Music in a Bag

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Decided to give a mini review on the few albums, singers or songs I have been in tuned with currently. Have been wanting to do such a compilation but was always postponing that in the hope of finding more good music.


Firstly, I will like to start with introductions of the following singers who might sound foreign to some.


YUI

She started out like what most Jap singers will do, by releasing her singles. Her songs are very catchy and lasting. It's hard to resist playing it over and over again, especially when it gets etched in your mind after a while, for me at least. She has got a very crisp and clean voice, suitable for soft rock, but the ballads she belts out never fail to pack that punch and bring out one's sentimentality deep down. Starring in "Taiyou No Uta", or 太阳之歌, a jap movie, definitely brought her fame and helped her shoot to the top charts of Oricon. Currently with two albums in her portfolio, I will recommend the song she sang for the hit anime "Bleach" titled "Rolling Star", "CHE.R.RY" from her second album "Can't Buy My Love" and of course the theme song from her movie, "Goodbye Days". Have got a load of her songs to recommend but it will be best if anyone interested can check out her albums. The first one's called "From Me To You". Until now, she remains my favourite Jap singer.



Fiction Junction YUUKA


Their group name might not be that well known in Singapore. I personally came across their songs because of anime. Their brand of music is very special, because the male composer Yuki Kajiura is actually very talented and the has written many instrumental soundtracks for anime. His musical arrangement is splendid, with all the different blending of moods, instrumental settings and haunting melodies. The singer Yuuka Nanri has a very unique voice that sounds like a mix of choral and pop, very expressive and engaging.

Best known for songs like "Akatsuki no Kuruma" and "Honoo no Tobira" from the hit mecha series Gundam Seed, "Aikoi" and "Dream Scape" from Tsubasa Chronicles, they have also released a new album "Circus" since their debut album "Destination". Another hard choice to recommend songs since they all sound equally good. But those I mentioned will be a good start.

Next I shall move on to albums. There are a couple I have listened to recently. SHE's Play matched up to their normal standard although this new one has got more surprises. Personally prefer 《再别康桥》、《五月天》、《听袁惟仁弹吉他》.

迷路兵的新专辑也值得一听。一直以来都没特别支持他们，不过这首张专辑制作得还不错，虽然曲目仅九首，但都蛮耐听的。《泪》的音乐感很强烈，rock得够漂亮，《适应》很抒情，专辑充分运用了Nick浑厚的歌声和Sam清脆的嗓音，两者交替，效果值得鼓励。《Get Alive》有态度但不做作，《So Sad》叛逆得很有趣，《我为什么还爱你》很K，就是这样，不知不觉，被他们的Made In Singapore的本土味吸引。

王力宏的《改变自己》真的让我等了很久。盼了又盼，三番两次向CD店询问都没有结果，还好出来后一切等待还算有收获。虽然他的音乐回归抒情栏目，但依然越听越好听，《落叶归根》很隽永、委婉、复古，《我们的歌》是万人合唱曲，《不完整的旋律》、《爱在哪里》维持情歌水准，倒是与Selina的《你是我心内的一首歌》最特别，福建华语夹杂其中，两人的默契颇佳，旋律简单却悦耳。这张专辑跟主打《落叶归根》理念一致，有返璞归真，一切从简的感觉。比较贴近心灵，可能更能得到认同。

歌曲方面，韩国歌手成京诗的《在街上》是意外听到的，一听就爱。《两百磅美女》主题曲《Maria》很有节奏感，极富高低起伏。

Envoy of the Stars @ 12:21 AM
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A Circle Has No Beginning

Monday, July 23, 2007

Finished reading Harry Potter with a feeling of nostalgia, as though something that had accompanied me for many years has just been drawn out of my life. This final book definitely sets itself apart from the previous six, so much so it can actually be categorised as an individual title. There were poignant moments, bits that were definitely more touching and endearing than any other text I have came across in recent years.

I have quite forgotten where that interest for this book that started out as children fantasy and which has grown and matured along with its readers came from.

But then again, for somethings it's like asking which comes first, the chicken or the egg.

A circle has no beginning.

Envoy of the Stars @ 9:25 PM
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Harry Potter and My Seven Year Contract

Saturday, July 21, 2007

About 10 hours approximately before I lay my hands on the book millions of people around the world have been anticipating all year, and perhaps for more than 7 years in fact. But life is full of ironies, just like how I have wished to flip the pages of this finale of the series, yet at the same time partly hoping that the day I will collect this book will never come, since it signals another end to something so very looked forward to in my life. A closure to an important part of the growing up years.

Hence the next entry will come only after I have completed this book while holing up at home, shut away from the mundane world and the possible spoilers that are strewn along every corner of the real and reel world alike, posing potentially fatal pleasure-killers to fans and readers like me. Like last book when some jerks went around telling the whole world that Dumbledore died only one day after the book had been released. I'm pretty sure they know the book aint supposed to be read from the back... Not like the book is written in columns anyway. Some people just don't have better things to play with. So as a self precaution, I am locking myself at home to finish it without the external disturbances.. (I just hope I can resist the temptation to come online) until my contract with HP has been due and expired.

Envoy of the Stars @ 12:29 AM
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学友光年

Sunday, July 15, 2007

盼了又盼，等了又等，终于是等到了。

杂志的报道，媒体的宣传，个人的期许，多少让这场演唱会增添了不少压力，虽然演唱会本身是不会感受到，但它的工作人员肯定是肩负着一定压力的。毕竟，这是歌神的演唱会。

听了整晚，还是最喜欢他诠释演绎由如果.爱和雪狼湖歌曲所串连成的舞台剧部分。歌曲的穿插衔接天衣无缝，高低起伏恰到好处，张学友的歌声也得到充分发挥，他声音中的穿透力尤其震撼。喜欢他唱了温馨的《爱是永恒》后立刻投入激情澎湃的《命运交响曲》那种转变，情绪的拿捏，气氛的变化，实力的展现。

这场演唱会的音乐编排得不错，虽然本身并不是每一首歌都喜欢，但总体来说，要从他唱过的900多首当中抽样筛选，也就不容易了。他的快歌原来也很多，虽然在我听来风格都差不多，印象并不深，但可能也是因为多数是广东歌，所以也就兴趣缺缺。不过看他跳舞喊叫（而且是连续几首都如此），自high到很有感染力的落力演出，也不自觉忘了时间。

翻唱歌曲的部分最有笑点，听他唱周华健的《明天我要嫁给你》，果然是阳刚味较盛，不像是娇羞新娘快出嫁的样子，比较像是在逼婚... ... 诠释孙燕姿的《天黑黑》就别有一番韵味，张信哲的《爱如潮水》唱来有说服力，听得出他是爱得比张信哲痛苦、激昂多了。

最后的经典歌曲项目自然是压轴。还有什么比听他现场唱《一路上有你》、《情书》、《我等到花儿也谢了》、《每天爱你多一些》、《想和你去吹吹风》、《心如刀割》等更值回票价，虽然难免的，必然会有很多沧海遗珠，但也算是抚慰了多数歌迷的心，满足了听歌的瘾。

虽然还是很想听他现场唱《礼物》、《咖啡》、《情网》、《回头太难》、《拥抱阳光》... ...

唉，人是贪心的。

Envoy of the Stars @ 2:02 AM
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岁

Friday, July 13, 2007

老树经年复挂绿

清风一过嫩飘黄

朝朝空忆儿时乐

再再平钓当下愁

今天在外公家，站在阳台上俯瞰着楼下的风景，那熟悉的滑梯秋千，那十年如一日的小亭，那十年如一日的老树，依旧是枝叶茂盛，而依旧无可避免的，只当一阵风掠过时，才会带起漫天飞舞的落叶。

有时觉得，岁月如泥沼。从开始时就越陷越深。但这说法太灰暗了，有点to live is to die，所呼吸的每一口气让人更接近死亡的感觉。

所以宁可说，岁月如镜，镜照岁月。

Envoy of the Stars @ 1:12 PM
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Wake me up when october ends...

Thursday, July 12, 2007

My lull period officially stretches all the way till the most important date of 2007 for me. I guess this is what is meant by 先苦后甜.

Lately I have been quite into Japanese and Korean media productions. Branching out in search of new sources of entertainment has certainly given me new discoveries. Some japanese dramas are definitely more engaging and Korean movies can also offer more than the stereotypical soap operas. Just watched "Densha Otoko" about this story between a nerdy, japanese anime-fanatic and a woman he met on a train, whom he later saved when she was harrassed by a drunkard. The plot is quite original since it is supposedly based on a true story but especially loved those hilarious bits. Then there's 200 pounds beauty which received quite good responses. I liked the songs from the movie most, apart from how it addresses the plastic surgery issue in Korea. But somehow, I don't think Koreans will think twice about going for plastic surgery after watching the movie... since everything worked well with the female lead.

Just watched Transformers last week and although I wasn't particularly looking forward to its release since I am not one of those die-hard fans, the movie impressed me alot, especially the effects. I believe this movie can only be done with today's technology and CG graphics which has improved in leaps and bounds since the 80s when the cartoon first came out. Remembered watching a few episodes of the cartoon but not exactly liking it. Two parties of robots fighting each other in an internal battle didn't seem very impressive when there were still Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Marvel and DC heroes saving the world.

But the movie definitely called out to the adults (since the children who watched the cartoon then have grown old by now) more, trying to integrate some serious themes like threat of human extinction and wartime politics into the show. Still, the movie definitely transformed the same robots seen in the cartoon to sleek, cool realistic machinese, much thanks to CG once again.

Waiting dutifully for the release of Harry Potter Book Seven. (the movie is out already but I am more a fan of the book) The list of to-be-read-books just keeps getting longer...

Envoy of the Stars @ 11:02 PM
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叶

Friday, July 06, 2007

正站在马路边指挥着一丛又一丛的人跑过身边时，突然被一名扫地的老伯打断了沉闷的气氛。

“你知道那个马来人吗？刚跑过我时撞到我，还骂了我一下，一句sorry都没有。”

“啊？”（脑际一片空白，尝试寻找我今早见过的马来人的身影）

“上次我在105座楼下做工，他也是从楼上叫我把地上一片叶子捡起来，我讲好等一下，他就去complain我的上司，害我被骂到很惨。一个月才六百多leh，小弟。每天还要从这里扫到那里，你也懂很远对吗？”

“... ...” （真的很远，他负责打扫的整条马路，也长到足足从maingate延伸到backgate）

“都一把年纪了，每天还要这样做，拿这辆垃圾车推来推去。很辛苦的，你不会了解的。以前年轻还有很多工作，现在老了，工作难找。以前还有去海上漂流捕鱼，最后也抓不到多少。那个马来人很坏，还是o*&ic^r。不要紧，我忍。”

“... ...” （除了沉默，还是沉默，虽然大概对他话中所指的人开始有点头绪了）

“Uncle你就不要跟他计较太多，以后尽量避免撞到他吧。”

“阿，不计较，不计较。我忍咯。”他转身开始走开，手里的扫帚没有停下，走了几步后回头抛下了句话。

“... ... 讲到这些，有多少眼泪也只有自己懂。”

“你多多保重了。”

“好，好。”

我不经意地瞥到马路旁的几片漏网之叶，趁他渐渐走远时，捡了起来。我也只能做到这样而已。

然明日依旧是落叶满径，多少凋零，多少不平，不过是岁月周而复始的另一次复习。

Envoy of the Stars @ 5:42 PM
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