Different Songs Of Alan Tam (ECO Pack)

On A Level: "Different Songs Of Alan Tam (Part 2)" ~ Alan Tam

First, there was the famous and outstanding "Alan Tam & Hacken Lee Live Concert 2003" at the beginning of this year; Then came his album "Different Songs Of Alan Tam (Part 1)." And now here is his fabulous return: The Principal's latest album "Different Songs Of Alan Tam (Part 2)." All these moves make it official that Alan Tam has roused himself from the "retiring-list." What an encouraging news to the huge fan group of Alan's!

As on Part 1, Alan teams up with different music talents who have grown up listening to his songs, and invites them to write and compose the songs for him, in hope of bringing creative sparks to each other. But to put it bluntly, the six newcomers on Part 2 come as no surprise, for they are generally common love songs. Yet, the works from the creative team of Alan & his acclaimed song writers and composers are of definitely assured quality.

The principal single "Meet By Chance" (Track#4) is the one only Mandarin song in the album. The music, which is "a la espanola", was written and composed by Huang Pin Yuan. If asked whether it is old-fashioned or not, opinions may vary . Erick Kwok teamed up with his old pal Lam Bo composing "Quilts" (Track#3), the music is so pleasing and the song is so good that it could have become the leading track of the album. Alan's passionate performance touches the bottom of the present reviewer's heart, especially when he sings the line 'Let me be a boat, drifting out in dreams.'

"Love Is Irrational" (Track#6) is set to become a favorite of Alan Tam's fans, though the song itself is a shadow of Alan's previous works and the music composed for it is not attractive at all. Feng Ying Qi has kept up her good lyric writing talents ever since she wrote and composed the brilliant song "Pair of Wings" for Alan back in 2001. This time she is back with "No Need" (Track#8), which is melodic and is accompanied by excellent stringed instruments.

"A Different Goodbye" (Track#7) is the original version of "Man Under the Mountain" (A tribute to the late great Roman offered on Part 1). The Yu Quan Yue Dui" composed this version of the tribute with lesser verve and more affection. Besides, Alan's masterful performance really manage to help us recall the anecdotes o memory of the late great Roman. Unfortunately, the skin-deep and unpolished lyrics have completely wasted the good and desirable melody of the song.

Recommendation: "No Need" (Track#8), "Quilts" (Track#3)

Reviewer: Stephen Lee (Li ZhongYan)
Translator: theDan (Chen EnNeng)

Beginning his musical career as a member of the popular Hong Kong group Wynners, Alan Tam later shot to incomparable fame when he made the wise decision of going solo. In the 80's he was so popular that he thought he had to give his peers a better chance of winning at the music awards presentations by not accepting any more prizes, which neither stopped his record sales from soaring up-wards nor did it lessen his popularity in any way. Now several decades after his debut, the musical genius that is deservedly called 'King of Canto-pop' by his fans all over the world and 'Principal' by other artists who frequently turn to him for advice returns with his long awaited new album, which was simply named "Different Songs Of Alan Tam".

His album kicks of with a tribute to the late great Roman, which is implied by the title "Man Under the Mountain" referring to the idol's "Under the Lion Rock" that is still known far and wide in Hong Kong.

Next in line is the theme song of the probably most anticipated concert event of this year, which sees Alan Tam teaming up with Hacken Lee who was recently crowned 'Favorite Male Singer' by the jury of the TVB Music Awards presentation. Titled "Neighbours", this totally offbeat duet advises people to live a better and more fulfilling life by shaking off their bad habits. Presented in grand manner by an unbeatable star combination, this super treat is sure to rocket to the top of the charts and may even win the two icons another music award.

"Leave Me Lonely” puts Alan in his forte, which no doubt is the presentation of ballads. Singing about a lost love in Yokohama and completely conveying the feeling of sad and bitter reflections, the king offers one of his best musical efforts in as many years. The finishing line of this touching song is so intense that it is impossible for anybody not to be shaken by this gem of a song.

Right after this breathtaking song the star fires off another ballad with a strong melodious tune about another failed relationship called "Inside & Outside” that starts slowly and builds up as the chorus is introduced.

The fourth song "Silk Thread & Opening” addresses the pains of heartache in a sort of humoresque way by comparing the wounds inflicted by love with materialistic things talking about either hitting or missing one's entrance, as the lyrics once more reflect on the bitter-sweet reality of lost love.

'Precious Muddle-Headedness”, the fifth and final song is offered in two versions, the first one is a solo effort by the singer himself, while the second take offers a duet with Chris Wong who wrote and composed the song. Musing about the real values in life and how all the hardships you come across in life become meaningless as you take a look at the bigger picture, both stars present top-notch performances that keep the listener absorbed.

Overall, Tam delivers a powerful album that was well worth the long wait and proves that the acclaimed star is more than a match for his contemporary peers and other would-be-superstars!

Snoopy