Rock and Roll: Glorious Years

Bian Lang, who had neither an agent nor a company to sign with, was naturally not disturbed. He was listening to Xia Yuxi's song "Rain and You" with his team in the rehearsal room.

"Brother Bian, I'm about to throw up from listening to this. The 1645 chord progression is easy to extend, but these lyrics..."

"It's not that I don't love it, it's just that this world is too absurd. What kind of nonsense is this?"

"And this line, 'You two are tenderly cuddling under the lamplight, while I gaze out the window on a rainy night,' I think that's......"

Bian Lang was also having a headache. This sentimental and straightforward love song was going to be changed into rock, but no matter how he sang it, it was painful, and no matter how he changed it, it was awkward! Although he felt that there was no distinction between high and low in music, there were still different levels of people who made music.

Whether a song is popular or not is one thing, whether it's good or not is another, and whether you understand it or not depends on your personal taste. Especially with adaptations, there's no guarantee of success, unless you learn from the original Earth's Ape Tree Bear teacher, who clearly and openly plagiarized and stitched together content to gain traffic, and even got on the Spring Festival Gala.

"Bian Lang, the song you wrote last night was amazing! Let's just sing that one." As soon as Mu Mian finished speaking, Xiao Biao objected: "No way, the live performance of that song would be absolutely amazing, but the theme isn't about love."

"What? It's not about love? Then tell me what it's about?"

"Of course, the Russians are patriotic!"

"What?"

The two started arguing back and forth, completely baffled by what they were saying. Bian Lang, however, realized what was going on, but found the misunderstanding quite amusing, so he didn't interrupt.

Then Xiao Biao searched for videos online, and no one cared about song selection anymore; everyone was scrolling through their phones reading comments.

Xiao Biao: "Wow! Look at Xiaohongshu, it feels like half of China's Russian netizens are here!"

Mu Mian: "Bian Lang, that's really unfair of you! Not only do you not upload the audio, but you also keep writing songs without letting anyone know!"

Ouyang Zhong: "You didn't mean this one, did you?"

Mu Mian thought of the scene when Bian Lang sang last night: "Um... this..."

Fortunately, Bian Lang explained, "I didn't come back first last night. When it was raining, I ran into Mu Mian and Lunzi, and it reminded me of a song."

As he spoke, he walked to Su Kan's keyboard and started typing: "mi, re, mi, si, mi, re..."

With the accompaniment, I can now express all the details that I couldn't show when I sang a cappella last night!

Although it wasn't the first time I'd heard it, the song "Kapok" still immediately drew me into that scene.

The others listened with rapt attention, especially Ouyang Zhong, whose hometown is also in the Greater Bay Area. He got goosebumps all over when he heard it.

While listening, Su Kan had already begun to memorize the score in his mind.

Xiao Biao: "With Bian Lang's new song, why should we adapt this lousy song? Brother Bian, just bring out the sheet music, and we'll choreograph this one."

Ouyang Zhong: "Bian Lang, write down the lyrics and I'll take a look. I feel your pronunciation still has some issues."

Bian Lang thought about it and suddenly understood. Since he already had so many hit songs, why force himself to make himself suffer so much by adapting works he didn't like?

Thinking of this, he quickly wrote down the sheet music and handed it to Xiao Biao: "I've already thought of the arrangement. You can practice the melody and rhythm with Su Kan using this. Mu Mian, go find a five-string bass. When you come back, I'll explain the bass part to you. There's a bass solo that's over a minute long in this song, so be prepared. Ouyang, let's proofread the lyrics..."

After making the arrangements, the group quickly got to work.

With Ouyang Zhong's help, Bian Lang carefully considered the lyrics and finally settled on them. Then, he logged onto the copyright website on his mobile phone, filled in the lyrics that he hadn't understood the night before, and then went to discuss the handwritten lyrics and music with Qin Ge.

Ouyang Zhong looked at the photos of the lyrics and music on his phone and savored each word: "Tsk tsk, some people haven't even mastered Mandarin when they write songs, how come Bian Lang, this guy from Yunnan, has managed to play with the nine tones and six registers so skillfully!"

After listening to Bian Lang's request, Qin Ge thought for a moment and said with a troubled expression, "Teacher Bian, these are the rules set by the program, and it's impossible to change the rules so easily. I know that 'Rain and You' is indeed a bit... well, if it's adapted well, your popularity will definitely..."

He said he understood these concerns, but once this trend started, the rest of the show would be impossible to continue filming.

But understanding is one thing, accepting it is another: "Director Qin, let me rephrase my question. If we insisted on performing this song, how would the production team respond?"

Qin Ge paused for a few seconds, then said somewhat uncertainly, "Then the only option is to disqualify you from the rest of the competition."

"Okay, I understand. I'll talk to the team members and give you an answer later." After exchanging contact information with everyone yesterday and talking with Pan Jianhu, Bian Lang had already achieved his original purpose for coming here, so he didn't regret not participating in the rest.

But he didn't know what others would think.

Back in the rehearsal room, Mu Mian, who had gone to find the five-string bass, had returned, but Huang Kai was also there. Judging from his eager expression, Bian Lang knew it was definitely not going to be good.

"A musical duel?"

"Okay, we won. You can borrow this five-stringed instrument!"

"Okay! Mu Mian, watch closely, I'll play that solo." Bian Lang had no reason to refuse such fair competition.

Bian Lang picked up his five-string bass, plugged in the speaker wires, adjusted it slightly, and then nodded to Xiao Biao: "4/4 time, keep it steady."

This piqued the interest of the two videographers, and after finding suitable camera positions, they entered their best working state.

Huang Kai initially thought Bian Lang's solo would just be a few short phrases, but Bian Lang started with a vibrato harmonic, which immediately excited him: "A standard lead guitarist playing bass, this vibrato is truly impeccable."

For the next minute and 35 seconds, Bian Lang's various harmonic tapping, open string notes, 32nd-part tremolos, 16th-part hammer-ons, and then back to the 21st string made Huang Kai curse inwardly: "You call this a guitar duel? If I weren't here, the other bassists would probably be in a state of collapse."

At this moment, Mu Mian was completely devastated. She was beginning to regret urging Bian Lang to play "Cold Rainy Night." Given enough time, she could master this part, but she was truly unsure whether she could reach a stage performance level within three days.

The key is that there will be so many knowledgeable people in the audience at that time, she can't possibly fool them. If she tries to fool them, she will ruin a classic.

Looking at the sheet music, Ouyang Zhong had been wondering how to handle the rhythm guitar in this section, but now he understood. Bian Lang hadn't even considered the rhythm guitar aspect. However, after listening, he only had one word in his mind: "Brilliant!"

Xiao Biao's hands are still trembling a little as he plays the drums. He was afraid that he wouldn't be steady enough and would affect Bian Lang's awesome performance.

Su Kan felt that her trip was absolutely worthwhile. Not only did she avoid being eliminated in the first round, but she was also chosen by a genius like Bian Lang to collaborate on such a great song. Even if she was scolded by her strict mother for a month when she got back, she felt it was all worth it.

She resigned from the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra a month ago and now works part-time as a piano teacher at a private music tutoring institution. In her spare time, she performs with a jazz band in bars and pubs throughout Shanghai. The program originally planned to invite the band's saxophonist, but the foreigner didn't want to come, so they recommended Su Kan instead.

Of course, she did all this behind her parents' backs. She couldn't stay in the band, not because of any pay issues, but because she couldn't stand the seniority-based atmosphere. She felt that music should be free. She had felt this way before in a jazz band, and now that she had participated in this program, Bian Lang's impression of her was even more profound.

She doesn't blindly follow trends and refuses to compromise when faced with competition formats that make her uncomfortable. Moreover, even she, someone deeply immersed in classical music, thought Bian Lang's rendition of "Cold Rain Night" was excellent!

When Bian Lang handed the bass back, Huang Kai waved his hand and said, "You can borrow the bass. I concede this round!"

Huang Kai has his own pride. Technically, he is absolutely confident that he can beat Bian Lang. If it were a matter of improvisation, he is confident that he could make Bian Lang question his existence. But he just couldn't compose that solo. This is the difference between a pure musician and a professional musician, so it's not shameful for him to admit defeat so openly.

Bian Lang nodded and said, "I didn't win, and you didn't lose!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Kai laughed and punched Bian Lang: "Pretentious! On a side note, that kid surnamed Li brought this on himself. With a ruthless person like you by his side, he still thought about going solo. He must have been kicked in the head by a donkey."

"It's pointless not to talk about him." After replying to Huang Kai, Bian Lang said to the others, "By the way, I have something to discuss with you guys. I've spoken with the production team, and if we insist on performing 'Cold Rainy Night,' we'll be eliminated."

These words immediately chilled the previously enthusiastic atmosphere.

A moment later, it was the socially awkward Su Kan who spoke first: "Captain Bian, I'll listen to you. I originally thought this was just a one-round elimination, but now I've been able to perform such a great song with all of you. This trip has already been worthwhile."

Seeing her decisiveness, Mu Mian also spoke up: "Bian Lang, can you take me along to play sometime?"

"Can we go to Yunnan Province?" Bian Lang didn't think much of it. People of Huang Kai's caliber usually have established bands, and it would be difficult for him to persuade them to join. Even if he could, their loyalty might not be guaranteed. Kapok was a good option, and female musicians were generally more loyal than male musicians.

"As long as I can keep playing, anywhere is my home."

"No problem!"

Seeing that both girls had spoken up, Xiao Biao wasn't going to be left behind: "Being able to perform this song on TV makes my trip worthwhile. I can brag about it to my bandmates for ages when I get back. Count me in."

Ouyang Zhong didn't have a fixed band; he was just a seasoned veteran who took on jobs wherever he could find work. After being persuaded by a few people, he got all fired up and said, "Okay, but if I want to perform this song in the future, you'd better be careful with your price."

"No problem!" Bian Lang readily agreed.

The scene before him had a profound impact on Huang Kai. He couldn't understand it, but he could also empathize with it deeply!

Although he was somewhat reluctant to come at first, once the recording actually started, he didn't want it to end so abruptly. He didn't like the song he chose either, but asking him to change it to one he liked and risk withdrawing from the competition was something he knew he couldn't do.

The key is that this was a song written on the spot, which is just too damn rock!

"Bian Lang, your solo just now wasn't very stable. Give me a copy of the sheet music, and I'll help you adjust it."

Bian Lang knew his playing was unsteady, and he didn't argue with Huang Kai about it: "You're the captain, after all. We're competitors now. Isn't this aiding the enemy?"

"What are you thinking? I just think we can't let this song go to waste. I just looked at the sheet music, and if this part is messed up, it will be a waste of your last chance." Although Huang Kai himself didn't have the courage to withdraw from the competition, he wanted to do his part for this song and Bian Lang and the others as a sign of respect.

"Okay, I'll remember this favor, but don't tell anyone about withdrawing from the competition."

Huang Kai nodded in agreement. If word got out, it would be difficult to manage the team, and the show might even be canceled. "By the way, what's the name of your temporary band?"

Before anyone had a chance to think about it, they all turned to look at Bian Lang after being asked that question.

Without a second thought, Bian Lang instinctively blurted out, "Beyond!"