Perché avere questo disco? Due sono le possibili risposte: o non si conoscono i Rolling Stones, ed allora questo può essere un buon punto di partenza per un viaggio - ritengo fruttuoso - in tale genere; oppure, come nel caso del sottoscritto, avendo una pressoché completa e didascalica cultura sulle "pietre" (fermo restando che c'è sempre da imparare), si ascolta questa raccolta - la seconda in ordine cronologico, datata 1969 - con la consapevolezza di avere tra le mani un piccolo pezzo di storia.
Ai più attenti non sarà sfuggito di che cosa parlo. Si tratta infatti dell'album che segna la chiusura di un'epoca: con questo i Rolling Stones scelsero di onorare degnamente la memoria di Brian Jones, grandissimo artista deceduto quell'anno in circostanze misteriose nella piscina della sua villa. Quanto sia coerente poi questa scelta, dopo che i Glimmer Twins avevano contribuito non poco alla sua (auto)emarginazione, è un'altra questione; all'album seguì poi un concerto - originariamente volto a presentare il nuovo membro Mick Taylor, dato che Jones aveva lasciato il gruppo qualche tempo prima - trasformatosi ben presto in una celebrazione live del piccolo grande uomo biondo.
Questa raccolta vale dunque solo in relazione al fatto storico? Affatto. Nel 1969 gli Stones, oltre ad essere la migliore e più acclamata rock'n roll band del pianeta (capaci - da soli - di realizzare un anti - Woodstock, il festival di Altamont), hanno un naturale istinto per il lato economico del loro mestiere. Così, quale occasione migliore per rimpinguare la discografia con una raccolta, che peraltro presenta una differente lista tracce rispettivamente in America ed in Europa? E, soprattutto, quale occasione migliore per inserire in 33 giri due singoli storici che non avevano fino ad allora - e nemmeno in seguito - trovato posto sugli album ufficiali? Sto parlando di Jumpin' Jack Flash e Honky Tonk Women, nelle inarrivabili versioni originali, ovviamente; due pezzi che da soli - lo so, si dice sempre così - varrebbero l'intera discografia di un qualsiasi gruppo odierno. Jumpin' Jack Flash apparirà, per la verità, un anno dopo, in "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!", il primo vero live degli Stones: ma qui è tutta un'altra storia. Nella versione studio il brano raggiunge vette di spregiudicata selvatichezza, con un Jagger in gran forma (suo l'assolo di armonica, assente nei live) e Richards che pesta sicuro nella sequenza indemoniata dei tre accordi, così semplice, così dannatamente travolgente. Grande.
Non si pensi comunque che la raccolta valga solo per Jumpin' Jack Flash. Qualche esempio? Paint It, Black, tanto per cominciare. E poi Let's Spend the Night Together e Street Fighting Man. Oppure le perle psichedeliche del periodo 1967, che saranno state tanto care al compianto Brian, She's a Rainbow, Dandelion (pure questa mai inclusa in alcun album), 2000 Light Years From Home. Senza dimenticare la ruvida acidità di Mother's Little Helper e Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadow?, e la dolce mollezza venata di Lsd di Ruby Tuesday.
Non propriamente un'opera per completisti, come potrebbe essere la successiva raccolta "Metamorphosis", datata 1975, l'album eccelle soprattutto per la varietà dei pezzi proposti: dal rock di Honky Tonk Women alla psichedelia svagata di Dandelion. Storia e lunigimiranza economica si intrecciano e convivono, ed il risultato è più che apprezzabile, nella migliore tradizione Stones.
Elenco tracce e testi
02 Ruby Tuesday (03:20)
She would never say where she came from
Yesterday don't matter if it's gone
While the sun is bright
Or in the darkest night
No one knows
She comes and goes
Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you
Don't question why she needs to be so free
She'll tell you it's the only way to be
She just can't be chained
To a life where nothing's gained
And nothing's lost
At such a cost
Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you
There's no time to lose, I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams
And you will lose your mind
Ain't life unkind?
Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you
Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you
03 She's a Rainbow (04:40)
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Everywhere
She comes in colours
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
Have you seen her dressed in blue?
See the sky in front of you
And her face is like a sail
Speck of white, so fair and pale
Have you seen a lady fairer?
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
Have you seen her all in gold?
Like a queen in days of old
She shoots colours all around
Like a sunset going down
Have you seen a lady fairer?
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
04 Jumpin' Jack Flash (03:45)
Watch it!
I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the drivin' rain
But it's all right now, in fact it's a gas
But it's all right, I'm jumpin' jack flash
It's a gas, gas, gas
I was raised by a toothless, bearded hag
I was schooled with a strap right across my back
But it's all right now, in fact it's a gas
But it's all right, I'm jumpin' jack flash
It's a gas, gas, gas
Ooh
I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead
I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled, yeah yeah
I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread, yeah yeah yeah
I was crowned with a spike right through my head
But it's all right now, in fact it's a gas
But it's all right, I'm jumpin' jack flash
It's a gas, gas, gas
Jumping jack flash, it's a gas
Jumping jack flash, it's a gas
Jumping jack flash, it's a gas
Jumping jack flash, it's a gas
Jumping jack flash, it's a gas
Jumping jack flash, it's a gas
05 Mother's Little Helper (02:49)
What a drag it is getting old
"Kids are different today"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though she's not really ill
There's a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day
"Things are different today"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag
So she buys an instant cake and she burns her frozen steak
And goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And two help her on her way, get her through her busy day
Doctor please, some more of these
Outside the door, she took four more
What a drag it is getting old
"Men just aren't the same today"
I hear ev'ry mother say
They just don't appreciate that you get tired
They're so hard to satisfy, you can tranquilize your mind
So go running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And four help you through the night, help to minimize your plight
Doctor please, some more of these
Outside the door, she took four more
What a drag it is getting old
"Life's just much too hard today"
I hear ev'ry mother say
The pursuit of happiness just seems a bore
And if you take more of those, you will get an overdose
No more running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
They just helped you on your way, through your busy dying day
06 Let's Spend the Night Together (03:41)
Don't you worry 'bout what's on your mind, oh my
I'm in no hurry, I can take my time, oh my
I'm going red and my tounge's getting tied (Tounge's getting tied)
I'm off my head and my mouth's getting dry
I'm high, but I try, try, try, oh my
Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together now
I feel so strong that I can't disguise, oh my
But I just can't apologize, oh no
Don't hang me up and don't let me down (Don't let me down)
We could have fun just groovin' around
Around, around, around, oh my
Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together
Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever
You know I'm smiling, baby
You need some guiding, baby
I'm just deciding, baby, now
I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together
Let's spend the night together now
Oh my my my my my my my
This doesn't happen to me ev'ry day, oh my (Let's spend the night together)
No excuses offered anyway, oh my (Let's spend the night together)
I'll satisfy your every need (Your every need)
And now I know you will satisfy me
Oh my my my my my my
(Let's spend the night together)
(Now I need you more than ever)
(Let's spend the night together)
Together now, oh my my my my my my my
(Let's spend the night together)
Now I need you, need you more than ever, oh my
(Let's spend the night together)
I'll satisfy your every need, whoa my my
(Let's spend the night together)
Now I know, I know you'll satisfy me, whoa my my
(Let's spend the night together)
I beg you baby, whoa my my my my my my
07 Honky Tonk Women (03:05)
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
08 Dandelion (03:34)
(Jagger/Richards)
Prince or pauper, beggar man or thing
Play the game with ev'ry flow'r you bring
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock chimes
Dandelions don't care about the time
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion, blow away dandelion
Tho' you're older now its just the same
You can play this dandelion game
When you're finished with your childlike prayers
Well, you know you should wear it
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailors lives
Rich man, poor man, beautiful, daughters wives
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion, blow away dandelion
Little girls, and boys come out to play
Bring your dandelions to blow away
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion, blow away dandelion
11 Street Fighting Man (03:18)
Ev'rywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet, boy
'Cause summer's here and the time is right for fighting in the street, boy
But a-what can a poor boy do
'Cept to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause in sleepy London town
There's just no place for a street fighting man, no
Hey, think the time is right for a palace revolution
'Cause where I live the game to play is compromise solution
Well then what can a poor boy do
'Cept to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause in sleepy London town
There's no place for a street fighting man, no
Get down!
Hey, said my name is called disturbance
I'll shout and scream, I'll kill the king, I'll rail at all his servants
And then what can a poor boy do
'Cept to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause in sleepy London town
There's no place for a street fighting man, no
Get down!
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