[SR] 2009.06.24 - Sanmon Gossip (CD) [Album]

[hoopra]

dear god,
thankyou for Shun,
i know its not an edgy track everyone is looking for from shiina but
this song is beautiful,
im a sucker for some good ballads sometimes,
its been a while since i really felt a ballad,
im not even trying to find any of the songs yet,
this and the Puffy Shuen no Onna is holding me down right now

[letemp]

Originally Posted by JonnoJ

13. 椎名林檎 - [三文ゴシップ #13] 余興
Fail Feared it'd be like this, hoped it'd still have the lush orchestration but nope. Generic 70's-esque rock. This is like the anti-Gamble - Neko took a generic song from Ze...something and turned it into a masterpiece. Shiina took a Neko orchestrated (I'm guessing) masterpiece and turned it into ..this. It's ok, but if I wanted generic rock I could get it easily, not simple to find orchestral pop/rock albums Back-up singers suck too. At least she kept the "Thank you!" which was cute.
★★☆☆☆

totally, i thought im the only one love the expo version more

[Osiris12345]

Okay, so I finally caved and listened before I got my copy of the album. I've already played it a few times so I think I have a solid impression at this point. So let's get to reviewin'!

1. Ryuukou - Now here's a song I thought wouldn't work too well but I was wrong! It's upbeat, catchy, and enjoyable to listen to. There's so many different elements juggled around here but they all fuse together to make a great song. The guitar, keyboard, rapping, and Ringo's vocals all mesh really well. Nice chorus and the "on and on" bit has got me tapping my feet like crazy. Awesome guitar too. Probably the most upbeat opener she's ever done. I love it.
2. Roudousha - Interesting lounge music intro. I thought this was going to be Keshou Naoshi part 2 or something but then the R&B piano comes in out of nowhere! Pleasant surprise! Ringo does gospel? I'll be honest, I never thought Ringo and gospel could mix but she pulled it off. This song just makes you want to dance! Great chorus in this one too. Though I will say it drags a bit, being the longest track on the album, but it doesn't hurt it too much. And this is just nitpicky but it's far from experimental, more like a throwback to the Motown era. Still fun though! I like it.
3. Mittei Monogatari - As soon as this started I fell in love with the funky guitar. Great use of the flute in this one. It's very Mayonaka-esque with a dash of Cutey Honey too. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here but the chorus is is just all kinds of kickass. I like the interlude in here a lot too. I was waiting for Ringo to do another secret agent piece!
4. O Chiten Kara - First impression: Yawn. Ah, I see the album decided to lose steam here. Well, we can't expect every track to be a hit, right? This is kind of nice though. It is the obligatory slow song but it doesn't feel like filler. It's pleasant enough. I do kind of like the arrangement. Not too bad. Not too-- whoa, holy shit!! The layering of the vocals at 2:28! Oh my god! This is amazing! It's like Hatsukoi Shoujo or KSK all over again! That came out of nowhere! And that's basically how it went down. I gave the track more listens and now I have to say I really enjoy it. It was a bit of a grower for me but it's a track that makes a nice addition to the album. It's a good change of pace from where the first three too.
5. Karisome Otome - I was surprised how well this works within the context of the rest of the album but it's still not a highlight. I mean, we heard this song years ago so what's there to be excited about? I have always liked this song though. And is the "one time" "two times" thing really THAT cheesy? I'm with kuro_neko on this one. It's a good track, plain and simple, but it's still nothing new.
6. Tsugou no Ii Karada - The ending of Karisome Otome into this is perfection. And so is this song! It's simply amazing. Pure euphoria! It has dynamics, a wonderful arrangement from Saito Neko, awesome vocals from Ringo (I even love the part when her voice breaks down, screw auto-tune!), and one of the coolest middle sections of any of her songs ever. It's like Broadway meets Tim Burton and I am in love with every second of it! This shows that Shiina still has energy and can still make a showstopper. Easily the best showtune type song she has ever done, it's at least on par with the orchestrated Sid. I loved it the moment I heard it and I doubt it will ever wear out its welcome. Though there is one thing I'm worried about and that's what the PV of this will be like. The only way to do it justice would be to go all out and do a Björk "It's Oh So Quiet" type music video but given their limited budget, they might just have Ringo sitting on a bed lip-syncing to it. So that's something I'm kinda iffy on. The mental image I get from this song is just off the charts so it would be pretty tough to duplicate a song this grand in a low budget PV.
7. Shun - Ahhhh, another perfect transition. After something that exhilarating, it's nice to have something to be able to sit down and relax to. We've all heard this one by now. I still love this song. It's right up there with the best of her ballads for me. And what's funny is that I can't help but give myself a little bit of credit for saying this is probably the only song of its kind on the album. It really is. It's the only song that is really straightforward and doesn't try to experiment with different sounds. Just Ringo and a beautiful piano accompaniment. What I really love about this song are the subtle things. How the piano slowly starts after her she sings her first note, how the drums come in when she sings the chorus, and how the strings just build more and more as the song progresses. It's really a gem. A beautiful song surrounded by a bunch of crazy experimental tracks. I like that it's at the center. It fits right in.
8. Futaribocchi Jikan - Shun is your thoughts meandering before you drift off to sleep and this song is waking up the next morning. It's lighthearted, pleasant, and has a fun chorus (she really is trying to make up for the lack of good ones in Variety, isn't she?). Another one we're all familiar with, this isn't exactly a mindblowing track but it isn't trying to be. I do really like the tap dance interlude and even the little part added at the end. It's a cute song.
9. Mayakashi Yasaotoko - Whoa! Talk about your cool intros! It starts out like it's going to be an Omatsuri Sawagi type piece and then the vocals come in. Very retro! This one's jazzy and I really like it. Usually albums start to really lose steam at this point so it's good that we have a strong track this late. The song doesn't get amazing for me though until about 3 minutes in when it all slows down and it's just her and the piano. Now that's cool. Another winner here.
10. Togatta Teguchi - Didn't like this one initially since the guitar intro is a little weird and her vocal line is so disjointed and staccato in the verse. This is definitely one of the more experimental tracks. It's very electronic and very KSK-esque. But once the chorus hits (there I go again), the track shines and I found myself getting into it. After hearing this one a few times, I began to really appreciate the arrangement of it. It's the only dark song on the album and for that reason it doesn't seem to fit with the overall light and energetic theme. I do really like it though. Mummy-D's rap at the end is pretty cool too. Oddly this is probably the only track that seems to capture the mood of Superficial Gossip.
11. Irokoizata - This is the low point for most people but I actually really like this song. It's a nice jazz number and I think it fits well in the context of the album. Is it filler? Debatable. I'm a sucker for this kind of music so I guess I'm pretty biased. The worst you can really say about it is that it's elevator music though. To be honest, it reminded me of an old 30's film reel as I was listening to it. It has a very nostalgic feel. It makes me happy.
12. Bonsai Hada - Whoa, did Shiina Ringo just end up at Bowser's castle? Watch out for the lava, Ringo! Joking aside, I can't help but love that intro. It's so weird and quirky. I was like "Okay, I'll give this a listen. It sounds funny enough." and what I got was one brilliant piece of music. This song is another highlight of the album. It's just so good. It's definitely her best vocal performance on the album by far. Her voice has so much emotion it gives me chills. Of all of the songs on the album, this channels the old Ringo we all know and love the most. And I love the accordion. The choice to have that be the background instrument was nothing short of genius. Great song and should have been the one to end the album instead of...
13. Yokyou - Ah, Yokyou. I remember when you were the song to end all songs at Ringo Expo. I remember when Nagoshi played those first few notes on the guitar and the performance that followed was something that will forever be one of my favorites in Shiina Ringo's career. It was something magic. What happened to you? You've become a watered-down, generic at best rock song. The guitar line at the beginning is nothing special and the verses feel so lifeless and empty. Then we have the ultra-cheesy "yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah"s and the "woooooooo"s. Even Boutomin was better than that. The chorus isn't terrible but it isn't really the same as it used to be either. There is nothing about this arrangement that I love. What a colossal disappointment. When I first heard this track I was in disbelief. I just couldn't get into it. I had to listen to it repeatedly in order to let it really sink in. And even then, I still like the Expo version loads better. Nagoshi dropped the ball on this one big time. The only thing that saves this one is the fact that Yokyou has such a damn good melody. That alone saves it but it's still probably the weakest track on the album (I never thought I'd say this ). Hopefully it grows on me.
14. Marunouchi Sadistic (EXPO Ver.) - This was awesome. I love the R&B feel of this song. The harmonies are really, really cool and the way the lyrics mix together is just great. Ukigumo does some nifty vocal stuff in the background and I like the use of the "New Way to Fly" part at the end that Ringo sings with Jihen now. Really superb arrangement. Ukigumo beats Nagoshi. Who woulda thunk it?

So I love Sanmon Gossip. It's something I enjoy experiencing again and again, which is more than I can say for Ringo's two most recent releases. It's a solid album that also seems to have a happier mood than any of her previous ones. Even Muzai Moratorium had some pretty serious tracks on it. If KSK is about the death of creativity and snuffing a solo career short in pursuit of other things, this is the rebirth of creativity. The primary emotion I feel from this album is joy and it's just full of energy. It also feels cleaner than any of her other albums with the possible exception of Adult. What I mean by that is that it has a very sleek production and doesn't ever get gritty. Rather than draw upon dark subject matter like Shouso Strip and KSK, Sanmon Gossip thrives on more positive energy. In a way, it's what Variety should have been in the first place. If there's any album that deserves that title in her career, it's this one. It never gets boring because of the amount of different genres she fuses together.

I'm glad she took some risks with this album and decided not to release HF part deux. Not every song was completely spectacular but I felt like overall they were above average. I also agree with Jihad's statement that there are certain moments in the album, moments in individual songs even, that can really bring you into it or take you out of it. O Chiten Kara was a perfect example of that for me. I didn't love it until that part much later in the song as described in my review. I like the fact that the songs were unpredictable. It made listening to it a very fun experience. I'm definitely not disappointed. Another great release from Shiina.

Final score: 9/10

[Scribble R]

Excellent review, Osiris!

[kuro_neko]

Originally Posted by Scribble R

Excellent review, Osiris!

Scribble, I love how your icon went from a rotten apple to a golden apple, haha. looks SG reaffirmed your faith in Ringo!

[ShadyNook]

from some the impressions, it sounds like Yokyou suffered a downgrade as an album track after it sounded better pre-album live in concert like Himitsu and Toumei Ningen.

[Scribble R]

Originally Posted by kuro_neko

Scribble, I love how your icon went from a rotten apple to a golden apple, haha. looks SG reaffirmed your faith in Ringo!

Yep! SG proves to me that she's still a wickedly creative person!

Originally Posted by ShadyNook

from some the impressions, it sounds like Yokyou suffered a downgrade as an album track after it sounded better pre-album live in concert like Himitsu and Toumei Ningen.

I think so, too. It seems like people think it's automatically better because it was changed into a rock song. From some of the early impressions (And Nagoshi), I thought Yokyou was going to be Shouso Stripped. And man, WHY did they drop the Nagoshi Expo opening. That was so classic Ringo!

[JimmyKoria]

Tougatta Teguchi, when it ends (and is by itself on repeat) the track flows perfectly back into itself D: It's also the mirror of "Maru chiten kara" and it has the lines "○(まある)くないと剌さらないよ" in one of the lines...but wouldnt something like "Maaru kunai" mean "To not repea/have intervals." My Japanese is just as bad as my English skills :3

[kuro_neko]

just here to say that SG is number 1 on iTunes Japan and has 18 5-star reviews and 3 4-star reviews, nothing below that. all the written reviews are saying really amazingly positive things. this is probably Ringo's best received album since SS (KZK didn't go over so well with the fans at first, HF was considered a rehash, and I'm not including Jihen)

[justriiingo]

I'm a guessing a lot of those reviews are based on lowered expectations... I know mine is...