Stockholm Syndrome - Culture

Fotografiska

逛逛唱片行

就像成名在望裡面，凱特哈德森說的，唱片行就像你的老朋友，當你寂寞的時候就可以去找找他。儘管，這是我第一次踏進哥德堡的唱片行，可是感覺卻好像回到了一個我很熟悉的環境。來到瑞典已經一個多月了，我發覺我還是在不斷地在適應這裡的環境。或許是因為我還不懂瑞典文吧，也不是很懂真正的瑞典文化，所以儘管小心翼翼，但對於那些對我來說還是未知的文化差異，有時候還是會碰壁。但在唱片行，完全沒有這樣的問題。我愛逛多久就逛多久，我想要慢慢把所有唱片都翻過一遍，也沒人會管我。我想說的重點就是音樂是一項極私人且universal的一件事。那天我逛了哥德堡的 Stigbergstorget區，那邊應該算是音樂重地吧，因為我要介紹的兩家唱片行都在那一區附近。走路路程十五分鐘內能找的到不少唱片行，樂器行，音響店，感覺還蠻集中的，只差表演的場所不知道有沒有在附近（因為沒找到特別想看的演唱會，索性就沒去了）。

Happy Being A Consumer

After seeing these videos, I just want to go back to record stores, and bring home some more records. So, I did. And I love record stores, flipping through vinyls. Sadly, they are closing down one by one. Rockinghorse is   the iconic independent record store in Brisbane, and it's closing down due to strong competition from chain stores and online shops. Last time, I went there, there was nothing I want to buy, except a Hope Sandoval poster. Everything else was either too expensive, or not for my interests. Anyway, I went to another record store today, called Egg Records. It's probably my favourite store here, as their taste is similar to mine. I found heaps of record I want to buy, lots of 4AD stuff like Pixies, This Mortal Coil, Cocteau Twins. And there are plenty of Factory records, primarily Joy Division and New Order singles. If I had a lot of money, I would buy them all... but I don't. Back to reality, I bought these...

今天下午

今天去逛唱片行，去了一家平常常去看的二手唱片行，印象中他被我歸類為老舊的唱片行。這是一家很妙的店，裡面甚麼都賣，卡帶，海報，衣服，黑膠，書籍，雜誌，賣一大堆亂七八糟的東西。不過我平常都是去逛黑膠，他黑膠收藏的量之多，不過大多都是很舊的唱片。像是 The Everly Brothers，或是 Donna Summer 這類的唱片。今天去看，主要是想要找 Françoise Hardy 或是 Singles Soundtrack 的黑膠唱片。結果兩個都沒找到，卻讓我找到一間密室，充滿寶藏的密室。裡面也是一大堆唱片，我先在 Joy Division/New Order 區看了一下，居然有 "Ceremony" 的十二吋黑膠，我看到整個大嗨！雖然不是我夢想中那白色和淺藍色的封面，但是卻是原版深綠色的。接著，在其他區翻翻，又找到 The Replacements 的 Stink 黑膠，跟 Don't Tell A Soul 黑膠。看到時真的是超級無敵的爽。接著在 J區，又找到了 JAMC "April Skies" 的十二吋黑膠。在 S 區，有 The Smiths A面是"Sheila Take A Bow"，B面是 "Is It Really So Strange"/"Sweet and Tender Hooligan"還有 Stone Roses "Sally Cinnamon" 的十二吋。也找到我之前找都找不到的 Tom Waits 黑膠唱盤。在那間小小的密室裡，我隨便翻翻就拿了五張黑膠我真的很想買的，如果隨便拿的話，應該可以拿個四五十張吧。因為上面都沒標價錢，我拿去櫃檯問，準備打算把這幾張黑膠帶回家。結果問了一下，十二吋單曲一張要 AU$30，專輯則要一張 AU$40，算成台幣差不多一張黑膠一千塊左右。這個價錢，我實在是買不下手。而且店員告訴我，那間平常是不能進去的。也是阿，這些唱片如果隨便擺在外面早就被人家買走了，還輪的到我。唉，是白開心了一場。不過，真的，我好想買 "Ceremony" 跟 "April Skies" 這兩張單曲黑膠...

Buy Buy Buy

The Replacements - I'll Be You 7''

Lake Heartbeat - Trust In Numbers LP

The National - High Violet 2LP

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record 2LP 

The National - Boxer LP (I lent my CD, and never got it back, so I bought this)

Slowdive - Souvlaki 2LP (Classic!)

Allo Darlin' - Allo Darlin' LP (Love it so much!)

jj n° 2.1

fuckin' A! I got jj n° 2.1!!!!!!

Recent Buys

Radio City LP and #1 Record LP by Big Star

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart LP and Higher Than The Stars 12''. Even a poster of Higher Than The Stars. I think it has The Smiths' cover feel.

Doolittle LP and Surfer Rosa LP by The Pixies. Great albums.

Why did I buy the one with the weird gate, and not the statue one? The original one looks much better! Glad that I only bought the 7'' one.

(front) (back)

I'm so happy that I bought this one. Though not original, but this 2 LP set contains Ectasy and Wine EP, Feed Me With Your Kisses EP and You Made Me Realise EP. Fucking awesome!

I bought these two in the second-hand vinyl store. My Charlie Sexton has stain on his face, but it's okay. The sound is good. INXS is in good quality, but none of songs on it are as good as Don't Change.

Yeah! Oh Yeah!

Tracey Thorn and Jens Lekman - Yeah! Oh, Yeah! (The Magnetic Fields)

+ this song is from a Merge complication, called Score! which features bands like The National, Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, but not a very good complication. It's got some weird songs.
+ I love both Jens Lekman and Tracey Thorn, and I love this song. This is such a great collaboration covering a great song.

+ this is such a true and funny song originally by The Magnetic Fields from the "69 Love Songs", a massive album that contains literally 69 love songs.

Are you out of love with me?
Are you longing to be free?
Do I drive you up a tree?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Do I drive you up the wall?
Do you dread every phone call?
Can you not stand me at all?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Though I need you more than air
is it true you just don't care?
Are you having an affair?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
When we met I thought
money was everything
so I let you buy the house,
the car, the ring
but I can't take your perpetual whining
and you can't sing
I though if we live apart
we could made a brand-new start
Do you want to break my heart?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
I've enjoyed making you
miserable for years
found peace of mind in
playing on your fears
How I loved to catch your gold
and silver tears, but now my dear
What a dark and dreary life
Are you reaching for a knife?
Could you really kill your wife?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Of, I die, I die, I die!
So it's over, you and I
Was my whole life just a lie?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!

A Distance Shore

今天我去二手唱片行，賣了 The Liars 和 Joanna Newsom 兩張專輯，在加了一些錢買了這張 Tracey Thorn 的 A Distance Shore。本來不是很想買這張的，因為封面上有許多的斑點，整個看起來又舊又髒。雖然我很想聽，但我想我應該可以買到其他更好的。可是在唱片行逛了很久，卻沒有看到特別想買的，不是太貴就是沒聽過的名字。所以，最後，我還是把這張抱回家了。它已經二十七歲了，這些斑點是可以原諒的。這張是 Tracey Thorn 在 1982 年，她二十歲時推出的個人專輯，裡面只有八首歌。

關上所有的燈，放上唱片，聽完 side one ，再換到 side two 。聽完把針頭放回到開頭再聽了一遍 side two，再換到 side one。最後一首由 Femme Fatale做為結尾。就像老闆買給我時說的那樣，這是一張相當棒的專輯。簡單的設計，簡單的音樂，但 Tracey Thorn 彈著她的吉他 ，用他極富感情的聲音，唱著令人省思的歌詞。我只能說這張專輯，來的正是時候。

關於這張專輯，我非常非常的喜歡。下面是我找到的 1982年的 interview。

How would you sum up the mood of 'A Distant Shore'?

"Quite thoughtful I suppose. People say they relax to it but I can't relax to it at all. I play it and it puts me all on edge! The music is relaxing but the lyrics certainly aren't. I'd hate it to be thought of as background music."

Speaking generally, everything that you've put out has been well received by the media. How much do good reviews mean to you personally? Do you think they help 'validate' what you've done?

"Clearly, if you are writing personal songs, it's very important to have people reassure you and day it's worthwhile and you're not just writing indulgent, sentimental love songs.

"Someone told me that the Marine Girls' 'On My Mind' made them cry. That was incredible. The opinions of friends are as worthy as reviewers. I would hate to be acclaimed just on a critical basis. I like to think the songs can mean something to people on personal terms rather than how well played or produced they are."

Small Town Girl

Some things are better left unsaid
Feelings can get left behind
So keep your love and I'll keep mine

Simply Couldn't Care

Why do these things bother me so
Why do I lie awake so long after you go
Arguments just prove we're not the same
We'll end up talking to ourselves
And it seems a shame

Femme Fatale


Plain Sailing

Sure that you know but you never can tell
When I think I understand you so well
Shakes me that you were a constant surprise
Or so you appear in my eyes

Too Happy

Hand In Glove 7''

Hand in glove
the sun shines out of our behinds

No it's NOT like any other love
this one's different
because it's us!

Recent Purchases

The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (12'')
+ this single has three songs, yet it's the most expensive one I bought today.
+ I bought it because this song is current my favourite of Smiths
+ why they are so expensive... I wanna collect all Smiths' singles!
Buddy Holly - 20 Golden Greats [Buddy Holly Lives]
+ I just wanna listen to Buddy Holly
The Carpenters - Great Hits Of The Carpenters
+ This is an Australia version, so I couldn't any better pic
+ Superstar, Rainy Days and Mondays
The Carpenters - A Kind of A Hush
+ The vinyl is in good condition, so I bought it.
+ I Need to Be in Love
Everything But The Girl - Love Not Money
+ I like EBTG, but I havn't heard this one
+ The sleeve cover looks pretty good and intereted me, so I bought it
New Order - Brotherhood
+ Bizarre Love Triangle
+ "Boydey, Happy 21st; What a big year; You are going to have - best yet to come" Theo '87
+ How come I didn't notice that someone wrote that on the back of the sleeve, well... never mind. The vinyl is good.

Vestax Handy Trax

Unknown Pleasure 黑膠的內頁。超有質感的設計。
用黑膠聽這張有種莫名的感動，感覺我離那個年代好像更近了。呼, 終於買了我的第一台唱機。他叫 Vestax Handy Trax。
Vestax 是一個日本相當有名的專業 DJ 器材公司。
出的這台最大目的也是為了讓人可以隨身攜帶，因為還可以裝電池聽。
不過最吸引我的是他的多功能，和便宜的價格。
轉速有三段，加上還可以聽EP，簡單說，幾乎所有黑膠都可以聽。
還有內建 Speaker，雖然是 monotone，但是還是超酷的。
如果要聽音質好一點的，只要把耳機插上去就好。
或是也可以接到大一點的音響，但是我沒有。
比較遜的事，是他不附帶電池，也不給電源。需要自己去買 AC Adaptor。
除了這要抱怨一下，其他的我都非常滿意。對於一個剛入門黑膠的人來說！

Today has been good

I went to uni to start my summer course today.
After the class, I went to unidisc to have a look at vinyl records.
I have always wanted to listen to vinyl if I can, so I did today.
I bought Billy Joel's "The Stranger", then headed to library to have a listen.
I put in on the turntable, watching the record spinning, listening to the song as I read the lyrics.
This is exactly what I love to do!
The experience is completely different to CDs or Mp3s.
This is the first time, so I wanna write it down this little precious moment of my life.
The Stranger is a fantastic album, lots of great songs.

Then I went to city to return some books.
While waiting for bus, I went into a shop, called "Books, CDs, Vinyls Exchange".
Actually I don't know what it's called.
The shop stunned me at the first sight, stacking huge collections of CDs, vinyls, cassettes, tapes, mags, clothes, all the random stuffs in disorder (maybe there is still some order, but it looks messy).
I didn't stay for too long, but I'm sure I'll spend some time there finding treasures.


Buses haven't come yet, so I went to another record store.
I wasn't planning to buy anything, but when I checked out the jazz section I found Chet Baker's albums at the discounted price.
I bought "Chet Baker Sings" straight away.
This is such a smooth and cool album.
I fell asleep twice when I listened to it twice.
Maybe I was just too tired.
However, this is definitely the record that I'll revisit from time to time.