Pulp it!重溫Pulp

pulp_it

真係唔記得我幾時迷上Pulp,或是Jarvis Cocker 了。我真的記不得。Brit Pop 年代我真正迷迷迷的應該都係Pulp。我諗,來自Sheffield呢個小城市的他們是特別有一種quirky 及草根味,所以才能解釋為何有《Common people》的出現吧。(在訪問中,Jarvis Cocker 說歌曲的靈感其實是他當時的一位女同學,是一個富家女兒,卻跟他說想成為common people ⋯⋯)

很多人不知道其實Pulp 早於七十年代尾已成立,亦不知道其實Jarvis Cocker 係六三年出世,以為Pulp 與Oasis 及Blur 都是同期。而大家普遍認識的Pulp 都係由【His ‘n’ Hers 】開始,或者甚至係 【Different Class】。唔,趁Pulp重組演出,我們是時候懷舊,當然,Jarvis都明白,所以Pulp 將會Reissue 一直冇乜人提同識的首三張專輯【It】、【Freaks】及【Separations 】。

遠自1983年,Pulp 的Debut【It】是出奇地被認為受Leonard Cohen 影響的一張laid-back、淸新專輯。搵了一陣子youtube都找不到他們現場唱當中的歌曲,唯有聽《Wishful Thinking》的The Peel Sessions version。

當然,重讀他們的wiki page,以下是Pulp 的奇事分享︰

一,Jarvis Cocker 為追女仔扮蜘蛛俠跌落街

in November 1985, Cocker fell out of a window while trying to impress a girl with a Spider-Man impression and ended up in hospital, temporarily requiring the use of an wheelchair in which he appeared during concerts.

二,Jarvis 曾讀電影,在第二張唱片推出之後,

This led to him leaving for London to study film at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, effectively folding the band.

三,Jarvis 曽在Brit Awards踩MJ 台,然後被拉,有興趣朋友可看TFI Friday Interview。十多年後在電視節目Question Time上重提此事時更串串地說,he invented Moonwalk。

It was at this time that Cocker gained significant media exposure due to an notorious prank at the 1996 BRIT Awards, where he invaded the stage in protest during pop singer Michael Jackson’s performance of “Earth Song” and “wiggled his backside” at the audience. After complaints by Jackson and his entourage, Cocker spent the night in Kensington Police Station charged with actual bodily harm and assaulting the child performers. However, with British comedian and former solicitor Bob Mortimer acting as legal representation, he was released without charge.[21] This incident propelled Cocker into great controversy in the UK and elsewhere, and Pulp’s record sales soared as a result. The event also coincided with the beginning of their first arena tour and the Daily Mirror, who had attacked the band months earlier, set up a “Justice for Jarvis” campaign backing his actions and carried out a stunt at Pulp’s Sheffield Arena gig on 29 February, handing out free T-shirts. The NME described Cocker’s actions as a “great publicity stunt” which was “creative, subversive and very, very funny”,[22] while Melody Maker described Cocker as, “arguably the Fifth Most Famous Man In Britain”[23] and suggested he should be knighted.

四,九六年的Compilation是未經Jarvis同意出版的專輯,佢叫大家唔好買,

In March 1996, a compilation of Pulp’s early recordings on Fire Records entitled Countdown 1992–1983 was released on the Nectar Masters label. It received largely negative reviews, but due to the band’s popularity at the time it reached the top 10 of the UK charts. Cocker, who’s permission was not sought before release, urged fans not to purchase the album, comparing it to “a garish old family photograph album”.[23]

八月份便會現場見他們,好緊張!


朋友,聽Rumer,再見不等於forever

rumereee

最近身邊的朋友都不是分手就與本人的生活保持距離,我們到底是跟著生活流,還是隨著感覺而行走。剛與一好友說再見,另一好友原來又分手了,離離合合我已覺討厭。其實很害怕聽到這些離合消息,總有著說不出的哀愁在裏頭。我跟好友說再見,我沒有高興,亦沒有不高興,那種感受不是一個形容詞能概括的。

不過只希望好友心情好吧。近日都在收音機聽到英國唱作新人Rumer的作品,其實不用誰說,一聽其聲線便知與The Carpenters 的聲線有八成相像了。很soul 很easy listening,其實不是我杯茶。但感到奇怪好像香港方面沒有人去hype這位女生,或者因為不是大公司關係吧。如果鍾意簡單又好聽又soul 又舒服的東西,Rumer 一定係你心水。

突然覺得《Goodbye girl》的副歌是很寫得很美麗,baby let me tell you goodbye doesn’t mean forever。多詩意。送給好友。送給要說再見的所有朋友。

All your life you’ve waited
For love to come and stay
And now that I have found you
You must not slip away
I know it’s hard believing
The word’s you’ve heard before
But darling you must trust them
Just once more

‘Cuz Baby, Goodbye doesn’t mean forever
Let me tell you
Goodbye doesn’t mean
We’ll never be together again

If you wake up and I’m not there
I won’t be long away
Cos the things you do my Goodbye Girl
Will bring me back to you

I know you’ve been taken
Afraid to hurt again
You fight the love you feel for me
Instead of giving in

But I can’t wait forever
Helping you to see
That I was meant for you
And you for me

‘Cuz baby, Goodbye doesn’t mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye
Doesn’t mean we’ll never be together again

Though we may be so far apart
You still will have my heart
So forget your past my Goodbye Girl
Cos now you’re home at last

Let me tell you goodbye doesn’t mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye doesn’t mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye doesn’t mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye doesn’t mean forever


諾亞與鯨魚︰新生活要好好過

noahlastnight

是這樣的,當你生活走到盡處時,若然在音樂上找到安慰,你總會覺得生命是比較美好的。Noah and the Whale的聲音從來都與我的耳朵及內心有著共鳴的。之前大愛單曲《L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.》,然後聽罷整張專輯【Last Night on Earth】,我再次找到更大的共鳴了,這是在【The First Days of Spring】那令人聽得隱隱作痛的淒美樂章之後的一張對自我肯定,誓要新生活的專輯。

如果我是台灣那邊負責寫唱片文案的,我一定會寫,這是一張給受傷的你的療傷音樂,諾亞與鯨魚是帶著希望與動力為生命道路上跌倒的我們來個最溫暖的鼓舞。民謠新浪潮遇上Belle and Sebastian的精美輕搖滾加上Lou Reed式旋律及情懷,是這個春天心靈脆弱的樂迷的最佳禮物。

嗯,係可,我確實感到主音Charlie Fink之前經歷的情傷對他來說有多大的傷害。走出困境,我們每一個人都要從陰暗裏走出光明,光明何在,現實中難以體現,音樂上我則仍然感到。專輯序幕便是《Life is Life》對生命按restart button的肯定,是這樣的︰

He’s gonna change
Gonna change his ways
Gonna change
Gonna change his ways

And it feels like his new life can start
And it feels like heaven

緊接的《Tonight’s The Kind Of Night》是這樣子唱的

Because tonight’s the kind of night,
Where everything could change,

然後《L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.》是這樣子對著我唱的

She said, “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
You’ve got more than money and sense, my friend
You’ve got heart and you’re going your own way”

“L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
What you don’t have now will come back again
You’ve got heart and you’re going your own way”

《Wild Thing》唱著的是對一個大眾不認同的人的特別的理解及愛護,這種同理心,我想就是對自己對別人的一個承擔幫助吧;《Give it all back》則是對青春及舊回憶的一個nostalgia,人隨著生活流,不自覺會漏下了誰或誰或誰,很討厭,這就是生活嗎,這就是生命嗎,這就是一定的定律嗎,這一定需要改變嗎,誰不想give it all back and turn back time?
《before we met》則是一個較平淡調子的一個檢閱生活,不過仍然是有那稀噓吧,這不過是以前的我,有舊的堅持⋯這是之前的我,那認識了你,我又得到什麼?

《Waiting For My Chance To Come》則是

Well it takes real guts to be alone,
Going head to head with the great unknown,
But there is no sweeter sound, on the kings round I’m bound,
And just waiting for your chance to come,

《The Line》的離別,讓我想哭,那種無奈,那種無力,那種⋯

“Is this the line?
Is this the line?
Is this the line between heaven and hell?
Is this the line where I get up and walk out?
Is this the line where you get drunk you yell?”

《Old Joy》則是很直接的,

Forget the things that get away, forget the things that get away,
Don’t dream of yesterday, don’t dream of yesterday.

其實很少音樂用字是如此直接主題如此淸晰的,Noah and the Whale,這是屬於我這一年的音樂,是屬於覺得生活要重新好好地過的專輯。

這個Live version很好聽

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. (Live from RAK Studios) from charlie fink on Vimeo.

TONIGHTS THE KIND OF NIGHT DEMO MSTRD by charliefink


呀下呀呀下,倫敦

倫敦從來都是我又愛又恨的城市。愛在其文化的豐富及複雜,它的文化建基於文化間的衝突及不協調,倫敦人的愛辯不妥協性格又是使這些衝突能成立的地方。這些都是使英國或是倫敦的文化層面可以那麼有趣罷。恨在於其過份繁忙缺乏應有的人情味吧。我三年沒來倫敦,這次第三度短暫停留讓我的腦海真的變了海洋一樣在蕩漾,很複雜,那裏流這裡衝向哪裏走。

上一次來倫敦是跟爸媽及大家姐來。短短不足四年發覺倫敦已改變不少,尤其是Piccadilly Circus,大型HMV 及Virgin原來已消失了。確實,人都消失了,我不禁在回憶倒帶,那些地方我們幹過什麼那個地方我們怎樣走過。人還不過是城市的一部份,人會幻滅城市難以幻滅。我們的回憶黏在城市上,不如說城市是沿著我們的生命線地在四方百面地發展成長活著的罷。

在倫敦短留根本看不到什麼,看到一大群人在Oxford Street跑呀跑,其實很有趣,就像在香港Nathen Road 旺角一段跑一樣,那種對抗街道本身角色的含義很強。看得我不禁咧起嘴笑。

回到奧斯陸心情又是不一樣,變幻原是永恒嗎,我不覺得變幻原是永恒,永恒的就只有永恒這詞語,變幻是人生,像馬路紅綠燈一樣,你久不久便要碰上一個吧。我站在這個馬路口,我想到的是這個世界原本就是用來作破壞的,建立,deconstruct,或是collapse,或是重組,這些都是這世界,或者是我自己不斷經歷過程。

有些東西是沿著路軌走的,不過不知為什麼這個站要提早到達。我不知道提早發出訊號的意義何在,我邊廂就只有感到悲傷。就像是海,大海是變幻的始源,我討厭水,這是Erlend Loe教我的。我討厭水。保持,保持的就只有俗套路軌上的過程罷了。我討厭水。這個世界的磁場總讓水在翻在倒,可以讓它安靜一點嗎?我不明白。剛剛手上的水才平靜過來,為何又要那麼快迫我倒瀉?可知道我的手是這麼震。


Noah與Whale的最重要是你有heart

noahlifegoeson

鄰居安勒樹某天跟我說,某天他在報紙裏說亞洲人來到挪威要食維他命B不然會有情緒問題。我笑一笑,跟他說,我在香港時也會久不久情緒會低落一點吧,在這裡也一樣,這不是問題吧。然後他也傻笑了,說,哦,間唔中depressed一下好正常,我成日都會,好正常吧,那我也要吃嗎?

的確,心情有起有落是正常事,最重要是有時起下有時落下,唔好好太獨沽一味就好啦。係嘛,我諗係吧,每到weekend我的心情通常會跌到低點,這從中學時開始已是這樣,沒有什麼問題。今日一常以往感到沒生氣,看看電視劇,聽聽歌吧,像我一直喜愛的倫敦樂隊Noah and the Whale新大碟的新作《 L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.》。

第二張大碟的Noah and the Whale因為主音的分手而變成一張極為憂愁的青春映畫,這次第三張經歷哥哥的離隊,跟據Guardian的報導,又會是另一個轉變。趕即下載新單曲,聽一聽,咦,原來早在收音機聽過不少次了,只是沒有為意是他們的作品吧,確實,這次又變得開懷了,收起了ukelulu等的民謠元素,變得竟有點近代的Belle and Sebestian起來。喜歡歌曲,易入口得來仍然有他們的情懐,尤其歌詞,是這樣說的,

You’ve got more than money and sense, my friend
You’ve got heart and you’re going your own way”

“L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
What you don’t have now will come back again
You’ve got heart and you’re going your own way”

嗯,精神十分抖震,保持樂觀,至少在歌曲裏。睇MV


英國女生Anna Calvi可能是最好的⋯

annacalvi

或者要先聲奪人,Nick Cave親自邀請她作Grinderman的supporting act,Brian Eno竟然這樣形容Anna Calvi「 the best thing since Patti Smith」,你就知道你唔可以唔聽Anna Calvi。

因為Guy Garvey而認識Anna Calvi,聽她的歌,不只是她那受David Lynch、王家衛等電影而擁有的迷幻氣團,與及那因Jimi Hendrix而擁有的古舊搖滾風骨,其實單是她的聲音,已是那麼的攝人了。

聽她的歌你猜想不到會轉折得那麼壯麗,難怪Romanticsm 是其他人去形容她的形容詞了。 單聽《Desire》吧,哇,她的現場演出真是冇得頂,我更覺得她有同屬Arcade Fire的Aura及聲音重量!哇。


十六歲倫敦男孩Zoo Kid的咆哮

zookid

倫敦男孩Zoo Kid,原名Archy Marshall,沒什麼特別吧,特別這小夥子只有十六歲,而十六歲的他卻有《Out Getting Ribs》這樣美麗動人的作品。那帶著重重迴音的結他聲,骨子裏像dreampop,其實卻是像sadcore一樣充滿情感十分內省的作品,聲音都是屬於感情波伏所產生的張力,你感受到,你聽得到當中的掙扎的。結他的質感或者更會讓你聽到更多indie pop 經典的名字吧。

Zoo Kid或者一下子將會成為英倫裏另一個被hype而大紅的act,即管睇下點啦。