• Voto:
"Kontroversy" dei Kinks (1965) mi risulta essere passato un po' in sordina se confrontato a dischi di grandi band contemporanee, quali i pluriosannati Beatles & Rolling Stones, gli incendiari Who ed altri ancora. Ed è un peccato, perché Ray Davies è un autore di tutto rispetto, ed insieme alla chitarra del fratello Dave, ci ha regalato alcuni dei momenti più alti della storia del pop britannico. Enorme è l'influenza esercitata dal gruppo negli anni a venire, pressoché fondamentali per lo sviluppo del moderno brit pop, e precursori di generi come il Garage, o l'Hard Rock. Noti perlopiù grazie al riff seminale di "You Really Got Me", i Kinks si sono spinti anche oltre, pubblicando nel corso della loro carriera diversi esempi di indiscusso talento compositivo, dal sound energico e peculiare, che ad oggi sono un vero e proprio "faro" per molte band.
"The Kink Kontroversy" è da annoverare tra le loro opere migliori, insieme ad album come "Face to Face", "Arthur", o anche "The Village Green Preservation Society", che - per quanto rappresentativo della vasta cultura musicale della band, nonché capolavoro del Davies scrittore di testi - non è tra i miei episodi preferiti. L'introduzione, "Milk Cow Blues", è una cover di Sleepy John Estes che mette subito le cose in chiaro, un blues sporco e trascinante che dà il via ad una serie di pezzi strutturati con sapienza, tra riff abrasivi e ritmi serrati, raccontati dall'accattivante voce di Ray Davies con melodie che, per quanto possano sembrare banali ad un ascolto poco attento, non lo sono per niente. Non ci sono ritornelli bubblegum nelle canzoni dei Kinks, le loro armonie lasciano il segno e si fanno ricordare, come da manuale del miglior pop.
Non è il caso di sviscerare il disco traccia per traccia, mi sento di consigliarne l'ascolto immediato perché ogni brano fa parte di un discorso piacevole ed omogeneo, da scoprire un ascolto dopo l'altro. Brani come "When I See That Girl of Mine", "Till the End of the Day" o "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" suonano gagliardi nonostante i quarant'anni e passa di barrique. Insomma, cos'altro dire? buon ascolto.
E non fermatevi ai Beatles.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Milk Cow Blues (03:43)
Well I've tried everything to get along with you
But I'm gonna tell ya what I'm gonna do
I'm sick of all your crying, gonna leave you alone
If you don't believe I'm going
You pack all my things, I'm gone
I'm gonna leave
Gonna leave you lovin' baby for some day
Well if you don't believe I'm going
Watch me leaving you this way
Won't you please, well that sun looks good going down
Won't you please, well that sun looks good going down
But don't that ol' moon look lonesome when your baby's not around
Won't you please, don't that sun look good going down
Won't you please, don't that sun look good going down
But don't that ol' moon look lonesome when your baby's not around
08 I'm on an Island (02:15)
I'm on an island
And I've got no where to swim
Oh what a mood I am in
I'm on an island
I'm on an island
Since my girl left me behind
She said that I'm not her kind
I'm on an island
But there is no where else on earth I'd rather be
Then if my long, lost little girl was here with me
I'm on an island
And I've got no where to run
Because I'm the only one
Who's on the island
But there is no where else on earth I'd rather be
Then if my long, lost little girl was here with me
I'm on an island
And I've got no where to run
Because I'm the only one
Who's on this island
I'm on an island
I'm on an island
09 Where Have All the Good Times Gone (02:51)
Well, lived my life and never stopped to worry 'bout a thing
Opened up and shouted out and never tried to sing
Wondering if I'd done wrong
Will this depression last for long?
Won't you tell me
Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?
Well, once we had an easy ride and always felt the same
Time was on our side and I had everything to gain
Let it be like yesterday
Please let me have happy days
Won't you tell me
Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?
Ma and Pa look back at all the things they used to do
Didn't have no money and they always told the truth
Daddy didn't have no toys
And mummy didn't need no boys
Won't you tell me
Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?
Well, yesterday was such an easy game for you to play
But let's face it things are so much easier today
Guess you need some bringing down
And get your feet back on the ground
Won't you tell me
Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?
10 It's Too Late (02:31)
It's too late now for you to say your sorry
It's too late now for you to make amends
You're gonna pay for all the lies you told me
Well don't apologize 'cause it's too late
It's too late
Much too late
You said those words
You said them much too late
It's too late
Much too late
You said those words
You said them much too late
It's too late now for you to sympathize, dear
The wheel of time is grinding against your dreams
I really wouldn't want to cause no pain now
You said those words, you said them much too late
It's too late
Much too late
You said those words
You said them much too late
11 What's in Store for Me (02:04)
I wanna know what is to be
To see what life's cut out for me
I'm waiting for my fate
'Cause I know I've done wrong
I wanna know just what's in store for me
I wish I had a crystal ball
To see my rise and see my fall
I've done a lot of right,
But also done some wrong
I wanna know just what's in store for me
And so I'll wait a while
And wait a little longer
I'll just have to wait and see
I think a lot but I'll stop trying
I'll just get old before my time
I'll live the life I've got
But I don't sleep at night
I wanna know just what's in store for me
I'll live the life I've got
But I don't sleep at night
I wanna know just what's in store for me
I wanna know just what's in store for me
12 You Can't Win (02:40)
You'll try and you'll try again
But you know you can't win
You'll try and you'll try again
But you know you can't win
What more can I say now?
What more can I do?
No need to feel sad now
'cause times are pretty thin
And you can't win
You can't win
You can't win
Try and do what you can
But you know you can't win
You say you don't understand
But you know you can't win
What more can you say now?
What more can you do?
No need to feel sad now
'cause times are pretty thin
And you can't win
You can't win
You can't win
What more can I say now?
What more can I do?
No need to feel sad now
'cause times are pretty thin
You can't win
You can't win
You can't win
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