Let's rock! (XIX)
Let's rock! (XIX)
Motto: “It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful.
It has the beauty of lonelyness and of pain; of strength and freedom.
The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love”
Benjamin Britten
C`tre sf@r]itul lunii iulie 1971, topul american era dominat, la categoria "single" de melodia Indian Reservation av@nd subtitlul The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian. Hit-ul apar\ine grupului The Raiders sub conducerea lui Paul Revere. Paul, n`scut la 7 ianuarie 1938 [n Harvard, Nebraska, a crescut [n Boise, Idaho, unde a lucrat ca b`rbier [nainte de a deveni proprietarul unui restaurant drive-in. Pasionat de muzic`, ]i-a alc`tuit un grup rock, din a c`rui compozi\ie ini\ial` f`ceau parte Mark (Lindsay), Michael "Smitty" Smith , Drake ]i Fang. Grupul ]i-a schimbat pe parcurs alc`tuirea de mai multe ori, astfel [nc@t, dintre membrii "vechi" a r`mas [n cele din urm` numai Paul. Prin anii '70-'71 grupul, ocupat mai mult cu turneele, sim\ea nevoia unui hit. Ideea lui Mark Lindsay de a folosi o crea\ie mai veche a compozitorului de muzic` country John D. Loudermilk s-a dovedit salutar`. {n c@ntec era vorba de necazurile indienilor Cherokee for\a\i s` se mute de pe p`m@nturile de ba]tin` din Georgia [n Oklahoma. Mark, pe jum`tate de origine indian`, si-a zis c` e o ]ans` care trebuie [ncercat`, mai ales c` melodia mai fusese odat` hit, [n 1968, [n interpretarea lui Don Fardon. }i nu s-a [n]elat. {n vara lui 1971, single-ul cu Indian Reservation s-a v@ndut [n patru milioane de exemplare ]i a dominat timp de o s`pt`m@n` topul american. A fost prima ]i ultima lor crea\ie care a reu]it o astfel de performan\`. "They took the whole Cherokee nation / Put us on this reservation / Took away our ways of life / The tomahawk and the bow and knife / Took away our native tongue / And taught their English to our young / And all the beads we made by hand / Are nowadays made in Japan // Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe / So proud to live, so proud to die". Melodia se [ncheie, optimist, cu fraza: "But maybe someday when they learn / Cherokee nation will return"... O idee pe c@t de generoas`, pe at@t de utopic`, precum dorin\a grupului de a mai reveni [n top. Civiliza\ia modern` nu le-a mai oferit indienilor m`rgele [n schimbul pam@ntului ancestral, ci dreptul de a deschide cazinouri, de pe urma c`rora ]efii lor de trib c@]tig` suficient ca s` nu le mai pese de restul muritorilor.
O s`pt`m@n` dup` succesul lui Paul Revere, o alt` pies` urca pe primul loc [n top-ul de la Billboard: You've Got A Friend [n interpretarea lui James Taylor. "When you're down and troubled / And you need some love and care / And nothin', nothin' is goin' right / Close your eyes and think of me / And soon I will be there / To brighten up even your darkest night. // You just call out my name / And you know wherever I am / I'll come runnin' to see you again. / Winter, spring, summer or fall / All you have to do is call / And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah. / You've got a friend."
James s-a n`scut [n 1948, la Boston, mama sa Trudy fiind sopran` liric`, iar tat`l s`u Isaac ajung@nd decan al Facult`\ii de medicin` de pe l@ng` Universitatea din Carolina de Nord. Timbrul cald, inspir@nd [ncredere, al vocii lui James Taylor, stilul lui introspectiv, cu accente folk, i-au conferit un loc de frunte [ntre interpre\ii de soft rock. De-a lungul carierei sale James a c@]tigat patru premii Grammy, inclusiv titlul de "cel mai bun interpret vocal pop" [n 1971 pentru You've Got a Friend.
Marele succes american al Bee Gees-ilor din luna august 1971 a fost How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. "I can think of younger days / When living for my life / Was everything a man could want to do / I could never see tomorrow / But I was never told about the sorrow // And how can you mend a broken heart? / How can you stop the rain from falling down? / How can you stop the sun from shining? / What makes the world go round? // How can you mend a this broken man? / How can a loser ever win? / Please help me mend my broken heart / And let me live again" Superbe versuri, [nc`rcate de suferin\`, pe care melodia lini]titoare o atenueaz` [n mod fericit. C@ntecul a fost compus ini\ial pentru Andy Williams; c@nd acesta a refuzat oferta, Bee Gees au hot`r@t s` [l [nregistreze ei [n]i]i. Dup` spusele lui Robin Gibb, "the writing of it was neither a struggle nor a hardship. The whole thing took about an hour to complete. The song reached the
number one spot, to our great satisfaction.". Ce [nseamn` s` ai talent!...
Un mare succes l-a avut ]i Paul McCartney cu al s`u Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, melodie semnat` Paul and Linda McCartney. Ajuns pe primul loc la Billboard la [nceputul lui septembrie 1971, c@ntecul este probabil cea mai reu]it` realizare a lui Paul [n stilul "peticit". Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey a fost produs prin punerea cap la cap (nu f`r` profesionalism, ce-i drept) a unor fr@nturi de melodii disparate, mai mult idei melodice, f`r` leg`tur` unele cu altele. De]i procedeul e cam ieftin pentru un muzician de talent ]i te face s` te g@nde]ti la un om [n criz` de inspira\ie, single-ul a "prins" suficient la publicul american pentru a asigura lui Paul, pentru o s`pt`m@n`, locul frunta]. Versurile sunt cum nu se poate mai relevante pentru stilul compozi\iei: "We're so sorry Uncle Albert / But we haven't done a bloody thing all day / We're so sorry Uncle Albert / But the kettle's on the boil, and we're so easily called away... / Hands across the water, water, heads across the sky / Hands across the water, water, heads across the sky // Admiral Halsey notified me / He had to have a berth or he couldn't get to sea / I had another look and I had a cup of tea / And a butter pie / Butter pie? The butter wouldn't melt so they put it in a pie // Hands across the water, water, heads across the sky..."
{n luna octombrie, un alt britanic cucerea inimile iubitorilor de muzic` de pe ambele maluri ale Atlanticului: Rod Stewart cu melodia Maggie May. Versurile povestesc experien\a amoroas` nefericit` a unui elev (ah, vremurile adolescen\ei!) cu o femeie nep`s`toare. O crea\ie care [mbin` superb stilurile folk ]i pop, cu dragostea ]i triste\ea, evoc@nd nostalgia unui sf@r]it de var`. "Wake up Maggie / I think I've got something to say toyou / It's late September / And I really should be back at school / I know I keep you amused / But I feel I'm being used / Oh, Maggie I couldn't have tried anymore // You led me away from home / Just to save you from being alone / You stole my heart and / That's what really hurts // All I needed was a friend of lend a guiding hand / It's learning to a lover and / Mother what a lover and you wore me out / All you do is wreck my bed / And in the morning kick me in the head / Oh, Maggie I couldn't have tried anymore // You led me away from home / Just to save you from being alone / You stole my heart / I couldn't leave if I tried"...
Pe c@nd am auzit prima oar` melodia era prin vara lui '72, eram [n plin` sesiune si trebuia s` [nv`\ pentru examenul de Tehnologia Materialelor. De la fereastra camerei mele m` uitam din c@nd [n c@nd (cam des) afar`, ]i era o vreme superb`, fete [mbr`cate [n rochii de var` plecau cu b`ie\ii la ]trand, pe terenul din apropierea blocului nostru o trup` vesel` juca volei... }i eu trebuia s` stau [n`untru ]i s` mai ]i [nv`\, pe deasupra... Cine o fi fost sadicul care a inventat sesiunile de examene de var`?
"I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school / Or steal my daddy's cue and make a living out of playing pool / Or find myself a rock and roll band that needs a helpin' hand / Oh Maggie I wish I'd never seen your face / You made a first-class fool out of me / But I'm as blind as a fool can be / You stole my heart but I love you anyway"...
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Florin R. Matache - Toronto 8/20/2003 |
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