C'è chi preferisce gli album live, chi quelli registrati in studio. Per i primi le esibizioni dal vivo mostrano una componente in più, l'energia che si sprigiona dalle stesse a scapito (spesso) della precisione d'esecuzione; secondo i cultori degli album da studio, invece, la creatività che si sviluppa tra le mura degli studi non può essere paragonabile a qualsiasi live anche se doveroso è sottolineare come le esibizioni sono un'ovvia conseguenza di canzoni progettate in precedenza.
Per quanto mi riguarda, sono del parere che il valore di un gruppo si dimostri realmente attraverso le esibizioni dal vivo: l'arte del suonare è "nata" storicamente nella performance dell'artista davanti al suo pubblico, lontano da studi che ne potrebbero modificare - e di conseguenza falsificare - la vera abilità. Volete un esempio? Servito: loro Maestà Beatles hanno dato il meglio di sé negli studi della Apple, dopo aver abbandonato performance live che definire scadenti è un eufemismo. Come sciogliere allora questo nodo? In realtà, come tutta la musica ci insegna, ognuno ha la sua idea, e tutto è (più o meno) soggettivo.
La premessa era doverosa, per valutare il primo doppio dal vivo della discografia Stones. Ed una domanda sorge allora spontanea: in questo caso il gruppo inglese ci ha guadagnato? Bè, a giudicare dalle vendite dell'epoca sembrerebbe di sì: numero tre in classifica inglese nell'anno 1977. Ma da tempo i Nostri sono in fase calante, la favolosa serie 1966 - 72 si era conclusa da un pezzo, i soliti problemi di Richards non aiutano, Wood dopo l'ottimo esordio '76 conta poco più di zero, e questo inevitabilmente si riflette sulle prestazioni. Così, per rilanciare una carriera avviata verso un lento ma inesorabile declino, la premiata ditta J&R ha l'idea di registrare il meglio di concerti tenuti tra club e teatri, in tre differenti città (Los Angeles, Londra e Toronto). Sono presenti i soliti ospiti, Ian Stewart e Billy Preston, oltre ad Ollie Brown, ma certo non bastano a risollevare un generale clima di trascuratezza, quasi di spocchiosa ostentazione della propria superiorità. Nonostante l'indubbio valore delle canzoni e degli esecutori, il gruppo è svogliato, capitanato da un Jagger che si impegna, tra un farfugliamento e l'altro, e comunque poco assistito dagli altri, Richards su tutti. Ne escono fuori, a pezzi, classici blues di maestri del genere ("Little Red Rooster", di Chester A. Burnett, ed "Around and Around" di Chuck Berry), e i vecchi successi ("Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Honky Tonk Women", "Brown Sugar", "Tumbling Dice"). Uniche impennate, "It's Only Rock 'n Roll", nella quale finalmente si sente un piano degno di questo nome, e l'infuocata esibizione di "Star Star"; menzione speciale infine per "Mannish Boy" nella sua stupenda rilettura, tratta da Bo Diddley.
Non consiglierei questo lp a chi vuole avvicinarsi per la prima volta al gruppo inglese, anche se paradossalmente la mia esperienza personale mi ha portato ad agire così, fino ad avere la discografia pressoché completa. Gli Stones hanno fatto e sanno fare ben altro.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Honky Tonk Women (03:19)
I met a gin-soaked bar-room queen in Memphis
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride
She had to heave me right across her shoulder
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
I laid a divorcée in New York City
I had to put up some kind of a fight
The lady then she covered me in roses
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
04 Happy (02:55)
Well I never kept a dollar past sunset
It always burned a hole in my pants
Never made a school mama happy
Never blew a second chance, oh no
I need love to keep me happy
I need love to keep me happy
Baby, baby keep me happy
Baby, baby keep me happy
Always took candy from strangers
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
I need love to keep me happy
I need love, baby won't ya keep me happy
Baby, won't ya keep me happy
Baby, please keep me
I need love to keep me happy
I need love to keep me happy
Baby, baby keep me happy
Baby
Never got a flash out of cocktails
When I got some flesh off the bone
Never got a lift out of Lear jets
When I can fly way back home
I need love to keep me happy
I need love to keep me happy
Baby, baby keep me happy
Baby, baby keep me happy
Baby
Happy
Baby won't ya keep me, happy
Baby won't ya keep me, happy
Baby won't ya keep me, happy
Baby won't ya keep me, happy
Baby won't ya keep me, happy
Oh keep on dancin' keep me, happy
Now baby won't you squeeze me, happy
C'mon baby got a feelin', happy
Now now now now now keep me, happy
Try mama keep me, happy
Keep on dancin' keep me, happy
Keep on dancin' keep me, happy
06 Star Star (04:09)
Baby, baby, I've been so sad since you've been gone
way back to New York City
where you do belong
Honey, I missed your two tongue kisses,
legs wrapped around me tight
If I ever get back to Fun City, girl,
I'm gonna make you scream all night.
Honey, honey, call me on the telephone,
I know you're movin' out to Hollywood
with your can of tasty foam
All those beat up friends of mine
got to get you in their books
And lead guitars and movie stars
get their toes beneath your hook.Yeah! You're a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star
yeah, a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star,
a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker star.Yeah, I heard about you Polaroid's,
now that's what I call obscene,
your tricks with fruit was kind a cute,
I bet you keep your pussy clean.
Honey, I miss your two tone kisses,
legs wrapped around me tight.
If I ever get back to New York, girl,
gonna make you scream all night.Yeah! You're a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star
yeah, a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star,
a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker star.Yeah, Ali McGraw got mad with you
for givin' head to Steve McQueen,
yeah, and me we made a pretty pair,
fallin' through the Silver Screen.
Honey, I'm open to anything
I don't know where to draw the line.
Yeah, I'm makin' bets that you don't get John Wayne
(you man) before he dies.
Yeah! You're a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star
yeah, a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star,
a star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker star.
07 Tumbling Dice (04:00)
Women think I'm tasty, but they're always tryin' to waste me
And make me burn the candle right down
But baby, baby, don't need no jewels in my crown
'Cause all you women is low down gamblers
Cheatin' like I don't know how
But baby, I go crazy, there's fever in the funk house now
This low down bitchin' got my poor feet a-itchin'
You know you know the deuce is still wild
Baby, can't stay
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin' dice
Always in a hurry, I never stop to worry
Don't you see the time flashin' by
Honey, got no money, I'm all sixes and sevens and nines
Say now, baby, I'm the rank outsider
You can be my partner in crime
Baby, can't stay
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin'
Roll me and call me the tumblin' dice
Oh my my my, I'm the lone crap shooter
Playin' the field every night
Baby, can't stay
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin'
Roll me and call me the tumblin' dice
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Keep on rolling
Got to roll me
Keep on rolling
Got to roll me
Keep on rolling
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
08 Fingerprint File (05:16)
(M. Jagger/K. Richards)
Fingerprint file, you get me down
You keep me running
Know my way around. Yes, you do, child
Fingerprint file, you bring me down
Keep me running
You keep me on the ground
Know my moves
Way ahead of time
Listening to me
On your satellite
Feeling followed
Feeling tagged
Crossing water
Trying to wipe my tracks
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
You better watch out
On your telephone
Wrong number
They know you ain't home
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
Who's the man on the corner; that corner over there
I don't know. Well, you better lay low. Watch out
Keep on the look out
Electric eyes
Rats on the sell out
Who gonna testify
You know my habits
Way a head of time
Listening to me
On your satellite
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
It gets me down
Hello, baby, mm-hmm
Ah, yeah, you know we ain't, we ain't talkin' alone
Who's listening? Well I don't really know
But you better tell the SIS to keep out of sight
'Cause I know they takin' pictures on the ultraviolet light
Yes, uh huh, yeah, but these days it's all secrecy; no privacy
Shoot first, that' s right... you know
Bye bye.
Right now somebody is listening to...... you
Keeping their eyes peeled...... on you
Mmm, mmm, what a price, what a price to pay
All right. Good night, sleep tight
09 You Gotta Move (04:19)
(F. McDowell)
You gotta move
You gotta move
You gotta move, child
You gotta move
Oh, when the Lord gets ready
You gotta move
You may be high
You may be low
You may be rich, child
You may be poor
But when the Lord gets ready
You gotta move
You see that woman
Who walks the street
You see that police
Upon his beat
But then the Lord gets ready
You gotta move
You gotta move
10 You Can't Always Get What You Want (07:42)
I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man
No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime, you'll find
You get what you need
I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime, well you might find
You get what you need
I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singin' we're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse
Sing it to me
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well you just might find
You get what you need
I went down to the Chelsea drug store
To get your prescription filled
I was standin' in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favourite flavour, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was "dead"
I said to him
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, you just might find
You get what you need
You get what you need
I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you just might find
You get what you need
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you just might find
You get what you need
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