Queensryche - Promised Land

Στις 18 Οκτωβρίου του 1994, οι Queensryche κυκλοφόρησαν τον πέμπτο τους δίσκο "Promised Land"

Το συγκρότημα που έχει χαρακτηρισθεί σαν το "συγκρότημα του μέσου σκεπτόμενου metal οπαδού" με την συγκεκριμένη κυκλοφορία, έκλεισε μια σειρά από απίστευτη καλλιτεχνική και μουσική εξέλιξη φτάνοντας στην κορυφή της δημιουργικής τους πορείας.

-δυστυχώς είναι ο τελευταίος πολύ καλός δίσκος τους- (προσωπική εκτίμηση πάντα)

Άν στους μέχρι τώρα δίσκους τους - Warning, Rage For Order, Operation Mindcrime και Empire- υπήρχε μια συνέχεια στην εξέλιξή τους, στο Promised Land κάνουν μια στροφή 360ο με λίγη αύρα και κλίμα απο το Empire και πάνε σε μια υπέροχα σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα με μελαγχολικές ερμηνείες και σε απάτητα εδάφη -τα οποία όμως θα ποδοπατήσουν στους επόμενους δίσκους με τον χείριστο τρόπο (επανάληψη της επανάληψης και σχεδόν χωρίς ψυχή... χωρίς έμπνευση)- στα οποία όμως για πρώτη φορά τα καταφέρνουν αξιοθαύμαστα...

Το εκπληκτικό με την συγκεκριμένη δουλειά είναι πως απομονώθηκαν απο τον κόσμο για μήνες μέχρι να γράψουν, να επεξεργαστούν και να ηχογραφήσουν το υλικό όπως μπορείτε να δείτε στο παρακάτω βίντεο...

Δεν είμαι σίγουρος για τα θέματα που καταπιάνεται γιατί δεν τα έχω ψάξει ιδιαίτερα και αυτό γιατί ΠΑΝΤΑ με συνεπαίρνει η μουσική, το feeling του δίσκου και απλώς αφήνομαι να παρασυρθώ...

Διαβάζοντας τους στίχους έτσι πρόχειρα έχω την εντύπωση ότι το "I Am I" ασχολείται με το πως επηρεάζεται ο άνθρωπος απο την σύγχρονη κοινωνία και ειδικότερα την καπιταλιστική κοινωνία. Στο "Damage" μου έρχεται στο μυαλό μια σκηνή απο το μέλλον, στο πως ο άνθρωπος θα είναι υποχείριο των μηχανών... κάτι σαν το Matrix ένα πράγμα. Στο "Out Of Mind" καταπιάνεται με ένα πολύ δύσκολο θέμα, αυτό του εγκλεισμού ατόμων σε κλινικές, ενώ στο "Bridge" έχουμε ενα προσωπικό δράμα -συγκεκριμένα- του Chris DeGarmo και την σχέση του με τον πατέρα του, oπου αγγίζει πάρα πολύ και την δική μου περίπτωση...(αφιερωμένο στον μπαμπά μου) Για το "Promised Land" δεν χρειάζεται να αναφέρω καν με τι ασχολείται, και το "Disconnected" ή αλλιώς "DiS CoN NeC TeD" λογικά για το πως έχουμε χωθεί για τα καλά στην οθόνη του υπολογιστή μας και την εξάρτησή μας απο την "σύνδεση με το internet" και με ότι αυτό συνεπάγεται... Το "Lady Jane" μας μιλά για μια κοπελίτσα και για τα πειράματα που κάνουν πάνω της -υποψία για ναρκωτικά- για την πρόοδο της ανθρωπότητας βεβαίως βεβαίως... Το "My Global Mind" έχει οικολογικό και ανθρωπιστικό ενδιαφέρον, ενώ για το "One More Time" όσο υπέροχο τραγούδι κι αν είναι... δεν μπορώ να καταλάβω σε τι πράγμα αναφέρεται... Και τέλος έχουμε την υπέροχη μπαλάντα "Someone Else?" όπου ο κύριος Geoff Tate αυτοσυστήνεται στον εαυτό του ξανά...

-Για την ιστορία, ο δίσκος σκαρφάλωσε μέχρι το #3 του billboard....-

-αν και το έγραψα μόλις.....-

Το tracklist είναι το εξής

1. 9:28 a.m.

2. I Am I

3. Damaged

4. Out of Mind

5. Bridge

6. Promised Land

7. Disconnected

8. Lady Jane

9. My Global Mind

10. One More Time

11. Someone Else?

Η ομάδα που ανέβασε ακόμα ψηλότερα το όνομα Queensryche ήταν οι εξής

Geoff Tate - φωνή, σαξόφωνο, πλήκτρα

Chris DeGarmo - κιθάρα, πιάνο, σιτάρ

Michael Wilton - κιθάρα

Eddie Jackson - μπάσο

Scott Rockenfield - τύμπανα

Αγαπημένα χαρακτηρίζω τα "Bridge", "Promised Land", "One More Time" και "Someone Else?" τα οποία ανεπιφύλακτα και προτείνω στους μη-μυόμενους...

Βαθμολογία...

Εξώφυλλο 8/10

Δίσκος 9/10

Παραγωγή 9/10

Όσοι έχετε χρόνο και περιέργεια, αξίζει τον κόπο να ακούσετε κάποια τραγούδια και να ρίξετε μια ματιά στους στίχους...

n'joy

1. 9:28 a.m.

2. I Am I

Beating with life you promised life,

security, happiness.

Unfortunate son cornered,

cowering in the pit of

circling panes of glass that

surround and reveal the ever present "It".

"It" is my move, my every look,

interpreting gestures,

informing other

what's undercover and

lurking beneath my mask

of this year's featured model.

Is this too much?

Close your eyes.

Care to look inside? I am I!

What may appear

might easily be explained,

but given the situation

of info saturation,

what you feel can never go away.

Steering perception? I am!

Inviting contradiction? I am!

It's my insistence

you keep your distance

from the glare behind my stare.

So this is the way

the game is played.

You can leave now...

but I think you'll stay. I am I!

3. Damaged

Waiting for the feeling to subside,

Paranoid, I melt into myself.

They say I'm to reach inside and find

the broken part of my machinery.

Psychoanalyze the chapters

on the path to my darkest day.

Searching for the answers,

all I see is damage through the haze.

Picking up the pieces of my life

with no direction for re-assembly.

The one that lays beside me

is sharing scars of my broken yesterdays.

Will tomorrow find me hypnotized? Crying?

Mother Mary in control,

domineering stranglehold

sowing destructive seeds

for the scavengers to feed.

Driving the nail into my head,

memory flows like a river.

With the one that lays beside me

I'm healing scars from my childhood memories.

Tomorrow finally found me.

I'm hypnotized. I'm trying...

to understand the chapters

of the path from my darkest day.

Searching for the answers

but there's DAMAGE!

4. Out Of Mind

Little girl sits in the corner, locked in a stare.
Arms waving madly at something that sadly isn't there.
Dressed in the day's best by a nurse who's nowhere to be found.

What does she see?
Maybe she's looking at me...

Old man is strapped to the seat of his chair, wearing a gown.
Shouting and cursing at someone who clearly isn't around.
Father Time has twisted his mind.
The staff says, "He's not well!"

To whom does he speak?
Maybe he's speaking to me...

So we keep these people inside these walls, from society.
Their forgotten lives safe from the crowd, they can't leave.
You've left them there with me.

So we keep these people behind these walls, from society.
Their forgotten lives safe from the crowd, they can't leave.
Through the doors come people like me, good-bye to them.
They see a picture few of us see.
They can't leave.
You've left them there with me.

5. Bridge

You called me up on the phone today

struggling with the right words to say.

Time can change a thing or two.

Time has changed the lives of me and you,

but you know... it could have been different dad.

The word brings back a sweet memory.

I'm sitting on a bluff on a broken tree,

by my side a distinguished man

giving me encouragement, telling me I can,

and you know... you're not there.

You say, "Son, let's forget the past,

I want another chance, gonna make it last."

You're begging me for a brand new start,

trying to mend a bridge that's been blown apart,

but you know... you never built it dad.

So I sit here through the night,

and I write myself to sleep,

and time keeps ticking...

Time has made you finally realize

your loneliness and your guilt inside.

You're reaching for something you never had,

turning around now you're looking back,

and you know... I'm not there.

You say, "Son, let's forget the past.

I want another chance, gonna make it last."

You're begging me for a brand new start,

trying to mend a bridge that's been blown apart,

but you know... you never built it dad.

6. Promised Land

Watching the sand fall, listening for the knock
upon my door,
and waiting... for Promised Land.

Standing neck deep in life,
my ring of brass lay rusting on the floor.

Is this all?

Because it's not what I expected.

Somewhere along the way
friends I once held close fled the fast lane.
I didn't notice, I just had to make it.
Head down, nose in the grindstone;
the kiss of life placed on my brow
kept sliddin' to the ground
and now it's buried six feet under.

Preaching from the floor again
the same old sad song,
"Bartender... bring another drink for their favorite son."

Where did it all go wrong?
What's the use in even holding on?
Here's to love, hate... and promises.

Almost called it today.
Turned to face "The Void"
numb with the suffering
and the question,
"Why am I...?"
So many times I've tried and failed to
gather my courage, reach again for that nail.
Life's been like
dragging feet through sand,
and never finding... Promised Land.

Preaching from the floor again
the same old sad song,
"Bartender... bring another drink for their favorite song."
Where did it all go wrong?
I feel like I'm dying.
Here's to love, to hate,
to promises and Promised Land lies.

7. Disconnected 

                            

I've got to do something
about the loathsome
state I'm in.

DiS CoN NeC TeD
DiS CoN NeC TeD
DiS CoN NeC TeD

Everywhere I see decay.
Mechanized and sterilized
visions of replay.
I must release my rage.

Oh... DiS CoN NeC TeD
I'm... DiS CoN NeC TeD
feeling so... DiS CoN NeC TeD

D o w n.........

Maybe all I need
beside my pills
and the surgery
is a new metaphor for reality.

I'm... DiS CoN NeC TeD
feeling so... DiS CoN NeC TeD
oh... DiS CoN NeC TeD


- you know -

8. Lady Jane

Sitting all alone, inside, today Jane.
The other girls are home, we're playing a new game.
The voice is very, very close, you like it that way,
and we're feeling rather warm inside.

Are you smiling or afraid?
You can have it either way.

Lady Jane your eyes are wide today,
and the world is looking very strange, you must proclaim!
It's quite a scary, scary ride we take, Lady Jane.

Yesterday seemed very dark, but now it's bright,
your clouds have gone away.
Sensory perception peaking at this time,
electric waves of sound are filling Janie's mind today
calling out to Janie as you drift away, "Don't be afraid,
they're only your illusion anyway."

Lady Jane your eyes are wide today.
and we're sure you won't forget the things
you've seen today!

9. My Global Mind

There's hunger in Africa,
and anger on assembly lines.
At the touch of a button
I'm miles away.
I want no connection, just information,
and I'm gone.

I feel so helpless,
so I turn my gaze to another place.

My global mind reaches out for the truth.

Why try holding back the wave?
You'll only drown in the changes.
You've got to learn to let go.
Just let go and experience the flight.
Try to see from a different side..
If balance is the key
maybe we'll see
a future understanding,

then we won't feel so helpless,
an turn away and hide from the change.

My global mind searches for something new.
My global mind zeros in on news.

Time and rules are changing.
Attention span is quickening.
Welcome to the Information Age.

I feel so helpless,
so I turn my gaze to another place.

My global mind searches for something new.
My global mind zeros in on news.
My global mind reaches out for the truth.
My global mind zeros in on you.

It's searching everywhere,
across the mountains,
across the oceans,
across every man made line.
No boundary gonna keep it from you.

10. One More Time

                              

 Behind my eyes
I keep my truth from you.
No one enters
this secret place,
the barrier only I embrace.
Time is fleeing now
they say,
Take time to look inside
and face... the change.

Dig down deep
to find the man I thought I was.
A dog on a treadmill panting,
the master pulls the leash, laughing.
Now I can't remember why
I needed to run, needed to try so hard.

One more time around
is all I ask for now,
a star to seek by, wind to
take me home again.

"Work hard in life boy,
there's paradise in the end."
Year after year we struggle to gain
the happiness our parents never claimed.
They told us all we had to do
was do what we're told, buy what was sold,
"Invest in gold, and never get old."

One more time around
is all I ask for now,
a star to steer by, wind to
take me home again.

11. Someone Else?

When I fell from grace

I never realized

how deep the flood was around me.

A man whose life was toil

was like a kettle left to boil,

and the water left scars on me.

I know now who I am.

If only for a while,

I recognize the changes.

I feel like I did before the

magic wore thin and the "baptism

of stains" began.

They used to say I was

nowhere, man,

heading down

was my destiny.

But yesterday, I swear,

that was someone else not me.

Here I stand at the crossroads edge,

afraid to reach out for eternity,

One step, when I look down,

I see someone else not me.

Looking back and I see

someone else.

All my life they said I

was going down,

but I'm still standing,

stronger, proud.

And today I know there's

so much more I can be.

From where I stand at the crossroads edge,

there's a path leading out to sea.

And from somewhere

deep in my mind,

sirens sing out loud

songs of doubt

as only they know how.

But one glance back reminds, and I see,

someone else not me.

I keep looking back

at someone else... me?

Bonus

Someone Else? full band version