Thursday, August 31, 2006

誰問你誰是你是誰?

記得當年,我曾經借過一張唱片給一位朋友,可能是SuedeComing up,也可能是Judy and MaryFresh。總而言之,當時年紀還小,思想仍然很幼稚,那時候還很在意別人對自己喜歡的東西的反應(其實現在還不是同樣幼稚),很著急的問朋友聽過沒有、感覺怎樣。當時得到的回答是:「聽過幾首吧,聽Intro覺得好的就聽下去,覺得不對胃口的就飛掉了。」

那一刻我真的被氣得破口大罵。(其實又不算是破口大罵……總而言之……唉)

有時單單用Intro去判斷一首歌可能會太武斷了一點。不過對於像Who Are You這一首歌來說,單單是聽到Intro已經讓你可以肯定,這是一首值得聽下去的作品。

Who Are You,成為了電視劇CSI: Crime Scene Investigation的主題曲。很明顯地,這是取其歌名作向證據發問兇手是誰之意,這首1978年發表的作品內容是絕對與之無關。有一種講法是,Who Are You是在對上帝的發問,不過,似乎更多人認同那是Pete TownshendThe Sex Pistols的兩位成員在發問。

歌曲的起源是來在1977年,那個時候英國搖滾樂正在捲入一場革命之中,The Sex PistolsThe Clash等新一代龐克搖滾新星把搖滾樂推進史上最簡單卻又最暴烈的一個年代,對那些開始越走越偏離他們心中搖滾樂中心思想的古老石山作出控訴 矛頭直指著那些被科技、工業、技術迷惑了的浮誇樂隊,像那些音樂只顧追求高深而又艱澀難懂的前衛樂隊。

The Who,來自搖滾樂自從五十年代出生後爆發的六十年代,四名隊員都擁有高超的演奏技巧,而在藝術細胞過人的Pete Townshend領導下,音樂風格亦越見高超駭人。1969年的大碟Tommy是搖滾史上第一張成功的Rock Opera,及後的另一張Rock Opera Quedrophelia,還有一張又一張充滿概念性的大碟、率先使用合成器……The Who,一直讓人認為是音樂詣藝過人的樂隊,前衛而又負冒險精神……

那一天Pete Townshend正為事業上的問題感到煩惱:搖滾樂出現了新局面,卻少了一直擔任先錄的The Who份兒(縱使從Punk Rock中可以找到大量來自The Who的元素),還有當天與前經理人之間的談判以爭取利益……一切看來,彷彿The Who以及其大腦Pete Townshend,已經再不是當年那搖滾樂先鋒,已經「洗盡沿華」成為了搖滾樂界另一化石,再不危險、刺激、難以預測,已經妥協,已經在成為搖滾巨星後停滯下來。

你們以為那兩名以行為乖戾見稱的Sex Pistols成員:Steve JonesPaul Cook,在酒吧裡對那個已經醉醺醺、彷似失去了創作方向的Pete Townshend說了些甚麼呢?

失意的Pete Townshend發現面前的兩個人都不是The Sex Pistols的主腦Johnny Rotten,而他亦不能認出二人。在酒精早已把大腦弄得迷糊的時候,他對二人說,The Who已經向他們當初視為無意義的東西作出了妥協,現在就讓諸如The Sex Pistols的新樂隊去完成The Who當初的目標吧。

當時,Steve JonesPaul Cook跟本不明白Pete Townshend到底在說甚麼。他們只是告訴Pete,他們都是The Who的樂迷,如果The Who解散的話,他們都會感到很傷心。

不知道是因為憤怒還是酒精的影響,醉醺醺的Pete Townshend當時立即衝出了酒吧。在他回到家後便對妻子說了一句:「我剛剛到了地獄。」而,由他衝出酒吧至到回到家中以前,當中發生的事都被記錄在Who Are You這首歌裡。

嚴格來說這一曲並非The Who的最後一首大熱作品,但就在The Who為這一首作品的Video重新錄音(除了Bassline)以後一個星期,鼓手Keith Moon過身了。缺少了Keith MoonThe Who永遠不能再像以往的The Who爆發同樣的力量,就彷似失去了靈魂一樣,所以Who Are You也總算是見證了一個搖滾傳奇的終結。

在這首作品中,The Who簡直把所有絕活都用盡了,在Who Are You裡你可以找到所有The Who成為傳奇樂隊的基本元素,而歌曲在編曲上的技巧之豐富直使人直要跪在地上,對著那佈滿在全曲、各種各樣令人神經觸動的技巧(Power Trio的各自高超演奏、合成器的運用與Power Trio渾然一體、招牌的柔和和音與強勁主音的對比、聲量的強弱對比),簡直就像要挑戰樂迷神經的靈敏度一般。

雖然,Pete Townshend也曾經說過Roger Daltrey的演繹方式使歌曲變得失去了其精神意義。事實Who Are You也的確保留了The Who音樂中的那一份力量,我覺得也不能對Roger這個向來以嘶啞取代細膩的主音要求太多。或許,讓我們聽眾用自己的敏感去感受歌曲比較感性的一面吧。

如果,那是 Pete Townshend對我們的發問?我想,那一個正逢事業不如意、心靈已經變得脆弱、感到理想已被埋沒、對當初視為沒有意義的東西作出了妥協、而且沉醉於藥物及酒精之中的搖滾樂史上其中一名最佳結他手,那個時候也許亦很希望弄清楚自己是誰,自己到底在幹甚麼而下一步又應該幹些甚麼。或許,這一個對自我開始感到模糊的人,希望從別人對自我的認知中找尋出路。如果我問你,你是誰,你又會如何回答呢?

你對底是誰?你又正在做些甚麼呢?你的理想是甚麼?你是否已經背棄了自己的理想呢?

你把自我放在那裡呢?

或許是過於多愁善感,或許認為歌曲突然變得平靜的演奏間場是給予聽者一個思考答案的時間是過於煞有介事,或許只是因為我現在的心情實在太苦悶了一點吧了。不過,這首一流的搖滾作品,即使你只是從一般欣賞搖滾歌曲的心情去聽,它仍然可以擠身The Who的經典作之一,而且是最後的經典作……安息吧,Keith MoonJohn Entwistle



Who Are You

by The Who

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

I woke up in a Soho doorway

A policeman knew my name

He said "You can go sleep at home tonight

If you can get up and walk away"

I staggered back to the underground

And the breeze blew back my hair

I remember throwin' punches around

And preachin' from my chair

Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Tell me, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

'Cause I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

I took the tube back out of town

Back to the Rollin' Pin

I felt a little like a dying clown

With a streak of Rin Tin Tin

I stretched back and I hiccupped

And looked back on my busy day

Eleven hours in the Tin Pan

God, there's got to be another way

Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Oh, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Come on, tell me who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Oh, who the fuck are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Who are you?

Ooh wa ooh wa ooh wa ooh wa ...

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

Who are you?

Who, who, who, who?

I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Oh, who the fuck are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Oh, tell me who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

I know there's a place you walked

Where love falls from the trees

My heart is like a broken cup

I only feel right on my knees

I spit out like a sewer hole

Yet still recieve your kiss

How can I measure up to anyone now

After such a love as this?

I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Oh, who the are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Oh, tell me who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

I really wanna know

I really wanna know

Come on tell me who are you, you, you, who are you!

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Writtien by YH Lam. Original Posted at www.yickhong.blogspot.com

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