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Old 2007.10.16, 05:16 PM   #461
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I was looking through the booklet today to see who wrote what since I had not been paying attention to this before. I noticed that Kameda wrote Shiseikatsu and I was quite disappointed. It is not a bad song, but it is not a particularly strong one either. It sounds like he was going for something similar to the kind of song Tegami was but did not exactly reach it. To his defense, though, I get the feeling that he was trying to do something that was more in line with Uki and Izawa's styles but did not deliver. I think the new comers out-shined him on this album.

Another matter I had with the album is the perception that some people had about it. Either for the album or the singles early, I remember some people saying they thought it was average or that some songs sounded like any old band could have done it. I don't remember who said what and I am not trying to argue with anyone in particular, but I just wanted to give my take on the issue.

I believe that the album is average, but only by Ringo standards. I think compared to the rest of the league, it is a very good album in many different ways. I don't think it is fair to compare their work to Ringo because she is just on another level. It is like how Tracy McGrady is a great player when compared to the rest of the league, but he is just average when compared to Kobe. So, if you think the album is average or you just like it mildly, I think you should make the distinction. Do you think it is average compared to their whole body of work (including Ringo, if you want) or do you think it is average regardless? (as in, compared to everything).

As for it sounding like any other band or believing that the album is something any other band could have done, I think this is an outright lie. First of all, there are very few bands that even have a piano player, let alone a keyboardist/classical piano player. Even so, I doubt that many of those bands can even compose music that includes a keyboard or piano otherwise they might have such a player on their squad. Second, there are also not many guitar players that play like Uki. His style is very original, and, whether you think this is a good thing or not, there are few people that can recreate it, especially without a lot of work.

Thirdly, the band as a whole is truly unique. You cannot deny where they are influenced, but the final outcome is truly unique. Again, whether you think this is good or not is debatable, but what is not debatable is that they are unique. There is nothing out there like them. No one does pop or rock similar to how they do it. The only song I can say that does not shine in this aspect is Fukushuu. While I like it, it does seem very similar and like some western bands.

Also, while you can argue that the compositions do not vary as much, whether 3/4 sets or whatever technical aspect you want to use, the sounds in the album are what is truly varied. Just listen to Kronekodow, which sounds insane, then go into Fukushuu, and then followed by something like Boutomin. They are insanely different sounding songs. Granted, SSAW is not too far from Boutomin, but I think the only real similarities in the album is the fact that all the songs are sung by Ringo and played with instruments.

Some might think that their uniqueness is awesome-tude while others might think that it is unique crap. Either way, it is unique and I think that the idea that other people could have made this album is nonsensical. Criticize something else about the album, please (which fortunately, some people have done).
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Old 2007.10.17, 11:30 AM   #462
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Originally Posted by Hedofloe View Post
Granted, SSAW is not too far from Boutomin
Ack! Hedo, I agreed with what you said until this comment.

Two completely different songs right there.
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Old 2007.10.17, 12:11 PM   #463
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Originally Posted by Hedofloe View Post
I remember some people saying they thought it was average or that some songs sounded like any old band could have done it. I don't remember who said what and I am not trying to argue with anyone in particular, but I just wanted to give my take on the issue.
Actually, I remember being taken out of context by (surprise) kuro neko. I don't recall anybody saying any band could make this album so there goes your whole rant. I recall average meaning it's no better than what anybody else we're listening to is making despite being different.

Originally Posted by Hedofloe View Post
I believe that the album is average, but only by Ringo standards. I think compared to the rest of the league, it is a very good album in many different ways. I don't think it is fair to compare their work to Ringo because she is just on another level.
The problem is, she's not on another level anymore to certain people. This is the 5th release in a row that hasn't matched the level of greatness I expect of SR. That's knocked her down to normal musician status.

Originally Posted by Hedofloe View Post
Also, while you can argue that the compositions do not vary as much, whether 3/4 sets or whatever technical aspect you want to use, the sounds in the album are what is truly varied.
That's nothing new so why give props to it now? Ringo no Uta doesn't sound the same as Gunjou Biyori which doesn't sound the same as Sounan which doesn't sound the same Yume no Ato. You could say that about any SR-related album. In fact, I can say that about most music I listen to.
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Old 2007.10.17, 11:33 PM   #464
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this happens to alot of bands. The fire burns strong during the early years, but as the band continues on, the flame settles down and the band becomes complacent, or worse feel like they have the Midas touch and can do no wrong. It happened to Led Zeppelin.

Ringo wrote the best music when she was facing adversity. Her life is comfortable now and it might be showing in her music. A mix of feeling too old to angst like Ringo from the glory days and feeling the creative well is dry. All that is assumption though and Goraku isn't a boring album at all to me. I like it alot. Not enough to call it a favorite, but its good.

I have a feeling that the next album is going to bring the band back in full force. Ringo is up to something and this album is a stall tactic to help her prepare. hope hope hope hope hope.

Last edited by ShadyNook : 2007.10.17 at 11:48 PM.
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Old 2007.10.18, 04:16 AM   #465
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Originally Posted by fluffiethesock View Post
Ack! Hedo, I agreed with what you said until this comment.

Two completely different songs right there.
Well, like I said, I think they are not TOO far from each other. I don't think they are too similar, but the sounds in them are closer to each other than any other on the album.

Originally Posted by Maou View Post
Actually, I remember being taken out of context by (surprise) kuro neko. I don't recall anybody saying any band could make this album so there goes your whole rant. I recall average meaning it's no better than what anybody else we're listening to is making despite being different.



The problem is, she's not on another level anymore to certain people. This is the 5th release in a row that hasn't matched the level of greatness I expect of SR. That's knocked her down to normal musician status.



That's nothing new so why give props to it now? Ringo no Uta doesn't sound the same as Gunjou Biyori which doesn't sound the same as Sounan which doesn't sound the same Yume no Ato. You could say that about any SR-related album. In fact, I can say that about most music I listen to.
Well, the same day I made the post, someone I spoke with on MSN from this forum had told me that, and I'm almost positive I had said before on the "currently listening to thread" (i think) that someone should recommend me to a band that sounds "average" like TJ, which was the talk at the time.

I'm not saying they were any more varied now than they were before, but within the album itself I think they were. As in, between eras they were definitely varied, but I thought the sounds within Variety itself were more varied than any album had been within itself. Except like KZK. And I'm not super generalizing that I think the sounds before sound the same. Jeez Maou, stop putting words in my mouth

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Originally Posted by ShadyNook View Post
Ringo wrote the best music when she was facing adversity. Her life is comfortable now and it might be showing in her music. A mix of feeling too old to angst like Ringo from the glory days and feeling the creative well is dry. All that is assumption though and Goraku isn't a boring album at all to me. I like it alot. Not enough to call it a favorite, but its good.

I have a feeling that the next album is going to bring the band back in full force. Ringo is up to something and this album is a stall tactic to help her prepare. hope hope hope hope hope.
I don't think that Variety necessarily means that she is going to be more complacent with her music since she did not write it, she just liked it enough to be part of it. But I agree that their next album will be really great because I think the fact that she did not write for this album was a way of her getting a sort of rest, recharge her batteries for what is next. I was thinking more of a solo album, but I'm getting the feeling now that she is a lot more dedicated to the band and HF was just more of a side-project than just continuing her solo career apart from the band.

Last edited by HEDOfloe : 2007.10.18 at 06:00 AM.
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Old 2007.10.18, 11:43 AM   #466
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There seems to be a current trend of established artists making complacent albums, have-done-before-but-better-albums, or even albums that feel like self-parody to an extent. As much as I like the albums, I feel that Tokyo Jihen, Björk, Tori Amos, The White Stripes and Nightwish have all done that this year. It is an infrequent occurrence that this doesn't happen—Radiohead, arguably, made one such album with Hail to the Thief. It's possibly my second favourite Radiohead album, but even I agree that it often sounds weary and done. This year, with In Rainbows, they refined and expanded old sounds, but made it fresh and wonderful, so it's deservedly been getting high praise. Another lauded album this year is PJ Harvey's White Chalk in which she completely reinvented herself as a ghostly Victorian falsetto-singing piano-player type (having never played the instrument before).

I'm excited to see what the next great SR/TJ album will be—an expansion and refinement resulting in an excellent work, or another complete revolution? While SR, in her "holy 3," seemed to continually expand and refine, TJ seems to take the revolutionary route from album to album. But I get the feeling that they'll be staying with this general sound for a while, because they seem comfortable with it now. They just had to veer into almost-complacent almost-self-parody first.

Variety's still deeply enjoyable, at least.
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Old 2007.10.18, 01:12 PM   #467
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Originally Posted by madpawn View Post
Variety's still deeply enjoyable, at least.
Yeah, I agree with this even more so since I just heard ADULT a couple of times this week. I've basically been only listening to Variety since it came out and when I heard ADULT again, it was a shocker again. It's just soo much better than Variety, but somehow I still find Variety so much fun to hear that I don't really mind that it is not up to par with Ringo's work.
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Old 2007.10.21, 08:52 PM   #468
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Actually, the first time I heard Boutomin and went past the 0:25 mark, I was terrified that I'd hear "uh-oh" being sung in the next few seconds. I thought it sounded like Der Kommissar's chorus...luckily it deviated from that pretty quickly... Der Kommissar is so damn gay sounding.
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Old 2007.10.31, 06:16 PM   #469
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^ Soo, did you like it anyway? or no?
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Old 2007.11.02, 01:18 AM   #470
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Hiya,

Yeah I think Boutomin is pretty good..kinda groovy. Metro's still the best
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