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Old 2011.08.20, 07:50 PM   #71
Osiris12345
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As always, I've submitted an incredibly long post.

Okay, so I approached this topic several different ways. I didn't want to compile a Best of with all singles because that's generic as hell and really doesn't leave any surprises or crowd pleasers to choose from. So I went about trying to complete an album with some of my favorite tracks mixed with singles. I figured that would work much better.

The result was actually even worse. Over half of the tracks didn't even flow properly and I found myself really jaded after the first 6 tracks or so. It was pretty bad. Lesson learned. Not only is track placement a key factor but the album really needs songs that showcase what Ringo's all about.

The only way that I can make a satisfactory product is to visualize this as a concept album. It has to tell a story. And that's when I got started. I would construct an album made of highlights from Shiina Ringo's career. Ironically, it's not as much of an introductory album as it is a look back at what she's done. I ended up making a mix more for my own enjoyment than anyone else's. But I think if someone who wasn't familiar with Ringo listened to this they'd get a sense of how wide and varied her arsenal is. So without further ado, I present my Best of Collection:

1. Tadashii Machi - It's all gotta start here. This song really grabs you by the balls and makes itself heard. And that's how Ringo was when she first started out. I look at Muzai Moratorium as an aggressive and powerful debut filled with real emotion and real rock. Tadashii Machi exemplifies that perfectly. Ringo needed to hook you and reel you in and this track does just that. Funny enough, it's not even one of my favorite MM tracks but even I'll admit that it's the ultimate debut. How many of us remember listening to this album for the first time and hearing this song blaring in, guns a blazing? It's very nostalgic and whenever I think of young Ringo, this track is it.
2. Marunouchi Sadistic - What's there to say about this one? I really wanted to put Kabukichou no Joou here instead. I really did. But I have to concede that this song is Ringo's signature song. She plays it at every concert and she's smacked us in the face with it every chance she gets. But you know what? This song doesn't really get old. Tracks like Kuki and Yume no Ato just got overplayed, overdone, and frankly got tiring. How often can you listen to the same arrangement over and over? But every time Ringo does Marunouchi, she does something a little bit different with it and it keeps the song fresh. She obviously has a lot of love for this song and considers it something very dear to her. So whether you like it or not, this song has carved its place in Ringo history.
3. Honnou - Unlike Marunouchi Sadistic which is still played to this day, Honnou represents a period in Ringo's career that she doesn't revisit often. It's probably her most famous song to date and definitely contributed to Shouso Strip selling even better than her debut. But it represents a part of Ringo that, unfortunately, a lot of people think is what she is. The nurse outfit from the music video is, of course, iconic and has become so synonymous with this song that it's impossible to ignore. The song itself represents Ringo's success during a period of time where she was experimenting with sexually driven lyrics, heavier and more complex song arrangements, and really coming into her own vocally. Ringo's sophomore effort still shows a real evolution in her style and Honnou represents it quite well.
4. Tsumi to Batsu - Anybody who reads my posts praising this song to death knows that I couldn't be without it on a compilation. Ringo's never made another quite like it. The raw emotion, the pained vocals, the dramatic organ, the biting guitar, the descending bassline, the pounding drums. It's all there. This is her magnum opus and it's meant to be heard.
The ultimate song of Shouso Strip? I think so.
5. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You - Despite being released on the Tsumi to Batsu single and not Utaite Myouri, I've always felt like this song comes from that era. It shows how Ringo can take someone else's song and truly make it her own, sometimes producing a result even superior to the original. Plus I feel like it's a song that everyone can agree is a great cover.
6. Shuuykou - When I first got KSK, I skipped around the tracks a little and found that I didn't really like it all that much. But when I finally gave the album a listen from beginning to end, this track blew me away. The production values were phenomenal and the soundscapes I heard were just breathtaking. This was really the same girl that made Muzai Moratorium? I couldn't believe my ears. And that's why this song has a spot on here instead of Kuki, Souretsu, Okonomi de, or any other track really. It was the moment I became immersed in KSK.
You may find this funny but I didn't include any other KSK tracks despite it being my favorite album she's done. I feel like it was such a short period of time (despite Ringo milking the hell out of the tracks during the HF era) and Ringo "committed suicide" by removing her mole. Her solo death was very premature and we may never know what she would have done those years if she hadn't been in Jihen. To me, KSK represents that moment where she was on top of the world and that really doesn't ever last. For many EMF users, she hasn't been able to rekindle that flame since. It's a bittersweet moment but it's something that will always be there whenever we want to revisit it.
7. Mayonaka wa Junketsu (Electric Mole version) - I really wanted a track that picked up momentum after Shuukyou slowed down and this was the perfect one. Not only is this a great song on its own but I consider it the highlight of the EM concert. It's a great introduction to Phase 0 of Tokyo Jihen and is the definitive version of the song in my eyes.
8. Sounan - Here it is. The start of Tokyo Jihen Phase 1. What else is there to say? Practically everyone loves this song. I'm sure a lot of people on the forum remember when this was first released and how exciting it was. It's just an awesome track. Amazing outro solo as well.
9. Sigma-Crawl (Dynamite Out!) - If I could put the entire concert of Dynamite Out on this list I would. Trust me. But I feel like this track is kind of like a mini version of that. It showcases just how incredible this band really was. I played this track for a guy who knew nothing about Jihen and he thought it was completely badass. Ringo's snarling vocals and the band's great playing and instrumental solos put this one on the top of any other song to showcase what Dynamite Out is really about. And with that, sadly, is the end of a great era.
10. Koi wa Maboroshi (for Musician) - The beginning of Phase 2. I picked this track as a real contrast to the Dynamite Out one. It's a much more controlled sound and it's not even close to being rock. The band is very understated and they don't go for big solos or try to hog the spotlight, for better or for worse. While most on the forum will say Phase 2 is very much inferior to Phase 1, they're just different bands. Phase 2 is pop and R&B while Phase 1 wanted to rock your socks off. I really do enjoy this song but to most Phase 2 haters, this song signifies that the party is over.
11. Rakujitsu (JCHI) - Phase 2's greatest moment. This was the moment people began to believe that Phase 2 could reach the heights of Phase 1 someday. Then they made Variety... But I digress! Let's not underrate this amazing performance. The band was in top form and Ringo's vocals are some of the most heartfelt in her entire career. But after this performance, it's time for the dark ages....
12. Hatsukoi Shoujo - This song represents a beacon of light during the Heisei Fuuzoku and Variety days. It came out the year I became a fan of Ringo and it was made during a time when she had one foot in her solo career and one foot in her Jihen one, a place she still is to this day. I don't think most people look at this stage of her career too fondly because of Heisei Fuuzoku and Variety. Take those and the Ringo Jihen drama that led to the founding of this site and you have a pretty dark age in Ringo history. Initially, I wanted to include Shun here but it didn't flow well after Rakujitsu and I couldn't just gloss over this time period. Hatsukoi Shoujo remains one of the most beloved tracks of Ringo during this time and it's a candle burning in the darkness of what was 2007.
13. Yokyou (Album ver.) - I personally prefer the Expo version but this version is more fitting for what I was going for.
The Expo version doesn't really have that stripped down sound.This is after her Jihen career was declining and she's picking up the pieces, choosing to go solo again and it actually really paid of. This represents a new beginning and Ringo going back to her roots. She may not have made another KSK but she's going in the right direction and the albums have been pretty good since. Yokyou, to me, is the start of this.
14. Noudouteki Sanpunkan - Best single Phase 2 has ever released. There. I said it. It's their Sounan. This song has all the right elements. Great bassline, badass guitar from Uki, and steady drumming keeping in exact time. Not to mention Ringo's great vocals. I love the way she sings this. It gets me tapping my feet every time. We definitely need more of this and less of well, a good portion of their last 3 albums.
15. Kimaru - "Two songs from Sports??? Are you out of your mind, Osiris??" If that voice you just read was you, let me explain. This is the closing song of Jihen right now. It's the last great song we've heard from them. I'm not including Dai-Hakken in this list because it just came out and I don't really think any of those songs scream Best Of anyway. Kimaru shows us that there may be hope for this band yet and we shouldn't dismiss them right away. They still have some good songs to give us and here's to hoping the future will be a good one. So from Tadashii Machi to Kimaru, this has been Ringo's career in a nutshell.
16. Jitsuroku - Shinjuku Nite (Bonus Track) - Marunouchi/Kabukichou street performance from the Kabukichou no Joou single. Ha! I did find a way to incorporate it in! But in all seriousness, I like this. When I listen to this song, I envision someone walking down the street, hearing her play, stopping to listen for a bit, and then walking on. I've always really liked that. It's really good for the nostalgic Ringo fan who's loved her for years and I think it's a fitting bookend to Tadashii Machi.

So there you have it. My Ringo Retrospective Mix.

Tl;dr
1. Tadashii Machi
2. Marunouchi Sadistic
3. Honnou
4. Tsumi to Batsu
5. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
6. Shuukyou
7. Mayonaka wa Junketsu (EM ver.)
8. Sounan
9. Sigma-Crawl (DO)
10. Koi wa Maboroshi (for Musician)
11. Rakujitsu (JCHI)
12. Hatsukoi Shoujo
13. Yokyou
14. Noudouteki Sanpunkan
15. Kimaru
16. Jitsuroku - Shinjuku Nite (Bonus Track)

2 from MM, 2 from SS, 1 from KSK, 2 from Kyoiku, 1 from HF, 1 from SG, 2 from Sports, 4 from various singles
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Last edited by Osiris12345 : 2011.08.20 at 08:21 PM.
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Old 2011.08.21, 08:58 AM   #72
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I love the fact that you have Shinjuku Nite as a bonus track. Some really interesting choices here. I also love how you managed to order it almost chronologically, like a journey through her career.

Originally Posted by Osiris12345 View Post
It shows how Ringo can take someone else's song and truly make it her own, sometimes producing a result even superior to the original.
You're not saying that about Can't Take My Eyes Off of You in particular, are you? Because I would have to respectfully disagree that any cover of that song is superior to Frankie's
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Old 2011.08.21, 09:49 AM   #73
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I personally prefer it but I do think it's debatable. I agree with you that nearly every cover of Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You is inferior but Ringo's and Lauryn Hill's versions really stand out to me as at least being as good as the original.
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Old 2011.08.29, 08:42 AM   #74
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I wouldn't care about a single particular song being on it or otherwise, so long as all that are have been rerecorded/rearranged/remixed.
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Old 2011.08.29, 10:09 AM   #75
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You want them to make the best songs worse??
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Old 2011.08.29, 01:41 PM   #76
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^ Nope, just new. Old material doesn't do anything for me. What possible reason could I have for purchasing or pirating something I already have in entirety? Not an avid collector here, by the way. I don't even have a rip of WtH. No point, already got everything on it in some form or another. So I wouldn't care what she did, as long as it was something different to give me any sort of incentive to grab it. Hell, it could be a "best of" containing nothing but unreleased live recordings of all her greatest hits as performed by Hatsuiku Status for all I care. Just so long as it's new.
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Old 2011.08.29, 02:08 PM   #77
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So you basically either want another Heisei Fuuzoku (over half the tracks being self-covers) or another ZCS? Nothing wrong with that, but it's not really a "Best Of."
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Old 2011.08.29, 02:57 PM   #78
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Or just new studio recordings or remasters, I'm not picky.

Maybe my point is that "best of" albums are a waste of time. :/
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Old 2011.08.29, 06:13 PM   #79
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"Best of"s aren't really for "you" (meaning EMF) beyond disagreeing with the tracklist.
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Old 2011.08.29, 08:11 PM   #80
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Point.
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