Do you like Heisei Fuzoku?

[bam]

I can dig it! most of the remakes are very cool! and the "composite" la salle de bain and yokushitsu is just to cool!

[HEDOfloe]

Originally Posted by Ananda

I think it's a good background album, despite some weak songs.

What do you mean by "background album?"

[Ananda]

Sorry that was something I directly translated from French.

HF is the kind of album I can listen to while doing something else. When I'm working, I often listen to this album, but I can't do the same with KSK, which is so much deeper. I can't work properly listening to Shuukyou or Souretsu for instance.

That's what I meant by "background album".

[HEDOfloe]

Originally Posted by Ananda

Sorry that was something I directly translated from French.

HF is the kind of album I can listen to while doing something else. When I'm working, I often listen to this album, but I can't do the same with KSK, which is so much deeper. I can't work properly listening to Shuukyou or Souretsu for instance.

That's what I meant by "background album".

Oh, I see what you mean. I'm the opposite, I usually get distracted by HF so I just listen to the instrumentals instead

[Lena-chan]

I prefer HF over Adult

[zach]

I love it. It's not her most brilliant album from a compositional standpoint (considering the number of covers), but stylistically she is ceaselessly experimental, and this album is another SR flag planted on another stylistic planet. Many artists feel content after "finding their sound." Then they have a sound that works and they go with it, develop it, etc. But I think SR found a "sound" ages ago, and then decided to find a different one. And a different one. And then a different one. She just loves to find sounds, and she proves to be thoroughly capable at all of them. When Shiina Ringo is on the loose, no genre is safe.

That's one reason I seriously enjoy "Oiran." I've read diparaging remarks about this track, but I would like to point out that as a trained and experienced songwriter I am envious of her lyrics (in her second language) on this track. No re-translating necessary here. The melody is fantastic and the style is, of course, something different. We've seen hints at this style before, but never anything full-blown. And the flag goes up on another uncharted territory.

And has no one yet commented on her voice on this album? She sounds way more mature vocally. Crisper, smoother, more polished, confident, like she's learned what she can do and what she can't, and that's added on to her usual fantastic vibrato control, her always-impeccable tonal control, and her consistently accurate emotional interpretation. And I seriously dig the new vocal tricks she's trying. To me the vocals are the high point of HF, making it thoroughly enjoyable for any fan of SR's stylistic journey.

And yeah, the La Salle/Yokushitsu hybrid is something I'd always secretly longed for (it's one of my fave SR melodies), but I never thought it would actually happen. I was pretty stoked about that. They kept my favorite parts too (most notably the brilliant orchestral arrangement and Kameda's kick-ass fretless part). Wasn't thrilled with the tempo drop -- I think a few clicks faster would have given the song more punch. (I suppose some of the violinists may have had heart attacks in the final chorus though.)

[Tokyo Jihad]

Originally Posted by zach

And has no one yet commented on her voice on this album? She sounds way more mature vocally. Crisper, smoother, more polished, confident, like she's learned what she can do and what she can't, and that's added on to her usual fantastic vibrato control, her always-impeccable tonal control, and her consistently accurate emotional interpretation. And I seriously dig the new vocal tricks she's trying. To me the vocals are the high point of HF, making it thoroughly enjoyable for any fan of SR's stylistic journey.

See, i thought the vocals were bored and lacking. I just chalked that up to the style and not to Shiina, however.

(tho, I chalk the style up to Shiina anyway >_> )

[Maou]

I give the Ukigumo Virus a big thumbs down on his participation on this album. Oiran is terrible and Gamble is almost ruined by him. Gamble would have been so much better without his guitar sucking the life out of the song. It's a really sad time when I enjoy Yayoshi's guitar over anybody.

[fluffiethesock]

You didn't like the guitar version either? He didn't have much of a part in the HF version.

[HEDOfloe]

Originally Posted by zach

And has no one yet commented on her voice on this album? She sounds way more mature vocally. Crisper, smoother, more polished, confident, like she's learned what she can do and what she can't, and that's added on to her usual fantastic vibrato control, her always-impeccable tonal control, and her consistently accurate emotional interpretation. And I seriously dig the new vocal tricks she's trying. To me the vocals are the high point of HF, making it thoroughly enjoyable for any fan of SR's stylistic journey.

Yea, I'm surprised I never said anything about her voice as well, . I really like her vocals on this album, I really miss them when I hear the instrumental version of the album, but this is why I do not think the vocals alone are the high point of the album because when you hear the instrumental versions I noticed a lot more of the music that I had not heard in the original version. I think the music is great and a great showcase of her talents because it must be tough to take rock songs and turn them into orchestrated ones.