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Sono un fanatico di tutto ciò che "suona" anni ottanta, specialmente se vicino a quelle espressioni musicali che prendono il nome di new wave e post-punk. Sono riuscito ad apprezzare gruppi fortemente "pop oriented" come Smiths e The Sound (per i Sound la svolta pop riguarda i loro ultimi lavori). Sono riuscito perfino ad apprezzare i Cure! Non solo i Cure dei primi quattro ed immensi album, ma anche quelli del mieloso "Disintegration". Però, con questi This Mortal Coil ho sempre avuto qualche problema.
Sono bravi, un tempo venivano spesso citati, hanno dimostrato una certa originalità ma, nel complesso, i loro dischi non mi convincono!
Ma chi sono i This Mortal Coil? Prima di tutto è bene precisare che non stiamo parlando di un gruppo vero e proprio, bensì di un super gruppo composto da artisti appartenenti alla scuderia 4AD. Supergruppo nato e cresciuto sotto la supervisione del factotum e presidente dell'etichetta, Ivo Watts-Russel.
Nel progetto sono stati coinvolti elementi di Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance e Colourbox. Tuttavia le alte vette raggiunte da questi gruppi sono molto distanti, e per fortuna, dalla mediocrità che connota questo "Filigree & Shadow".
Primo punto a sfavore dell'album: il disco è composto, in gran parte, da cover di Van Morrison, Tim Buckley e Talking Heads. Le covers differiscono dagli originali, come è giusto che sia, ma hanno un sapore "gothic" un pò troppo naif.
Secondo punto a sfavore: i brani originali presenti in questo album sono pochi e, triste ma vero, sono degli intermezzi sonori vagamente ambient. Non si tratta di obrobri, questo deve essere ben chiaro, ma si presentano come banale musica di sottofondo. Non ambient oscuro ed inquientante quindi... ma del tranquillo ambient per yuppies, yuppies desiderosi di trascorrere qualche momento di quiete con la propria donzella
Terzo punto a sfavore: nel complesso questo "Filigree & Shadow" si presenta frammentario, incostante e senza una forma ben definita e decifrabile.
Qualcuno, non a torto, m'ha detto che i This Mortal Coil sono stati dimenticati in fretta e furia. Verissimo. Però è anche vero che dischi come questo, purtroppo, non lasciano il segno!
Musica agrodolce, autunnale, fievole e melanconica. Musica che potrà stupire più di una persona ma che, ahimè, non regge all'usura del tempo.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 The Jeweller (03:15)
The jeweler has a shop
On the corner of the boulevard
In the night, in small spectacles
He polishes old coins
He uses spit and cloth and ashes
He makes them shine with ashes
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes.
The coins are often very old
By the time they reach the jeweler
With his hands and ashes
He will try the best he can
He knows that he can only shine them
Can not repair the scratches
He knows that even new coins have scars
So he just smiles.
He knows the use of ashes
Dum da de da da dey dey
He worships God with ashes
Dum da de da de de da de dey dey.
In the darkness of the night
Both his hands will blister badly
They will often open painfully
And the blood flows from his hands
He works to take from black coin faces
Thumbprints from so many ages
He wishes he could cure the scars
When he forgets he sometimes cries.
He knows the use of ashes
Dum da de da da dey dey
He worships God with ashes
Dum da de da de de da de dey dey.
He knows (he knows the use of ashes)
He knows
He knows (he worships God with ashes)
He knows
He knows (he knows the use of ashes)
He knows (Dum da de dad a dey dey)
He knows (he worships God with ashes)
He knows (Dum da de dad a dey dey)
He (he knows the use of ashes)
He
(He worships God with ashes)
11 Morning Glory (02:56)
I lit my purest candle close to my
Window, hoping it would catch the eye
Of any vagabond who passed it by
And I waited in my fleeting house
Before he came I felt him drawing near
As he neared I felt the ancient fear
That he had come to wound my door and jeer
And I waited in my fleeting house
"Tell me stories," I called to the Hobo;
"Stories of cold," I smiled at the Hobo;
"Stories of old," I knelt to the Hobo;
And he stood before my fleeting house
"No," said the Hobo, "No more tales of time;
Don't ask me now to wash away the grime;
I can't come in 'cause it's too high a climb,"
And he walked away from my fleeting house#
"Then you be damned!" I screamed to the Hobo;
"Leave me alone," I wept to the Hobo;
"Turn into stone," I knelt to the Hobo;
And he walked away from my fleeting house
16 Firebrothers (03:54)
In the valley where the moon and lovers play.
Lived two children who were born on Saturday.
One was dark one was fair.
Fathered by the dog, mothered by the pig.
Stranger children you have never seen.
Brothers of the forest and the sea.
One was land one was air.
And they kept the fires burning.
In a golden vessel and silver vase
Kept them burning in a strange enchanted place.
Kept them burning to the sky.
For they knew someday the sun will die.
23 Drugs (03:08)
And all I see is little dots,
Some are smeared and some are spots.
Feels like a murder but that's alright.
Somebody said "There's too much light."
Pull down the shades and it's alright.
It'll be over in a minute or two.
I'm charged up.
Don't put me down.
Don't feel like talking.
Don't mess around.
I feel mean.
I feel O.K.
I'm charged up! Electricity.
The boys are making a big mess.
Those messed up girls all start to laugh.
I don't know what they're talking about.
The boys are worried.
The girls are shocked.
They pick the sound and let it drop.
Nobody know what they're talking about.
I'm charged up with microwaves.
I don't tell the truth,
I don't tell lies.
I'm broken up ???,
I'm charged up
It's pretty intense,
I'm charged up,
Don't put me down,
Don't feel like talking,
Don't mess around,
I feel mean and I feel O.K.
I'm charged up! Electricity.
Carico i commenti... con calma
