介绍:
If London is a watercolor, then New York is an oil painting.
You may not agree with British playwright Peter Shaffer's metaphors, but to a certain extent, you have to admit how intense, luscious-colored and flashy New York is. Particularly in terms of its music scene, the city has bred numerous superstars and tirelessly raced for artistic supremacy.
Just like a magnet, the thriving musical atmosphere of New York City has drew many aficionados, including music critic Chen Dezheng, who initially planned to pursue a Master degree in the UK.
"I listened to Britpop in high school and travelled to London in 1999, which I enjoyed a lot. But when I retired from my two-year conscript military service, I decided to treat myself by travelling to New York with a friend. We stayed there for one and half months and after I walked around Manhattan on my second day, I had already decided to study in New York. Because that call was too strong to resist. "
From Strawberry Fields, the memorial dedicated to John Lennon in Central Park, to the apartment building appeared on the cover of the album "Physical Graffiti", Chen went on a pilgrimage to nearly every holy place in the heart of rockers. He even encountered many musical heavyweights, such as the guitarist James Iha of The Smashing Pumpkins, and the late massively influential songwriter Lou Reed.
"When I arrived New York in 2003, Lou Reed had just released his anthology 'NYC Man' and a CD signing was to be held, which was an opportunity for me to meet this significant figure in the history of rock. However, when I waited in line, I was so nervous 'cause Lou Reed was always portrayed as a bad boy. I was worried if I would say something that offended him. But actually he was a kind person who spoke slowly with a strong aura. When I met him for the second time, he introduced his Tai Chi teacher to me, since I am an Asian. "
Those memorable moments, events and people all prompted Chen Dezheng to write blog entries, which laid a solid foundation for his debut book, All Tomorrow's Parties.
"For quite a long time, I had been thinking about assembling my life in New York into a book. So after two semesters, I intentionally recorded what happened and took many photos. "
Named after the Velvet Underground song, "All Tomorrow's Parties" leads readers roaming around the nooks and crannies of New York City. Written in a sort of musical travelogue manner, Chen takes us on a journey that is packed with dusty record stores, frisky live houses and rebellious hipsters. Drawing from sporadic fragments of history, movie clips, and personal reflections, the writer poetically pictures the golden era of rock and roll with a touch of reminiscence and sentiment.
Browsing through the pages, you can witness the downfall of the legendary nightclub CBGB, the spiritual home of American punk rock; experience the gentrification of Ludlow Street, the favorite haunt for music lovers; and review the tragic end of Jeff Buckley, one of the greatest singers recognized by Rolling Stone.
Although for many, much of New York's rich history in rock music has been fading out or has already disappeared; Chen Dezheng teases out what remains and captures the right spirit throughout the book.
"The present is the progressive tense of the past. Even though the people of today are going all out to expunge our past and physical evidences of the history have been erased, I believe that what happened and those abstract stories will survive in the heart of amateur."
That's probably why "All Tomorrow's Parties" has been highly praised by Dean Wareham, founder of Galaxie 500 and Luna, as an evocative "urban anthropology". Written in a poetic and never touchy-feely language, Chen Dezheng's book is either a musical and personal history, or a tribute to youth.
For Studio Plus, this is Doris Wang.
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