Worse Influence

[jigenbakuda]

Originally Posted by ShinjiPG

And that's what Ringo did with Saitou Neko. She reivented some of her best songs.
If you want the original, you already have the album and plenty of live versions to enjoy. Now it's time to move on.



Anyway, I don't think there's a better or worse influence. I like both of those guys, and I'm one of those fans that really enjoys HF.
However, let me put it this way. It would be very nice if she made an entirely new album with Saitou Neko. But it wouldn't be as nice if she made an entirely new album (only) with Ukigumo.

First and foremost, I love both HF and variety.

One of the reasons I first liked shiina was because she has many versions of her songs and they are all hawt in my opinion. To hear a song 2 different ways recorded, and 2 totally different ways live... It is so great to me, it is why I love shiina so much. A great example of this is of course souretsu. But anyways Not many artists can reinvent their own songs, to me it is just something else I like about ringo-hime.

I enjoyed HF more than variety so technically I would have to say uki , but only technically. I enjoy both of the artists influences on the album's sound.

Since I enjoy jazz, I really am excited about the grown up shiina, but shiina could come from left field and smack me in the mouth with her next album (or tokyo jihen's), with something totally crazy. Her next album may be like cornelious, or it might be similar to namie. Whatever it sounds similar to (or hopefully it sounds similar to nothing) I am sure it will be all shiina. So what else matters?

[Mad_Mac]

Definitely UKI.

I don't really hate him like most people here, but I have to admit that his not a good songwriter/composer(IMHO). His song writing in Variety almost destroy the album, Thank God Izawa come to rescue(Again IMHO).

For Saito Neko my comment is the same with GLATH. I knew Ringo from Tokyo Jihen era not her Solo first. So when HF out, I Love it. Love the style, and instrument sounds very much. But, when i heard the previous record that almost the same with it, I'm a bit disappointed.

[Tokyo Jihad]

Actually I think Uki was the better songwriter (over Izawa) on Variety. Uki had Fukushuu (even if only I like it) and Tsukigime. OscA and Mirrorball are kinda middle of the pack. I like Botoumin (guilty pleasure.)

Izawa has KT and not much else. Ramp, SSAW, Sake (he wrote this one yeah?) really dont seem to go anywhere or accomplish anything. I thought Izawa was greatly dissapointing after "Tegami" and the excellent Osca b-sides.

Uki is also a better singer than Izawa.

[Maou]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad

I like Botoumin (guilty pleasure.)

And you question me for liking Metro? At least Metro is an awesome walking song while Botoumin has no saving grace. Metro is my happy bounce down the street song while FAKE?'s Not a Marilyn is my "I'm gonna kick ass!" walking song.

[Tokyo Jihad]

I dont question Metro, anymore anyway.

and hey, a Phase 3 Botoumin would be hawt

[Cosmo!]

You know how people roll their eyes and let out that obscenely long sigh? Well, I'm doing that right now.

Boutomin? Really? No joke? For shiz?

Boutomin is just awful. That one ridiculously nasally voice just kills any enjoyment the "strike up"s or "Is this left?"s or little bass solo or even the Blackout shout-out could have possibly given me.

Whose voice is that, anyway (the very first one)? I've always imagined it belongs to Uki, but Izawa automatically loses any cool soup I've served up for him if it's his.

[Tokyo Jihad]

I dunno, i know. I get the Botoumin hate. i'm not arguing its a great song.
For serious one day, I'm talking to glath after listening to Variety and i remember saying "I dont know whats going on. I hit my head last night, now I keep forgetting things and all of a sudden I like Botoumin wtf"

I dunno, its kinda kinky. And I espescially like how Shiina sings over Uki when she says "Lady" in the live ver. Uki is the first singer. Izawa is the low "I can barely hold my note" one before the chorus.

[Cosmo!]

Okay, Izawa can keep his bowl of cool soup. I almost threw it against the wall like that wanton hussy in Cruel Intentions.

He has this unassuming doesn't-have-to-try-hard coolness that I really dig, which that one-lunged-old-man-who's-been-smoking-for-fifty-years-and-survived-the-war voice would have totally deflated.

So, lessons learned:
a. Uki still sucks, for a VARIETY of reasons
b. Boutomin's status as "the best of the non-Ringo band members' demo material" should really be questioned
c. Sarah Michelle Gellar is really hot in that movie

P.S. Don't get the wrong impression, TJ; you're still pretty fuckin' cool in my book!

[RollOverHobo]

I'm surprised you guys can listen to Variety at all...I've heard it at most 5 times since it came out: 1st time "meh", second time "this is better", third time "meh", fourth time "mehhh?!", fifth time "?_?" ...the only song that caught my interest that wasn't on any single was Shiseikatsu (I've forgiven Kameda for Toumei Ningen)....but anyway this isn't the Variety thread...
Anyway, rethinking the choices...I don't think Saito Neko was necessarily a negative impact on Shiina...I mean he was with her since the MM era and I think that if he had some sort of influence over how she does music it would've happened earlier...and even with Uki...SR just let him go ahead and do w/e he wanted (at least compose)...I think she left him and Izawa to write and came back last minute to make it look presentable (that is of course arguable)...same thing with HF...it feels like she basically went to Saito Neko and told him revamp "these songs like Baisho Xtacy" really I just think SR has let go of herself musically...hence her style takes the back seat and the style of those she allots to takes the spotlight and we lament it because it's not her.

[Cosmo!]

I'm hoping that, while the boys played around in GarageBand, Ringo worked on her own (new) material to WOW us once again.

I loved Adult and even liked HF, but I can't lie and claim that Variety was good material. Aside from OSCA and Killer Tune (which were deservedly singles), the songs fell into the "pretty decent," "a'ight" and "pretty awful" piles, which Ringo is so above it ain't even funny.