Concerning Faye
This day next week, I will be in HK watching Faye's concert...and the way I feel today is just as excited as I was four years ago when my fellow Fayenatic scenictour and I did exactly the same thing. It is hard to explain the joy we feel, though, but the exhilaration, excitement, pure bliss, comaradarie...is simply unbelievable. Incomrehensible? Immature? Insane? Perhaps...but when is the last time you did something that made you feel this way?
Since I'm still ranting about Faye, let me post my thoughts on Faye's latest album, Jiang1 Ai4. Her first album with Sony sees her striking a good balance between mainstream ballads and her own rather unique compositions.
1. 將愛 -- To Love
Woven with Indian instrumentation, this fast-paced, drum-heavy piece is great to wake up to. Faye did clarify the common misconception about this song, that she did not mean love was like a war between two lovers, but more like other people around them are involved creating a war of sorts with their comments, perspectives and inputs. It also shows her determination to "persist with love until the end".
2. 空城 -- Empty Castle
I did like this piece the first few times I heard it but I find myself hitting the skip button all the time these days because I want so much to hear the third track, and this one is kind of a boring interruption between the two. Kong1 Cheng3 is a ballad heavy on the piano and strings, but I find rather monotonous and bland with nothing that tugs at the soul unlike some of her other more heart-rending ballads.
3. 不留 -- Leave Nothing
Wow the lyrics and delivery blew me away for this one, especially the chorus which brought tears to my eyes. I love the transcendence of this piece which makes one feel like blocking out everything but feel Faye's emotions. Bu4 Liu2 truly inflicts pinpricks of pain in my heart, especially when you know she is speaking of her relationship with Dou Wei and Nicholas Tse. I love it when she puts in so much feelings in creating her music; every word she sings is so filled with emotion, and the lyrics show ingenuity in linking two objects (nouns) that go together yet being divided between her two lovers. Definitely one of her best compositions ever.
4. 美�e -- Beautiful Mistake
Another ballad with heavy string accompaniment but I like the lyrics for this one, especially the line "所�^醉生�羲来蟾啪褪沁@��意思" which means to be drunk when alive and dreaming when dead is probably happiness, i.e. to be blissful in ignorance. Plenty of good imagery on illusions of happiness here.
5. 乘客 -- Passenger
Many people seem to like this piece, but I find it rather bland and merely listenable. It's a nice song to listen when driving or on a journey, but to me, I expect Faye's songs to be so much more than just something listenable.
6. ���� -- Sunshine Darling
Good tune and lyrics for this one about inablity for her to satisfy her precious darling who needs the sunlight but she hopes will be content with moonlight. My limited music knowledge does not allow me to describe this song musically...
7. 旋木 -- Wooden Carousel
Sounds like a very "xin1 yao2" composition, with a simple, mellow guitar accompaniment, but the lyrics makes one feel bittersweet for the poor little horses on the carousel who are doomed to stay where they are, running but not going anywhere, and being there only for the joy of the riders.
8. 四月雪 -- April Snow
I love it when Faye does the "ahhh ahhh!" in this song and reminds us how wonderful her voice is. Again, Lin Xi's wonderful lyrics elevates this song to such spiritual heights, "because the world is so filthy we can find such beautiful aspirations". Magnificent.
9. 夜妆 -- Night Make-up
Hmm I don't really get the lyrics of this song, but I love the tune, the new age-y beat and Faye's out-of-this-world vocals. I keep repeating this song simply because it makes my heart soar everytime I hear it. If I am able to spread my wings and fly, I want to listen to this song while I'm up in the sky. This song will be wonderful for an airline commercial. :P
10. 烟 - Cigarettes
I absolutely adore this song, but I wonder why so few people mention that they like it. Zhang Yadong's ingenious Spanish, Gypsy King-ish music to accompany Lin Xi's fabulous lyrics on addiction, in this case, cigarettes. And Faye sings it so convincingly in the tui2 fei4 way of hers, especially when she sings "jie4 bu4 diao4" (I can't quit the addiction). Cigarettes are used as a metaphor for addiction in this case, but the lyrics hint at more than that in terms of intimacy. Lin Xi has really outdone himself for this song...but I wonder why it is so underrated and why it is placed only at number 10.
11. MV (Canto)
I don't like this song as I find Faye's voice to whiney here, and I don't like the tune either. On top of that, I don't like Nicholas Tse who composed this song.
However I prefer Vertigo, which he also composed in her previous album...
12. In the name of love (Canto)
Prefer Jiang1 Ai4, the Mandarin version of this song.
13. The Flower Withers (Canto)
Same tune as Cheng2 Ke4, but doesn't do much for me despite Lin Xi writing the lyrics for this one.
This day next week, I will be in HK watching Faye's concert...and the way I feel today is just as excited as I was four years ago when my fellow Fayenatic scenictour and I did exactly the same thing. It is hard to explain the joy we feel, though, but the exhilaration, excitement, pure bliss, comaradarie...is simply unbelievable. Incomrehensible? Immature? Insane? Perhaps...but when is the last time you did something that made you feel this way?
Since I'm still ranting about Faye, let me post my thoughts on Faye's latest album, Jiang1 Ai4. Her first album with Sony sees her striking a good balance between mainstream ballads and her own rather unique compositions.
1. 將愛 -- To Love
Woven with Indian instrumentation, this fast-paced, drum-heavy piece is great to wake up to. Faye did clarify the common misconception about this song, that she did not mean love was like a war between two lovers, but more like other people around them are involved creating a war of sorts with their comments, perspectives and inputs. It also shows her determination to "persist with love until the end".
2. 空城 -- Empty Castle
I did like this piece the first few times I heard it but I find myself hitting the skip button all the time these days because I want so much to hear the third track, and this one is kind of a boring interruption between the two. Kong1 Cheng3 is a ballad heavy on the piano and strings, but I find rather monotonous and bland with nothing that tugs at the soul unlike some of her other more heart-rending ballads.
3. 不留 -- Leave Nothing
Wow the lyrics and delivery blew me away for this one, especially the chorus which brought tears to my eyes. I love the transcendence of this piece which makes one feel like blocking out everything but feel Faye's emotions. Bu4 Liu2 truly inflicts pinpricks of pain in my heart, especially when you know she is speaking of her relationship with Dou Wei and Nicholas Tse. I love it when she puts in so much feelings in creating her music; every word she sings is so filled with emotion, and the lyrics show ingenuity in linking two objects (nouns) that go together yet being divided between her two lovers. Definitely one of her best compositions ever.
4. 美�e -- Beautiful Mistake
Another ballad with heavy string accompaniment but I like the lyrics for this one, especially the line "所�^醉生�羲来蟾啪褪沁@��意思" which means to be drunk when alive and dreaming when dead is probably happiness, i.e. to be blissful in ignorance. Plenty of good imagery on illusions of happiness here.
5. 乘客 -- Passenger
Many people seem to like this piece, but I find it rather bland and merely listenable. It's a nice song to listen when driving or on a journey, but to me, I expect Faye's songs to be so much more than just something listenable.
6. ���� -- Sunshine Darling
Good tune and lyrics for this one about inablity for her to satisfy her precious darling who needs the sunlight but she hopes will be content with moonlight. My limited music knowledge does not allow me to describe this song musically...
7. 旋木 -- Wooden Carousel
Sounds like a very "xin1 yao2" composition, with a simple, mellow guitar accompaniment, but the lyrics makes one feel bittersweet for the poor little horses on the carousel who are doomed to stay where they are, running but not going anywhere, and being there only for the joy of the riders.
8. 四月雪 -- April Snow
I love it when Faye does the "ahhh ahhh!" in this song and reminds us how wonderful her voice is. Again, Lin Xi's wonderful lyrics elevates this song to such spiritual heights, "because the world is so filthy we can find such beautiful aspirations". Magnificent.
9. 夜妆 -- Night Make-up
Hmm I don't really get the lyrics of this song, but I love the tune, the new age-y beat and Faye's out-of-this-world vocals. I keep repeating this song simply because it makes my heart soar everytime I hear it. If I am able to spread my wings and fly, I want to listen to this song while I'm up in the sky. This song will be wonderful for an airline commercial. :P
10. 烟 - Cigarettes
I absolutely adore this song, but I wonder why so few people mention that they like it. Zhang Yadong's ingenious Spanish, Gypsy King-ish music to accompany Lin Xi's fabulous lyrics on addiction, in this case, cigarettes. And Faye sings it so convincingly in the tui2 fei4 way of hers, especially when she sings "jie4 bu4 diao4" (I can't quit the addiction). Cigarettes are used as a metaphor for addiction in this case, but the lyrics hint at more than that in terms of intimacy. Lin Xi has really outdone himself for this song...but I wonder why it is so underrated and why it is placed only at number 10.
11. MV (Canto)
I don't like this song as I find Faye's voice to whiney here, and I don't like the tune either. On top of that, I don't like Nicholas Tse who composed this song.
However I prefer Vertigo, which he also composed in her previous album...
12. In the name of love (Canto)
Prefer Jiang1 Ai4, the Mandarin version of this song.
13. The Flower Withers (Canto)
Same tune as Cheng2 Ke4, but doesn't do much for me despite Lin Xi writing the lyrics for this one.
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