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"Pieces of Eight, was about not giving up your dreams just for the pursuit of money and material possessions." (Dennis DeYoung).
"Pieces Of Eight" è il punto d'incontro tra prog e pop.
Per gli Styx, uno di quei tipici gruppi musicali che nel corso della carriera sanno sia toccare il punto più alto di ricercatezza musicale, sia cadere nello scontato più assurdo. Il disco del 1978 è forse il vero arrivo, il massimo capolavoro che una band sa creare e dare, regalando il proprio cuore e le proprie emozioni allo spettatore.
"Piece Of Eight" ha la fortuna di uscire nel periodo d'oro della band, vantando di far da seguito al meritato disco di platino "The Grand Illusion", e superandolo nettamente sul lato emozionale. Il disco sa di eleganza, e regalità e intreccia le sue note di aggressività a dolci e nello stesso tempo complicati spazi di tranquillità.
E' il sintetizzatore di DeYoung a fare da protagonista in quasi tutte le sezioni strumentali, mentre le chitarre di Shaw sembrano più che altro assumersi il compito di dirigere batteria e basso tra i vari tempi irregolari. A condire il tutto sono le fantastiche voci, seguite dai cori impressionanti che seguono le musiche con abilità indescrivibile. E proprio con accattivante aggressività apre il disco, con "Great White Hope": un pubblico finto che acclama le gesta della band, un'esplosione di suoni creati da strumenti che sembrano imbizzarrirsi mentre l'abile chitarrista e cantante James Young urla a squarciagola tutto quel che ha da dire, con la sua veemente voce che pare strozzata. Più tranquilla "I'm O.K"., in cui il protagonista fondamentale è l'indiscusso organo hammond, seguito comunque dal sintetizzatore che fa da padrone principale nell'assolo. In questo pezzo sono udibili le prime influenze prog, date soprattutto dagli stacchi di chitarra e dagli intermezzi di organo.
Sulla stessa linea rock-sinfonico è la eccezionale "Sing For The Day", che oserei definire una canzone geniale, presentata da una melodia orecchiabile di sinth e la linea vocale di Tommy Shaw molto buona che ricorda un sacco quella dei Kansas, mentre il ritornello torna in stile puramente Styx, caratterizzato al massimo dalla sonorità del coro. Da tramite "The Message", tutto sinth, che introduce "Lord Of The Rings", che moooolto probabilmente sarà ispirata dall'omonimo libro: la canzone è bella tirata e quasi sofferente, il basso si intreccia in modo stupefacente con le tastiere; il pezzo geniale della canzone rimane comunque l'intermezzo strumentale: qua si tratta di progressive puro, che nulla toglie o aggiunge ai grandi maestri del genere. Da un capolavoro si passa poi ad un altro senza tregua: "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" è un pezzo potente che sa esaltare ed emozionare allo stesso tempo, e ancora una volta fa capire perché spesso questo gruppo viene associato ai Kansas come stile: in certe parti sembra quasi di sentire Steve Walsh (la voce di Tommy Shaw è infatti molto simile).
Finalmente si può parlare di un pezzo abbastanza dolce parlando di "Queen Of Spades", ma per poco: dopo un intermezzo tenero e delicato anche questa canzone mostra i suoi lati più aggressivi. "Renegade" è un ennesimo pomicio con il prog, e direi che il risultato è più che gradito: ribadisce ancora una volta la grandezza del disco e dei musicisti. Ci si avvicina sempre di più alla fine del disco ma le emozioni tendono ad aumentare sempre di più, sicuramente con la title-track "Pieces Of Eight", in cui il leader vocale indiscusso Dennis DeYoung dona una straordinaria interpretazione vocale, seguito da dei cori ancora una volta immensi, che fanno scendere lacrime a litri!
Con malinconia si arriva anche all'ultimo pezzo "Aku Aku", uno strumentale molto triste e decisamente intenso, che pian piano sfuma lasciandoci delicatamente a noi stessi e alla nostra solitudine.
Un disco che veramente non vorresti mai che finisse, un capolavoro che può anche far perdonare la scelta della copertina orrida.
Tutto questo è "Pieces Of Eight".
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Great White Hope (04:23)
(intro)
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Ladies and Gentlemen your attention please,
In this corner, wearing white, from the city of the big shoulders,
The number one contender in a ten-round exhibition for your entertainment.
So, when the bell sounds, prepare yourselves for the main event."
When I was a young man, I had to kick and scratch and claw
Now it's like top gun in the Old West, everybody wants me to draw
If I had known it would be like this I might have given it a second thought
But if someone had told me to give it up, it's a line that I wouldn't have bought
(Chorus)
Look at me
I'm the great white hope
Can't you see
I'm up against the ropes
Don't you know
It's so hard to cope
When you feel
Like the great white hope
Now you've paid your money you're sitting in your ringside seat
And I know that some of you out there, might wanna see the champ get beat
If I had known it would be like this I might have given it a second thought
But real life sure isn't like school, there's some lessons that just can't be taught
Chorus
02 I'm Okay (05:44)
Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Eight, Skate, Seven on the Rotate!
If I could stand
Beside myself
Would I see me or maybe someone else
'Cause it's hard to please
Most everyone
When your spirit's got you on the run, on the run
They say do your best
But don't cause a fuss
Don't make waves be like the rest of us
But I can feel the tide is turning fast
'Cause deep inside I know that I can't last
Another day
Not another day!
'Cause I'm O.K.
I finally found the person I've been searching for
I'm alright
I'm feeling good about myself and that's for sure
'Cause I believed them when they said I must do things their way,
They tried to cast me in their mold
But I just had to say,
That I'm O.K.
I'm O.K. this way yes I'm O.K. Yes I'm OK!
I'm O.K.
I finally found the person I've been searching for (everybody sing now!)
I'm alright
I'm feeling good about myself and that's for sure (whoo!)
I'm O.K.
I finally found the person I've been searching for (yahoo!)
I'm alright
I'm feeling good about myself and that's for sure
I'm O.K.
I'm feeling good about myself and that's for sure
I'm alright
I'm O.K. this way yes I'm OK!
03 Sing for the Day (05:01)
Hannah you're with me in spirit wherever I go
To the ends of the earth and all points between high and low
Each night by the stage you appear as you are
The ever intangible child
Ageless and timeless as Dorian Grey
Oh Hannah I know that it's you and you're leading me on
Hannah you're my inspiration my fountain of youth
And as your surrogate leader I'm bound in your search for the truth
And yes how the truth rushes out
When it's become honestly clear
I see your anxious and curious eyes
But Hannah I need you as much as you think you need me
Come to your window tonight and we'll fly to your dreams
And we'll
Sing for the day sing for the moment
Sing for the time of your life
Come for an hour stay for a moment
Stay for the rest of your life
Hannah don't fail me I need you like never before
Father time's at my back on my heels
Behind every door (and he says)
Son when the youth has but gone from your face
Will she let you grow older with grace?
Or will she give you up for one younger than you?
Oh Hannah please tell me the things that he says are untrue
Hannah I'm honestly hoping you'll always be there
Sing for the day sing for the moment
Sing for the time of your life
Come for an hour stay for a moment
Stay for the rest of your life
05 Lords of the Ring (04:35)
All hail to the Lords of the Ring
To the magic and mystery they bring
To the music in their story
All hail to the Lords of the Ring
To the magic and mystery they bring
To the lands of ancient glory
In the year of the Lords
The message came from above
The heavens opened with their mighty sound
that shook the people in the town
And so we came from everywhere
The young and old the rich and poor
To hear the legend of the magic ring
and of the powers it could bring, they sing
All hail to the Lords of the Ring
To the magic and mystery they bring
To the music in their story
All hail to the Lords of the Ring
To the magic and mystery it brings
May we someday wear its glory
And now the message is clear
As I became a Lord this year
And though the legend was pure fantasy
We still need the hope it brings, so let's sing
All hail to the Lords of the Ring
To believe is a wonderous thing
May we always sing their glory
All hail to the Lords of the Ring
To the magic and mystery they bring
To the promise in their story
07 Queen of Spades (05:41)
Written by James Young/Dennis DeYoung
Lead Vocals by Dennis DeYoung
Day into night she's with me
How sweet is her warm embrace
Safe in the scent of jasmine
So safe in her gold and lace
Mornings I find, she's left me
So cold so alone, but aware
I try to escape, she finds me
Oh run though I may, she's there, there, there, there, there...
Luck is a lady whose smile is as cold as a stone
She'll bring you things, many things you might never have known
But when your die is cast she'll have the final laugh at you
She'll lock you in a duel, where you come out the fool
Beware of the Queen of Spades
Her black widow's curse might find you yet
Beware of a love that you will regret
Her love means only your death
Day into night she's with me
Turn of a card, she's there
The first time is free, you know
But from now on, pay me, me, me, me, me... (Ha Ha Ha You Lose)
Beware of the Queen of Spades
Her black widow's curse might find you yet
Beware of a love that you will regret
Her love means only your death
08 Renegade (04:17)
Oh mamma I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law
Lawman has put an end to my running and I'm so far from my home
Oh mamma I can hear you a-crying you're so scared and all alone
Hangman is coming down from the gallows and I don't have very long
The jig is up the news is out they've finally found me
The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty
Never more to go astray
This will be the end today of the wanted man
Oh mamma I've been years on the lam and had a high price on my head
Lawman said get him dead or alive now it's for sure he'll see me dead
Dear mamma I can hear you crying you're so scared and all alone
Hangman is coming down from the gallows and I don't have very long
The jig is up, the news is out they finally found me
The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty
Never more to go astray
The judge'll have revenge today on the wanted man
(face melting guitar solo)
Oh Mama, I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law
Hangman is coming down from the gallows And I don't have very long
The jig is up, the news is out they finally found me
The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty
Never more to go astray
This'll be the end today of the wanted man
09 Pieces of Eight (04:44)
It's six o'clock
Good morning sounds are everywhere
The warmth of spring, a gentle breeze blows through my hair
I hurry through my life never stopping to see
How beautiful it was meant to be
I'm just a prisoner in a king's disguise
Broken dreams as we shuffle by
It's six o'clock it's quitting time I'm done for the day
Out on the streets I overheard a lady say
We now have everything or so people say
But now this emptiness haunts me every day
We seek the lion's share never knowing why
Come alive spread your wings and fly
Pieces of eight
The search for the money tree
Don't cash your freedoms in for gold
Pieces of eight
Can't buy you everything
Don't let it turn your heart to stone
(instrumental)
Pieces of eight
The search for the money tree
Don't cash your freedoms in for gold
Pieces of eight
Treasures filled with emptiness
Don't let it turn your heart to stone
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