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C'è stato un momento, all'inizio degli anni Novanta, in cui il corso della musica rock americana sembrava inesorabilmente rivolto a un ritorno alle radici, mai tanto agognato come dopo la sbornia sintetica di qualche anno prima. Sì lo so, subito viene in mente quella parolina che inizia per "gr" e finisce per "unge", ma per fortuna non c'era solo quello, anzi! Affioravano infatti altre interessanti compagini, legate se possibile ancora di più al sopracitato (e per tanti versi esasperato) purismo della sei corde. I Blue Rodeo, i Counting Crows, i grandi Walkabouts e più tardi gente come i Wallflowers raccolsero quei fermenti propri del rock indipendente di fine '80 (caspita ma quanti nomi c'erano a Minneapolis in quegli anni? Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum...).
E proprio da Minneapolis provenivano i nostri Jayhawks, guidati dalle armonie cristalline di Mark Olson e Gary Louris, emuli di certo illustre folk-country-rock, CSNY e Flying Burrito Bros su tutti. I primi album sono interessanti, una musica che com'è ovvio paga dazio ai maestri, ma nel suo vagabondare cerca spazio dentro il marasma di quegli anni. E' con "Hollywood Town Hall" del '92 che fanno il botto (la cui copertina curiosamente ricordava sia il famoso "divano" dei CSN che certi capelloni che ben conosciamo), trainato da canzoni stupende come la doppietta iniziale Waiting for the Sun - Crowded in the Wings. Nel giro di pochi anni il gruppo era riuscito nel passo più difficile, dare forma alle proprie intuizioni all'interno di un sound finalmente riconoscibile e certamente originale.
L'album successivo doveva essere allora quello della conferma e - se possibile - del nuovo rilancio. Ed è così che, una volta messi sotto pressione, i nostri sfoderano il meglio del loro repertorio: un lotto di canzoni ispiratissime, supportate dal solito impeccabile lavoro alle chitarre e dai consueti incastri vocali. Diciamo che, se "Hollywood..." era il loro disco "americano", "Tomorrow the Green Grass" è quantomai il loro album "inglese", e ancor di più "beatlesiano": impossibile non sentire l'eco dei FabFour nelle armonizzazioni per seste di Blue, e nelle costruzioni melodiche e armoniche di I'd Run Away (altro bel singolo) e Mrs William Guitar. La forza di Olson & co. era proprio questa: abdicando completamente al furore strumentale che caratterizzava l'altra metà del rock dell'epoca, virarono su canzoni all'apparenza semplici e dal forte impatto, alla resa dei conti impreziosite dai bellissimi intrecci vocali e - lo ripeto, perché non è cosa scontata - da suoni puliti e perfettamente eseguiti, con acustiche ed elettriche che dialogano felicemente in un clima di compiuta armonia. Ci sono continui omaggi alla tradizione: niente tastiere o synth, niente partiture cervellotiche. Solo basso, batteria, chitarre e piano, qualche volta Hammond e soprattutto tanto cuore. Aggiungiamoci anche qualche tocco di archi (Over My Shoulder), e abbiamo la ricetta del capolavoro. Il cosiddetto stato di grazia, insomma.
La varietà stilistica e strumentale di quest'album, insomma, faceva da contraltare all'omogeneità e al calore trasmesso dal suo predecessore tre anni prima. I Jayhawks erano riusciti nel fatidico "passo in avanti", non solo di lato, abbracciando una quantità ben maggiore di influenze e di suggestioni, sempre filtrandoli attraverso la loro lente. Si sarebbe rivelato ben presto il loro ultimo atto: pochi mesi dopo l'abbandono di Mark Olson, e a Gary Louris sarebbe toccato riformare il gruppo con nuove coordinate stilistiche. Ma questa è un'altra storia. Resta quel fantastico album, frutto di una partnership che inevitabilmente richiamava grandi nomi del passato. E frutto anche, a guardarla con gli occhi di oggi, di una irripetibile stagione. Presto dimenticata, ma che non smette mai di emozionarmi.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Blue (03:10)
Where have all my friends gone
They've all disappeared
Turned around maybe one day
You're all that was there
Stood by on believing
Stood by on my own
Always thought I was someone
Turned out I was wrong
You brought me through
And you made me feel
Chorus:
So Blue
Why don't you stay behind
So Blue
Why don't you stop and look at what's going down
Lived by an old woman
She'd never sell me a lie
It's hard to sing with someone
Who won't sing with you
Give all of my mercy
Give all of my heart
Never thought that I'd miss you
That I'd miss you so much
You brought me through
And you made me feel
(Chorus)
All my life (Stand by)
I've waited for (Stand by)
Someone I (Waiting round)
Could show the door (Now, that I’m blue)
But nothing seems to change (That I’m blue from now on)
You've come back into my arms
So Blue
Why don't you stay behind
So Blue
Why don’t you. Why don’t you stay behind.
So Blue
Why don’t you. Why don’t you stay behind.
So Blue
Why don't you stop and look at what's going down
02 I'd Run Away (03:34)
I could take a hint from you
I could take a little hint from you
And I'd run away
I'd run away with you baby
You said a couple things to me
You said a couple things that showed your place
But how many ways, how many ways can I say it
Yeah, how many ways, how many ways can I say it
So we had a little baby boy
But we knew it wouldn't last too long
Kind of what I had in mind
But what I had in mind was strong
I recall a side of you
I recall a different side of you
But I'd run away
I'd run away with you baby
I'd run away
I'd run away with you baby
So we had a little baby boy
But we knew it wouldn't last too long
Kind of what I had in mind
But what I had in mind was strong
I could take a hint from you
I could take a little hint from you
And I'd run away, I'd run away with you baby
Yeah, I'd run away, I'd run away with you baby
Yeah, I'd run away, I'd run away, I'd run away with you baby
Yeah, I'd run away, I'd run away, I'd run away with you baby
I'd run away, I'd run away with you baby
03 Miss Williams' Guitar (03:07)
Sounds like a field being painted in the delta sun
Songs from the book of life for everyone
Chorus:
Miss Williams’ guitar
Miss Williams’ guitar
I remember watching her play
And the whole damn crowd
Seemed so far away
Oh, so far away
One night in a bar in Louisville
We had some fun
Walked through a graveyard park
Left the flowers alone
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
I remember watching her play
And the whole damn crowd
Seemed so far away
Oh so far away
06 Over My Shoulder (03:41)
Left running you said you were flying
Left running you said you were cold
Any statue you can name
Like the ones that I fell for
Chorus:
I've been looking over my shoulder
Would you love me when you're older
Would you love me when you're older
Still I know you're true
The first game is lost and you will
Another game is hide in your fear
Oh, please tell me how my heart
How can my heart belong to you
(Chorus)
Every time that you look my way
I fell so homeless
Your dreams own me
These landslides and buildings too high
That blocks the sun for everyone
Oh the law lives everywhere
And it lives without a care
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
Left running you said you were flying
Left running you said you were cold
07 Bad Time (03:28)
I'm in love with the girl that I'm talking about
I'm in love with the girl that I can't live without
I'm in love but I sure picked a bad time
To be in love, to be in love.
Let her be somebody else's queen, I don't wanna hear about it
There is too many others that know what I mean
And that's why I gotta live without it.
Chorus:
Cause, I'm in love with the girl I'm talking about
I'm in love with the girl I can't live without
I'm in love but I feel like I'm living it out
I'm in love but I must have picked a bad time to be in love
A bad time to be in love
A bad time to be in love
A bad time to be in love
All the stories coming back to me
About my friends and the people I don't wanna see
All the stories they just couldn't be true
Least not until I hear them from you
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
A bad time to be in love (such a bad time)
A bad time to be in love (such a bad time)
A bad time to be in love (such a bad time)
A bad time to be in love (such a bad time)
A bad time to be in love
10 Ann Jane (04:00)
Jane don't cry, your daddy'll be alright
Jane don't cry, your daddy'll be alright
He's there with you
How do I know? I walk with him
Supper will be at 6:15
Supper will be at 6:15
Come home soon
None of those people know you're mine
Chorus:
Ann Jane don't cry, Ann Jane don't cry
Say that you need someone there, my sister
Say that you need someone to be yours
Say that you need someone there, my sister
Say that you need someone to be yours
Beans and Jello, I made them by myself
Beans and Jello, I made them by myself
Please stay close
Many in this world walk with God
(Chorus)
Jane don't cry, Jane don't cry
Jane don't cry, your daddy'll be alright
11 Pray for Me (03:39)
Pray for me that I may keep
Faithful to you in my time
Beloved it is morn
Deeper yellow on the corn
Lovers work as children play
Beloved it is morn
One fine day I walked to town
No love like yours to be found
Idle days, idle days
Heart and soul are full of light
Heart and soul untired always
Beloved it is morn
One fine day I walked to town
No love like yours to be found
Idle days, idle days
Pray for me that I may keep
Faithful to you in my time
Beloved it is morn
Deeper red on the thorn
May God keep you in his sight
Beloved it is morn
Unknown steps before me fall
No love like yours to be found
Idle days, idle days
Heart and soul are full of light
Heart and soul untired always
Beloved it is morn
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