• Voto:
Siamo nel 1976 e i nostri quattro pionieri irlandesi sono al culmine della loro vena compositiva che li porterà al successo internazionale.
Johnny The Fox esce qualche mese dopo rispetto al più celebre Jailbreak, e forse risente della popolarità di un precedente piuttosto illustre, ma a modesto parere del sottoscritto il nostro risulta nel complesso più fresco e genuino pur non avendo un capolavoro quale è Emerald.
Le due chitarre sulfuree del californiano Scott Gorham e del poco più che adolescente Brian "Robbo" Robertson (all’epoca aveva 19 anni!) lavorano all'unisono che è una meraviglia macinando riff mai banali o scontati e collezionando una serie di assoli molto precisi e puliti che regalano sicure emozioni.
Che dire della prova come al solito sublime di quel geniaccio che fu Phil Lynott, ragazzo di colore nella difficile realtà ultra cattolica dell’Irlanda dei Seventies, musicista che esplorò i più svariati generi musicali, songwriter attento anche alla realtà politica, cantante dalla voce suadente e ipnotica.
Da notare anche l’ottimo lavoro delll’energico Brian Downey dietro le pelli, come sempre puntuale.
Pezzi da citare senz’altro Johnny, Rocky, la ballata Borederline, la cadenzata Don’t Believe A Word e quella Fool’s Gold memorabile se non altro per l’intro, che definirei quasi leggendario, dove la calda voce parlata di Lynott viene accompagnata dalle note sognanti delle due chitarre.
Ma l’episodio più notevole è rappresentato da Massacre dove un riff isterico e un drumming poderoso fanno da sfondo alle liriche toccanti di Lynott.
La traccia, come raccontò Phil, venne concepita dalla visita nell’ospedale di Manchester (dove il cantante era stato ricoverato per un’epatite virale) di un prete protestante.
La rigida formazione cattolica di Phil lo rese schivo e diffidente. Solo in seguito si rese conto di quanto fosse stato stupido e condannò, con le liriche di questo pezzo, i pregiudizi religiosi e le guerre sante.
Le altre tracce non sono da meno anche se navigano un po’ nell’anonimato.
Volete una chicca? Ebbene, si narra che prima di un’esibizione del tour americano, precedente l’uscita dell’album in questione, Lynott esaltò a tal punto la sua band da riferire a Mr.Blackmore (sì, proprio lui) che i suoi Lizzy quella sera avrebbero annientato la performance della creatura dell’ex chitarrista Purple: i mitici Rainbow. Al simpatico battibecco tra i due assistette anche il poderoso batterista John "Bonzo" Bonam (Led Zeppelin), che rimase divertito e ammaliato dall’incredibile spavalderia di Lynott.
Non so come andò a finire quella sera, ma un dato è certo, il carisma e le capacità artistiche di Phil sono indiscutibili.
Del resto lo stesso chitarrista Purple Ritchie Blackmore, che non nascondeva la sua ammirazione per la band, rivelò: “Phil è l’unica persona che riesca a far stare cinque riff nello spazio di quattro”.
E se lo dice lui…
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
02 Rocky (03:43)
Cocky Rocky, the rock and roll star
He's got the talent to take him far
Started out playing hotel bars
Cocky Rocky, the rock and roll star
Spent his time just looking for kicks
Whipping out them mean and nasty guitar licks
He knows all the tricks to pull the chicks
Just half a chance and away he rips
Come on Rocky take me into the night
The neon streets are shining bright
To all them queens you bring the light
That cocky Rocky, his belt is so tight
Hits the stage, the show begins
Dressed in black to make him thin
The speed they flash, the way he grins
Sail away Rocky, if nobody sings (?)
Come on Rocky and throw the dice
You threw it once, now throw it twice
Heavy boys, they want a slice
They paid their money, they want a choice
Cocky Rocky, he's a rock and roll star
He's got the talent to take him far
And all he needs is that old guitar
Cocky Rocky, the rock and roll star
03 Borderline (04:37)
Midnight in the big city
At the bar drinking all on my own
Just thinking about that girl and me
How something's going wrong
Mister, tell me, what's my saving grace?
The back room boys
Were all telling me
I'm a borderline case
Back on the borderline one more time
Seven beers and still sober
It's time to change to something stronger
I cannot take this scene no longer
She could have told me it's all over
Back in my home town
The old place is still the same
But time can cast a spell over something
You can't go back again
Back on the borderline one more time
Mister, fill me another
Till I go crazy and it turn my mind around
Just pass that bottle one more time
And slowly drink it down
Jeanie can I tell you?
The shame of my disgrace
It's just love or rejection
For this borderline case
Back on the borderline one more time
I'm on my bended knees crawling
I'm begging you darling
04 Don't Believe a Word (02:18)
Don't believe me if I tell you
Not a word of this is true
Don't believe me if I tell you
Especially if I tell you that
I'm in love with you
Don't believe me if I tell you
That I wrote this song for you
There might be some other, silly pretty girl
I'm singing it too
Don't believe a word
For words are only spoken
Your heart is like a promise
Made to be broken
Don't believe a word
Words can tell lies
And lies are no comfort
When there's tears in your eyes
Don't believe me if I tell you
Not a word of this is true
Don't believe me if I tell you
Especially if I tell you that
I'm in love with you
05 Fools Gold (03:53)
In the year of the famine
When starvation and black death raged across the land
There were many driven by their hunger
To set sail for the Americas
In search of a new life and a new hope
Oh but there were some who couldn't cope
And they spent their life
In search of fool's gold
The old prospector
He makes it to the four lane highway
His old compadre
Lies dead in the sand
With outstretched hands
He cries, "Are you going my way?"
The people passing by don't seem to understand
The curse of fool's gold
Broken Joe just lying in a gutter
He's gone as low as any man can be
He calls for wine but they'll only serve him water
The bartender say "We don't sell sympathy"
He tells a strange story
About his father
How Sunday mornings they'd go down
To the church on the corner
As time grows older
His thoughts they grow younger
It is his wish
To search no longer for fool's gold
The vulture sits on top
Of the big top circus arena
He's seen this show before
Knows someone is going to fall
Just near the part
Where the beautiful dancing tightrope ballerine
Forgets that the safety net
Isn't there at all
Down he swoops with claws drawn to take her
Razor sharp so savagely is she mauled
Oh my god, is there no one who can save her?
In steps the fox to thunderous applause
Fool's gold
06 Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed (03:36)
Johnny the Fox he called to Jimmy the Weed
He said "Hey man, I know your name"
I seen you cruising with the low riders
Hanging out down on First street and Main
Tuned into and listen to the voodoo Rhythm Devils
Around the Bay
They've got some crazy DJs
Send you right out to heaven
Jimmy the Weed for greed was taken aback
Johnny the Fox you old sly cat
Cleverly the Fox concealed his stash
Crisp dollar bills leave no tracks
In the back of a black cadillac
The voodoo music travels
Down Skid Row only black men can go
The shady deal unravels
Johnny the Fox, hot to hustle
Jimmy the Weed won't use no muscle
that cat's so sly, slick and subtle
Johnny the Fox breaks out the bottle
Tuned into and listening to
The voodoo music travels
The beating drum for the lonely one
Sends you out to heaven
08 Massacre (03:01)
At a point below zero
There's no place left to go
Six hundred unknown heroes
Were killed like sleeping buffalo
Through the devil's canyon
Across the battlefield
Death has no companion
The spirit is forced to yield
There goes the bandolero
Through the hole in the wall
He's a coward but doesn't care though
In fact, he doesn't care at all
The general that's commanding
He's defending what he fears
While the troops they are depending
On reinforcements from the rear
If God is in the heavens
How can this happen here?
In His name, they used the weapons
For the massacre
There is a point below zero
Where the sun can see the land
Six hundred unknown heroes
Lay dead in the sand
09 Sweet Marie (04:00)
Sweet Marie you mean a lot to me
In my memory oh I hold you dearly
Once in all my dreams, my plans, hopes and future schemes
There was sweet Marie
But my home is where my heart is
And my heart is not at home
You see whenever we are parted
I feel so all alone
With twilight falling
The fullmoon is calling sweet Marie
And what the sea tells only sea shells
Are whispering sweet Marie
Into the darkness there goes this message sweet Marie
To you my darling sweet Marie
Some lovers they are parted
They must end what they have started
All that's left is the broken hearted, I must depart my sweet Marie
Somewhere out in Arizona
Such a long way from California
Oh I felt so alone there
I was two thousand miles away from home there
Tonight we're going to play Boston
And I still don't know what the hell is going on
Oh but I just wrote this song
And it keeps me thinking on
Sweet Marie she means a lot to me
Oh this melody it keeps haunting me
My sweet Marie
In harmony, it's will me constantly, sweet Marie
But my home is where my heart is
And my heart it's not at home
You see now that we are parted
Oh I feel so all alone
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