Venuti alla luce in quel di Sheffield nel '78, gli Human League esordirono all'insegna di influenze industrial, il suono che dettava legge a quel tempo nella loro città. Dopo un debut album tanto ambizioso quanto superfluo, incisero altri 2 dischi all'insegna di sperimentazioni elettroniche di chiara matrice techno-robotica, Reproduction e Travelogue, quest' ultimo con leggere aperture soul. Ben presto però Philip Oakey, "padrone" del progetto, capì che per avere un'ampia visibilità bisognava orientarsi verso un formato pop e verso la melodia.
Liquidati gli altri due tastieristi, Ian Marsh e Martyn Ware, rivoluzionò la formazione che adesso era diventata un quintetto. Fu così che nel 1981 i nuovi Human League pubblicarono questo disco, che fissò definitivamente lo standard al quale si dovevano riferire tutte le aspiranti band elettro-pop. Dare rappresenta infatti un disco generazionale, capostipite di tutta una serie di imitatori. Indipendentemente dal suo valore artistico, ha segnato un'epoca, un suono, che sono immediatamente identificabili al primo ascolto. Che piaccia o meno è un altro discorso, ma ha comunque influito. In un genere "pop-olare", ma lo ha fatto.
Musica da lungomare, da ascoltare al vecchio e mitico juke box mentre ci si rinfresca con l'altrettanto mitico magic-cola Eldorado, tra una partita a Pac-man e una di biliardino. Insomma, è uno dei pochi dischi che rivela un momento preciso, un tempo che fu.
"The Things That Dream Are Made Of", è un esempio chiarissimo delle melodie estive di quest'album, con un giro di synth e un canto distaccato come voleva la moda, così come il solare ritornello di "Open Your Heart", o il romanticismo di "Darkness".
La cadenza trascinante di "Do Or Die" ci introduce nelle piste da ballo con le ingenui luce colorate dell'epoca, mentre "Seconds" si leva su un lamento epico di synth.
"Love Action (I Believe In You)" è un altro pezzo da disco-club, che prelude all'ultimo brano, quella "Don't You Want Me" che tutti bene o male abbiamo sentito una volta nella nostra vita. Sicuramente la canzone più famosa degli Human League, che con quella voce al miele femminile e quel ritornello ultra-orecchiabile rappresentò un inno degli anni '80.
Non stiamo parlando di musica per orecchie fini, questo è fuor di dubbio, ma ogni tanto è bello lasciarsi trasportare da un po' di nostalgia, da un po' di piacevole leggerezza.
Per chi è rimasto vittima degli anni '80.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 The Things That Dreams Are Made Of (04:15)
Take time to see the wonders of the world
To see the things you've only ever heard of
Dream life the way you think it ought to be
See things you thought you'd never ever see
Take a cruise to China
Or a train to Spain
Go round the world
Again and again
Meet a girl on a boat
Meet a boy on a train
And fall in love
Without the pain
Everybody needs love and adventure
Everybody needs cash to spend
Everybody needs love and affection
Everybody needs 2 or 3 friends
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
Take a lift to the top of the Empire State
Take a drive across the Golden Gate
March, march, march across Red Square
Do all the things you've ever dared
Everybody needs love and adventure
Everybody needs cash to spend
Everybody needs love and affection
Everybody needs 2 or 3 friends
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
Like fun and money and food and love
And things you never thought of
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
New York, ice cream, TV, travel, good times
Norman Wisdom, Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, good times
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of
02 Open Your Heart (03:56)
And when it hurts you know
They love to tell you
How they warned you
They say "Don't be surprised
At someone's lies"
They think they taunt you
But if you can stand the test
You know your worst is better
Than their best
And so you stand here
With the years ahead
Potentially calling
With open heart
Or with a spirit dead
You walk on
Lies the reason
Faith or treason
Playing a part
End concealing
Try revealing
Open your heart
Dare to feel
Take the chance
Make the deal
Being an island
Shying from trying
Seems the easy way
Such an easy way
But there's no future
Without tears
Lies the reason
Faith or treason
Playing a part
End concealing
Try revealing
Open your heart
But if you can stand the test
You know your worst is better than their best
Lies the reason
Faith or treason
Playing a part
End concealing
Try revealing
Open your heart
03 The Sound of the Crowd (04:05)
Put your hand in a party wave
Pass around
Make a shroud pulling combs through a backwash frame
Find the copies in a carbon mount
Pass around
Stroke a pocket with a print of a laughing sound
Get around town
Get around town
Where the people look good
Where the music is loud
Get around town
No need to stand proud
Add your voice to the sound of the crowd
The shades from a pencil peer
Pass around
A fold in an eyelid brushed with fear
The lines on a compact guide
Pass around
A hat with alignment worn insde
Get around town
Get around town
Where the people look good
Where the music is loud
Get around town
No need to stand proud
Add your voice to the sound of the crowd
Get in line now
Get in line now
Stay in time with the rhythm and rhyme
Get around town
Get around town
Where the people look good
Where the music is loud
Get around town
No need to stand proud
Add your voice to the sound of the crowd
Get around town
Get around town
Where the people look good
Where the music is loud
Get around town
No need to stand proud
Add your voice to the sound of the crowd
Get around town
Get around town
Where the people look good
Where the music is loud
Get around town
No need to stand proud
Add your voice to the sound of the crowd
04 Darkness (03:59)
In darkness
Where my dreams are all too clear
Darkness, darkness
Filled with all the sounds of fear
I hear voices (don't turn out the light)
Calling faraway
I see shadows (don't turn out the light)
Moving, changing shape
And the clock stops
As darkness closes in
I hesitate but it's too late
I scream and scream again
I hear colours black and red
I see sounds that fill my head
I'll never read those books again
In darkness
Where my dreams are all too clear
Darkness, darkness
Filled with all the sounds of fear
I hear voices (don't turn out the light)
Calling faraway
I see shadows (don't turn out the light)
Moving, changing shape
Don't turn out the light (don't turn out the light)
Or I'll go over the edge
Don't turn out the light (don't turn out the light)
Or I'll go over the edge
In darkness
Where my dreams are all too clear
Darkness, darkness
Filled with all the sounds of fear
I hear voices (don't turn out the light)
Calling faraway
I see shadows (don't turn out the light)
Moving, changing shape
I hear voices (don't turn out the light)
Calling faraway
I see shadows (don't turn out the light)
Moving, changing shape
05 Do or Die (05:25)
Those cocky little fires you started in the night
The independent claims that just meant "Hold me tight"
The bruises on your body that you swore were from a fight
I'll pass at your insistence
Alsatians fall unconscious at the shadow of your call
One glance from your direction and the government will fall
Whole continents of misery don't bother you at all
But for me you have persistence
Run all day, run all night
Do or die, do or die
Got to run for your life
Do or die, do or die
I'd like to leave so would you kindly look the other way
You tell me to be honest but I've nothing left to say
Just like your feet my goddess, my brain has turned to clay
An end to all resistance
Run all day, run all night
Do or die, do or die
Got to run for your life
Do or die, do or die
Run all day, run all night
Do or die, do or die
Got to run for your life
Do or die, do or die
Run all day, run all night
Do or die, do or die
Got to run for your life
Do or die, do or die
Run all day, run all night
Do or die, do or die
Got to run for your life
Do or die, do or die
07 I Am the Law (04:08)
My life
I'm a fool for you
You who take no advice
You who think evil doesn't exist
Just because you deny it is true
You're lucky I care
For fools like you
You're lucky I'm there
To stop people doing the things
That you know they are dying to do
You know I am no stranger
I know rules are a bore
But just to keep you from danger
I am the law
A dog must bark
So evil calls
Both in the wild and
Within these walls
You know I am no stranger
I know rules are a bore
But just to keep you from danger
I am the law
08 Seconds (04:59)
All day
Hiding from the sun
Waiting for the golden one
Waiting for your fame
After the parade has gone
Outside was a happy place
Every face had a smile like the golden face
For a second
Your knuckles white as your fingers curl
The shot that was heard around the world
For a second
It took seconds of your time to take his life
It took seconds
It took seconds of your time to take his life
It took seconds
It took seconds of your time to take his life
It took seconds of your time to take his life
Seconds
Seconds
It took seconds of your time to take his life
It took seconds
It took seconds of your time to take his life
It took seconds
For a second
It took seconds of your time to take his life
It took seconds
It took seconds of your time to take his life
It took seconds
For a second
It took seconds of your time to take his life
Seconds of your time to take his life
For a second
For a second
For a second
09 Love Action (I Believe in Love) (05:00)
When you're in love you know you're in love
No matter what you try to do
You might as well resign yourself
To what you're going through
If you're a hard man or if you're a child
It still might get to you
Don't kid yourself
You've seen it all before
A million mouths have said that too, ooh
I've had my hard times (hard times!) in the past
I've been a husband and a lover too
I've laid alone and cried at night
Over what love made me do
And the loved ones who let me down
And couldn't share my point of view
But this is Phil talking
I want to tell you
What I found to be true
I love your love action
Lust's just a distraction
No talking just looking
Watching your love action
I believe I believe what the old man says
Though I know that there's no Lord above
I believe in me
I believe in you
And you know I believe in love
I believe in truth
Though I lie a lot
I feel the pain from the push and shove
No matter what you put me through
I'll still believe in love, and I say
I love your love action
Lust's just a distraction
No talking just looking
Watching your love action
I love your love action
Lust's just a distraction
No talking just looking
Watching your love action
I love your love action
Lust's just a distraction
No talking just looking
Watching your love action
Love action
Love action
Love action
I love your distraction
I love your love action
Lust's just a distraction
No talking just looking
Watching your love action
I love your love action
Lust's just a distraction
No talking just looking
Watching your love action
11 Hard Times (05:45)
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times
Hard times.
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Altre recensioni
Di gnoato
«Dare! degli Human League è un gran bel disco, un simbolo del new romantic inglese»
«A fine riproduzione il disco te lo ricordi, le sue note risuonano nella mente e ti fa voglia di sentirlo ancora.»
