Did you think that Shiina Ringo's voice was atrocious, at first?
 

I remember first listening to Shiina Ringo. The first two tracks I heard were Mayonaka Wa Junketsu and Morphine. I could not, for the life of me, understand why Shiina Ringo was so highly regarded by her fans. It wasn't JUST the shrieking and wailing. Everything sounded horribly out of tune--Now, she's my favourite artist.

Admittedly, before I got into SR, I only listened to mainstream US/UK pop music, so I hadn't been exposed to any slightly unconventional artists.

There's also a second phase, which I'm *still* kind of in, in which a lot of Shiina Ringo's lives don't sound as good as her recordings. I'm slowly warming to the live performances now, i.e. orchestrated Meisai, Dynamite Out Ringo no Uta (Which I think walks all over the Ed. version), and EM Tsumi no Batsu (Which proved to me that she's still got in when she's on stage)-- I still have difficulty understanding how people prefer SR/TJ live overall, though.

I never hated Ringo's voice ever! it's an unusual beautiful voice that never fails to captivate my ears. I don't get your dislike for the lives ? that's where they really come to life, especially on the king of lives 'Dynamite Out'

Interesting.

Surprisingly, the first song I listened by her was Stoicism, which I thought it was some kind of anime op/ed and I didn't know it was a song by Shiina Ringo. Some months after, I listened to Yokushitsu, Identity and Tsumi to Batsu, and I really fell in love with that 'weird' voice... It was like "WHOA!", especially with Yokushitsu.

When I got to listen to the whole Shouso Strip album and I noticed Stoicism was featured there... it was like... Yeah, like "WHOA!" :wub:.

This being said, I must confess that no, I didn't think her voice was atrocious (only her demos sound a little... y'know...).

Curiously, I HATE her voice in Dynamite out... Too high-pitched for me :hmph:.

wow! really ? I adore her voice in that concert:wub:

I like Toumei Ningen, Koi no Urikomi, Superstar and some of them, but... I don't know, Dynamite out gives me headaches! I never watched the whole show without jumping some songs xD...

Additionally, when I used to visit my mother and blast SR music, she would go "Ugh, who's that? Terrible singer." Now she thinks that SR's a genius (She mostly listens to Motown stuff)

Hahaha, at first, my mom called her "That noisy Chinese", and now she calls her "That Shiina Ringo" LOL. She has also ended loving Hikki :wub: .

most people I know are the same! though it's mostly narrow mindness when they say rubbish 'Chinese Music' when they full know that she is in fact Japanese :hmph: some people just won't be converted or at the very least allow themselves to understand that songs are sung in more languages than just English.

it really pisses me off

Shame on them!