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Old 2007.09.24, 07:32 PM   #41
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I would just like to take this space to commend Ukigumo on making a very good song in Metro. It doesn't end well, but the rest of the song is very well done. I wish the rest of his songs were this good.
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Old 2007.09.24, 09:09 PM   #42
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I'm waiting for the hard copy, but my attitude toward TJ is that, well, it just *is*. Ringo created it so she could fuck around and make music and not get caught up in what the means, Kyoiku, Adult, and Variety as well, they all go along with this. Variety was more Uki and Izawa, but who is to say that it wasn't a group project. Ringo wrote the lyrics for most of the album so she played a large role in the creation and I'm sure the entire band as a whole worked together to achieve the style presented in this phase. What I'm getting at is that I don't think that Jihen is trying to necessarily be or do anything other than continue to make music as much as it confuses and enrages some.

And for everyone who is crying that they want a Ringo solo album, go listen to HF again. Maybe your better off sticking with Jihen.
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Old 2007.09.24, 09:48 PM   #43
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Originally Posted by kuro_neko View Post
I'm waiting for the hard copy, but my attitude toward TJ is that, well, it just *is*. Ringo created it so she could fuck around and make music and not get caught up in what the means, Kyoiku, Adult, and Variety as well, they all go along with this. Variety was more Uki and Izawa, but who is to say that it wasn't a group project. Ringo wrote the lyrics for most of the album so she played a large role in the creation and I'm sure the entire band as a whole worked together to achieve the style presented in this phase. What I'm getting at is that I don't think that Jihen is trying to necessarily be or do anything other than continue to make music as much as it confuses and enrages some.

And for everyone who is crying that they want a Ringo solo album, go listen to HF again. Maybe your better off sticking with Jihen.
Yes, it's undeniable that it's a group projet. The problem is that it's evident that shiina had no part in the creation of the music. There are recycled themes throughout but it's not used in the usually ringoish ways. Most of the songs lack direction and 'hooks', some of he songs almost remind of the medieval gregorian chants; completely aimless.

Damn straight i'm crying for a Ringo solo album, i'm fucking pleading, on my knees! Who wouldn't kill for a true and new Solo album?
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Old 2007.09.25, 01:20 AM   #44
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My second impressions, after 3 or 4 listens (I'm likely to have another impression after 10 plays or so).

(Guide: Love, Like, Meh, Dislike)

Ramp -Has grown on me. The fuzzy sounds in the verses are annoying. Verses have a good melody, chorus isn't bad. One of the better songs.

Mirrorball - I prefer this to the JCHI version still. It just sounds like it's trying to fit in with the rest of the album. There's something in the verses that sounds like Sigma to me. It annoys me.

Kingyo no Hako - I lurrrve the music. The verses are great. Chorus' not so great. The guitar solo is the evilest thing on the album, it wrecks the whole song, being why it only gets a 'Meh'. I have dreams about mutilating the mp3 to get rid of it.

Shiseikatsu - Very boring. Don't even like the verses. The end is a direct rip off of Superstar.

OSCA - The best... by far.

Kronekodow - I don't mind it that much. I like the high pitched bits, and the piano. I was going to give it a Like, but it just doesn't give me the urge to listen to it again.

Fukushuu - Sounds great at the start. Finally some variety. But then comes the evil, also known as the chorus. Seriously, does this album have any decent choruses?

Boutomin - It's quite different. I don't mind it too much. One of the better choruses. Otherwise pretty boring.

SSAW - Hello, variety, where are you? This sounds the same as the last one. Except more boring.

Tsukigime-hime - Oooh sounds so good at the start. Love the verses muchly. Again the enter the boring chorus. It's growing on me. And the verses make up for it. Still has nothing on anything from Adult.

Sake to Geko - Now this is what I'm talking about. This is probably the only song with potential to achieve the colour blue. Love the singing. Love the change in the song. It's just something sounds very familiar in the piano around 1:00. It doesn't sound entirely new to me, and it'd be one of the not so good songs if it were on Adult.

Killer Tune - Again with the great verses and sucky choruses. This song goes no where. The first chorus sounds like what the last chorus should sound like. It's just grating. And it's much worse live.

Metro - It's like Karada went and got a little better. Which makes it no where near good.


So that makes... 1 Loves, 2 Likes, 6 Mehs and 4 Dislikes. I was actually expecting more to end up in Dislike. So I guess I don't really mind the album. It's just that it's mostly meh.

Theres no hooks, hardly anything is very catchy, a lot of it sounds recycled. The upside is that I do like the style and a lot of the music is great. Sadly the good verses do not make up for crap choruses. I'm glad I have the OSCA single, because it's really the only song I want.
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Old 2007.09.25, 02:47 AM   #45
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...I'm just listening to Adult... Freaking hell, does Variety suck. Considering how many times I've listened to Adult (so I'm pretty over it) and it's still 1000000x more enjoyable, in every way and form. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

Edit: Sorry to go on and on about this, but I just got to Tegami.. and f u c k. (I think that speaks for itself)

Last edited by Jesse : 2007.09.25 at 03:22 AM.
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Old 2007.09.25, 03:16 AM   #46
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It's the turn for my track by track review.... I have mixed opinions actually.
I find most of the track aimless, like they're a bunch of instruments put toghether randomly- despite the fairly good playing.



Ramp- It's a nice opening to the album. This is one of the few tracks (like OSCA and Killer Tune) which has a real "structure". SAVED

Mirrorball- The JCHI version was boring. This is unbearable. Nonsense melody going up and down... Ukigumo song writing ability sucks. But we all knew that FIRED

Kingyo no Hako - Carina. It's the italian for "cute". That's what popped out in my mind listening to it the first time. It seems like Sounan + Blackout gone awry though. GRASPING

Shiseikatsu - This is supposed to be "old ringo" style. I noticed some resemblance to Superstar too. It's an average song, not too good no too bad. Probably it will grow on me. Better an entire album of "superstar" clones that songs like "Mirrorball". So: SAVED

OSCA - When I first listened to this song I thought "finally Ringo has gone back to some cool rock" and that's still my opinion. Ukigumo was on drugs (in a positive sense) when he wrote this. SAVED

Kronekodow - I was expecting something great by Kameda+Ringo's trademark BUT, my excpectations were totally wrong. Another "like a drop in the sea" song. Still is fairly nice and fun to hear. GRASPING

Fukushuu - Ringo's perfect english and "western" sound of this made me crumble. This is not any fun. I'M SCARED. GRASPING

Boutomin- I'll pretend this wasn't on the album. Why PINOCCHIO was a B side?? ANSWER ME LORD!!! FIRED

SSAW - I'm pretending this wasn't on the album too. Am I repeating myself? Kaban no Nakami in this place would suit well. FIRED

Tsukigime-hime - Some nice feeling about this song. Mabye the most ringo-ish on the album. Tokyo no Onna's sequel! SAVED

Sake to Geko - were they trying to rip off Yume no Ato? No doubt they weren't any succesfull at it. like I said before it's better having an entire album of this than shit like SSAW and Boutomin. SAVED

Killer Tune - A structure finally!!!! Verses and recognizable chorus. This is OK. SAVED

Metro - Karada's better. That says it all FIRED


This album is not completely satisfactory. Put the B sides in the place of the tracks i fired and it becomes a 6/10. My final verdict is 5/10
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Old 2007.09.25, 03:20 AM   #47
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Yes! I totally agree that Mirrorball has some elements of Sigma (and maybe Benkai Debussy) in it, which I totally dig. I couldn't stand the JHCI version, this is more bearable. In fact, it's really growing on me.

I consider Kingyo no Hako to be Variety's equivalent of Sounan or Blackout. I like the structure where the beat and style is constantly changing. However, yes, the guitar solo really just spoils an otherwise kick-ass song. I like the unorthodox ending though...

Shiseikatsu intro really reminds me of the short bit of Marusadi they played in Dynamite In, with the crunchy guitar by Hirama. The rest of the song is so so.

Kronekodow is interesting. It makes me glad knowing that she still has some shock value in her. Every time the song finishes I always picture her walking off stage, smiling to herself while the crowd sits in silence, still trying to process wtf just happened just now...

The other songs left no lasting impressions in me...

Last edited by kanzaki : 2007.09.25 at 03:22 AM. Reason: where are my line breaks?
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Old 2007.09.25, 03:20 AM   #48
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I listened to it about 6-7 times now, and I changed some thoughts:

Mirrorball can be entertaining if it pops up, and if I miss the first 1-2 minutes of the song. I like OSCA more than I remembered. Kronekodow is not that bad, but I can not listen to the last part with the increased tempo. I still have to skip Fukushuu and Boutomin, these are some really bad songs. Tsukigime hime is not as abd as these two, but it's still on my skip list.
The end of the album is the best part, because I get Sake to Geko, Killer Tune, Metro and Ramp in a row. If I had given this album a x/10 rating previously, I would raise it by 1 comparing to my first listening review.
Still a meh album.
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Old 2007.09.25, 03:30 AM   #49
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Originally Posted by kanzaki View Post
Yes! I totally agree that Mirrorball has some elements of Sigma (and maybe Benkai Debussy) in it, which I totally dig. I couldn't stand the JHCI version, this is more bearable. In fact, it's really growing on me.
It's the similarities to Sigma that I hate about the song. It's not original.
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Old 2007.09.25, 05:37 AM   #50
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Shiseikatsu is proof that (with Blackout before) the band still has to rehash Kyoiku-era songs.

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