Takui's long-anticipated single｡ｪhis first musical release since October 23rd of last year, when he released his third album Swanky God Pop｡ｪis finally here, after approximately eight months of waiting for something new. Although neither RE-SET nor LAMBRETTA are instant classics, Takui did not disappoint.

RE-SET
This is the opening theme for the anime FIRESTORM, and it sounds fitting for an anime theme. Any Jrock or Jpop fan would be able to tell you there is often a particular feel to songs that were made for anime. Takui's music has often been a combination of punk, rock, and pop, and RE-SET is definitely one of his pop songs. However, "pop" is not synonymous with "bad". On the contrary, RE-SET may be rather simple, but it is an extremely catchy, fun song; it's in the same vein as (It's Gonna Be)O.K., which is a more pop-geared song, and not very complicated, but an instant favorite of Takui and non-Takui fans alike.

RE-SET begins with four quick drum beats before the guitars join in almost immediately, playing a solid, upbeat melody. Takui begins the first verse about fifteen seconds into the song, and in these first verses before the chorus, the guitars drop out whenever he sings, and you are able to hear the drums and bass carrying the solid beat.

The chorus is the most catchy part of the song, beginning with Takui singing "moshimo" as all of the music drops out, before drums, bass, and guitars join back in. For the verses, Takui sings mostly in his lower range, but once he reaches the chorus, you're able to hear the fuller range of his voice, and he sings the chorus with more power and emotion.

This song is somewhat repetitive｡ｪthe next verse is similar to the first, but with a little more harmony, and the chorus is simply repeated after this second verse. The only variation comes after the second repeat of the chorus: there is a change in the guitars' melody, creating a short instrumental bridge that leads up to Takui singing the chorus melody again, but with different lyrics, and a lack of backup music. He is accompanied only by quiet guitars keeping a quick, steady rhythm｡ｪthe guitars here remind me strongly of Stay Together｡ｪand this alternate chorus section showcases his voice well, although a full appreciation for his range is missing, because he never once switches into falsetto.

The rest of the instruments join in for one last, strong rendition of the chorus, and then the guitars bring the song to a close. My only complaint about this song is the lack of Takui's higher range, and that's merely due to my personal preferences; despite the repetitive nature of this song, it's still extremely catchy, and although it probably won't grow to become one of my all-time favorite Takui songs, I'm certain it will get stuck in my head often, and I doubt I will get tired of it.

LAMBRETTA
This c/w track is a pleasant return to Takui's punk roots. LAMBRETTA sounds a lot more like something that would have come from "Nuclear Sonic Punk" than anything from "Chunky God Pop" or "Swanky God Pop". There are definite punk and rock overtones to this song, yet the chorus has more of a pop feel｡ｪthis song is a nicely done combination of Takui's punk and pop tendencies. LAMBRETTA begins with an electronic effect that is difficult to describe, which moves from the left speaker to the right; immediately following this effect, 'harder' guitars begin the song, as opposed to what should be considered more 'pop'-style guitars, such as in RE-SET. Again, Takui begins singing almost immediately, approximately ten seconds into the song, and he once again stays in his lower range for the verses. Following the first verse is a short bridge with a few harmonized layers, and the electronic effect is used in the background again, sweeping from left to right, before returning from the right speaker to the left.

The chorus, as I said earlier, has a more upbeat and catchy sound than the verse and bridge, and, similar to in RE-SET, the chorus takes Takui out of his lower range. The second verse that follows the chorus is similar to the first verse｡ｪI particularly like the way that he rhymed his lines. The verses are broken up into four lines each, if you look at the official lyrics, but when Takui sings, there are short pauses that make it sound as if each verse should logically be written as eight lines. The first group of four words all end with "te", the second group ends with "ta"; in the second verse, the first group of words ends with "ta", and the second group with "de".

[This is a trend that can be seen in quite a few of Takui's songs; he either finds words that rhyme, or he pronounces words so they sound like they rhyme, even if the rhymed words technically do not sound the same. No More, No Doubt is a good example of his rhyming English words with Japanese. Another good example is What Do You Mean?, where the first line of the chorus is 'what do you mean? ha? dou iu imi?', but he pronounces it as if he is singing 'what do you mean?' twice in English. See Gerald's romaji and translations of Takui songs here.]

After singing the second verse, the bridge with the electronic effect sweeping in the background, and the chorus, each for a second time, there is a short instrumental bridge, with the drums and 'harder' guitars prominent. Then Takui sings the harmonized bridge again, this time carrying it out for four lines (four lines = four electronic sweeps in the background), before singing the chorus again, switching to a higher key. I like this third rendition of the chorus the best, because he finally hits falsetto a few times, but again, that's simply due to my obvious fondness for Takui's falsetto (or anyone's falsetto, for that matter).

The chorus ends on one word, and there are some weird effects done to this word, effects that are obviously electronic, where parts of the word are repeated. It's hard to describe｡ｪyou just have to hear it. This electronically chopped-up word repeats for two sets of eight quick beats, before the guitars end on a somewhat abrupt note, although this abruptness fits the style of the song well.

Overall, RE-SET and LAMBRETTA are both very good songs in their own right, and I'm not going to try to pick a favorite between them, because they are different enough that they're hard to compare. Takui has done better pop songs than RE-SET, and he has done better punk songs than LAMBRETTA, but they are both still solid, catchy songs that any Takui fan will appreciate. The 1,050υ I paid for this single (off-vocal versions of both songs are included) was definitely worth it.

SINGLE INFORMATION
RE-SET c/w LAMBRETTA
Release date: 2003.07.16
Catalog #: COCA-15468
Price: 1,050υ (tax in)

B'Z [ALBUM: BIG MACHINE]
Release date: 17 Sept 03
BMCV-8008 | 2913円
preorder at CD Japan

DIR EN GREY [ALBUM: VULGAR]
Release date: 10 Sept 03
First press: SFCD-19 | 3980円
Regular edition: SFCD-21 | 3000円
preorder first press | regular ed

GACKT [ALBUM: UNTITLED]
Release date: postponed (originally 18 Sept)
This was originally going to be the mini album released on 18 Sept, but has been now upgraded to a full album, with catalog # and price unknown. We'll keep you posted.

MUCC [ALBUM: UNTITLED]
Release date: 03 Sept 03
First press: POCE-9690 | 3800円
Regular edition: POCE-6901 | 3000円
preorder first press | regular ed

PSYCHO LE CEMU [ALBUM: FLONTIRES]
Release date: 27 Aug 03
CRCP-40038 | 3143円
preorder at CD Japan

TOMOYASU HOTEI [ALBUM: DOBERMAN]
Release date: 26 Sept 03
TOCT-25094 | 2913円
preorder at CD Japan

One of the best things about jrock music is the sheer range of instruments that various artists use to create their songs, but out of all those, an old tried and true favorite is still the acoustic guitar. It can be one of the simplest instruments to pick up and learn, and at the same time be one of the most complex instruments to perfect. The use of acoustic guitar lends a fresh and "unprocessed" feel to music, which is probably why acoustic songs are usually treasures to fans of any band.

The songs below are ones that I picked because I think they showcase the both the beauty of the acoustic guitar as used in the song and also the musician's technique. There are quite a few well-known bands that don't make much use of the acoustic guitar (Siam Shade, L'Arc~en~Ciel), so just because a band isn't on here doesn't mean they're not worth anything. Also, I limited this selection to guitar only, so you won't find piano pieces here. Many bands had more than one acoustic song, but I only picked one per band, so if your favorite song's not here, feel free to discuss on the BBS.

ROCK 'N ROLL [The Brilliant Green]
The Brilliant Green
One of the group's earlier songs, Rock 'n Roll encompasses the innocent feel that most of BuriGuri's songs have, with just acoustic guitar and Tommy's vocals. The breathiness and untrained quality of her voice, which sometimes don't work for their more radio-friendly songs, really captures the youthful love-song feel of this little tune. The catcher lines: "I'll always love you baby, just you and rock 'n roll yeah."

ITSUKA NO MERRY CHRISTMAS [B'z]
Friends
One of the greatest Japanese Christmas songs of all time, Tak's acoustic guitar skills lend a wonderfully nostalgic and homey feel to this classic, accompanied by music box and Koshi's always-wonderful vocals in a bittersweet melody. Listen to this one with a warm fire crackling and the snow falling outside the window.

ARC [Chachamaru]
Air
Not too well known outside the jrock community, the debut solo album of Gackt Job's Chachamaru features as a one-minute acoustic guitar solo as the opening piece. This might remind some of Gackt's tradition of using an instrumental piece to open his own albums, but Arc is an understated, surreal piece of work that begins with synthesized chimes and has Chachamaru entering around the 30-second mark on acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, the haunting melody of the piece is abruptly cut short at 1:08, where it seems to end in the middle, and the next track is not a continuation of the melody. Oh well.

UNDECIDED [Dir en grey]
Kisou
A rare treat from Dir en grey features Die on acoustic guitar throughout the whole song. The song itself is not acoustic per se, but Die has a really nice acoustic solo in the middle between the louder, non-acoustic parts of the song.

TSUKI NO UTA [Gackt]
Tsuki no Uta single
Gackt has a bunch of acoustic songs, all well-done, but I chose Tsuki no Uta since it's pretty much the only one of those songs that was important enough to be a single, and because we haven't seen much acoustic work from Gackt in a while. Entirely acoustic, with Chachamaru on guitar, You on violin, and a background of other miscellanous strings, the arrangement alone is enough to make this song worth a listen. Other Gackt songs featuring acoustic guitar, if you'd like to sample a few, are Leeca, Freesia, Bird Cage, and Missing.

IF ~HAI TO DAIYAMONDO [Glay]
Hai to Daiyamondo
As with BuriGuri's Rock 'n Roll, this is another lesser-known song that is one of the gems of Glay's huge discography. From their indies album of the same name, if ~hai to daiyamondo~ is one of those songs that Takuro and Glay really outdid themselves on, without seeming like they even tried. This song is very rough on the edges, again just like Rock 'n Roll, but the sheer simplicity of it gives it a flair that many of their other songs are hard-pressed to match.

EVERGREEN [Hyde]
Evergreen single/Roentgen
Hyde's first solo effort, Evergreen took a lot of people by surprise because of its radical departure from L'Arc~en~Ciel's signature sound. I call it a successful experiment. It's a very soothing song, probably the most flowing and smooth of Hyde's three "soft" singles, and the acoustic guitar and synthsized strings accentuate the dreamy atmosphere.

ZERO [Janne da Arc]
Gaia
An entirely instrumental piece in drop C# tuning that shows off You's composition skills and musical talent on the acoustic guitar, featuring fast moving sixteenth and thirty-second notes and harmonics interspersed amidst a slower, steadier rhythm of melodic chords. He only makes use of about half the fretboard here, but the end result more than makes up for that.

EMERAUDE [Lareine]
Fierte no Umi to tomo ni Kiyu
I've already spotlighted this song on here several times, but it deserves another mention. Overshadowed by Kamijo half the time, Mayu's parts in songs are usually limited to guitar solos, but here is a song where he takes the lead. The acoustic guitar in this Spanish flamenco-style work definitely makes the song what it is. Listen for Mayu's guitar accents not only in the middle solo, but intertwined with Kamijo's vocals for a fantastic duet.

LEMONED I SCREAM [Shame]
hide Tribute Spirits
The original has no acoustic guitar, but Shame's remake of this song is almost entirely acoustic, which lends a crazy, fun flair to this already odd song. This version of the hide classic is much more down-to-earth and laidback than the original, and is a must listen for hide fans and newbies alike.

LHASA (UNPLUGGED) [LA'CRYMA CHRISTI]
In Forest/Lhasa (unplugged) single
No matter if you're a fan of the band or not, and even if you don't like Taka's voice, this exquisite gem of a song is not to be missed. Consistent with the band's (Taka's) interest in all things Tibetian, the song features various Asian stringed instruments and acoustic percussion as well as the acoustic guitar, making for a very ethnic-sounding treat. The reason it's "unplugged" is that there is a regular non-acoustic version of the song on their album of the same name.

CALLING YOU (ACOUSTIC) [TAKUI]
live (no album)
A talented guitarist as well as vocalist, Takui is known for his acoustic guitar performances on most of the television and radio specials he's invited on. He's performed amazing acoustic renditions of many of his own songs, such as Saraba Matenro no Fairy Tale (with an accompanying acoustic backup band), as well as covers of well-known songs such as B'z's Alone. Unfortunately, he hasn't released any of these on CD, but I didn't want to pass him over. His performance of Calling You is the mostly widely known and available online out of all his acoustic performances, and is, as usual, a great example of his versatility.

VOICELESS SCREAMING [X Japan]
Jealousy
The band was technically still just X at the time, but that doesn't diminish the beauty of this composition in any way. X Japan's most overlooked ballad was written by Taiji and Toshi, a rare case in this band when Yoshiki was usually responsible for most of their slower songs. Granted, Voiceless Screaming is nowhere as dramatic and epic as Yoshiki's ballads, but it's mournfully beautiful in an entirely different way. If you can get your hands on a live performance of the song, be sure to watch it for a rare treat: Taiji on acoustic guitar.

Band members:
Vocals and Guitar: Motoo Fujiwara
Guitar: Hiroaki Masukawa
Bass: Yoshifumi Naoi
Drums: Hideo Masu

LAUGH MAKER (c/w found in the the Diamond single)
The fast bass drum accompanied by the repeating guitar chords make one anxious waiting for something exciting to come. Not to worry though..Motoo raises his voice with the 'Laugh maker' line. Quickly after this, the whole band joins in to fill in the empty gaps. A complete sound is then formed. The trademark BoC background vocals are soon heard and topped off with a guitar solo. The song slows down to emphasize Motoo's words. Once this has been done, it reaches its peak once again. A song truly overflowing with energy and life.

Arue (track #4 on the FLAME VEIN album)
This fast paced song with an intro that leads straight to the action is sure to draw you in. As Motoo's voice starts one can hear the story he wants to express is backed with a lot of energy. Right before the high impact chorus, Hiroaki's guitar and a more simple drum beat by Hideo bring an interesting change in the song. The chorus hits for the first time as the sets of Arue's are heard. A piece of fast spoken lines then leads to the chorus once again. After the chorus is repeated twice we are brought again to a different melody that serves as a quick break. This provides time for a short guitar solo which highlights the higher notes. Once this is over, however, the recognized chorus is mixed in with the calm solo. Motoo's raises his voice to smoothly bring back the chorus, but this time holds out the 'Arue' count longer to bring in a dream like state to the song. This song is one of the best portrayals of BoC's passionate side.

No Hit No Run (#5 on the FLAME VEIN album)
The soft count on the drums opens up this song. Motoo joins the developing softness with a very calm voice that offers up the advice of 'no hit no run.' A break then comes up focusing on the bass. The lines from here to the chorus are rushed. However, they are rushed in a way that leads up to the higher energy level of the chorus. Motoo is then backed by Hiroki and Yoshifumi in a rather calm atmosphere to repeat the line 'no hit no run.' This leads into the faster chorus in which the rushed lines catch up with the music. Motoo's voice increases in strength. Hiroki and Yoshifumi back up his fast paced lines with the calm 'no hit no run.' The bass once again provides a catchy background bit into which Motoo extends his voice and reaches the calm once again. The hurried beat returns with more force than before and leads to the passionate 'no hit no run.' This song shows dedication as well as the uplifting lyrics found within BoC compositions.

Glorious Revolution (#9 on the LIVING DEAD album)
The beginning: great drum intro by Hideo! Short yet catchy and fits in perfectly with a song bubbling with energy! The quick strumming by Motoo and Hideo bring the song in no time to the very catchy line 'Glorious Revolution.' After the chorus a solo starts of with the use of the bass drum. This then leads to the guitar solo by Motoo with quick changes from chord to chord. The song speeds up again and hits the chorus only to find again the heavy use of the bass drum. A song that makes me want to face the world and give my all in all situations.

K (#6 on the Living Dead album)
The songs is one of the few without an intro. Just full forced Motoo with light drums and airy guitars. The drums and guitar then become fuller to offer a quick boost. However, this is again subdued by the return of Motoo's gentle voice. This break comes to an end with the jolt caused by the increased speed of the drums and bass. Motoo raises his voice for the chorus, only to return to a faster version of the subdued part. The song is then followed by quick burst of energy by all the instruments. The high speed solo is then interrupted by the whispering of Naoi in the background. Motoo keeps his voice strong, but it is balanced by the gentle repetitions of 'Holy Night' in the background. The song comes to an end while still at high speeds. This is a very different ending for a BoC and it's one of the main reasons for being one of the 'must-hear songs.'

Title of Mine (#3 on the jupiter album)
The soft guitars lead you to believe that this is going to be one soft ballad. The song is truly in a very dream-like state at this point. Motoo's guitar leads in only to be joined by Hiroaki's. The bass drum joins in to reinforce the soft tones. Suddenly Motoo raises his voice and is joined in by the the rapid bass and exchanges of chords between Motoo and Hiroaki. They truly complement each other at this point. Motoo once again raises his voice and puts all his force into the chorus. The guitars follow a shower of cymbal crashes. A demanding tone from Motoo's voice join the high notes on the guitar. The audience is then returned to the dream once again. The drums slowly wake up the listener to the hard edge of the song. Motoo completes this 'return to reality' process with his deep, raspy voice. The song is unique in that it goes into these 'dream vs. reality' states effortlessly. The changes are quick and clean and leaves one wanting to hear more.

Lostman/Sailing Day
The most recent single by BoC is an amazing combo! The songs are completely opposites of each other and correctly portray the diversity and range within BoC's melodies and lyrics.

Lostman: This song is amazingly beautiful! There is no better way to describe it. One can feel the sincerity and honesty behind Motoo's voice and lyrics. The drums are very scarce in the beginning along with the guitars. This suddenly changes as the drums thicken with the presence of a recorded beat on a drum machine that is played at the same time as the softer beat Hideo is playing. One can feel the passion the person in the song has for finding his way in this world. Take a look at the PV of this song as well. This is one of the PV's that truly complements and improves the song.

Sailing Day: A song very different from BoC's past rock songs. The song is brought in lightly, yet with full impact! This song is truly one of the fastest BoC songs out there. All the instruments come together to deliver a sound full and complete. I really enjoyed the pairing of Lost Man/Sailing Day as singles.

For more information on Bump of Chicken visit: http://bump-of-chicken.tripod.com
Official website: http://www.bumpofchicken.com

16th single Ueta Taiyou c/w Medical Body
out 20.08.03
AVCD-32016 | ￥1,050 (tax in)

Also on 18 Sept 03, compilations Singles and Another Singles (c/w compilation) will be released.

You can preorder all of these at CD Japan.