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Siamo sul finire degli anni sessanta. Nel 1969 per la precisione. Un'epoca in cui c'era una grande fame di cultura, un'esplosione di creatività, una tensione palpabile che si allargava a tutti gli strati sociali. Si credeva di poter cambiare il mondo. Anche se in fondo ogni generazione crede di poterlo fare e nella realtà il mondo cambia sempre. Ma non è questo il punto. Il punto è che nessun cambiamento fu mai così libero, frenetico e condiviso come allora. Lo testimonia ciò che ne è rimasto negli anni, quanto siamo a tutt’oggi ancorati a quel periodo e soprattutto quanti artisti dell'epoca hanno lasciato il proprio marchio indelebile nella storia. E ciononostante è esistito anche un florido sottobosco, probabilmente altrettanto estroso ed influente, che purtroppo non ha superato la prova del tempo. Talvolta anche gli eroi anonimi lasciano segni profondi ed è il caso degli Spooky Tooth, band appartenente all'underground inglese, autori di un rock a tinte hard che attinge un po’ al soul e un po’ al blues, senza disdegnare qualche accenno di psichedelia. Una musica eterogenea quindi, anche se non abbastanza audace da rientrare nel progressive, dominata dalle doppie tastiere di Mike Harrison e Gary Wright, ed in particolare dall’hammond spesso aggressivo di quest’ultimo. I due si dividono anche le grintose parti vocali, giocate sulla contrapposizione della voce acuta ed i falsetti di Wright e il più profondo timbro soul di Harrison. Gli altri strumentisti non sono comunque dei semplici comprimari, né degli sprovveduti: il bassista Greg Ridley suonerà in seguito negli Humble Pie, mentre il chitarrista Luther Grosvenor entrerà nelle fila dei Mott the Hoople. Entrambi non si nascondono e anzi contribuiscono alla fantasia compositiva del gruppo con le loro linee e riff taglienti, pur se meno in evidenza rispetto ai compagni. “Spooky Two”, come dice il titolo stesso, è il secondo lavoro dalla band ed è senza ombra di dubbio la vetta artistica della loro carriera. La qualità delle canzoni porta la musica oltre le prestazioni o i difetti di produzione, al contrario ne fa apprezzare ancor di più il lato genuino e passionale. Ogni singola traccia riesce a spiccare, risultando spesso “orecchiabile” ma senza assolutamente cadere nel banale. Tra queste “Better By You, Better Than Me” è certamente la più accattivante e probabilmente tra quelle più dure del disco, verrà ripresa in seguito addirittura dai Judas Priest. “Feelin’ Bad” è un altro highlight e ricorda i primi Traffic, soprattutto per la sezione ritmica in grande spolvero e l’indovinatissimo ritornello quasi gospel. Da segnalare infine le due canzoni più particolari del lotto. La lunga “Evil Woman”, con il suo ritmo cadenzato ed ipnotico può ricordare i Black Sabbath (non solo nel titolo), con la piccola differenza che al posto della voce gracchiante di Ozzy c’è il falsetto lancinante di Wright. “Lost In My Dream” si muove invece su territori psichedelici e atmosfere più simili ai Jefferson Airplane, con la chitarra di Grosvenor in bella evidenza. Il resto del disco, come già scritto, si mantiene su buoni e a tratti ottimi livelli, lasciando la sensazione che il pubblico abbia terribilmente sottovalutato gli Spooky Tooth. Le cose non cambieranno negli anni a venire, nemmeno con il restyling che vede l'introduzione nella band di Mike Patto alla voce e Mick Jones (quello dei Foreigner) alla chitarra, e nonostante dischi di buona fattura come “The Mirror”. Forse è mancato il carisma, oppure qualche episodio singolare, o chissà cos'altro. Il successo è una strana combinazione di capacità, costanza e circostanze, ma alla fine sono convinto che ci voglia anche e soprattutto una discreta dose di fortuna. Malgrado tutto siamo qui a parlarne dopo quasi mezzo secolo.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Waitin' for the Wind (03:32)
Lonely is the night
Now that darkness has fallin'
Nothing seems right
And the world is callin'
Everybody's looking back
As the wind comes whispering by
The're waitin' for the answers then
Like the time they heard a cry
Hang on
Don't ever go
Life's here
I know
Wind called on me
How it took me by surprise
Cause night come upon me
Creeping through the distant skies
Wind tell me what you can
'Bout the life - What I came from
A breeze blew and whispered then
In a voice rich as the sun
Hang on
Don't ever go
Life's here
I know
02 Feelin' Bad (03:18)
You seek to grow a happy face
But ya' need someone for sure
To fill tomorrow's empty space
That hides behind your door
Oh yeah...
I'll bring anything you want
You know I'm here to guide you
But change your day from bad to good
Hide the tears inside you
Oh yeah...
Feelin' bad - make it good
I'll show you how I think you should be feelin' now
Better times they got to come
Feelin' bad - make it good
I'll show you how I think you should be feelin' now
How you feelin' now it's all around
No one knows but you
The way it's been you just can't win
There's nothing you can do
You're runnin' wild, a helpless child
Through them fools that guide ya'
A time to think is what you need
Wake up the time beside ya'
Oh yeah
Feelin' bad - make it good
I'll show you how I think you should be feelin' now
Better times they got to come
Feelin' bad - make it good
I'll show you how I think you should be feelin' yeah
Feelin' bad - make it good
I'll show you how I think you should be feelin' yeah
I'll make it fine if ya' say you're feelin' low
Feelin' bad - make it good
I'll show you how I think you should be
feelin' now
Feelin' bad - make it good
I'll show you how I think you should be
feelin' yeah
Let me help you put fine on the way you feel
03 I've Got Enough Heartaches (03:27)
Flyin' high, out on a limb we'll be.
We've got more than we could ever see.
But to keep it is harder than anything else.
I love ya, let me tell ya. We could go on and never miss.
That's why I say, I've got enough heartaches. Tell me what you see when you look at me, yeah.
We've got a good thing, let's not lose it.
Is it right? Is it wrong when you say it won't be long.
I've got enough, I've got enough heartaches.
Sitting here wanting you by my side. Should I run away? No, I'm afraid to hide.
Lonely, like a cross on the other side of the street. I'm mixed up, not messed up.
Strong in a field of wheat. That's why I say, I've got enough heartaches. Tell me what you see when you look at me, yeah.
We've got a good thing, let's not lose it.
Is it right? Is it wrong when you say it won't be long?
I've got, I've got enough heartaches.
Tell me what you see when you look at me, yeah.
We've got a good thing, let's not lose it.
Is it right? Is it wrong when you say it won't be long?
I've got enough, I've got enough heartaches.
Tell me what you see when you look at me, yeah.
04 Evil Woman (09:02)
Woman, when I saw you comin'
Should've started runnin'
Evil woman
Woman! I offered to you my soul
You ran it over hot coals
You evil woman!
Woman, thought you were a blessin'
Then I caught you messin'
Evil woman
Woman! You ain't got no feelin'
You're just a dirty dealin'
Yeah!
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'
Evil woman, the devil is a-callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'
Evil woman, the devil is a-callin' you
Woman, when you whisper to me
All the hurt you do me
Evil woman
Woman! The way you went your way
Gettin' under my skin
You evil woman!
Woman, when you laugh at my pain
When you step on my brain, yeah!
Evil woman
Woman! If there were other choices
How I didn't hear the voices - Cryin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'
Evil woman, the devil is a-callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'
Evil woman, the devil is a-callin' you
Woman, when you whisper to me
All the hurt you do me
Evil woman
Woman! The way you went your way
Gettin' under my skin
You evil woman!
Woman, when you laugh at my pain
When you step on my brain
Evil woman
Woman! If there were other choices
How I didn't hear the voices - Cryin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'
Evil woman, the devil is a-callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna' beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'
Evil woman, the devil is a-callin' you
Evil Woman!
Evil Woman!
06 That Was Only Yesterday (03:53)
Guess I'll have to get out of this town
No sense in my waiting around
Only thing left for me here is pain
She's gone for sure now why pretend
Left last night with a friend
Leaving not a word that would explain
That was only yesterday
But will I ever face tomorrow?
She took away what I'd had
And returned it full of sorrow
That was only yesterday
Will I ever face tomorrow?
She took away what I'd had
And returned it full of sorrow
I think I better find somewhere
A place where I won't care
I need some time to hide my shame
Was only just one day ago
Found what I'd been searching for
Had left town on a late night train
And that was only yesterday
But will I ever face tomorrow?
She took away what I'd had
And returned it full of sorrow
That was only yesterday
Will I ever face tomorrow?
She took away what I'd had
And returned it full of sorrow
That was only yesterday
Will I ever face tomorrow?
She took away what I'd had
And returned it full of sorrow
07 Better by You, Better Than Me (03:40)
You can find a way to be my passion
You listen to the blood flowin' in my vein
You hear the teaching of the wind
Tell her what I'm like within
I can't find the words my mind is dim
It's better by you better than me
Guess you'll have to tell her how I tried
To speak the thoughts of hell so long inside
Tell her now I've got to go
Fight in the streets and guide the sword
Tell her the world's not much fallin' for
It's better by you better than me
It's better by you better than me
You can tell her what I want it to be
You can say what I only can see
It's better by you better than me
Guess I'll have to change my way of livin'
Only really know the way I've been
Guess I'll lean to fight and kill
Tell her not to wait until
Finds my blood upon her window sill
It's better by you better than me
It's better by you better than me
You can tell her what I want it to be
You can say what I only can see
It's better by you better than me
It's better by you better than me
You can say what I can see
You can tell her what I want it to be
It's better by you better than me
It's better by you
You know better than me
Yeah you can say what I only can see
08 Hangman Hang My Shell on a Tree (05:40)
Someone said he knows he know, knows nothing yea
He who knows he knows nothing really knows
But I have searched but I never could find
A way to make my true self unwind
And while I sit here waiting to die
I can see what I am, can tell you why
The time's right ahead, can't you see
Cause my life's running out, out on me
I forgotten how it was, let me be
So hangman hang my shell, on a tree
It's all so easy like the time, that I first learned yea
It's all the same since the day, the world first turned yea
But I never tried to listen or wait
But now it's so clear but for me it's too late.
So I sit here trying not to cry
I only wanted peace, and now I must die
The time's right ahead, can't you see
Cause my life's running out, out on me
I forgotten how it was, let me be
So hangman hang my shell, on a tree
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