One way to describe Jonathan Lee may be: "Jonathan Lee, born in Beijing, was born in 1958, and graduated from Taiwan Province Mingxin Engineering College". In fact, when Jonathan Lee and two alumni set up the "Acoustic Guitar" choir in 1979, the public's understanding of Xiao Li (also known as A Zong) may be nothing more than that. In the 1990s, according to the Beijing Youth Daily, the adjectives we are familiar with about Jonathan Lee are actually: understanding, scar, waking, I am a bird, making me happy and annoying, lonely and unbearable, and folk songs. Each song is not only the career imprint of individual artists, but also the emotional footnote of the general public. Just such a summary is enough for us to approach Jonathan Lee, interview him, explore him and try to understand him, not to mention Jonathan Lee's content is far more than that.
Defendant Jonathan Lee.
Interviewer Liu Jingzhi
Without rolling stones, there would be no Jonathan Lee today.
I heard that your ancestral home is Beijing. I wonder if you will feel special in Beijing.
No, but I believe that everyone who comes to Beijing for the first time has different feelings about Beijing.
-I heard you moved to Shanghai?
My mother-in-law was ill a while ago, and my wife said that she should spend more time with her. The mainland of the motherland has changed rapidly in recent years, so we can't ignore how many things people in this land will do. Many friends ask if you have seen anything and what you are going to do here. Actually, this is not what I saw. I just want to know, know, observe and communicate with the local people in such a great change.
-That's what I wanted to ask you. It is reported that you have set up a studio in Shanghai and plan to open your own musical instrument store in Beijing, which makes people feel that the focus of your life and work seems to be shifting.
I didn't build a recording studio in Shanghai, but I was recording, just like recording anywhere else. I am closer to Taipei because my wife is in Shanghai. In fact, Beijing is a major music town, and I really want to know about it, while Shanghai is more relaxed. I really have the idea of opening a musical instrument store, because I prefer classical guitar myself.
Recently, I really feel that your range of activities is a little larger than before, and there are more types of singers, which reminds me of a fan who said that you were liberated. He didn't understand why you worked hard for Rolling Stone Records for so many years.
My relationship and feelings with Rolling Stone are not the relationship between the boss and the employer. I entered the rolling stone early. At that time, a group of people with the same dream struggled together to this day. Rolling stones are not a burden to me, not something that traps me, but something that makes me. If I hadn't worked in such a safe and secure environment for so many years, Jonathan Lee wouldn't be today. Now there are too many singers and too few people behind the scenes. In fact, singers are in the worst situation, the most uncertain and the most realistic. The person I admire most is not necessarily a singer. Nowadays, the music industry needs many excellent producers to work behind the scenes. There are not enough resources, and many people want to be singers. Now that conditions in the mainland are getting better and better, I encourage and advise young people to go behind the scenes, not necessarily to be stars.
But to become a master of behind-the-scenes production planning, you need to have a good grasp of the market. You have too much successful experience in this field. Can you tell us how to practice such enviable skills?
-I think this is a problem of the times. Personal strength is small and personal ability is strong. Without a corresponding era, you can't achieve your career. My era, the Taiwanese music era, was still a rational and reasonable era. At that time, music was still very respected and it was easy to succeed in the market. However, great changes have taken place since then, and the media has developed rapidly, spending a lot of money on publicity and advertising. Everywhere, they spent 20 million to buy the same copy, and everyone was confused. On the contrary, it is useless to spend more money on advertising. This kind of quick success and instant benefit can't cultivate deep industry personnel in a few years. But now Taiwan Province Province has gradually seen this problem.
I pay little attention to criticism or praise.
-Speaking of the rapid changes in the music scene in Taiwan Province Province in recent years, I remember you once said that your creation has gone through menopause.
This is natural, a problem for every creator, and menopause is normal. Now the industry seems to think that those beautiful young girls and popular fried chicken are valuable, but aren't those senior singers who have attracted thousands of applause worthless? I often encourage those senior singers to live to 40 years old, and they should be grateful. In those years, experience and feelings should be extra points. For example, if Pan Yueyun can sing, can Jolin Tsai sing? For example, you can ask Chyi Yu to sing "I don't want to sleep with others casually". Can young girls sing? Chyi Yu can sing. She can talk about divorce and abortion in Talking about Life, and talk about things that are helpful to women's values. Can this young girl express it? Therefore, this is something that the industry should reflect on. If a singer like Chyi Yu comes up with such an album, he should also find an older, experienced and compassionate person, right? Menopause is good, but I'm okay. I'm early.
But maybe your previous achievements are too high. I think you have heard criticism from fans in recent years that you are too catering to the market and too "promiscuous". what do you think?
I don't pay much attention to criticism, saying how bad I am, and I don't listen to praise. This is fair. I think I am an introspective person. I don't introspect myself because of criticism. The songwriter owes the audience nothing. You can criticize if you want. I write songs like a machine. If I write good songs, I will also write bad songs. I have tried my best in the past 20 years. If I retire now, I am worthy of this industry. Of course, everyone has the right to express their feelings. As a public figure, I have to admit this fact, but fortunately, I still criticize music. I have nothing to do with you except music, no matter who I marry, where I live, what car I drive and so on. Everyone has a line in his heart. Don't ask me useless questions. My relationship with the media has always been delicate.
-Tayu Lo speaks highly of you. It is your music that makes "men more like men and women more like women". How to make men more like men and women more like women?
Maybe you should ask him. Everyone has feelings. When writing, try to be natural and write about people's feelings. Some people say that you have written out our hearts. This is my mission. Since you have this talent and ability, you have the responsibility to help others express their feelings. I have always felt that songs are not good or bad, only true or false. As long as it can move people's hearts, it is really good, and there is no hierarchy.
Women are wonderful and men are disgusting.
It seems that most people recognize your grasp of a woman's mind more. I remember when I interviewed you on this topic before, you said, "Imagination is because you lack it." But I seem to have seen you say something else recently, which seems to have something to do with your family environment.
-this is actually two mutual reasons. At home, I am an only child, with three sisters, an elderly father, a mother, a maid and so on, surrounded by women. I like the observation of women very much. Women are wonderful. Men hate, women are interesting. You can guess what she is thinking. This may be related to the dark and insidious side of my cancer. To put it mildly, my circuitous and euphemistic side echoes the uneasy, indirect and depressed things in women's hearts. In fact, it is still the content of human nature. I don't know. I probably made several successful female singers later, and female artists asked me to do more, which promoted my thinking about women's minds. I can't write about boys unless it's for myself. Because when I write, I get angry and expect men, which is quite fatal. In the past, the expression of ideas among male singers was weak, while women made progress in expressing their views on women. As far as men in Hongkong and Taiwan Province are concerned, do you think there are real expressions of male voices in the music world? Don't! Few people speak the mind of cyclists in the street. Those people are daydreaming. Ask him to talk about it. There may be some simple creators on the mainland of the motherland, which may be better.
-But many fans like you from your solo album, such as "Genie in Life" and "Folk Songs". That's a male voice. Why are there fewer and fewer personal works like you in the future? Does production take up too much of your time, or do you think being a singer and watching him succeed in the market will make you feel more fulfilled?
□ Good question. As a producer, I am very proud. This feeling is great, which makes me willing to give up other things to do one thing well. I don't know if "The Spirit of Life" is good. At that time, I was frustrated by falling in love. As a girl, I want to write these songs, but I like making them. At that time, I learned a lot of knowledge and thought it was too fun. At that time, I produced an album a year, which was equivalent to directing a play a year. I learned a lot of ideas and want to prove them in this album. Indeed, because I enjoy making music for others too much, I am too busy and confused, so I don't have much time to think about managing personal affairs. I will have my own business next year.
-I once heard you comment on Tayu Lo and Emil Wakin Chau, saying that in middle age, Tayu Lo became more and more chic, while Emil Wakin Chau's music became more and more meticulous, like meticulous painting. Actually, it's time for him to splash ink How do you evaluate your present situation?
-It's hard to evaluate yourself. Indeed, if you look at Jonathan Lee from the perspective of out-of-body experience, it's basically ok, but I have a vague feeling, just like when 15 years old, his homework was terrible and he was depressed. My life should be more than that, not just brushing the gas tank every day. Now I feel that if this scene hits 1/3 or 2/5, I vaguely feel that the second half will be quite interesting. But the environment changes faster, so I must protect the environment better. Will it be changed or dragged by the environment? At this time, I will consider stopping. If I can't keep up with the changes, I can't take care of my family, career, self and so on. I should not continue next, unless I am lucky, I can always find a suitable position in a changing environment.