Muzikland

藉著千禧年代各大唱片公司紛紛為自己旗下歌手或樂團出版精選﹐不過筆者覺得最有心思的還是Sony Music的Essential系列﹐精采的內容包括Pop﹑ Rock﹑ Folk﹑ Country﹑Easy Listening﹐甚至是Jazz 及古典﹐而曲目更取自每一個年代。

此系列從2000年出版至今﹐還繼續有新精選輯出現﹐可說出之不盡。2003年Sony與BMG合併﹐更是如虎添翼﹐加入RCA﹑Arista等藝人﹐聽說Elvis Fan Club就曾去信要求 Essential系列不能少了貓王 Elvis Presley 的份兒。未來數天就讓筆者把這精選系列略作介紹吧。

(01) The Essential Adam Ants: 來自80年代的英國New Wave樂團﹐組成於1977年﹐但維持5年即解散。筆者從未認真聽過他們的作品﹐只是對1981年 Prince Charming的封面照﹐印象難忘﹐只因從那時討厭到現在。

Zerox / Kings Of The Wild Frontier / Dog Eat Dog / Antmusic / Physical (You're So) (Single Version) / Stand And Deliver / Prince Charming /Ant Rap / Friend Or Foe / Goody Two Shoes / Desperate But Not Serious / Place In The Country / Strip (Single Version) / Puss 'n Boots / Apollo 9 / Room At The Top / Wonderful

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(02) The Essential AlabamaL: 組成於1977年﹐是80年代當紅的鄉謠樂團。

Disc 1:
Five O'Clock 500 / Keepin' Up / How Do You Fall in Love / Tennessee River / Why Lady Why / Old Flame / Feels So Right / Love in the First Degree / Mountain Music / Take Me Down / Close Enough to Perfect / Dixieland Delight / Closer You Get / Lady Down on Love / Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler) / When We Make Love / If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band) / (There's A) Fire in the Night / There's No Way / Forty Hour Week (For a Livin') / Can't Keep a Good Man Down / She and I
Disc 2:
Touch Me When We're Dancing / You've Got the Touch / Face to Face / Fallin' Again / Song of the South / If I Had You / High Cotton / Southern Star / Jukebox in My Mind / Forever's as Far as I'll Go / Down Home / Here We Are / Then Again / Born Country / I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why) / Once Upon a Lifetime / Hometown Honeymoon / Reckless / Give Me One More Shot / She Ain't Your Ordinary Girl / In Pictures / Sad Lookin' Moon

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(03) The Essential Alison Moyet ﹕從電子組合Depeche Mode走出來的Vince Clarke ﹐曾與Alison Moyet於1981組成Yazoo ﹐兩年後解散﹐Vince再另組Erasure。

Don't Go / Nobody's Diary / Winter Kills / Love Resurrection / All Cried Out / Invisible / That Ole Devil Called Love / Is This Love / Weak in the Presence of Beauty / Love Letters / It Won't Be Long / Wishing You Were Here / This House / Falling / Whispering Your Name / Getting into Something / Our Colander Eyes / Blue / Ne Me Quitte Pas / There Are Worse Things I Could Do

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(04) The Essential Allman Brothers Band: The Epic Years ﹕組成於1969年的一隊搖滾樂團。

Good Clean Fun / Seven Turns / End Of The Line / Nobody Knows / Get On With Your Life / No One To Run With / Soulshine / Blue Sky (Live) / Midnight Rider (Acoustic) / Jessica (Live) / Please Call Home (Live)

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(05) The Essential Artie Shaw ﹕ Artie Shaw (1910-2004) ﹐40年代Big Band時代的樂隊領班﹐筆者曾於“ Artie Shaw - Centennial Collection ” 一文介紹。

Disc 1:
Begin the Beguine / Special Delivery Stomp / Non Stop Flight / Deep Purple / Oh, Lady Be Good / Scuttlebutt / Shoot the Likker to Me, Johnny Boy / St. James Infirmary Blues, Pts. 1-2 / Georgia on My Mind / April in Paris / Any Old Time / All the Things You Are / Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise / Back Bay Shuffle / (When Your Heart's on Fire) Smoke Gets in Your Eyes / Tabu / Blues in the Night / Concerto for Clarinet, Pts. 1-2
Disc 2:
Frenesi / Summit Ridge Drive / Take Your Shoes Off, Baby / It Had to Be You / Don't Take Your Love from Me / Indian Love Call / Dancing in the Dark / Deep in a Dream / I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me / Star Dust / Room with a View / Temptation / Streamline / Traffic Jam / What Is This Thing Called Love? / Yesterdays / You're a Lucky Guy / Alone Together / These Foolish Things / Nightmare

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(06) The Essential Babyface ﹕90年代炙手可熱的唱片監製﹐也出版個人專輯﹐大陸歌手王菲﹑香港的張國榮﹑林憶蓮曾改編不少他的作品。

I Said I Love You / Never Keeping Secrets / Every Time I Close My Eyes / Talk To Me / When Can I See You / For The Cool In You / My Kinda Girl / Whip Appeal / Soon As I Get Home / Well Alright / The Day (That You Gave Me A Son) / How Come, How Long / This Is For The Lover In You / Medley: I'll Make Love To You/End Of The Road / Medley: I'll Make Love To You/End Of The Road

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(07) The Essential Bangles : 80年代的超級女子樂團﹐取自1988年 Everything專輯的Eternal Flame ﹐多年來成為港台情歌合輯必收錄的歌曲。之後曾解散﹐又於2000年重組﹐但成積已不復當年勇。

Manic Monday / Walking Down Your Street / I Got Nothing / If She Knew What She Wants / Eternal Flame / Getting Out Of Hand / I'll Set You Free / Walk Like An Egyptian / What I Meant To Say / I'm In Line / Be With You / In Your Room / Hero Takes A Fall /
Hazy Shade Of Winter / Following

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(08) The Essential Barbra Streisand: 1942年出生﹐1962年參與百老匯劇Pins and Needles的演出而簽約Columbia唱片﹐多年來涉及的歌曲種類包括Broadway ﹑Jazz ﹑Pop ﹑Disco等﹐事業橫跨5個年代﹐是一位隨著時代改變的歌影雙棲藝人﹐也是一位不可多得的Songbird。

Disc 1:
A Sleepin' Bee / Cry Me A River / I Stayed Too Long At The Fair / Lover, Come Back To Me / People / My Man / Second Hand Rose / He Touched Me / Don't Rain On My Parade / Happy Days Are Here Again (Live From Central Park) / On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) / Stoney End / Since I Fell For You / What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? / The Way We Were / All In Love Is Fair / Lazy Afternoon / Evergreen / My Heart Belongs To Me / You Don't Bring Me Flowers (duet with Neil Diamond) / The Main Event/Fight / No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) (duet with Donna Summer)

Disc 2:
Woman In Love / Guilty / Comin' In And Out Of Your Life / Memory / Papa, Can You Hear Me? / A Piece Of Sky / Putting It Together / Not While I'm Around / Send In The Clowns / Somewhere / All I Ask Of You / Children Will Listen / As If We Never Said Goodbye / I Finally Found Someone (duet with Bryan Adams) / Tell Him (duet with Celine Dion) / I've Dreamed Of You / Someday My Prince Will Come (2001 Version) / You'll Never Walk Alone (2001 Version)

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(09) The Essential Barry Manilow ﹕1946年出生﹐是一名Singer-Song Writer ﹐早期受僱於Bette Midler作琴師﹐後來於1973年有機會出版首張個人專輯﹐雖然反應平平﹐但是憑Mandy一曲而大受歡迎﹐多年來金曲無數﹐而演藝事業的高峰在70 ﹑ 80年代之間。

Disc 1:
Mandy / It's A Miracle / Could It Be Magic / I Write The Songs / Bandstand Boogie / Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again / Beautiful Music / This One's For You / Weekend In New England / Jump Shout Boogie / Looks Like We Made It / Daybreak / New York City Rhythm / Can't Smile Without You / Even Now / Copacabana (At The Copa) / Ready To Take A Chance Again

Disc 2:
Somewhere In The Night / Ships / When I Wanted You / I Don't Want To Walk Without You / One Voice / I Made It Through The Rain / Lonely Together / The Old Songs / Somewhere Down The Road / Memory / Some Kind Of Friend / Read 'em And Weep / When October Goes / I'm Your Man / Brooklyn Blues (featuring Tom Scott) / Hey Mambo (with Kid Creole and The Coconuts) / I'd Really Love To See You Tonight

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(10) The Essential Bing Crosby The Columbia Years ﹕我們熟識Bing Crosby可能限於一些如White Christmas的耶誕歌曲﹐但是對於美國﹐他卻是家傳戶曉的名字﹐這裡輯錄的是他30年代早期的歌曲。

Dinah / Paradise / Sweet Georgia Brown / Love Me Tonight / Please / Here Lies Love / Brother, Can You Spare A Dime? / Young And Healthy / My Honey's Lovin' Arms / Blue Prelude / Thanks / Beautiful Girl / Temptation / Did You Ever See A Dream Walking? / Love Thy Neighbor / Love In Bloom

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(11) The Essential Blue Oyster Cult
Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll / 7 Screaming Diz-Busters / Harvester Of Eyes / Astronomy / (Don't Fear) The Reaper / E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) / Godzilla / I Love The Night / In Thee / Black Blade / Burnin' For You / Veteran Of The Psychic Wars / Shooting Shark / Take Me Away

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(12) Essential Bob Dylan ﹕1941年出生﹐出道於60年代初﹐原名為Robert Allen Zimmerman ﹐受詩人Dylan Thomas 影響而取名Bob Dylan ﹐音樂路線頗受Hank Williams及 Woody Guthrie薰陶﹐多年來出版專輯無數﹐是一位多產的Singer-Song Writer ﹐音樂事業橫跨5個年代﹐他也是首位把Folk Music加入電結他的先驅者﹐改變了流行音樂的發展。

Disc 1:
Blowin' In The Wind / Don't Think Twice, It's All Right / The Times They Are A-Changin' / It Ain't Me, Babe / Maggie's Farm / It's All Over Now, Baby Blue / Mr. Tambourine Man / Subterranean Homesick Blues / Like A Rolling Stone / Positively 4th Street / Just Like A Woman / Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 / All Along The Watchtower / Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) / I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Disc 2:
Lay, Lady, Lay / If Not For You / I Shall Be Released / You Ain't Goin' Nowhere / Knockin' On Heaven's Door / Forever Young / Tangled Up In Blue / Shelter From The Storm / Hurricane / Gotta Serve Somebody / Jokerman / Silvio / Everything Is Broken / Not Dark Yet / Things Have Changed

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(13) The Essential Bob Marley and the Wailers ﹕Bob Marley (1945-1981) ﹐Reggae雷加音樂之父。

Disc 1:
Soul Shakedown Party / Caution / Soul Rebel / Stop the Train / Sun Is Shining / Adam and Eve / Back Out / Corner Stone / Mr. Chatterbox / Brand New Second Hand / Duppy Conqueror / Soul Captives / Try Me / Cheer Up / Soul Almighty / Four Hundred Years / Mr. Brown / All in One (Medley Part 1)

Disc 2:
Lively Up Yourself / Keep on Moving / Small Axe / Don't Rock the Boat / Trenchtown Rock / Kaya / African Herbsman / Down Presser / Concrete Jungle / Stand Alone / Satisfy My Soul / Fussing and Fighting / Dreamland / Keep on Skanking / Natural Mystic / Who Colt the Game / I Know a Place

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(14) The Essential Bruce Springsteen ﹕Bruce Springteen (1949- ) ﹐出道於70年代初期﹐其後憑 1984年Born In The USA專輯而聲名大噪﹐至今在搖滾樂中仍是一個重要名字。

Disc 1:
Blinded By the Light / For You / Spirit In the Night / 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) / Thunder Road / Born To Run / Jungleland / Badlands / Darkness On The Edge Of Town / The Promised Land / The River / Hungry Heart / Nebraska / Atlantic City

Disc 2:
Born In The U.S.A. / Glory Days / Dancing In The Dark / Tunnel Of Love / Brilliant Disguise / Human Touch / Living Proof / Lucky Town / Streets Of Philadelphia / The Ghost Of Tom Joad / The Rising / Mary's Place / Lonesome Day / American Skin (41 Shots) (Live) / Land Of Hope and Dreams (Live)

Disc 3:
From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come) / Big Payback / Held Up Without A Gun (Live) / Trapped (Live) / None But The Brave / Missing / Lift Me Up / Viva Las Vegas / County Fair / Code Of Silence (Live) / Dead Man Walkin' / Countin' On a Miracle (Acoustic)

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(15) The Essential Byrds ﹕另一隊代表性的Folk Rock樂團﹐組成於1964年而於1973年拆夥﹐從 Byrds與Hollies又引申出Crosy, Still, Nash & Young這一隊重要樂團﹐也影響了70年代的音樂發展。12線結他成為樂團的代表聲音。1990年曾作短暫重組。

Disc 1:
Mr. Tambourine Man / I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better / All I Really Want To Do / Chimes Of Freedom / Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) / She Don't Care About Time (Single Version) / It Won't Be Wrong / Set You Free This Time / He Was A Friend Of Mine / Eight Miles High / 5D (Fifth Dimension) / Mr. Spaceman / So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star / Have You Seen Her Face / Renaissance Fair / My Back Pages

Disc 2:
Lady Friend / Old John Robertson (Single Version) / Goin' Back / Natural Harmony / Wasn't Born To Follow / You Ain't Goin' Nowhere / Hickory Wind / This Wheel's On Fire / Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man / Ballad Of Easy Rider / Jesus Is Just Alright / Lover Of The Bayou (Live) / Chestnut Mare / Glory, Glory / I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Politician / Tiffany Queen / Farther Along