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Old 2011.10.22, 06:25 PM   #751
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Originally Posted by Carlx View Post
I don't really like Gunjou Biyori, never did. Am I the only one here?
I've been listening to Kyouiku a bit, and honestly, it has never stood out to me. I just don't remember it.
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Old 2011.10.22, 06:30 PM   #752
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It's overshadowed by Sounan, definitely.
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Old 2011.10.22, 07:22 PM   #753
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HZM's contributions to Education's tracklist werent very good. I still dont like Service. Gunjou was a plain baloney sandwich. Nyusui Negai should have been the debut single, IMO.
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Old 2011.10.23, 05:18 AM   #754
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Only if they used the DO version of Jusui Negai. Compared to that, the album version sounds just pathetic.
DO Service and Gunjou is just perfect. One of the reasons I can't stand Kyouiku overall is because everyone version of the songs from DO (except for Sounan) are better than the album versions.
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Old 2011.10.23, 06:48 AM   #755
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I doubt that Phase 1's Variety or Sports would top SR's solo work if HZM wrote most of the songs, if Pianohead is anything to go by. Gunjou is not bad, but it's no more interesting than, say, 'New Civilization', is it? And Service is like Variety's origin story or something.

I think Ukigumo's songs (I'm including Petrolz work here) are the strongest out of any non-SR TJ member past or present ONLY when he brings his A-game to the table. When he doesn't, his stuff is either extremely forgettable or awful. And his songs seem terribly 'rambly' and sound like they could be edited down a bit.

My (impossible) DIY TJ album would contain Hirama songs and Uki-Shiina collabs (not SR solo, because maybe she did run out of ideas by Adult). And the occasional SR-Kameda song, if that one Dai Hakken tells us that SR's intervention can divert Kameda's stuff from Senkou Shoujo land.

Yep. Sorry. Just dreaming here.
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Old 2011.10.23, 06:55 AM   #756
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I've never been that particular to Gunjou Byori. It sounds pretty much cut from the same mold as Senkou Shoujo or any other Kameda track, despite not being written by him. In all actuality, I find the DVL version to more interesting than any of the others.

Kyouiku on a whole was always really weak to me, but then again, haters gon' hate. The only song I really get into is Genjitsu wo Warau. Jusui Negai is pretty good, though I do prefer the JCHI incarnation.
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Old 2011.10.23, 10:44 AM   #757
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Originally Posted by Scribble R View Post

I think Ukigumo's songs (I'm including Petrolz work here) are the strongest out of any non-SR TJ member past or present ONLY when he brings his A-game to the table. When he doesn't, his stuff is either extremely forgettable or awful. And his songs seem terribly 'rambly' and sound like they could be edited down a bit.
I'd say Izawa's contributions were better than Uki's. Tegami for starters.
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Old 2011.10.23, 10:48 AM   #758
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Gunjo is the best pop song Jihen has done. Considering all the j-pop fans here, it is astounding to me that it isn't more appreciated. It has that j-pop hyperdrive feel that Jihen has been trying to replicate since, but retains that Shiina Ringo bite and that Tokyo Jihen energy. It's a great song, an if you find your self trying to argue that tracks like Zettaichi tai Soutaichi, Season Sayonara, and Bunmei Kaika are "great" Tokyo Jihen songs; I urge you to give Gunjo a few more listens.

As for Kyouiku, it isn't an amazing album, but the songwriting is impeccable and a strong record for any act. It is dampened with lousy production and mastering which it tries admirably to overcome. It may not be the band's best record to date, but since Adult, Kyouiku remains an album the band hasn't matched.
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Old 2011.10.23, 12:22 PM   #759
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I reckon that Izawa's more consistent and probably more versatile than Ukigumo. And considering how inconsistent Ukigumo is, I'd rather an Izawa-centric album than an Uki one. But if we're talking about being 'emotionally moved' and all that jazz, his ballads don't do anything for me that isn't covered by Yume no Ato or Nippon ni Umarete, etc. Kaban no Nakami is probably the biggest surprise from Izawa. Sounds more like an Uki song.

Whereas something like Kimaru or Ichijiku no Hana or even Metro are touching in a different way to the rest of SR's catalogue. Plus, I'd think that if any musician from SR's entire career could exploit her Tony!Tone! Toni influences (she says 'Sons of Soul' is her favourite album EVAR) it would be him? They should be compatible in theory.

*

I think Kaika is better than Gunjou Biyori. Izawa's whole schtick is that bouncy hyper fun feel and that infuses Kaika, in its verses, with a lot of character -- even if they're both pretty 'one-note' compared to her solo stuff. Whereas Gunjou Biyori lies closer to the Sora Ga Natteiru end of the scale of being 'yeah, pop-rock...so what?' for me.

I'll be killed for this, but I think I like Kyouiku's songs better than KZK's. If it weren't for the arrangements, I don't think I'd find Odajini, Meisai, Ishiki, Kuki (gasp), Poltergeist all that memorable. I'd rather take Ringo no Uta, Genjitsu wo Warau, Sounan, Jusui Negai, Omatsuri Sawagi, Yume no Ato.

Adult is weak, too. Kyouiku and Adult should have just been the fourth Shiina Ringo album (even though if I do like the 'feel' of Adult). Bakeneko Killer. Kick out Service, Gunjou Biyori. Combine Genjitsus. Add Himitsu, Shuraba and Nu-Gamble. Perfection. Mayakashi Yasaokoto would even suit that album =P

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Old 2011.10.23, 01:04 PM   #760
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You brought up something i feel like I need to point out. In my conversations with Maou particularly in the past, we talked about the whole reason that KZK seems to be favored is because the arrangements are so inventive, and that somehow means, since the material can be re-arrranged and not be memorable, the material is somehow lesser.

I think that's wrong. The arrangement of the song is just as important as the melody or lyrics. It's not an afterthought. When a song reaches a true synthesis of lyrics, composition, and arrangement, you have a solid song.

Because saying one verse-chorus structure song is better than another verse-chorus structure song just means nothing to me. The arrangements are what MAKES the song.

/rant off
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