Category: Echoes


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Godsmack是一支深受Alice In Chains影响的乐队,乐队的名字来自AIC的一首歌名、乐队的logo也和AIC的logo惊人的相似,至于主场的演唱风格自然也就不用多说。但对于伟大的Alice In Chains,其音乐中的愁苦、绝望与无助氛围又怎么是简简单单的模仿复制就可以再现的?

这首Godsmack的”Keep Away”算是其代表作,在不与Alice In Chains进行比较的情况下,听上去还是可以的,有那么一点邪恶的感觉,而且‘噪’的程度也很适合出现在演唱现场中。

以下是国外网友对Alice In Chains和Godsmack的比较:

Well, Alice in Chains was relentlessly dark, despairing and hopelessly beautiful, with strange vocal harmonies that were simultaneously gorgeous and disturbing, and brilliant lyrics which focused mainly on the horrors of drug abuse.

Godsmack is a sickeningly generic Alice in Chains copycat band, whose songs and melodies are unoriginal, and whose lyrics are just idiotic.

Sweet 75 – Fetch

在Kurt Cobain死后,Nirnana的贝斯手Krist Novoselic也在1995成立了一个叫”Sweet 75″的乐队,但Sweet 75没有Dave Grohl的”Foo Fighters”搞的那么有声有色,只是在1997年时出了张”Sweet 75″同名专辑,并且商业上也并不怎么成功。

但我感觉Sweet 75还不错,旋律上很非主流却也很动听,还有几首非英语歌曲充满着异域味道,不知道这些有着古怪旋律的歌曲中的吉他部分有多少是Krist弹得。这首”Fetch”是专辑中的第一首,能吸引我是否继续听下去的也往往是专辑中的第一首。

红热辣椒真的是越来越流行,越来越动听了,这群家伙丝毫不担心弄不出取悦大众的音乐,从”Californication”到”By the Way”再到最新的”Stadium Arcadium”,一首首歌甜的像是要把人的心都溶了,难道加利福尼亚真的充满了阳光,以至于红热辣椒总是这么开心,从”Californication”专辑中的’california king’、同名曲目’californication’,到这张最新的Stadium Arcadium中的第一首’Dani California’,都离不开加利福尼亚。

“Dani California”的MTV更是搞逗,从头到尾他们分别化妆成Elvis Presley、the Beatles、Prince、Guns N’ Roses、Iggy Pop、Nirvana等乐队的招牌装束,最后又回到了典型的红热辣椒上来。

虽然动听悦耳,但我还是比较怀念Blood Sugar Sex Magik中那浓重的Funk气息,感觉那才是真正的红热辣椒。

Siouxsie And The Banshees

Siouxsie And The Banshees还不错,可以说是相当不错,从女主唱的嗓音中能找到一点Patti Smith的感觉,从他们的音乐中能找到一点Cocteau Twins的感觉,也和后朋阶段的the Cure有点像,也和Bauhaus有点像…这一批Post-Punk,Gothic的乐队总是交错着又各自具有特点的发展着,每个乐队都使人觉得似曾相识但却有着不同。听Siouxsie的女主唱,总使我觉得她应该是个有点阴森的处在野蛮与文明交替时代的罗马中世纪的女人,像Pixies的” Surfer Rosa”专辑封面的那个女人,像Vero Moda很久以前的一个模特那样的女人。

这个视频也应该是配合歌而录的类似MTV一样的东西,而非一般的现场摄像,不过通过这个视频还是知道中间那一段段的间奏原来就是手风琴拉出来的,但开始那奇特诡异的音效是怎么弄出来的?

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听了一段时间的Joy Division,终于发现我是个Joy Division的叶公好龙者——下了他们几乎全部的专辑,不过听了CloserPermanent两张之后就招架不住了,那种黑色、抑郁、绝望的气氛太让人受不了了,主唱Ian Curtis的嗓音没有一丝的生气,吉他贝斯鼓这三样也像是死人不知为什么回魂然后从坟墓中爬出来后搞出的声响,或是裹上了人的外衣的冰冷机器人弄出的音乐。

“Dead Souls”中的Ian Curtis挥着手臂跳着笨拙的像僵尸般的舞蹈,看着他在现场上演出,就丝毫不难理解Ian的自缢了。总之Joy Division让人感觉很不舒服,他们的歌应该和一些正常的、阳光欢快的搭配起来听才成,而且要有间断的听。

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关于Kurt Cobain和Nirvana已经被提的太多了。14年的时间转眼过去,现在再看着十多年前的影像,回想着Kurt Cobain,仿佛只看到了一个敏感的,纯洁无暇的孩子。

近来对Led Zepplin前4张专辑”Led Zepplin I” – “Led Zepplin IV”的欣赏暂时告一段落,整体的感觉是以熟悉和惊艳开始,越深入越能体会到Led Zepplin的妙处。Led Zepplin最初的专辑也和其他60′s的伟大专辑有着共同的特点:布鲁斯,民谣和迷幻,但在吉他英雄一级的Jimmy Page对吉他的完美操控下,加上主唱Rebort Plant那种妖艳中性的嗓音,Led Zepplin音乐中的布鲁斯、民谣、迷幻元素相互纠缠着进入了一个新的高度,4张专辑里至少80%的都是经典歌曲。

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可能是因为先入为主的原因,感觉Dazed And Confused, Heartbreaker, Since I’ve Been Loving You才是典型的Led Zepplin,而这首Immigrant Song中的布鲁斯还真不太浓,但却足够的HardRock。将Immigrant Song作为第一首歌曲的”Led Zepplin III”专辑封面,也绝对是现代艺术,把脸贴在图片上看上一会,很奇妙又很舒服。

Lush – Ciao!

Ciao: 意大利语,相当于英语中的hi/bye,是很常用的问候语。Lush乐队这首名为”Ciao”的歌有着特别清新的旋律,男低音和女声相辅相成,听上去很是别致,感觉特别舒服,歌唱的内容大概是分手后的一对男女互相挖苦、讽刺,说离开了对方是多么多么幸运、自己又遇到了多少钟意的人等等。

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最初听Lush是在”最动听的歌”上的那首碎玉一样晶莹剔透的白色噪音歌曲”Light from a dead star”,整首歌使人觉得像是在一片五彩斑斓的星云之中,配上不知多少年前的照片(两个姑娘都是日本-匈牙利混血儿),不难想象无论主唱是里面的哪一个,都应该是个美人。可在这个1996年的现场视频中…有点让人心寒。

Ciao!

I’ve been so happy since I walked away
I never thought that I could feel as great as I do today
‘Cause you were nothing but a big mistake
And life is wonderful, now that I’m rid of you

Oh I must’ve been crazy to have stayed with you
I can’t believe I thought I was in love with you
But now the scales have fallen I can really see
And I say go to hell, ’cause thats where you took me

Well, I’ve felt better since I slammed that door
You always cramped my style, I never noticed before
It’s been a non-stop party since I flew the coop
I can’t believe I fell for such a loser like you

And is it any wonder that I felt so blue
When I was always having to put up with you

Oh, here we go again, just lay the blame on me
Don’t say another word, ’cause sweetheart, you’re history

I know that you miss me really, bet you wish that you still had me
You’ll never find someone like me but I’ve got no regrets at all

‘Cause I’ve met this girl and she’s so good to me
She’s really beautiful, fantastic company
Oh, when I’m with her I realise what love can be
‘Cause she’s fifty times the person you will ever be

Good luck, mister, do you think I care?
Since you’ve been gone the offers have been everywhere
I’ve got a million guys just lining up for me
I’ve turned a corner, boy, my life is ecstasy

Well, I’ve been in heaven since I walk away
I never thought that I could feel as great as I do today
‘Cause you were nothing but a waste of space
And life is wonderful now that I’m over you

Television在1978年的第二张专辑”Adventure”。如果单纯以”Marquee Moon”为标准进行比较的话,”Adventure”似乎不如”Marquee Moon”,但”Adventure”的意义在于以”Marquee Moon”为起点探索Television的方向。

“Foxhole”的视频是Television1978年的现场,在这个视频中能看到年轻、病态、极富诗人气质的 Tom Verlaine。日!这是我心目中的一类摇滚乐队的标准形象。(update: Fucking GFW, I could only find the alternative in Youku)

Foxhole

Soldier boy stands at a full salute.
He wants your orders to execute.
Send him out – ‘neath the screaming red lights
In a narrow ditch for the funny fights.
Foxhole, foxhole too much danger
Where’s my guardian angel – oh no
You show me the war, I don’t know what for.
You show me the war but the war ‘s such a bore.
In the line of duty, in the line of fire
A heartless heart is my proper attire.
The flashing sword has been explored
The perfect slice – perfect slice of life.
I feel the shells hit – Moonlight web
Goodbye arms, so long, head.
No more danger
Hello guardian angel.
Pin me down, go ahead it’s a cinch
You pin me down, you’ll feel the pinch
I was trained for fights
Foxhole, foxhole
Foxhole, foxhole.

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从专辑的封面无论如何也想象不到这四个形容枯槁,像已被埋葬多年又掘地出土的僵尸一样的年轻人能弄出”Marquee Moon”这样一张伟大的专辑,而从音乐上看,这张专辑中也绝不是一张典型的朋克入门专辑,虽然每首歌曲都以比较简单的和弦伴奏开始,但到了高潮时的solo、编曲乃至歌词意境,也远远超过朋克所容纳的范畴,体现出与Remones、the Clash等截然不同气质。

摇滚乐中不乏恢宏长篇的史诗级作品,如the Doors的”The End”、Pink Floyd等等,但与专辑同名的”Marquee Moon”则用最少最传统的摇滚三件套乐器营造出畅快淋漓的史诗般的感觉,近似原音的清澈的电吉他加上主唱病态的、油腻腻的嗓音,时我仿佛置身在爱伦坡的”厄谢尔府的倒塌”中的境界。

如果仅选5张我最喜欢的专辑,其中也一定会有这个”Marquee Moon”。

Marquee Moon
I remember
how the darkness doubled
I recall
lightning struck itself.
I was listening
listening to the rain
I was hearing
hearing something else.

Life in the hive puckered up my night,
the kiss of death, the embrace of life.
There I stand neath the Marquee Moon Just waiting,
Hesitating…
I ain’t waiting

I spoke to a man
down at the tracks.
I asked him
how he don’t go mad.
He said “Look here junior, don’t you be so happy.
And for Heaven’s sake, don’t you be so sad.”

Well a Cadillac
it pulled out of the graveyard.
Pulled up to me
all they said get in.
Then the Cadillac
it puttered back into the graveyard.
And me,
I got out again.