sign in sign up
<<
Home , Cheer Chen, David Tao, Jade Goody, Jonathan Lee (musician), Shilpa Shetty, Shunza

times

MONDAY, APRIL 6 , 2 0 0 9 PAGE   1 3

[ THE WEEKENDER ] the age of MP3s, the album isn’t dead Puyuma musician of all, A-mei (阿妹), whose 1996 — at least not as an art form. This idea debut album Sisters (姊妹) ranked 10th. partly inspires a new book that aims A new book offers the In SELECTION CRITERIA to canonize the finest in Taiwanese pop and rock with a list of the 200 best albums released first list of ’s For the 1975 to 1992 list, the top albums were since 1975. best pop and rock albums chosen, submitted, then voted upon by over 100 Taiwan Popular Music — 200 Best voters consisting of Taiwanese music critics, Albums (台灣流行音樂 200最佳專輯) is one of the from the past 34 years writers, industry representatives and musicians. first attempts to cull together a definitive list For the 1993 to 2005 list, the voting panel of classic Taiwanese pop and rock albums, by David was whittled down to 26 people chosen by the complete with background information on each Staff Reporter Association of Music Workers In Taiwan (中華音 album and artist. 樂人交流協會), a music industry advocacy group, Chai Found Music Workshop went overboard The book, a project conceived by a group of which organized and produced the book. on the multimedia effects.  Photo courtesy of Chai Found Music Workshop National Taiwan University (NTU) students, is The criteria for selecting albums were: the  divided into two parts: the first half is a revised album had to be full length (EPs and singles were edition of a book first printed in 1994 that not considered); the songs had to have lyrics; the ranks albums released from 1975 to 1992, and language had to be one of the major languages ‘Monkey King’ the second half ranks albums released from spoken in Taiwan, which include Mandarin, 1993 to 2005. Hoklo, Hakka or an Aboriginal language. loses the plot At the top of the lists are Lo Ta-yu’s (羅大佑) Voters included musical luminaries such as Pedantry (之乎者也) for 1975 to 1992 and Puyuma (李宗盛), Tsai Chin (蔡琴) and Ma By Ian Bartholomew musician Pau-dull’s (陳建年) Ocean (海洋) for 1993 Nien-hsien (馬念先). Staff reporter to 2005. A LABOR OF LOVE The Journey of the Monkey King TIMES A’ CHANGIN’ For Ma Shih-fang, Taiwan Popular Music — 200 (西遊記), an instrumental presentation For each time period, many of the top contenders Best Albums is a labor of love that started of elements taken from the classic mirrored the changes in society and popular during his university days at NTU. He points to Chinese vernacular novel Journey to music in Taiwan. a particular issue of Rolling Stone from 1987 as the West (西遊記) by the Chai Found It was no surprise that Lo took the top spot his major inspiration. The issue listed the top 100 Music Workshop (采風樂坊) premiered for his 1982 debut album, according to Ma Shih- rock albums of the preceding 20 years for the Saturday night to an excited house at fang (馬世芳), a radio DJ at News 98 (98.1 FM) magazine’s 20th anniversary. the National Theater. and one of the founding editors of the book. “I thought it was so cool and so good that The first half of the program more “He was such a key figure in the evolution you could put a whole 20 years of history into than fulfilled those expectations, but of Taiwanese pop music history,” Ma said in an a list of 100 albums,” said Ma. “You have these the second half proved profoundly interview with the Taipei Times. descriptions of every album, [their] cultural disappointing as the performance Indeed, Lo was Taiwan’s first rock rebel. He impact, the stories behind this music, the lost its direction and the presentation stepped into the scene at a time when Taiwanese character of the musicians — you could get a got bogged down in unnecessary pop was dominated by, as the book puts it, a Top of the pops lot from the list.” multimedia effects. mindless “gaiety” that remained from the 1970s It also pointed to something sorely missing But first things first: Sections of folk movement. “Even his love songs were in Taiwan. “While we had all these great artists, the production, including almost different — they [always had] a certain degree of great albums, great songs, and they sold very all the first half, and brief moments bitterness,” said Ma. Top 20 Taiwan popular music albums, from 1975 to 1992 well … we didn’t discuss — seriously discuss of the second, were utterly riveting On Pedantry, Lo veiled social commentary — this music, these works,” he said. for their innovative use of Chinese behind his rock �����������������������������������’n’���������������������������������� roll, much to the consternation Starting in his senior year at NTU, in 1993, traditional instruments to create a [Title, Artist, Year] of the Government Information Office 新聞局( ), Ma and a dozen schoolmates spent several years contemporary musical score that which put his songs on a radio airplay blacklist. 1 Pedantry, Lo Ta-yu, 1982 (之乎者也 / 羅大佑 / 1982) between classes and military service compiling was still clearly rooted in an East Then there was his “coarse” voice. “Before Lo 2 Su Rui, Julie Su, 1983 (蘇芮專輯 / 蘇芮 / 1983) data from the first vote and researching and Asian tradition. The use of musicians Ta-yu, everyone thought you could only [make] 3 Olive Tree, Qi Yu, Xinge, 1979 (橄欖樹 / 齊豫 / 1979) writing essays on each album. as dramatic performers was also an album if you had a beautiful voice,” said Ma. 4 Blue Skies Every Day, Michelle Pan, 1982 (天天天藍 / 潘越雲 / 1982) Ma also received help from his mother, largely successful, providing a “But [his voice] was perfect for rock singers.” renowned radio DJ Cora Tao (陶曉清), who visual highlighting of the narrative Spirit of Life, Jonathan Lee, 1986 (生命中的精靈 / 李宗盛 / 1986) Other albums topping the list from 1975 to 5 served as a co-editor of the book and helped him elements within the music. This 1993 were released during pivotal and politically 6 Marching Forward, , 1990 (向前走 / 林強 / 1990) with industry contacts. They chose to start their was particularly true of dancer turbulent times. 7 Descendants of the Dragon, Li Jian-fu, 1980 (龍的傳人 / 李建復 / 1980) list from 1975, under the belief that Taiwanese and acrobat Chen Hsin-ho (陳星合), Chinese rocker Cui Jian’s Nothing to My 8 Nothing to My Name, Cui Jian, 1989, (一無所有 / 崔健 / 1989) pop music was born out of the folk movement, whose guest performance with the Name (一無所有), which is ranked eighth, came 9 Masters of the Future, Lo Ta-yu, 1983 (未來的主人翁 / 羅大佑/ 1983) which took off in the mid-1970s. ensemble was unforgettable. out just two months before the Tiananmen Their time and toil paid off. The original In the first movement, in which Songs of Madness, Blacklist Studio, 1989 (抓狂歌 / 黑名單工作室 / 1989) Square incident in 1989 (Cui was included as 10 edition of the 1975 to 1992 list, which had a the monkey king begins to gradually all albums sung in a Mandarin or Aboriginal 11 Echoes, Qi Yu and Michelle Pan, 1985 (回聲 / 齊豫潘越雲 / 1985) print run of 2,000 copies, sold out within months develop his magical powers, Chen language from Taiwan were considered). 12 Christine Hsu, Christine Hsu, 1987 (許景淳專輯 / 許景淳 / 1987) after its release in 1994, and bootleg copies used his juggling skills to make a Albums like Blacklist Studio’s (黑名單工作室), 13 The Chiu Chiu Singers, The Chiu Chiu Singers, 1982 (丘丘合唱團 / 1982) have found their way to China. The new edition, glass ball float in his hands, which Songs of Madness (抓狂歌) and Lim Giong’s (林強) 14 Golden Rhythm Awards, Vol. 1, Compilation, 1977 (金韻獎第一輯 / 合輯 /1977) which hit bookstores at the beginning of the under carefully placed lights, had a 向前走 magical effect and was the perfect Marching Forward ( ) — both notable as Modern Chinese Folk Songs, Yang Hsien, 1975 (中國現代民歌集 / 楊弦 / 1975) year, has already sold out of its first run of 6,000 albums sung entirely in Hoklo (commonly known 15 copies, according to Ma. metaphor for the mysterious process as Taiwanese) and which proudly celebrate a 16 Da Jiao Jie Zi, Chen Hsiao-hsia, 1991 (大腳姐仔 / 陳小霞 / 1991) of developing an inner magical power. “native Taiwanese” identity — came out in 1989 17 These Feelings Can Wait, Tsai Chin, 1984 (此情可待 / 蔡琴 / 1984) WhITHER THE ALBUM? This was integrated particularly and 1990, respectively. 18 The Red Ants I, The Red Ants, 1985 (紅螞蟻1 / 紅螞蟻 / 1985) Ma concedes that in the age of iTunes, the well with a layered and insistent “These albums also reflected a certain time 19 Busy and Blind, , 1985 (忙與盲 / 張艾嘉 / 1985) album, as purchased in the physical form, is minimalist background created by 琵琶 古箏 … the so-called ‘post-martial law era,’” said 20 Childhood, Sylvia Chang, 1981 (童年 / 張艾嘉 / 1981) becoming a thing of the past. “Which is not pipa ( ) and guzheng ( ). Ma, referring to the lifting of martial law in necessarily a bad thing … but the album as an Huang Cheng-ming’s (黃正銘) score Taiwan in 1987. “During those few years a lot art form — if that [disappears], I’ll still feel sad,” shifted gears effortlessly from fairly of things were happening, politically, culturally, he said. conventional Chinese orchestral economically. It’s all reflected in this music and Top 20 Taiwan popular music albums, from 1993 to 2005 True to the rock n’ roll spirit, Ma is looking music to unusual and evocative those albums.” to younger generations as a target audience. sounds that picked up ideas for [Title, Artist, Year] “I hope this book makes them interested in Central Asia and gypsy music, as well ABORIGINAL MUSIC: 1 Ocean, Pau-dull, 1999 (海洋 / 陳建年 / 1999) some good music they’ve never heard before as Western contemporary music. THE NEW TAIWANESE POP … I hope this can be a kind of a road map for In the first half of the program, In a Flash, Kimbo, 2005 (匆匆 / 胡德夫 / 2005) The 1993 to 2005 list shows how major labels 2 them,” he said. which takes the monkey king from began to lag creatively while independent artists, 3 Wanderer’s Love Song, , 1994 (浪人情歌 / 伍佰 / 1994) And Ma is the first to admit the rankings can the discovery of his magical powers Aboriginal musicians in particular, started to 4 The Sounds of , Wind and Grass, Samingad, 2000 (太陽風 / 草原的聲音 / 紀曉君 /2000 ) only mean so much. “Even I don’t agree with a to the chaos that he creates as a thrive, said Ma. 5 Lonely Bird on a Tree Branch, Wu Bai and China Blue, 1998 (樹枝孤鳥 / 伍佰 and China Blue / 1998) lot of choices on this chart. But it’s just natural. result, there is a relatively cohesive He noted that Pau-dull’s Ocean was an 6 Walking to Danshui, King of Kinmen and Lee Bin-hui, 1997 (流浪到淡水 / 金門王與李炳輝 / 1997) With all these thousands of albums … a lot of narrative structure, grounding important album not only for its novel fusion brilliant works will be left off.” the abstractions rendered by the Tao Zhe, , 1997 (�陶吉吉 / 陶吉吉 /1997) of early Taiwanese folk pop and traditional 7 He says the book’s greatest value lies in the music and limned out through the 回家 順子 / Aboriginal music, but also for its sudden 8 Come Home, , 1997 ( / 1997) essays and background information for each movements of the performers. popularity. 9 A Fabulous Adventure, , 2005 (華麗的冒險 / 陳綺貞 / 2005) album, written in Mandarin by figures in the Though professional musicians Virtually unknown at the time, Pau-dull 10 Sisters, A-Mei, 1996 (姊妹 / 張惠妹 / 1996) music industry, radio DJs and prominent writers. rather than dancers, these won the Golden Melody Award’s Best Album 11 Let Me Think, Cheer Chen, 1998 (讓我想一想 / 陳綺貞 / 1998) “A pop music artist is like any artist. They movements had been well honed, accolade in 2000 for Ocean, which “gained a lot First Album, Mayday, 1999 (第一張創作專輯 / 五月天 / 1999) deserve to be seriously discussed,” said Ma. though a sequence in which bamboo of attention in the mainstream media and opened 12 poles were used as props as well as 阿姐鼓 朱哲琴 the gates for a lot of musicians with similar 13 Sister Drum, Chu Che-chin, 1995 ( / / 1995) musical instruments might have been backgrounds,” said Ma. 14 Fantasy, , 2001 (范特西 / 周杰倫 / 2001) Book Notes: better served with professional opera Those musicians include Samingad (紀曉君), 15 One, , 1998 (ONE / 楊乃文 / 1998) Taiwan Popular Music — 200 Best Albums (台灣流行音 performers whose movements would Pau-dull’s��������������������� niece, whose album The Sounds of 16 Sky, , 1994 (天空 / 王靖雯 / 1994) 樂 200最佳專輯/in Chinese only) have had greater self-assurance. 陶曉清 馬世芳 the Sun, Wind and Grass (太陽風/草原的聲音), 17 Lullabies, Blacklist Studio, 1996 (搖籃曲 / 黑名單 / 1996) Edited by Cora Tao ( ), Ma Shih-fang ( ) and With the second half, Huang ranked fourth, and Puyuma folk legend Kimbo Yeh Yun-ping (葉雲平) abandons the narrative and embarks Yan Zi, , 2000 (孫燕姿 / 孫燕姿 / 2000) Hu (胡德夫), who took the number two spot with 18 266 pages on an exploration of purely abstract In a Flash (匆匆). 19 Goodbye Kiss, , 1993 (吻別 / 張學友 / 1993) Publishing Co. elements of the monkey king’s

Also rounding out the top is the most famous 20 Ni Wa Wa, Panai, 2000 (泥娃娃 / 巴奈 / 2000) On the Net: www.200albums.com  personality. Movements such as the sixth, titled Joking, and the eighth, titled Human Feeling, left PLANET me uncertain where the story had got to. It had in fact more or less housands of people turned rapper remains free on bail and and his wife of landed in the couple. disappeared into thin air. T out to bid farewell to reality has been ordered to return to obscenity after she unbuttoned his hot water over behavior deemed While no independent Musically, the second half was TV star on Sat- court on April 20. jeans during a fashion show. to be offensive in culturally confirmation of the wedding less interesting than the first, and the urday, a fittingly public end for An online chain of posts police said they acted conservative . was forthcoming in Costa Rica, multimedia projections which had a woman whose life and death involving Demi Moore apparently after a complaint was lodged In 2007 a court issued arrest a friend of Bundchen’s family been a distraction in the first half, were pored over by the celebrity- prompted police to go to the aid against Kumar and Twinkle warrants for actress said her parents and five sisters became seriously annoying in the obsessed media. The one-time of a California woman who was Khanna by a social campaigner and Hollywood star Richard Gere had arrived at Santa Teresa and second. The stage set, costumes and dental assistant, who died last having suicidal thoughts. who called the performance after he hugged and kissed her at booked into the Flor Blanca hotel. make up were simple but effective, yet month of aged San Jose Sergeant Ronnie “vulgar and indecent.” an AIDS awareness event, but the Carlos Aviles said it seemed that the director was unsure 27, found fame and fortune as a Lopez says the department Kumar, a brand ambassador case was eventually thrown out. that Brady’s family that these would be enough. He contestant on the popular reality received a phone call early Friday for a popular brand of jeans, was Expectations of a second too had arrived incorporated photographs, video of the television show . morning from a person in Dallas strutting down the catwalk last wedding between supermodel at the resort performers in rehearsal and cartoon Rapper has pleaded who was tipped off to a supposed week when he stopped in front of Gisele Bundchen and US and were put images that muddied the overall not guilty to drug possession and suicide attempt through the his wife, who was seated in the football star Tom Brady has up at the visual effect. The lack of cohesion battery charges. social networking site Twitter. audience, and asked her to undo sent Costa Rica into a tizzy, same hotel. of the multimedia element, and its The 45-year-old rapper, Moore, a popular celebrity his trousers. with paparazzi scrambling to  — agencies conspicuous lack of real creativity, whose real name is Artis Leon Twitterer, was involved in a “We have registered a case this exclusive resort where detracted from the generally high level

POP Ivey, entered his plea during an discussion on the site that began against Akshay, Twinkle and the the knot will be tied. of professionalism on display. arraignment on Friday. when a user sent the actress what organizers of Lakme Fashion The Brazilian bombshell There was plenty that was good in He was arrested last month appeared to be suicidal notes. Week,” an unnamed police officer Bundchen, 28, and Brady, The Journey of the Monkey King, and at Los Angeles International Lopez says officers made told the Press Trust of India news 31, have already married on much of what was bad could have Airport, and later charged with immediate contact with a 48-year- agency late Saturday. Feb. 26 in Santa Monica, easily not been. The weak second half felony cocaine possession old female resident of San Jose, India’s obscenity laws are California in a church near was a huge disappointment, for what and battery and possession California, and transferred her to punishable by a maximum of two the beach, People magazine started out looking like one of the of drug paraphernalia, both a local hospital for “psychiatric years’ imprisonment and a fine has reported with no most innovative musical productions misdemeanors. Coolio allegedly evaluation.’’ He says there were of US$39. confirmation so far from by a local troupe this year petered grabbed a screener’s arm to no injuries. The actor has apologized for out, becoming lost and aimless, prevent a search of his luggage. Indian police have registered the incident. Demi Moore to the rescue. uncertain where it was going and The Gangsta’s Paradise a case accusing Bollywood actor Celebrities have previously photo: epa unsure whether it had arrived.