2012년 10월 28일 일요일

Jeong Tae-Chun / Ah, Dear the Republic of Korea… (1990)

Jeong Tae-Chun 정태춘
Ah, Dear the Republic of Korea… 아, 대한민국…
1990. 10




Side A
1. 아, 대한민국… / Ah, Dear the Republic of Korea
2. 떠나는 자들의 서울 / Seoul of Leaving Men
3. 우리들의 죽음 / Our Death
4. 일어나라, 열사여 / Stand Up, Martyr
5. 황토강으로 / To a Loess River

 Side B
1. 한여름밤 / Midsummer Night
2. 인사동 / Insa-dong
3. 버섯구름의 노래 / The Song of Mushroom Cloud
4. 형제에게 / To My Brother
5. 그대, 행복한가 / Are Thee Happy
6. 우리들 세상 / Our World



Jeong Tae-Chun is a folk music singer-songwriter who tremendously contributed the freedom of art in the Republic of Korea. Born in 1954, Jeong Tae-Chung started to play music as his brother, who worked in the U.S Forces Korea brought his guitar when he was in elementary school. We actually have introduced his another album here already.

One of the most interesting features of this album is the distribution of the album. Until 1996, all the songs in Korea had been pre-censored by the government committee called "Performance Ethics Commission" (공연윤리위원회) before publishing. Most songs in this album have covered numerous topics related to social issues, which made the council force Jeong Tae-Chun to revise or stop publishing his songs. However, he decided to ignore the instructions from the government, and distributed the album illegally. 

 This album has created a huge cultural phenomenon, urging other artists to act against the pre-censorship by the government. He has published his subsequent album without permission from the council as well, and other rock artists such as Kang San Ae and Seo Tai Ji participated in similar movements. Consequently, Korea has abolished presensorship on albums in 1996.

Not only in terms of his political affairs with the government, this album has also created a huge influence in terms of the reportage-like style of the songs featured in this album.  Especially, one of his most renowned songs, "Our Death" starts with the recital of Jeong Tae-Chun on the news article about a poor brother and sister who died of fire. Then, the song closes with the imaginative narration of them.



(Jeong Tae-Chun - 우리들의 죽음 / Our Death)


Album Cover
Maniadb (http://www.maniadb.com/album.asp?a=125613)

References
Naver Music (http://music.naver.com/todayMusic/index.nhn?startDate=20080607)
Weiv (http://weiv.cafe24.com/review_view.html?code=album&num=1463)

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2012년 8월 14일 화요일

Kim, Doo Soo / Bohemian (1991)

Kim, Doo Soo 김두수
Bohemian 보헤미안
1991. 04




Disc A
1. 보헤미안 / Bohemian
2. 강변마을 사람들 / People in the Riverside Village
3. 자유로운 마음 / Free Minds
4. 햇빛이 물에 비쳐 반짝일 때 (명상을 위한 소리 Ad-lib)/ When the Sun Shines on the Water (Ad-lib for  meditation)

 Disc B
1. The River / 강
2. At the Distance / 멀리서
3. The Secret of Green Barley Field / 청보리밭의 비밀
4. The Shade of a Tree / 나무그늘



Kim Doo Soo is a Korean singer-songwriter who is often referred as Bob Dylan in Korean. In contrast to Hahn Dae-Soo (we have talked about his first album here), Kim Doo Soo has been living in Korea for his lifetime. Even though he has started his career as a folk musician in 80s, when Korean people started to cry out for democracy, his songs do not seem political unlike other folk musicians. Rather, Kim Doo Soo is wandering around in his songs.

 It is interesting to see the difference of styles in lyric writing between Hahn Dae-Soo and Kim Doo Soo. As we have talked about, Hahn Dae-Soo has used a variety of metaphors to express yearning for liberty and freedom from the oppression. For instance, in his song "Give Me Water!" (물 좀 주소!), Hahn Dae-Soo repeated says "gimme water" to imply that he wants freedom. On the other hand, Kim Doo Soo does not shout against the paradoxical reality. Rather, Kim Doo Soo contemplates himself and the utopia in his songs, which gives rises to emotional convincement that we need to yearn for peace.

 Kim Doo Soo does not shout, nor stands still in this album. Rather, he describes the utopia that our mankind used to be feel ordinary. And that's why Kim Doo Soo's songs are powerful.




(Kim, Doo Soo - 보헤미안 / Bohemian)


Album Cover
Maniadb (http://www.maniadb.com/album.asp?a=100421)

References
Naver Music (http://music.naver.com/todayMusic/index.nhn?startDate=20080607)
Weiv (http://weiv.cafe24.com/review_view.html?code=album&num=1495, http://www.maniadb.com/album.asp?a=100421)
Maniadb (http://www.maniadb.com/album.asp?a=100421)
Korean Psych (http://www.psychemusic.org/KimDooSoo.html)

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2012년 7월 31일 화요일

Kim, Min-ki / Kim, Min-ki (1971)


Kim, Min-ki 김민기
Kim, Min-ki 김민기
1971



Side A
1. 친구 / Friend
2. 아하! 누가 그렇게... / A-ha! Who did so...
3. 바람과 나 / Wind and Me
4. 저 부는 바람 / The Wind There
5. 꽃피우는 아이 / The Child Who Blooms Flowers

 Side B
1. 길 / The Road
2. 아침이슬 / Dew in the Morning

3. 그날 / That Day
4. 종이연 / Paper Kite
5. 눈길 / Snowy Road






The 70s in Korea was the age of confusion. In 1972, President Park Chung-hee announced October Yushin, which allowed him to control over the legislative branch of Korea. People started to rise against the dictatorship, but often failed due to the martial law the president declared. Until when the president was assassinated in 1979 (called as 10.26 incident), democracy movements become underground activities. 

 On the other hand, youth culture represented by blue jeans, guitar, and long hair started to broom in this period as well. The government tried to oppress this rapid changes in youth culture by cracking down mini skirts, but as the history all around the world has proven it, it was not enough to oppress the passion of youths.

 Kim Min-ki's debut album was probably the first bridge to connect these two worlds. His songs represent the youth culture in 1970s, but on the other hand, he has yearned for freedom throughout his songs in an emotional way. That's why his songs were significantly influential in thehistory of democracy movement of Korea, since one of his songs "Dew in the Morning" (아침 이슬) has become the symbol of peace and protest. In fact, in 2008, when about a million of people gathered to protest against the US beef export, people have sung this song together.
   
(Kim, Min-ki - 아침 이슬 / Dew in the Morning)

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