7/10/08 Wuhan

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1 F  发表于 2008-7-23 16:08 | 只看该作者 | 倒序看帖 | 跳转到 »
For this month’s journal, I’d like to do something different and, instead, write a “review” of one of my favorite albums by The Beatles: The White Album. Most people that know me well know that my biggest music influence has been the Beatles. I’ve referred to them many times over in interviews but I’ve seldom gone into depth about their music and songs. One of the reasons why I want to write this review is because I want to introduce (or re-introduce) you to the Beatles, especially, this album. Of course, almost everybody born during the past 60 years or so has heard of the band but I find the majority of people don’t really know their music in depth and what made them so influential. I’m sure most of you have heard the familiar Beatles’ hits such as “Hey, Jude” or “Let it Be” but much of their best and most influential work were not these songs. I would say that The Beatles are one of the most influential artists of all time even more so than Elvis Presley who was more a pop icon of his era.

I’d like to clarify that this is not a review in the traditional sense. It is not meant to be a critical review like the ones you’d find in a magazine. It is, rather, a collection of thoughts and my opinion of what I feel for this album. Of course, it’s important that you purchase a legal copy of this album (physical or digital download), give it a listen as you read this so you’ll know what I’m referring to.

The “White Album” was the Beatles’ ninth album released in 1968 (a year before I was born) as a double album. It was unofficially referred to as “The White Album” because there was no other text on the white cover other than the band’s name. In my opinion, this album is one of the band’s greatest because it was on cutting edge in every aspect yet at the same time very musical and accessible. It was both experimental yet melodic, warm and inviting. The production was top notch and the writing (both melody and lyrics) represented Lennon and McCartney at their best. This was the first time that the Beatles began using 8-track recording which allowed them to do much more in terms of overdubbing and layering their arrangements. By today’s standards and technology, we are capable of unlimited tracks with only a home computer so you can imagine recording with merely 8-tracks would be quite a challenge! This only goes to illustrate that it’s the content that matters and not the tools you use.

The album kicks off with “Back in the USSR” which makes clever use of an airplane taking off and landing sound efx. It’s a straight-ahead rock and roll song with nice vocal harmonies obviously influenced by The Beach Boys. The sound of the song is clearly American but the irony is that the topic of the song revolves around a then not-so-cool Soviet Union. The second song, “Dear Prudence”, is a Lennon song that has been covered by many other bands and artists giving it a kind of cult status. The song is deceptively simple and based on only three chords repeating over and over again creating a hypnotic drone. I really like the electric guitars as they play a very interesting Indian sounding scale and motif as the song gradually builds into a climax. I feel this song influenced many contemporary rock bands in its dark and somber setting. “The White Album” didn’t have the chart topping commercial Beatles hits but it still produced many innovative singles. The fourth song, “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da”, was one of those hits and was written by Paul McCartney. From young, I always liked the festive calypso atmosphere, creative background vocals and thinly voiced honky-tonk piano. The contrast between the sweet lyrics and the way McCartney wildly belts out the final choruses generates a lot of power.

“The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” influenced me a lot in the way Lennon slowly unfolded a story drawing the listener in with each section’s plot. The song comes off as a children’s song but upon closer inspection you realize that it’s quite macabre. Lennon’s humor and sarcasm in this song and in his other works is also something that sets him apart from other writers.

George Harrison didn’t have many contributions to the Beatles’ repertoire but “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was one of his more notable ones. The chordal and melodic structure is very representative of Harrison with his use of complicated progressions and twisted melodies. It’s interesting to note that the guitar solo was played by Eric Clapton who was a contemporary of The Beatles and a major artist (and guitar hero)in his own right. I personally feel that Harrison’s writing always lacked emotion and wasn’t as direct as John or Paul’s. He seems to try very hard to do something different often times sacrificing function for form.

“Happiness is a Warm Gun” is one of my favorite songs on the album because both the melody and lyrics are incredibly innovative and witty. The song has 6 separate sections each with it’s own distinctive melodies yet the song feels so well integrated and complete. The emotion delivered is powerful and focused yet there are so many layers. John’s vocal is brutally raw towards the finale of the song and it really shows his unabashed and unapologetic personality. “Martha My Dear” is classic McCartney with his polished orchestrations and sweet melodies. I used to prefer McCartney’s writing to Lennon’s but as I grew older I preferred the latter’s edge, depth and social consciousness in his writing. McCartney’s songs (and perhaps his personality) were typically sweet, amicable and pleasant. His music was always easy to listen to but didn’t have the power and explosiveness of Lennon’s works. “I’m So Tired” is another Lennon song that I really like on the album. It’s fairly straightforward but the lyrics and Lennon’s vocal delivery (particularly his mumbling at the end of the song) express his restlessness and frustration so perfectly.

One of the first songs I learned to play on the guitar was McCartney’s “Blackbird”. It’s a very charming little ditty displaying what I feel is Paul’s best writing. It’s unpretentious, simple yet very illusive and touching. If you feel up to the challenge try to learn it-I did when I was about fifteen years old! “Piggies” is a Harrison song that again makes clever use of sound efx which actually is quite prevalent in Beatles’ songs. This was something that I always liked when I was young because it somehow made the song feel more real and involving. I like the arrangement of the song particularly the use of harpsichord and string quartet mixing irreverently a bit of blues with a very Bach inspired chordal progression. “I Will” is one of my favorite McCartney songs because it’s just so well written. The song is sweet and sincere in a very effortless manner. It reminds me of a Gilbert O’Sullivan song titled “Alone Again” which has no similarity except in perhaps how well crafted they both are.

“Julia” is Lennon’s ode to his mother who passed away when he was very young. I was very touched by the lyrics especially the strong imagery he invokes with the words, “seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me, so I sing a song of love, Julia…” The bridge melody always struck me as being influenced by Japanese music possibly due to his wife, Yoko? The song is very quiet, tinged with sadness yet at the same time a bit eerie with the use of certain chords giving it a dreamy quality.

I’m not quite sure why Paul wrote “Birthday” but it’s one of those straight ahead rock and roll tunes that show the Beatles knew how to keep things simple and just rock out. Most of the songs that ended up on the album were written in India during a transcendental meditation retreat the Beatles took in 1968. It was obvious that during this retreat Lennon and McCartney experienced a surge of inspiration and liberation and wrote some of their best works there. Even though the songs didn’t necessarily reflect Indian music references, the entire album exhibited a level of creativity and experimentation that would continue further on in future Beatles’ albums such as “Yellow Submarine”. “Sexy Sadie” used two descending dominant 7th chords that really fascinated me when I started writing songs. It wasn’t anything difficult but somehow it managed to convey a certain playfulness and devilish charm that the lyrics wrote about. There’s something magical about Lennon’s lyrics again and the background vocals and guitar parts are just as amazing.

I never liked “Helter Skelter” but it definitely was a predecessor to what we now know as Heavy Metal but with less distortion on the guitars. I felt it was McCartney’s attempt at staking his claim as a hard rocker but for me it just wasn’t convincing enough. “Revolution 1” is one of Lennon’s most classic songs though there’s another heavier version simply called “Revolution” not on this album that I like much more. The lyrics are controversial and showed Lennon’s political and social awareness that was to be one of his musical signatures. If you get a chance read through the lyrics and I think you’ll know what I’m talking about.

“Honey Pie” is another one of McCartney’s pseudo-period pieces this time with a 1920’s cabaret sound. When McCartney does this and when it works it’s simply magnificent. It’s got a lot of charm and personality and is simply just fun to listen to. Listen to the awesome horn section and clarinet arrangement and you’ll see how dynamic and well versed both Lennon and McCartney were musically. A song on my second album, “馬戲團“, was very much influenced by this song but much more exaggerated and blown up.

The amazing thing about “The White Album” is its wide range of music styles and diversity in its subject matter. However, for me the album never felt chaotic or tiresome but, rather, everything came together beautifully. “Revolution 9” is an experimental collage of sounds comprised of tape edits and sound processing. Maybe not pleasant to listen to it did, however, showcase the avant-garde spirit of the band especially Lennon’s desire to push the envelope. Some say that Lennon’s “Revolution 9” was very much inspired by his wife, Yoko, who was an avant-garde performing artist herself. This was a piece that must have been equally praised and criticized by listeners as it seemed out of place on the album (should have belonged on a Stockhausen album perhaps) but I feel it was an admirable challenge. “Goodnight” is the last song on the album and provided a warm closing to a long yet enlightening musical journey. The song is sung by Ringo Starr who is the drummer and not known for his singing ability. I personally quite like the song and feel Starr’s vocal delivery is very effective as his voice is earnest and unpolished. It reminds me of the old Disney songs with their lush orchestrations and tender melodies.

“The White Album” is such a rich and masterful album that has both educated and touched me from my youth till now. It is an album that I would love to share with you especially if you tire of today’s music. There is a wealth of emotion, musical and technical genius for everybody from the casual listener to the professional musician. There are many other great Beatles’ albums that I might “review” in the future but, for now, I’d like to present to you one of my favorite albums of all time. It’s still as fresh now as when I heard it for the first time nearly 25 years ago.

Enjoy it, DT


on my way to see my friends who lived a couple blocks away from me as i walked through the subway

 
2 F  发表于 2008-7-23 16:08 | 只看该作者
2008年7月10日 武漢

在這個月的日記裡,我想寫一篇不同於以往的文章。我要寫一篇「樂評」,介紹我最喜歡的專輯之一:披頭四(譯註:或譯「甲蟲樂隊」)的【白色專輯】。大部分熟識我的人都知道,在音樂上,披頭四是影響我最多的一個樂團。在很多訪問中,我常會提到他們,但是我很少有機會可以深入探討他們的音樂與歌曲。因此我想寫篇樂評,讓大家認識 (或重新認識)披頭四,尤其是這張專輯。當然,在過去這六十年裡出生的人應該都或多或少聽過這個樂團,但是我發現很多人並沒有真的了解他們的音樂及其產生影響力的前因後果。我想很多人都聽過一些披頭四的名曲像是 “Hey, Jude” 或 “Let It Be”,但他們最好或最有影響力的作品並不是這些歌。我必須說披頭四的影響力是淵遠流長的,相較之下,貓王就只是曇花一現的流行偶像罷了。

我得先釐清一點,這並不是一篇傳統定義下的「樂評」。這跟你平常會在雜誌裡讀到的評論文章不同。我只是將我個人對於這張專輯的想法與意見紀錄下來。當然,更重要的是你最好可以先買下這張專輯(實體或數位的合法版本),邊讀邊聽,這樣你就會知道我在說甚麼。

【白色專輯】是披頭四在1968年發行的第九張專輯(我出生前一年),這是張「兩張一套」的專輯。關於【白色專輯】的專輯名稱來源,有一個非正式的說法指出是因為專輯的白色封套上除了團名之外,並沒有任何其他文字。我覺得這是他們最好的專輯,因為它在各方面的表現都是相當前衛,卻同時兼顧了音樂性與可聽性。它將實驗、旋律、溫潤、動人等特質融治一爐。整體製作水準頂尖卓絕,藍儂(Lennon)跟麥卡尼(McCartney)的詞曲創作表現並臻高峰。這是披頭四第一次採用八軌盤帶錄音技術,這讓他們在器樂搭配與編曲層次上有更多的揮灑空間。若以現今的科技水平看來,我們只需要一台家用電腦就可以錄製無數軌的音樂,但是想像當時在只有一台八軌盤帶的錄音前提下,他們是要面臨何其巨大的挑戰!這點證明了握有甚麼工具並不是重點,作出甚麼內容才是王道。

這張專輯的開場曲 “Back in the USSR”巧妙地使用了飛機起降的音效。直率的搖滾節奏,明顯受到海灘男孩影響的美妙合聲。整首歌呈現出明顯的美式音質,但很諷刺的,這首歌的歌名卻是以蘇聯舊政權為題。第二首歌 “Dear Prudence” 是藍儂寫的,這首歌後來被很多藝人與樂團翻唱過,而成為眾人膜拜的經典名曲。這首歌簡單得很詭異,只有三個不斷重複的和弦,藉此營造出催眠般的低吟音場。我很喜歡電吉他的部份,他們用電吉他彈奏出很有趣的印度音色與音階,並以此作為立基主軸,逐漸將整首歌推向高潮。我覺得這首歌設計出一種闇黑陰鬱的調性,這點影響了許多現代的搖滾樂團。

【白色專輯】並沒有任何為披頭四創造高度商業成就的金榜金曲,但它仍然有許多極具開創性的單曲。專輯裡的第四首歌 “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da”是由保羅麥卡尼譜寫的經典代表作之一。從以前到現在,我ㄧ直很喜歡這首歌散發出的熱帶海島歡愉氣氛,創意十足的合聲吟唱以及美國南方鄉村音樂特有的鋼琴音調。當麥卡尼在最後幾遍副歌,以狂野的方式大聲唱出甜美的詞句時,兩者之間的對比迸發出許多力量。

“The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill”是一首影響我很多的作品,因為藍儂在這首歌以一種循序漸進的方式講述故事,逐步將聽眾引入各段落鋪陳的情節之中。這首歌聽起來像是一首兒歌,但深究其中,你會發現這首歌是很可怕的。藍儂在這首歌及其他作品表現出來的幽默與譏諷特質,讓他得以成為一位與眾不同的創作者。

喬治哈里遜(George Harrison)在披頭四歷年的作品系譜中,並未佔據太大的分量,而“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” 就是他最著名的作品之一。這首歌的和絃與旋律結構是相當標準的哈里遜風格 - 擅長操弄複雜的樂曲進行方式及曲扭旋律。很有趣的一點是,這首歌的吉他獨奏是由艾力克 克里普頓(Eric Clapton)彈奏的,他跟披頭四屬於同一時期,本身就是一個很重要的藝人(與吉他英雄)。我個人覺得哈里遜的作品長期欠缺一份情感,而且不像約翰或保羅般直接。他似乎很努力地要搞些新玩意,但常常為了滿足形式需求而犧牲該有的功能要素。

“Happiness is a Warm Gun”是我在這專輯裡面最喜歡的作品之一,因為這首歌的詞曲展現出驚人的創意。這首歌由六個不同的段落組成,各自擁有鮮明的旋律走法,但是彼此又環環相扣,融合一體。它傳遞出一股強力集中卻又層次分明的情緒。約翰在結尾以原始的野性嗓音演唱,真實展現了他無所在乎、無所憾恨的個性。“Martha My Dear”精雕細琢的交響樂編曲是麥卡尼的經典作品之ㄧ。我曾經偏好麥卡尼的創作,但隨著年齡的增長,我反而比較喜歡藍儂尖銳、深沉與具備社會意識的作品風格。典型的麥卡尼作品(或許也包括他的個性)總是甜甜蜜蜜、和和氣氣、快快樂樂。他的音樂很容易被人接受,但是就欠缺藍儂作品中的力道與爆炸性。“I’m So Tired”是這張專輯裡面另外一首我很喜歡的藍儂作品。這是一首非常直接的歌曲,而且歌詞及藍儂的嗓音(尤其是他在歌曲結尾的喃喃囈語)完美表達出他的疲憊與挫折。

我第一首學習彈奏的吉他曲目就是麥卡尼的“Blackbird”。這是一首質樸、簡單而動人的迷人小品。我覺得這是麥卡尼最好的作品。你可以挑戰學習這首歌-我是在15歲的時候學會的。“Piggies”是另外一首由哈里遜譜寫的歌曲,再次巧妙混入豬鼾音效,這在披頭四的作品中是十分常見的手法。我年輕的時候很喜歡這種方式,因為這可以讓歌曲更具真實性與臨場感。我喜歡這首歌的編曲,尤其是使用了大鍵琴與弦樂重奏,並將互不相干的些許藍調混入巴哈式的和弦走法中。“I Will”則是我最喜歡的另一首麥卡尼作品,因為我覺得它寫得很好。這首歌以一種輕鬆寫意的態度表現出甜美誠摯的情感。這讓我想起Gilbert O’Sullivan(譯註:1970年代備受推崇的愛爾蘭創作歌手)的一首作品“Alone Again”,但這並不是說兩首歌聽起來很相似,而是兩者都具備了好作品該有的特性。

“Julia”是藍儂用來歌頌他幼年時便離世的母親。歌詞令我很感動,尤其是這幾句:「貝殼般的雙眸 / 清風般的微笑 / 呼喚著我 / 讓我吟唱愛的樂章 / 茱莉亞… 」呼喚出一幅栩栩如生的人物景象。我總覺得間奏的旋律帶有東洋味,或許是受到他老婆洋子的影響吧? 這首歌在靜諡的氛圍裡渲染出淡淡的愁思,幾許詭異和弦的撥弄,營造出如夢似幻的想像意境。

我不太清楚保羅譜寫 “Birthday”這首歌的緣由,但是這是一首標準的搖滾樂曲,展現了披頭四簡潔有力的音樂製作能力。專輯後段多數的作品都是在印度完成的,披頭四的成員在1968年時到印度作了一趟冥想之旅。在這段隱士生活期間,藍儂跟麥卡尼明顯經歷了一段自由解放、文思泉湧的美妙體驗,因而在那裏創作了一些經典佳作。雖然這些歌不盡然反應出印度音樂對他們所造成的影響,但是整張專輯所展現的創意與實驗精神,延續發展到披頭四日後的專輯如【黃色潛水艇】之中。“Sexy Sadie” 運用了兩個七大調的和弦,當我開始寫歌的時候,這個作法著實讓我印象深刻。這其實沒有什麼艱澀難行之處,但是這樣的和弦處理搭配歌詞的主題傳遞出一種玩世不恭的壞痞子迷人魅力。這裡再次見識到藍儂獨特的作詞魔力,另外在合聲與吉他的部分同樣有十分精彩的表現。

我一直不喜歡 “Helter Skelter”這首歌,但是它絕對是重金屬音樂的發展前身,只是它沒有像重金屬音樂在吉他部分加上這麼重的失真效果(distortion effect)。我覺得這是麥卡尼企圖變身為重搖滾樂手的宣示之作,但是我覺得結果並沒有太大的說服力。“Revolution 1”是我很喜歡的藍儂經典代表作之一,但是我其實比較喜歡另一個更重的版本,這個版本收錄在其他的專輯裡面,歌名也簡化為 “Revolution”。這首歌的歌詞充滿爭議性,傳達出藍儂的政治社會覺醒意識,而這也正是他的音樂作品的重要特徵。如果你有機會可以閱讀其中的歌詞,你就會了解我的意思。

“Honey Pie” 運用了1920年代的小酒館音效,這是麥卡尼的另一首擬時代作品。當麥卡尼順利完成這首歌,其結果堪稱卓越。這首歌展現了動人的魅力與多彩多姿的性格,充滿聆聽的樂趣。尤其那令人驚艷的銅管與豎笛/黑管編曲,我們可以從這裡見識到藍儂與麥卡尼千變萬化、高深莫測的音樂造詣。收錄在我的第二張專輯的 “馬戲團”就是在這首歌的啟蒙根源上,拓展出更為開闊的創意版圖。

【白色專輯】驚人之處乃是整張專輯在主題概念的定義範疇內,衍生出多樣多元的音樂風格。但是我並不會覺得這張專輯過於混亂或冗長,反而是所有的東西以一種美麗的姿態聚合為一。“Revolution 9”是拼貼剪輯盤帶錄音與音效後期處理的實驗之作。這首歌並不悅耳,但是它彰顯了這個樂團所具備的前衛精神,尤其是藍儂追求極致、超越顛峰的過人意志。有人說“Revolution 9”是藍儂受到妻子洋子的影響而創作的,因為洋子本身是一位前衛藝術表演者。這首歌的毀譽參半,批評者認為在整張專輯中,它顯得有點格格不入 - 也許應該放在史塔克豪森(譯注: Karlheinz Stockhasen,1928~2007。二十世紀最重要的德國現代音樂作曲家之一,被譽為電子音樂之父)的專輯裡面,但是我覺得這樣的挑戰精神是值得被稱許的。“Goodnight”是專輯裡面的最後一首歌,為這段閃耀啟蒙光輝的音樂之旅譜下溫馨感人的尾聲。這首歌是由鼓手林哥史達(Ringo Starr)演唱的,大家不太了解他的演唱實力。我自己很喜歡這首歌,我覺得林哥不假修飾的真誠嗓音深富穿透力。它讓我想起一些迪士尼老歌,華麗壯闊的交響樂編曲配上柔情似水的優美旋律。

【白色專輯】是一張內容豐富、洋溢巧思的專輯,從我的青春年代直到如今,它讓我感動許多,也受益良多。這是一張我樂於跟大家分享的專輯,尤其如果你對現今的音樂感到厭煩的話。不管是對一般的聽眾或專業的音樂人來說,這張專輯絕對擁有豐沛的情感與頂尖的音樂創作技法。也許未來我還會發表其他的披頭四「樂評」,但是我現在想先跟大家分享這張專輯,它是我的摯愛經典之一。我在二十五年前第一次聽到這張專輯,即使至今,它依舊清新俊逸,甚至歷久彌新。

好好享受吧 !

陶喆
on my way to see my friends who lived a couple blocks away from me as i walked through the subway

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