Per chi ama veramente i Velvet Underground questo disco non può mancare nella collezione del mitico gruppo newyorchese.
Uscito nel 1993, raccoglie i pezzi più famosi del gruppo in un fantastico live che si tiene a Parigi. Dopo 25 anni i Velvet Underground si riincontrano per poi disperdersi nuovamente. Non c'è la dolcezza di Nico (prematuramente scomparsa), non c'è la rabbia e il rumore dei primi dischi, ma il risultato è comunque superlativo, perchè durante tutti questi anni Lou Reed e John Cale hanno affinato la loro arte, e possono così reinterpretare i classici dei Velvet elevandoli ad un sublime livello artistico (ci tengo a dire che già di arte si trattava nei mitici dischi degli anni 60', e che arte!). La novità di questo disco è data dal fatto che è possibile finalmente ascoltare pezzi sui quali John Cale non ha mai messo mano (sostanzialmente Cale ha effettuato solo i primi due dischi del gruppo, i dischi migliori, e la differenza tra Cale e Doug Yule si sente!). Parallelamente a questo, la voce potente di Lou Reed interpreta i classici dei V.U. con una teatralità ed un'intensità emotiva che non si riscontra facilmente nei dischi degli anni 60.
Si tratta di un diverso tipo di arte: se prima i Velvet esprimevano la decadenza, la rabbia, la paranoia, in questa reunion del gruppo la stupenda voce di Reed ridà vigore ai testi delle canzoni; nella sua voce si scorge la lontananza del dolore di chi ha rischiato la morte, lontana ormai, una voce che emerge con tutto il suo vigore nell'affermare la vita alla luce dell'oscuro ricordo. I brani scorrono velocissimi, anche quelli che durano più a lungo, non ti accorgi nemmeno del tempo trasportato dal ritmo ossessivo di Maureen Tucker e dagli arpeggi rock di Lou. Dopo una Venus in Furs dove Reed canta con lo scazzo, John Cale (di cui ho sempre disprezzato, forse a torto, la vocalità), propone qui una versione capolavoro di All Tomorrow's parties, che supera persino la versione originale con Nico!! Un pò meno bene gli va con Femme fatale (la canzone è stata scritta apposta per la bionda modella, era su misura per lei), ma possiamo rifarci con The gift, che possiamo finalmente ascoltare senza i difetti della registrazione di White light white heat: suono meno sporco, un testo che appare modernissimo oggi, figuriamoci allora!!! Lou Reed diverte e si diverte con le scatenatissime Beginning to see the light e I heard her call my name, c'è il tempo per i classici (Sweet Jane, White light, White Heat, Rock n'roll), e giungiamo in breve all'apoteosi. L'inedita interpretazione di Cale da nuovo vigore (anche se non ne aveva certo bisogno) a I'm waiting for my man, che, assieme a Heroin, riacquista il furore psichedelico del disco "banana".
Tra tutti i live dei Velvet Underground è solo qua che questi due capolavori della storia della musica e del gruppo riacquistano la loro vicinanza alla perfezione originale. Mi rimbomba ancora nella testa la voce profonda di Reed che urla disperato: "Thank your god that I'm not aware", sotto il turbinoso vortice del violino di Cale, che risuonano le note della splendida ballata Pale blue eyes, compendio dell'intero disco. La voce di Reed assume toni veramente impressionanti, si fa quasi epica, le parole ricche di dolore colpiscono allo stomaco. D'altro canto possiamo finalmente ascoltare questo classico dei V.U. con l'apporto decisivo di Cale, e del suo violino che tratteggia atmosfere decadenti.
Infine chiude il disco l'inedita Coyote, canzone dal rock classico tipicamente reediano, preludio della fine: d'ora in avanti ognun per sè, i Velvet Underground non suoneranno più.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Venus in Furs (05:30)
Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather
Whiplash girlchild in the dark
Comes in bells, your servant, don't forsake him
Strike dear mistress, and cure his heart
Downy sins of streetlight fancies
Chase the costumes she shall wear
Ermine furs adorn the imperious
Severin, severin awaits you there
I am tired, I am weary
I could sleep for a thousand years
A thousand dreams that would awake me
Different colors made of tears
Kiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
Shiny leather in the dark
Tongue of thongs, the belt that does await you
Strike dear mistress, and cure his heart
Severin, severin, speak so slightly
Severin, down on your bended knee
Taste the whip, in love not given lightly
Taste the whip, now bleed for me
I am tired, I am weary
I could sleep for a thousand years
A thousand dreams that would awake me
Different colors made of tears
Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather
Whiplash girlchild in the dark
Severin, your servant comes in bells, please don't forsake him
Strike dear mistress, and cure his heart
02 Sweet Jane (05:23)
Standin' on a corner
Suitcase in my hand
Jack's in his corset, Jane is in her vest
and me I'm in a rock 'n' roll band. Huh.
Riding a Stutz Bearcat, Jim
ya know, those were different times
all the poets studied rules of verse
and those ladies they rolled their eyes
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Now Jack, he is a banker
and Jane, she's a clerk
and both of them save their monies
when they get home from work
sittin downby the fire
Ooo, the radio does play
the classical music there, Jim
The March of the Wooden Soldiers
All you protest kids
you can hear Jack say
03 Afterhours (02:44)
Reed)
one, two, three
If you close the door
the night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out
and say hello to never
All the people are dancing
and they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
If you close the door
the night could last forever
Leave the wine-glass out
and drink a toast to never
Oh, someday I know
someone will look into my eyes
And say hello
you're my very special one
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
Dark party bars, shiny Cadillac cars
and the people on subways and trains
Looking gray in the rain, as they stand disarrayed
oh, but people look well in the dark
And if you close the door
the night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out
and say hello to never
All the people are dancing
and they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
Cause if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
I'd never have to see the day again, once more
I'd never have to see the day again
04 All Tomorrow's Parties (06:36)
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow's parties
A hand-me-down dress from who knows where
To all tomorrow's parties
And where will she go, and what shall she do
When midnight comes around
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow's parties
Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns
To all tomorrow's parties
And what will she do with Thursday's rags
When Monday comes around
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow's parties
For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown
For whom none will go mourning
A blackened shroud
A hand-me-down gown
Of rags and silks - a costume
Fit for one who sits and cries
For all tomorrow's parties
05 Some Kinda Love (09:07)
Some kinds of love
Marguerita told Tom
Between thought and expression lies a lifetime
Situations arise because of the weather
and no kinds of love
are better than others
Some kinds of love
Marguerita told Tom
like a dirty French novel
combines the absurd with the vulgar
and some kinds of love
the possibilites are endless
and for me to miss one
would seem to be groundless
I heard what you said
Marguerita heard Tom
And of course you're a bore
but at that you�re not charmless
�cause a bore is a straight line
that finds a wealth in division
and some kinds of love
are mistaken for vision
la-de-ta-ta-ta
Put jelly on your shoulder
Let us do what you fear most
That from which you recoil
but which still makes your eyes moist
Put jelly on your shoulder, baby
lie down upon the carpet
between thought and expression
let us now kiss the culprit
(Moving on..)
I don't know just what it's all about (tell ya somethin�)
Put on your red pajamas and find out
08 I'm Waiting for the Man (05:16)
I'm waiting for my man
Twenty-six dollars in my hand
Up to Lexington, 125
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive
I'm waiting for my man
Hey, white boy, what you doin' uptown?
Hey, white boy, you chasin' our women around?
Oh pardon me sir, it's the furthest from my mind
I'm just lookin' for a dear, dear friend of mine
I'm waiting for my man
Here he comes, he's all dressed in black
PR shoes and a big straw hat
He's never early, he's always late
First thing you learn is you always gotta wait
I'm waiting for my man
Up to a Brownstone, up three flights of stairs
Everybody's pinned you, but nobody cares
He's got the works, gives you sweet taste
Ah then you gotta split because you got no time to waste
I'm waiting for my man
Baby don't you holler, darlin' don't you bawl and shout
I'm feeling good, you know I'm gonna work it on out
I'm feeling good, I'm feeling oh so fine
Until tomorrow, but that's just some other time
I'm waiting for my man
09 Heroin (09:49)
I don't know just where I'm going
But I'm gonna try for the kingdom, if I can
'Cause it makes me feel like I'm a man
When I put a spike into my vein
And I'll tell ya, things aren't quite the same
When I'm rushing on my run
And I feel just like Jesus' son
And I guess that I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know
I have made the big decision
I'm gonna try to nullify my life
'Cause when the blood begins to flow
When it shoots up the dropper's neck
When I'm closing in on death
And you can't help me not, you guys
And all you sweet girls with all your sweet silly talk
You can all go take a walk
And I guess that I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know
I wish that I was born a thousand years ago
I wish that I'd sail the darkened seas
On a great big clipper ship
Going from this land here to that
In a sailor's suit and cap
Away from the big city
Where a man can not be free
Of all of the evils of this town
And of himself, and those around
Oh, and I guess that I just don't know
Oh, and I guess that I just don't know
Heroin, be the death of me
Heroin, it's my wife and it's my life
Because a mainer to my vein
Leads to a center in my head
And then I'm better off than dead
Because when the smack begins to flow
I really don't care anymore
About all the Jim-Jim's in this town
And all the politicians makin' busy sounds
And everybody puttin' everybody else down
And all the dead bodies piled up in mounds
'Cause when the smack begins to flow
Then I really don't care anymore
Ah, when the heroin is in my blood
And that blood is in my head
Then thank God that I'm as good as dead
Then thank your God that I'm not aware
And thank God that I just don't care
And I guess I just don't know
And I guess I just don't know
10 Pale Blue Eyes (06:17)
Sometimes I feel so happy
Sometimes I feel so sad
Sometimes I feel so happy
But mostly you just make me mad
Baby you just make me mad
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
Thought of you as my mountain top
Thought of you as my peak
Thought of you as everything
I've had but couldn't keep
I've had but couldn't keep
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
If I could make the world as pure and strange as what I see
I'd put you in the mirror I put in front of me
I put in front of me
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
Skip a life completely, stuff it in a cup
She said money is like us in time
It lies but can't stand up
Down for you is up
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
It was good what we did yesterday
And I'd do it once again
The fact that you are married
Only proves you're my best friend
But it's truly, truly a sin
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
Linger on, your pale blue eyes
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Altre recensioni
Di GATTINATOR
La musica e Dio! Un binomio indiscutibile e impossibile da criticare.
Lou Reed rende onore alle sue chicche e quando apre con Heroin e Pale Blue Eyes c’è il finimondo.
