the Back of My Mind (04:30)
Oh, you're always in the back of my mind .
nothing ever changes,
oh, I wish to god it did
just another drink and you'll be gone.
2 a.m. raining again.
i saw you making faces in the river.
only me, down by the quay.
just a sad reflection that I give you.
oh, I thought time would burn it.
burn it down to the ground.
just a little breeze and you'll be strong
driving home, all on my own.
just a passenger in all that we lost
satisfy, oh, lord don't deny,
I see your face in the everything that's near 'cause.
oh, you were always in the back of my mind
oh, I have all the memories,
the winter of '82.
when down upon the ice you saw me melt.
washed up on the rocks again,
oh, don't you know that it's so damn hot
and the things you do.
oh I won't ever learn.
oh I won't ever learn.
oh, you were always in the back of my mind.
07 With the Pride (05:32)
Just leave me with the pride
that I worked for
now they've taken the reason away
just leave me with the pride
that I worked for
today
build on rock, or build on sand,
they're never gonna lend a hand
so nothing grows or nothing stands
I can't take any more
I can't take any more
there's not a lot of space for me
but I've still got my dignity
I've got my price
don't say I'm free
I can't take anymore
I can't take anymore
but I'm hungry
I could eat anything
but I'm hungry
oh, let's dance, oh, let's swing
and all that I hear are the words that she sings
now they've taken it all
now they've taken it all
I'd rather take this cure for life
than make myself a sacrifice
if living is to pay the price
I can't take anymore
I can't take anymore
it takes a while to understand
when your eyes are full of sand
when only time is in your hands
I can't take anymore
I can't take anymore
but I'm hungry
I could eat anything
but I'm hungry
oh, let's dance, oh, let's swing
and all that I hear are the words that she sings
now they've taken it all
now they've taken it all
just leave me with the pride
taht i worked for
now they've taken the reason away
just leave me with the pride
that i worked for
today.
08 Round and Round (05:29)
I don't have to be so wise
you're just my fantasy
and I will fantasize
something more or less to make this things started
we're the artisans
and we've been crafted
I wanna be your magical mystery
I wanna be your final history
this is the news
nothing's ever been so wild
all that I get to do
is what I give to you
this is all about the circles we've found
and through the ups and downs
it goes round
oh I was just beginning to grow strong
she was only eighteen summers long
we were the news
Round and round it goes
and oh don't you know
this is the game that we came here for
round and round it goes,
and don't you know
This is the news of my life
oh I was just beginning to grow strong
she was only eighteen summers long
we were the news
Round and round it goes
and oh don't you know
this is the game that we came here for
round and round it goes,
and don't you know
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