搬運(yùn)自：微信公眾號(hào)【AKA】（在原文基礎(chǔ)上添加了英語(yǔ)原文與排版調(diào)整）?

翻譯：谷歌街景

This mostly instrumental record is?to late Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright what?Wish You Were Here?was to Syd Barrett: a eulogy of sorts, a commemoration of his contributions to the band in particular and to rock in general.

這張主要以純器樂(lè)演奏的專輯對(duì)于Pink Floyd已故的鍵盤手Rick Wright來(lái)說(shuō)就好像《愿你在此》對(duì)于Syd Barrett一樣：它是對(duì)Wright在這些年中對(duì)樂(lè)隊(duì)以及整個(gè)搖滾領(lǐng)域貢獻(xiàn)的頌詞與紀(jì)念。

Because?The Endless River?is so steeped in?Pink Floyd?lore, it’s worth going back at least momentarily to the very beginning. Nearly half a century ago, the band started life as a middling blues-rock outfit in London, patterned largely after the?Stones?albeit with a much smaller repertoire. To fill sets they would extend the songs they did know to great lengths; to justify not rehearsing, they emphasized onstage improvisation. Any technical insufficiencies were masked by sheer volume. Everything read as psychedelic and new, as their still developing chops took the band to places more skilled musicians might bypass altogether. The response was intense: Critics predicted that Floyd would replace the?Beatles, and fans lined up around the block for happenings at the UFO Club and Seymour Hall.

因?yàn)檫@張專輯滿溢著Pink Floyd的故事，哪怕花一小段時(shí)間去追溯他們的起源也是值得的。將近半個(gè)世紀(jì)之前，他們用著一套中等規(guī)模的布魯斯-搖滾樂(lè)器出道。雖然當(dāng)時(shí)表演的曲目很少，但是他們主要的模仿對(duì)象是滾石樂(lè)隊(duì)。他們?yōu)榱颂畛溲莩鰰r(shí)間會(huì)把歌曲延長(zhǎng)很多時(shí)常，同時(shí)為了對(duì)不進(jìn)行排練這種行為“正名”，他們會(huì)著重在臺(tái)上即興創(chuàng)作，何技術(shù)上的故障都被樂(lè)曲的音量所覆蓋。在樂(lè)隊(duì)成員們逐漸成長(zhǎng)的過(guò)程中，他們致幻與新奇的風(fēng)格正將他們帶向更加有技巧的音樂(lè)人們可能完全避開(kāi)的領(lǐng)域。聽(tīng)眾的反應(yīng)是十分激烈的，樂(lè)迷在他們演出的場(chǎng)外排起了長(zhǎng)隊(duì)，當(dāng)時(shí)的樂(lè)評(píng)家們甚至預(yù)測(cè)Pink Floyd可能會(huì)替代掉Beatles。

As the band progressed, of course, they refined their chops as well as their ambitions—the usual course for DIY musicians (except for?Syd Barrett, who quickly absented himself from the scene after spearheading their 1967 debut,?The?Piper at the Gates of Dawn). Guitarist?David Gilmour, brought in to replace Barrett, developed a graceful and patient style that lent?Roger Waters’ songs a sense of eloquence and scale. Drummer?Nick Mason?honed his R&B beats into narcotized motorik timing, and Rick Wright tinkered with synthesizers to add fizzy drama to 1975’s "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", which updated '60s psych to '70s prog and remains his best moment.

隨著Pink Floyd的發(fā)展，他們就像DIY音樂(lè)家們都會(huì)做的那樣——不斷精煉自己的技藝，不斷提高自己的志向。（除了在發(fā)行完樂(lè)隊(duì)的首張專輯《破曉風(fēng)笛手》便離開(kāi)的Syd Barrett）隨后吉他手David Gilmour代替了Syd，他優(yōu)雅而包容的曲風(fēng)讓Roger Waters的歌曲有了美與規(guī)模感。鼓手Nick Manson將他節(jié)奏布魯斯式的鼓點(diǎn)磨練成了有麻醉效果的節(jié)拍器，Rick Wright用合成器把泡沫騰涌的戲劇藝術(shù)縫補(bǔ)進(jìn)了1975年的“閃耀你那顆瘋狂的鉆石”，他們把60年代的迷幻搖滾升級(jí)成了70年代的前衛(wèi)搖滾，并且一直維持在最好的水準(zhǔn)。

All of them—sans Waters, who left the band back in the '80s—figure prominently on?The Endless River, a long, predominantly instrumental album that is said to be Pink Floyd’s final cut. All the familiar sounds are here, with each member playing his usual role. The liquid sound of Gilmour’s guitar is immediately recognizable when it enters on the second track, tracing curlicues around the straight lines of Wright’s synths. The song could be "Run Like Hell" in slo-mo or the first half of?Wish You Were Here, only with a gentler, more ambient thrust. The title is a wink: "It's What We Do". As regrettable as that album cover may be, it provides a useful metaphor for the relationship between the guitarist and the keyboardist: Gilmour is the punter guiding the boat, Wright is the cloud upon which he floats. Which leaves Mason as the oar, perhaps.

除了在80年代離開(kāi)樂(lè)隊(duì)的Waters，你可以在《無(wú)盡河流》中找到幾位樂(lè)隊(duì)成員的身影。這是一張以純樂(lè)器演奏為主的并且據(jù)說(shuō)是Pink Floyd的最后一張專輯。在這張專輯中樂(lè)隊(duì)成員們都像往常一樣進(jìn)行著他們的演奏，你所熟悉的聲音都在這里。在第二首曲目的開(kāi)頭，Gilmour流暢的吉他聲一聽(tīng)便知，它好似在Wright的合成器周圍鑲嵌了一圈花邊，這首歌就好像“拼命奔跑”的慢放版，或者是“愿你在此”的前半段，只是有著更加輕柔，更加氛圍的推動(dòng)力。這首歌的標(biāo)題“這就是我們所做的”就好像在告訴我們專輯封面中所蘊(yùn)含的比喻：Gilmour是撐船的船夫，Wright是漂浮在他下方的云，而或許Manson是那只槳。

Sadly, Wright died of cancer in 2008, long before?The Endless River?was even a consideration. To create a swan song for a perennially underrated rock musician, Gilmour and Mason—along with producers Phil Manzanera, Andy Jackson, and?Youth—sifted through hours upon hours of sessions from 1994’s?The Division Bell, highlighting Wright’s contributions and turning them into new songs. So?River?is to Wright what?Wish You Were Here?was to Barrett: a eulogy of sorts, a commemoration of his contributions to the band in particular and to rock in general. Perhaps the band’s most backwards-looking album, it is quintessentially and self-consciously Pink Floyd, for better or for worse.?The Endless River?is stately, grandiose, and searching, but it is also bloated, pompous, and so conceptually top-heavy it just might fall off the CD rack or crash your computer.

可惜的是，在《無(wú)盡之河》還沒(méi)有成為一個(gè)想法的時(shí)候，Wright在2008年因?yàn)榘┌Y逝世。為了給這位多年來(lái)被低估的搖滾音樂(lè)家一個(gè)絕筆，Gilmour和Manson與Phil Manzanera，Andy Jackson，Youth等幾位制作人從1994年《藩籬之鐘》的一些片段中篩選出了可以代表Wright的貢獻(xiàn)的部分并把它們轉(zhuǎn)化成了新的歌曲。所以《無(wú)盡之河》對(duì)于Rick Wright來(lái)說(shuō)就好像《愿你在此》對(duì)于Syd Barrett一樣：它是對(duì)Wright在這些年中對(duì)樂(lè)隊(duì)以及整個(gè)搖滾領(lǐng)域貢獻(xiàn)的頌詞與紀(jì)念。無(wú)論好壞，這可能是最“Pink Floyd”的，也是樂(lè)隊(duì)歷史上最保守的專輯?！稛o(wú)盡之河》十分的莊嚴(yán)、宏偉、透徹，但它也同樣臃腫、浮夸，過(guò)于夸大的概念可能會(huì)讓它從CD架上掉下來(lái)并砸壞你的電腦。

Rather than scrappy young dudes playing to hallucinating fans in the '60s, Pink Floyd have long since become wizened music veterans. As such, they may be too professional and perhaps even too rich to make this music sound like anything other than a luxury item, an option on a sports car or a demonstration CD for home theaters. It’s been decades since we expected grit and glower from the band, but by the time Gilmour starts singing—18 tracks and 46 minutes into the album!—you might suspect that?River?syncs up perfectly with?Cocoon. Not that guys their age can’t make vital music, but the only hint of the passage of time here is their refined chops. And we already knew they could play.

雖然Pink Floyd在60年代是向迷幻樂(lè)樂(lè)迷們演奏的年輕人，他們?cè)缇统蔀榱讼莸臉?lè)壇老兵。正因?yàn)槿绱?，他們可能太專業(yè)甚至擁有太多的思想以至于讓他們做的音樂(lè)變成了一種奢飾品——就像運(yùn)動(dòng)汽車或者是為了家庭影院而展示的CD那樣。我們已經(jīng)花了幾十年來(lái)期待著這個(gè)樂(lè)隊(duì)會(huì)給我們帶來(lái)怎樣的魄力與狂氣，但是當(dāng)Gilmour開(kāi)始演唱的時(shí)候，專輯已經(jīng)過(guò)去了18首歌，46分鐘?。?！你可能覺(jué)得《無(wú)盡之河》與《繭》十分同步。這些“老家伙”們已經(jīng)不能做出充滿活力的音樂(lè)，你唯一能聽(tīng)出的變化便是他們更加精湛的技藝，但這些東西我們?cè)缇椭浪麄兛梢宰龀鰜?lái)了。

In other words, Floyd’s best and worst impulses are crammed into these 52 minutes. "Sum" and "Skins" are admirably weird, as though the band went as far out as they dared and then took a few more steps. Thanks to the menacingly descending bass line and Mason’s tense drum solo, you can almost see the pulsing laser light show. Those songs elevate the first and second side, promising a more adventurous album than Pink Floyd deliver. The boat sinks beneath the clouds: As?The Endless River?threatens to live up to its title, the music veers into aimless, repetitive noodling, and the band settle for formless ambience rather than exactingly sculpted songs. There are a few disruptions, such as the?Wall-size chords that open "Allons-y (1)" and a monologue by Stephen Hawking on the unfortunately titled "Talkin’ Hawkin'", but such flourishes more often prove embarrassing:?Gilad Atzmon’s saxophone turns "Anisina" into an '80s sitcom theme, and the pipe organ on "Autumn '68" plays as a parody of Pink Floyd’s oceanic sound.

換句話說(shuō)，Pink Floyd最好和最差的元素都擠在這52分鐘里面，“Sum”和“Skins”有著令人仰慕的詭異氛圍，就好像他們達(dá)到了所能觸及的邊緣后又向外走了幾步。我們要感謝那些險(xiǎn)惡的重音和Manson緊湊的鼓點(diǎn)，聽(tīng)著這兩首歌你幾乎可以看到那炫目的燈光秀（譯者注，這里可能是指Pulse演唱會(huì)，這場(chǎng)演唱會(huì)運(yùn)用了大量的燈光技術(shù)，當(dāng)時(shí)一個(gè)晚上所消耗的電量與一個(gè)城鎮(zhèn)同樣時(shí)間消耗的電量相當(dāng)）。這些歌升華了專輯的第一與第二面(side)，向聽(tīng)眾保證著一張Pink Floyd從來(lái)沒(méi)有過(guò)的富有冒險(xiǎn)精神的專輯。封面中的船在云朵中緩緩飄蕩——就像專輯名稱《無(wú)盡河流》那樣，隨后的曲目駛向了漫無(wú)目的即興演奏與無(wú)形的氛圍音樂(lè)，而不是精準(zhǔn)定形的音樂(lè)。雖然有著像在《迷墻》中的弦樂(lè)（Allons-y(1)）和霍金的獨(dú)白(Talking Hawking)，這些看似繁華的元素卻讓人尷尬。Gilad Atzmon的薩克斯把Anisina這首歌變成了80年代的情景喜劇，在Autumn 68中的管弦樂(lè)就好像是對(duì)Pink Floyd無(wú)垠的聲音的拙劣模仿。

Perhaps the sax is obligatory, a nod to Dick Parry’s solos on?Wish You Were Here. That would make sense, given the retrospective bend to?The Endless River. For the devoted fan, these songs may comprise something like a musical memoir, with references to Wright and Barrett and even Waters ("We bitch and we fight…") as well as to previous songs and albums. Even the title takes inspiration from the final song on?The Division Bell, an album which also featured guest vocals by Hawking. That kind of self-referentiality lends much-needed import to what is ultimately a minor entry in the band’s catalog. And there is something warmly reassuring about the familiarity of these sounds, as though Pink Floyd are settling affairs and squaring accounts.

或許薩克斯是必要的，這可以理解為對(duì)《愿你在此》中Dick Parry的致敬，聯(lián)系上《無(wú)盡河流》的懷舊意味是合理的。對(duì)于老粉們來(lái)說(shuō)，專輯中對(duì)前樂(lè)隊(duì)成員的提及構(gòu)成了像音樂(lè)回憶錄一樣的東西，甚至專輯中的曲目也從《藩籬之鐘》中獲取靈感。這種自我指稱最終變成了樂(lè)隊(duì)的“目錄”中很小的一個(gè)條目。同時(shí)，你也可以從這些熟悉的聲音中找到一絲溫暖，就好像Pink Floyd在平息事端一樣。

Too often "familiar" curdles into "lazy." As late as?The Division Bell, Pink Floyd appeared to be a band constantly looking forward, intent on innovating their own sound if not rock as a genre. As a result, some of their lesser albums managed to build on previous successes, and even that notorious 1987 disaster?A Momentary Lapse of Reason?has no deficit of ambition or vision. There's something bold in the smaller scope of?The Endless River, but it proves to be one of the few Pink Floyd releases that sounds like a step backwards, with nothing new to say and no new frontiers to explore. Of course, if there are no more Pink Floyd albums, then there is no collective future to anticipate, no new sound to build toward. Gilmour, Mason, and the ghost of Wright are closing out a half-century career not with a grand statement, but with a curious ellipsis.

做樂(lè)隊(duì)“熟悉”的事情最終變成“懶惰”的情況已經(jīng)發(fā)生太多次了。在《藩籬之鐘》里，Pink Floyd仍然以一個(gè)眼光長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)、積極拓寬自己的音樂(lè)的形象示人，結(jié)果就是，他們一些不太出名的專輯也建立在了先前成功的基礎(chǔ)之上，甚至1987年災(zāi)難性的專輯《短時(shí)失智》也沒(méi)有缺乏遠(yuǎn)見(jiàn)。在《無(wú)盡河流》的狹小視野中有著一些大膽的元素，但這些元素就好像是Pink Floyd發(fā)行的一些倒退性的音樂(lè)，只剩下不必再提的遺憾與探索新領(lǐng)域這一行動(dòng)的確實(shí)。當(dāng)然，如果之后不會(huì)再有Pink Floyd的專輯，那么也不會(huì)再有共同的未來(lái)供他們探討，不會(huì)再有一同創(chuàng)作的音樂(lè)。Gilmour, Manson和Wright的幽靈沒(méi)有用宏偉的說(shuō)辭，而是用令人好奇的省略號(hào)結(jié)束了著長(zhǎng)達(dá)半個(gè)世紀(jì)的偉業(yè)。