Hateful of Hollow
The Smiths

1984
Rough Trade / Sire Records
 

The Smiths 無疑地是個影響時代的組合. 主唱 Morrisey 詩般的詞作加上吉他手 Johnny Marr 的曲, 把在社會底層失意青年的愁苦展現在音樂裡.

 I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
but heavens knows I'm miserible now

In my life
why do I give valuable time
to people who don't care if I live or die

In my life
why do I smile
at people I'd rather kick in the eye

------ Heaven knows I'm miserible now
 

這張作品是早期作品的集結, 包括一些單曲等等. 樂風是標準 Smiths 新民謠 (Neo-Acoustic) 曲式加上 Morrisey 無調式的主旋律. 曲子中吉他手帶領的旋律完全和主唱不同, 卻在情緒上緊緊跟隨. 音樂是淡淡的藍灰色, 歌詞主人翁的生活卻是常人無法想像的愁苦 (竟然有人要這樣面對每天的生活!)

There's a club, if you'd like to go
you could meet somebody who really loves you
so you go, and you stand on your own
and you leave on your own
and you go home, and you cry
and you want to die

When you say it's gonna happen "now"
well, when exactly do you mean?
see I've already waited too long
and all my hope is gone

------ How soon is now

真的要用文字轉化 Smiths 音樂的感動時才發現兩種記錄型式的差距是這麼大, 不是自己粗淺的語文能力可以做到的. 反覆聽著這張作品, 四周空氣彷彿已經凝結, 活著的只有 CD player 而已. 這時候自己過的不好不壞的生活好也變成了一種罪惡.

Good times for a change
see, the luck I've had
would make a good man turn bad

So please please please
let me, let me, let me,
let me get what I want
this time

Haven't had a dream in a long time
see the life I've had
would make a good man bad

So for once in my life
let me get what I want
Lord knows it would be the first time
Lord knows it would be the first time

------ Please, please, please, let me get what I want

回到音樂. 這個時期的 Smiths 音樂以 Johnny  Marr 和 Morrosey 的表現為主. 鼓手 Mike Joyce 的鼓點在不同曲子之間有相當大的變化, 在當時非主流樂團中算是較特別的. 在這個時期 bass 手 Andy Rourke 的表現只是稱職, 還沒有什麼驚人的表現. 整體說來有著 70 年代搖滾團 4-piece band 樂器各自獨立表現的風采. 這張作品裡的佳作名曲一堆. This Charming man, How soon is now, Still ill, Back to the old house 都是讓人愛不釋手的佳作. Please please please let me get what I want, This night has opened my eyes 則是化解所有快樂心情的黑色瀝青, 讓我冷得直打哆索.

This night has opened my eye
and I will never sleep again

------ This night has opened my eyes

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