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Rating: A cold and foggy morning wraps the city, an ideal climate for a mystical walk to the sound of Portishead; my eye falls on their latest work, the Live in New York, dated a too distant 1997... I immediately understand that it will not be an ordinary walk through the chilled streets, but a pilgrimage of sensations...
A shiver, the air is definitely cold, but it's not the temperature that shakes me, rather the first notes of "Humming", I am immediately engulfed by a sense of unease, enveloping and paradoxically reassuring, that will never leave me throughout the listening; the presence of the orchestra in the concert doesn't take anything away from the original arrangement, but instead adds fullness to the entire structure, culminating in the mythical voice of Beth Gibbons, a voice that in "Cowboys" is at times hysterical and imploring... the sun, shy and respectful, tries to pierce the misty blanket but doesn't succeed, everything remains muffled like the smoky black and white film atmospheres given to me by "All Mine"; time passes without me realizing it, instead, I notice the blatant melancholy conveyed by "Mysterons", a feeling I don't try to chase away but instead, I relish and let myself be pervaded by; I decide to stop and sit on a cold wall, thoughts wander quickly, "Only You" on the other hand is calm, with delicate and sinuous sounds, the only moment where unease gives way. "Half Day Closing" with its dramatic progression, and its ending full of horror screams makes me turn around abruptly to check that no one is behind me, the involvement is now total.
"Over" brings me a certain tranquility, so I decide to get up and resume my emotional journey, just the time of a scarf wrap and already the notes of "Glory Box" spread through me, and here the ideal atmospheres are embodied in a girl who crosses my path, in her, despite the fog, a deep melancholy is perceived and her eyes sing like Beth "Give me a reason...", I feel like reaching out my hand to her, but our paths go in opposite directions... I watch her disappear into the gray mist and her sad thoughts. I try to resume my path, it's almost time to return and Beth's lament in "Sour Times" insistently insinuates itself in my head. "Nobody loves me", she repeats it so many times that I almost start to believe her. The ending is chilling, the lament becomes heartbreaking, obsessive and deeply heartfelt. Moving; I head home, with "Roads" you enter roads of disarming beauty, sweet sounds and a sweet voice evoke melancholic yet romantic images, I let myself be cradled, and without realizing it, one is almost moved by the delicacy of this song. I find myself outside my home, the journey is over, I remain to listen to the overwhelming finale of "Strangers", the rush of the violins, the exasperated scratch. An unconditional reflex, is to find my applause joining that of the NY audience, I stand on the sidewalk clapping my hands, some passersby give me sideways looks. But who cares.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Humming (06:37)
Closer;
No hesitation.
Give me
All that you have.
And it's been so long,
That I can't explain.
And it's been so long;
Right now, so wrong.
Naked,
My thoughts are creepin.
Too late;
The show has begun.
Cause it's been so long,
That I can't confess;
And it's been so wrong,
Right now,
So wrong.
Is it all as it seems?
So unresolved; so unredeemed?
If I remain, how will I know?
Cause it's been so long that I can't be sure.
And it's been so wrong;
Right now, so wrong.
02 Cowboys (05:02)
Did you sweep us far from your feet
Reset in stone this stark belief
Salted eyes and a soiled dye
Too many years
But don't despair this day, will be their damnedest day
Ooh, if you take these things from me
Did you feed us tales of deceit
Conceal the tongues who need to speak
Subtle lies and a soiled queen
The truth is sold, the deal is done
But don't despair this day, will be their damnedest day
Ooh, if you take these things from me
Undefied, no signs of regret
Your swollen pride assumes respect
Talons fly as a last disguise
But no return, the time has come
So don't despair this day, will be their damnedest day
Ooh, if you take these things from me
Ooh, if you take these things from me
03 All Mine (04:03)
All the stars may shine bright
All the clouds may be white
But when you smile
Oh how I feel so good
That I can hardly wait
To hold you
Enfold you
Never enough
Render your heart to me
All mine
You have to be
From that cloud, number nine
Danger starts the sharp incline
And such sad regrets
Oh as those starry skies
As they swiftly fall
Make no mistake
You shan't escape
Tethered and tied
There's nowhere to hide from me
All mine
You have to be
So don't resist
We shall exist
Until the day
Until the day I die
All mine
You have to be
04 Mysterons (05:45)
Inside you're pretending
Crimes have been swept aside
Somewhere where they can forget
Divine upper reaches
Still holding on
This ocean will not be grasped
All for nothing
Did you really want?
Did you really want?
Did you really want?
Did you really want?
Refuse to surrender
Strung out until ripped apart
Who dares, dares to condemn
All for nothing
Did you really want?
Did you really want?
Did you really want?
Did you really want?
06 Half Day Closing (04:14)
In the days, the golden days
When everybody knew what they wanted
It ain't here today
Through the times of lasting love
when parents talked of things tried and tested
They don't feel the same
Dreams and belief have gone
Time, like a thief, goes on
From beyond the shrinking skies
Where money talks and leaves us hypnotized
It dont' pave the way
Underneath the fading sun
The silent sum of a businessman
Has left us choking
Dreams and belief have gone
Time, like a thief, goes on
In the days, the golden days
When everybody knew what they wanted
It ain't here today
Dreams and belief have gone
Time, like a thief, goes on
08 Glory Box (05:38)
I'm so tired
Of playing,
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
Just. . .
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be...
A woman.
I just wanna be a woman.
From this time, unchained
We're all looking at a different picture
Through this new frame of mind
A thousand flowers could bloom
Move over, and give us some room,
Yeah
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be...
A woman.
I just wanna be a woman.
(Instrumental)
So don't you stop bein' a man
Just take a little look from our side when you can
Sow a little tenderness
No matter if you cry
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be here;
A woman.
It's all I wanna be is a woman
For this is the beginning of forever and ever
Its time to move over
I'm so tired, of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
09 Sour Times (05:20)
To pretend no one can find
The fallacies of morning rose
Forbidden fruit, hidden eyes
Courtesies that I despise in me
Take a ride, take a shot now
Cause nobody loves me, it's true
Not like you do
Covered by the blind belief
That fantasies of sinful screens
Bear the facts, assume the dye
End the vows no need to lie, enjoy
Take a ride, take a shot now
Cause nobody loves me, it's true
Not like you do
Who am I, what and why
Cause all I have left is my memories of yesterday
Ohh these sour times
Cause nobody loves me, it's true
Not like you do
After time, the bitter taste
Of innocence, descent or race
Scattered seeds, buried lives
Mysteries of our disguise revolve
Circumstance will decide
Cause nobody loves me, it's true
Not like you
Nobody loves me, it's true
Not like you do
10 Roads (05:52)
Ohh, can't anybody see
We've got a war to fight
Never found our way
Regardless of what they say
How can it feel, this wrong
From this moment
How can it feel, this wrong
Storm.. in the morning light
I feel
No more can I say
Frozen to myself
I got nobody on my side
And surely that ain't right
And surely that ain't right
Ohh, can't anybody see
We've got a war to fight
Never found our way
Regardless of what they say
How can it feel, this wrong
From this moment
How can it feel, this wrong
How can it feel, this wrong
From this moment
How can it feel, this wrong
Ohh, can't anybody see
We've got a war to fight
Never found our way
Regardless of what they say
How can it feel, this wrong
From this moment
How can it feel, this wrong
11 Strangers (05:22)
Ohh...
Can anybody see the light
Where the morn meets the dew
And the tide rises
Did you realise no one can see inside your view?
Did you realise forwhy this sight belongs to you?
Ohh...
Just set aside your fears of life
With the sole desire
Done it warning
Done in now
This ain't real
On in this side
Done it warning
Done in now
This ain't real
On in this side
Done it warning
Done in now
This ain't real
Done it warning
Done in now
This ain't real
On in this side
Ohh...
Oh can anybody see the light
Where the morn meets the dew
And the tide rises
Did you realise no one can see inside your view?
Did you realise, forwhy this sight belongs to you?
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By ZannaB
Now there’s only a charming music that drips into my soul, like the tears shed for that pain.
That foolish memory is what best describes 'Roseland NYC Live.'
