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D'accordo; siamo nel 1978 e già da un paio d'anni gli alfieri del Punk hanno scolpito una bella lapide con la scritta R.I.P. al movimento principe di fine '60 - diciamo metà '70. E tra non molto - più o meno un anno - farà "bang" un'altro mondo, quello New Wave. Ma un crollo così repentino francamente fa sospirare. Crollo ben celato, tra l'altro. E d'altronde che se lo sarebbe aspettato che i Lord della scuola Prog inglese - per chi non lo sapesse, uno dei primissimi gruppi ad utilizzare il sintetizzatore mellotron - cedessero così le armi, senza nemmeno provare a rialzarsi? Probabilmente molti, credo. Mettiamola così: nel 1972, dopo l'uscita dell'album "Seventh Sojourn", il gruppo ufficialmente si scioglie, con le solite motivazioni del caso. Bisogno di riposo, dedicarsi alla famiglia, progetti solisti. Visto e stabilito che in cinque anni si è fatto poco o nulla, Hayward, Lodge, Pinder, Thomas ed Edge decidono di imbastire un bell'album - con conseguente tour - per celebrare tronfi il grande ritorno.
Crollo ben celato, si diceva. Perché? Bè, perché nonostante tutto, appena messo su il disco sembra ancora di trovarsi nell'età dell'oro: l'apertura è affidata al singolo Steppin' in a slide zone, e nei primi secondi pare di ascoltare l'intro di Shine on you crazy diamond, anno 1975. Certo, i Moodies vogliono fare le cose per bene, e possono permetterselo d'altronde. Tutti i brani sono ben arrangiati, ogni strumento è al posto giusto nel momento giusto. Ci sono le solite tastiere, i soliti cambi di tempo della batteria di Edge, i soliti melànge semi - psichedelici. Ma sono le idee a latitare. Il disco si snoda così, tra i pezzi più movimentati Steppin' in a slide zone, I'll be level with you e Top rank suite, e le prevedibili ballate Under Moonshine, Driftwood e One Step into the light, peraltro uno dei brani meglio riusciti. In particolare è la seconda facciata a creare i maggiori spasimi: brani come Survival e I'm your man sono francamente cadute di gusto che si potevano tranquillamente evitare. Oltre a Top rank suite, dolciastro simil - Motown che sembra messo lì apposta per dire "visto dove possiamo arrivare?", nel bene e nel male ovviamente.
Comunque, nonostante tutto "Octave" vende, fino a raggiungere la settima posizione in Inghilterra. Il conseguente e tanto sospirato tour non aggiungerà poi molto, se non l'abbandono di Pinder, rimpiazzato dall'ex - Yes Patrick Moraz. Insomma, un bell'esempio di popolarità inversamente proporzionale all'effettivo valore: se si vuole ricordare i Moody Blues, meglio farlo con in testa l'immagine degli anni '60, non quella desolante di questo disco riuscito solo in parte.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Steppin' in a Slide Zone (05:26)
I took a ride in a limousine
I took a road I'd never been
I met a stranger by the way
His coat was torn but his eyes were clear
Standing in a slide zone
I could be steppin' in a slide zone
He told me where a river flows
He showed me how the apple grows
He told me of a magic stream
His face was worn but his eyes were clear
Standing in a slide zone
I could be steppin' in a slide zone
Standing in a slide zone
I could be steppin' through a time zone
He went to find a shooting star
Around the bend that's where they are
I went along just for the ride
Suddenly I began to glide
Standing in a slide zone
I could be steppin' through a time zone
The air raced by there was no sound
We drifted high above the ground
And then said you know this place
And then a smile lit up his face
Standing in a slide zone
I could be steppin' in a slide zone
Standing in a slide zone
I could be steppin' through a time zone
I turned my head and looked below
And there was something there I know
Suddenly I began to fall
I looked around and tried to call
Standing in a slide zone
He had me steppin' in a time zone
Standing in a slide zone
Falling through a time zone
Help me please I thought I said
Then something happened in my head
Music came from all around
And I knew what I had found
Standing in a slide zone
Falling through a time zone
Steppin' in a slide zone
He had me falling through a time zone
02 Under Moonshine (04:57)
The dawn crept into by room
And stole my dream
Now I'll never know
Just what it means
Or what could have been
Yet still I try to lie
But I'm seen
Under moonshine that's where I've been
Under moonshine I'm clearly seen
Under moonshine that's where I've been
Under moonshine I'm clearly seen
Creator of dreams that melt with the sun
I'll send you the things this man has done
He was a saint and a sinner rolled in one
But I miss now that he's gone
I sure miss him now that he's gone
Sure I feel the pain
Deep inside I pour like rain
Remember when you smile
Love's in your eyes
The world keeps turning
The grass still grows green
The fruit on my tree
Is the biggest you've ever seen
Which way up you know when you're down
They've gotta stand tall
With your feet on the ground
You must stand tall
With your feet on the ground
Or maybe I'm crazy
Also they say I'm lazy
But I'll have my days
When I do as I please
For you won't see the woods
While you're a tree
No you'll never see the woods
While you're a tree
Yes I'm crazy
Also they say I'm lazy
But I'll have my days
When I do as I please
You won't see the woods
While you're a tree
No you'll never see the woods
While you're a tree
04 I'll Be Level With You (03:46)
Little guy, little hands, little eyes and lots of time
What you gonna be what you gonna see
When your eyes are level with mine
I'll be level with you
I don't know what I would do
If I had to face the things that you've got coming down the line
Lots of luck, lots of health, lots of wealth, little pain
That's what I want for you but there's little I can do
To put you on the gravy train
I'll be level with you
You'll always end up coming through
But you'll find yourself lost in space now and again
But you have to have a world you can live in
Not a world where all the hope is gone
And as long as we are here together
We must build a home for the free
Filled with pity
Not pain
That's loving and sane
Not divided by hate
And living in spite
'Til it's too late
Life is here
Love will come in the end give it time
There's wonders still to do and I know you'll find it's true
That yours will be bigger than mine
I'll be level with you
The one thing I hope you will do is tell me about what
You're doing from time to time
05 Driftwood (05:01)
Just like the driftwood of a dream
Left of the seashore of sleep
Just like the words that wouldn't rhyme
Lost in the desert of time
Time waits for no one at all
No, not even you
You thought you'd seen it all before
You really thought you knew
I don't remember what was said
In the confusion that night
I only know what's on my mind
What's in the future we will decide
Time waits for no one at all
No, not even you
You thought you'd seen it all before
You really thought you knew
I've shattered the illusion
Of fortune and of fame
But darling now I know you
Life could never be the same
Oh no... don't leave me driftwood
On the shore
Time waits for no one my love
No, not even you
You thought you'd seen it all before
You really thought you knew
I've shattered the illusion
Of forture and of fame
I'm waking up
I'm reaching up
I'm getting up from this game
Oh no... don't leave me driftwood
On the shore
Oh no... don't, don't leave me driftwood
On the shore...
08 Survival (05:00)
Shadows of night falling over my head
People walking
Passing me by
Shadows of dreams falling out of the blue
People talking
What can I do
Where do I go from here
Where do I go from here
I could give you any dream and watch it grow
I could take you for a ride but you would know
I could tell you every answer that I know
It wouldn't be much tho'
It wouldn't be anything you didn't know
But
Survival
Nothing more than survival
Shadows of days hanging endless in time
Slowly fading
Passing us by
Shadows of worlds disappearing from view
People asking
What could we do?
Where do I go from here
Where do I go from here
If I gave you every dream they would grow
If I took you for a ride would you know
If I told you every answer that I know
It wouldn't be much tho'
It wouldn't be anything you didn't know
But survival
In you love, I have all that
I need for
survival
With your love I have all that
I need for
Survival
With our love we have all that
We need for
Survival
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