Rock of the Westies de Elton John
Álbum de Elton John
- Fecha de lanzamiento: 24 de Octubre de 1975
- Sello Discográfico: DJM Records
- Compositores: Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnstone
- Productores: Gus Dudgeon
Rock of the Westies es un álbum de Elton John, publicado en 1975 por DJM Records. El disco incluye 11 canciones, entre ellas «Medley (Yell Help, Wednesday Night, Ugly)», «Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)», «Island Girl» y «Grow Some Funk Of Your Own».
Introducción: un giro hacia el hard Rock
"Rock of the Westies" es el décimo álbum de estudio de Elton John, lanzado apenas cinco meses después de "Captain Fantastic". Este disco representa un giro brusco y deliberado hacia un sonido de hard rock y rock and roll más crudo y agresivo. Para lograr este cambio, Elton disolvió su banda clásica y formó una nueva alineación con el guitarrista Caleb Quaye y el teclista James Newton Howard, buscando una mayor potencia en su sonido. El resultado es un álbum enérgico, a menudo ruidoso y desenfadado, que contrasta fuertemente con la naturaleza introspectiva de su predecesor.
Antes de entrar al estudio
La decisión de cambiar de banda fue controvertida, pero reflejaba el deseo de Elton de evitar el estancamiento y explorar un sonido más pesado. El álbum fue grabado de nuevo en los Caribou Ranch. El título es un juego de palabras con la frase "West of the Rockies" (al oeste de las Rocosas), la ubicación del estudio. A pesar de los cambios de personal, el álbum repitió el punto de inflexión de su predecesor, debutando en el número 1 en Estados Unidos.
Un vistazo a las canciones
"Island Girl": El single principal es un tema de rock con influencias de reggae y un ritmo contagioso. Pese a su letra oscura sobre una prostituta, la canción se convirtió en un número uno masivo en Estados Unidos.
"Grow Some Funk of Your Own": Un tema de rock enérgico que muestra el nuevo sonido de la banda, con potentes riffs de guitarra y un tono desenfadado.
"I Feel Like a Bullet (in the Gun of Robert Ford)": Una de las pocas baladas del álbum, es una canción melancólica que trata sobre el final de una relación, y es considerada una de las joyas ocultas del disco.
Resultados comerciales y críticos
"Rock of the Westies" hizo historia de nuevo al ser el segundo álbum en debutar en el número 1 del Billboard 200 de Estados Unidos. En el Reino Unido, alcanzó el puesto 5. La recepción crítica fue la más tibia de su carrera hasta ese momento. Muchos críticos lo consideraron un paso atrás en términos de calidad de composición, un álbum ruidoso pero falto de la profundidad de sus trabajos anteriores. Es a menudo visto como el final de su época dorada de los 70.
Listado de Canciones
- Medley (Yell Help, Wednesday Night, Ugly)
- Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)3:30
- Island Girl3:42
Letra
I see your teeth flash, Jamaican honey so sweet Down where Lexington cross 47th Street She's a big girl, she's standing six foot three Turning tricks for the dudes in the big city Island girl What you wanting with the white man's world Island girl Black boy want you in his island world He want to take you from the racket boss He want to save you but the cause is lost Island girl, island girl, island girl Tell me what you wanting with the white man's world She's black as coal but she burn like a fire And she wrap herself around you like a well worn tire You feel her nail scratch your back just like a rake He one more gone, he one more John who make the mistake - Grow Some Funk Of Your Own4:43
Letra
Yeah I looked at my watch and it said a quarter to five The headlines screamed that I was still alive I couldn't understand it I thought I died last night Oh I dreamed I'd been in a border town In a little cantina that the boys had found I was desperate to dance Just to dig the local sounds When along came a se?orita She looked so good that I had to meet her I was ready to approach her with my English charm When her brass knuckled boyfriend grabbed me by the arm And he said grow some funk of your own amigo Grow some funk of your own We no like to with the gringo fight But there might be a death in Mexico tonight If you can't grow some funk of your own amigo Grow some funk of your own Take my advice, take the next flight And grow your funk, grow your funk at home Well I looked for support from the rest of my friends For their vanishing trick they get ten out of ten I knelt to pray Just to see if he would comprehend - I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)
- Street Kids6:23
- Hard Luck Story5:10
Letra
Sometimes I think I'm going crazy Staring at the same four walls Waiting for the working day to end Then I get home so wasted, worn out I curse at you and tell you How I've done the work of ten to fifteen men How I've struggled for my money Sweated blood to get us by, yeah Well I'm tired of it honey Think I'm gonna have to leave here for a while All you hear are hard luck stories And the ways I look at life And the way I think the world treats me And the way that I treat my wife I never seem to look at you And see that somewhere underneath A pair of tired eyes are crying out Well you know I work hard all day long Let me kiss you once with meaning Just to kill this nagging doubt Well you don't deny I do you proud And you expect me to be tired You say there's no future in our lives While I persist I'm putting out the fire All you hear are hard luck stories Just a few well chosen words 'Cause you're still the woman of a working man You've got the heart of a working girl - Feed Me4:00
Letra
Don't close the shades I'm scared of the darkness I'm cold as a razor blade Inches from madness Don't let me sleep here They're all trying to kill me I've seen the walls moving They've all heard me screaming, screaming Feed me Feed my needs and then just leave me Let me go back where you found me 'Cause I miss my basement The sweet smell of new paint The warmth and the comforts of home So feed me Give me my treatment and free me My arms are so hungry so feed me The room's so distorted And filled with mad shadows I feel like a carcass White like a marrow bone It all seems so long ago I remember them laughing I heard the ambulance scream I saw the red light flashing, flashing - Billy Bones And The White Bird
Letra
Take the wheel I hear the timbers creaking Take the wheel I think this ship is sinking Jamaica seems so far and I've been thinking Old Billy Bones has gone to sea and quit his dockside drinking Check it out, check it out, check it out And when I'm dead who'll fly the White Bird home I'm not the ancient mariner your children know And the sea's the field these old jack tars have sown 'Cause Billy Bones just wants to know who'll fly the White Bird home Oh your majesty, your majesty I heard the bosun cry Old Billy Bones has washed ashore Upon a foreign tide - Planes (Bonus Track)
- Sugar On The Floor (Bonus Track)