Nella sterminata produzione letteraria di Honoré de Balzac, c’è un romanzo, “La Pelle di Zigrino”, in cui il protagonista, dopo poche pagine, entra in un negozio d’antiquariato situato nel cuore di Parigi. Come in sogno, egli rimane estasiato e stupefatto di fronte alla miriade di stoffe multicolori, di pietre preziose dalle screziature cangianti, di oggetti e chincaglierie di ogni forma e dimensione; il tutto ammassato e alternato apparentemente senza alcun ordine se non quello di ottenere l’effetto di sbigottire il cliente di turno.
Ecco, l’album d’esordio degli inglesi The Coral, presenta molti punti di contatto con questo bazar: frammenti di molteplici stili e generi musicali vengono affastellati con piglio scanzonato ed eccentrico in un turbinio incessante di cambi di tempo, trovate fantasiose e soluzioni sghembe.
Con un amore viscerale per il beat anni sessanta e per micro-dilatazioni psichedeliche che costituiscono il “fondo” di quasi tutti i pezzi, i cambi di direzione repentini e il ricorso alle influenze musicali più disparate fanno del disco un lunapark sonoro in cui ogni giro di giostra supera raramente i tre minuti.
Alla calda cavalcata acida dell’iniziale “Spanish Main” ed alla ciurma di pirati ubriachi che, su un ritmo sincopato scandito da un’armonica, canta alla luna di “Shadows Fall” vengono alternati, per esempio, la miscela di suadente aggressività di “I Remember When” e il singolone indie da classifica di “Dreaming of You”. La doorsiana “Waiting for Heartaches”, precede il punk sgangherato di “Skeleton Key”; l’hard-blues di “Badman”, segue l’accenno di edulcorato progressive di “Wildfire”.
Anche all’interno di ogni singolo pezzo, l’andamento non è mai lineare, ma riserva sorprese a ogni piè sospinto: il vigoroso incedere di “Goodbye”, per esempio, si sfilaccia nella parte centrale in una vellutata deriva introspettiva per poi riprendere con il robusto riff iniziale di chitarra; il brit-pop di “Calendars and Clocks” si trasforma pian piano in una ossessivo crescendo rock.
Riverberi psichedelici, contrappunti elettronici, inserti folk, ska e un largo uso del canto corale, fanno del disco un continuo gioco di specchi e di rimandi dove i Coral attingono a tutte queste fonti musicali sintetizzandole con freschezza e personalità e adattandole ad una forma canzone di breve (talvolta brevissima) durata. Per non farci mancare niente, è presente anche una ghost-track, “Time Travel” in cui le linee guida vengono stavolta tracciate da un languido reggae.
Disco gioioso, stralunato, solare, primaverile, bizzarro ed eclettico, ben suonato e prodotto ancora meglio. Esco dal bazar intontito ed ho una gran voglia di rientrarci!
Elenco tracce e testi
02 I Remember When (00:00)
I remember when I saw the sea freeze
But it said nothing about the birds and the bees
They were swarming around my head
You'd be better off dead
But I ain't going down like that
I ain't going down like that
Cos I'm better than him and I know where I've been
You know where god I'm bound
And I'm higher to sin but don't we all sin
If that is the truth then the truth is grim
Now it ain't easy in jail, the stories for sale
Your father has died while he's gripped for bail
He points to the west and he leaves out the rest
And wants you to be his special guest
ooooooooooooooooh
I remember when I saw the leaves fall
I was in the woods, and the gown you wouldn't wear to the Ball
Into the ditch I fly
Wanted dead or alive
But I ain't going down like that
No I ain't going down like that
Cos I'm better than him and I know where I've been
You know where god I'm bound
And I'm higher to sin but don't we all sin
If that is the truth then the truth is grim
Now it ain't easy in jail, the stories for sale
Your father has died while he's gripped for bail
He points to the west and he leaves out the rest
And wants you to be his special guest
oooooooooooohh
Hi Hi Hi
Cos I'm better than him and I know where I've been
You know where god I'm bound
And I'm higher to sin but don't we all sin
If that is the truth then the truth is grim
And STOP!
03 Shadows Fall (00:00)
Morning comes darkness drops
Upon this day a shadow falls
Silence warps through the halls
Since I've been gone, gone, gone
A hundred years from today
Lamplights ablaze? paves my way
Till jesus saves my early grave
I will be gone, gone, gone
Drop the anchor lift my heart
From stem to stern I'm torn apart
Mount my horse? pack my cart?
Tomorrow I'm gone, gone, gone
Seek the hull? leave the deck
Silver moon silhouette
In due time you will forget
That I am gone, gone, gone
I will be gone, gone, gone
Since I've been gone, gone, gone
Tomorrow I'm gone, gone, gone
04 Dreaming Of You (00:00)
[HH_Favorite]
What's up with my heart when it skips a beat (skips a beat)
Can't feel no pavement right under my feet (under my feet)
Up in my lonely room
When I'm dreaming of you (wah oooo)
Oh what can I do
I still need you, but
I don't want you now
When I'm down and my hands are tied (hands are tied)
I cannot reach a pen for me to draw the line (draw the line)
From this pain I just can't disguise
Its gonna hurt but I'll have to say goodbye
Up in my lonely room
When I'm dreaming of you (wah oooo)
Oh what can I do
I still need you, but
I dont want you now
Oh yeah
Ohhh Ohhhhh
Up in my lonely room
When I'm dreaming of you (wah oooo)
Oh what can I do
I still need you, but
I dont want you now
05 Simon Diamond (00:00)
Simon Diamond sold his soul
Changed his name by deed poll
Started out as Simon Russell
Lived his life inside a nutshell
Oooh ooooh Oooooooh Ooooooh
He couldn't take the public scorn
Changed from human to plant form
Now he swapped his legs for roots
His arms and soil are in cahoots
Oooh ooooh Oooooooh Ooooooh
What will become of Simon Diamond
Water himself
Can't change the climate
What will become of Simon Diamond
Water himself
Can't change the climate
Oooh ooooh Oooooooh Ooooooh
That'll do (That'll do) (16x)
Oooh Oooh
06 Goodbye (00:00)
I, I look into her eyes
Saw through her disguise
But never realised
That we were longing to be free
Runaway to sea
Well that could never be
Goodbye don't say goodbye
I'd rather die
Than say goodbye
Once so very long ago
Was when I loved you so
If only I had known
That I was blinded by my fate
I traded love for hate
Now I just sit and wait
Goodbye don't say goodbye
I'd rather die
Than say goodbye
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Goodbye don't say goodbye
I'd rather die
Than say goodbye
Goodbye don't say goodbye
I'd rather die
Than say goodbye
08 Skeleton Key (00:00)
Sail lightly on winds
Disappear on the breeze
Lie firmly on pins
Pull them out with ease
Solid boned skeleton key
Opens the most intricate locks
Brother roll another for me
I am shipwrecked on the rocks
Fumble blindly as we speak
You will wither if you are weak
Finger turns and points at me
I'd hoped they wouldn't notice me
Solid boned skeleton key
Opens the most intricate locks
Brother roll another for me
I am shipwrecked on the rocks
Will I ever return?
Will I ever get back?
Are the rocks too high?
Has the dust turned black?
Will I ever return?
Will I ever get back?
Are the rocks too high?
Has the dust turned black?
Skeleton Key (x4)
Will I ever return?
Will I ever get back?
Are the rocks too high?
Has the dust turned black?
Solid boned skeleton key
Opens the most intricate locks
Brother roll another for me
I am shipwrecked on the rocks
Oh yeah
Hey
That's more like
Here we go here we go
Here we go go Byker Grove
Can't believe it's so good
Can't believe it's so good
10 Badman (00:00)
Theres a bad man that I once knew
His heart was black and his blood was blue
Bad man, hes commin for you
Hed sell his wife for a dollar or two
To be a rich man with many maids
Hes got eyes like hand grenades
He had a good woman
In the palm of his hand
Until she left him for another man
Now hes a bad, bad man
A bad, bad man
You gotta do what you can
When youre a bad man
(Everyone gotta be a bad man every once in a while, the lord knows hes a bad man )
Hes a bad man and thats the truth
The devils law dont need no proof
Hes a jealous man .All alone
A motel room is not a home
Helpless man, he fell ill
He was prescribed a fatal pill
Now hes a dead man
His hearts still black
His only love stabbed him in the back
Now hes a bad, bad man
A bad, bad man
You gotta do what you can
When youre a bad man
Now hes a bad, bad man
A bad, bad man
You gotta do what you can
Cos you're a bad bad man
You're a bad bad man
You're a bad bad man
You got to do what you can
When you're a bad man
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