Dopo il mediocre Splinter il quartetto di O.C. ritorna con "Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace". Ad essere sinceri si può dire che i nostri sono in fase di tramonto, questo ultimo lavoro non è niente male ma presenta formule spremute e rispremute, a tratti ispirate dal binomio 'velocità/melodia' come nelle grande hits del passato ("All I Want","The Kids Aren't Alright) e a tratti sembra prendere spunto (fin troppo) da lavori di Green Day, Coldplay ma non solo.
Entrando nel dettaglio si può dire che l'album non ha quel puro spirito punk rock come ai tempi di "Smash" per intenderci, ma è un cd molto più 'pop-oriented', bene pezzi come "Half - Truism" e il primo singolo "Hammerhead" che sembrano tra i pochi a 'profumare di nuovo', già al secondo pezzo dell'album "Trust In You" ritorna inevitabilmente in mente "All I Want", persino i titoli sembrano cacofonicamente simili, le melodie lo sono molto di più, specialmente il ritornello che forse avrà l'unica differenza di essere abbassato di un paio di note. Il pezzo che sembra essere il più riuscito per entrare nelle charts è "You Gonna Go Far, Kid" , a mio parere miglior pezzo dell'album, ahimè fa parte si dei pezzi diciamo 'campionati', ma è composto decisamente bene mescolando una base pop-rock ad un ritornello da ricordare già dopo un paio di ascolti, un pò come ai tempi di "The Kids Aren't Alright" (ci siamo capiti...).
Non male "A Not Like Me", pezzo frizzante e scritto anche egregiamente, con tanto di seconde e terze voci di sottofondo e con uno spruzzo di malinconia, giusto quanto basta.
Se il cd fosse composto solo dalle prime cinque tracce sarebbe un ottimo cd, anzi EP, già andando avanti si nota come le idee inizino a mancare, la ballata "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?" ben recensita nella prima recensione dell'album scritta su debaser, è praticamente un clone di "We Don't To Look Back Now", pezzo dei Puddle Of Mudd contenuto nel loro ultimo album "Famous", per carità parliamo di una canzonetta carina e semplice da cantare, ma le analogie sono imbarazzanti.
Purtroppo non è ancora finita la sagra dello 'scopiazzamento', "Nothingtown" ha un intro uguale alla famosa "Want You Bad" ma ci può stare, "Fix You" credo sia la primissima versione scritta da Chris Martin (Coldplay) ma poi scartata e rifatta ( Dexter Holland avrà rovistato tra i rifiuti di casa Martin e avrà trovato la demo, almeno il titolo poteva essere cambiato, non dico tanto un pò di astuzia). Ottima invece "Stuff Is Messed Up" qui non ho niente da dire, il pezzo è suonato bene e cantato meglio, degno dei migliori Offspring, forse unica nota positiva della seconda parte del cd, mentre "Rise And Fall" sembra cosi uguale ad "American Idiot" dei Green Day che persino un sordo si accorgerebbe del plagio, in buona fede voglio confermare la supposizione avanzata da 'Zimo_26' nella sua recensione, cioè di antipatia tra i gruppi che avrebbe portato Dexter e compagnia a tale risultato, a malafede dico che gli Offspring in generale non hanno avuto tantissime idee durante la stesura dell'album, confermo che la band a mio avviso sta tramontando, però come colpo di coda questo "Rise Fall Rage Grace" è stato un pò debole, per carità non da buttare, 3 stelle e tutti contenti, però non vi spaventate se durante l'ascolto avrete dei clamorosi flashback che potrebbero anche servire per ricordare i vecchi passati anni '90 e perchè no anche i mondiali del 2006...che non sia un cd-ipnosi?
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
04 Hammerhead (04:38)
I am the one, camouflage and guns
Risk my life to keep my people from harm
Authority, vested in me
I sacrifice with my brothers in arms
Through this doorway what’s on the other side
Never knowing exactly what I’ll find
Locked and loaded
Voices screaming "Let’s go!"
Come on do it! Here we go!
I'll take a life, that others may live
Oh that’s just the way it goes
I'll shut my eyes, it hammers in my head
Where it’ll end nobody knows
I'll take a life, ten others may live
Oh that’s just the way it goes
It’s playing over and over in my head
Where it’ll end nobody knows
Stay the course, reasonable force
I believe I serve a greater good
Smoke and dust, enemies are crushed
Nothing left where a man once stood
Through this doorway what’s on the other side
Never knowing exactly what I’ll find
Locked and loaded
Voices screaming "Let’s go!"
But I’m just doing what I’m told
I'll take a life, that others may live
Oh that’s just the way it goes
I'll shut my eyes, it hammers in my head
Where it’ll end nobody knows
I'll take this life, ten others may live
Oh that’s just the way it goes
It’s playing over and over in my head
Where it begins, and where it’ll end nobody knows
Yeah, go!
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Bang bang - it hammers in my head [x3]
In my head [2x]
You know I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I'll fear no evil for Thou art with me
Locked and loaded
Gonna find my truth
Now I’m busting through
All hell breaks loose
And you can all hide behind your desks now
And you can cry, "teacher come help me!"
Through you all my aim is true
My, my aim is true!
My aim is true
05 A Lot Like Me (04:28)
How does it feel?
When you have it all?
How can you live?
With nothing at all?
Where do you run?
Where do you go?
When the holes in your truth
Are starting to show?
And the rain comes
And the world is on my head
Crave the sun
But I can't get out of bed
How can you take?
Without giving back?
How does it work?
When it's really cracked?
How does it feel
...
And no wonder
Hearts and minds have been won
How does it feel...
And I wonder
How it's all come undone And the rain comes
And the world is on my head
Crave the sun
But I can't get out of bed
Want it You got it You're sorry You bought it You're sliding
Want it You got it You're sorry You bought it Can't hide it
Tell me who do you see
Cause you look a lot like me
How can you take?
Without giving back?
Who do you see?
Cause you look a lot like me
06 Takes Me Nowhere (02:59)
When the day begins
All the guilt sinks in
And I look on the wreckage of the night
Though I try to break free
The cycle breaks me
Am I ever gonna see the light?
All the friends I’ve lost
And the pain I’ve caused
Have never been enough just to make me stop
The lines I draw to look at myself
Are turning into somebody else
I know how this will end
But I’m starting up again
Turned around, inside out
Cause this way
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
It beats me up
When I go there – I know I could start again
When I go there – Oh no, here we go again
Takes me nowhere – Oh no, here we go again
It beats me up
Open on this scene
A familiar dream
Of you telling me what I already know
Though the truth seems near
You can’t get there from here
But you sure know where you’re gonna go
As the rumor wind blows
My infamy grows
Seeing friends above
And I hit another low
The picture I paint to look at myself
Is turning into somebody else
I know how this will end
But I’m starting up again
Turned around, inside out
Cause this way
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
It beats me up
When I go there – I know I could start again
When I go there – Oh no, here we go again
Takes me nowhere – Oh no, here we go again
It beats me up
But today, if I change
And stop digging my own grave
I will try, to set things right
Cause this way
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
Takes me nowhere – I can’t can’t see a way out
It beats me up
When I go there – I know I could start again
When I go there – Oh no, here we go again
Takes me nowhere – Oh no, here we go again
It beats me up
oooh
08 Nothingtown (03:29)
Letâ??s make this complicated
Thinking is overrated
Weâ??re busting out
Of this shitty little town
Green grass and colored lenses
Tear down these picket fences
Burn in our beds
While the city lies sleeping
Why oh why?
Are we starting up and going down?
My oh my
Just the two of us in Nothingtown
Our superhero play
Weâ??ll leave this town today
Hold on tighter
With my lighter
Shining through
These city streets are burning
Rose red your wheels are turning
Make me believe
Someday we could really leave
Blindfold a new direction
Stop asking better questions
Donâ??t figure out
That weâ??re never getting out
Why oh why?
Are we starting up and going down?
My oh my
Just the two of us in Nothingtown
Our superhero play
Weâ??ll leave this town today
And Iâ??ll row it if you steer it
Iâ??ll yell until you hear it
Hold on tighter
With my lighter
Shining through
Why oh why?
Are we starting up and going down?
My oh my
Just the two of us in Nothingtown
Our superhero play
Our dreams get in the way
And Iâ??ll row it if you steer it
Iâ??ll yell until you hear it
Hold on tighter
With my lighter
Shining through
Still stuck in Nothingtown
Still stuck in Nothingtown
Come on letâ??s go
10 Fix You (04:18)
She wakes up
Rage and grace
Pulling me closer, pushing away at me
The sharpest thorn on your vine
Twistin' and turnin', we're all intertwined
Broken wing
Empty glass
Words that scream and bounce right back
She says, "You know, we'd all like to rearrange"
I wish I could fix you
And make you how I want you
I wish I could fix you
And I wish you could fix me
I wish I could heal you
And mend where you are broken
I wish I could heal you
And I wish you could heal me
A beaming sunrise buries the night
The setting sun destroys the light
And she says, "Baby, I've gotta get going"
Cutting each other without even knowing
She sees a million stars like holes in the sky
All god's tears for her, they cry
And I am in her reign
I wish I could fix you
And make you how I want you
I wish I could fix you
And I wish you could fix me
I wish I could heal you
And mend where you are broken
I wish I could heal you
And I wish you could heal me
Broken wing
Empty glass
Words that scream and bounce right back
She says, "You know, we'd all like to rearrange"
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di Zimo_26
"Half-Truism è il perfetto inizio, già al secondo ascolto ti metti ad urlarla a squarciagola."
"Ascesa e caduta, ira e grazia si diceva, mai titolo fu più azzeccato."
