Beautiful music – Michael Zadoorian

di Davide Morresi


Il romanzo intero è una colonna sonora.
Durante la lettura, leggera e facilitata da uno stile fluido e semplice, mi sono dovuto fermare più volte perché avevo in testa la melodia dell’ultimo brano menzionato. O perché non conoscevo un brano e allora dovevo assolutamente andarlo a cercare on line e ascoltarlo prima di continuare a leggere. Qui la musica è protagonista quanto Danny.

Ecco, parliamo di Danny. Questo è un romanzo di formazione, che narra le vicende di un adolescente alle prese con episodi di bullismo, tensioni razziali, problemi familiari. In una serie particolarmente sfortunata di eventi, Danny riesce a salvarsi per mezzo della musica: conosce un ragazzo che lo introduce al mondo del rock e diventa il suo unico amico, viene selezionato come speaker della radio scolastica, trova conforto solo con la musica a palla nelle cuffie.
Troviamo Led Zeppelin, MC5, The Who, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, The Allmans Brothers Band, Santana, Queen, Yes, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Traffic, Lou Reed, King Crimson, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix… solo per citarne alcuni.
Il culmine arriva nel tanto desiderato concerto live di Iggy Pop & the Stooges.
Viene in mente Win Wenders e la sua famosa dichiarazione: “Il rock mi ha salvato la vita“. Affermazione poi ripresa da molti altri artisti.
Il rock salva la vita a Danny come lo ha fatto con Win e come forse lo ha fatto con milioni di persone in tutto il mondo.

È impossibile non pensare ad “Alta fedeltà” di Nick Hornby (articolo qui:
http://readandplay.it/alta-fedelta-nick-hornby/): “Beautiful music” è la sua versione americana e adolescenziale: il protagonista è un ragazzino e non un adulto, e vive a Detroit anziché a Londra.
E se avete amato “Alta fedeltà” amerete anche “Beautiful music”, perché si tratta senza dubbio di uno dei migliori romanzi musicali degli ultimi anni.

Le colonne sonore proposte questa volta sono due: la prima è la nostra, che comprende, come di consuetudine, tutti i brani (compresi gli estratti da album musicali e di artisti citati) che vengono citati nel libro; la seconda è quella di marcos y marcos, la casa editrice di questo romanzo in Italia, che ha creato una sua personale playlist.

Ascolta la colonna sonora completa: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4DpJgzmZMqg7EVk8W9yX4I
Ascolta la selezione di marcos y marcos:
http://www.marcosymarcos.com/libri/beautiful-music/

  1. In the year 2525 – Zager & Evans
  2. A boy named Sue (live) – Johnny Cash
  3. Crystal blue persuasion – Tommy James & The Shondells
  4. Choise of colors – The Impressions
  5. Put a little love in your heart – Davide Ruffin
  6. My cherie amour – Stevie Wonder
  7. Girl you’re not to young – Archie Bell & The Drells
  8. The look of love – Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66
  9. The unicorn – The Irish Rovers
  10. The rain the park and other things – The Cowsills
  11. Keem-O-Sabe – Electric Indian
  12. Kites are fun – The Free Design
  13. I’ll follow the sun – Adrian Ghiardo
  14. The windsmills of my mind – Nicolas Folmer
  15. Both sides now – Joni Mitchell
  16. Kick out the jams – MC5
  17. Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles
  18. Woomerangs – Tom Dissevelt
  19. We’ve only just begun – Carpenters
  20. (They long to be) close to you – Carpenters
  21. Love is surrender – Carpenters
  22. Knock three times – Tony Orlando & Dawn
  23. I’ll never fall in love again – Dionne Warwick
  24. Gimmie shelter – The Rolling Stones
  25. It don’t matter to me – Bread
  26. Easy to be hard – Lynn Kellogg
  27. Stormy weather – Lena Horne
  28. Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head – B.J. Thomas
  29. Something’s burning – Kenny Rogers
  30. Which way you goin’, Billy? – The Poppy Family, Terry Jacks, Susan Jacks
  31. Rocky mountain high – Johnj Denver, Mike Taylor
  32. Mama told me (not to come) – Three Dog Night
  33. Get down – Gilbert O’Sullivan
  34. Winchester Cathedral – Frank Sinatra
  35. Dueling banjos – Eric Weissberg, Steve Mandell
  36. Neither one of us (wants to be the first to say goodbye) – Gladys Nights & The Pips
  37. Lady of Spain – Tony Mottola
  38. My favourite things – Julie Andrews
  39. My melancholy baby – Ella Fitzgerald
  40. Cubano chant – Martin Denny
  41. Love is blue – Paul Mariat
  42. Stoned out of my mind – The Chi-Lites
  43. Pretty lady – Lighthouse
  44. La comparsa – Richard Hayman
  45. Into the 8th dimension – Alan Howarth
  46. Bongos bongos – Klement Julienne
  47. Honky cat – Elton John
  48. Seasons in the sun – Terry Jacks
  49. Love’s theme – The Love Unlimited Orchestra
  50. The way we were – Barbra Streisand
  51. Show and tell – Al Wilson
  52. Hernando’s hideaway – Enoch Light And The Light…
  53. Strange interlude – Lew Davies & His Orchestra
  54. Halo of flies – Jello Biafra, Melvins
  55. Heartbeat it’s a love beat – The DeFranco Family
  56. Everything I own – Bread
  57. All right now – Free
  58. Uncle remus – Frank Zappa
  59. When the levee breaks – Led Zeppelin
  60. Moonage daydream – David Bowie
  61. Do wah diddy diddy – Manfred Man
  62. Blue sky – The Allman Brothers Band
  63. Silver Machine – Hawkwind
  64. Water song – Hot Tuna
  65. Lines on my face – Peter Frampton
  66. Journey to the center of the mind – The Amboy Dukes
  67. Woman from Tokio – Deep Purple
  68. Aqualung – Jethro Tull
  69. School’s out – Alice Cooper
  70. Love on a real train – Tangerine Dream
  71. A certain kind – Soft Machine
  72. The Model – Kraftwerk
  73. Nights in white satin – The Moody Blues
  74. Sunshine on my shoulders – John Denver
  75. Smoke on the water – Deep Purple
  76. Killing yourself to live – Black Sabbath
  77. Ooh la la – Faces
  78. Feel like makin’ love – Bad Company
  79. All the young dudes – Mott the Hoople
  80. Ramplin’ man – Tha Almman Brothers Band
  81. Do it again – Steely Dan
  82. Oye como va – Santana
  83. Don’t stop me now – Queen
  84. Wonderful tonight – Eric Clapton
  85. Wish you were here – Pink Floyd
  86. Crazy – Aerosmith
  87. Owner of a lonely heart – Yes
  88. The King will come – Wishbone Ash
  89. The song remains the same – Led Zeppelin
  90. Love hurts – Nazareth
  91. Immigrant song – Led Zeppelin
  92. My cherie amour – Stevie Wonder
  93. D’yer mak’er – Led Zeppelin
  94. Dancing days – Led Zeppelin
  95. No quarter – Led Zeppelin
  96. Two trains – Little Feat
  97. I’ll take care of U – Gil Scott-Heron, Jamie xx
  98. Slow ride – Foghat
  99. Enlightenment – Sun Ra
  100. Cynty-rith – Black Merda
  101. Going up the country – Canned Heat
  102. How can we hang on to a dream – Tim Hardin
  103. Mannish boy – Muddy Waters
  104. Personality crisis – New York Dolls
  105. I want you – Bob Dylan
  106. Hold you head up – Argent
  107. The joker – Steve Miller Band
  108. Fresh air – Quicksilver Messenger Service
  109. This town ain’t big enough for both of us – Sparks
  110. Heroes are hard to find – Fleetwood Mac
  111. Heavy metal kids – Todd Rundgren
  112. Good times bad times – Led Zeppelin
  113. The green manalishi – Fleetwood Mac
  114. Hyonotized – Fleetwood Mac
  115. Bungle in the jungle – Jethro Tull
  116. Thick as a brick – Jethro Tull
  117. Best friends – Jethro Tull
  118. Pinball wizard – The Who
  119. In-a-gadda-da-vida – Iron Butterfly
  120. Just a poor boy – Mike Furber & The Bowery Boys
  121. Burnin’ for you – Blue Öyster Cult
  122. Free ride – The Edgar Winter Group
  123. All day and all of the night – The Kinks
  124. Centerfold – The J. Geils Band
  125. Get it on – T. Rex
  126. Archangels thunderbird – Amon Düül II
  127. I’ve got the music in me – The Kiki Dee Band
  128. Smokin’ in the boys room – Brownsville Station
  129. Walking in the wind – Traffic
  130. The low spark of high-heleed boys – Traffic
  131. Shave and a haircut – Pete Rugolo & His Orchestra
  132. Glycerine Queen – Suzi Quatro
  133. Spain – Chick Corea
  134. Satellite of love – Lou Reed
  135. You know, you know – Mahavishnu Orchestra
  136. Vitamin C – Can
  137. I wanna be your dog – The Stooges
  138. Here comes the night – David Bowie
  139. Kick out the jams – MC5
  140. Motor city is burning – MC5
  141. Ain’t wastin’ time no more – The Allman Brothers Band
  142. Question and answer – Gary Burton, Kick Corea, Pat Metheny, Roy Hanes, Dave Holland
  143. Night by night – Steely Dan
  144. Easy livin’ – Uriah Heep
  145. Bridge of sighs – Robin Trower
  146. Rock the nation – Montrose
  147. Dixie rock – Wet Willie
  148. Doctor doctor – UFO
  149. Black dog – Led Zeppelin
  150. Iron man – Black Sabbath
  151. Lust for life – Iggy Pop
  152. Rikki don’t lose that number – Steely Dan
  153. Peaches en regalia – Frank Zappa
  154. Midnight rambler – The Rolling Stones
  155. Lark’s tongues in aspic, pt. One – King Crimson
  156. I just want to make love to you – Foghat
  157. Hocus pocus – Focus
  158. You’re so vain – Carly Simon
  159. Sunshine of your love – Cream
  160. Generation landslide – Alice Cooper
  161. I’m waiting for the man – The Velvet Underground
  162. I love the dead – Alice Cooper
  163. Come on (let the good times roll) – Jimi Hendrix
  164. Voodoo child (slight return) – Jimi Hendrix
  165. Couldn’t geti t right – Climax blues band
  166. We’re an american band – Grand Funk Railroad
  167. Start me up – The Rolling Stones
  168. Old time rock’n’roll – Bob Seger
  169. House of the rising sun – Frijid Pink
  170. Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
  171. Rock’n’roll – Mitch Ryder
  172. Aspirations – Gentle Giant
  173. Crossroads – Cream
  174. It’s only rock’n’roll (but I like it) – The Rolling Stones
  175. Bad, bad leroy brown – Jim Croce
  176. Cities on flame with rock’n’roll – Blue Öyster Cult
  177. I fell free – Cream
  178. Get back – The Beatles
  179. Break on through (on the other side) – The Doors
  180. Mother’s little helper – The Rolling Stones
  181. Tin man – America
  182. Ain’t too proud to beg – The Rolling Stones
  183. Ghetto child – The Spinners
  184. Billy don’t be an hero – Paper Lace
  185. All the way from Memphis  – Mott The Hoople
  186. (You’re) Having my baby – Paul Anka, Odia Coates
  187. One fine morning – Lighthouse
  188. Radar love – Golden Earring
  189. I ain’t got no heart – Frank Zappa
  190. I can’t stand the rain – Humble Pie
  191. Thunderbox – Humble Pie
  192. Down by the river – Neil Young, Crazy Horse
  193. Parisienne walkways – Vargas, Bogert & Appice
  194. Summertime blues – Blue Cheer
  195. Where are you now – Nazareth
  196. A new rock’n’roll – Mahogany  Rush
  197. Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey  – Paul and Linda McCartney
  198. Speak to me – Pink Floyd
  199. Breathe (in the air) – Pink Floyd
  200. Vicious – Lou Reed
  201. Queen of the roller derby – Leon Russel
  202. Them changes – Buddy Miles
  203. Angry Eyes – Loggins & Messina
  204. No fun – The Stooges
  205. Dust in the wind – Kansas
  206. Panic in Detroit – David Bowie
  207. Family Affair – Sly & The Family Stone
  208. Rock and roll, hoochie koo – Rick Derringer
  209. Dazed and confused – Led Zeppelin
  210. Beck’s Bolero – Jeff Beck
  211. Saturday night’s alright (for fighting) – Elton John
  212. Keep yourself alive – Queen
  213. You really got me – The Kinks
  214. Moonshadow – Yusuf / Cat Stevens
  215. Hellbound train – Savoy Brown
  216. Karn evil 9 1st impression, pt. 2 – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
  217. Is it in my head? – The Who
  218. I am the sea – The Whoo
  219. White room – Cream
  220. Funk #49 – James Gang
  221. TV Eye – Iggy Pop
  222. Little wing – Jimi Hendrix
  223. Gimmie Danger – The Stooges
  224. Old man willow – Elephants Memory
  225. Raw Power – The Stooges
  226. Search and Destroy – The Stooges
  227. Louie Louie – Iggy Pop
  228. Have you seen your mother, baby, standing in the shadow? – The Rolling Stones
  229. The morning after – Maureen McGovern
  230. Train kept a rollin’ – Aerosmith
  231. Down by the river – Buddy Miles
  232. Boogie wonderland – Earth, Wind & Fire
  233. Low rider – War
  234. Theme from Shaft – Isaac Hayes
  235. My girl – The temptations
  236. The jam – Graham Central Station
  237. And when I die – Blood, Sweet & Tears
  238. School’s out – Alice Cooper
  239. Nature’s way – Spirit
  240. Keep on going – Fletwood Mac
  241. A wither shade of pale – Procol Harum
  242. Whole outta love – Led Zeppelin
  243. Mississippi Queen – Mountain
  244. Once I was – Tim Buckley
  245. Right place wrong time – Dr. John
  246. Thirteen – Big Star
  247. Who are you – The Who
  248. A hard day’s night – The Beatles
  249. Whammer jammer – The J. Geils Band
  250. Morning has broken – Yusuf / Cat Stevens
  251. Space Oddity – David Bowie
  252. Out on the tiles – Led Zeppelin
  253. Future games – Fleetwood Mac
  254. This may be the last time – The Staple Singers