Il 3 Luglio del 1995 la Hut commercializza l'uscita di A NORTHERN SOUL. Autori: THE VERVE. L'album, il secondo dell'ex band dell'anima settentrionale di Richard Ashcroft, è un disco importante poiché è il vero e proprio preludio al capolavoro che si sarebbe concretizzato due anni più tardi, tale URBAN HYMNS.
Il successore di A STORM IN HEAVEN ha molti significati per la storia, per la musica e per il gruppo inglese.
Già. Infatti, qualche mese dopo l'uscita, diversi problemi hanno portato i Verve ad un primo scioglimento. Problemi legati perlopiù alla troppa droga, al troppo stress e soprattutto ai primi dissapori tra il leader Ashcroft – che ha sempre creduto nella musica ardendo la propria anima di passione, mirando e confidando in un futuro appagante – ed il suo rivale in perenne e costante depressione, quel Nick McCabe che "comandava" il cuore della musica e del sound tipico Verviano, riuscendo sempre ad adattare la sua chitarra ai vari cambiamenti di tendenza e di stili musicali nei vari album, che rappresentavano generi abbastanza diversi: provare per credere, A STORM IN HEAVEN, ha poco o nulla da spartire con URBAN HYMNS, seppur di rock stiamo (s)parlando.
Ma la psichedelica dell'uno e il brit-pop (davvero?) dell’altro li distinguono. Eppure ci sono solo 5 anni di passaggio tra i due.
E nel bel mezzo c'è proprio A NORTHERN SOUL.
Codesto album, che non ha trovato gloria tra il pubblico di massa (ma come non lo ha trovato THE BENDS dei RADIOHEAD, disco uscito intorno allo stesso periodo, che se ben ascoltato e contemplato potrebbe far scomodare persino OK COMPUTER), è indubbiamente più semplice del primo ma più difficile di URBAN HYMNS.
I Verve paiono essersi discostati dalla psichedelica pura (presente prevalentemente in BRAINSTORM INTERLUDE, traccia che priva di chitarra, potrebbe far capolino ai CHEMICAL BROTHERS) preferendo la nitidezza di un rock 'n' roll più duro e maturo, ricco di mille sfaccettature e suoni ben supportati dalla profonda voce di Ashcroft, che si fa violenta ed intensa in brani da "spacco", quali il primo singolo THIS IS MUSIC, o fragile e sofferente nelle songs più deboli e malinconiche, che tra l'altro sono la maggior parte delle 12 tracce presenti.
Questo senso di insofferenza e depressione, sempre presente nelle liriche e nelle musiche dei Verve, così come nella vita del loro gracile cantante, si assapora con assillo in ON YOUR OWN, secondo singolo condito da un falsetto gospel di Richard nel finale; si sente in HISTORY, la canzone più importante del disco, che, uscita come terzo ed ultimo singolo con i Verve già divisi, ha ottenuto ottimi risultati commerciali; lo si prova anche in NO KNOCK ON MY DOOR.
Diverse sono le sensazioni e i colori che lascia ogni singola canzone: LIFE'S AN OCEAN ascoltata ad occhi chiusi rimembra il colore blu; A NEW DECADE la rinascita, la partenza, la gloria; STORMY CLOUDS sembra una storia al rallentatore. Vita, morte, amore e sofferenza sono i temi trattati da un Ashcroft che pare avere abbandonato i testi enigmatici dei primi tempi, sostituendoli con pensieri filosofici ed intimistici. La leggenda dice addirittura che durante la registrazione di quest'ultimo pezzo la band di Wigan fosse sotto effetto di ecstasy (e pensare che una volta erano gli acidi ad aprire la mente. Ti ricordi, Jim?).
In conclusione ANS è un disco importante per la storia dei Verve. È diretto – e descrive diverse esperienze di dolore, estasi, sesso… tutte in un album – come disse il buon vecchio Mad Richard. Non di semplice ascolto, ma concreto, fragile ma anche robusto, melodico e sostanzioso, che probabilmente è stato veramente capito in particolare dopo l'uscita di URBAN HYMNS, tant'è che molti musicisti alternativi lo usano tuttora come punto di riferimento.
Ed anche se non ha venduto milioni di copie, o non ha soddisfatto appieno la critica, quell'"Anima Del Nord", dal canto suo ci ha messo tutta la passione che sentiva e che sente ogniqualvolta entra in uno studio di registrazione.
Lui ci ha creduto...
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 A New Decade (04:11)
A New Decade
The radio plays the sounds we made
And everything seems to feel just right
Coming through your lonely mind
Well I've seen things
That scared and bruised and left me blind
So come on, listen along with me
I think you need a little company
And how long will I run for?
Who am I running from?
And it makes sense
The youth coming up and making you dance
Coz I've got something inside of me
So come on I could use the company
And how long will I run for?
Who am I running from?
But now I've seen my face on a cardboard wall
Nobody comes, nobody calls
And how long will I run for?
Who am I running from?
Teenage tears sting my eyeballs
In a town where I wasn't born
And I will never suffer
So come on, come on, come on
But now I see my face in a cardboard wall
Nobody comes, nobody calls
If your looking for me
I'm there and it's true
If your looking for me out there it's true
02 This Is Music (03:35)
I stand accused
Just like you for being born without a silver spoon
Stood at the top of a hill
Over my town I was found
I've been on the shelf too long
Sitting at home on my bed too long
Got my things and now I'm gone
How's the world gonna take me?
Finding myself used to be hard
But now, I see the light
If love is a drug
Then I don't need it
I've been on the shelf too long
Sitting at home on my bed too long
Now it's time to hear my song
How are you gonna take it?
I've been on the shelf too long
I've been on the shelf too long
I've been on the shelf too long
We've got a lot of living to do
There's a door in my mind that's open wide
Come inside come inside
Jesus never saved me
He'll never save you too, and you know!
I've got a little sticker on the back of my boot
This is music
And now I see the light shining bright in my eyes
If love is the drug then it ain't for me
Well music is my life
And loved by me
I'm gonna move on the floor with my sweet young thing
Down down down we go till we reach the bottom
Of our soul with this is music
03 On Your Own (03:33)
Tell me what you seen
Was it a dream?
Was I in it?
Life seems so obscene
Until it's over
Who knows?
All I want is someone who can fill the hole
In the life I know
In between life and death
When there's nothing left
Do you wanna know?
You come in on your own
And you leave on your own
Forget the lovers you've known
And your friends on your own
Tell me if it's true
That I need you
You are changing
I've seen this road before down on this floor
It is hurting me
All I want is someone
Who can fill the hole
In the life I know
In between life and death
When there's nothing left
Do you want to know?
You come in on your own
And you leave on your own
Forget the lovers you've known
And your friends on your own
You come in on your own
And you leave on your own
Forget the lovers you've known
And your friends you have told
Lies
I've got to get rid of this hole inside
Lies
I've got to get rid of this hole inside
I'm coming in on my own
I'm coming in on my own
I'm coming in on my own
Lies
I've got to get rid of this hole inside
Lies
I've got to get rid of this hole inside
Lies
I've got to get rid of this hole inside...
05 A Northern Soul (06:32)
This is a tale of a Northern Soul
Looking to find his way back home
He's coming from that same old road
You know the one your folds don't know
I want to see if you know me
I was born in a rented room
My mother didn't get no flowers
Dad didn't approve of me, do you?
I'm alive with something inside of me
And I don't think I'm coming back
So come on come in inside of me
Let's spread it all around
Give me your powder and pills
I want to see if they cure my ills
I've no time for love and devotion
No time for old fashioned potion
Take a look into my eyes
I tell you so many lies and then I'll let you go into the night
And I don't think I'm coming down
I'm alive with something inside of me
And I can't seem to get it out
I'm gonna die alone in bed
This is a tale of a northern soul
Looking for his way back home
And my friend said, Come in side of me
And your speakers are telling the truth
Coming through and into your room on a river of sound
This is a tale of a northern soul looking for his way back home
And if he sees it I know I'll know (repeat)
And there's fighting on the street below
I know there's fighting on the street below
But I don't care 'Cause I'm a Northern Soul
And I'm looking for a way back home
Too busy staying alive (repeat)
Too busy living a lie, too busy living my life
Too busy staying alive
06 Brainstorm Interlude (05:11)
Coming in
I'm in my home when you give me a sing
And I tell you to put me in to your mind
And if you want to kiss me don't say goodbye
Cuz I'm on my own to denies
Oh yeah, Oh yeahOh yeah, Oh yeah
08 History (05:26)
I wander lonely streets
Behind where the old Thames does flow
And in every face I meet
Reminds me of what I have run from
In every man, in every hand
In every kiss, you understand
That living is for other men
I hope you two will understand
I've got to tell you my tale
Of how I loved and how I failed
I hope you understand
I've got to tell you my tale
Of how I loved and how I failed
I hope you understand
These feelings should not be in the man
In every child, in every eye
In every sky, above my head
I hope that I know
So come with me in bed
Because it's you and me, we're history
There ain't nothing left to say
When I will get you alone
Maybe we could find a room
Where we could see what we should do
Maybe you know it's true
Living with me is like keeping a fool
In every man, in every hand
In every kiss, you understand
That living is for other men
I hope you know that I am me so come on
I'm thinking about history
And I'm living for history
And I think you know about me
Cause I am
And one and one is two
But three is company
When you're thinking about the things you do
And you're thinking about the things you do
I want to tell you my tale
How I fell in love and jumped out on my bail
I hope you understand there's more in a smile than in a hand
In every sky, in every kiss
There's something that I might have missed
Why am I going to
A place that now belongs to you
But you were weak and so was I
Let's pick it up, let's even try
To live today, so why not smile
Don't dream away your life 'Cause it is mine
Is that a crime (repeat) this life is mine
The bed ain't made but it's filled full of hope
I've got a skin full of dope
09 No Knock on My Door (05:11)
She knew my feelings were jangled and frayed
She took me into a wind blown alley way
She showed me a world a boy should see
I'll thank her 'till the day that I die
So, here we go
No knock on my door
Believe it 'till you see
what living has done to me
And I'm sure that I need holding
I took her to a room and I showed her myself
She made me feel proud that I would stand for
There's nothing that this girl wouldn't do for me
For that I've got to thank her and I mean it
So, here we go
A face in the crowd,
Jump up and jump down
Baby, can you see through me?
Sure, I've been here before
No knock on my door
No love in the
Baby, please be my
Sure, I've seen it before
No knock on my door
Love in the
Can be painful, I know
Cry, I cry every night
I need to hold you tight
Oh, can you see me
knocking down your door?
Sure, there's times I have hoped
There's times I have dreamed
Oh, but it seems that much to me to me, my love
I never seemed to it out, my love
I'm shakin'
Yeah, I'm shakin'
She knew my feelings were jangled and frayed
She took me into a wind blown alley way
She showed me what a boy should see
I'll thank her till the day I die
So, here we go
No knock on my door
Believe it till you see what livin' has done to me
And I'm sure I need some company
I took her to a room and I showed her myself
She made me feel proud and I was thankful
There's nothing that this girl wouldn't do for me
For that I've got to thank her I mean it
So, here we go
A face in the crowd
Jump up and jump down baby
You can see through me
Sure, I've been here before
No knock on my door
No love in the jar baby please be my star
Sure I've seen it before
No knock on my door
Love in the jar has been painful
I know
I know
Cry, I've cried every night
I need to hold you tight, baby
Could you see me knocking down your door
Sure there's times that I've gone and times I have dreamed
Oh, but it seems that I pushed you in my life
Can't seem to get it out my life
Shakin.
Yeah I'm shakin
And I'm shakin
11 Stormy Clouds (05:34)
I wanted to tell you my story
How my life seemed to change in a matter of days
The heavens break I am walking tall
How come change always seems to bring the rain
Stormy clouds, new horizons
Come and get it, if you want to
So hop on the train 'Cause it kills the pain
Blues player going to another town
Believe me this boy here is sinking
Just drinking
These streets, these times
They tie me down through with you
But I feel no pain
Stormy clouds, new horizons
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