Quattro tipi impacciati, appoggiati alle loro chitarrone forzano un sorriso nella foto segnaletica.
THE NOTTING HILLBILLIES
Dispersi............
E si, dove sono finiti i montanari, i contadini e le mitiche feste in casa ?
Perchè mai ho comprato questo Cd ?
Mark Knopfler potrebbe essere il motivo, sicuramente è il motivo. Era il 1990 quando Knopfler fondò questo supergruppo, riunendo intorno a se altri tre chitarristi eccezionali: Brendan Croker, Steve Phillips, Paul Franklin più il tastierista Guy Fletcher.
Questo è un lavoro che fonda le sue radici nel Folk Nordamericano, ripescando brani della tradizione Country e Western riarrangiati e resi più accessibili ad un pubblico europeo. I brani, quasi tutti intrisi da un velo di tristezza e malinconia, si sorreggono sulle quattro chitarre che continuamente ricamano e costruiscono melodie.
La canzone della ferrovia apre il CD. Dolcissima coi suoi mandolini e coretti fa tanto Far-West, qui comincio già a chiedermi: "Che cazzo ho comprato! sono un pirla." Il pezzo successivo è un Blues, io il Blues mica l'ho mai capito, poi piano piano mi lascio trascinare, i campi di cotone, Kunta Kinte*, gli schiavi negri, m'inchino mi rialzo mi riinchino e mi rialzo**, canto anch'io.
"Your Own Sweet Way" è l'unico brano scritto da Knopfler e risente tantissimo dello stile chitarristico dell'ex Dire Straits, così come più avanti la bellissima "Will You Miss Me", in questo caso scritta da S. Phillips. Dopo queste prime tre "lagne" vengo catapultato in un polveroso cortile con "Run Me Down" brano trascinante dove il tastierista a modo di mettersi in mostra. Sono solo al quinto brano ma mi sento sempre più Americano, come protagonista di un western di Morricone.
Si prosegue con i riadattamenti di brani folk che sembrano quasi rock. Il viaggio continua tra strade deserte e polverose dell'Alabama, Texas. Senza sezione ritmica eppure c'è ritmo anche nella lentezza di certi pezzi. Senza armonica a bocca, senza fronzoli, tutto gira intorno alle chitarre. In tutto il lavoro quel che riecheggia di più e forse il senso di libertà.
Mark K. sembra quasi voler dire: "Basta Straits basta business, sono stanco." Poi, va bhe...... Alla storia rimane questo unico disco, come una scheggia impazzita comunque, in definitiva, un album senza tempo che, a distanza di sedici anni dal suo acquisto, ancora fà parte della mia personale tracklist a differenza dei lavori coi Dire Straits che sono anni che non ascolto più.
* Kunta Kinte lo schiavo del libro/film Radici.
**Mi inchino mi rialzo... il movimento dei raccoglitori di cotone. Mi dicono che è dalla loro faticosa e ritmata respirazione che viene il Blues.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Railroad Worksong (05:30)
Working on a railroad for a dollar a day
Working on a railroad for a dollar a day
Working on a railroad good buddy for a dollar a day
Got to get my money gotta get my pay
Take this hammer take it to the captain
Take this hammer take it to the captain
Take this hammer good buddy take it to the captain
Tell him I’m gone tell him I’m gone
If he asks you was I running
If he asks you was I running
If he asks you good buddy was I running
Tell him I was flying tell him I was flying
If he asks you was I laughing
If he asks you was I laughing
If he asks you good buddy was I laughing
Tell him I was crying tell him I was crying
This old hammer rings like silver
This old hammer rings like silver
This old hammer good buddy rings like silver
Shine like gold buddy and it shine like gold
Working on a railroad for a dollar a day
Working on a railroad for a dollar a day
Working on a railroad good buddy for a dollar a day
Got to get my money gotta get my pay
Got to get my money gotta get my pay
Got to get my money gotta get my pay
03 Your Own Sweet Way (04:32)
There is nothing I can do
Nothing I can say
You'll do what you want to
You'll go your own sweet way
You'll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
You'll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
Now I can talk to you serious
I can talk to you nice
But when it comes to love
You won't take good advice
You'll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
You'll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
It doesn't matter what I say
What I do or what I think
You can lead a horse to water
You can't make him drink
You'll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
You'll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
05 One Way Gal (03:11)
One thing I like about that gal of mine
One thing I like about that gal of mine
One thing I like about that gal of mine
She treats me right and loves me all the time
She walked in the rain till her feet got soaking wet
She walked in the rain till her feet got soaking wet
She walked in the rain till her feet got soaking wet
And this she said to every man she met
Mister change a dollar – gimme a lousy dime
Mister change a dollar – gimme a lousy dime
Mister change a dollar – gimme a lousy dime
So I can fee that hungry man of mine
Sometimes I’m broke and blue as I can be
Sometimes I’m broke and blue as I can be
Sometimes I’m broke and blue as I can be
But still my baby she looks after me
That gal of mine she’s one way all the time
That gal of mine she’s one way all the time
That gal of mine she’s one way all the time
She takes the blues away and satisfies my mind
That gal of mine she’s one way all the time
That gal of mine she’s one way all the time
08 Please Baby (03:51)
TRADITIONAL
Please baby - please please baby
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
Please baby - please please baby
When I get my money I will give you my last dime
When you left me babe, you left me feeling so blue
You know that I didn't love no-one but you
Please baby - please please baby
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
I'm so blue baby, I'm, I'm so blue baby
I can't sleep at night
I can't hardly talk from crying
You know baby, you, you know baby
You always forever on my mind
Since you've been gone I can't sleep at night
Why don't you take my meals I can't eat a bite
Please baby, please please baby
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
When you left me babe you left me feeling so blue
You know that I didn't love no-one but you
Please baby - please please baby
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
11 Feel Like Going Home (04:53)
Lord I feel like going home
I tried and I failed and I’m tired and weary
Everything I ever done was wrong
And I feel like going home
Lord I tried to see it through
But it was too much for me
And now I’m coming home to you
And I feel like going home
Cloudy skies are rolling in
And not a friend around to help me
From all the places I have been
And I feel like going home
Lord I feel like going home
I tried and I failed and I’m tired and weary
Everything I ever done was wrong
And I feel like going home
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Altre recensioni
Di claudio carpentieri
Un artista che segue ostinatamente il fiuto del proprio percorso cedendo ben poche volte alle necessità del marketing.
Per gli amanti del genere un album di spessore, per tutti gli altri un ottimo tonico per mente e cuore.
