“Echo”是Pink Floyd在1971年推出的专辑《Meddle》的最后一首歌,这张专辑一共只有6首歌,这首曲子占了其中的一半。


这张专辑也许本来就该叫做“Echo”——从封面到音乐的整个风格都是。经过了近十年的摸索逐步形成了自己独有的迷幻味道的Pink Floyd在这张专辑中似乎回到了Syd Barrett执掌乐队时的风格,丰富的音乐元素和舒缓的吟唱。“Echo”这首长达23分半钟的曲子,其实是汇集了一组相对独立的构思,然后借助完美的伴奏和接续形成的一首摇滚诗篇,伴随着如水滴般清亮的叮咚和充满神秘而又安详的回响效果,David Gilmore在轻妙的电子背景下以温暖和自由的吉他开始了超过3分钟的序曲,之后是一小段梦幻般的词句,接着是长达15分钟的纯音乐行进,在这里由Roger Waters、Nick Mason 、David Gilmour和Rick Wright联手制造了栩栩如生的风景画(音乐和绘画真的是相通的啊),这里有残月、有海浪、有岩石、有海之老人,然后音乐逐渐融入巨大的鸣叫和怪诞的声响。。。15分钟的梦幻之旅之后,人声又突然降临,吟唱出诗歌的尾声,最后在深谷回声中再次缓慢地回到序曲的主题,这首“回声的幻想曲”在一阵狂风暴雨和其后的宁静中结束。

也许Pink Floyd的《The Wall》、《The Darkside of The Moon》、《The Final Cut》更加出名——但是我一直认为《Meddle》才是他们最本色的专辑,而“Echo”才是他们最不朽的绝唱。


Echoes
by Pink Floyd

Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand

And everything is green and submarine

And no-one showed us to the land
And no-one knows the where or whys
But something stirs and something tries
And starts to climb towards the light

Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me

And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land
And help me understand the best I can

And no-one calls us to move on
And no-one forces down our eyes
And no-one speaks and no-one tries
And no-one flies around the sun

Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes
Inviting and inciting me to rise
And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning

And no-one sings me lullabies
And no-one makes me close my eyes
And so I throw the windows wide
And call to you across the sky