Now and Forever: Greatest Hits Live

这一年，Air Supply演唱的足跡遍及印尼、泰国、新加坡。为了答谢中国台湾歌迷们的爱护，他们甚至特别把在台北演唱的实况录制下来，推出了「Now and Forever Live」专辑，而这也是有史以来头一次有国际知名的西洋艺人以台北演唱会的实况推出专辑，他们演唱的歌曲中，包括了早年葛瑞汉与新加坡籍的团员雷克斯 · 高（Rex Goh）共同谱写的抒情歌谣曲「I Want to Give It All」。 在那场台北演唱会中，「空中补给」特别出动了一支十六个人编制的弦乐组，让听觉的效果更为出色。这张专辑完全没有透过事后的「后制」来加以美化，展现了他们宝刀未老的实力。除了一系列他们历年来的抒情经典之外，他们还特别加收了两首录音室版本的歌曲，一首是重新录制当年他们应邀为女星雪柔 · 赖德（Cheryl Ladd）主演的电影谱写的主题曲「Now and Forever」，另外一首则是全新的作品「The Way I Feel」，这是葛瑞汉在台北演唱的时候，突然有了灵感而谱写成的，大胆的采用了跟他们过去作品不太一样的和弦结构，结果毫不意外的，受到了亚洲歌迷们疯狂的喜爱。 by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Air Supply are not known for their live shows, but 1996's Greatest Hits Live: Now & Forever wasn't designed as a showcase for their live act: it was designed as a way to give their new label, Warner, a collection of hits that were recorded for another label. With that in mind, the release of Greatest Hits Live seems logical, as it does serve the needs of at least one group and possibly two, as there will certainly be some devotees who find this an engaging album. And, to be fair, it's hardly a bad album: it's slick and professional, with Air Supply getting as close as possible to the studio recordings -- they're a little cleaner and sparer, but the intent is clearly replication, not interpretation -- never quite imbibing these renditions with the sense of spirited live performance. As these things go, it's not bad -- it's pleasant, even -- but it's not necessary.