[Music Review] Jay Chou: Eponymous album

Here is my review of Jay Chou's first album,titled eponymously.
周杰倫同名專輯



Some may ask me, Why this album????
Well, this debut marked the start of one of the most successful Mandopop Singers of our generation, and I want to delve inside to see what justified this very amiable tag.


1."可愛女人" (Adorable Woman)

9/10 What's not like to hear Jay swooning over a cute girl? Doesn't hurt that the lyrics are brilliant, capturing the beauty of the lady and the heart-thumping sensations of the admirer.

2."完美主義" (Perfectionism)
8/10 Debut album, repeats own name 30 odd times. Enough said.

3."星晴" (Starry Mood)
8/10 Easy on the ears. uplifting. He has plenty of such uplifters in his later albums

4. "娘子" (Wife)
7.5/10 I have to admit, the much maligned mumbling gets a bit too saturated over here. That guitar work though is amazing

5. "鬥牛" (Dòu Niú Bullfight)Vincent Fang4:386.
6.5/10 filler

6. "黑色幽默" (Black Humor)
9/10 climax after climax. pretty intense stuff.

7. "伊斯坦堡" (Istanbul)
7.5/10 cutesy song, another Vivian Hsu inspired number

8."印地安老斑鳩" (Old Indian Turtledove)
6.5/10 filler

9."龍捲風" (Lóng Juǎn Fēng Tornado)
9.5/10 静静悄悄离开 陷入了危险边缘 我的世界已狂风暴雨
quietly leaving  crept into the edge of danger my world is already a tempest
Riveting, to say the least.

10."反方向的鐘" ( The Counter-Clockwise Clock)
6.5/10 filler 

Ratings system

I shall attempt to create a ratings system.

Music:
Will be rated on a song-by-song basis.
Star Track: Not compulsory, 10/10 Limited to 1 per 10 songs per album.
Distinctions: 10/10
A+: 9/10
A: 8/10
B+: 7/10
B: 6/10
B-: 5/10
C+: 4/10
C: 3/10
F: <3
All scores will be indexed to 100% for basis of comparion.

Movies will not have any criteria. Just overall feel and reception, going to adopt a 5 stars model.

Dramas will follow this template:
Plot: out of 10

Acting: out of 10

OST: out of 10

Cinematography: of out 10

Progression: out of 10

Overall:
out of 50

45-50: Highly recommended. A staple drama for any genre of drama, essential for newbies.
40-44: Excellent.
35-39: Above average, some redeeming qualites but have visible weaknesses.
30-35: Distinctly average. Should not bother to watch if highly selective
25-30: Strictly for Fanboys only
F: <25

MOVIE: IP MAN 2

I didn't catch Ip Man, as I usually avoid martial art flicks. But I acceded and in a momentI was catching Ip Man 2 with my friend at AMK cathay. It couldn't be that bad, eh? After all, Ip Man received rave reviews. And any show with Sammo Hung is usually delectable. I was wrong.


Synopses: I hate writing synopses. go google it yourself.

Review:
My oh my. The movie started well enough, with Donnie Yen(Ip Man) acting every bit a hero. Cringe at the overacting of his first disciple. The fight scenes were well choreographed, though i can't help but notice that Ip Man's moves are always repetitive. Too much use of the "fast forward" meant that the motions were too fast sometimes to follow.
However, midway through the movie, the plot collapses like a pile of bricks. The bricklayer went on a strike. By the time you get over the ridiculous overacting of the Western actors, you arrive at a equally superfluous and mundane plot. It is almost as if the movie unfolds in your mind even before the scene is enacted on the movie screen. It is as predictable as a Minesweeper game at beginner mode. By then, you will be watching a repeat telecast on the same martial arts moves. Lynn hung (as Ip Man's wife), by far the better actress, is sorely under utilised. Her two expressions consisted of a blank face, and a smile.
The only saving grace of the movie was the transient humor provided by Bai Yun, who is marvelous as a police inspector's sidekick. The film's take on glorifying China's cultural medallions and anti-western sentiments(again) falls so flat, it like watching the movie in a cinema with seats that aren't elevated at all. Donnie Yen acts like the wooden sticks he's training with throughout. Sammo Hung's antics and limp attempts to instill patriotism couldn't save the movie from deflating faster than a balloon pierced to death.

Bad. Horrifying. Almost as bad as the stinker Spiderman 3. Nope, I retract that, but leave it for another time okay?

2 out of 10, for Bai Yun's humour and Lynn Hung's providing limited visual entertainment.

SOCCER: LIVERPOOL VS CHELSEA 2TH MAY 2010

This match happened last week, but as nothing much happened...

The unique backdrop was this: If Chelsea were to draw or lose, Manchester United would be able to leapfrog them into 1st position. Liverpool fans would not allow this. But these are professional players paid tens of thousands a month. Surely they would not throw this match away (forget about qualifying for the champions league)?

What a horrendous match this was, a totally insipid performance from Liverpool ( In case you guys don't know, I am Liverpool fan). I was watching this match with my cousin at his house, and I could remember more details of our conversation than the match itself. Which says a lot about the non-existent entertainment value of the match.

so what exactly happened?

First ten mintues: Nothing happenend. Great. I am now eating and striking up conversation with my cousin.

20mins: Chelsea looking nervy and conceding space but liverpool players are doing rugby conversions.

33mins: Great Assist by Gerrard! Drogba scores! Amid cheers from the reviewer. Groans from my cousin. He's a Manchester United fan. He must be convinced that Liverpool is throwing the towel.

Half time: Nothing happened till half time. My cousin is responding to the twitter, blog, facebook, sms taunts at him. Why was Mascherano played as right back? He acts like a defensive midfielder even at that position, but he didn't need to cover as much space, and his lack of pace meant that he was exposed by Kalou and Malouda constantly.

Liverpool players tire. Chelsea seemed to have recovered from their early nervousness, and with a one goal cushion, stroke the ball confidently, with more purpose and pressed forward in search of the crucial second. They needn't do that though. Liverpool players looked as though they are just waiting for the final whistle so that they go for their holidays.
My cousin and I are deep in conversation now.

50+ mins: GOALLLLLL!!!!!! From Monster Masch's flank, a cross was sent in and the influential Lampard scores. I am not going to rant at Rafa though.
My cousin: "Let's go for supper now." Haha.

90 mins: Final whistle blows, but my cousin and I are already talking about lala land. The post match celebrations (Er, commemorating the last game of the season at Anfield) were more interesting than the match itself.

Overall: 2/10

LITERATURE: TAMING OF THE SHREW

Read Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare recently.

As in most of Shakespeare's comedies, there is lots of confusion involved, as suitors tried all sorts and means to capture the heart of their dream girls, in this case a fair lady Bianca. Shakespeare again deploys his favorite plot device of impersonation to create comic effect, particular when the ruse is exposed. What is most interesting is the central theme of the role of the couple in a marriage. Feminists might indeed rage against how Katherine(the said "Shrew" in the play, affectionately and comically called Kate by her only suitor Petruchio) submits totally to Petruchio in the end of play, though the context of English society in the 1600s must be considered. One could not help but also notice the allusion to the oft abused quote from the Bible, "Wives, Submit to your Husbands."

The literary characters include the perennial happy-go-lucky character, in this case a servant called Grumio, who undoubtedly created a few laughs (especially if you try to picture the scene in your mind) with his antics, the usual character desperately seeking but coming undone in the end. What is atypical however, is the role of Petruchio whose outrageous (FUNNY) actions towards Katharine depicts that of a anti-hero, but towards the end reaps rewards. The denouement shouldn't come as a surprise( the title speaks for itself), though the reversal of fortunes should intrigues the reader, as Shakespeare hardly does that.

Compared to other comedies (reference The Tempest and Twelve Night), Shakespeare's use of poetic devices seem limited. There was plenty of blank verse and normal dialogue, simplifying the play (to some extend, as relating to the context and references is always a challenge). As always, plays are meant to be seen, not read, so there might be some confusion over the characters impersonating one another. A more thematic approach to this play will definitely be easier, if you want to create a critical analysis, especially the intriguing take on Marriage and role of women in society.

Overall, a rather decent play from Shakespeare, the caricature of the linear characters were brought out aptly, though it was rather short. Do muse on the thematic concerns of the play, which is just as relevant today. Interesting.
7/10.

TECHNOLOGY: HTC Touch 2

Received my HTC Touch 2.

Summary:

Design: 7/10
I really liked the sleek design, though the phone is a tad too thick. Fits snugly into most pockets. The screen's little too small though. Comes in black and orange, though I was informed by the salesperson that the orange design is hideous ( I only got to see the black sample).

Hardware: 3/10
Within 4 days of usage, had real problems with the locking system. I was afforded the convenience of being able to lock the phone easily, but had problems unlocking it as the phone simply refuses to budge and unlocked. I had to restart the phone by taking out the battery... The screen isn't very responsive as well.

Sound: 6/10
Average. Decent loudspeakers. Pretty much standard clarity when speaking over the phone.

Software: 4/10
Didn't like the interactive portion. Navigation is a hassle, coupled with the slow responsiveness.Opera's good, but the surfing's too slow.

Overall: 5/10
I suppose it's a mediocre phone for the current age, but since I have such limited knowledge of technology, it's probably worth the price. Not for those that doesn't really need the functions though.

GIVE ME MY HTC TOUCH 2 SO THAT I CAN REVIEW IT, STARHUB!

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