Would You Miss the Band?

[kuro_neko]

if we argue about this anymore its just going to go back and forth back and forth. clearly it all boils down to assumptions and a matter of personal taste. while I do think ringo does take into consideration the artists she works with, I don't think she is nearly as impressionable as you are suggesting. I've never heard that bit about the MM equipment, and that sounds highly phishy to me to begin with considering it was her label debut and they gave her hell over the entire album, from track selection to production, even down to the rearranging the single version of koufukuron. where did you hear about that bit?

I don't think h zett m is a natural fit to ringo because her music, while clearly written on piano, isn't necessarily piano-centric and h zett m tends to dominate that aspect, much in the same way hirama dominates the guitar. combined with the bass from kameda and the crazy drumming from hata, you end up getting songs like GB, which when initially released people complained sounded on the verge of overproduced. there is just too much going on in the majority of the songs from that era, its like every instrument had to be fit in somehow, everyone going nuts and it just sounds like its too much half the time.

my friends, on the other hand, who are fans of solo ringo, though kyouiku was okay but vastly preferred adult when it was released. and no one I know has ever commented on the jazz sounding forced, if anything that has to do with your perception of what ringo should be singing, because sonically the jazz bits and the rock bitcs fuse pretty well.

ive personally never noticed the sake to geko kao bit, but if it does sound the same I'm sure its more of a self reference than a rip off. maybe in the same way that ringo uses the same scat from jazz a gogo in kenka joutou and pieces from her earlier solo work in some of the tj material.

but like I said, in the end its all about our personal perceptions and to get back to the topic

ringo without jihen is most likely not solo ringo, I don't believe she would stop jihen and go solo again. so if the band ended I would be upset because that would most likely be the end of her direct involvement in music. she might compose and work behind the scenes, but I think jihen is probably where she wants and plans to be until it ends.

[fluffiethesock]

Originally Posted by Maou

The ending piano sounds 95% the same as the JCHI version of Kao. Then again, it might be another one of those forgettable songs I'm thinking of.

Probably another one of those forgettable songs. Are you thinking of Genjitsu wo Warau? That's a lot like Kao.

[Maou]

It's totally not SR being impressionable when she takes suggestions for others, but rather the complete respect she has for the people she works with. She always listens and even adapts her style to fit them better (see her her duets with Utada Hikaru). The note about her switching equipment is in the MM scorebook.

Kyouiku is under produced which is why it's a mess. You also got non-messy songs like Yume no Ato or songs where they meshed perfectly as a band like Sounan or Omatsuri Sawagi.

And I'm pretty sure I got the right song, Fluffie. I'm also sure I'm not the only one who has mentioned this.

[justriiingo]

Oh Shiina Ringo.

You have divided us fans. We can't agree on anything anymore.
What are you going to do next?

(tecktonik tecktonik tecktonik please please please) lol.

[Osiris12345]

I honestly would not care if Ringo called it quits with the band.

[kuro_neko]

Originally Posted by Osiris12345

I honestly would not care if Ringo called it quits with the band.

[mizer_unmei]

Variety totally reignited my love for them. Plus it did show that the rest of the band could participate too. Adult has some really good songs, but I couldn't ever listen to it all the way through. Variety was solid as an album and had several songs that I listened to on repeat. (Kingyo no Hako is genius.) And although I didn't like OSCA as a single, it got so much better in the album.

I never look at them as a whole band, so I guess I wouldn't really care. But all I really want now is a new album, from Ringo to TJ. It's already been a year+ since Variety and all she seems to be doing now is writing for others. Bleh.

[Nimh]

^^^ I agree with all of the above and care not who thinks otherwise.