Il panterone nero rimira minaccioso la città sotto una luna enorme e brillante, trafitta da una scritta di Roger Dean. Il panterone sarebbe Phil Lynott, come già detto in tutte le altre recensioni su questo sito, metà brasileiro e metà Irish. Milita negli Skid Row, viene allontanato da questi ultimi e forma gli Orphanage, dove incontra il batterista Brian Downey, che poi diventano Thin Lizzy con il chitarrista Eric Bell. E fin qui lo sapevamo.
1973: i Thin Lizzy, con tre dischi all'attivo, sono quasi allo sbando (o meglio "disbanded"): scaricati dalla Decca, reduci da vendite discografiche più che modeste e tour dalle partecipazioni in termini di pubblico disastrose, sono sull'orlo del fallimento finanziario, nonostante il successo della recente hit "Whisky In The Jar". Rimangono orfani del primo chitarrista Eric Bell prima, e del suo saltuario sostituto Gary Moore dopo, e anche dei due chitarristi ingaggiati a tempo determinato, Andy Gee e John Cann (quello degli Andromeda). Il batterista Brian Downey, frustrato dalla situazione, è sull'orlo di andarsene.
Grazie ad una genialata del manager Chris O'Donnel i Thin Lizzy riescono a firmare un contratto con la Vertigo, giocando nuovamente la carta dell'enfant prodige, dicendo che nel gruppi militava un chitarrista diciottenne (presumibilmente Gary Moore, come era cinque anni prima negli Skid Row...) e furono subito ingaggiati dalla casa discografica.
Per molti è da qui che iniziano i "veri" Thin Lizzy, quelli con i due chitarristi Scott Gorham e Brian "Robbo" Robertson. Io preferisco dire che viene inaugurata la formazione cosiddetta "classica", non più un power trio, ma un quartetto perfetto. Scott Gorham, nato e cresciuto in California si era trasferito a Londra con l'obiettivo entrare nei Supertramp, suo gruppo preferito. Deluso, formò un gruppo di nome Fastbuck, di scarsissimo successo, ma grazie al quale si presentò (non troppo convinto) a un'audizione per i Thin Lizzy ("La prima cosa che pensai è che questa aveva uno dei nomi più brutti che avessi mai sentito"). Molto più entusiasta fu Robbo, che fece pressioni su Lynott e Downey affinché non cambiassero il nome del gruppo, da sempre uno dei suoi preferiti. E così furono ingaggiati entrambi.
Così nasce la prima avventura in studio della nuova formazione, "Nighlife": certo non siamo ancora all'apice, qua e là qualche parte debole (Showdown, nel ritornello specialmente) ma da qui in poi è tutta una risalita verso l'apice. L'orchestrazione è forse un po' troppo invadente e pomposa, come nella funkeggiante Night Life e nella ballata per piano Frankie Caroll, uno dei tanti malinconici bozzetti di vita dublinese, per non parlare del lentone finale Dear Heart. Ma quando sentiamo l'attacco sonoro di It's Only Money, piuttosto che le sferragliate di batteria di un esplosivo Brian Downey in Sha-la-la, ove rulla e rumba come un motore a quattro tempi, con un doppio pedale usato con gusto, capiamo la grandezza di tal disco. La grande ballata Still In Love With You, in cui partecipano Gary Moore e Frankie Miller, diverrà cavallo di battaglia della band, e poi Philomena, dedicata alla madre di Lynott. Gran splendore da qui in poi, non c'è che dire.
Piccola postilla: il numero #29 di gennaio della buona rivista Classix è dedicata ai Thin Lizzy. "Qualcuno ancora oggi si illude di aver visto i Thin Lizzy di ritorno dall'esibizione di un pugno di mercenari che suonano le canzoni di un uomo che non è più tra noi da quasi 25 anni". Beh, io il 2 febbraio a Trezzo d'Adda c'ero, e sinceramente la presenza di Scott Gorham, Brian Downey e del tastierista Wharton (già tastierista in Chinatown, Renegade e Thunder And Lightning) mi ha fatto ricredere: anche perché Vivian Campbell (Dio) e Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake) non sono i primi pirla che passano per la strada. Certo, il buon Ricky Warwick non sarà MAI Phil Lynott, ovviamente, ma penso che rendano veramente omaggio in molto speciale al grande genio del "panterone" di Dublino.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 She Knows (05:15)
Who's got the funk
When you're feeling low down
Who's going to love you
When there's no one else around
Who's going to help you
Especially when you're sick
Mother Mary
I need you quick
She knows and she gives her everything
She knows and she can do her thing
She knows and she tries her best
She knows, oh, you know she knows
Who's got the junk
When you're feeling low down
Who's going to give
When there's none to go around
Who's going to help you
When you feel you've had enough
Mother Mary
This time it's rough
But Mother Mary
Do you feel the pain?
I'm falling down
And I can't get up again
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Just a slide guitar injection
Who's going to help you
Especially when you're ill
Loving Mary
I hope you will
But Mother Mary
Do you feel the pain?
I'm falling down
And I can't get up again
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Mother Mary, is there nothing you can do?
03 It's Only Money (02:50)
You don't believe in love
You don't believe in hatred
Put your money in the bank
It's the only way to save it
You try to make a buck
But you haven't made a penny
You need a little luck
But you know you won't get any
You don't believe in God
You don't believe in glory
You've got a brother in the clinic
Tells the same kind of story
If he had another life
He'd know what would be waiting
If he had another soul
He could sell it all to Satan
You don't believe in war
You don't believe in Jesus
Got a sister in New York
She knows how she pleases
Walking the streets
On the south side of the city
Trying to make ends meet
Isn't that a pity...for money
04 Still in Love With You (05:42)
Think I'll just fall to pieces
If I don't find something else to do
This sadness never ceases
I'm still in love with you
My head, it keeps on reeling
It's got me in a crazy spin
Darling, darling, darling
Is this the end?
Still in love with you
They say time has a way of healing
Dries all the tears from your eyes
But darling it's this empty feeling
My heart can't disguise
After all that we've been through
I try my best but it's no use
I guess I'll keep on loving you
Is this the end?
Now that it's all over, woman
There's something I think you should know
Baby, baby, think it over
Just one more time before you go
Call on me baby
If there's anything I can do for you
Call on me baby
Help me see it through
I'm still in love with you
05 Frankie Carroll (02:05)
Frankie Carroll
He got drunk last night
I tried my best to help him
But he wound up in a fight
And his missy got him
She said
"Frankie, it's alright"
"Frankie won't do you wrong"
Frankie Carroll
He beat his kids last night
"I don't like you kids shouting"
"Shut up now, don't care who's wrong or right"
And his missy got him
She said
"Frankie, I'll keep the kids quiet"
Frankie, Frankie, what's wrong?
Frankie Carroll
He fell to bed last night
And his head hung off the pillow
And his eyes were closed shut tight
And his missy
She got up and turned out the light
Frankie, Frankie, what's wrong?
Frankie Carroll was with a woman last night
06 Showdown (04:33)
Johnny Cool was the king
The leader of the boot boys
He'd never cause no trouble
In a rumble make some noise
He heard about some chick
And they she like to rock
He said "Come here honey"
"Let me see you lift up your frock"
There's gonna be a showdown
Miss Lucy was a chick
He knew she like to ball
He said "Come on Lucy"
"It doesn't matter to me at all"
But Miss Lucy got a fella
With a flick knife in his hand
Johnny Cool pulls a shotgun
The man is in command
There's gonna be a showdown
King Cool
King Kong
King King
With all the kings
King of hearts he's a lover
King of spades he's a brother
King of clubs makes a dollar
King of diamonds the wedding ring
There's gonna be a showdown
07 Banshee (01:29)
The song, "Bandshee", as it appeared on the Night Life release, is an
instrumental. The lyrics printed below are from one of the poetry books
of Philip Lynott and is entitled, "Banshee".
I was your lover
You were my queen
You broke my heart
I gave up everything
I was your friend
But you were my foe
I told you that
I could not let you go
At night I hear the wind calling
"Oh come back my darling"
Oh banshee! Oh banshee!
It keeps on calling me, keeps on calling me
We dance the night away
Oh we dance the night away
I won your heart
You took my soul
I love you then
But you left me cold
I was your lover
You were my queen
You broke my heart
I gave up everything
At night I can hear you calling
"Oh come back my darling"
Oh banshee! Oh banshee!
I hear you calling me, I hear you calling me
08 Philomena (03:43)
Well I've been a wild wild rover
Sailed all over the sea
But this thing that makes me wonder
Has made a fool of me
For it took me from my childhood
Underneath the stars and skies
And I hear the wind
Whistling through the wild wood, whispering goodbye
And it's home boys home
It's home boys home
It's home boys home
When you fire across the fount
And if you see my mother
Tell her I'm keeping fine
Will you tell her that I love her
And I'll try and write sometime
And if you see my mother
Give her all of my love
For she has a heart of gold there
As good as God above
And it's home boys home
She's home boys home
(She's home) Home boys home
When you fire across the fount
Oh there's no place like home
And if you see my old one
Will tell her I'm keeping fine
Will you tell her that I love her
And I'll try and write sometime
And it's home boys home
It's home boys home
It's home boys home
It's home boys home
When you fire across the fount
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