Danny Chan’s departed us, but his love remains.
陳百強的離去，留下几段若即若离的情。
DANNY ERA
TWO AND THREE THINGS ABOUT DOWNFALLS
When talking about pre-mature deaths, we cannot help but think about such names as Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison of The Doors, the folk genius Nick Drake and Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. In a sense, both their rises and downfalls were propelled by their -occasionally destructive-creativity.
Let’s revisit Jim Morrison’s The End, for instance. Not only was it the end of a good sex, it was also an anarchic plea towards the patriarchy and Vietnam War. The end is also the end to everything; ultimately it was the use of drugs that put an end to this plaintive cry.
The lesser known folk genius Nick Drake has even more in common with Danny Chan. Both are inward and low-key song-writers; both write melancholic blues – Nick Drake’s Way to Blue to Danny Chan’s Waiting. Backtrack to 25 November 1974, and we see how Nick Drake put an end to his life, overdosing after a life-long struggle with depression.
殞落二三事
要數中外歌壇早折的歌手·我們不難想起貓王( Elvis Presley.)、 The Doors主音 Jim Morrison民歌鬼才Nick Drake、 Sparklehorse主音 Mark Linkous等名字。某意義上,這幾位音樂鬼才都有強烈的自毁傾向，而且他們的冒起和殞落皆是來自這股自毁的能量。
請重温一下 Jim Morrison長達十分鐘的《結束》( The End)吧，那不僅是描述一場性愛的結束，更是對父權、越戰乃至一切建制的徹底控訴。 The end is also the end to everything，那無疑是控訴者向全世界發出的「哀的美敦書」一切關於不公義的控訴，最後都因濫藥戛然而止。
較少港人認識的美國民謠鬼才 Nick Drake，卻可能是跟陳百強較有共通點的早折歌手。 Nick Drake和陳百強都是低調和内斂的聲學創作人；兩者的創作才華都沒受到應有的重視；兩人譜出的都是那種憂鬱的藍調民謠——從 Nick Drake的Way to Blue到陳百強的《等》，都展示了歌手的才華,以及糾結交纏的内心世界；時光倒流1974年11月25日，長年罹患抑鬱症的 Nick Drake因服食過量靜劑身亡，享年26歲。