復古搖滾，蘊藏爆發力的Kings Of Leon @ ☯

從去年4月開始愛上Kings Of Leon
主唱Caleb激昂的歌聲深情的歌詞，讓人愛上
我第一次聽到Use Somebody是Paramore唱的版本，然而我能了解為什麼加說他無法停止聽這首歌

除此之外還有許多人翻唱，像是女歌手Pixie Lott

那種媚惑的程度已經像Muse和Placebo一樣，讓我深深著迷
Kings Of Leon來自美國，音樂到像英倫搖滾。他們也大受英國的喜愛=)
我真的真的真的超喜歡Kings Of Leon

from USA
音樂類型：Indie Rock/Alternative

關於來自美國納什維爾的Kings of Leon，樂隊最有趣的也許就是他們的童年經歷，隊中的四位同胞兄弟從小就跟隨著身為牧師的父親出入教堂進行宗教儀式，而樂隊Kings of Leon的命名也正是來自父親和外祖父的名字。四個聽著Neil Young長大的年輕人深受布魯斯、龐克還有南方搖滾的影響，2003年當樂隊以一張《Youth & Young Manhood》亮相樂壇的時候，評論界都驚呼，“教堂裡走出了一群搖滾客。”所有評論都一致地將美國南方搖滾復蘇的契機放在了他們的身，而音樂中濃厚的車庫搖滾的痕跡也使得Kings of Leon成為車庫復古大軍中強力的一支。

在初演賺得足夠的口碑后，2006年Kings of Leon又以一張《Aha Shake Heartbreak》搶佔了幾乎所有音樂雜誌推薦的頭條，此時的樂隊也真正摘掉“唱詩班”的頭銜，一躍成為美國獨立音樂界的明星，而在大洋彼岸的英國，樂隊更是得到極力的追捧。這支平均年齡才過二十四歲的年輕樂隊成功地逃脫了“第二張專輯”的魔咒，對於他們，一切似乎都已進入正常的軌道。因此當樂隊透露發行新專輯的消息后，大部分人都認為Kings of Leon完全可以再做一張《Aha Shake Heartbreak》式的專輯，安安穩穩地賺得滿堂喝彩。這樣的選擇對於樂隊的短期發展也許是安全的，但對於一支在成長過程中的樂隊來說，坐吃山空是最大的忌諱，因此Kings of Leon選擇了帶有點賭博性質的方式，正如鼓手Nathan Followill所說，“也許歌迷們習慣聽我們以前的歌曲了，但這次我們要讓所有人大吃一驚。”

事實是樂隊將他們的第三張專輯作為了跳板，他們期望用全力的一跳實現質的飛躍，正如主唱 Caleb自信滿滿所說，“我們將全部精力都放在了這張專輯中，在錄音室中我們盡量地發揮想象，為的是實現音樂質的飛躍，因為我們還有很多靈感，還可以讓更多地方的歌迷知道我們的搖滾。”《Because of the Times 》正是Kings of Leon的雄心碩果，2007年四月樂隊在Hand Me Down旗下正式發行了這張背負太多重望的專輯。相比于歌迷的期待，樂隊自己也賦予這張專輯更多的含義，單單從專輯的命名就能看出樂隊是何等的苦心，“Because of the Times”其實是指在路易斯安娜州的Alexandria舉行的宗教年會，而這句話也是取自搖滾界裡的一句俗語，“If an album does well it’s because of the times”（如果一張專輯獲得好評，那是因為它趕上了好時候。）

《Because of the Times》算是踩准了步點，在美國搖滾界普遍趨于平緩的時候，Kings of Leon適時的引爆，就如在悶慌的鐵皮屋裡一顆戛然響起炸彈，不需要有多大的威力，只要它能豁開一塊空間，引起新的空氣。新專輯一經發行，除了得到各大雜誌的追捧外，發行第一周就在英國登上了第一的位置，這也是樂隊第一張取得如此佳績的專輯，因此可以說，《Because of the Times》獲得了人心和影響力上的雙重成功。

雖然還是支年輕的樂隊，但Kings of Leon絕不會甘于唱些青春期萌動的歌曲來逗歌迷們開心，歌曲的主題一般都來自平日生活，並沒有太多狂想雜念。開場曲《Knocked Up》講述的就是在外界非議下依然掙扎生存的戀人，新專輯依然請來同為Ryan Adams制作人的Ethan Johns操刀制作，其中的變化從第一首歌就有了直觀的顯現，沒有了車庫搖滾的直接簡單，《Knocked Up》相反在一陣飄渺的效果器聲中開始，而爆發時也保有余地，明顯感覺出樂隊對於歌曲情緒把握有了進一步的成功，《Knocked Up》也成了樂隊至今第一首超過5分鐘的歌曲。《Knocked Up》的開場為整張專輯埋下誘人的伏筆，而隨後的《Charmer》和作為先行單曲發行的《On Call》又重溫了樂隊前幾張專輯的爆發力，噴薄般的爆發，主唱Caleb嘶啞的嗓音，簡單配器，對於此類車庫搖滾的演繹，Kings of Leon可以稱得上是輕車熟路。而在《Mcfearless》中樂隊又加入Grunge音樂成分，鼓點吉他都帶有濃重的Grunge味道，《Black Thumbnail》和《Camaro》則是一副南方搖滾的風範，其中吉他伴著Caleb滄桑的嗓音，不禁讓人開始嚮往一片荒渺的空地，經典的布魯斯吉他，不停歇激情待發，此刻似乎更像是經典老樂隊The Allman Brothers的布魯斯表演。《True Love Way》算是這幾個穿著邋遢復古的小年輕的深情訴說，仔細聆聽會發現Caleb破鑼的嗓音跟Bob Dylan還有幾分相似。單單從《True Love Way》和《Ragoo》中就能看出Kings of Leon對於旋律的把握已日臻成熟，清脆的吉他Solo和穩重的鼓點幾乎讓人忘卻這是一支車庫樂隊的作品。學會平靜的爆發，這就是Kings of Leon在新專輯中最新的實驗，雖然歌曲不再如以前那般的具有爆發力，但在看似平靜的深層卻蘊藏著時刻可能爆破的可能，鼓動聽者瘋狂的《Fans》、講述小人物失落的《The Runner》和《Trunk》都是在一陣蓄勢待發後方才顯露威力，此刻的Kings of Leon又重新擔起“傳教士”的身份，用音樂去鼓動和撫慰。最後一首歌曲《Arizona》算是給了整張專輯作了一個最溫暖的結尾，徜徉的吉他，間或響起的鼓點，一副送別遠去的畫面，這般在Ryan Adams的音樂中經常遇到的場面經由Ethan Johns帶到了Kings of Leon的音樂中，但這般的移花接木並沒有太多造作感覺，相反卻融合地自然流暢。

車庫搖滾、Grunge、南方搖滾還有布魯斯，融合了多種風格的《Because of the Times》正是Kings of Leon一直想做的音樂，Kings of Leon的復古依然徹底而且原汁原味，各種風格在一定程度上也保持了平衡，滿足了不同聽眾的需求，樂隊這奮力的一跳也到達了質的飛躍，也許他現在就可以像當初在巡演中受到Bob Dylan褒獎一般，獲得滿心歡喜了。

(上述這段文字來自Last.fm)

我常聽的幾首歌
Closer
On Call
Red Morning Light
Sex On Fire
Slow Night, So Long

Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody

I've been roaming around
Always looking down at all I see
Painted faces, fill the places I can't reach

You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody

Someone like you, And all you know, And how you speak
Countless lovers under cover of the street

You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you

Off in the night, while you live it up, I'm off to sleep
Waging wars to shape the poet and the beat
I hope it's gonna make you notice
I hope it's gonna make you notice

Someone like me
Someone like me
Someone like me, somebody

Someone like you, somebody
Someone like you, somebody
Someone like you, somebody

I've been roaming around,
Always looking down at all I see

Paramore - Use Somebody (Kings Of Leon Cover)

Love Paramore<333333

Sex On Fire

Lay where you're laying
Don't make a sound
I know they're watching
They're watching

All the commotion
That kitty loves pain
It has people talking
They're talking

You
Your sex is on fire

The dark of the alley
The breaking of day
The head while I'm driving
I'm driving

The soft lips are open
Them knuckles are pale
It feels like you're dying
You're dying

And you
Your sex is on fire
And so
Were the words to transpire

Hot as a fever
Rattling bones
I could just taste it
Taste it

If it's not forever
If it's just tonight
Oh it's still the greatest
The greatest
The greatest

And you
Your sex is on fire

You
Your sex is on fire
And so
Were the words to transpire

And you
Your sex is on fire
And so
Were the words to transpire

On Call

She said call me now baby, and I′d come a running.
She said call me now baby, and I′d come a running.
If you′d call me now, baby then I′d come a running.
I′m on call, to be there.
One and all, to be there.
And When I fall, to pieces.
Lord you know, I′ll be there waiting.
To be there.
To be there.
I′m on call, to be there.
One and all, to be there.
And When I fall, to pieces.
Lord you know, I′ll be there waiting.
I′m gon′ brawl, so be there.
One for all, I′ll be there.
And when they fall, to pieces.
Lord you know, I′ll be there laughing.
I′d come a running.
I′d come a running.
I′d come a running.
To be there.
To be there.
I′m on call, to be there.
I′m on call, to be there.
I′m on call, to be there.
I′m on call, to be there.

Closer

Stranded in this spooky town
Stoplight is swaying and the phone lines are down
Snow is crackling cold
She took my heart, I think she took my soul
With the moon I run
Far from the carnage of the fiery sun

Driven by the strangle of vein
Showing no mercy I'd do it again
Open up your eyes
You keep on crying
Baby I'll bleed you dry
Skies are blinking at me
I see a storm bubbling up from the sea

And it's coming closer
And it's coming closer

You shimmy-shook my boat
Leaving me stranded all in love on my own
Do you think of me
Where am I now
Baby where do I sleep
Feels so good but I'm old
2000 years of chasing taking its toll

And it's coming closer
And it's coming closer
And it's coming closer
And it's coming closer

Slow Night, So Long