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Amii Stewart - Knock On Wood 1979
Andrea, my guitar friend, went to see Iron Maiden for free, and I, in reaction, decided to review Amii Stewart, caught in the last days of disco. Yesterday, I had written a summery limonosa review for Homo Sapiens, but somehow I started from the video and it got deleted; perhaps it was meant to be postponed. Like the ones I intend to do on Barrett's two solo albums, but I always put them off. I follow my whims, which this time turned towards Amii Stewart. Maybe it's a superstitious reaction to the tornado at the rock festival, perhaps the aftermath. Yesterday I was writing a chorus for one of my songs, which I will have to arrange with Andrea post Maiden, and I wanted to blend the psycho rock verses with a more soul rhythm, so I dug out this old 33 for inspiration.
With this tropical heat, I thought of those absurd costumes in the Knock on Wood video that tormented me along with Jealousy, another hammer hit from our disco queen. The clip, all in chroma key, and her dressed halfway between an African-American slave and an Egyptian queen - like the African Queens of the Ritchie Family - had a remarkable electrosoul groove and was all pervaded by colors of dazzling kitsch. I remember a similar gospel girl from that period, with another dance floor hit, Ring my bell by Anita Ward. Whistles, jokes, bundles, and rags, the 45 ends up in the sparkling American top parade, but the record feels more like European superstudios than skyscrapers. Who knows why, but skyscrapers have never convinced me: a party at your house, friends, sun, free love, well not that, you hear a bit of disco music, air conditioners blasting, you watch the lights of other skyscrapers, sip a Martini, make a little dance step like Alberto Sordi, Do you want to dance, dear? -Certainly Valerio, wonderful English, come with me to N.York, -No miss, no now America is here, we're all American now civilization, we too well before, now even paying for the air we breathe...Goodbye soft breeze, now we are happy lady...But dance lady, DAAANCE...Then you look at yourself in the mirror and say but what the hell am I doing, what the hell are we all doing...we'll make a crash that never ends...all this glitter, this splendor, this myth the American way of life how much it costs us, tomorrow Acea will also cut off my light. But forget all, kiss me with your lemonade lips Annalee. I don't wanna lose this good thing that I got...the Acea knock on wood, babeee iuuiuuuuuu.
The album in question is nice, to be savored all at once like a mint soda on an out-of-mind goofing off evening, without pretensions: Knock on Wood gave Amii worldwide fame, but the rest is more soul than hammer hit, and the good vocal skills emerge. My favorite song is the Doors cover Light my fire, already redone in disco style by 200 artists, Jim said it Rock is dead, just ten years before - along with Am I Losing you, You really touched my heart.
Make a collection because I need to pay the light bill, please.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Knock on Wood (06:23)
I don't want to lose you, this good thing
That I got 'cause if I do
I will surely
Surely lose a lot
'Cause your love is better
Than any love I know
It's like thunder and lightning
The way you love me is frightening
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
I'm not superstitious about ya
But I can't take no chance
I got me spinnin', baby
You know I'm in a trance
'Cause your love is better
Than any love I know
It's like thunder and lightning
The way you love me is frightening
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
It's no secret about it
That woman is my loving cup
'Cause she sees to it
That I get enough
Just one touch from here
You know it means so much
It's like thunder and lightning
The way you love me is frightening
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock, knock on wood...
06 Light My Fire (08:29)
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Baby we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
The time for heistation is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only loose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Baby we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
The time for hesitiation is through
There's no time to wallow in the mire
Try now couse we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
The time for hesitiation is through
There's no time to wallow in the mire
Try now couse we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
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