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Rating: A few mornings ago I was in the car, about to, as I do every day, head to work. That morning, like many others of mine, I got up with the usual problems/anxieties from the day before. At the wheel, I was thinking about everything and nothing in particular. Suddenly, I don't know why, my attention was drawn to the figure of a young girl. She was sitting quietly on the edge of a lonely country road. But the most peculiar thing was the smile she had plastered on her face. It was a very strange smile, as if she was on earth, and her thoughts were sitting somewhere else on a cloud, with feet dangling barely out of her lips. Now, God has quarreled a little with all of us, some more, some less. He created and deciphered the world through us and then abandoned us. And just seeing a simple smile is enough to understand how much we have distanced ourselves and continue to move away from the center of the universe, which once belonged to us. And how little it would take to dismantle the gray of the world. I wrote a song about it, it's called "Cow", and it contains everything that young girl told me with her smile.
Mark.
I received this letter from Mark, along with a tape of his home recordings. The songs are very raw, but in my opinion, they conceal a treasure. They are songs of unusual sweetness and original beauty. Mark is undoubtedly a person with problems, and I fear that sooner or later he might do something foolish. After all, great sensitivity has its price. And deep down, I think it's true, as the European philosopher said, that only great chaos can produce a dancing star.
The songs, as I mentioned, are islands of wrenching beauty. Aside from "Cow", a country-rock song with an emotional crescendo of undeniable charm, with the accompaniment of a banjo and accordion keeping pace, there are others that I think deserve to be known and to emerge from the narrow world of this tape: "Saturday", a ballad perhaps dedicated to a lost love, in which Mark's singing recalls the collapse of a dam (as a great Italian singer-songwriter known to few here said), "Someday I Will Treat You Good", an energetic rock with a steady rhythm, a furious song against the ghosts of the future, and also "Sad and Beautiful World", a slow and melancholic declaration of wrenching love towards the world, which I imagine was inspired by a phrase spoken by Roberto Benigni (the Italian actor whom Mark seems to have become friends with through Tom Waits) in 'Down by Law.'
Finally, "Heart Of Darkness", a whispered mid-tempo, enriched by a slide guitar and presumably inspired by Conrad, and perhaps dedicated to all the hearts of darkness scattered around the world, and a little to himself..
There's not much more I think needs to be said, now all that's left is for someone to notice him, I'll do my best to make sure it happens.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
06 Tears on Fresh Fruit (02:07)
just when you've found your way to
the boiler room
they come and dig you out
with picks and shovels and
acetelyne torches
I couldn't do nothing but watch as her tears fell on fresh fruit
behind the boney walls of my skull
there was playing a lullaby
la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la
we're just trying to be free
of our bodies
our stomachs full of liquor
all our lungs
full of water
I couldn't do nothing but watch as her tears fell on fresh fruit
behind the boney walls of my skull
there was playing a lullaby
la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la, la
10 Hammering the Cramps (02:49)
hey little dog, can you fly?
hey little dog, can you fly?
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hey little car, can you fly?
hey little car, can you fly?
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
captain howdy's here but
we can't see him
we can't see them
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
oh yeah
14 Someday I Will Treat You Good (03:40)
Something going on around here
I could not crawl back if I tried
I couldn't wait around
I couldn't wait another second
Something going on around here
I left my baby on the side of the highway
She just couldn't see things my way
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
Everything that's made is made to decay
Well I'm shrinking bones in the sun
Won't you tell me why that
The beautiful ones are always crazy
She's whispering like Morticia now
I left my baby on the side of the road
I left her with a heavy load
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
Something going on around here
I could not crawl back if I tried
I left my baby on the side of highway
She just couldn't see things my way
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
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