摘录自 http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2009/05/27/2003444661 [CD REVIEWS: TAIWAN] By Ian Bartholomew and david chen STAFF REPORTERS Wednesday, May 27, 2009, Taipei Times, Page 14 There must be nothing more irritating for an artist than critics and reviewers incessantly comparing their mature work unfavorably with their early work. But in the case of Lin Sheng-xiang (林生祥), who emerged as a creative powerhouse with the release of his early protest music, such as the album Let Us Sing Mountain Songs (我等就来唱山歌), it must be said that he seems to have worked desperately hard to lose his broad appeal and disappear up a minor musical tributary that will only appeal to a small number of fans. Listening to Growing Wild is frustrating for anyone who has experienced the combustible energy of his work as lead singer for Labor Exchange (交工乐队), whose music was inspired by the fusion of traditional Chinese instrumentation and the culture of rock ’n’ roll pioneered by Chinese rocker Cui Jian (崔健 ). Now, Lin has retreated into a self-consciously rustic abode in which guitar and voice are his only tools. Growing Up Wild sets out to tell the story of a young boy who grows up with a little sister and experiences the trials of a family breakup. It seems to have the same kind of aspirations as songs like Bruce Springsteen’s Down to the River or Badlands, but it remains, both in sound and lyrics, relentlessly small. There is a soap opera baldness to the story, and this rarely transcends the cliches of domestic tragedy to embrace something bigger. Lin strives for an unadorned simplicity, and perhaps there is something solid in the relentlessly undramatic treatment that he gives his story. I can’t help but wonder whether Lin believes that a lack of artifice equals a more truthful and powerful revelation. In Growing Up Wild, Lin has sincerity and commitment by the bucket load, but for this reviewer at least, this is no substitute for musical and lyrical invention. --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 203.77.68.185