Does this guy have an English name?
Word on Jacky Cheung, he’s great. Andy Lau… as a singer, he’s average, but he’s better than most of the idiotic lip-synchers. Just remember, even back when Jacky and Andy were new kids on the block, the bulk of the pop scene was idiotic lip-synchers and polished creations, so it’s no new thing and there’s no “golden age” that recently.
It doesn’t matter if a singer is a good one or not. In Taiwan the record company will always be able to “trasnform” the bad singers into a good ones by packaging. Oh, and Taiwanese always prefer some ABC singers or men and women with good looks better …
With the latest technology, you can fake voices, do the mix here and there and fix the sound track…and with a beautiful CD cover. Wala, that’s how Taiwan music market is now. That’s why I never listened to Mandarin pop music. When you hear someone who can’t sing but comes with a handsome face…I really want to smash the radio. …
Brace yourself - Zhao Chuan’s English name is Chief Chao. But I don’t think many people know this. He just goes by his Chinese name. He’s one of the guys who was making music before having an English or Japanese name was de rigeur.
Erica - Then Zhao Chuan is definitely your man. He’s got to be the ugliest SOB to ever cut a record here. Being a shewd fellow, he wrote his most well-known single to highlight this fact. 
Yi…I liked Wang Fei better when she was dating her song writer, what’s his name again. Anyways, now she’s just going pop. And she is a terrible actress. Have you seen her latest movie with Leon Lai? Gosh, both are just baaaaddd…and the movie is sooooo boring.
My first Chinese pop CD I hate to admit was Li Wens Didadi. Here is why: I was living in China, having a bad time and was watching Channel V. Her clip for on of the songs of the same CD was featuring my home town and made me feel better. Kept watching Channel V for weeks and tried to buy the VCD, but couldn’t find it. Ended up with the CD and that’s how my collection of Chinese pop started.
This was almost 7 years ago and I don’t listen to Chinese pop that much anymore. It’s just not the same anymore. No more really good singers, the old ones being out or changing their style to be up to date. Young, skinny ABC chicks who just can’t sing…aiyooo…
I agree with Ericka. Unfortunately, manufactured music is prolific around the world. It’s just that little bit worse in Taiwan.
If I had anything to do with it, there would be a blanket ban on all tacky pop music produced on this Island. Anyone caught participating in such gross activities would be sentenced accordingly under my new legislation:
Creating, selling or otherwise participating in the recording or performance of such offensive material: [color=red]40 years of solitary confinement in a room adorned with wallpaper made from the image of the avatar of Mod Lang.[/color]
Buying, copying or playing of such material whether in a private or public place (including but not limited to cars, boats, aeroplanes and spaceships):
[color=red]Mandatory music adjustment classes lasting 2 weeks to enable the offender to aknowledge and appreciate the merits and rewards of real music.[/color]
[color=red]Repeat offenders will be sentenced to 20 years in a small cell with an indestructable cd player playing “Bad Boy” by A-Mei 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full 20 year sentence.[/color]
Personally I have no problem with tacky pop music. Nothing wrong with a bit of mindless fun every now and then. It’s like the aural equivalent of watching a Hollywood action movie. Now tacky pop pumped out by pretty faces with no talent, that I don’t like.
As for “no good singers” around any more, that’s rubbish. Wu Bai’s still putting music out, Luo Ta-yu has a new album in the works, Chang Chen-yueh is pure class, Power Station are great, Yanzi has an amazing voice even if she’s been marketed to saturation, Jacky Cheung’s stuff is still as good as ever, Anthony Wong (Huang Qiusheng, as in the actor) may not have put anything out too recently but his stuff is pretty consistently classy, Wayne Lim (‘JJ’ Lin Junjie) is a good singer, even if his songs vary between passable and forgettable… Sure, not all of that short list are “good singers” in terms of technique, but they make good music. There’s others as well - it’s just a matter of not letting the majority of tat put your off.
Exactly the same could be said for the Western popular music market today. There’s a lot, a lot of mindless, talentless drivel around, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still great, talented artists putting music out.
And Gubo - thanks for that! I’ve got a copy of an album of Chief Chau’s that a Taiwanese friend leant me a few years back, but I never actually wrote down what his Chinese name was.
Oh yeah, you want embarrassing crap to start a collection with? Aaron Kwok (Guo Fucheng)'s album “Chang Zhe Ge” (Sing This Song) was my first piece of Chinese pop (Pepsi’s 1998 theme album, basically). Utter, utter trash. Although the title song’s got a sentimental thing for me, since it became the theme song for us exchange students since it was so easily mockable. Second album I bought was Jacky Cheung (Zhang Xueyou)'s “Shifang Ziji” (Release Yourself), which kind of made up for the first one 
As a final word - I’m sick to death of this crap about “all Chinese popular music is shit”. That is, to put it simply, fucking rubbish. Just because you can’t be arsed finding the good stuff doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Go to the record store and find the Godfather of Tacky Taiwanese Music… Frankie Kao (Gao Ling Feng). Frankie Kao burst on the scene in the mid-80’s with Firebird, riding a macho inferno of tight leather and oversized sunglasses. When Frankie failed to sing for an organized crime syndicate he was beaten and forced from the gangster driven music scene. Frankie, the ever Ragged Dick, invested the remains of his savings in a KTV/Whore House and again rose to glory…only to be zoned out of business by Taipei mayor Chen Shui Bian. Frankie trained with Apolloin a dirty L.A. gym among some of the roughest characters to steal hubcaps and after a series of disappointing bouts with hid own personal demons, Frankie was soon running down the beach in slow-motion headed toward a new and promising career as a political pantomime of Chang Chun Hsiung. True Story.
…lets not mention their awkward man-hug while prancing around in the surf after the race.
My vote has got to be for Yuki…what can you say? The only thing going for her was her willingness to wear anything her manager gave her. Back in the day when she starred in that scooter commercial in those red and black hotpants, you could say she was unstoppable. One night I caught her appearance on Super Sunday dressed in a godawful neon clown suit with pigtails looking like she wanted to slit her wrists then and there.
After that she disappeared for a spell, and then the rumors started floating around that she was manic-depressive, which made her a little more intriguing to me. I didn’t hear anyhting about her for a year until the news made a big stink about the fact that she had left her poor grandfather to rot while becoming a big star. A couple of days later she told the media the reason behind her lack of filialness (sic?) was because the fella had at one time or another sexually abused everyone in the family.
This set the stage for a comeback as a mature star…a friend of mine in the States had her “Miss Right” CD, which featured an agonizingly catchy cover of “Chocolate Boy” and another song that mixed electronica beats with Peking Opera. Go Figure.
But where is she now?
Yuki: Bad voice, bad costumes, mixed techno with squaredancing music, failed to capitalize on a sure-fire comeback tragedy.
For those interested, Power Train has recently released a double album greatest hits set. One CD is classic stuff, the other is mostly new. Great compilation and highly recommended.
I agree, but I reallyu like Wang Fei. The best album was Fable which came out about 4 years ago. There’s good stuff off the album before last too. I’ve only listened to the latest album once so far, and didn’t think much of it.
Can she act? I dunno, but she sure looks good.
Brian
When Faye first appeared, she was very bubble gum. Then she made a cover of The Cranberries song and started developing some HK style. Then she got into her shrieking phase (very scary period). It was like listening to Mariah Carey singing Shanghainese opera – I believe she scared off a lot of fans there. Now back to being pop but not bubble gum pop. My last album of hers was from 8 years ago. I’ve only seen her in Chungking Express and loved her in that role. Haven’t seen “Leaving me, Loving you” with Leon but Sandra Bullock wouldn’t even have the power to pull Leon out of shite acting.
Leon Lai. Yes, if he were Taiwanese, he’d definitely get the Worst award.
Bad techno remixes inspired by Korean pop are also pretty bad. I have one with Jin Men Wang and Lee Bing Hui and another with Yang Nai Wen…
the Yang nai wen rap interrupts a mellow song about love with, " me and my girlie sittin’ in a tree, ki-double s ing, first comes live, then comes sex, pardon me bitch I don’t know what’s next…jump around, jump around…" the Wandering to Tamshui remix in bisected with, " Hey baby long time no see, can’t you see that you’re so sexy, can’t you give me one little kiss and gimme some of your love and tenderness…"
The group “Energy” copied a Korean group’s song and exact dance moves for the video too.
I think more acoustic or good lyrics should make a come back now. Anyone in the mold of “John Mayer”?
Sammi’s big dance tune a few years back was a cover of a Korean techno hootchie named Lee Jung-hyun. Instead of being a one-off Sammi has since copied other Lee hits. Yuki copied Korean group Diva’s music w/ “The Monster,” " 5,6,7,8" and “Charge Ahead”. Makes me wonder if these guys are all on the same recod label.
OT: I agree with the post about Wang Fei’s “Fable” being a great album, but I find a lot of the songs sound alike. I think Wang Fei found her fastball around the time she released the “Chang You” album in '98 (also know as her “pink mascara across the nose” era), which I think is the first album where she collaborated with producer Lin Hsi to get that distinctive sound.
I don’t think Wang Fei, and certainly not Yang Nai Wen, fall into the category of tacky pop music. At least they are able to sing and their music, although written by other people, has some meaning as is not just tacky trash.
only the tacky Korean inspired techno-rap… that’s the bad part of otherwise good music.
That’s one oft he reasons I like it. The album has a feelingof it own, and can really be listened to as an album, not just a collection of songs. I got the DVD/Karaoke too, but the songs are a bit different.
Brian
One of the dancing girls on the “George and Maryyyyy” commercials is my friend’s wife’s siter or cousin.
by taiwan standards that makes me a minor celebraty