After listening to some depressing old CDs that I am about to discard, suddenly I became nostalgic and decided to listen to all the CDs of Echo and the Bunnymen that I have, and so the Bunnymen had become my music of the week.
Echo and the Bunnymen have been the good old eighties band to me. Their albums of the eighties are always on my favourite music shelf while their "Evergreen" CD of of 1997 is left on the general music shelf. Mmm, I haven't bought any of their newer albums. (Sorry, my dear Bunnymen!)
But listening to "Evergreen" again, it sounded really good and er… really evergreen. It has lost the edge of their younger days, but the more mellow songs with the more mellow voice of Ian McCulloch make you feel like you are enjoying a good cup of tea at the garden with your old friend on a sunny day (a really bad metaphor I know!) I guess I'll have to get their newer albums later on.
Still, my favorite album of the Bunnymen is “Porcupine” of 1983. Wow, it's already 25 years ago! Like all really good music, it still sounds new, at least newer than the bunch of mediocre pop rock bands of today.
One of my super favorite Bunnymen songs – "Back of Love"
Most regard the "Ocean Rain" album as their best. Sure it's brilliant and I love it. It's the most easy-listening among their older albums. But it's a bit too polished and sweet for me, despite the genius of "the Killing Moon".
At one time when I was quite young, the Bunnymen was my top favourite band. I loved them even more then the Smiths. I thought the four of the drums (remember the late Pete de Freitas), the bass, the guitar and the vocals were all brilliant. I was amazed by how they could blend so ingeniously to weave such incredible songs. They transported me to their atmospheric world of rebellion, elegance, gloom, and (yet) hope. That’s Art!
At the camp of the Smiths, only the vocals of Morrissey and the guitars of Johnny Marr shine. After so many listens, I could hardly remember their bass or their drums. But as I listened to more of their records, I was finally won over by the super-witty lyrics and one of a kind soulful singing of Moz Mozza Morrissey. Since then I listen to the Smiths much much more, for they are more listener-friendly.
But I would not agree that the Smiths are better than the Bunnymen. They are both excellent, but good in different way.
Last week, I have even created a Dailymotion account, just to watch the documentary film of "You Will Never Walk Alone" (1992), which was about music and the city of Liverpool, featuring many interviews with Ian McCulloch. And I love Liverpool too.
His Liverpudlian accent sounded quite weird to me, a far cry from his charismatic singing. That accent made him sound like an old bloke when he spoke! (In contrast, I always love to hear the interesting Scottish accent of Jim Reid. With his gentle and slightly magnetic voice, it’s like music to me, even though I cannot quite understand what he said!)
Watch the big lips of Big Mac:
Never Walk Alone 1/6
Uploaded by kimkallstrom
Monday 23 June 2008
Sunday 22 June 2008
我的無聊與快樂
到底這些網上搜尋器是怎運作的﹖
前幾天，天真的我以為聰明，施個慳皮法，在99巴仙的英文網誌上打幾隻中文字，人們搜尋中文網誌也可以找到我的字仔。可我的詭計徹底失敗了。
我為什麼手痕加了幾隻中文字呢﹖因為該網誌講American Idol 7 的Jason Castro (冒着被友人恥笑的危險而寫的幼稚情書) 。我發覺似乎不少中文薄客不大喜歡他，便想用網誌踩進中文的虎穴投他微薄的一票。真自大，像我這個揾鬼睇唔知搏咩隱蔽blog，名字叫存在與虛無，找隻烏蠅來攪攪震都難，又怎會因為幾粒字在中文搜尋結果中現形﹖
也罷，網誌裏有名人的名字還真管用，Jason Castro一出，國際社會訪客量暴升起碼一千巴仙，只因之前是近乎天零零地零零。終於有幾個傻瓜探頭進來，似乎都上錯船，他們要尋的人都只是在網誌裏客串的閒角，卻沒有人因尋主角而來。原來，從前以為神通廣大的搜尋器是神經的老點器，唓﹗
偶然無聊墮落去八掛香港的外語音樂討論區，調查本地人對JC等AI人的看法，似乎厭惡和不怎喜歡他的人佔多數，Brooke White 和2D則較受歡迎。What a shame! 這麼可愛的一個人也不懂欣賞。但來來去去都只是那幾條粉腸在幫會裏發牙痕，會員包括有望繼承維園阿伯的寶座惡棍，和以為跟了紅就能憑偶像貴而發紫的羊羣粉絲，他們噴的口水和吠的噪音重要嗎？惡棍尤其不懂得愛，他們所謂的愛使他們的世界變得更細小。這些討論區很無聊，領此一嘢，但願終生免疫。
不過不喜歡JC的人也不無道理，他壓根兒是個Anti-American Idol。回想起來，他的Top 4表演實在好玩。另外那三個一本正經的喊破喉嚨乞票，他卻偏偏選了唱懶洋洋的 “I Shot the Sheriff”扮Bob Marley，同塲加映 “Mr. Tambourine Man” 那不可能的忘詞 — 特別耳熟能詳的一句。輕易令評判抓破頭皮，教監製滴汗，玩謝了老套的AI，Jason好嘢﹗抽離一下那比賽的懶緊張氣氛去看，實在很comical。如果他是故意的，我可更欣賞他了。如果不，我懷疑那也可能是潛意識作怪的吧。多年後，人們會記得他的Top 4表演，但沒有人會記得另外那三個。
比賽後期他的表演比較平淡，但不是厭他的人所說的悶，怎會呢﹖悶字很難和有趣的他扯上關係，就是他的一些表演比較差勁，也遠比其他表現好的悶蛋參賽者有趣好看。
前幾天，天真的我以為聰明，施個慳皮法，在99巴仙的英文網誌上打幾隻中文字，人們搜尋中文網誌也可以找到我的字仔。可我的詭計徹底失敗了。
我為什麼手痕加了幾隻中文字呢﹖因為該網誌講American Idol 7 的Jason Castro (冒着被友人恥笑的危險而寫的幼稚情書) 。我發覺似乎不少中文薄客不大喜歡他，便想用網誌踩進中文的虎穴投他微薄的一票。真自大，像我這個揾鬼睇唔知搏咩隱蔽blog，名字叫存在與虛無，找隻烏蠅來攪攪震都難，又怎會因為幾粒字在中文搜尋結果中現形﹖
也罷，網誌裏有名人的名字還真管用，Jason Castro一出，國際社會訪客量暴升起碼一千巴仙，只因之前是近乎天零零地零零。終於有幾個傻瓜探頭進來，似乎都上錯船，他們要尋的人都只是在網誌裏客串的閒角，卻沒有人因尋主角而來。原來，從前以為神通廣大的搜尋器是神經的老點器，唓﹗
偶然無聊墮落去八掛香港的外語音樂討論區，調查本地人對JC等AI人的看法，似乎厭惡和不怎喜歡他的人佔多數，Brooke White 和2D則較受歡迎。What a shame! 這麼可愛的一個人也不懂欣賞。但來來去去都只是那幾條粉腸在幫會裏發牙痕，會員包括有望繼承維園阿伯的寶座惡棍，和以為跟了紅就能憑偶像貴而發紫的羊羣粉絲，他們噴的口水和吠的噪音重要嗎？惡棍尤其不懂得愛，他們所謂的愛使他們的世界變得更細小。這些討論區很無聊，領此一嘢，但願終生免疫。
不過不喜歡JC的人也不無道理，他壓根兒是個Anti-American Idol。回想起來，他的Top 4表演實在好玩。另外那三個一本正經的喊破喉嚨乞票，他卻偏偏選了唱懶洋洋的 “I Shot the Sheriff”扮Bob Marley，同塲加映 “Mr. Tambourine Man” 那不可能的忘詞 — 特別耳熟能詳的一句。輕易令評判抓破頭皮，教監製滴汗，玩謝了老套的AI，Jason好嘢﹗抽離一下那比賽的懶緊張氣氛去看，實在很comical。如果他是故意的，我可更欣賞他了。如果不，我懷疑那也可能是潛意識作怪的吧。多年後，人們會記得他的Top 4表演，但沒有人會記得另外那三個。
比賽後期他的表演比較平淡，但不是厭他的人所說的悶，怎會呢﹖悶字很難和有趣的他扯上關係，就是他的一些表演比較差勁，也遠比其他表現好的悶蛋參賽者有趣好看。
Look, cutie!
Jason Castro-I Just Want To Be Your Everything
他的粉絲還不止尖叫少女，也有很多中年司拉阿叔，更有不少基哥。女孩想做他女友，媽媽想有個像他一樣可愛的兒子，基哥想帶他回家過夜。
不過作為一個腌尖的樂迷，連Radiodead 和Oldplay(Moz的笑語)之流我都懶理，如果我不知道他，有一天在唱片店裏聽了他的CD，我可能不會感到太大興趣。
夠了，我的狂迷日記。
let me be a fool for a while
就是喜歡Jason Castro. 
Thank God American Idol season 7 is over!
It's the first time I've ever watched AI, since it has been showing on the ATV World channel (despite its 3 weeks’ time gap).
Since early on my favorites were Brooke White and Jason Castro. They were like the opposite sex versions of each other - unique voice, heartfelt singing, and good-looking. Carly Smithson and Micheal Johns were all right. Again, like Brooke and Jason, they were a pair – charismatic, great vocal skills, rock. But they sounded rather old-fashioned and overly mainstream. I don't care much if they were out later in the contest. As for the rest, they were mostly boring! Most were just about showing off their vocal range and big voice. I couldn’t care less.
I also quite liked the failed contestant Josiah Leming, who may be the most talented contestant in the whole show.
Before, I just kinda liked Jason, but no big deal. Guess what? I often watched AI while using the computer. I just couldn't be too devoted to watching it. But since Jason got voted off, I had watched many of his interviews, they always brought me smiles and I just loved him more. And only in recent weeks did I come to realize how gorgeous he had been.
He was particularly beautiful when he sang solo (was it because of the lighting and the make-up?). With such great looks and passionate singing, some of his performances were verging on revelations (Hallelujah, Over the Rainbow). It's timeless. I bet watching his performance videos in 50 years, people will still be amazed by his beauty. I was charmed by his beautiful clear blue eyes and his perfect profile. I like his cute (is it an appropriate word?) hair styles in dreadlocks and the way he dressed. Yet on the other hand in interviews he was funny, sweet, and genuine. I was inspired by his laid-back personality. Perhaps it's this combination of his radiant stage presence and his pleasant personality that amazed me so much.
Why do people have to emphasize that they love him for his singing rather than his looks just to avoid being mistaken as teenyboppers? It’s the whole package, stupid! If he looks like the other contestant David Hernandez (?), I doubt I would like him as much. But could someone looks like DH ever sing like Jason?
These few days I am particularly crazy. I spent lots of time searching for him on the Internet. I even downloaded his photos (and I have not even downloaded one photo of my idol Jude Law ever!). I replaced the lovely wallpaper of myself with my lovely friend with his picture on my laptop. How corny! Well, so many stupid guys were naïve enough to put wallpapers of seemingly naïve girl pop stars on their computer. Now it's my turn!
It's almost like I am in love. How horrible! I don't even bother about the Sichuan earthquake news these days. That is to say, I am more overwhelmed by Jason's beauty then the tragic national disaster.
(In fact, I haven't donated ten cents so far, and I probably won’t. Call me heartless. But I am poor money-wise. Let the rich people who have ripped us off pay their dues and feel good about themselves. Indeed I am pretty numb. After tragic events HK people had been through all these years, people just won't learn. Soon they will forget about the lessons in life they thought they've learnt. When the nightmare is over, real life creeps in and people just continue to live blindly. They will commemorate the 1st, the 5th and the 10the anniversary of the disaster, but it would only be reduced to some media events that have nothing to do with people’s life. There may be big changes in the life of victims and even the aid workers, but hardly any for the spectators. Just wait for the next tragedy to happen.)
But I am somewhat doubtful about Jason's musical taste. The music of his musical heroes sounded rather trite to me. I am doubtful if this banal AI machine, a far cry from my lovely musical taste, could churn out anything good. Kelly Clarkson is a very good singer, yet her music was just OK for me, and I won’t even bother to buy a cheap pirate CD of hers. And the rest are just simply forgettable. Could Jason make a really good album? Judging from his performances, yes. Judging from his musical heroes, not sure. But then there are good music coming out of not-so-great influence, and loads of mediocre music out of great music influence. I'll just keep my fingers crossed.
Because of Jason's rendition, I had searched and heard versions of Hallelujah. People would argue which version they liked better. Weird, people could not love a lot. Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, and…Jason, I like them all.
Watching AI had probably ruined my health by greatly reducing the quality of my sleep in recent months. Overexcited, I usually could not sleep well the night after the late-at-night show.
I began watching AI due to my impossible curiosty. Soon I fell into the trap. Though I was glad to find the gem of Jason there. I vow that I would not watch AI again, just like I won't fall into the trap of watching this year's Olympic Games. What a waste of time! (It's like, every time when I happened to read an entertainment magazine, in the end I would throw it on the floor and grumble out "what a waste of time!")
Already I am afraid my love is short-lived. Will I still love you next summer?
Well, I am already content to have enjoyed the beautiful experience he brought me this season. Thanks thanks thanks thanks JC!
Thank God American Idol season 7 is over!
It's the first time I've ever watched AI, since it has been showing on the ATV World channel (despite its 3 weeks’ time gap).
Since early on my favorites were Brooke White and Jason Castro. They were like the opposite sex versions of each other - unique voice, heartfelt singing, and good-looking. Carly Smithson and Micheal Johns were all right. Again, like Brooke and Jason, they were a pair – charismatic, great vocal skills, rock. But they sounded rather old-fashioned and overly mainstream. I don't care much if they were out later in the contest. As for the rest, they were mostly boring! Most were just about showing off their vocal range and big voice. I couldn’t care less.
I also quite liked the failed contestant Josiah Leming, who may be the most talented contestant in the whole show.
Before, I just kinda liked Jason, but no big deal. Guess what? I often watched AI while using the computer. I just couldn't be too devoted to watching it. But since Jason got voted off, I had watched many of his interviews, they always brought me smiles and I just loved him more. And only in recent weeks did I come to realize how gorgeous he had been.
He was particularly beautiful when he sang solo (was it because of the lighting and the make-up?). With such great looks and passionate singing, some of his performances were verging on revelations (Hallelujah, Over the Rainbow). It's timeless. I bet watching his performance videos in 50 years, people will still be amazed by his beauty. I was charmed by his beautiful clear blue eyes and his perfect profile. I like his cute (is it an appropriate word?) hair styles in dreadlocks and the way he dressed. Yet on the other hand in interviews he was funny, sweet, and genuine. I was inspired by his laid-back personality. Perhaps it's this combination of his radiant stage presence and his pleasant personality that amazed me so much.
Why do people have to emphasize that they love him for his singing rather than his looks just to avoid being mistaken as teenyboppers? It’s the whole package, stupid! If he looks like the other contestant David Hernandez (?), I doubt I would like him as much. But could someone looks like DH ever sing like Jason?
These few days I am particularly crazy. I spent lots of time searching for him on the Internet. I even downloaded his photos (and I have not even downloaded one photo of my idol Jude Law ever!). I replaced the lovely wallpaper of myself with my lovely friend with his picture on my laptop. How corny! Well, so many stupid guys were naïve enough to put wallpapers of seemingly naïve girl pop stars on their computer. Now it's my turn!
It's almost like I am in love. How horrible! I don't even bother about the Sichuan earthquake news these days. That is to say, I am more overwhelmed by Jason's beauty then the tragic national disaster.
(In fact, I haven't donated ten cents so far, and I probably won’t. Call me heartless. But I am poor money-wise. Let the rich people who have ripped us off pay their dues and feel good about themselves. Indeed I am pretty numb. After tragic events HK people had been through all these years, people just won't learn. Soon they will forget about the lessons in life they thought they've learnt. When the nightmare is over, real life creeps in and people just continue to live blindly. They will commemorate the 1st, the 5th and the 10the anniversary of the disaster, but it would only be reduced to some media events that have nothing to do with people’s life. There may be big changes in the life of victims and even the aid workers, but hardly any for the spectators. Just wait for the next tragedy to happen.)
But I am somewhat doubtful about Jason's musical taste. The music of his musical heroes sounded rather trite to me. I am doubtful if this banal AI machine, a far cry from my lovely musical taste, could churn out anything good. Kelly Clarkson is a very good singer, yet her music was just OK for me, and I won’t even bother to buy a cheap pirate CD of hers. And the rest are just simply forgettable. Could Jason make a really good album? Judging from his performances, yes. Judging from his musical heroes, not sure. But then there are good music coming out of not-so-great influence, and loads of mediocre music out of great music influence. I'll just keep my fingers crossed.
Because of Jason's rendition, I had searched and heard versions of Hallelujah. People would argue which version they liked better. Weird, people could not love a lot. Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, and…Jason, I like them all.
Watching AI had probably ruined my health by greatly reducing the quality of my sleep in recent months. Overexcited, I usually could not sleep well the night after the late-at-night show.
I began watching AI due to my impossible curiosty. Soon I fell into the trap. Though I was glad to find the gem of Jason there. I vow that I would not watch AI again, just like I won't fall into the trap of watching this year's Olympic Games. What a waste of time! (It's like, every time when I happened to read an entertainment magazine, in the end I would throw it on the floor and grumble out "what a waste of time!")
Already I am afraid my love is short-lived. Will I still love you next summer?
Well, I am already content to have enjoyed the beautiful experience he brought me this season. Thanks thanks thanks thanks JC!
I can be laid-back too.
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