在五○年代的美國,有些機構、學術團體或官方單位用LSD進行控制性、嚴肅的人體實驗,參與的大都是社會菁英,有些宛若靈修課程,直到六○年代中民間被禁止所有的LSD體驗為止,從此LSD即是負面的毒品中屬於不會上癮的一種。關於LSD的爭議就不再提,它對於某些特定族群的作用也難以憑斷,不過嬉痞年代的搖滾音樂圈卻有其顯著影響,就如迷幻搖滾。而「PC迷幻紀事」,除了刊載引人入勝的個人電腦(PC, Personal Computer)源起,還把LSD的作用交織在書中,作者推崇的個人電腦三大啟迪人物中,就有一位是LSD推廣祭師,這是不是駭人聽聞啊?
《PC迷幻紀事 What Dormouse Said》 作者:John Markoff 譯者:查修傑 大塊文化出版
Bob Dylan 2006年8月發表最新專輯--磨登時代Modern Times,雙雙站上專輯銷售以及iTunes下載率冠軍寶座,以65歲高齡成為史上最老的銷售冠軍。本張專輯仍然傳達一貫的反戰思想,也許是911陰影、美國出兵伊拉克與中東危機刺激人心,或者是長年宰制排行的黑人Rap熱潮消退,所以大家才紛紛給予這搖滾活化石(last man standing)一個關愛......
我在iTunes上試聽一下,並沒有產生火花,這也許和Bob Dylan的音樂類型有關,如果不明白歌詞,很難第一次就有印象,就跟喝白開水沒啥兩樣。早期的Bob Dylan寫過很多好歌,但都是由別人來唱紅,例如知名度最高的「隨風而逝Gone with the wind」是由Peter, Paul and Mary(彼得、保羅與瑪莉)唱到全世界各角落。還有像Television與Guns 'n' Roses翻唱的"Knoking on heaven's door"、Souxie & Banshees改編的"This wheel's on fire"都比原曲要悅耳得多,原曲如嚼臘。不過Bob Dylan隻身一個人就改變人們認為搖滾樂膚淺的印象,即使已經闖蕩樂壇半世紀,鮮少有人可及。
這張冠軍專輯,iTunes上有不少評論,雖然有人認為這位活化石該入土了,別再出來賣弄啦!但大多數人都認為Bob Dylan老罔老嘛是擱ㄟ哺土豆,詞一樣詩意盎然,歌曲則耐聽有味,其中一篇評論是: 「那些堅持這張專輯一點也不具有啟發性的人,他們追求的是Bob Dylan不再追求的,而Bob Dylan早就沒有需要證明什麼....」 "Those who insist that this album is 'uninspired' are looking for something else, I think, something Dylan ceased to do years ago. Bob has nothing else to prove...."--Ramblin' Seminarian
那麼全盛時期的民謠搖滾詩人是什麼模樣?滾石Rolling Stone音樂雜誌曾經在2004年列了一張史上500大好歌清單,名列第一的就是Bob Dylan1965年發行的Highway 61 Revisited中的Like A Rolling Stone。雖然,因為同名的關係,Rolling Stone有自我廣告之嫌,這首呈現「搖擺沒有落魄時久」的現世搖滾曲還是好聽得不得了(我已不知如何來形容),每當心情低落之時,這首歌總是給我力量,特別是那一句「當你一無所有,你就一無所失 When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose」...
Once upon a time you dressed so fine You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you? People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall" You thought they were all kiddin' you You used to laugh about Everybody that was hangin' out Now you don't talk so loud Now you don't seem so proud About having to be scrounging for your next meal.
How does it feel How does it feel To be without a home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?
You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely But you know you only used to get juiced in it And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it You said you'd never compromise With the mystery tramp, but now you realize He's not selling any alibis As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes And ask him do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?
You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns When they all come down and did tricks for you You never understood that it ain't no good You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat Ain't it hard when you discover that He really wasn't where it's at After he took from you everything he could steal.
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?
Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe You used to be so amused At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?
再度接觸電腦已經接近10年後,大三開始上選修的電腦繪圖,可以以小組的形態去玩天價的Mac Power PC(即是有著圖形化界面、Photoshop、Illustrator設計軟體的蘋果Apple電腦工作環境),即使當時普遍存有質疑數位影像設計的聲音,還是覺得:哇,酷斃了!
畢業之後參與串門出版的數位化過程。老闆對於電腦完全不通,員工對於電腦也是一知半解,只是用來作文書處理,PC(如無特別指明,通常就是裝著微軟Windows的個人電腦)是比較普遍的電腦。在我的建議與台南配合印刷廠的背書下,公司先後買了Mac Power PC 6500及8500以及周邊掃描機、印表機等,大家在做中學,出版了串門第一本數位化出版品—《高雄縣豐富之旅》。
說也奇怪,第一次接觸以及後續應用都是從蘋果Apple電腦開始,我也從頭到尾都是個Mac User,只是因為有緣嗎?我間隔的那10年,PC已經很普遍,網際網路正要風行。如果以市佔率以及誰錢賺得多,微軟的大頭家Bill Gates是大贏家,而Bill Gates原來只是Steve Jobs(蘋果Apple電腦開創者)的配合廠商而已,有很多書籍及一部電影繪聲繪影地傳述兩人之間的恩怨。電影叫「矽谷海盜Pirates of Silicon Valley」,台驛「微軟英雄」,明顯地贏王敗寇,但是這個「王」在片中實在不光彩。