2011.12.09, 12:58 PM | #7321 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Yukihiro Takahashi - Neuromantic
My favorite Japanese album in 1981, and maybe of 1981. Technodelic was more adventurous, but this was more fun. At least partially recorded in London (lots of Tokyo/London stuff was happening that year) and probably completely mixed there as well, as Steve Nye has mixing credit, and probably helped produce. Just sounds better than the Hosono-produced BGM and Technodelic. Guest work by Roxy Music's Phil Manzanara and Andy Macay, and Tony Mansfield. The title of William Gibson's novel "Neuromancer" was purportedly inspired by this album's title, which was probably thought up by English YMO lyricist Peter Barakan as a pun on the then-prevalent New Romantic pop genre. "Glass" (Yukihiro Takahashi, Peter Barakan) – 6:03 "Grand Espoir" (Haruomi Hosono, Barakan) – 4:38 "Connection" (Takahashi, Barakan) – 5:05 "New (Red) Roses" (Takahashi, Kenji Omura) – 3:49 "Extra-Ordinary" (Takahashi, Barakan) – 4:26 "Drip Dry Eyes" (Chris Mosdell, Takahashi) – 5:31 "Curtains" (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takahashi, Barakan) – 3:41 "Charge" (Takahashi, Barakan) – 2:34 "Something In The Air" (Takahashi, Barakan) – 4:51 Personnel Yukihiro Takahashi – Vocals, drums, keyboards, mixing Haruomi Hosono – Keyboards Ryuichi Sakamoto – Keyboards Kenji Omura – Guitars Tony Mansfield – Keyboards, backing vocals Phil Manzanera – Guitars Andy Mackay – Saxophones, oboe Hideki Matsutake – Computer programming and operation Technical personnel Shoro Kawazoe - executive producer Yukimasa Okumura - artwork Hiromi Kanai - artwork Tomohiro Itami - artwork Mitsuo Koike - engineer Steve Nye - engineer, mixing Ian Little - assistant engineer Renata Blauel - assistant engineer Yoshifumi Ito - assistant engineer Masayoshi Sukita - Photography Sheila Rock - Photography Kazusuke Obi - artist relations Hiroshi Kato - recording coordination Toshi Yajima - recording coordination Lorraine Kinman - stylist Takeshi Fujii - equipment Peter Barakan - management Yoichi Ito - management Allmusic review: Fans of Takahashi's style as a member of YMO won't be disappointed in this release, which features solid, clever songwriting, Takahashi's usual silvery, squooshy vocals, and sharp, programmed keyboards and beats. Technically a solo album, both Ryuichi Sakamoto and Harry Hosono lend a hand, as does stalwart YMO sessionman Kenji Omura, and the band's Western lyricists Peter Barakan and Chris Mosdell. More surprising are the appearances by Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay, lending guitar and sax to half the tracks. Stylistically, the album is a companion piece to YMO's Technodelic (from the same year), sharing much of the same sound and feel. "Drip Dry Eyes" could be a Roxy Music number, and not because of the guest stars, while "Extraordinary" and "Glass" are excellent techno-pop in its earliest incarnation. And the ending number "Something in the Air" is a beautiful up-tempo ballad like "Cue" from BGM. A satisfying album.
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2011.12.13, 09:59 AM | #7322 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Wow, this thread is dead this week. 4 day gap and here I am double posting. Anyway...
Kraftwerk's Computer World was/is one of my favorite albums from 1981. I eagerly anticipated its release, still remember buying and opening it (in front of unimpressed friends whose high school rock band mostly played late-'60s fossil rock), liked it as soon as I played it, and saw the band in concert later that year. Almost no need to bother posting links about it; it's pretty much universally acclaimed for being extremely influential, bla bla bla. And I still have the Japanese-language single of Numbers.
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2011.12.13, 01:37 PM | #7323 | |||
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This song was posted/commented before, and I just found this video I had recorded (literally, I had to capture it straight from the screen with a software, it was such an unusual video streaming that I wouldn't be able to download the source file even if I tried in many ways) more than a year ago while it was available on the official page — it's a newer and different arrangement; I uploaded subtitles for it too (which won't appear if you play the video embedded here), by the way. |
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2011.12.13, 04:56 PM | #7324 | |||
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I like the new Soil & "PIMP" Sessions a lot more than the last one, this being my favorite track from it.
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2011.12.13, 06:20 PM | #7325 |
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Sounds great, I like it a lot. By the way, is that the keyboardist/pianist in Shun? Because it sounds similar or familiar to my ears. If not, who is it?
Last edited by Carlx : 2011.12.13 at 06:24 PM. |
2011.12.14, 03:02 AM | #7326 |
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2011.12.14, 07:11 AM | #7327 | |||
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So, they're pretty hipster no thanks to Pitchfork, but they're still the most awesome, interesting hardcore punk band around IMO. That's right, it's Converge, and I think I'm gonna binge up on em. This is the best song to play in the car ever by the way. And if you are the kind of person that is partial to this style of music, make sure you see them live at least once in your life (I've seen em 3 times)
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2011.12.14, 01:33 PM | #7328 |
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Every single time I listen to Sakana (studio version, of course) I have this irrational feeling, as if it were the most raw, honest, visceral, ingenious, contradictory music ever written. And more, I guess.
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2011.12.14, 08:04 PM | #7329 | |||||||||
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Another song off of Sakamoto's Left Handed Dream; one where you can hear Adrian Bekew's guitar work. 1981, not 1982.
One song each from two great 1984 albums.
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2011.12.15, 12:51 AM | #7330 | |||
nameless monster
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His 1978 album "Let's Ondo Again" was mentions as Peter Barakan's favorite Japanese albums. And he produced Kanazawa Akiko's (in)famous Yellow Submarine Ondo in 1982. |
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