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如果只能推薦一首歌給剛入門前衛搖滾的朋友，它還要能兼具動聽與代表性，我會指名Genesis成熟時期的巔峰之作---與月影騎士共舞。
【Dancing with the Moonlit Knight】
這是Genesis1973年發表的專輯"Selling England by the Pound"第一首曲子。那時Phil Collins擔任鼓手，1976年後才轉任主唱，Peter Gabriel才二十三歲。舞台表演嘗試把長篇搖滾與劇場表演成功結合，表現團員戲劇天份。Gabriel在舞台上誇張地穿戴著Union Jack(英國國旗圖案)盾牌、全副武裝Britannia式戰士配件，以故作滄桑早熟的嗓音質疑著，七十年代被強勢美國主義(Americanism)主導下的英國政府該何去何從: "Can you tell me where my country lies?" 怎樣尋回往昔大不列顛榮光? 恐怕是當年許多充滿抱負英國年青人共同心聲。
某些人批評Art/Progressive Rock為文勝於質的搖滾樂。或許上句解釋了部分樂團後來衰敗原因，但這張可不同。聽不懂他們莫測高深之政治批判沒關係，我們依舊享受搖滾能量與細膩編排融而為一的精采佈局。八分鐘雖然冗長繁複卻相當耐聽，電吉他華麗的演奏與Mellotron交互運用揮灑自如。開頭清唱部分平淡裡帶有懸疑。中段突然音量倍增，層疊綿密的美妙旋律一波波排山倒海席捲而來，到最後大結局峰迴路轉、暢快淋漓。音符緊湊到讓聽眾喘不過氣來，而又能佩服編曲與演奏技巧的才情洋溢。
當然這張專輯不只是明顯指涉政治的第一首值得欣賞，The Cinema Show/Fifth of Fifth/The Battle of Epping Forest等到現在聽起來都還是靚地不像話。千萬別把九十年代以後的Genesis與當年滿腹經綸的他們比，兩者音樂所表現出來的智性與詩意差之千里啊!
最後想要分享由英國女畫家Betty Swanwick(1915-89)所擔綱美麗而又充滿想像空間的封面畫作。那幅與Roger Dean (YES), Hipgnosis (Pink Floyd), William Neal/H.R.Giger (ELP)原創性強的封套設計早已共同並列經典地位。
P.S.月影騎士是手邊七十年代日版LP的側標專輯名稱翻譯，個人認為形容十分傳神。
(Composed By Banks/Collins/Gabriel/Hackett/Rutherford)
"Can you tell me where my country lies?"
said the unifaun to his true love's eyes.
"It lies with me!" cried the Queen of Maybe
- for her merchandise, he traded in his prize.
"Paper late!" cried a voice in the crowd.
"Old man dies!" The note he left was signed
'Old Father Thames'- it seems he's drowned;
selling england by the pound.
Citizens of Hope & Glory,
Time goes by - it's "the time of your life".
Easy now, sit you down.
Chewing through your Wimpey dreams,
they eat without a sound;
digesting england by the pound.
Young man says "you are what you eat" - eat well.
Old man says "you are what you wear" - wear well.
You know what you are, you don't give a damn;
bursting your belt that is your homemade sham.
The Captain leads his dance right on through the night
- join the dance...
Follow on! Till the Grail sun sets in the mould.
Follow on! Till the gold is cold.
Dancing out with the moonlit knight,
Knights of the Green Shield stamp and shout.
There's a fat old lady outside the saloon;
laying out the credit cards she plays Fortune.
The deck is uneven right from the start;
and all of their hands are playing apart.
The Captain leads his dance right on through the night
- join the dance...
Follow on! A Round Table-talking down we go.
You're the show!
Off we go with - You play the hobbyhorse,
I'll play the fool.
I'll play the fool.
We'll tease the bull
ringing round & loud, loud & round.
Follow on! With a twist of the world we go.
Follow on! Till the gold is cold.
Dancing out with the moonlit knight,
Knights of the Green Shield stamp and shout.
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