Thursday, 14 May 2015

1998 - Until You Arrive 不見不散 (Beyond Album)

1998 不見不散 
Until You Arrive
Label: 滾石唱片 Rock Records (HK) 

Until You Arrive / 不見不散 is Beyond's 14 studio album, sing mainly in Cantonese and released in December 1998. The album continued Beyond ultra modern sounds. Leave little trace of what done in Paradise album, which itself still very connected to Wong Ka Kui's era. Starting their previous album (Surprise) and this one, Beyond already left their root many miles behind.

The opening track "Sunday 星期天" is calm pop-rock style song. "犧牲 Sacrifice" is quite acoustic in mood. The upbeat song is "蚊 Mosquito", where the guitar riffs is very alternative rock in style. While "時日無多 Last Day" is a recalled of bluesy-rock guitar play. The harder song is "扯火 Fury" with at least leading distortion to be heard. The title song "不見不散 Until You Arrive" is quite ambient techno rock song. The album finished with instrumental "Phantom Power" with some slapping funky bass line and finally guitar solos.

Track List

01. 星期天 Sunday
02. 犧牲 Sacrifice
03. 蚊 Mosquito
04. 時日無多 Last Day
05. 討厭 Hate
06. 太完美 Perfection
07. 扯火 Fury (Pull fire)
08. 崇拜 Worship
09. 不見不散 Until You Arrive
10. 無重狀態 Free of Gravity
11. 奉信 Devotion
12.PHANTOM POWER (純音樂 instrumental)

Wong Ka Keong - bass, vocals
Wong Kui Chung - guitars, vocals
Yip Sai Yung - drums , vocals

Beyond in 1998 with Until You Are Here album.


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1997 - Surprise 驚喜 (Beyond Album)

1997 驚喜 Surprise

This is Beyond 13 studio albums. Notable in this album is the inclusion of additional guitar player Huang Zhongxian and Liu Zhiyuan. Huang is respected HK's session guitarist, while Liu Zhiyuan is actually Beyond's early band mate.

Surprise is full of surprise as an album. The whole sounds turns out to be more pop-rock, alternative rock and electronic music. Most thick in Deep  song. 驚喜 Surprise in other side is quite acceptable in style and become one of the album's popular song. Tsing Ma Bridge is instrumental, and 緩慢 Slow (Latency) is later released in 1998 album due to popularity.

This album also released in Mandarin version titled as "Here and There 這裡那裡" 1998.

Track List

01. 回家 Coming Home
02. 霧 Fog
03. 深 Deep
04. 驚喜 Surprise
05. 無事無事 Alright Alright
06我記得 I remember
07管我 Piss Off
08. 青馬大橋 Tsing Ma Bridge (instrumental)
09. 緩慢 Slow (Latency)
10. 不朽的傳說 An Immortal Tale

Wong Kui Chong - Guitars, vocals
Wong Ka Keong - Bass, vocals
Yip Sai Yung - Drums, vocals
Liu Zhiyuan, Huang Zhongxian - additionals guitars and musics



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Tuesday, 10 March 2015

1997 - Please Let Go Of Your Hands (請將手放開 Beyond album)

請將手放開 - Please Let Go of Your Hands
1997 Label: 滾石唱片 Rock Records (HK)
also known as "Thrash"

In 1997, Beyond released "Please Let Go of Your Hands". It is the 12th studio album by them. The music is largely diverse from the three album post-Wong Ka Kui (Paradise, Sound, Love & Life). They are even more modern-rock sounding, the first track "Era" (大時代) is kind of industrial-rock. The most popular would be "Preparation" (預備 , or "Ready"), which going to be played frequently in their concert. The title song "Please Let Go of Your Hands" ( 請將手放開) is also popular, still kind of connected with their lost. The heaviest song is "Huuh! Still talk about it?" (吓,講乜野話?).  "Anaesthesia" (麻醉 ) is the only song that kind of reminded us into old '80-'90 Beyond song, with its soft rock ballad setting.

This album enjoy their late '90 Beyond success, but this is it, where the sign of popularity declined begin to show. This may be the last Beyond album that still widely await by mainstream fans.

Track List

01. 遊戲(序曲) Game (PRELUDE)
02. 大時代 Era
03. 預備 Preparation (Ready)
04. 請將手放開 Please Let Go of (Your) Hands
05. 回響 Echoes
06. 誰命我名字 Who Call My Name
07. 吓,講乜野話?Huuh! Still talk about it, then?
08. 麻醉  Anaesthesia
09. 無助 Helpless
10 . 我的知己在街頭 My friends In the Streets
11 . 我的知己 My Friends
12 . 遊戲 Games
13 . 舊曆(純音樂) Old Style (pure music)

Beyond:

Wong Kui Choong - guitars, vocals
Wong Ka Keong - bass, vocals
Yip Sai Yung - drums, vocals

Youtube Playlist


Beyond 1997  Cantonese album, Please Let Go Of Your Hands


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Friday, 9 January 2015

1995 - Love & Life (Beyond Mandarin album)

愛與生活 [Love & Life]
1995 Label: 滾石唱片 Rock Records (HK) 

"Love & Life" is Beyond sixth Mandarin album. Most of song here are unique and exclusively found only in Mandarin version. Overall it was a Mandarin version of their Cantonese album "Sound". This album try to act as the softer version of "Sound" album, but most of heavy songs are included here. The highlight of the album is a song "Love" which is exclusively in Mandarin lyric, mostly sung by drummer Yip Sai Yung.


Track List

1. Unrequited 一廂情願 (also mean Wishful Thinking)
    Cantonese version: Emotion
2. Absent-minded Persons 糊塗的人 –
    Cantonese version: Doormen
3. The Only 唯一 (literally: Unique)
4. Sound 聲音 –
    Cantonese version : Sound
5. Love
6. The Last Answer 最後的答案–
    Cantonese version: Crack
7. Wonderful Life 活得精彩
8. Cryin' –
    Cantonese version : Cryin
9. Dreams 夢
10. Absurd World 荒謬世界 –
      Cantonese version: Corrupt the Young

Line Up Beyond 1995:
Wong Kui Chung
Wong Ka Keong
Yip Sai Wing

1995 Mandarin album of Beyond "Love & Life", which built up from the Cantonese "Sound" album. The album highlight song is "Love"


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1995 - Sound (Beyond album)

SOUND
1995 - Label: 滾石唱片 Rock Records (HK)

Immediately after the success of Paradise (1994), Beyond followed with Sound in 1995. This album was their new testing ground. The band fly to Los Angeles to recorded, and the it was mixed in Vancouver, Canada. After the album done, Beyond do a concert in Hong Kong Cultural Center and it was broadcast live to major shopping center in Hong Kong.

Musically the album heavily influenced by arising "grunge" era in the US. Wong Kui Chung's guitar are very dominant. Surely the album much heavier than ever before, hence the title "Sound". The first tracks "Iron Monkey" is a drum solo by Yip. Then the song "Corrupt the Young" is their single, in which the guitar riffs are memorable. Another heavy song is "Sound" which is also has memorable bass-riff in the intro. Both songs are quite frequent in Beyond concert list afterward. "Animal Fight" is also heavy metal in style. The mellow songs consists of many popular hits "Crack", "Cryin'", "Emotions", all close to their fans as memorium to Wong Ka Kui.

Some of the songs are available in Mandarin version with slightly different lyrics. This album comes in Mandarin version called "Love & Life", which is focus to mellow and ballad styles.

Track List

01. 鐵馬騮(演奏曲) Iron Monkey
02 . 教壞細路 Corrupt The Young  (official English translation) –
       Mandarin version: Absurd World 荒謬世界
03. 缺口  Crack -
      Mandarin version: The Last Answer 最後的答案
04. 阿博  Bob
05.Cryin '
06 . 聲音 Sound
07. 困獸鬥 Animal Fight
08. 逼不得已Forced
09. 門外看 Doorman -
      Mandarin version: Absent-minded Persons 糊塗的人
10. 嘆息 Emotions - Unrequited 一
      Mandarin version : 廂情願 (also mean Wishful Thinking)
11. 幻覺 Illusions

the second Beyond album after Wong Ka Kui death. This album memorable for its heavy sound, in respond to the Grunge era of the mid '90s.


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Wednesday, 17 December 2014

1994 - Paradise - Beyond (Mandarin album)

Paradise
1994 Label: 滾石唱片 Rock Records (HK)

In 1993, when Wong Ka Kui deceased, many predicts that Beyond can't no longer hold their feet for losing such charismatic singer. Especially in Hong Kong music environment where the singer is simple the single person every one remember. Then, the three of the members take the un-expected achievement when Paradise released and become the same sensational as any Beyond album before. The fans are looking forward for this album to see what Beyond can be without Ka Kui. All three members take the vocals duty. Musically, Paradise is very much a breakthrough from traditional hard rock sound that Beyond was before. This album also available in Cantonese version as 2nd Floor Back Suite, but the Mandarin version is considered their main version.

Paradise comprised 12 tracks, all with English title available, the first time in Beyond album. The first song is their most important single, "Paradise". It's an emotional song in the theme of Wong Ka Kui deceased. Every other songs is in the same lyrical-theme.

 "Accompany Me For A Lifetime" is beautiful ballad song, beginning the album with much modern song writing, in compared to traditional hard rock where Wong Ka Kui very much influenced with. "The Unknown Hero" (Nameless Hero, literally), is in hard rock style with dark riffs and lyrics. "Still There Is Love" is another very soft pop ballad. "The Tender Killer" is notable for its piano riffs, also a ballad. "The Peaceful World" is hard rock song with notable English insertion lyrics, "..who we are?.. what're we do?..". Then a very favorite country rock style song in "Because There Are You And We" (Ying Wei You Ni You Wo), once again dig the theme of Beyond togetherness when the quartet still together. "Is It Right?" (Dui Ma) is a showcase of bass-riffs, that very much always play in the live concert from this point onward. "Dancing In The Rain" is pop rock in style. "We Don't Wanna Make It Without You" is their most emotional song about the lost of Ka-Kui. This song is fully instrumental with only choruses "...we don't wanna make it without you..". "Wishing You Happiness" , is the last track is also a semi-instrumental, an epilogue of this album with nice orchestra intro and then set a song in only acoustic guitar accompaniments.

This is Beyond first important release after the death of Ka Kui. This album widely available in Indonesia and their most popular studio album post-Ka Kui era.

Beyond - PARADISE (1994) - buy it HERE
see Cantonese version also

1. Paradise
2. Accompany Me For A Lifetime 一背子陪我走
3. The Unknown Hero 無名英雄
4. Still There Is Love 情深依舊
5. The Tender Killer 溫柔殺手
6. The Peaceful World 和平世界
7. Because There Are You And Me 因為有你有我
8. Is It Right? 對嗎
9. Dancing In The Rain
10. We Don't Wanna Make It Without You
11. Wishing You Happiness 祝您愉快
12. Paradise (Instrumental) Paradise (演奏版)

Beyond:
Wong Ka Keong - Bass
Paul Wong Kui Chung - guitars
Yip Sai Yung - drums

1994 Beyond "Paradise" album
album grup rock Beyond dari Hong Kong yang paling dikenang, menyusul meninggalnya penyanyi Wong Ka Kui di tahun 1993. Ini adalah album yang ditunggu-tunggu penggemar Beyond dan penuh dengan lagu-lagu sentimentil bertema kematian Ka Kui.


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1994 - 二樓後座 2nd Floor Back Suite - Beyond (Cantonese)

二樓後座 2nd Floor Back Suite
1994 - Label: 滾石唱片 Rock Records (HK)

This is basically the Cantonese version of Paradise (Mandarin album). The first album after the death of Wong Ka Kui. The theme of WKK’s death dominance the whole album. This is also the only notable album where the Mandarin version is much more popular than its Cantonese version. The hit is of course "Paradise". Full review can be read on the Mandarin version, here. 2nd Floor Back Suite is Beyond's house in Mong Kok area  in Hong Kong. The Japanese version also produced base on this album.


Track List

1. 超級武器 Superweapon
2. 總有愛 Still There  is Love
3. 醒你 Wake You Up
4. 遙遠的 (Distant) Paradise
5. We Don't Wanna Make It Without You
6. 傷口 Wound
7. 打救你 Fight to Save You
8. 仍然是要闖  Still is To Break (officially translate as "Hold On Your Future")
9. 冷雨沒暫停 Endless Rain (literally "Rain Did Not Pause")
10. 愛得太錯 Love too wrong
11. 祝您愉快 I Wish You Happiness

Beyond:
Wong Ka Keong
Wong Kui Chung
Yip Sai Yung

Beyond 1994, emotionally released after the death of Wong Ka Kui


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