New Radicals

小Z听闻Иew Radicals从来就是我最喜爱的摇滚团体时,还是微微地惊讶了下。她没料到我会给予NR这么高的评价,即便在我的影响她对他们也是推崇备至。昨晚又将NR推荐给Sue,突然说道:每回听NR的歌,我都有跪下来的冲动。
很遗憾,这种方式的回应我未在其他任何歌曲中找到。事实上,很早就想写一篇关于NR的日志,始终没敢动笔。我保持着谨慎,生怕因为情绪达不到预计的高潮而枉沐了NR。我不愿把NR当作偶像,我认定对偶像的崇拜狂热终究会随着时间的推移而逐步减淡、直至成为回忆,那不是我希望在NR身上发生的。按主唱Gregg Alexander的话说:不“真实”(real)。
“真实”是非常抽象的概念(我也常念叨“真实”,并非跟Gregg学舌,巧合而已)。对于音乐人而言,“真实”便是执着于由音乐理念传达出的世界。不幸的是,这么一条看似不难达成的目标却因为各种阻碍最后变得艰辛无比——无名、成名、销量、榜单、采访、绯闻、公演的压力、套路的老旧、曲风的大变、歌迷口味的迎合、不知所云的歇斯底里、团员间的不愉快、与经纪人的纠纷、同唱片公司的撕裂、挥泪隐退和再度复出……一切与音乐本身无关的活动不断拖垮、吞噬着雄心壮志的音乐人们。甚至,我相当怀疑一些所谓经久不衰的老牌乐队究竟是依靠白金销量的资本?依靠歌迷常年累月的追捧?还是依靠自身真正的音乐信念在维持他们的成功?进一步说,撇开破哑嗓门、漂亮脸蛋、魔鬼身材一些物质因素不论,上升至所谓的音乐信念,那些人难道是想要获得基本共鸣?彰显特例独行?还是在每一次劫难过后的慈善演出中以终身成就者的姿态捞回观众同情的眼泪抑或他们口袋中的钱以及无形的首肯支持?!答案当然可以是一道多项选择题。
难怪Gregg Alexander在接受采访时表示:大家误解了,在他的歌词中虽然提及Beck,Hanson,Courtney Love和Marilyn Manson,却并非针对他们。其实我倒觉得,这些名字、不管他们是谁多有名,作为符号都毫无实际意义。
回到我们讨论的主题,即使Gregg成功组建了New Radicals,又能说明什么呢?
1998年10月20日,NR推出首张专辑;1999年7月12日,NR宣布解散。
这支表面被称为“乐队”的组织,内部同时极度自由化——成员的加盟和退出均来去随意;甚至,为了避免节外生枝(歌手完全可以毋需别人来指手画脚不是吗?),连个经纪人都没有。
很难想象,早在1989年、1992年便先后推出过专辑《Michigan Rain》、《Intoxifornication》的Gregg是凭着怎样一种信念坚持闯荡至1998年,并在同年New Radicals大获成功不久即刻宣布乐队解散又转而担任起幕后音乐制作人的?此外,我也始终想不明白为何在NR的专辑(仅有的一张)中,主打歌《Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too》的印刷歌词居然和唱词完全不一致?(对此的解释引用一位歌迷的观点:In the booklet at the end of the lyrics he says: "So cynical, so hip, so full of shit. They told us to shut the fuck up and write another hit", which I think relates to the reason for singing something totally different. I believe he's making a statement about how fake issues are usually favoured over real issues.)
我无力抗拒Gregg的这种真实。在Gregg接近颓废不济的叫喊声中,难免不自觉地诚心跪膝,纵然肉体沉重到轰轰倒地,灵魂却轻涤得足以飘起来。





B面:
DECENCY LEAGUE by New Radicals
PRETTY BABY by Danielle Brisebois
TO THINK I THOUGHT by New Radicals
SINKING SLOW by Danielle Brisebois
其只为创作一首曲目的歌名及艺人:
AIN'T IT BETTER LIKE THIS by Monica Naranjo
CAN'T DENY IT by Rod Stewart
COMING ALONE by Shannon Beaty
EVERYBODY GET PUMPED by S Club 7
GAME OF LOVE by Santana & Michelle Branch
HERE COMES MY BABY by Belinda Carlisle
INNER CHILD by Justin Guarini
INNER SMILE by Texas
LET'S DO IT FOR LOVE by Abra Moore
LOST WITHOUT EACH OTHER by Hanson
ON THE HORIZON by Melanie C
SHAKE YOUR BOOTIE CUTIE by Geri Halliwell
SOMEDAY WE'LL KNOW by Mandy Moore feat. Jonathan Foreman
TERRIFIED OF LOSING YOU by Melanie Williams
WHATEVER TURNS YOU ON by Devin
为Sophie Ellis Bextor创作的曲目:
I WON'T CHANGE YOU
MIXED UP WORLD
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR
MUSIC GETS THE BEST OF ME
PARTY IN MY HEAD
为Carly Hennessy创作的曲目:
I'M GONNA BLOW YOUR MIND
NEED A LITTLE LOVE
NO ONE COMES AROUND
NO ONE'S SAFE FROM GOODBYES
SURFACE WOUND
WHAT I'VE FOUND
YOU'LL NEVER MEET GOD (IF YOU BREAK MY HEART)
YOUNG LOVE
为Enrique Iglesias创作的曲目 (用名 Alex Ander):
BREAK ME SHAKE ME
LIVE IT UP TONIGHT
SAY IT
THE WAY YOU TOUCH ME
为Scott Cain创作的曲目:
CAN'T DENY IT
CRAZY PEOPLE ROCK
I'M MOVING ON
为Ronan Keating创作的曲目:
AS MUCH AS I CAN GIVE YOU GIRL
BLOWN AWAY
COME BE MY BABY
GETTING STARTED
GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT
HEAL ME
I GOT MY HEART ON YOU
I LOVE IT WHEN WE DO
LIFE IS A ROLLERCOASTER
LOVE WON'T WORK IF WE DON'T TRY
LOVING EACH DAY
MY ONE THING THAT'S REAL
PICKIN ME UP
TIME FOR LOVE
JE T'AIME PLUS QUE TOUT (cover of "I Love It When We Do" with Cecilia Cara)
为Ricky Martin创作的曲目:
CAN'T FEEL NO PAIN
MY LAST WISH
ONE THING I CAN PROMISE YOU
SO REAL YOU'RE SURREAL
未推出/Demos:
KISS THE PONY by A.K.A.
LYIN' HERE NAKED by The Bangles
LET'S MEET TONIGHT by Danielle Brisebois
SOMETIMES I LOSE CONTROL by Danielle Brisebois
WAITING FOR THE BOMB TO FALL by Danielle Brisebois
华语歌曲
失陪 by 林晓培
有位广州的朋友搜索New Radicals的MTV(应该是MV - Music Video 才对,MTV是人家电视台,晕)。
其实我有的,收藏了乐队2部MV - You Get What You Give 以及 Someday We'll Know。
如果谁正在找他们的MV请留下联系方式,我很乐意共享出这两部Video
很喜欢你对他们的评论,因为我也同样喜欢New Radicals,在自己的日志中贴过唯一的歌词就是那首《Someday We'll Know》。
謝謝SuSan的留言!
我跟侯劭安說過:如果要去另一個行星生活而只能帯一位歌手/一隻樂隊的音樂,我將毫不猶豫選擇 New Radicals。
因爲沒他們我活不下去
new radicals的mv只有两部的!hehe