Nel 2005 ebbi la fortuna e il piacere di veder pubblicati i nuovi lavori in studio di due dei nomi del rock che amo maggiormente: Kate Bush e Neil Young. Per la talentuosa musicista inglese si trattava del primo album in dodici anni, il precedente era stato The Red Shoes nel 1993, e l'attesa era naturalmente alle stelle. Perfezionista al limite del maniacale e da sempre poco interessata alle leggi di mercato, Kate diede alle stampe l'ambizioso doppio cd Aerial, che poco sorprendentemente non deluse le aspettative, rivelandosi opera complessa e refrattaria alle mode del momento, fedele al percorso sonoro interrotto anni prima ma, al contempo, innovativa e al passo con i tempi. Insomma, dal mio personale punto di vista un progetto riuscitissimo. Per quanto riguarda lo straordinario artista canadese, da sempre prolifico e versatile, in quel 2005 realizzò Prairie Wind, che si concentrava sull'aspetto più morbido e acustico della sua produzione, tanto caro a chi apprezza dischi come Harvest. All'epoca pensai che Young, ormai sulla sessantina, avesse deciso di concentrarsi su un tranquillo per quanto efficace country / folk / rock di campagna... Ebbene, appena un anno dopo il buon Neil mi avrebbe smentito alla grande, ma questa è un'altra storia.
In entrambi gli album, emessi nello stesso anno e distanti anni luce a livello musicale, Elvis palesò la sua presenza, perché tanto Kate Bush quanto Neil Young gli dedicarono un brano. Inutile dire quanto apprezzai la sorpresa.
In King Of The Mountain (che su singolo raggiunse il 4° posto in UK e Italia) la Bush traccia un profilo del Re e della sua corte, in bilico tra l'opprimente solitudine di chi ha raggiunto un livello di fama così elevato, da qui la montagna, e la vana esigenza, sospesa tra fantasia e realtà, di stabilire un contatto più diretto con un personaggio leggendario, L'omaggio di Neil Young ha un titolo altrettanto esplicito, He Was The King e un testo decisamente meno onirico, nel quale per mezzo di una serie di istantanee viene rievocata e tratteggiata la storia di Elvis.
He Was The KingNeil Young
The last time I saw Elvis He was shooting at a colour TV The phones were ringing in the pink motel And the rest is history He was the King
The last time I saw Elvis He was singing a gospel song You could tell he had the feeling And the whole world sang along He was the King
The last time I saw Elvis He was up on the silver screen Pushing a plough in a black and white movie And everybody started to scream Yes, he was the King
The last time I saw Elvis It was some kind of Vegas dream Spotlights flashed on a silver cape And a blue-haired lady screamed He was the King
The last time I saw Elvis He was fronting a three-piece band Rocking on the back of a flatbed truck With an old guitar in his hand He was the King
The last time I saw Elvis
The last time I saw Elvis He was riding in a pink Cadillac Wind was blowing through his hair And he never did look back He was the King
Thank you very much
The last time I saw Elvis He was singing that gospel song You could tell that he had the feeling And the whole world sang along He was the King
He was the King He was the Kingetc.
Elvis has left the arena
*****
King Of The Mountain
Kate Bush
Could you see the aisles of women?
Could you see them screaming and weeping?
Could you see the storm rising?
Could you see the guy who was driving?
Could you climb higher and higher?
Could you climb right over the top?
Why does a multi-millionaire
Fill up his home with priceless junk?
The wind is whistling
The wind is whistling
Through the house
Elvis are you out there somewhere
Looking like a happy man?
In the snow with Rosebud
And king of the mountain
Another Hollywood waitress
Is telling us she's having your baby
And there's a rumour that youre on ice
And you will rise again someday
And that there's a photograph
Where youre dancing on your grave
The wind is whistling
The wind is whistling
Through the house
Elvis are you out there somewhere
Looking like a happy man?
In the snow with Rosebud
And king of the mountain
The wind it blows
The wind it blows the door close
(Foto: web)