Your vote for last Ringo classic song(s)?

[natsume]

I admit I don't come around here too often, and it is largely to avoid the circular arguments, which I find maddening. On the other hand, I am somebody who has watched JCHI about 20 times, Gekokujo Xtacy about 40 times, and Electric Mole and Dynamite Out! at least 60 times each. For better or worse, you are my people.

So, I thought it would be interesting if you could state the last Ringo release that you feel holds up against her entire catalogue, that holds up against her legacy, and why.

For me, even though I am an Uki and Variety defender, I can't place the stuff from this era in her canon. Almost, but it is only really the songs Izawa wrote that come close. And I feel for a song to truly qualify, she has to have written it.

It's not the best song, but the last new song that I feel holds a candle to her whole output is Kono yo no kagiri. It has a sweetness that is reminiscent of the first song that made me fall in love with her, Odaiji ni. I have not felt too close to the other "new" work on HF. I suppose the new version of Gamble would also be in there for me. And of course, the HF Yume no ato is stunningly gorgeous. So those three qualify, for me.

OK, start arguing.

[Glathannus]

I'm not a highly serious "nu-Shiina" fan, but I don't feel that the Kono Ya no Kagiri single gets enough love. I thought it was a good single as a whole, moreso than most of the other singles she ever came out with in the past. That kind of made me more disappointed with HF in that it not only copied a lot of old songs, but in that it also didn't allow the B-Sides of KYNK to be unique (one or the other would've been more tolerable). You might say the same complete-single-copying happened with Stem and KSK, but at least the Stem A-Side was different than the arrangement KSK ended up using. HF rearranged the B-Sides, but left the A-Side alone, and... that's just twisted.

Arguably HF shouldn't have included KYNK at all, not because it's a bad song, but because not only isn't HF supposed to be the "Sakuran soundtrack" anyway, but KYNK is kind of a questionable way to end a nonsoundtrack album after Yume no Ato. Excluding KYNK on the album (while continuing to re-arrange the B-Sides) would've made the single into more of a gem than many of the 'haters' might feel like it is. Or... you remove KYNK from the single itself (if you're going to feature it in an album without re-arranging it), replace it with the Sakuran version of Gamble, turn it into a B-Side, and have one of the existing B-Sides become the A-Side.

Is KYNK a good way to declare the end of her legacy? Compared to Electric Mole, I don't think so. And I don't mean to discredit Ringo Catalogue or Dynamite Out, but Electric Mole was not only fairly KSK-centric, but it included more MM/SS gems ontop of that, unlike Baishou Ecstasy - which was not only shorter, but also wasted so much of that limited time with the introduction that was arguably more drawn-out and annoying than any of the intermissions on Electric Mole.

[Tokyo Jihad]

Whichever song was the last Adult song written/recorded.

[natsume]

Originally Posted by Glathannus

Is KYNK a good way to declare the end of her legacy?

I'm not declaring the end of anything. I strongly believe she very well may have some of her best work before her. This is about everything up to today.

[Maou]

The last release that I consider to be a Ringo classic is the Sounan single. The title track is the best song on the best Jihen album while Kokoro is the best B-side she's ever made. That's enough to make it a Ringo classic to me.

[justriiingo]

I vote for Hatsukoi Shoujo or the Tamatebako stuff.
Then again I'm someone who thought that SR was losing it during Adult already.

[Cosmo!]

I agree with natsume and Glath about KYNK. It's one of my favorite Ringo singles, right up there with Honnou, Mayonaka wa Junketsu and Ringo no Uta (due in no small part to the single version of Sakuran, which I prefer to the album version).

I dump all over HF on a semi-regular basis, but the truth is I actually don't really mind it (the new cool, or probably the cool that has always been, is to talk about how much something sucks and how awesome you are for recognizing and rejecting that uncoolness). I've always had a tingle in my nethers for songs like Gamble, Stem, Ishiki, Yokushitsu, Meisai and Yume no Ato, and these new versions really do it for me. But since this isn't about new versions of old songs, I'll say that Hatsukoi Shoujo, Oiran, the album and Death Jazz versions of Karisome Otome and Sakuran (possibly both versions, definitely the single version) rank pretty high up there on the Ringo Ranking for me.

I love Education and Adult more than MM and UM, as much as SS and less than KZK; needless to say, they're ranked high, so of course I'd be inclined to think that they can hold their own against Ringo's solo material. I agree completely with Maou about the Sounan single. Kokoro is probably my favorite Ringo song out of both solo and Tokyo Jihen material.

Variety, for the most part, I don't like (despite enjoying the OSCA/Killer Tune singles and Senkou Shoujo). I think Ringo needs to stick to the songwriting, because she's written some phenomenal shit in the past. Kameda can stick around, too, because he ain't half bad.

[jigenbakuda]

Originally Posted by natsume

And of course, the HF Yume no ato is stunningly gorgeous.

This version is my all time favorite song from shiina, followed closely by poltergiest from the same album.I am a sucker for the grand piano, man yume no ato just does it for me...So to me, it is her latest classic track.

Well I would also love to agree that the ringo no uta single was awesome. I think Ringo Catalogue was so brilliant. Well I do not like tokyo jihen as much as I like just shiina (not saying I dislike jihen, I just prefer shiina), so for me the last shiina "release that was classic is ringo no uta.

[Tokyo Jihad]

Originally Posted by jigenbakuda

Well I do not like tokyo jihen as much as I like just shiina (not saying I dislike jihen, I just prefer shiina)

See, do we (not just you, jigen) need to constantly keep saying such cover all, super PR-esque statements like this? You're on a Shiina/Jihen forum. We have a general understanding you don't detest either aspect with every fiber of youre being. And you're not hurting anyone's feeling if they misconstrue you don't like Jihen.

Its ok to like one over the other, you dont have to go back and say how much you like the lesser as if someones gonna cry over it.

[jigenbakuda]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad

See, do we (not just you, jigen) need to constantly keep saying such cover all, super PR-esque statements like this? You're on a Shiina/Jihen forum. We have a general understanding you don't detest either aspect with every fiber of youre being. And you're not hurting anyone's feeling if they misconstrue you don't like Jihen.

Its ok to like one over the other, you dont have to go back and say how much you like the lesser as if someones gonna cry over it.

Ah I see, well I am used to most people responding as, well then why do you hate <enter less liked thing> so much? So I try to clarify. But I understand. Well we all like ringo-hime, eh. Even if we don't all agree on her new supporting cast, lol.