Siamo nel 1991 e sua eccellenza Edoardo Lodovico Van Halen apre il nono disco (F.u.c.k) della band sua omonima a colpi di trapano; no, non sta costruendo la cameretta del figliolo, ma sta, come suo solito, esplorando i limiti di sopportazione di una sei corde attaccata ad un ampli. “Poundcake” è una di quelle canzoni che l’hard rock non avrebbe mai dovuto smettere di sfornare: la voce di Sammy Hagar arriva carica e adrenalinica come al solito, il resto del gruppo ha trovato un’amalgama nel sound ormai perfetta, le schitarrate furiose di Eddie sono ben accompagnate dalle ritmiche impazzite del fratellone, lo si nota nella praticamente metal “Judgement Day”.
“Spanked” è il tipico pezzone dal groove strappa braccia, tipologia che troverà sublimazione in “Amsterdam”, contenuta nel successivo “Balance”. Con “Runaround” si comincia ad avere la sensazione di trovarsi nel bel mezzo di una pista ciclabile in Venice Beach mentre le due classiche biondone in pattini e costume fluorescente, che ti hanno appena sorpassato, si girano per salutarti ammiccanti. La successiva “Pleasure Dome” lascia spiazzati, pezzo quasi meditativo oserei dire, le percussioni incalzano ma la band sembra voler costruire qualcosa di diverso dai soliti riff a bruciapelo, si allontana dagli schemi collaudati quel poco che basta per variare l’atmosfera, per poi ripiombare a bordo di una spider decapottabile con lo stereo a palla ed i capelli che si lasciano spettinare dai soli di mastro Eddie, più o meno supportati da wha wha come in “In ‘N Out”.
“Man On A Mission” costruisce una bella strofa e un buon bridge ma il ritornello risulta stucchevole e terribilmente già sentito sebbene lo psicopatico imbracciante “ascia” faccia di tutto per sconvolgerci. Quasi l’opposto “The Dream is over” dove il riff “mutato” richiama piacevolmente la storica “Ain’t Talking About Love”, mentre il ritornello galleggia, stranamente leggero, fra cori e falsetti. E’ con la traccia numero 9 “Right Now” che arriva il bello, Edward si mette il vestito buono e come per le grandi occasioni si siede al piano, tirando giù una melodia da colonna sonora che rimarrà nella storia del gruppo. Con “316” Van Halen cerca di farsi perdonare dal figlio Wolfgang il suo scarso amore per il “fai da te” regalandogli questo pezzo acustico classicheggiante, piacevole ma non fa gridare al miracolo.
“Top of the world” rappresenta l’apice, il culmine che ti fa balzare dalla sedia a suonare il riffone senza plettro né chitarra, quello che i vecchi banali disimpegnati amanti del rock ‘n roll cafone e balordo si aspettano da un disco dei Van Halen, quindi consiglio caldamente questo disco ai succitati figlioli della pietra che rotola, non considerandolo niente di particolarmente rilevante all’interno della complessiva discografia del gruppo, ma comunque mantiene un buon livello per chi adora sollazzarsi con del sano rock.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Poundcake (05:21)
Ahh, yeah
Yeah, she's gotta have soul
Or it won't feel right
We'll just play, clean and simple
Wrapped up, nice and tight
In a home grown and down home
That makes a woman
Cookin' up that old time, long lost recipe, for me
It's gettin' hard to find
Guess it ain't hip enough now
You take an average guy
Who can't identify
And there's a short supply
Ooh, of the fine, fine stuff
Lemme get on, lemme get on, lemme get on some of that
Shake it up, pick it out nice
Lemme get on, lemme get on, lemme get on outta there
I still love my baby's poundcake
Home grown and down home
Yeah, that's the woman
Still cookin' up an old time, long lost recipe
Lemme get on some of that
Uh ha, uh ha, ho
Uh ha, uh ha, ho
I want some of that
Uh ha, uh ha, ho
Gimme some of that
Uh ha, uh ha, ha
Oh, got some real fine poundcake
I've been out there
Tried a little bit of everything
But it's all sex without love
I found the real thing is poundcake
Home grown and down home
Yeah, that's the woman
Still cookin' with that old time, long lost recipe, yeah, woo
She's down home and down home
Ohh, that's my woman
Gimme some of that
Uh ha, uh ha, ho
Uh ha, uh ha, ho
Lemme hold that
Uh ha, uh ha, ho, uh!
Uh ha, uh ha ho, yeah
Home grown and down home, woo
C'mon, baby
Gimme some of that
Gimme some of that
Home grown, way down home, yeah
Uh ha, uh ha, ho, yeah
Gimme some of that, woo
C'mon baby
03 Spanked (04:52)
Uh!
Hey!
I'm all feet up, watchin' TV
Someplace to feast my eyes, oh
Well, I've always tripped on commercials, yeah yeah
This one blew my mind, oh, uh, hey!
(Ooh) Tell me, who ya gonna call when you need that affection?
(Ooh) Ya got to have it quick (Got to have it quick)
(Ooh) Well just a-hang your love line in her direction. Whoa
All you bad, bad boys. Call her up on the spank line. Uh!
Yeah! All you bad, bad boys. Call her up on the spank line. Uh
Whoa! Oh!
Three dollars, first minute (gosh, man!) After that, cost ya four
And she be up for negotiations, mmm hmmm
If you call back for more, oh oh oh ah!
(Ooh) Now who ya gonna call when you need that special
(Special) Little somethin'? Mmm
(Ooh) You can say what you like. It's all confidential. Whoa!
All you bad, bad boys. Call her up on the spank line. Huh!
All you bad, bad boys. Call her up on the spank line. Whoa!
(Guitar Solo)
Hey!
All you bad, bad boys
Make a mind blow!
All you bad, bad boys
Dial 1-900-SPANKED!
All you bad, bad boys. Call her up on the spank line. Uh! Hey!
All you bad, bad boys. Call her up on the spank line. Uh!
All you bad, bad boys. Yeah, it's a spank line
Yeah. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
All you bad (woo!) bad boys. Just, call her up. Ha! Call her up
1-900-SPANKED! (All you bad, bad boys)
1-900-SPANKED! You bad bad bad boys. Just call her up
(All you bad, bad boys)
It's a spank line. Yeah! oh! Ow
1-900-SPANKED
All you bad bad bad...
04 Runaround (04:21)
Oh-oh! Mmm-hmm!
Ow!
That's right
She don't like it when it's cut n' dry
And don't like me makin' future plans
And don't want me tryin' to pin her down
She ain't about to give an inch of ground, no!
Woo!
Well, she can take me for a little ride
Just as long as she drive me home
Around the block, maybe once or twice
And then some lovin'. Wouldn't that be nice? Yeah!
I won't, but I want it
Oh, what a fool believes
I got her in my sight, but just outta reach. Oh-oh!
Here we go around (Round round round)
Run, run, runaround, yeah (Round round round round)
Here we go around (Round round round)
She givin' me the runaround, yeah. Ow! (Round round round round)
Uh! A-just enough to keep me hangin' on
She knows exactly what I need
And right down to the nick o' time
I'm chasin' love down a fine, fine line. Ow!
I won't, but I want it
Oh, what a fool believes
I got her in my sight, but just outta reach. Whoa!
Here we go around (Round round round)
Run, run, runaround, yeah (Round round round round)
here we go around (Round round round)
She givin' me the runaround (Round round round round)
uh! Oh-ow!
(Guitar Solo)
Yeah-hey yeah!
Oh yeah
Ooh. Ah. It goes like this
Listen baby. Ssss, ooh, ow, ah, uh
Oh man, it's hard enough, yeah
And you make it harder
Ah, fill me up, I'm never satisfied
Own me. She owns it.
Here we go around (Round round round)
Run, run, runaround, yeah (Round round round round)
Here we go around (Round round round)
She givin' me the runaround (Round round round round)
Here we go around (Round round round)
Run, run, runaround (Round round round round)
Here we go around (Round round round)
She givin' me the runaround (Round round round round)
Nooo!
Round and around
Oh, I like it
Uh, I like it
Yeah! But I like it
Baby, say I like it
Uh! I said I like it
Ooh! I like it
09 Right Now (05:21)
Don't wanna wait 'til tomorrow
Why put it off another day?
One by one, little problems
Build up, and stand in our way, oh!
One step ahead, one step behind it
Now you gotta run to get even
Make future plans I'll dream about yesterday, hey!
Come on turn, turn this thing around
(Right now)
Hey! It's your tomorrow
(Right now)
Come on, it's everything
(Right now)
Catch your magic moment
Do it right here and now
It means everything
Miss a beat, you lose the rhythm
And nothin' falls into place, aah
Only missed by a fraction
Slipped a little off your pace, oh!
The more things you get, the more you want
Just trade in one for another
Workin' so hard to make it easy
Whoa, got to turn, come on, turn this thing around
(Right now)
Hey! It's your tomorrow
(Right now)
Come on, it's everything
(Right now)
Catch that magic moment
Do it right here and now
It means everything
It's enlightened me
Right now
What are you waitin' for?
Ohh, yeah
Right now
(Right now)
Hey! It's your tomorrow
(Right now)
Come on, it's everything
(Right now)
Catch that magic moment
And do it right
(Right now)
Ohh, right now
It's what's happening
Right here and now
Right now, it's right now
Ohh
Tell me, what are you waitin' for?
Turn this thing around
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