[TJ] 2007.09.26 - Variety (CD) [Album]

[Inaudible-Whisper]

Ok, I'm late to the party, but I've only just got my net fully up and running. Anyway, Variety. I actually like it more than I expected to after the first few listens. There are a few catchy songs. Having said that, it is instrumentally weak (I don't mean they're not played well, I mean nothing stands out both in sound and melody) and by far the worst Jihen release. I'll happily sit in the "It's ok" camp, rather than the "I dislike it" camp, but anything not brilliant from Shiina/Jihen is disappointing in my eyes. Tsukigime-hime is awesome though.

[golem09]

One thing I noticed about Variety is that I miss the TJ "killer-endings". I always liked how they finished the songs by going all crazy, most of the time with intrumental solos or somethig like that. The only one I can remember on variety was Killer Tune, and even that can't compete with the likes of Omatsuri Sawagi, Gunjô Biyori, Tasogare Naki or Toumei Ningen.

[fluffiethesock]

Originally Posted by Hedofloe

When did you get the album? It's been out for like 2 weeks and now is when you are beginning to appreciate it?

Rats! I just got a blue screen of death while I was finishing this post the first time.

Anyway, I had been listening to Variety and enjoying it, but now I've reached the point where I can really appreciate it (or find fault in it). I'm no longer at the "what the heck is this new music" stage, and I've started to get used to the songs, so I can safely say how I feel about them. Maybe my opinion will change later, but I'll let you know then.

Some of the 'shallow' songs seem to fill up a bit more as I listen to them. I'm enjoying Shiseikatsu more than I did previously, which I actually predicted (maybe it's a song-fulfilling prophecy), and Mirrorball doesn't bother me as much. The only tracks I might consider skipping besides Mirrorball are Fukushuu and Killer Tune, and admittedly that is just because I don't like their positions on the album. Other than that, I'm really digging Variety. I still haven't decided whether I like this or Kyouiku more though.

I'm thinking that I prefer the songs and styles in Variety, but I consider the Kyouiku songs to be better-written when it comes to music in general... if that makes any sense.

I enjoy this sound for Tokyo Jihen more than its previous line-up's style -- and that's honestly not because I'm afraid to say anything bad about Phase 2. This is just my kind of music. Just not as much as Adult was.

[madpawn]

I've settled into that stage too. Generally I like all the songs better, and it's a nice album that brightens my mood when I put it on. I can't say the same about the new Joni Mitchell, Me'shell Ndegeocello or PJ Harvey—brilliant, but goddamn depressing sometimes.



And OSCA is now officially my second favourite TJ song ever after Jusui Negai (or however you spell it), and right above Himitsu. It just CAN'T GET OLD. It's been OVER THREE MONTHS and it's NOT GETTING OLD!

[HEDOfloe]

Originally Posted by fluffiethesock

Rats! I just got a blue screen of death while I was finishing this post the first time.

Anyway, I had been listening to Variety and enjoying it, but now I've reached the point where I can really appreciate it (or find fault in it). I'm no longer at the "what the heck is this new music" stage, and I've started to get used to the songs, so I can safely say how I feel about them. Maybe my opinion will change later, but I'll let you know then.

Some of the 'shallow' songs seem to fill up a bit more as I listen to them. I'm enjoying Shiseikatsu more than I did previously, which I actually predicted (maybe it's a song-fulfilling prophecy), and Mirrorball doesn't bother me as much. The only tracks I might consider skipping besides Mirrorball are Fukushuu and Killer Tune, and admittedly that is just because I don't like their positions on the album. Other than that, I'm really digging Variety. I still haven't decided whether I like this or Kyouiku more though.

Yeah, I see what you mean. I got to that phase pretty quickly since I heard it so much the week that it came out ^__^. But yea, I have noticed all the things I thought were wrong with the album more thoroughly and I've also bumped up a couple of songs because I enjoy them more now. I now love Kingyo no Hako, at first it seemed too hectic but now I really love it. Mirrorball I really like now, as I had mentioned, I was just disappointed that it was not the same as the JCHI version and also I skipped it a lot when I did not have time to hear the whole album but wanted to get to the other songs. Shiseikatsu I still just like, but I definitely enjoy listening to it more than I did before.

Originally Posted by madpawn

I've settled into that stage too. Generally I like all the songs better, and it's a nice album that brightens my mood when I put it on. I can't say the same about the new Joni Mitchell, Me'shell Ndegeocello or PJ Harvey—brilliant, but goddamn depressing sometimes.



And OSCA is now officially my second favourite TJ song ever after Jusui Negai (or however you spell it), and right above Himitsu. It just CAN'T GET OLD. It's been OVER THREE MONTHS and it's NOT GETTING OLD!

I have not really thought about OSCA in respect to it's rank on my list, but I definitely still enjoy it just as much as I did before. I've played it 54 times on my computer, and probably just as many if not more on my Zune, so yea I really love it . I also enjoy it a lot more recently because I had been skipping it on Variety so I can hear the new songs more, and now I stopped skipping it and it's love all over again

[fluffiethesock]

Wow, this is my first time listening to Variety with high-quality headphones. It really sounds so much better. Though my laptop's speakers are great for a laptop, they're still laptop speakers. And my CD-player headphones don't do this album justice at all. 5 more points for Variety.

[HEDOfloe]

Yeah, they put so many sounds into it that it's a shame when you listen to the album on a medium that doesn't get them all out to you clearly. Zune headphones rock!

[pariscombo]

EMI-KOREA 'Variety' CM

[HEDOfloe]

Nice little commercial. I like how it shows a clip from OSCA and the way their names appear. The cat is funny too

[HEDOfloe]

Apparently, my favorite track on Variety is Boutomin. I have played it 27 times on my computer (not counting my mobile play counts). OSCA and Killer Tune, though, are past 40s in Lastfm but that is the single mp3, not the one on the album. What song have you guys played the most?