• Voto:
E’ ancora necessario ripetere che gli Uriah Heep vengono spesso dimenticati e sottovalutati nel panorama hardrock dei primi anni ’70? Che non è un triangolo formato da Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath e Deep Purple solamente, ma che è un quadrilatero in cui gli Uriah Heep hanno la stessa importanza degli altri 3? Che non sono dei meri imitatori dei Deep Purple, anche se avevano la sala prove di fianco alla loro? Che Mick Box non è Jimmy Page e Ken Hensley non è Jon Lord ma che a livello di comporre la musica non hanno eguali? No, non c’era bisogno di ripeterlo, ma ribadire il concetto non fa mai male.
1972: anno di grazia per gli Uriah Heep. Dopo l’enorme successo del capolavoro Demons And Wizards e di un hit come Easy Living, danno alle stampe il secondo ed ultimo capitolo del cosiddetto periodo “mistico”. The Magician’s Birthday chiude infatti ciò che con D&W era iniziato, con una nuova manciata di canzoni straordinarie. Un disco meraviglioso, in cui si naviga in mondi fantastici e lontani, anche grazie ad una cover leggendaria disegnata dal super artista del prog Roger Dean.
Sunrise comincia i cori spaccatimpani del compianto David Byron, altro che New Trolls!!! Un pezzo appassionante, seguito dal bel ritmo di Spider Woman, che è un assaggio di quei pezzettini leggeri che seguiranno nei dischi successivi. La chitarra acustica suonata dal tastierista Ken Hensley in Blind Eye è magica, con l’elettrica di Mick Box a formare una melodia unica. Bella la versione con il flauto di Ian Anderson nel più recente Acoustically Driver, anche se Bernie Shaw non vale la metà di David Byron. Quest’utlimo commuove con il suo cantato in Rain, dimostrando che è stato uno dei migliori cantanti degli anni ’70. Echoes In The Dark è un altro grande classico della band e chi ci ha fatto caso sa quale lavoro faccia il bassita neozelandese Gary Thain in questa canzone, famoso per le sue linee di basso melodiche. Sweet Lorraine presenta un bel sintetizzatore e il batterista Lee Kerslake picchia come un treno. Tales è forse il brano più bello dell’album: mistico, misterioso, acustico, con un cambio di accordi semplice ma azzeccato al massimo. E poi come dimenticare The Magician’s Birthday? Dalla strofa con quella fantastica chitarra elettrica alla cantilena con assolo di kazoo di Kerslake in sottofondo, senza dimenticare la mastodontica battaglia fra chitarra e batteria nella parte centrale, è uno dei momenti più ispirati della band. Un pezzo che degnamente rappresenta tutto un album.
Consiglio a tutti la versione del 2003, cartonata, con 9 bonus tracks e un booklet ben curato, con foto e commenti dei membri della band. Dopo questo album, esce un live celebrativo e poi gli Uriah Heep virano leggermente verso un rock più leggero, pur mantenendosi sempre su livelli dignitosi. Ma il periodo “mistico” del 1972 e dei suoi due album resta inimitabile!
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Sunrise (04:05)
Sunrise, and the new day's breaking through.
The morning of another day without you.
And as the hours roll by
noone's there to see me cry
except the sunrise,
the sunrise and you.
Tired eyes drift across the shore.
Looking for love and nothing more.
But as the sea rolls by
noone's there to see me cry
except the sunrise,
the sunrise and you.
Sunrise, bless my eyes.
Catch my soul, make me whole again.
Sunrise, new day heed my song.
I'm tired of fighting and fooling around.
But from now until who knows when?
My sword will be my friend.
And I'll love you...love ya
for all of my time.
Sunrise, bless my eyes.
Catch my soul, make me whole again.
(Repeat)
Sunrise.
02 Spider Woman (02:27)
I had a spider woman
And she was so good
She chained me
In her web so tight
I lost the freedom
Of release that night
So I stayed right by her
I dreamt I saw a blind man
Who was singing a song
About a guy who
Couldn't take no more
And the meaning of
The words he swore
Told me go find her
She was a spider woman
But she was good to me
Spider Woman
But she was good to me
I told her 'bout my vision
But she laughed in my face
So I told her go
And walk in the street
But by the time
She got past my feet
I lost control
04 Echoes in the Dark (04:51)
I have heard the echoes in the dark
Dim and distant voices of the past
And I've seen so far into the night
And lingered in the land of no light
Far beyond the
Shrouded hours of dawn
Through the mist
Of daybreak I was borne
But the day was
Clouded still by night
Leaving me in the land of no light
Though I'd love to
Say hello to you
You might have to wait awhile
To say goodbye
For it must end as it began
And then start again
The day of darkness
Comes to every man
And lingers while he
Reaches out his hand
And he cannot know how it will end
Till he finds out if he has a friend
A friend ...
05 Rain (04:00)
Intro
It's raining outside but that's not unusual
But the way that I'm feeling is becoming usual
I guess you could say
The clouds are moving away
Away from your days
And into mine
Now it's raining inside and that's kind of a shame
And it's getting to me, a happy man
And why should you want to
Waste all my time
The world is yours
But I am mine
Rain, rain, rain, in my tears
Measuring carefully my years
Shame, shame, shame, in my mind
See what you've done to my life
Rain, rain, rain, in my tears
Measuring carefully my years
Shame, shame, shame, in my mind
See what you've done to my life
See what you've done to my life
06 Sweet Lorraine (04:15)
Wouldn't you like to take this magic potion with me?
On a trip to a cosmic playground far beyond?
She understands, she's been there before.
It's in her hands to find the door.
Sweet Lorraine, let the party carry on.
You and I will swim the sea.
Sweet Lorraine, let the party carry on.
You and I can feel the breeze.
There is no time, no wealth, only I surround you.
The fortune of this guide is simply sincerity.
She understands, 'cause she's been there before.
It's in her hands to find the door. So
Sweet Lorraine, let the party carry on.
You and I will swim the sea.
Sweet Lorraine, let the party carry on.
You and I can feel the breeze.
(Repeat)
Sweet Lorraine Sweet Lorraine
(Repeat and Fade)
07 Tales (04:08)
We told our tales as we sat under
Morning's sleepy sky
With all the colours of
The sunrise shining in our eyes
One, then another
With a story of yesterday's life
Or of a lover who had
Gone in a moment of strife
No thought of sleep ever dwells
Upon the wise man's mind
Some task or audience
Stealing every moment of his time
Thus we have learned to live
While mortal men
Stand waiting to die
How can we do what must be done
In just one short life
And if you ask
Then you must know
If you still doubt
You should be told
It was not we
That made it so
It was by those
Who went before
And there you sit
Tomorrow's child
So full of love
So full of life
But you must rise
To meet the day
Lest you become another tale
Another tale ...
08 The Magician's Birthday (10:23)
In the magic garden
Some were singing
Some were dancing
While the midnight moon
Shone brightly overhead
The stars so gaily glistened
And the sphinx in silence listened to
The magician tell of
Lives that he had led
Let the bells of freedom ring
Songs of love to friday's king
Let's all go to
The magician's birthday
It's in a forest
But not so far away
Much to do
And so much to say
While we listened to
The orchid orchestra play
Happy birthay to you ...
Happy birthday to magician
Happy birthday to you ...
Then at the dead of midnight
As we watched the dancing firelight
The air grew cold
And seemed to dull the flame
The fire died
The music faded
Filled with fear of death we waited
For now we knew
Some evil was to blame
I challenge you
I challenge you all
For all you own
And all you know
And I own the powers of darkness
I will steal what is mine
Surrender now or face my spite
I grant you it may be friday night
But did you know this day
Also numbers thirteen
First I'll give you fire
I turn your fire into a sleepy stream
Yes, now I give you darkness
From your horror I'll create a dream
You cannot fight me
For I have the sword of hate
But one thing you can't see
My answer is simply
An impenetrable fortress
Of love ... love ... love ...
The fear went as quickly as it came
The air was clear
The fire burned again
The flames leapt
The organ played
The swans sang
To greet the day
And then we knew that
Love will find love will find love ..
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