Tuesday, October 16, 2001

REVIEW: HITOHIRA NO JIYUU [GLAY] Glay's new single was released on September 19, and I've recently acquired a copy. I'd heard on CD Japan that it was going to be a "rare reggae style song from Glay," but no warning culd have prepared me for this song. Think...un-Glay. You've heard it before, in songs like Miki Piano and It's Dying ~it's not Dying~. It's one of those songs that you hear and think "where the HECK did Takuro think this up????" Hitohira no Jiyuu (which means "Everyone's Freedom") starts out with a...reggae-style beat. With Hisashi and Takuro's guitars. Yeah. Exactly what I thought. You'll know as soon as you hear the opening chords that this is NOT your average Glay single. Forget all that you know about Glay singles always sounding like Stay Tuned, because this group never ceases to surprise. After a slow progression of more reggae intro, Teru comes in with what becomes the chorus of the song later-"Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, my soul..." This "don't worry" idea is repeated four times in the chorus, each time to "my soul" and "my friend." Hey, it might be a reggae song, but Glay's "don't worry" message really comes across with this one. "Don't worry, dear my soul...tonight's going to be all right." The reggae style actually gets pretty repetitive after a while, though it affords an excellent chance to hear Jiro on bass, albeit with a less-exciting-than-usual bassline. Teru's voice also blends nicely with the style. Teru has more of a Kanojo no Modern and Missing You kind of voice, very ill-suited to slower songs such as Together and Zutto Futari de, to name a few. However, Hitohira no Jiyuu seems to have the right mix of "swing" mixed with the softer sound to make Teru's voice lose some of that harsh quality it has when he sings slower stuff. The second thing that surprised me. Around the 2 minute mark the song picks up as Teru's vocals become a bit more passionate, with a "fatter" accompaniment sound. Very nice, in all. It simmers back down after a while, but that gives you a taste of what's to come. I found myself sitting through the reggae that followed, wondering if Takuro was going to give us more. And then came the real "meat" of the song, right at the 3 minute 32 second mark. After 3 minutes and 32 seconds of rather repetitive reggae rambling, the song just lifts up and soars. Teru's voice is absolutely wonderful in the half-shouting, half-crooning type of singing that he uses for the choruses of songs such as However. And that's not all. In come the guitars, Hisashi and Takuro just jumping right in with a wonderful guitar solo. This middle "bridge" part which lasts for about a minute, with Teru coming in again after the guitar solo, is definitely the best part of the song, and definitely VERY Glay-sounding. The song goes back to standard old reggae after Teru's last note fades out (rather flatly, as usual) and after another minute or so of reggae, Teru comes in with the "don't worry" chorus again. It's louder this time, more dramatic, accompanied by lots of backup instruments. Then the instruments gradually fade out until it's just Teru singing "don't worry," with Hisashi accompanying with random isolated guitar notes. It's a rather haunting, yet soothing ending, and at the very end you can catch someone (Takuro?) adding a little, almost too soft to be heard, vocal ditty after Teru's voice ends. What do I think of the song? It's certainly different. I'm no reggae fan, and while I think this is a single that will get noticed (unlike Global Communication and Stay Tuned, which were hits but not very special songs in their own right), it's weird enough to generate very mixed feelings among Glay fans. Most of them have admitted that the song "grows on you" if you listen to it long enough. You have to admit that most Glay singles, and songs, for that matter, are done in exactly the same style. This is the first single song that Glay has done that quite obviously departs from that pattern (they've done others, but only on albums). What do I think? I think it's a bold experiment on Takuro's part. A few Glay fans out there were expressing concern about Glay departing from their old style to pursue new and exciting horizons. I personally don't see that happening. Glay is too much of a "stable" band to do that, so stable in fact, that a song like Hitohira will shock fans. If Laruku did something like this, it would be a surprise, but not nearly as much of one. You kind of expect this from Laruku. Not from Glay. And really, the middle chorus/bridge is what does it for me. It's a blend of the reggae style with good ol' Glay, and what more can you ask for? Takuro has managed to experiment and still be Glay at the same time. This proves my theory that Glay is really not as much of a band as it is a type of musical style all to themselves. And more power to them. If you haven't heard Hitohira no Jiyuu, go listen now. [And on a tangent note, Glay's new album One Love will come out the 28th of October.] - Gerald Tarrant - at 12:23 a.m., Kamijo still can't hit high E

Friday, October 12, 2001

MASTERPIECES In the vast wide ocean of Jrock there are thousands of albums, and it's sometimes hard to find those good ones. The good ones aren't always popular, and of course, the popular ones aren't always good. There are a very few albums which I've heard and regard as pure "masterpieces" of the jrock industry. What qualifies these as masterpieces aren't because they have hit songs on them, or are catchy or easy to listen to. There is something about each of these CDs as a whole that is seamless, in which all of the songs fit together to create a whole picture of something very complicated and beautiful (even the bad songs...and yes, there are always bad songs on the best albums). I'm sure Moonsong will have some to add to this list, but for now, here is mine. Ark [L'Arc~en~Ciel] I regard this album as the "height" of L'Arc~en~Ciel's period, and the height of Yukihiro's influence on the band as well. Besides showcasing very different drumming patterns in every song, Ark also features an entirely instrumental drum/electronic track, Larva, which segues into the haunting Butterfly's Sleep. Interspersed between the experimental tracks are also some of L'arc's most popular songs, Dive to Blue and Driver's High, just enough steady music to keep the album on solid ground. Out of Laruku's albums, Ark is the most diverse, the most experimentally successful, almost a journey through musical "landscapes" in the sense that many of the songs on it are experimentations into the music of different nations and cultures. A must listen. fierte no Umi to Tomo ni Kiyu [Lareine] I have no words to describe this album. In fact, "album" doesn't even begin to describe this work of art. fierte is one of those albums that tells a story in itself, a fairy tale told through music that will make you laugh, weep, and understand what makes you human. Songs like Kaze no Yuuwaku and Suna no Shiro de Nemuru Koibito embody tried and true jrock, while The World of Romance and Rutoroubayu no Bansan use spoken word to tell the tale. Pink no Kasa and RunRun March are marvellous tributes to the child's imagination, and then there is the unforgettable title track at the album's end. Seemingly random while being described here, the way these tracks are arranged on the actual album gives rise to a brilliant piece of work. Hide Tribute Spirits A great tribute to one of jrock's greatest musicians. A compilation of Hide's songs sung by other artists, this album is a masterpiece in itself for the marvellous compilation of different styles put together as a tribute in one man's name. Mars [Gackt] Gackt's first album and an unforgettable one. Just like its namesake, Mars is as predictable as the god of War himself. Gackt screams, cries, soothes, and sings his heart out in one of the best albums ever put out by a jrock solo artist. The second half of the CD is a little less exciting, in terms of song style, than the first, but the whole thing is definitely worth listening to. Psychocommunity [Hide] THE best album. Released after the singer/guitarist's death, this double CD album contains almost all of Hide's best songs, everything that made him unique in the world of jrock. I'm sure neesan can tell you more about this album than I can. XD On the topic of Hyde and his voice, if you're a regular listener of Laruku, you won't notice anything wrong with the way Hyde sings. If you just know Laruku from songs like Dive to Blue or Blurry Eyes, it might take some getting used to. Hyde is NOT a soft singer, and when he tries to sing softly, he either ends up sounding out of breath or just like a loud rock singer trying to sing softly. Ever wondered why Laruku has no lyrical soft songs? It's because Hyde's voice doesn't lend itself to that genre. But I guess he's trying to broaden his horizons with Evergreen...and nothing wrong with that! XD - Gerald Tarrant - at 10:38 p.m., Kamijo still can't hit high E

Thursday, October 11, 2001

PRE-REVIEW: EVERGREEN [HYDE] (single) (( Quick note regarding X Japan's "Forever Love" for those of you who have asked, the single was re-released last July containing 4 different versions of the song. Details are here at CD Japan. ^_^ )) Okay. After 4 hours of trying to download the 6 or so different files last night, it dawned on me why I couldn't find a clean vocals version of Hyde's "Evergreen." I found full instrumental versions, cut vocal versions, bad vocal versions, etc., etc. I was getting thoroughly frustrated when I realized one little fact. The thing doesn't come out for another week. -_-;; Taking THAT into account, I settled on a radio edit that was complete enough. A bit cut off at the beginning but it's only missing 5 seconds or so I think. ANYway, the song is gorgeous, folks. First thing you'll notice is it's SLOWWWWW. Think Gackt's "Leeca" slow. Backed by what sounds like a full orchestra and Yoshiki-esque piano. Definately recommend it to anyone who has even a passing interest in jrock. The only problem with it (and this is only because I was TRYING to find something) is... well... Hyde. ^^ Don't get me wrong, he is an excellent vocalist. Better than 90% out there. But his voice is much more suited to rock. Still, he does a wonderful job with it and unless you're incredibly nit-picky about sound, it doesn't detract from the song at all. It actually works rather well in some parts- particularly when his tone gets rather breathy- making it seem like he's whispering the lyrics. To me, the vocals in rest of the song are kind of weak- like he's deliberately trying to choke down his normally rich, full voice to a straining sort of ghost of itself. Perhaps that was done intentionally. I don't know. The overall effect is this lilting, haunting, sort of quality that pushes this particular piece over your average, everyday ballad, and makes it the wonderful poetic thing it is. So maybe it worked out after all. ^-^ In any case, it's defintely a step AWAY from the usual L'Arc~en~Ciel sound which is a good thing if he wants to establish himself as a separate artist and not just "the vocalist of L'Arc trying to go solo." I don't think Laruku is splitting up or anything (Ger, double check me on that?) but it's always nice to see what the members can come up with on their own, particularly one as talented as Hyde. ^_^ - MS - at 06:12 p.m., Kamijo still can't hit high E

Wednesday, October 10, 2001

HYDE SOLO OMG! Hyde has gone GOTH! XD Well, maybe not but he's heading in that direction. Dyed his hair blond, looking like some sort of trapped angel in the new PV, website chock full of bats and graveyards and things. "Evergreen" is BEAUTIFUL folks. I'll review it later if Ger doesn't get to it first. ^_~ But to get a preview, check out Hyde's new website: Haunted Records. Mou... Ger, shouldn't you be doing these Laruku updates? XD I feel like I'm taking Tetsu away from you or something. *L* Ja! ^_~ - MS - at 10:49 a.m., Kamijo still can't hit high E

Thursday, October 4, 2001

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO TETSU OF LARUKU! I just found out and it was yesterday. ^^ If you haven't already, check out L'Arc~en~Ciel's AWESOME website. I just discovered they had an English version up (Yay!) and the site's fuuuunnnn to look at. XD Go! Go! - MS - at 06:24 p.m., Kamijo still can't hit high E

Thursday, October 4, 2001

NEW SODMY REPORT For those of you who like New Sodmy: Kamijo, Mayu, Aya, & You, their first single, "WHITE LIE," was released 9/26/01. I'll post a review as soon as I get my hands on the thing. ^^ The wonderful Geikou has posted a live report from their first (I think) performance as WEREWOLF a month or two ago. Pics too. Looks like Kamijo and co. are off to a great start, ne? ^_^ Can't wait for more! If you can, drop Geikou a line and thank her for posting the report! She's going to a few more lives this year and might put more stuff up. ^_~ Thank you Geikou! And Ger... Hakuei is... convulsing again... o.O;; I think he might have prick~ed his heart... repeatedly... XD CURRENT MUSIC: "Romance" by Penicillin WINAMP SKIN: Gojira! XD XD - MS - at 12:50 a.m., Kamijo still can't hit high E

Wednesday, October 3, 2001

CD JAPAN SAYS... Information for Kai, Dir en Grey's remix CD: "Dir en grey's remix album with tracks done by unique remixers. Contains remixes by the members also. Kyo's mix is filled with poison, Kaoru's mix is frisky, Die's mix is worldly, Toshiya's mix makes you feel you're on the mid-summer beach, and Shinya's mix makes you feel like being in a mysterious fairy tale. A remix album with lots of individualities. " FRISKY!! *dies* On another note, CD Japan is now accepting preorders for 2002 calendars. I saw Glay, L'Arc~en~Ciel, Gackt, and Dir en Grey among them. ^^ What are you waiting for? XD And your third and final random tidbit of information for the day: X Japan's Forever Love is apparently Japan's prime minister's favorite song. - Gerald - at 10:38 p.m., Kamijo still can't hit high E