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Альбом под названием «Палаш и зверь» часто недооценивают, считая, что ему не хватает законченности и гармоничности, присущей работам группы в 70-х годах, и что он слишком изобилует синтезаторами. Однако я считаю этот диск один из самых сильных в творчестве Jethro Tull. Он полон просто замечательно красивой музыки, в которой действительно много клавишных (но это, уж извините, веяния времени такие!), и интересных текстов, в которых фэнтези соседствует с зарисовками на тему современной действительности. Остановимся поподробнее на каждой песне. 1) «Beastie». Просто великолепная тема. То зловещие, то тревожные клавишные; жесткая гитара; ударные, словно бьющие точными ударами в голову. В каждом человеке есть Звереныш, т.е. страх (умереть или же, напротив, жить), но нужно противиться ему и не поддаваться. 2) «Clasp». Весьма и весьма красивая вещь, начинающаяся с грустного клавишного инструментала (которым, кстати, и заканчивается, подчеркивая тем самым цикличность), затем синтезаторы и ударные рисуют музыкальный образ быстрого, неустанного движения вперед. Люди проходят мимо друг друга как корабли, уделяют друг другу мало внимания или же притворяются, что им не наплевать; что такое дружеское рукопожатие, многие забыли. 3) «Fallen on Hard Times». Сатирическая песня с отличным хардовым гитарным звуком. Настали трудные времена, и на кого же нам полагаться – на премьер-министра или президента? Но что-то на них мало надежды. 4) «Flying Colours». Начинается с грустного фортепьяно, затем вступают клавишные и жесткая гитара. Текст посвящен взаимоотношениям между людьми, которые время от времени ссорятся и как бы встают под «развевающиеся знамена» для борьбы друг с другом. 5) «Slow Marching Band». Красивая баллада, посвященная воспоминаниям о приятных моментах и вынужденному расставанию. Перед нами предстает образ маленького бродячего оркестра, играющего мелодии по просьбе тех, кого они встречают на своем пути. Что ж, «ты заплатила дудочнику, заказала мелодию, а потом оркестр ушел прочь». Но прощаться не надо – вдруг еще будет встреча. 6) «Broadsword». Фэнтэзийная вещь с прекрасным обволакивающим синтезаторным саундом. Тревожная музыка показывает приближение противостояния со злыми силами. Все вокруг свидетельствует о том, что скоро придется защищать родную землю, так что нужно готовиться: «Принесите мне мой палаш… Принесите мне золотой крест, мой талисман». 7) «Pussy Willow». Невероятно красивая песня о романтической девушке, работающей секретарем. Она ждет своего принца, Белого Рыцаря, но ее мечты постоянно разбиваются о реальность. Когда речь идет о ее мечтах, ведется тема клавишных, одна из лучших на альбоме, в припеве же, в котором рассказывается о будничных вещах (например, о том, как она спешит на поезд или стучит на машинке), раздаются жесткие нотки. 8) «Watching Me, Watching You». Несколько зловещая, но отличная тема о человеке, который зачем-то наблюдает за проезжающими мимо него поездами, а потом появляется на вечеринке, где присутствует лирический герой. Снова прекрасная игра на синтезаторах Питера-Джона Веттиза. 9) «Seal Driver». Размеренная тема с весьма интересной гитарной игрой. Текст весьма своеобразен: «Я сделаю тебя погонщиком моих морских котиков». 10) «Cheerio». Оптимистическое завершение в виде короткой вещицы, в которой звучание клавиш несет в себе что-то средневековое: «Я наполню для тебя бокал, дорогая, подниму его и скажу: “За твое здоровье!”». Альбом можно назвать концептуальным, поскольку лейтмотивом здесь является чувство нестабильности как нас самих, так и мира вокруг нас. Мы – словно воины, вооруженные палашом и вынужденные сражаться каждый со своим собственным зверем. Очень интересна также обложка альбома, на которой Андерсон предстает в виде облаченного в доспехи рыцаря со звериными атрибутами – странными крыльями за спиной (они похожи на желтые листья с глазами по краям) и хвостом, – изображенного на какой-то средневековой картине, изображающей бушующее море, однако при этом он как будто собирается из этой картины выйти, тем самым как бы показывая, что то, что заботило людей в средние века, присутствует в жизни сейчас, разве что в видоизмененном виде. Альбом, конечно, может быть, не шедевр на все 100%, но девятки для него явно мало, поскольку впечатления от него у меня по-прежнему самые положительные. |
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Spectre with tales to tell
In the darkness when the campfire's dead
To each his private hell
If you look behind your shoulder
As you feel his eyes to feast
You can witness now
The everchanging nature of the beast
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
If you wear a warmer sporran
You can keep the foe at bay
You can pop those pills
And visit some psychiatrist who'll say:
There is nothing I can do for you
Everywhere's a danger zone
I'd love to help get rid of it
But I've got one of my own
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
There's a beast upon my shoulder
And a fiend upon my back
Feel his burning breath a heaving
Smoke oozing from his stack
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
And he moves beneath the covers
Or he lies below the bed
He's the beast upon your shoulder
And he's the price upon your head
He's the lonely fear of dying
And for some of living too
He's your private nightmare pricking
He'd just love to turn the screw
So stand as one defiant
Yes and let your voices swell
Stare that beastie in the face
And really give him hell
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
There's a beast upon my shoulder
And a fiend upon my back
Feel his burning breath a heaving
Smoke oozing from his stack
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
Beastie!
And he moves beneath the covers
Or he lies below the bed
He's the beast upon your shoulder
And he's the price upon your head
The clasp
(Anderson)
We travellers on the endless wastes
In single orbits gliding
Cold eyed march towards the dawn behind
Hard weather hoods a hiding
Meeting as the tall ships do
Passing in the channel
Afraid to chance a gentle touch
Afraid to make the clasp
In high rise city canyons
Dwells the discontent of ages
On ring roads, nose to bumper crawl
Commuters in their cages
Cryptic signals flash across
From pilots in the fast lane
Double locked and belted in
Too late to make the clasp
Let's break the journey now on some lonely road
Sit down as strangers will, let the stress unload
Talk in confidential terms, share a dark unspoken fear
Refill the cup and drink it up, say goodnight and wish good luck
Synthetic chiefs with frozen smiles
Holding unsteady courses
Grip the reins of history
High on their battle horses
And meeting as good statesmen do
Before the TV eyes of millions
Hand to hand exchange the lie
Pretend to make the clasp
Fallen on hard times
(Anderson)
Fallen on hard times but it feels good to know
That milk and honey's just around the bend
Running on bad lines, we'd better run as we go
Tear up, tear up the overdraft again
Oh, dear Prime Minister! It's all such a mess
Go right ahead and pull the rotten tooth
Oh, Mr. President! You've been put to the test
Come clean for once and hit us with the truth
Looking for sunshine, oh, but it's black and it's cold
Yet you say that milk and honey's just 'round the bend
Giving us a hard time, my friends
Handing us the same line again
Fallen on hard times and there's nowhere to hide
Now they've repossessed the Rolls Royce and the mink
Turning on the peace sign and it's back to the wood
Soon there will be raised a holy stink
Somebody wake me! I've been sleeping too long
Oh, I don't have to take this lying down
You can keep your promises, shove'em where they belong!
Don't ask me to the party, won't be around
Looking for sunshine, oh, but it's black and it's cold
Yet you say that milk and honey's just 'round the bend
Giving us a hard time, my friends
Handing us the same line again
Fallen on hard times
We've fallen on hard times
Oh, fallen on hard times
Don't you read between the lines
Flying colours
(Anderson)
Shout if you will but that just won't do
I, for one, would rather follow softer options
I'll take the easy line, another sip of wine
And if I ignore the face you wore it's just a way of mine
To keep from flying colours
Don't lay your bait while the whole world waits
Around to see me shoot you down, it's all so second rate
When we can last for days on a loving night
Or for hours at least on a warm whisper given
You always pick the best time to rise to the fight
To break the hard bargain that we've driven
Once again we're flying colours
I thought we had it out the night before
And settled old scores but not the hard way
Was it a glass too much? Or a smile too few?
Did our friends all catch the needle match? Did we want them to?
In a fancy restaurant we were all a glow
Keeping cool by mutual permission
How did the conversation get to where we came to blows?
We were set up in a red condition
And again we're flying colours
Shout but you see, it still won't do
With my colours on I can be just as bad as you
Have I had a glass too much? Did I give a smile too few?
Did our friends all catch the needle match? Did we want them to?
We act our parts so well like we wrote the play
All so predictable and we know it
We'll settle old scores now and settle the hard way
You may not even live to outgrow it
Once again we're flying colours
Flying colours
Slow marching band
(Anderson)
Would you join a slow marching band?
And take pleasure in your leaving
As the ferry sails and tears are dried
And cows come home at evening
Could you get behind a slow marching band?
And join together in the passing
Of all we shared through yesterdays
In sorrows never lasting
Take a hand and take a bow
You played for me, that's all for now
Oh and never mind the words
Just hum along and keep on going
Walk on slowly
Don't look behind you
Don't say goodbye, love!
I won't remind you
Dream of me as the nights draw cold
Still marking time through winter
You paid the piper and called the tune
And you marched the band away
Take a hand and take a bow
You played for me, that's all for now
Oh and never mind the words
Just hum along and keep on going
Walk on slowly
Don't look behind you
Don't say goodbye, love!
I won't remind you
Walk on slowly
Don't look behind you
Don't say goodbye, love!
I won't remind you
Broadsword
(Anderson)
I see a dark sail on the horizon
Set under a black cloud that hides the sun
Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding
Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman
Get up to the roundhouse on the cliff top standing
Take women and children and bed them down
Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding
Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman
Bless with a hard heart those who surround me
Bless the women and children who firm our hands
Put our backs to the north wind, hold fast by the river
Sweet memories to drive us on for the motherland
I see a dark sail on the horizon
Set under a black cloud that hides the sun
So bring me my broadsword and clear understanding
Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman
So bring me my broadsword
And a cross of gold as a talisman
Pussy Willow
(Anderson)
In the half tone light of a young morning
She sighs and shifts on the pillow
And across her face dancing the first shadows fly
To kiss the Pussy Willow
In her fairy tale world she's a lost soul singing
In a sad voice nobody hears
She waits in her castle of make believe
For her white knight to appear
Pussy Willow, down fur lined avenue
Brushing the sleep from her young woman eyes
Runs for the train, see, eight o'clock's coming
Cutting dreams down to size again
Pussy Willow, down fur lined avenue
Brushing the sleep from her young woman eyes
Runs from the train, hear her typewriter humming
Cutting dreams down to size again
She longs for the east and a pale dress flowing
An apartment in old Mayfair
Or to fish the Spey, spinning the first run of spring
Or to die for a cause somewhere
Pussy Willow, down fur lined avenue
Brushing the sleep from her young woman eyes
Runs from the train, hear her typewriter humming
Cutting dreams down to size again
Pussy Willow
Pussy Willow
Pussy Willow
Pussy Willow
Watching me, watching you
(Anderson)
I sit by the cutting on the Beaconsfield line
He's watching me, watching the trains go by
And they move so fast, boy! They really fly!
He's still watching me, watching you, watching the trains go by
And the way he stares, feel like locking my door
And pulling my phone from the wall
His eyes like lights from a laser burn
Making my hair stand, making the goose bumps crawl
He's watching me, watching you
Watching him, watching me
I'm watching you, watching him
Watching me, watching...
Stares!
At the cocktail party with a Bucks Fizz in my hand
I feel him watching me, watching the girls go by
And they move so smooth without even trying
He's still watching me, watching you, watching the trains go by
And the crowd thins and he moves up close but he doesn't speak
I have to look the other way
But curiosity gets the better part of me and I peek
Got two drinks in his hand, see his lips move, what the hell's he trying to say?
He's watching me, watching you
Watching him, watching me
I'm watching you, watching him
Watching me, watching...
Stares!
He's watching me, watching you
Watching him, watching me
He's watching me, watching you
Watching the trains go by
Stares!
Seal driver
(Anderson)
Take you away for my magic ship
I have two hundred deisel horses thundering loud
Sea birds call your name and the mountain's on fire
As the summer lightening cuts the sky like a hot wire
And you ride on the swell and your heart is alive
Think I'll make you my seal driver
I'm no great looker, I'm no fast shakes
I'll give you a steady push on a six knot simmering high tide
I can hold us down, keep our head to the wind
Or let us roll on the broadside, cold spray flying in
And we'll ride on the swell and our hearts are alive
Let me make you my seal driver
I could captain you if you'd crew for me
Follow white flecked spin drift
Float on a moonkissed sea
Could you fancy me as a pirate bold?
Or a longship viking warrior with the old gods on his side?
Well, I'm an inshore man and I'm nobody's hero
But I'll make you tight for a windy night and a dark ride
Let me take you in hand and bring you alive
Going to make you my seal driver
Cheerio
(Anderson)
Along the coast road by the headland
The early lights of winter glow
I'll pour a cup to you, my darling
And raise it up, say cheerio!