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Old 2013.07.01, 01:36 PM   #4
karateexplosion
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@dg: Release of the PV or the album cut itself? Important distinction. Like I said, specifically. Same goes for Jihad. What's the "this is it" moment of DO?

As an aside, Shun used to be my goto "smoke cigarettes in my car and unwind after coming home from wherever" song for like two years straight.


Anyway, to elaborate on my choice:
Adult is my favorite album. KZK is the most musically inspired. Sanmon Gossip is the most diverse. Shouso Strip is both the best and the most true to Ringo Shiina. Hear me out. Best, while a completely subjective statement, I feel is apropos being that it is the most well-selling and critically acclaimed of any of her works. This was the height of her creative success, without question. It's also the truest, in the sense that, while both MM and SS are comprised of mainly songs written before she was signed, MM clearly shows the sheen of production from a label looking to protect their investment, whereas with SS you can tell they took a step back after realizing that Shiina pretty much knew what she was doing. Hence, we have songs written without the same level of external influence as her later work and produced with more input by the creator of said works than anything prior.

But you say, "Wait a minute, KZK was produced in a vacuum too; it's all her!" I disagree. Sure, maybe she locked herself in her house and wrote the entire thing in one long meditative session after taking copious amounts of peyote. But this was already a changed woman. She'd had a kid, been in the industry for nearly 5 years, worked with and learned from many other professional musicians, etc. These things leave their mark.

Zazen, Nippon ni Umarete specifically, exemplifies the end of this age, the age of Shouso Strip, the age of "young", "raw" or "passionate" Ringo, if you will. From the choice of wardrobe, a departure from her rock'n'rock persona, to, most strikingly, the crucified effigy of GX Ringo during the final performance. Even the conscious decision to go out on a song that was given to someone else and not a part of her actual discography is telling.

So this is the truest moment in her entire career (at least that we've been able to see); before her kid, her dynamic shift, Jihen, everything. Hence why I limit it only the beginning of the song to the end of the first chorus, because it's all her. Also, she's very emotive and never played piano like that since.

It's only a shame it took us so long to be able to see it.

Last edited by karateexplosion : 2013.07.01 at 02:50 PM. Reason: Somehow didn't read the last line of dg's post.
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