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Autunno 2005: dopo circa 10 anni di assenza, mai cosi tanto tempo senza un nuovo album di inediti prima d'ora, Stevie Wonder torna in scena pubblicando "A Time To Love". L'album è stato preceduto in primavera, dall'uscita del singolo trainante "So What The Fuss", una canzone di protesta politica, molto sentita dall'autore (da tempo immemore antagonista di Bush e del suo governo), dai toni parecchio accesi e dal trascinante e coinvolgente ritmo hip-hop. Nella quale troviamo una fortissima critica al popolo americano per la mancata elezione di Kerry: ". . And if we live in a democracy and you don't use your power to vote, knowin' some would like to turn back the hands of time, Shame on us, Shame on me, Shame on you. . " Non manca il rimprovero alla società americana ancora troppo ingiusta e razzista secondo il Maestro: ". . Should I be drivin thru a klantown, find a restourant to get me some food, and someone says-"Hey boy, we don't serve your kind"-Shame on them. . "
Bellissimo pezzo con un ritmo e soprattutto un testo che sono una vera e propria scossa elettrica indirizzata agli ascoltatori statunitensi, ma direi al mondo occidentale in genere. Stevie non è nuovo per il suo attivo impegno politico, con la musica già si era espresso in pezzi come "You Haven't Done Nothin'" (da 'Fulfillingness' First Finale) o come "Conversation Peace" (dall'omonimo album), ma soprattuto si era reso partecipe alla campagna per l'elezione di Al Gore, candidato alla presidenza U. S. A. ai tempi della prima elezione di George Bush. Che si dice rappresentò una estrema delusione nell'animo dell'autore. Non mancano le tipiche love song, la più trascinante e passionale delle quali è a mio avviso "Passionate Raindrops" dal ritornello esplosivo e dolce allo stesso tempo, meravigliosa. Con un poetico insegnamento conclusivo: 'Let each drop of rain be a lifetime that our love won't end'. Nel disco ci sono ben 15 pezzi, l'autore riesce a mantenere altissimo il livello in tutti essi. Degne di particolare nota tuttavia: il maestoso incipit in apertura di disco "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved", la romantica "Moon Blue", le divertentissime e scherzose note suonate da Stevie alla Marimba in "My Love Is On Fire", ancora la meravigliosa classicona "Shelter In The Rain", l'energico ottimismo del singolo "Positivity" e la conclusiva, infinita (9 minuti), fascinosa e misteriosa "A Time To Love" (contenente ancora proteste politiche). Il tutto si conclude con un assolo di percussioni "mozzafiato". L'arte di Stevie Wonder col passare degli anni sembra diventare sempre più "perfetta e stilizzata", le sue note e le sue armonie che esplodevano fresche ed energiche nei suoi primi album, ora sembrano essersi cristallizzate con il tempo ed avere assunto una forma ancora più consistente, di un fascino infinito. Inoltre il tutto è eseguito, neanche a dirlo, in maniera impeccabile e con una ispirazione assoluta. Mr. Wonder centellina la sua produzione negli ultimi tempi, ma quel poco che esce è meravigliosamente perfetto.
We have Time for racism, We have Time for criticism, ... We make Time to debate religion, for passing bills and building prisons, ... We have Time to couse pollution, We have Time to couse confusion, wrapped up in our illusions. . . We have Time to conquer nations, ... hatred, violence and terrorism When will there be a Time To Love... ?
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 I Was Made to Love Her (02:38)
I was born in Lil' Rock,
Had a childhood sweetheart,
We were always hand in hand.
I was hightop shoes and shirt tails,
Suzy was in pig tails,
I know I loved her even then.
You know my papa disapproved it,
My mama boohooed it,
But I told them time and time again,
"Don't you know I was made to love her,
Built a world all around her"
Yah! Hey, hey, hey.
She's been my inspiration,
Showed appreciation
For the love I gave her through the years.
Like a sweet magnolia tree
My love blossmed tenderly,
My life grew sweeter through the years.
I know that my baby loves me,
My baby needs me,
That's why we made it through the years.
I was made to love her,
Worship and adore her,
Hey, hey, hey.
All through thick and thin
Our love just won't end,
'Cause I love my baby, love my baby. Ah!
My baby loves me,
My baby needs me,
And I know I ain't going nowhere.
I was knee high to a chicken
When that love bug bit me,
I had the fever with each passing year.
Oh, even if the mountain tumbles,
If this whole world crumbles,
By her side I'll still be standing there.
'Cause I was made to love her,
I was made to live for her, yeah!
Ah, I was made to love her,
Built my world all around her,
Hey, hey, hey.
Oo baby, I was made to please her,
You know Stevie ain't gonna leave her, no,
Hey, hey, hey.
Oo wee baby, my baby loves me,
My baby needs me,
Hey, hey, hey.
OO my baby loves me....
02 Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours (02:41)
Like a fool I went and stayed too long
Now I'm wondering if your love's still strong
Oo, baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours!
Then that time I went and said goodbye
Now I'm back and not ashamed to cry
Oo, baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours!
Here I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours
(You got my future in your hands)
Here I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours
(You got my future in your hands)
I've done a lot of foolish things
That I really didn't mean, didn't I?
Seen a lot of things in this old world
When I touch them, they mean nothing, girl
Oo, baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours!
Oowee baby, you set my soul on fire
That's why I know you're my heart's only desire
Here I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours
(You got my future in your hands)
Here I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours
(You got my future in your hands)
03 Living for the City (07:27)
A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
His parents give him love and affection
To keep him strong, moving in the right direction
Living just enough, just enough for the city
His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
His mother goes to scrub the floors for many
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city
Da da da...
His sister's black but she is sho'nuff pretty
Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
To walk to school she's got to get up early
Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
Living just enough, just enough for the city
Her brother's smart he's got more sense than many
His patience's long but soon he won't have any
To find a job is like a haystack needle
Cause where he lives they don't use coloured people
Living just enough, just enough for the city
Da da da...
Living just enough, for the city, woah [Repeat]
Da da da...
[Interlude]
His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
He spends his life walking the streets of New York City
He's almost dead from breathing in air pollution
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
Living just enough, just enough for the city
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
If we don't change the world will soon be over
Living just enough, stop giving just enough for the city
Da da da...
04 Sir Duke (03:55)
Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand
With an equal opportunity
For all to sing, dance and clap their hands
But just because a record has a groove
Don't make it in the groove
But you can tell right away at letter A
When the people start to move
They can feel it all over
They can feel it all over people
They can feel it all over
They can feel it all over people
Music knows it is and always will
Be one of the things that life just won't quit
But here are some of music's pioneers
That time will not allow us to forget
For there's Basie, Miller, Satchmo
And the king of all, Sir Duke
And with a voice like Ella's ringing out
There's no way the band can lose
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people [Repeat]
Can't you feel it all over
Come on let's feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
Everybody, all over people
05 That Girl (05:17)
That girl thinks that she's so fine
That soon she'll have my mind
That girl thinks that she's so smart
That soon she'll have my heart
She thinks in no time flat
That she'll be free and clear to start
With her emotional rescue of love that you'll leave turn apart
That girl thinks that she's so bad
She'll change my tears from joy to sad
She says she keeps the upper hand
'Cause she can please her man
She doesn't use her love to make him weak
She uses love to keep him strong
And inside me there's no room for doubt
That it won't be too long
Before I tell her that I love her
That I want her
That my mind, soul and body needs her
Tell her that I'd love to, that I want to
That I need to do all that I have to
To be in her love
I've been hurting for a long time
And you've been playing for a long time
You know it's true
I've been holding for a long time
And you've been running for a long time
It's time to do what we have to do
That girl, That girl
That girl knows every single man
Would ask her for her hand
But she says her love is much too deep
For them to understand
She says her love has been crying out
But her lover hasn't heard
But what she doesn't realize is that I've listened to every word
That's why I know I'll tell that I love her
That I want her
That my mind, soul and body needs her
Tell her that I'd love to, that I want to
That I need to do all that I have to
To be in her love
Tell her I love her
That I want her
That my mind and soul and body needs her
Tell her that I'd love to, that I want to
That I need to do all that I have to
To be in her love
That I love her
That I want her
That my mind and soul and body needs her
Tell her that I'd love to, that I want to
That I need to do all that I have to...
Tell her that I love her
That I want her
That my mind and soul and body needs her
Tell her that I'd love to, that I want to
That I need to do all that I have to
To be in her...
That girl, that girl, that girl,
Oh, That girl, that girl, that girl, that girl...
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