novelraw Chapter 64: Polarized Music Reviews
Chapter 64: Polarized Music Reviews
Zick, Tino, and the members of the Spiders drove back to the villa that Amanda had rented.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Judy sitting on the sofa in the living room with a magazine in her hand. Sunlight fell on the ends of her hair, casting a soft halo around it.
She was wearing a white shirt by Zeke, the collar hanging loosely over her shoulders, covering most of her body and making her figure appear even slimmer, as if she had regained the cool look she had in school.
Hearing the door open, she got up and handed over a stack of magazines and newspapers with folded pages:
"Hey, Zeke, I've marked all the content you might want to see, mostly reviews of Village People's new album, and some entertainment news."
"Thanks, Judy."
"I'm bored anyway, so helping you tidy up will kill some time," Judy shrugged.
Zeke sat down beside her and opened the top issue of Rolling Stone magazine, which contained a review of Village People's second album, *Macho Man*.
"...This will probably be the first pure disco album in history that has sold platinum without riding on the coattails of John Travolta or Donna Summer."
"Wow, that's pretty high praise!" Tino leaned closer to Zeke, somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect these music critics to be so fond of this gay band. Judy, what did Billboard say?"
Judy picked up a marked magazine from the side, smiled ambiguously, and read softly, "...This is yet another example of Village People's dry humor, combining their homosexual traits with the tough image of blue-collar workers."
"Playing with them? Are they serious?" Tino chuckled and quipped.
Zik laughed too. It seems the music critics weren't fooled by the police uniforms and overalls; they knew exactly what this band was up to.
Casablanca and Jacques Morali are both adept at leveraging trends, and this tactic certainly created the buzz they wanted.
He turned to the next issue of the Country Voice, which featured a column by renowned music critic Robert Crisco.
"Watch out, Ted Nugent (rock star and hunter known for his extreme masculinity), these gay guys are about to knock you off the cover of Creem magazine. You're not the only one who makes up stories about 'eating prey raw'."
This music critic, known for his sharp tongue, gave the album a "C" grade in his column. He clearly went a step further in perceiving Village People's playful challenge to traditional "masculinity," while also carrying the disdain of a straight male music critic for disco.
Upon seeing this, Zeke couldn't help but burst into laughter, patting the sofa: "Haha, I knew mainstream music critics wouldn't say anything good. Judy, just tell me straight, are there more people criticizing or praising this album?"
"Half and half, I guess~" Judy laughed and flipped to another page of the column. "But Chris also has a special commentary on your 'YMCA': 'As for those straight guys who think 'YMCA' is about playing basketball, well, it's kind of funny. But I have to admit, the single's popularity is absolutely unbeatable. As soon as it starts playing, you can't help but sway along. It's the only track on the album that can hold its own.'"
Upon hearing "YMCA," Zeke's smile instantly froze, and he felt a surge of anger. Just thinking about it made him furious—those were all my royalties!
He dismissed those thoughts, turned to look at Judy, and a smile returned to his face:
"Judy, I just met with a lawyer, Harry Finn, one of the best family lawyers in Los Angeles. He's very willing to help us. If we can persuade your father to step in, we have a good chance of getting rid of your mother's control."
He didn't want to talk about the bad news and Finn's "unorthodox methods," but as soon as he finished speaking, Judy's expression quickly darkened:
"Zick, don't try to comfort me. How could that bastard possibly help me? He's never cared about us. If he knew what Mom forced me to do, he'd just feel ashamed. He would never admit to having anything to do with me."
"What? How could this be?" Zeke was incredulous, his brows furrowing deeply. "You're his daughter! Even if he didn't care about you before, shouldn't he help you now that you're in trouble? Judy, do you even know your father's name?"
He was secretly anxious. Even if he didn't help, surely he wouldn't deny their relationship altogether? Wouldn't that completely ruin Finn's strategy? Judy would just have to continue being controlled by Evelyn.
Judy shook her head gently, her eyes filled with desolation: "My mother never talks to me about him. Every time I ask, she just calls him a bastard and an irresponsible coward, and won't say anything else. I don't even know what he looks like, let alone where he is."
"That's what white people do, WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants)," Tino interjected, waving his hand dismissively. "Zick, don't be so naive. Not everyone values family and blood ties like we Italians do. Those people care most about reputation and money; they're utterly indifferent to everything else."
He casually added, "Especially since Evelyn is a lesbian..."
Halfway through his sentence, Tino noticed that Judy's expression was becoming increasingly unpleasant. He quickly shut his mouth, scratched his head awkwardly, and whispered, "Sorry, Judy, I didn't mean to."
Judy shook her head, forcing a smile. Zeke gently took her hand. "Don't worry, Judy, we won't give up. Tino, could you contact another private investigator for me and ask him to help find Judy's father?"
"Are you sure?" Tino frowned, his tone full of hesitation. "Those people don't charge cheap fees, and they're not guaranteed to work. You don't earn money easily; you work hard to write songs, don't let it go to waste."
Zik glared at him, and Tino quickly shrugged and said no more: "Okay, okay, I'll contact a private investigator right away and try my best to find one for you."
"Zick, you must be exhausted. Take a rest." Judy gently tugged at his sleeve. "It's safe here. Tino and Amanda are here. Nothing will happen."
Zeke nodded. He was indeed exhausted. He had stayed up all night rehearsing and recording a demo with the Spider Band, and today he had dealt with a bunch of troublesome things. He was completely worn out.
Entering a bedroom that Amanda and the others had specially prepared, Judy had Zeke lie on her lap and gently massaged his temples with her fingertips.
Then she softly hummed "Aux Champs-Élysées," a song she had practiced for a long time. The melody was light and melodious, with a touch of French romance, flowing slowly through the quiet room.
With his eyes closed, Zeke felt Judy's soft thighs, his fingertips gently twirling his hair, listening to her gentle singing voice, and his whole body relaxed.
"Judy, what do the lyrics of this song mean?"
Judy stopped humming and looked down at him, "...just like you did last night."
She translated softly: "She said, 'Some guy told her he had to go to the basement to find those lunatics who carry their guitars around all day and night and play like madmen, without stopping for a moment.'"
"So she gladly went along. They sang and danced, making a ruckus all night long..."
She looked down at Qi Ke's face, her voice softening slightly, a sly smile playing on her lips.
"You even forgot to kiss each other... Isn't that silly? But I think this song is about you crazy musicians."
Zik opened his eyes, looked at her, and couldn't help but laugh. He gently lifted his head and kissed her lips: "Are you complaining?"
"No, that's not it." Judy's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gently pushed him. "You really should rest, stop fooling around."
As she spoke, she bent down to remove Zik's tight jeans so he could sleep more comfortably.
This was like adding fuel to the fire. Zeke, who was originally a bit tired, suddenly became "energetic," grabbed her hand, and gently pulled her down, pinning Judy beneath him.
"Aren't you sleepy anymore?"
"Hehe, at my age, just taking off my pants is exciting enough, and having someone by my side is the icing on the cake."
"You're so annoying..." Judy said coquettishly, wrapping her arms around his neck.
The room temperature gradually rose, and a gentle atmosphere filled the air, making all worries and fatigue disappear.
By the time the two left the bedroom, it was past dinner time. The members of the Spider Band had just returned from renting costumes for their music video shoot, and they also had a large Chinese meal packed up for them.
As Zeke sat at the dining table, he ate while secretly thinking to himself that he probably knew absolutely nothing about bedroom skills, but he was sure that Judy enjoyed his passion. He was like an electric jackhammer or a love machine gun.
Whether viewed from the perspective of the Catholic family education he received in his original life, or from the perspective of his Chinese soul from his previous life, sex is still somewhat perverse, or even dirty.
"But God, I wanted it so badly. And once I experienced it, I loved it even more."
He himself found the idea absurd when it first came to mind.
God, and even the moral compass of his past life, seemed utterly powerless before Judy. She seemed to possess a fire that could completely melt him, turning this young man, who should have been preoccupied with music and royalty lawsuits, into a beast driven only by instinct to crave and possess.
Fortunately, Judy was clearly still wanting more. After quickly eating, she took Zeke's hand and went back to the room.
"Now you've got me."
"Hey, Judy, wanna try something new?"
"Where did you learn this 'new trick'?"
"I saw it in a magazine by Anton before...look..."
"OH, Christ, that's good!"
"How do you like it?"
"I love it, God, how I love it."
Fortunately, the villa that Amanda rented had excellent soundproofing, so she didn't have to worry about making too much noise and being embarrassed by others.
Zeke and Judy have barely left the house these past two days, like two snails hiding in their shells. They even took leave from French school, since no one could guarantee that Evelyn wouldn't go so far as to storm into the school and try to drag someone away.
The outside world seemed irrelevant to them. Zeke devoted most of his energy to writing the script for the music video, and spent the rest of his time with Judy. Judy, on the other hand, contentedly became a stay-at-home mom, helping him with chores and accompanying him in writing the script.
One morning, a series of urgent knocks broke the silence of the room.
Tino's voice rang out from outside the door: "Zick, wake up! Herbert's in Los Angeles."