說到這張Hope,無論是黑膠或是CD、SACD,只要您手上沒有的就趕快去買一張吧,這張不僅歌曲好聽,音響效果更是一絕,Hugh Masekela (修‧馬塞凱拉)是南非人,專長小號、柔音號、作曲與歌唱,他發行過非常多專輯,這張Hope是1993年的現場錄音,在1994年所發行的專輯,其中發燒友最常用來播放測試音響的就是最後一首的Stimela (The Coal Train),其動態之大,系統若是推力不夠,反應不夠快的,都沒辦法將這個曲目的厲害之處展現出來
印象中曾有發燒友為了要展現其動態,不考慮系統之極限,最後還把喇叭給燒了!Stimela一開始由Hugh Masekela敲擊金屬掀開序幕,由於其非常靠近麥克風,所以敲擊的動態變得很大,而且由弱至強,越來越驚人,其藉此模仿蒸氣火車的聲音,並以口白與口技生動的說明來自南非與中非各地的火車,帶來年青與年老的非洲人,在約翰尼斯堡的黃金礦山礦產和周圍的大都市,一天工作超過十六小時以上,大部份都是類似奴隸的合約沒有薪水,在地底深處工作著。Hugh Masekela 在曲中吹奏著小號、口白與高昂的嘶吼描述著當時的情境。當然,這張專輯除了這首之外,每一首都相當好聽!目前這張專輯有45轉的黑膠版本,CD與SACD版本,首選是45轉與SACD,據說有33轉的單片版本更厲害,不過應該非常難找!
這個是其中一段現場 (現場收音過爆還破音),感覺其發自內心的為南非受苦難的人們發聲 (7″23 進入原曲目)
另一個高解析版本 (30″25 進入原曲目)
這是官方的MV
Stimela (The Coal Train) 的歌詞
There is a train that comes from Namibia and Malawi
There is a train that comes from Zambia and Zimbabwe,
There is a train that comes from Angola and Mozambique,
From Lesotho, from Botswana, from Zwaziland,
From all the hinterland of Southern and Central Africa.
This train carries young and old, African men
Who are conscripted to come and work on contract
In the golden mineral mines of Johannesburg
And its surrounding metropolis, sixteen hours or more a day
For almost no pay.
Deep, deep, deep down in the belly of the earth
When they are digging and drilling that shiny mighty evasive stone,
Or when they dish that mish mesh mush food into their iron plates with the iron shank.
Or when they sit in their stinking, funky, filthy,
Flea-ridden barracks and hostels.
They think about the loved ones they may never see again Because they might have already been forcibly removed
From where they last left them
Or wantonly murdered in the dead of night
By roving, marauding gangs of no particular origin,
We are told. they think about their lands, their herds
That were taken away from them
With a gun, bomb, teargas and the cannon.
And when they hear that Choo-Choo train
They always curse, curse the coal train,
The coal train that brought them to Johannesburg.
曲目:
1. Abangoma (The Healers)
2. Uptownship
3. Mandela (Bring Him Back Home!)
4. Grazin’ In The Grass Listen Listen
5. Lady
6. Until When
7. Languta
8. Nomali 9. Marketplace
10. Ntyilo Ntyilo (The Love Bird)
11. Ha Le Se (The Dowry Song)
12. Stimela (The Coal Train)
首版CD: Triloka Records, 7203-2, 1994
SACD: Analogue Productions, CAPJ 82020, 2008
45轉2LP: Analogue Productions, Sheridan Square Records, APJ 82020, 2008