L'esordio dei britannici The Servant fu un caso più unico che raro: zero successo in U.K., buoni riscontri nel resto d'Europa. Proponevano un pop di pregevole fattura venato di influenze elettroniche, quest'ultime paganti dazio all'esperienza del frontman Dan Black con i nostrani Planet Funk. Il cambio di rotta è evidente nel nuovo "How To Destroy A Relationship": via la spolverata di elettronica, la musica di Black e soci si riduce all'osso (i buoni, vecchi amici chitarra et basso et batteria) grazie anche all'apporto di un buon produttore come Jim Lowe (Stereophonics). La mossa si rivela, però, sbagliata: pessimo successo dei primi due estratti, la title-track e "(I Should Be Your) Girlfriend", così che il tentativo di portare il suono a maggior ruffianeria verso il mercato albionico non funziona né in madrepatria, né nella nostra Italia (il dischetto non va oltre la posizione n. 97!). Anche se non tutto il lavoro è da cestinare: buone cose le troviamo soprattutto in "Brains", bell'accenno all'hard rock (ma solo accenno, eh!), l'interessante "Save Me Now" (fantasiosa ritmica di batteria sulla quale Black costruisce un cantato iper-orecchiabile) e la bella apertura melodica nel ritornello di "Moonbeams". Sul piano musicale, il songwriting si avvicina di più a modelli peraltro dichiarati dallo stesso cantante come gli Smiths, o comunque a sonorità prettamente inglesi che però non calzano perfettamente con i testi allucinati del buon Dan (che ha anche quasi totalmente abbandonato le sue mossette da clinica psichiatrica sul palco -rif. video di "Orchestra" dal primo Lp-). E' comunque una band che, dai prossimi lavori, farà bene a tentare di tornare a proporre sonorità meno preconfezionate e più istintive di quelle di questo disco che, comunque, rimane un passatempo moderatamente gradevole. Ma niente di più.
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01 How to Destroy a Relationship (03:33)
What I thought would never come has come
I wished that I could say I dit it cause I was young
No even now, it's just bad, I'm done
The sweet ropes have come undone
I don't want
Something's gone
Something's wrong with me
[Chorus]
Baby I've never been very good at anything
We could keep talking
I am simply walking out that door
Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde,
dance around in my insides
Don't you see I can't look in your eyes
I'm just scared you see the lies
I don't want
Something's gone
Something's wrong with me
[Chorus]
Did I hurt someone?
Something's gone,
Something's wrong with me
02 Sleep Deprivation (03:42)
I must go now
Nice and slow
In mid conversation
I’ve lost the flow
I ricochet round my room
I can see spiders
Like holograms
I’d turn on the TV but the buttons are jammed
I ricochet round my room
And I can’t wake up in the morning
I can’t even open my eyes
And when I curl up in the evening sleep never arrives
Horrible moments
Waves of fear
What’s that endless buzzing in my ear?
I ricochet round my room
And I can’t wake up in the morning
I can’t even open my eyes
And when I curl up in the evening sleep never arrives
Coz I just can’t stop that thinking that’s running around my mind
Whatever I try whatever I try whatever I try whatever I try
whatever I try whatever I try
And I can’t wake up in the morning
I can’t even open my eyes
And when I curl up in the evening sleep never arrives
You got give me some rest
Give me some sleep
Give me some rest
Give me some sleep tonight
Tonight
Coz I just can’t stop that thinking that’s running around my mind
I just can’t stop that thinking that’s running around my mind
Uh huh
03 Hey Lou Reed (04:09)
With two tape decks and a microphone
I bang on my guitar
Just two tape decks and microphone
And I am a superstar
Though I may never leave this place
And all the stuff I have to face:
Hey Lou Reed
Do you hear me?
I don't want to be no one
I dream my dreams
Suck in my screams
I don't want to be no one
No no no
My walkman plays and this rain whipped train
It slowly fades away
My walkman plays and this rain whipped train
Swoops down on JFK
Though I may never leave this place
And all the stuff I have to face:
Hey Lou Reed
Do you hear me?
I don't want to be no one
Lyrics
Freaked out scenes
Amphetamines
I don't want to be no one
No no no
Does it get cold and alone
When you're all on your own in NYC?
Lisa say, Caroline says, Candy says she want to be with me
Hey Lou Reed do you hear me?
05 Moonbeams (03:41)
Riding on a lonely bus
Like I was riding Pegasus
Slumped down on the seat at the back
A slow motion heart attack
I’m bored of being blue
Well close your eyes and soon
Those moonbeams running in the sky
Were just the same the night you came and fell into my life
Those moonbeams were running out your eyes
And your fingertips
Your cherry lips
But now I look and I see no one
I peer in at the shop displays
Dimly reflected in the window panes
Maybe these mannequins understand
What I let slip my hands
I’m bored of being blue
Well close your eyes and soon
Those moonbeams running in the sky
Were just the same the night you came and fell into my life
Those moonbeams were running out your eyes
And your fingertips
Your cherry lips
But now I look and I see no one
I’m bored of being blue
Well close your eyes and soon
Those moonbeams running in the sky
Were just the same the night you came and fell into my life
Those moonbeams were running out your eyes
And your fingertips
Your cherry lips
But now I look and I see no one
There is nobody here nobody there but me oh me
There is nobody here nobody there but me oh me
There is nobody here nobody there but me oh me
There is nobody here nobody there but me oh me
I want nobody here nobody here BUT YOU
Nobody nobody nobody no
10 On Your Knees Kid (04:22)
Look at my life just going nowhere
I am on my knees
The fat sun runs down over my shoulder
As I walk the streets
O I go creeping up that hill
Looking for something to feel
The city sucks on all the people like they’re sleeping pills
And as she starts to shut her eyes
Like Peter Pan I rise
Look at your life just going nowhere
You are on your knees
And as you start to shut her eyes
Like Peter Pan I rise
Coz up in a cloud it seems the city is just a dream
O yeahhhh
On your knees
On your knees
Get down on your knees
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