消失在冥河裡的北方佬／Styx & Damn Yankees

Damn Yankees

以前經常留連在光華路一家位於地下室的地下鐵MTV。當時的MTV有兩種型態，一是像KISS或神采飛揚那種租個小包廂看電影的Movie TV，另一種則是我心裡認為較貼切於原文的Music TV。

地下鐵的股東之一、臉形長得稜稜角角的六角叔叔，是個喜愛西洋音樂的人，黑壓壓的地下室裡看不出來他究竟收藏了多少 Beta 及 VHS 的音樂影帶，只知道點播MTV時，他總能盡量讓我滿足地欣賞著片中的俊男美女而雀躍不已，尤其80'年代台灣流行了大量抒情歌曲、舞曲、搖滾等等...所拍攝的 MTV 都有其意境與影響，我總是跟他聊著聊著，在視覺聽覺共享的愉悅中，以一壺熱桔茶在他店裡度過一整天。

某天六角叔叔詭異地笑著，說他有支新到貨的 MTV 還熱著：Damn Yankees (討厭的北方佬)。迫不急待想要獻寶的他，在我還納悶著這沒聽過的團名時便急著將它播放出來，畫面左下角顯示著「Damn Yankees - High Enough」後前奏隨之出現，出現在螢幕上的竟是 Tommy Shaw，他輕輕唱著，接著越飆越高，越飆越高，我的心也跟著奔騰了起來....

Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees (1990)

Damn Yankees - High Enough (1990)
Written by Tommy Shaw, Jack Blades, Ted Nugent

I don't wanna hear about it anymore
It's a shame I've got to live without you anymore
There's a fire in my heart
A pounding in my brain
It's driving me crazy

We don't need to talk about it anymore
Yesterday's just a memory
Can we close the door
I just made one mistake
I didn't know what to say when you called me baby

Don't say goodnight
Say you're gonna stay forever
Oh oo Oh, all the way

Can you take me high enough
To fly me over (fly me over) yesterday
Can you take me high enough
It's never over
Yesterday's just a memory (yesterday's just a memory and)

I don't want to live without you anymore
Can't you see I'm in misery
And you know for sure
I would live and die for you
And I'd know just what to do when you call me baby

Don't say goodbye
Say you're gonna stay forever
Oh oo Oh, all the way

Can you take me high enough
Can you fly me over (fly me over) yesterday
Can you take me high enough
It's never over
Yesterday's just a memory, I'm running
I was running for the door
The next thing I remember
I was running back for more
Yeah...

Don't say goodbye
Say you're gonna stay forever
Oh oo Oh, all the way (all the way, all the way, yeah)

Can you take me high enough
Can you fly me over (fly me over) yesterday
Can you take me high enough
It's never over
Woh oo oh oo oh oo oh

Can you take me high enough
Won't you fly me over (won't you fly me over) yesterday
Can you take me high enough
It's never over
Woh oo oh oo oh oo oh

Tommy Shaw

上圖這位1953年9月11日出生在阿拉巴馬州、最愛使用 Gibson 及 Fender 的 Damn Yankees (討厭的北方佬)吉他手 Tommy Shaw，以前是Styx (冥河樂團，成軍於1970年) 舉足輕重的靈魂人物。Styx 在1984年正式宣告解散後，Tommy 許久未出現在螢光幕上，想不到組了 Damn Yankees，且超可愛的酒窩依舊，一頭金髮留成了「妹妹頭」，戴一副酷酷的墨鏡高歌，而高超的吉他彈奏技巧仍教人驚艷！

Tommy Shaw 是我喜歡的樂手之一，如今想起他在搖滾樂界上的堅持與浮沉，至少兩個樂團的故事浮現腦海...

1975年 Tommy 加入 Styx 後與 Dennis De Young (主唱兼鍵盤手)一起帶領該前衛搖滾樂團，音樂底子豐厚、詞曲創作能力均佳的 Tommy 加入 Styx，如同補上了的缺角一般，Styx 之後的專輯張張都成為白金唱片；70'末期起樂團成員由於對強而有力的音樂與誇張的表演方式愛不釋手，便正式放棄前衛概念轉型為搖滾樂團；但當 Dennis De Young 寫給老婆的生日禮物歌曲：「Babe」，在老婆大力推薦下讓樂團一改搖滾風格冒了極大風險灌錄之後，此歌雖成了該團第一首冠軍抒情單曲，卻也讓整團經常因理念不合而紛擾不斷：Tommy 及團員們試圖將樂團帶領回搖滾路線，而 Dennis 卻想嘗試更旋律化更優美的風格。

Styx - Babe (1979)Written by Dennis De Young
Lead vocals by Dennis De Young

 

Babe, I'm leaving, I must be on my way
The time is drawing near
My train is going, I see it in your eyes
The love, the need, your tears
But I'll be lonely without you
And I'll need your love to see me through
Please believe me, my heart is in your hands
And I'll be missing you.

You know it's you, babe
Whenever I get weary and I've had enough
Feel like giving up
You know it's you babe
Giving me the courage and the strength I need
Please believe that it's true
Babe, I love you.

You know it's you babe
Whenever I get weary and Ive had enough
Feel like giving up
You know it's you babe
Giving me the courage and the strength I need
Please believe that it's true
Babe, I love you.

Babe, I'm leaving, I'll say it once again
Somehow try to smile
I know the feeling were trying to forget
If only for a while
But I'll be lonely without you
And I'll need your love to see me through
Please believe me, my heart is in your hands
And I'll be missing you
Babe, I love youBabe, I love you
Ooh...Babe

Styx - Paradise Theater (1981)

吵歸吵，Styx 還是在1981年發行了一張「Paradise Theater」，由於專輯概念強烈地敘述了一座美麗劇院的興衰，暗喻著美國與伊拉克敵對情勢及冷戰時期帶給美國的影響，更將 Styx 推向事業的最高峰，成為轟動的代表作，但團內的爭吵卻也更加激烈，直到 Dennis De Young 選擇單飛後，Styx 終告分道揚鑣。

離開 Styx 的 Dennis 果然以其個人獨特的高亢嗓音，在1984年亮麗交出「Desert Moon」、「Call Me」創下好成績；而少了 Dennis 的 Styx 也不再是原來的 Styx。音樂路上載浮載沉的 Tommy 自從 Dennis 離去後，間斷發行了幾張個人專輯，直到1990年才與前 Night Ranger 貝斯手兼主唱 Jack Blades、吉他手 Ted Nugent、鼓手 Michael Cartellone 組創成 Damn Yankees，並因這首強而有力的抒情搖滾單曲「High Enough」，在1990年榮登全美流行榜第3名、搖滾榜第2名、1991年登上美國 Billboard 年度百大排行榜第14名，打響知名度。
(High Enough 的中文有人將之翻譯為「天高地遠」，但我比較喜歡用「遠走高飛」來形容。 )
可不知這些北方佬之間是否真的彼此討厭，其後 Damn Yankees 只於1992年發行了第二張專輯「Don't Tread」，此團便又沉寂下去，從此 Styx 與 Damn Yankees 成為歷史，真可以說「討厭的北方佬消失在冥河中」了。

Styx - Return to Paradise (1996)

天下事分久必合，合久必分。
1995年 Tommy 應前 Styx 團員之邀灌製 Greatest Hits 合輯，順水推舟地，他們也再度與 Dennis 聚首，1996年一同巡演命名為「Return to Paradise 」的演唱會且發行專輯與DVD，「滾石音樂雜誌」將他們的重聚與 Eagles (老鷹合唱團)1993年的「Hell Freezes Over」並列為兩大樂壇盛事經典，傳為佳話。

Styx - Boat on The River (1979)
Written by Tommy Shaw

這首「Boat On The River」是1979年 Tommy Shaw 於 Styx 專輯「Cornerstone」時所寫、唱，算是 Styx 罕有的小調歌曲。1996年的聚首讓他們再度同台，Tommy 彈奏著曼陀林，Dennis 拉著手風琴，歌迷們應該都感到非常地欣慰吧。

而，時常讓我以一壺熱桔茶不斷回沖坐上一整天的地下鐵MTV，其後也因股東問題不斷吹了熄燈號，離開音樂放送者的行列；聽到 High Enough，除了想起 Tommy Shaw 之外，也常令我憶起在地下鐵的美好時光...

Take me back to my boat on the river
I need to go down, need to come down
Take me back to my boat on the river
And I won't cry out any more
Time stands still as I gaze in her waters
She eases me down, touching me gently
With the waters that flow past my boat on the river
So I don't cry out anymore

Oh the river is wide
the river it touches my life like the waves on the sand
all roads lead to Tranquillity Base
Where the frown on my face disappears
Take me down to my boat on the river
and I won't cry out anymore

Oh the river is deep
the river it touches my life by the waves on the sand
all roads lead to Tranquillity Base
Where the frown on my face disappears
Take me down to my boat on the river
I need to go down, with you let me go down

Take me back to my boat on the river
And I won't cry out anymore
I won't cry out anymore
I won't cry out anymore