VA - 再见张炬 (GOODBYE, ZHANG JU - A TRIBUTE TO ZHANG JU) TRACK PICKS

By Jake Kussmaul

Original cover art

Today marks the 20th anniversary in the death of 24-year-old Zhang Ju, founding bassist of Tang Dynasty, who was killed in a motorcycle accident on May 11th, 1995. A year to the day of his passing, various prominent acts of the Beijing rock scene decided to collaborate on a musical commemoration. The resulting effort, "Goodbye, Zhang Ju", is a collection of 13 mostly stripped down rockers (plus two commentary tracks), completed in a period where Chinese rock mainstays had experienced an indefinite lull. (1996-c. '98). Regardless, the scene is still strongly unified by their passion for music, and, ultimately, their respects for their deceased comerade.

In honor of this event, I wanted to share my views on the tracks that managed to stand out for me.

"That Day" (Luan Shu of Black Panther): I was under the notion that this would sound like a typical glam metal jam, given his roots in the band Black Panther - boy, was I wrong! Early 90s pop metal hooks are stripped in favor of mid 90s shoegaze and reverb. The guitars are definitely melodic and dreamy, a stark contrast to anything from his former band (then-frontman Qin Yong actually managed to push their signature--albeit extremely dated--glam sound to greater success!). But Luan has gone a more experimental direction. His vocals are a bit reminiscent of Porno for Pyros-era Perry Farrell, and. The chorus-laden vocals and airy guitars blend within the song quite well, and it's an interesting shift of influences.

"Live in Your Dreams" (Ding Wu of Tang Dynasty):  Makes itself out to be acoustic, only to become progressively thicker. Interestingly, the electric guitars make a subtle entrance into the song; they don't arm themselves to pop out spontaneously at any specific point. Instead, they  are at equal pace andcarefully add another layer of depth without obscuring the acoustics. I felt it was more appropriate having this song be straightforward prog, rather than heavy metal, in accordance with the album's concept.  Ding Wu's vocals could be interpreted in two ways: To the passive listener, they might come off as "stuffy" or lackluster (and, perhaps occasionally incoherent). However, if listened to actively, the vocals convey a sense of hesitation, as if Ding was fighting to hold back tears. The end of the song definitely hits home.

"I Almost Blew Off My Eyelashes" (Zhang Chu): Probably the second song I've heard from him, after "Sister" from the China Fire compilation (Maybe I've heard his contribution from China Fire II...not sure though--it's been years). Definitely a lot more raw in terms of arrangement: The bass line is grungy and its gain tends to fluctuate, particularly in the first verse. Also, the rhythm guitar is slightly out of tune with the piano, but whether intentional or not, it doesn't detract from the song as a whole. What remains consistent, though, is the amount of soul in Zhang's voice. From the second half of the first verse onwards, he just kills it!

"Little Brother" (Zang Tian Shou of 1989): In a way, the song's melody evokes the feeling of being alone, aloof, and vulnerable in the streets. I like how the almost erratic style of the vocals during the verses resembles passive thought speak. My guess is that the singer thought of Zhang as his little brother, who was ultimately in need of guidance. The distorted bass during the last chorus starts to free itself from the mix and really starts grooving toward the end. "Green Grass" (Gao Qi of Overload): The most tender, succinct, and hands down best song on the album. This is another instance of a metal oriented band broadening their scape of influence. Gao's use of a twelve-string acoustic really accentuates the quality of his singing. When the harmonies came in during the second chorus, I'll admit, I let out a couple tears (and even as I listened back to it for this review)! This further solidifies the idea that music has the power to reach deep within the heart, regardless where it's from.

...and this concludes my review! While not being able to understand any Mandarin Chinese myself, I can appreciate the album from a stylistic standpoint; it's craftily thought out and the talent is considerable.  But even as a majority of the songs give off an implicit bittersweet tone, I'd feel much more fulfilled had I known how to speak the language. Only then would I be able to fully recognize the album's substance, both lyrically and sonically.

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