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La band scozzese torna alla ribalta dopo il successone di "The Invisible Band" e dopo il tremendo infortunio al batterista Neil Primrose, che scivolando in una piscina subì danni alla colonna vertebrale, facendo temere per la propria carriera.
Ed è un ritorno estremamente positivo.
Il gruppo si esprime in questo disco con un sound molto più maturo, con degli arrangiamenti estremamente semplici ma di notevole impatto (basti ascoltare "How Many Hearts" e "Somewhere Else").
Per quanto riguarda le liriche, si lasciano da parte quelle d'amore per far spazio a testi più impegnati e riflessivi, soprattutto politicamente (la band ha sempre ammesso di essere stata notevolmente colpita dalla crisi irachena - questa l'ho presa dal "Rolling Stone", concedetemelo...).
Le prime due tracce ("Quicksand" e "The Beautiful Occupation") hanno un impianto di base estremamente beatlesiano e colpiscono al primo ascolto per la loro semplicità, così come il bel singolo "Re-Offender" e "Peace The Fuck Out", songs di classica matrice-Travis.
"Paperclips" e soprattutto "Mid-Life Krysis" (il miglior brano dell'album) dimostrano la notevole crescita della band, rendendo così "12 Memories" un ottimo album (forse il loro migliore...) di semplice pop-rock acustico di marca british che alla fine risulterà molto intimo e introspettivo, nel quale a tratti sembra di riascoltare un certo brit-pop che tanto ebbe successo a metà anni '90.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Quicksand (02:39)
Take me away, take me away
You said that you were gonna stay
But you're always lying anyway
You're gonna suffer if you don't start breathing
Now
Now that I need you
You're going away
Every day, sinking in the quicksand
Follow me down the drain
But it doesn't matter anyway
You're gonna get yours any day
And why you put the blame on me?
If you could only see yourself as others see
Now that I need you
You're going insane
Every day, sinking in the quicksand
Follow me down the drain
Every day, drinking in the same bar
Drowning my sorrows away
Take me away, take me today
Or I'm never gonna get away
But it makes no difference to me
It's just the sound of one more rock star bleeding
Now
Now that I need you
You're out of the frame
Day by day, sinking in the quicksand
Follow me down the drain
Every day, drinking in the same bar
Make mine the same again
02 The Beautiful Occupation (03:45)
Don't just stand there watching it happening
I can't stand it
Don't feel it
Something telling me
Don't wanna go out this way
But have a nice day then
Read it in the headlines
Watch it on the TV
Put it in the background
Stick it in the back
Stick it in the back
For the beautiful occupation
The beautiful occupation
You don't need an invitation
To drop in upon a nation
I'm too cynical
I'm just sitting here
I'm just wasting my time
Half a million civilians gonna die today
But look the wrong way then
Read it in the headlines
Watch it on the TV
Put it in the background
Stick it in the back
Stick it in the back
For the beautiful occupation
The beautiful occupation
You don't need an invitation
To drop in upon a nation
Don't just stand there
Watching it happening
I can't feel it
Don't need this
Something telling me
Don't wanna go out this way
But have a nice day then
Read it in the headlines
Watch it on the TV
Put it in the background
Stick it in the back
Stick it in the back
For the beautiful occupation
The beautiful occupation
You don't need an invitation
To drop in upon a nation
The beautiful occupation
The beautiful occupation
So much for an intervention
Don't call the United Nations
03 Re-Offender (03:46)
Keeping up appearances
Keeping up with the Joneses
Fooling my selfish heart
Going through the motions
But I'm fooling myself
I'm fooling myself
'Cause you say you love me
And then you do it again
You do it again
And you say your sorry's
And then you do it again
You do it again
Everybody thinks you're well
Everybody thinks I'm ill
Watching me fall apart
Falling under your spell
But you're fooling yourself
You're fooling yourself
'Cause you say you love me
And then you do it again
You do it again
You say your sorry's
And then you do it again
You do it again and again and again
And again and again
But you're fooling yourself
You're fooling yourself
'Cause you say you love me
And then you do it again
You do it again
You say your sorry's
And then you do it again
You do it again
You say you love me
And then you do it again
You do it again
You say your sorry's
And then you do it again
You do it again and again and again
And again and again
04 Peace the Fuck Out (02:54)
Now I don't know that your tie is straight
Your words are crooked and you're gonna pay
In ten years time they're gonna say
That this was the moment when you threw it away
And it's all wrong, handbags at dawn
And turn the radio off to hear a song
Oh please don't give up
You have a voice, don't lose it
You have a choice, so choose it
You have a brain, so use it
The time has come to
Peace the fuck out
Now I don't know what you're talking about
There's too much shit pouring out of your mouth
The time is up, the secret's out
The truth's gonna catch when you going south
But it's all wrong, handbags at dawn
And turn the radio off to hear a song
Oh please don't give up
You have a voice, so use it
Yeah but it's all wrong, handbags at dawn
And turn the radio off to hear a song
Oh please don't give up
You have a voice, don't lose it
You have a choice, so choose it
You have a brain, so use it
The time has come to
Peace the fuck out
Peace the fuck out
Peace the fuck out
Peace the fuck out
Peace the fuck out
Peace the fuck out
Peace the fuck out
Peace the fuck out
06 Paperclips (03:34)
Paperclips, melody
Hold together all these memories
Memories, memories
I don't wanna think at all
I don't wanna be like you anymore
I don't wanna see your face at my door
And I'll never leave like you, that's for sure
I don't wanna be like you anymore, anymore, anymore
Take a trip, down memory lane
You will never wanna go again
Take your leave , take your leave
I don't wanna sing at all
I don't wanna be like you anymore
I don't wanna see your face at my door
And I'll never leave like you, that's for sure
I don't wanna be like you anymore, anymore, anymore
Ever talk, decide out
We get by, we'll get by
And I won't take this
No more sadness, no, no
Paperclips, memories
Hold together all these melodies
Melodies, melodies
I don't wanna sing at all
I don't wanna be like you anymore
I don't wanna see your face at my door
And I'll never leave like you, that's for sure
I don't wanna live like you anymore, anymore, anymore
07 Somewhere Else (03:11)
Home and away
Life goes on the same, bury the pain
And hold on to love
Heal the song, sing along
But what does it change
Oh this life is so confusing
Feels like I'm always losing
Come in knowing everything
But don't say a word, till they teach you the way
Words are found too close to the edge
That we don't dare sing
This will turn into something else, something else
And when it does, I'll be somewhere else, somewhere else
Where else?
And you said I should be myself
Despite all the wrong, dragging you back
Forgive and then forgone and on and on and on and on
This life is so confusing
Feels like I'm always losing
And this'll turn into something else, something else
But when it does, I'll be somewhere else, somewhere else
Where else?
09 Mid-Life Krysis (03:37)
Memories fill your harbour
History to be made
Jealousy in the cupboard
You with me until the grave
Mid-life krysis, you invited everyone
You can't wake, you can't wake from this nightmare
Everyday is like the movies
Third world war on the rise
Take it in the city
Making love to get high
Mid-life krysis, you invited everyone
You can't wake, you can't wake from this nightmare
I waste my time, I waste my
Don't waste my time, don't waste my
I waste my time, I waste my
Don't waste my time, don't waste my
Little Jane, say you're in love with me
Say it yourself
Maybe then you'll have some children
Maybe you ain't have one
Mid-life krysis, you invited everyone
You can't wake, you can't wake from this nightmare
You invited everyone
You can't wake, you can't wake from this nightmare
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Altre recensioni
Di supersonic17
"Oltre a 'The Beautiful Occupation' dall'album vengono estratti altri due singoli: 'Re-Offender', una sorta di autobiografia del cantante Fran Healy riguardante il tema delle violenze domestiche."
"In 'Peace The Fuck Out' c'è una chiara accusa alle scelte politiche moderne e alle inutili guerre che le conseguono."
