It’s such a cliche but it’s one that bears repeating: sometimes music just speaks to you. While listening to Chyi Yu’s wonderful covers album, 1987’s Stories, I discovered her interpretation of Don McLean’s little-remembered “Castles In The Air”. Myself in an autumnal-kind of mood, as Chyi sang every lyric, I listened ever closely, and piece by piece, every word hit me like a hammer. I was genuinely moved by the totality of what I was hearing — of what was being sang. Then, I took (a metaphorical) step back. I had to continue the thought.
In this song I could hear one of the iconic voices of Taiwanese folk music, taking us on the same journey she chose to pick this song to sing. In some way, it didn’t matter if you were not one born in the country, or born of the country this song was based in. All that mattered is that for many of us — no matter your place or race — country life speaks to us (in a way that’s unique to us) and this song could touch those who have felt this connection to that greater elsewhere beyond the city walls. What else could explain the journey of such pastoral longing and such pastoral music so far from its roots?
So, for my latest LYL Radio episode of Digging Deep I decided to see how far these “country” and “folk” roots can go — perhaps, to countries and locales few expect the influence has already sprouted new roots? In the end, it’s just another person’s attempt to further this idea of a New Albion. You could say, “I was tired of castles in the air” and this is my dream to share…
Castles In The Air
Tracklist:
Chyi Yu (齊豫) – Castles In The Air
Zoo (동물원) – 글쎄, 그걸 어떻게 말하나
Jung Hye Sun (정혜선) – 가까이, 가까이
Jo Dongik (조동익) – 노란대문 (정릉배밭골 ’70)
Song Hong Sub (송홍섭) – 바다가 보이는 카페
Tats Lau (劉以達) – Speechless
Lee Jung Sun (이정선) – 며칠째 비는 내리고 (F/S Edit)
Yu Kwang-Chung (于光中) – 伊人贈我一髪歌
Kim Doo Soo (김두수) – 나무그늘
Jin De-Zhe (金得哲) – 于是你在我梦中哭泣 (So You Are Crying In My Dreams)
Siinkwa Chonjang (시인과촌장) – 푸른돛
Yang Xiao-Lin (楊小琳) – 化蝶 (Becoming Butterflies)
Chen Ming-Chang (陳明章) – 無悔 (No Regrets)
Black List (黑名单工作室) – 伤心无话
Yang Hee Eun (양희은) – 11월 그 저녁에
Editor’s note: Cover image in post (and in mix) generated by Dall-E 2 AI with prompts by author. Said “cover” image then reimagined by author for post.