XTC mi ricorda tanto quella Lucy in the sky with dimonds (L.S.D.) dei Beatles che tanto fu criticata per lo strana relazione di parole, in quanto si pronuncia "ecstasy". Questa cosa accomuna un pò i due gruppi, band essenziali, ognuna a modo proprio, dei periodi in cui vissuti, amati dai fan e odiati dai gruppi rivali per il successo ottenuto.
Formati da Andy Partridge (chitarra, voce, tastiere), Colin Moulding (basso e voce), Terry Chambers (batteria) e Barry Andrews (tastiere), in seguito eliminato dalla band, colpiscono subito, originali e unici come pochi gruppi nella New Wave (uno dei miei generi preferiti insieme alla mia cara psichedelia).
Nel 1978 per la Virgin (onnipresente etichetta della New Wave) esce questo primo album della band: "White Music", brillante esempio di pop-punk, diverso dagli album successivi, meno curato, meno sdolcinato (anche se meno bello), grande esempio di musica fine '70. Il disco si apre con "Radios In Motion", basso pulsante, chitarra graffiante, schiamazzi di Partridge e spettacolare coro... mescola bene... CAPOLAVORO! Grande emozione ti scorre per le vene, pura esaltazione o felicità per aver azzeccato il disco giusto, pezzo forte del disco e della band. Segue "Xwires", schizofrenia allo stato puro, scoreggine progressive (con tutto il rispetto al progressive), composizione da P.I.L. basata sulla follia dei vari suoni che sono riusciti ad uscire, nonostante le manette, dalla mentalità di Moulding. "This Is Pop" è un altro esaltante classico, già simile ai pezzi futuri, melodico e duro allo stesso tempo, buon equilibrio nel disco. "Do What You Do" è una partita a scacchi tra la tastiera e al cantato assillante da asilo... piripiri.... bum bum bum... come sono bravi! (scusate la mia insenità mentale avanzata).
"Statue Of Liberty" è una grande composizione degna del miglior Partridge, cantato punk con coro commerciale tipo... ohohohhhhhh! Grande assolo di tastiera, semplicissimo ma di effetto, strano pezzo, mi piace... Conclude la prima facciata la strana versione di "All Along The Watch Tower", splendido giro di basso che gareggia a farsi sentire di più con l'armonica, Partridge qui supera se stesso dando esempio delle sue doti canore!!! ( ognuno la intenda come gli pare!). "Atom Age" apre la seconda facciata, pezzo più rappresentativo del disco anche se non più bello, si nota bene la strana armonia tra il punk e il pop che ti stupisce ad ogni ascolto. "Set My Self On Fire" è un pezzo che si inserirebbe bene su 'London Calling' dei Clash se non fosse per la voce, forse il peggior brano. "I'm Bugged" è la prova che le tastiere negli xtc ci stanno proptio bene dando un tocco in più d'insanità mentale, inferiore solo ai Devo (mitici e imbattibili!!!)... Mongoloid mongoloid.. (scusatemi di nuovo). "New Town Animal" è un'altro zumpa zumpa tipico del disco, sempre piacevole. "Spinning Top" sà di Jazz, forse per la chitarra e la tastiera (è una mia inutile impressione). Il disco si conclude con "Neon Shuffle" grandi giri di basso e di chitarra per un sound alla Beach Boys uniti ai Devo... che bomba!!!
Comunque sia leggete la recensione di 'Drums and Wires', 'English Settlement' e 'Black Sea' che sono i loro miglior dischi!
Saluti da Psychobonco!!!
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Radios in Motion (02:54)
There's a message up in China
That they getting in Japan
Bouncing off an ocean liner
Make em shake em in Siam
All the kids are complaining
That there's nowhere to go
All the kids are complaining
That the songs are too slow
All I'm saying is you're deaf
To the fact that there's....
Radios in motion
Atmosphere to ocean
Radios in motion
Gets you out of your red white and blues
When we move then so do you'se
There's a message in Milwaukee
That they getting in Moscow
Everybody walkie talkie
Everybody learning how
All the kids are complaining etc....
03 This Is Pop (02:41)
In a milk bar and feeling lost
Drinking sodas as cold as frost
Someone leans in my direction
Quizzing on my juke-box selection
What do you call that noise
That you put on?
This is pop
Yeah Yeah
This is!
On a walkway and moving fast
All I get is transistor blast
Someone leans in my direction
Quizzing on my station selection
What do you call that noise
That you put on?
This is pop
Yeah yeah
This is!
We come the wrong way
We come the long way
We play the songs much too loud
This is pop
Yeah yeah
05 Statue of Liberty (02:54)
The first time I saw you standing in the water
You must have been all of a thousand feet tall
Nearly naked, unashamed like Herod's daughter
Your love was so big it made New York look small
You've been the subject of so many dreams
Since I climbed your torso
Oh, my statue of liberty, boo-boo
Impaled on your hair, what do you do-do-do to me, boo-boo
I leaned right over to kiss your stoney book
A little jealous of the ships with whom you flirt
A billion lovers with their cameras stop to look
And in my fantasy I sail beneath your skirt
You've been the subject of so many dreams
Since I climbed your torso
Oh, my statue of liberty, boo-boo
Impaled on your hair, what do you do-do-do to me, boo-boo
Say
Pop me
Oh, my statue of liberty, boo-boo
Impaled on your hair, what do you do-do-do to me, boo-boo
Say, oh, my statue of liberty, boo-boo
Impaled on your hair, what do you do-do-do to me, boo-boo
Liberty
Liberty
Liberty
06 All Along the Watchtower (05:42)
"There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief,
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl
07 Into the Atom Age (02:33)
I'm heading into the atom age
My contemporary house is all the rage
My wife's getting lazy going gadget crazy
Wants a pallette shaped coffee table and a matching settee
I'm heading into the atom age
My kids have gone obscene want to marry at fourteen
Want a pallette shaped coffee table and a matching settee
I'm heading into the atom age
I flick on the video to soothe me
It's better colour than the real thing!
I relax to a three D porno movie
Hey does anyone remember whatever happened to string?
I'm heading into the atom age
10 New Town Animal in a Furnished Cage (01:53)
I think my watch has bust and so has time
I borrowed all my love so nothings mine
There's nothing decent on the TV page
Like a new town animal in a furnished cage
It's gone eleven and the bar is shut
I'm sitting waiting like a real good mutt
I watch TV with an actor's rage
Like a new town animal in a furnished cage
11 Spinning Top (02:40)
I'm like a spinning top
Going round and around
Well I don't know what's up
And I sure don't know what's down
Now watch me - I'm like a spinning top
Can't tell day from night
Well I don't know what's wrong
And I sure don't know what's right
Now watch me
It started when I heard your song of love
Pouring down like honey from above
I started to spin
I started to move
Just like a needle
That's sticking in the same old groove
I'm like a spinning top
I like it so much I'm never going to stop
12 Neon Shuffle (04:28)
Hey - what you going to do now
You're standing there and wondering how
You've got to make some noise
Just like one of the girls
Or even one of the boys
When you do it
It ain't no disgrace
I can see it written all across your face
Neon Shuffle and shuffle into Outer Space
I said - Neon Shuffle is a dance for the human race
I said - Neon Shuffle is gonna pull you outta your place
You - you put your hands together
Better make up a storm
Or some electricky weather
Now that the power's stop
Can you click your heels
Can you finger pop
Neon Shuffle
Neon Shuffle it's going to do it to me
Neon Shuffle it's going to do it to you
Neon Shuffle it's going to do it with red
Neon Shuffle it's going to do it with blue
Neon Shuffle it's going to run you right through
Neon Shuffle with a stick of bamboo
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