八道:: Music

另一首好歌

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 22:05:22 GMT

Chris Botti 新吹的 I'll Be Home for Christmas

第一次听I'll Be Home for Christmas是2001年末，是谁的版本已经记不清了。那是在美国的第一个冬天，我从一个亚热带人口六百万的城市来到一个尤他州人口两万名叫老根的地方学会计。10月红叶退尽，山谷里就鹅毛大雪抽了疯般地卷若飞蓬，天地间仅灰白二色。期末通宵备考，收音机里时不时传出这首歌。初见还是很惊艳的。寒夜、孤灯、时不时从脑海里的某个角落冒出来的鬼故事，摊在眼前的一学期没看的八百页的书，5包速溶咖啡下肚，5小时以后上考场，风萧萧兮易水寒，听到这么一首温情脉脉的歌，虽不知道谁将去看谁、家在哪里，也像冷山里的篝火一丛，心一下子就懒了起来。那时我的伙食水平是一个月一百刀，一周卤七只鸡翅。经常咬牙切齿的想，怀旧，怀旧，真不知道什么时候在什么情况下想起这个鬼地方的什么点滴心里才会有温暖的感觉! 只不过区区5年的时光，就给那段日子蒙上了玫瑰色的面纱。

此后每年感恩节开始，被关了一年的各个版本的这首歌就在美国的各个大街小巷里放风一个月，飘忽过我麻木不仁的驴耳一遍又一遍。直到听到Chris Botti 的这个版本。它居然用了我最喜欢的节奏！学名不详，反正我称之为火车节奏，拱哧拱哧的。典型代表是Sting 的 Every Breath You Take。（Marvin Gaye 的 Where Are We Going 和Remy Shand 的 Rocksteady也很类似但加了切分音更有变化。）这样一来，这首歌的感觉就变成了：圣诞节我将坐火车回家， which is a lot better than坐飞机，这年头，谁想坐飞机啊！而且我不可抑制地觉得自己在同时听Every Breath You Take。怀旧指数一下子从5年翻到12年。94年买了Sting的黄金十年精选集磁带，听出耳油。95年一月和爹妈老哥回上海过年。上海的冬天湿冷难熬。我穿着毛裤，在南京路还是淮海路上的人群中穿过而且潇洒，突然在一家书店里见到Sting & The Police的精选CD。封面上的Sting目光深邃，我心深处轰隆隆回荡着一句话：“我要嫁给他~~~~呀~~~~”记得当时刚拿了压岁钱，当即抖了起来，拍出150圆人民币买了这张正版CD。被老哥纠住狂K一顿，但还是吸溜着鼻涕坚决没退。这张CD一直伴随着我直到出国。

他姥姥，时间过得太快了！

What a Great 愤青Song!

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:05:25 GMT

Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place.
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space

And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy
Does that make me crazy
Does that make me crazy
Possibly

And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice, that's my only advice

Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you,

who do you think you are,
Ha ha ha bless your soul
You really think you're in control

Well, I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember is thinking, I want to be like them
Ever since I was little, ever since I was little it looked like fun
And it's no coincidence I've come
And I can die when I'm done

Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you're crazy
Maybe we're crazy
Probably

何谓SOUL?

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:52:05 GMT

我最喜欢的音乐风格是Soul。但是究竟什么叫Soul？　这些天来我茶饭不思，时常仰望星空，俯视流水，默默地思索这个问题。Soul就像花椒，是一种味道、一种感觉。如果有人问："什么叫花椒?" 我答:"花椒，属被子植物门双子叶植物纲无患子目芸香科花椒属，是我国原产的一种落叶灌木或小乔木。" 那人会说:"你这不是说了跟没说一样吗!" Soul也是如此，其起源、历史、定义大家上wiki一查就行了，长篇大论多的是，看了也白看。真正的问题是"什么叫Soulful?" 今天我就来尝试论述一下这个花椒到底是什么味道。

首先，有必要区别一下Soul和R&B。好比花椒和川菜，二者兴衰与共，水乳交融，绝大多数花椒都是撒在川菜里。但我们不能因此说花椒就是川菜，或者川菜就是花椒。花椒是一种辛香料，而川菜是一种菜系，只要是四川人民常吃的，有没有花椒都叫川菜。何况如今花椒已经传遍世界各地，为各族人民所喜爱，可以东撒撒，西撒撒，不止局限于川菜中。Soul和R&B也一样，二者历史渊源纠缠不清，绝大多数Soulful的歌都是R&B。但Soul说道底是种演唱方法，而R&B则是一种主要依据节奏型划分出来的流行音乐类型。符合R&B节奏型的就叫R&B，不管唱法是不是Soulful。而Soul的演唱方法也可以应用在其他音乐类型中。比如白人摇滚乐队Hall & Oates、The Doobie Brothers、 Simply Red，它们主唱的演唱风格都很Soulful，以至于它们的音乐也被称为Blue-eyed Soul。又比如型男Pete Belasco和索女Sade，他们的音乐通常被划分到Smooth Jazz一类，但是他们的唱腔其实Soulful到了极致。

到底什么样的唱法才算Soulful? 通俗地说，就是用灵魂去演唱，掏心掏肺地唱。湾湾将之翻译成"灵骚"还是很传神的，歌声中能传达出灵魂的骚动者为Soulful。有人曾总结说我这个俗人给人的感觉就是"忧伤但仍然充满勇气"，用来形容Soul也很贴切。Soulful的歌总是有一种被火烧了无数次，仍然忍不住要伸出手去玩火的感觉。当年Ray Charles弹着钢琴，第一次用福音歌的唱腔和对神灵般的敬畏之情歌颂俗人的七情六欲，一手开创了灵骚一派。俗人的七情六欲爱恨情仇从此成了Soul永恒的主题。Soul注定是伤感的，因为最强烈的渴望必然使人伤感。Soul又注定是最炽热的，因为只有感情最炽热的灵魂才感于渴望，把二尖瓣挂在袖口上。这一点上，有志于成为顶尖Soul Singer有点儿像立志练辟邪剑法，欲练神功，必先自宫。Ray老瞎了一对眼睛；Al Green洗澡时被女友泼了沸腾的玉米糊，二度烧伤；Pete Belasco以前是小有成就的萨克斯风手，一次意外撞断了手后才改唱歌的；马文gg最惨，摊上个禽兽不如的爹，从小被毒打，４５岁上竟被亲爹一枪毙了，他的神功自然是前无古人后无来者的高。受点儿磨难只是第一步，高手们还必须从磨难里爬出来，浴火重生，仍然对世界报以巨大的热情，才能到达笑傲江湖的境界。这时候的歌就是伤感然而温暖的。

光这么metaphysical地形容也不行，咱们还得诹点儿有技术含量的。Soul有两大技术特点：一是多用假声。无需长篇垒笃，零星点缀就行。务必给人一种激动得颤抖、时不时唱破了嗓子，或是突然被高跟鞋踩了脚尖的感觉。总之歌里要有与歌者平时说话的嗓音迥然不同的声音，像躯壳里的灵魂自己与自己对话时的声音，挣扎着，尖叫着，呢喃着；挤出来，渗出来，逸出来。有人要问:　"Mariah Carey那种俗称海豚音的唱法算不算?" 答案是: "不算."　怎么区分呢？Soul必须是个性化、私人化、直指人心的。一首歌，如果你在黑夜不开灯的房间里戴着耳机听，闭上眼睛想像歌手演唱时的样子，眼前出现的画面是歌手在录音棚里对着整房间的设备唱，落地玻璃对面是经纪人和制作人；或者是歌手在舞台上手持麦克风对着台下成千上万挥舞着荧光棒的尖叫着的歌迷卖唱，还一边散发飞吻，那么这首歌的Souful指数为零(参考小甜甜布莱妮)。一首歌，如果你是台下成千上万的挥舞着荧光棒的尖叫着的歌迷中的一员，或者身处在盛夏闷热吵杂骚动的地下铁里，当歌声传入耳朵的那一刻，你只需闭上眼睛，便觉得歌手是坐在黑夜不开灯的房间清唱，你甚至觉得他／她根本没有唱，一切只不过是黑暗中潮水般四溢的脑电波，那么这首歌就是如假包换的Soul(参见马文gg的Distant Lover)。当然这两者之间还有很宽广的过度地带，Soulful指数50%左右的到底算不算Soul就见仁见智了(参见Macy Gray的I Try)。有的灵魂肝肠寸断地骚动，有的灵魂偷偷摸摸地闷骚。

Soul的第二个技术特点是咬字要清晰而且独特(周杰伦弟弟就吃亏在这里了，独特倒是蛮独特的，就是不清晰)。Toni Morrison在她的小说Sula中有一段描写书中角色黑小伙Ajex的语言，我斗胆换几个词，借来形容清晰而独特的灵骚标兵马文gg(1970创作出爆棚精品专辑Let's Get It On时的他)：His name was Marvin Gaye, a thirty-one-year-young stage haunt of sinister beauty. Graceful and economical in every movement and sound, he held a place of awe with men of all ages for his magnificently soulful voice. His magic was derived from the way he handled the words. When he said "LOVE" he hit the L with his lungs and the impact was greater than the achievement of the most imaginative voices in the history of Pop music. He could say any word with a seductiveness impossible to imitate. 以马文gg的If I Should Die Tonight为例，每一个"I"、 "NEVER"、 "FAR"、 "BEFORE"、 "DIE"都以完全不同的方式演绎，然而腾挪跌拓奔流蜿蜒的同时每个词又都是严丝合缝地清晰。就像坐滑翔机俯冲时眼看着要坠地突然又飘起来了，或者玩帆板时眼看着要触礁突然又绕开了，一切尽在掌握。一个词以盖之: S~E_X@Y!

最后再诹点有中国特色的，华人歌手里有自称灵骚的，但真正灵骚的非常罕见。这个估记也和我们的文化传统有关。一是喜欢随大流，缺少个性化的歌手。二是拘谨，不习惯感情外露。但也不是全然没有。陶吉吉的"沙滩"和"２２"，早期的林忆莲，还有莫文蔚都比较Soulful。

七种武器

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 05:02:18 GMT

自打当年看了Nick Hornby 的小说High Fidelity, 我就落下了个毛病：没事儿就喜欢列desert-island, all time, top-five CD list。每回都沮丧地发现，在短时间内，前五问题的答案相对还比较稳定（时间一长也是千古之谜），可在谁是No. 1的问题上我注定永远都是个出尔反尔的小人。上回还跟feir吹，说要是被关一荒岛上只能带一张CD的话我就带Sade的，结果回家一听Marvin Gaye的If I Should Die Tonight, 立刻替自己觉得害臊，真太对不起他了！转眼iTunes shuffle 到Pete Belasco的 Love Train, 我又铁下心来改变战略了， sorry Marvin...... 这能怪我么？答案是否定的。要怪只能怪我的耳朵。比如说我喜欢五个帅哥，我只需把五张照片一字排看，一眼扫过去就能分辨出谁最帅。可是我能一耳朵扫五首歌么？答案是否定的。这就注定了我在听歌的时候经常是一边沉醉 – 以前怎么没发现这首歌这么好听，一边焦虑 – 会不会听下首歌的时候就忘记这种感觉了？这也就注定了我在精挑细选14首歌烧成一张CD第一次拿到车上听的时候，每首歌只能听10秒就要快进到下一首--14首歌我想一起听啊！

但是，也有些音乐的威力特别巨大，属于Terminator级别的，能带给人濒死体验，听者听完以后会产生各种稀奇古怪的念头，精神上陷入痴呆状态，一时半会儿绝对不会再想听音乐。下面就来介绍一下我Music Library 里的七种致命武器。

Love‘s Theme / Barry White – 欢欣死

这首曲子里的弦乐部分永远处于盘旋上升状态，绕着绕着就把听者的情绪绕进了沸腾狂喜的状态。我一般在需要克服极大困难的时候求助于这首歌。记得当年在国内四大的炼狱里煎熬时，每天早上要以最大音量听一遍这首歌，两眼含着喜悦的泪花，才能迈步出门上班。

You Are the Way You Are / Marvin Gaye – 感慨死

曲如其名，这首曲子给人一种宿命的、uncontrollable的感觉。听者可以感受到，the way you are拥有巨大的魔力，像重力一样无法逃避不可抗拒；you are the way you are, 固执残忍，也像重力一样无法控制不可改变。双重无奈你只有感慨万千的份儿。甜蜜绚烂的同时愁肠百折，风里飞花痛并快乐着。听完我一般就起一身鹅皮疙瘩彻底瘫痪了。

Closing Time / Tom Waits – 沧桑死

一听这首曲子，我就能picture我80岁的时候，住在Bronx的一个断瓦残垣油漆斑驳的老人院里。每天花一整个上午的时间，腰弯成90度，扶着小推车一步一步地挪到一个block外的liquor store买一瓶劣等酒，再花一整个下午的时间坐在阳光下将之一口一口地喝掉。一边喝，脑子里一边不断地放小电影，一会儿默默数数嘴里还有几颗牙，一会儿咒骂两声子孙不孝，两行浑浊的泪水悄然滑过我沟壑纵横的脸。。。

Tropical Storm / Lee Ritenour – 激动死

一听这首曲子，我就能picture我自己头戴帆布帽，脸抹防晒油，脚踩登山靴，左肩挎水壶，右肩照相机，不畏艰难险阻，勇敢坚毅地穿梭在丛林里，草原上，山谷中，奔流不息的大河旁。。。。身为National Geographic 杂志的特约摄影师，我该去哪儿执行任务呢？太激动了~~~

Indian Summer / Charlie Byrd – 懒死

这首bossa nova里的小沙锤，沙沙沙地都敲打在我身上，听完我就像浑身做完按摩一样，懒散入骨。如果本来在学习的，听完立刻爬到沙发上meditate，如果本来就卧在沙发上的，听完一般脑袋一歪就睡了。

Crazy / Pete Belasco – 迷死

Pete一定会摄魂大法。我一般听完这首曲子就去google他的照片，然后对着仅有的两张照片流口水。

Million Voices / Wyclef Jean – 堵死

Hotel Rwanda的主题曲。堵死。。。

为了写这篇东西，我豁出去了，把这七种武器串到一块儿听了一遍，各种古怪的情绪在我体内越聚越多，介绍也越写越短了，致命武器不能多听呀。现在的我，就好像被桃谷六仙捉住了手脚的令狐冲一样，感觉古怪极了，谁帮我拨一下911。。。

10/11/2005 I'm On Train

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 04:56:13 GMT

In his book Slowness, Kundera gives this ingenious dissection of our obsession with speed:

…the man hunched over his motorcycle can focus only on the present instant of his flight; he is caught in a fragment of time cut off from both the past and the future; he is wrenched from the continuity of time; he is outside time; in other words, he is in a state of ecstasy; in that state he is unaware of his age, his wife, his children, his worries…As opposed to a motorcyclist, the runner is always present in his body, forever required to think about his blisters, his age, more conscious than ever of himself and of his time of life. This all changes when man delegates the faculty of speed to a machine: from then on, his own body is outside the process, and he gives over to a speed that is noncorporeal, nonmaterial, pure speed, speed itself, ecstasy speed.

Memory and consciousness are precious; they give you the context, the dimensions, the latitude and the longitude to reflect on everything you experienced. The unreflected life is not worth living, says Socrates. But when you flip the coin, get rid of all you memory and self-consciousness, will you arrive in hell? On the contrary, you get Kundera’s ecstasy of speed. Actually, I’d rather call it the ecstasy of escape. When you think about it, speed, ski, movies, alcohol, drug, orgasm, rock n’ roll, all these hobbies and obsessions that make you high, all they really do is send you away. They drag you out of you everyday life, set you free from your body and its desires, and push your soul to drift. It’s like riding the train: you are traveling from point A to point B without giving an effort, without a direct purpose or a destination. You can stick your head out of the window like a dog, you can inhale the wind, and say hello to the passing by electric poles, trees, cows, stars, mountains, rivers, and tunnels…You don’t want to arrive anywhere, and you wish the train goes on forever. In fact, if I were the guy in Groundhog Day, I would just take a train ride every day. Life can be kind of wonderful. In this sense, death is not so scary and different after all.

So what is all this about? It’s about music. Hehe, slack and fainthearted as I often am, I found music my favorite way to escape. Certain combinations of rhythm and melody send me directly on train. Like Van Hunt’s Dust, Remy Shand’s Rocksteady, and Movin Gaye’s Where are we going. They all have the magic to tune me into ecstasy for about 4 minutes. The train never arrives as long as the music goes on, and on, and on………”I am dust blown away over the edge…”

3/2/2005 爱躲到哪里去了

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 18:41:55 GMT

在我刚认几个字的时候，我只能翻我哥翻剩下的连环画，而我哥他老人家自己则常去图书馆看“真正的书”。好在他晚上回家经常给我讲他看过的书，印象最深的是一个雪豹的故事。因为他老人家看到一半决定不看了，我就一直没听完这个故事（没文化就是要被人欺负），连书名都不知道，等多认了几个字的时候，进图书馆就像刘姥姥进了大观园，也忘了找这个没尾巴的故事。只记得听这个故事的时候异常着迷的情景，回想起来仿佛能看到那个拖着鼻涕目光涣散的小黄毛，心思像是被雪豹攫去了，拽着少年的衣角不停地问“那后来呢”，当时竟觉得自己是投错了胎的 — 那雪豹的结局就是我的命运，我的内心明明是只雪豹啊！后来看蛇王淘金，于是觉得自己内心是条蛇；看王朔，觉得自己内心是个北京人；听张楚，又觉得自己内心还是个西安娃；上了几节法语课，看了几部法国电影，开始觉得自己内心是个法国人；喜欢上bossa nova, 觉得自己内心是个巴西人；这两年常看点儿黑文学，时不时扭扭hip-pop, 加之数年来听惯了的R&B，soul和 Jazz, 越发觉得自己内心其实是个黑人。这种随意性让我有点害臊，是不是太没立场没原则，太数典忘本，太水性杨花了？！以前咱们可是最看不上Rap的呀。。。这种问题比较让人郁闷，幸亏给我找到一个光明正大的解释--其实我这是为天下溪，为天下谷，为天下式。惟其如此，我才能通感这凡尘里广柔无垠的美。 OK, 名正言顺了，guilty没有了，剩下的是无穷的pleasure, 太完美了！现在就让我们来听一听这首最近让我痴迷的劲歌金曲-- 黑眼豆的爱躲到哪里去了

Black Eyed Peas -- Where Is the Love?

What's wrong with the world, mama?

People living like they aint got no mamas

I think the whole world’s addicted to the drama

Only attracted to the things that bring you trauma

Overseas yeah we’re trying to stop terrorism

But we still got terrorists here living in the USA --

The big CIA, the Bloods and the Crips, and the KKK

But if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate

And when you’re hating you're bound to get irate

Yeah madness is what you demonstrate

And that's exactly how anger works and operates

You gotta have love just to set it straight

Take control of your mind and meditate

Let your soul gravitate to the LOVE, y'all

People killing, people dying

Children hurting, you hear them crying

Can you practice what you preach

Or would you turn the other cheek?

Father father father help us

Send some guidance from above

Cause people got me got me questioning

Where is the love?

Love, where is the love?

The love, where is the love, the love, the love?

It just ain't the same

All ways have changed

New days are strange

Is the world insane?

If the love and peace are so strong

Why are there pieces of love that don't belong

Nations dropping bombs

Chemical gases filling lungs of little ones

With ongoing suffering

As the youth die young

So ask yourself is the loving really strong?

So I can ask myself really what is going wrong

With this world that we’re living in

People keep on giving in

Making wrong decisions

The only vision’s on their dividend

Not respecting each other

Denying they’re brothers

A war's going on, but the reason's undercover

The truth is kept secret

They swept it under the rug

If you never know truth

Then you never know love

Where's the love y'all?

Come on (I don't know)

Where's the truth y'all?

Come on (I don't know)

Where's the love y'all?

People killing, people dying

Children hurting, you hear them crying

Can you practice what you preach

Or would you turn the other cheek?

Father father father help us

Send some guidance from above

Cause people got me got me questioning

Where is the love?

Love, where is the love?

The love, where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder

As I'm getting older y'all people get colder

Most of us only care about money-making

Selfishness got us following the wrong direction

Wrong information always shown by the media

Negative images is the main criteria

Infecting their young minds faster than bacteria

Kids wanna act like what the see in the cinema

Whatever happened to the values of humanity

Whatever happened to the fairness and equality

Instead of spreading love, we're spreading animosity

Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling under

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling down

It's no wonder why sometimes I'm feeling under

I gotta keep my faith alive, until love is found

Ask yourself

Where is the love?

Love, where is the love?

The love, where is the love?

Father father father help us

Send some guidance from above

Cause people got me got me questioning

Where is the love?

Now sing with me y’all.

One world, one world,

We only got

One world, one world,

That’s all we got

One world, one world.

Something’s wrong with it,

Something’s wrong with the world.

We only got

One world, one world,

That’s all we got

One world, one world.

10/1/2004 愉快的周五

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 18:40:14 GMT

话说自打上周二出差回来，我这颗资本主义事业的螺丝钉就被发配到城北三十多迈的一个小镇上工作。每日早晚于倾盆大雨之中历尽迷路、塞车、没油、犯悃之苦，饶是我不锈钢般坚强的乐观主义情绪也结实地萎靡了一把。

可是今天太阳出来了~~~一大早，老板就告诉我她中午回城。我喜上眉梢，自然抓紧时机take了一个2小时的lunch break. 我在这小镇上逛啊逛啊，突然发现这个貌似萧条的小镇其本质老资无比。主大街上一个block之内挤着画廊2家、cafe 4家，餐馆4家（分别为意、法、泰式，剩下那家是专卖三文治的，雅号“Reality Bites”），古董店2家，CD店1家，精品首饰店4家，家具店2家。这条街上所有的画廊、精品店里放的音乐都是bossa nova，而且都不是英语唱的，听得我颠儿颠儿的。

逛的最后一家首饰店里的东西很漂亮，很多我喜欢的风格，有的首饰在Anthropology的网站上见过，于是猜想这里的东西也都是欧洲进的，价格从十几块到几百块不等，还不算太离谱（我的心灵于两周前在lord & taylor 看女士套装的时候被严重打击了一把，现在皮实多了）。看到很多很有意思的设计，比如做的像交通灯的耳环，还有些漂亮的铜饰，上面刻着些“Angels fly because they carry themselves lightly”之类的字句。我在这店里流连，最后看见两对七星瓢虫图案的玻璃耳环，一红一绿，犹豫不决，卖货的大婶酷酷地走过来说：“every one of them are &%*#@~~~”说的像是法语，我说“every one of them are what?”法国大婶叹了口气，忧郁地叫来一位黑大婶，一边说：“why is nobody willing to understand my English...”呵呵，伤自尊了。黑大婶是高瘦版的胡比高拔，眨着眼睛笑眯眯地说：“she's trying to tell you every one of these is hand-painted. And each customer is only allowed to buy one pair of them.”我说:"Oh,oh,I'm buying the other pair for my twin sister." 黑大婶哈哈大笑。我也呵呵地乐着，一边想我要是在这店里工作一定也像她们一样天天开玩笑，简直想问她你们店里雇人吗。。。。

然后回到客户公司，满耳朵的音乐声，不由自主地就跑到amazon上看CD去了，看着看着看到了Pete Belasco的新CD"Deeper". 看到一位女士这样评论：

So, what do I think about this soulful multi-instrumentalist who just happens to boast a wickedly sexy falsetto? Let's see.... If you've never listened to Pete Belasco, please 'Hurry Hurry' and do so. It will definitely be worth the urgency. Trust me, once you get 'Deeper' and deeper into his music, you'll understand what I mean.

Really ladies, Pete has this incredibly smooth voice that makes you feel as if he's whispering 'I'll Come To You' in your ear. He'll make you melt.

And once you start listening, you'll want to 'Keep On,' because you'll be 'Too Close' to a good thing to stop.

Call me 'Crazy,' but his voice is reminiscent to that of Marvin Gaye's and his music seems to have a touch of Curtis Mayfield in it as well.

I speak the truth when I say, you'd be living in a 'Fool's World' if you didn't honestly give him a chance.

What's not to love about a man who dedicates music to 'Nia' his daughter, and the 'Wonderful Woman' he married, not to mention 'Zoe' his other daughter? At the risk of sounding too feminine (which I am), that's a really sweet thing.

So, when 'People Ask Me' about Pete Belasco, after reading this review, you should understand why I just let them borrow the CD and send them on their way. His music should really be experienced, not discussed.

看得我狂笑不止,另一位叫七星瓢虫的女同好表达的更为直白：

Pete you're HOT!! Your sexy voice...meaningful songs (yes I get it), groovy jazz- is just what WE ordered - THANX!... I really cant say which one is my favorite... now that's a cd for you. Even though I would hate to compare Pete to anyone, but for those of you who are wasting time and haven't bought this CD yet--- let me see-- The vibe is all his own- but for me to describe-- it's a Curtis Mayfield & Michael Franks feel---(NOW THATS AN HONOR, PETE!) HOT 'LANTA is waiting on the concert! Will be right there groovin wicha!!

于是我就用手提电脑的破喇叭试听了一下 I'll Come to You 的片断。注意，我都没用耳机，但怎么感觉Pete就在我耳朵边上唱呢？乖乖不得了，这房间怎么这么热~~~~ 但我还是经受住了考验，忍住了诱惑，没有下order。主要是觉得开车的时候听这样的CD容易出事。=）

8/30/2004 一件大大的艺术品

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 18:36:02 GMT

Paul David Hewson, 1960年5 月10 日生于爱尔兰的都柏林。他小时候是个好奇宝宝。据他父亲回忆，小家伙三岁的时候一次在花园里闲逛，用手指头轻轻地接起玫瑰上的一只蜜蜂，把它凑到嘴巴跟前，这时旁边看着他的父母已经吓得七魂出了六窍，只见他嘟嘟囔囔地和蜜蜂说了半天话，又把它放回到花瓣上了。他没有吃掉蜜蜂，蜜蜂也没蛰他。小家伙后来上学了，同学们都觉得他是个整天心不在焉，又喜欢没事找茬与人争辩的家伙。上中学的时候，他喜欢上了音乐，还整天喋喋不休地高谈阔论，呱噪极了，被起了个外号叫Bono Vox, 拉丁文good voice的意思. 他喜欢大家叫他Bono, 于是世界就这样记住了他，这名字翻译成中文大概就是好、善、美的综合。由于他生性浪漫又口舌如簧，上高中的时候女友众多。15岁那年，Bono的母亲在参加外公葬礼的时候脑溢血死了，Bono备受打击。这个时候，有位性格坚强的Alison Stewart女同学，极有主见又不失温柔，悉心呵护Bono受伤的心灵，担当起了母亲的角色，每天逼他进食、沐浴、上学。“唐璜”的心便从此定了下来，两人成了相伴近三十年的伴侣。

同一个高中，14岁的Larry Mullen Jr.是个爱打鼓的家伙，有一天他贴了张广告说要组个乐队，6个不爱学习的小毛孩儿出现了。有两兄弟（Dik and Dave Evans）会弹点吉他，有个叫Adam Clayton的家伙带了把贝斯，奇装异服，还说自己以前组过乐队。另外三个家伙就什么也不会了，Bono就是其中一个。据Larry后来回忆说他满以为自己会当老大的，没想到到场5分钟之内，这个什么乐器也不会的Bono就变成乐队的老大了。Bono的角色是主音歌手。这个乐队在1978年固定为由Bono, Dave, Adam和Larry 4个人组成的大名鼎鼎的U2乐队。灵感据说来源于U2潜水艇，U2隐形飞机，一种叫U2的电吉他，还有谐音”You too”的意思。 U2的音乐是典型的爱尔兰摇滚。歌词是不错的，有点抽象，有点晦涩，却又总能恰当地描述一些共同的情绪。Where the streets have no name 和I still haven’t found what I’m looking for是我比较喜欢的两首歌。

让我对Bono肃然起敬的却不是他的音乐。他的音乐说实话不是我最喜欢的风格。Bono有意思的地方在于他的名字常常出现在与他摇滚巨星的角色风马牛不相及的上下文中。比如 “Bono被提名2003年诺贝尔和平奖”，“Bono出席世界健康组织会议”，“Bono被授予2004马丁.路德金奖”，2004年世界经济论坛上，Bono坐在 Bill Gates旁边讨论如何拯救非洲经济，BBC组织的“100位最伟大的不列颠人”的评选中，Bono与丘吉尔、戴安娜等人一起名列榜上。最近的一条消息更搞笑，据华尔街日报报道, Bono 2004年6月加入硅谷风险投资公司。

Bono的影响力来自于他pro bono的作为。Bono 的妻子Alison就一直是个古道热肠的社会活动积极者。高中毕业后，Bono搞摇滚的时候，Ali就到大学学习社会学了，并且毕业后一直从事各种非营利组织的公益活动。1984年，U2参加了一个为非洲饥荒募捐的义演活动，演出完毕夫妻俩想对非洲饥荒有点感性认识，于是两人到非洲的一个孤儿院住了2个星期。每天早上看护士们点尸体，或者是有父亲抱着骨瘦如柴的婴儿走来说你们把他带走吧，如果他是你们的孩子，他就不会死。从此开Bono始真正的关注非洲问题，研究非洲问题，宣传非洲问题，并且致力于解决非洲问题。

非洲问题有多严重呢？每一天非洲大陆上有6,500 人死于艾滋病, 相当于每分钟4.5人。然而面对这夺命的熊熊大火，大家手中端着水却只在旁边看着。这些贫穷国家个个债务累累，这片贫瘠的大陆上微薄的产出即便完全用来偿债也只是杯水车薪。连年战乱摧毁了最最基础的医疗和教育设施。当婴儿一出生就面临死亡威胁的时候，人们怎能看到希望？Bono从90年代末开始致力于解除贫困国家债务问题的活动。Bono经常会晤教皇、比尔盖茨夫妇、索罗斯等大腕，与他们一起利用自身的影响力到处游说美国政府、欧洲政府、世界银行、国际金融组织赦免贫穷国家债务并提供援助。2000年，克林顿签署了一项赦免非洲国家4.35亿美元债务的法案，并在新闻发布会上感谢Bono对这一法案的推动。此法案是一个涉及工业7国旨在将世界最贫穷国家的外债由1,270亿美元减少到370亿美元的庞大计划中的第一步，Bono常说这是非洲的马歇尔计划。Bono因此在2003 年获得诺贝尔和平奖提名。克林顿的回忆录中高度评价了Bono, 说他是贫穷国家债务问题的专家。书中还记录了这么一个小插曲：克林顿政府的财政部长Larry Summers有一天找到克林顿说：“有个叫Bono的家伙穿着T恤衫牛仔裤就跑来见我了，说是要和我谈债务问题。结果你猜怎么着？他居然很精通这个问题，是个非常聪明的人！他说他就叫Bono, 没有姓，你听说过这个人吗？”克林顿当场乐翻了。

Bono 2002 年建立了DATA组织(Debt, Aid, Trade for Africa)。（这个组织有句口号叫“Don’t send us money, you already have”。）Bono动员的力量是跨国界跨党派的。Bono曾送给鲍威尔一个马歇尔计划的签名纪念品，Bono对鲍威尔说：“在欧洲，我父母那代人仍然在谈论马歇尔计划。他们从中感受到了美国的高贵，由之产生的感激之情甚至甚于对美国武力帮助的感激。难道我们就不能做点什么让我们这代人感到骄傲的事吗？”Bono前不久在民主党代表大会上发表了关于艾滋病问题的演讲。Bono 对CNN的记者说他认识John Kerry很久了，John 早就是个世界防治艾滋病问题的积极活动者。最近，Bono也陪同布什出席了一项价值50亿美元的非洲援助计划的签署仪式。

U2还在出新唱片, 到处巡回义演。911之后录制的那首众星联唱Marvin Gaye的反战旧作“What’s Going On”也是Bono发起的，原本这活动是为防治艾滋病筹款的，但911发生后，Bono决定将活动主旨改为为911基金筹款，并发起了那个演艺明星大义演活动。

Bono语：“When you sing, you make people vulnerable to change in their lives. You make yourself vulnerable to change in your life. But in the end, you've got to become the change you want to see in the world.”

福柯说的把自己的人生当作一件艺术品来创造，Bono算是一个了，高耀洁是一个，杜聪也是一个，他们都把自己活成了一件件大大的艺术品。

-- 有感于viva的新日记