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Old 2016.03.20, 08:25 AM   #1761
Osiris12345
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Originally Posted by BulletClub View Post
Well. Buzzfeed Japan has a "best Shiina/Jihen album poll":

http://www.buzzfeed.com/keijiroabe/s...oll#.ocdZEj3OJ
Really surprised to see MM ranked at the top. I thought SS was a shoe-in but maybe MM's considered more classic in Japan.

If anyone cares here's my personal album rankings:
1. KSK
I can listen to the entire album in one sitting every time. It can't be touched. Every time I listen to it I experience something new and hear things in a way I haven't before. I can't emphasize how much this album has STILL inspired me as a writer 6-7 years later.
2. SS
Honestly about half the album is skippable (Benkai, sometimes Gibs, Tsuki ni, Sakana, Byoushou) but the tracks that are good are REALLY good and the highs are much greater than the lows. The distorted noise also makes the album pretty punk rock - in a good way. And how could the album Honnou is on be any lower?
3. MM
Every song on this album is actually pretty solid and I only skip a couple tracks but it doesn't have the emotional weight of her sophomore effort and KSK. Morphine ain't no Izonshou or Souretsu.
4. SG
Very listenable album that has songs I can listen to over and over but it's pretty light on the rock. It's a solid pop album from start to finish though.
5. Sports
Admittedly this is ranked this high because I love Noudouteki Sanpunkan, Zettai Zetsumei, and Kimaru that much.
6. UM
Still a good album and a fun novelty but I don't listen to it as much these days. There are some real gems on here though.
7. Kyoiku
Probably the "best" Jihen album as far as songwriting goes but the instrumentation and production quality are pretty lackluster. Sounan still sounds good. I hardly ever listen to it since we have Dynamite Out.
8. Adult
Another album where half the songs are skippable to me. That Yukiguni to Kabuki lead-in is ear sex though.
9. Dai-Hakken
Pretty mediocre album if I'm being honest. I think I still only listen to about 4 tracks from it and I don't even remember their names except for Dopamint.
10. HF
The poor man's UM with Ringo covering herself instead of other artists. The novelty of orchestrated versions of KSK and SS era songs has kind of worn off at this point and the new tracks are ones I like but don't listen to as much now. My fiancee and I still say "shady nuke" on occasion to each other so that's something.
11. Self-Covers Album
A fun album but I've barely listened to it since I got it. I do love her version of that one Chiaki Kuriyama song though. It's like the Shun of the album.
12. Variety
Killer Tune alone is such a good song that it saves this from being placed last on the list.
13. Color Bars
I only like one song from this EP so I think that tells you everything you need to know.

Haven't listen to yet. SUNNY
I can't judge since I haven't really heard it. If it's anything like the EMF posters have been saying though I'm guessing it's not the triumphant return of SS-KSK era Ringo.
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Old 2016.03.20, 08:34 PM   #1762
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Originally Posted by Osiris12345 View Post
Haven't listen to yet. SUNNY
I can't judge since I haven't really heard it. If it's anything like the EMF posters have been saying though I'm guessing it's not the triumphant return of SS-KSK era Ringo.
Honestly, I'd (continue to) give it a miss if I were you. Based on your list, I'd guess that Sunny would rank pretty far down toward the bottom. But even setting that aside, between Expo '14 and some of her more recent live performances, she covers the same territory - minus the ear-bleedingly-awful mastering. And in typical Ringo fashion, I wouldn't say the studio performances are any better than the live versions either (with the possible exception of Sekidou o Koetara, but it's pretty close).
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Old 2016.03.21, 01:26 AM   #1763
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To play devil's advocate, it's not exactly worlds away from SG musically. If someone had told me it was a collection of Sanmon b-sides and album rejects, I'd probably believe them. The only complete train wreck on there is NIPPON. It's not a triumphant return by any measure but I don't think it's the worst thing she/TJ ever put out.

Also Sakana is a massive tune.
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Old 2016.03.21, 08:06 AM   #1764
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Originally Posted by Osiris12345 View Post
Haven't listen to yet. SUNNY
I can't judge since I haven't really heard it. If it's anything like the EMF posters have been saying though I'm guessing it's not the triumphant return of SS-KSK era Ringo.
Bear in mind Jihad loved it—it's a polarising record. You just tend to hear more of the negative side of that around these parts.

You should give it a go on the merit of the album originals which are the meat of the first half (and hey, the only new demo track she's adapted since 2000, which always struck me as a big deal for her). Just skip the awful A-sides she/they padded into the album, and don't listen with headphones if you value the not-bleeding-ness of your ears, and it's...worth trying out?

Originally Posted by Osiris12345 View Post
12. Variety
Killer Tune alone is such a good song that it saves this from being placed last on the list.
Ha, I'm not the only one here who genuinely likes it? It's Phase 2 at their most Phase 2. A hot mess of all five of them jamming and doing their own thing...just a lot of fun.

Last edited by The Most Curious Thing : 2016.03.21 at 08:12 AM.
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Old 2016.03.21, 08:41 AM   #1765
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Originally Posted by K__ View Post
To play devil's advocate, it's not exactly worlds away from SG musically. If someone had told me it was a collection of Sanmon b-sides and album rejects, I'd probably believe them. The only complete train wreck on there is NIPPON. It's not a triumphant return by any measure but I don't think it's the worst thing she/TJ ever put out.
I was playing a bit of devil's advocate myself in my original post; in general, I would agree with your assessment.

I am sure I've said this before, but the issue I have with Sunny is not really with any of the songs themselves, other than NIPPON. Most of the songs are actually quite good. Even the old A-sides are individually good songs (I personally love Irohanihoheto, for example). It's just that Sunny includes too many previously-released tracks, and as a result, it doesn't seem really cohesive as an album. Had she taken just the new tracks and released them as an EP, I think we'd all be raving about it.
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Old 2016.03.21, 09:16 AM   #1766
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I think the songcraft on SUNNY is pretty great across the board (except NIPPON, which is trash). My issue with it is the fact it feels like a collection of tracks rather than an album. Most of the tracks are pretty good (except NIPPON, which is trash), but they don't all really work as one cohesive whole. Borrowing from Jihad's post you linked to:

Right out of the gates after the intro track we have to address the elephant in the room with this record -- half of the record is odds and ends from the last 7 years. Sometimes the colorful context of this album breathes new life into these tracks. For the most part, they all fit the theme of the album and don’t sound too out of place, but some sound less thought out than the new tracks (except NIPPON, which is trash)
Also Chichinpuipui still bangs in K's whip.
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Old 2016.03.21, 09:39 AM   #1767
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Originally Posted by zeroryouko View Post
Had she taken just the new tracks and released them as an EP, I think we'd all be raving about it.
Forget EP, you can get a solid, 36+ minute album from all post-Jihen tracks, I guarantee it (production issues notwithstanding). Heck, the entire stretch from Hashire wa Number to Irohanihoheto can remain untouched.

I meant to try it out, uh...last year, but after work tonight I may whip something up in Audacity with a few select changes.
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Old 2016.03.21, 07:12 PM   #1768
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NIPPON actually sounds pretty great I almost never skip it. It's great pop writing. Chichinpuipui I've grown from being just lukewarm about to really really loving.
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Old 2016.03.22, 09:21 AM   #1769
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Originally Posted by The Most Curious Thing View Post
Ha, I'm not the only one here who genuinely likes it? It's Phase 2 at their most Phase 2. A hot mess of all five of them jamming and doing their own thing...just a lot of fun.
Believe it or don't: I like Killer Tune. After the first week or so of "it's just Konoyo no Kagiri with Tokyo Jihen" disappointment, I came around on the song.

Originally Posted by Osiris12345 View Post
2. SS
Honestly about half the album is skippable (sometimes Gibs, Tsuki ni, Sakana, Byoushou)



Originally Posted by Osiris12345 View Post
3. MM
Morphine ain't no Izonshou or Souretsu.
It's actually my favorite song on the album. Second is Akane Sasu...

Originally Posted by Osiris12345 View Post
Haven't listen to yet. SUNNY
I can't judge since I haven't really heard it. If it's anything like the EMF posters have been saying though I'm guessing it's not the triumphant return of SS-KSK era Ringo.
The album suffers from being mostly retreads and having too many singles on the album. It's worth a listen though. JL005, Chichinpuipui, Ima, Irohanihoheto and Arikitari na Onna are all good songs. Arikitari na Onna pretty much shows you what Phase 2 would have been like with Yukio Nagoshi instead of Ukigumo. Spoilers: it's much better.
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Old 2016.03.22, 04:34 PM   #1770
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Sanmon Gossip vs Sunny. I think Sanmon Gossip was the first album that fully realised the jazzy pop sound she was toying with forever (the album that Mayonaka wa Junketsu would lead into) so it made more of an impact.

From what *I* can hear, at least, most of Sunny is a case of been there, done that. I think the album IS cohesive, but the parts are too familiar. Like you could easily make your own Sunny by making a playlist of past Tokyo Jihen/Shiina Ringo tracks. I probably thought the same thing about Dai Hakken, but this is even MORE so. Could be the actual old tracks, I dunno.

Although both are loud albums, Sunny verges on twee (in a stepford smiling way) whereas Sanmon Gossip is manic, messy pandemonium and the latter appeals to me more, even if I wish it had more tracks like Ariamaru Tomi or Arikatari na Onna which weren't so fanciful.

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