• Voto:
Me lo registrò su cassetta una mia compagna di liceo, con tanto di dedica: "Smack, Simo", cassetta a cui sono ancora molto affezionato. L'intro di School sul vinile originale era rigata e produceva cinque o sei "stock" mentre sotto l'armonica apriva lo show. L'assenza degli stock su mp3 ancora oggi mi sa di qualcosa che non torna. La stessa sensazione di smarrimento provata con l'incipit di Crazy diamond, gli stock lì non si contano proprio.
Comunque, "Bonsuar Parì e benvenù a la suaré de Supertrem". Oh, intendiamoci, non sono nulla di trascendentale questi tizi, di cui pensavo che Hodgson fosse il bassista, per poi scoprire che invece non lo era, ma sul primo o secondo disco giuro c'era scritto Roger Hodgson bass guitar. Hodgson, come cantante intendo, mi è sempre piaciuto più di Davies, con quella vocetta da scarto dei Bi Gis tipo who I am, who I am, who I aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmortacci tua quanto vai in alto.
Venendo al disco in questione, un bel live, per chi non li conoscesse affatto è una buona occasione per abbracciarne tutta la migliore produzione, visto che di lì a poco le due menti del gruppo si sarebbero divise. Io modestamente credo che, a parte le canzoni più note, tipo la citata colazione, la canzone logica, quelle insomma che tutte le radio revival passano, la musica di questi signori andrebbe considerata dal pubblico di questa comunità musicofila, specie i più giovincelli, perché sono, è vero, canzoncine, spesso melense e melliflue, ma hanno in sé tutte il comune denominatore della raffinatezza e dell'intelligenza: raffinati sono i testi, raffinate le melodie, raffinati la scelta e l'uso delle strumentazioni, così come intelligenti ed equilibrati sono i quattro (o cinque, sei?) nel mettere tutto insieme nello shaker e farne uscire un cocktail che non sbava mai.
Il risultato sono vere e proprie perle: Hide in your shell, a mio modo di vedere uno dei vertici assoluti della loro produzione, la coda straordinaria di From now on, la dolcezza spensierata di You started laughing, la sussurrata Two of us, la scanzonata Dreamer, l'avveniristica Fool's overture, la malinconica Take the long way home.
Dal vivo, a differenza di altri (e più celebrati) gruppi, i nostri tirano fuori il meglio. Le loro incisioni in studio sanno a volta di polveroso, di stantio, spesso di stucchevole, come una casa di bambole, mentre all'aperto (sarà l'aria magica di Parigi) le canzoni respirano, si schiudono, si dilatano, riempiono lo spazio, prendono forma e materia. E il paradosso è che la perfezione stilistica dei musicisti è tale che tolti i boati del pubblico crederesti sia una registrazione in studio.
Chissà perché certi gruppi, pur meritevoli dal punto di vista artistico, dopo anni non se li fila più nessuno. Semplicemente scompaiono. Forse perché questi tizi in tutta la loro carriera non hanno fatto altro che produrre con estrema perizia e cura semplici canzoni. Canzoni facili all'ascolto, troppo facili forse. Qualcuno diceva che se il poeta fa fatica, non faticherà il lettore. Credo che il detto si adegui perfettamente a Davies e compari.
Buon 2008 a tutti.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 School (05:32)
I can see you in the morning when you go to school
Don't forget your books, you know you've got to learn the golden rule,
Teacher tells you stop your play and get on with your work
And be like Johnnie - too-good, well don't you know he never shirks
- he's coming along!
After School is over you're playing in the park
Don't be out too late, don't let it get too dark
They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about
And grow up just like them - won't you let it work it out
- and you're full of doubt
Don't do this and don't do that
What are they trying to do?
- Make a good boy of you
Do they know where it's at?
Don't criticize, they're old and wise
Do as they tell you to
Don't want the devil to
Come and put out your eyes
Maybe I'm mistaken expecting you to fight
Or maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know wrong from right
But while I am still living, I've just got this to say
It's always up to you if you want to be that
want to see that
want to see that way
- you're coming along!
02 Ain't Nobody but Me (05:34)
Let me tell you a story that'll make a change,
Let me tell you when I'm way out of range;
It's about a man who's crueler than me,
So promise not to cause a scene,
Heaven help the one's you love,
There's no big need for stars above
Well, you can run, you, know he'll find you,
It don't matter now, just look behind you,
You had your warn, and you knew the score,
You got it wrong, and that means war;
So, why'd you have to treat me rough,
Your explanation's not enough.
-Ain't nobody but me,
Gonna lie for you, gonna die for you;
Ain't no fish in the sea,
Gonna sigh for you, gonna try for you,
Gonna lie for you, gonna die for you,
Wooh-
You see, I got a mental disposition,
Sometimes, I'm mean, sometimes I'm vicious;
I'm Dr. Jekyll, I'm Mr. Hyde,
So if you wanna stay alive,
Just give me all you've got to give,
And, then perhaps I'll let you live.
-Ain't nobody but me,
Gonna lie for you, gonna die for you,
Ain't no fish in the sea,
Gonna sigh for you, gonna try for you,
Gonna lie for you, gonna die for you;
Gonna sigh for you, gonna try for you,
Gonna lie for you, gonna die for you.-
(HUSH) Now baby, stop your crying,
(OH YES) I know that I've been lying,
(HUSH) Now baby, stop your crying
(OH YES) I know that I've been lying
(HUSH) Now baby, stop your crying
(OH YES) I know that I've been lying
(HUSH) Now baby, stop your crying
(OH YES) I know that I've been lying
AAAaaa
03 The Logical Song (03:55)
When I was young
It seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees
Well they'd be singing so happily
Oh joyfully, oh playfully watching me
But then they sent me away
To teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh responsible, practical
And then they showed me a world
Where I could be so dependable
Oh clinical, oh intellectual, cynical
There are times when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am
I say now watch what you say
Or they'll be calling you a radical
A liberal, oh fanatical, criminal
Oh won't you sign up your name
We'd like to feel you're acceptable
Respectable, oh presentable, a vegetable
Whoa (tick, tick, tick, yeah)
But at night when all the world's asleep
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am, who I am, who I am, who I am
04 Bloody Well Right (07:25)
So you think your schooling's funny
I guess it's hard not to agree
You say it all depends on money
And who is in your family tree
Right, you're bloody well right
you got a bloody right to say
Right, you're bloody well right
you know you got a right to say
Ha-ha you're bloody well right
you know you're right to say
Yeah-yeah you're bloody well right
you know you're right to say
Me, I don't care anyway!
Write your problems down in detail
Take them to a higher place
You've had your cry - no, I should say wail
In the meantime hush your face
Right, quite right, you're bloody well right
05 Breakfast in America (02:57)
Take a look at my girlfriend,
She's the only one I got,
Not much of a girlfriend,
I never seem to get a lot,
Take a jumbo, across the water,
Like to see America,
See the girls in California,
I'm hoping it's going to come true,
But there's not a lot I can do,
Yeah!
Could we have kippers for breakfast,
Mummy dear, Mummy dear?
They got to have 'em in Texas,
'Cause everyone's a millionaire
I'm a winner, I'm a sinner,
Do you want my autograph?
I'm a loser, what a joker,
I'm playing my jokes upon you,
While there's nothing better to do,
Yeah!
Ba-ba-ba-dow, ba-bow-dum-doo-de-dow-de-dow, de
Ba-ba-ba-dow, ba-bow-dum-de-doo-de-dow
Na na na, nana na na na na...
Don't you look at my girlfriend, (Girlfriend)
She's the only one I got,
Not much of a girlfriend, (Girlfriend)
I never seem to get a lot (What's she got? Not a lot)
Take a jumbo, across the water,
Like to see America,
See the girls in California,
I'm hoping it's going to come true,
But there's not a lot I can do,
Yeah!
Ba-ba-dow, ba-bow-dum-doo-de-dow-de-dow, de
Ba-ba-ba-dow, ba-bow-dum-doo-de-dow-de-dow
Hey oh, hey oh, hey oh, hey oh,
Hey oh, hey oh, hey oh, hey oh,
Na na na, nana na na na nana...
06 You Started Laughing (04:03)
When you're in heaven
What you gonna do?
You're gonna sit around a cloud and say
"Hey what a lovely view"
Is there a reason
Why you're like you are?
Is there a reason you'll be leaving?
Is my love out of season?
I wouldn't mind but to me that is treason
You started laughing
When I held you in my arms
You started leaving
When I told you of my charms
I was in love with you
And then you said we're through
And then I said boo hoo
Was my tie not on straight?
Was it something I ate?
07 Hide in Your Shell (06:56)
Hide In Your Shell
Hide in your shell cos the world is out to bleed you for a ride
What will you gain making your life a little longer?
Heaven or Hell, was the journey cold that gave your eyes of steel?
Shelter behind painting your mind and playing joker
Too Frightening to listen to a stranger
Too Beautiful to put your pride in danger
You're waiting for someone to understand you
But you've got demons in your closet
And you're screaming out to stop it
Saying life's begun to cheat you
Friends are out to beat you
Grab on to what you scramble for
Don't let the tears linger on inside now
Cos it's sure time you gained control
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
Well, let me show you the nearest signpost
To get your heartback and on the road
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know.
All through the night as you like awake and hold yourself so tight
What do you need, a second-hand-movie-star to tend you?
I as a boy, I believed the saying the cure for pain was love
How would it be if you could see the world through my eyes?
Too Frightening- the fire's getting colder
Too Beautiful- to think you're getting older
You're looking for someone to give an answer.
But what you see is just an illusion
You're surrounded by confusion
Saying life's begun to cheat you
Friends are out to beat you
Grab on to what you can scramble for
Don't let teh tears...
... just let me know
I wanna know...
I wanna know you...
Well let me know you
I wanna feel you
I wanna touch you
Please let me near you
Can you hear what I'm saying?
Well I'm hoping, I'm dreamin', I'm prayin'
I know what you're thinkin'
See what you're seein'
Never ever let yourself go
Hold yourself down, hold yourself down
Why d'ya hold yourself down?
Why don't you listen, you can
Trust me,
There's a place I know the way to
A place there is need to feel you
Feel that you're alone
Hear me
I know exactly what you're feelin'
cos all your troubles are whithin you
please begin to see that I'm just bleeding to
Love me, love you
Loving is the way to
Help me, help you
- Why must we be so cool, oh so cool,?
Oh, we're such damn fools..
Carico i commenti... con calma
