Post by molotov889 on Jan 30, 2006 2:21:35 GMT -5
Initial D Fourth Stage D Selection +[/u]
The biggest days of Eurobeat may be behind us, but I still love it when CDs like this one come out. There’s a very youthful innocence in the lyrics and energy/excitement in the instrumentals of Eurobeat that make a pretty special and unique style, in my opinion. This particular compilation is a really good show of that. At first, I was hoping that the songs on this album would be VERY similar to the ones from the original Initial D series albums. However, when I received the album and had a good listen, I found that they still had the overall effect, but not exactly the same approach at the older Euorbeat. And I came away from that feeling very satisfied. It was refreshing to hear this genre with some updated influences, especially the recent rock/pop mixture that’s been becoming popular in Japan and has found its way onto this album. The only artist from this album that I was able to recognize was Fastway, and they still delivered just as well as I expected them to. Favorite tracks on the album are Fastway- Go Beat Crazy, Digital Planet- We’ll See Heaven, Symbol- Forever Young, and Nutty- Secret Love.
Ruppina- Best[/u]
This album’s greatest feature is the smoothness and soothing sound of Mai Kudo’s voice, which really just puts you at ease. Hers is not a particularly strong voice, but rather one that floats through complicated melodies and transitions between highs and lows rapidly. However, the music itself, though catchy at times, is not really anything special. Overall, I found the sound to be very much like HAL’s, but with not as much distinction between the songs. At times, I found the songs felt like they ran into each other. This was really only true of the slower, songs, though, so perhaps the album simply needed a different track order to be more effective. This album will most likely be one that I listen to rarely (only when I’m really in the mood for slower songs), but at those times, I will greatly appreciate it. Favorites on this album were Violet Flow, Faith, Proudly, and You Are.
Mondo Grosso- Live On The Next Wave 1 and 2[/u]
If you like Mondo Grosso, or house in general, then I highly recommend both of these CD sets. These live versions are not just straight re-hashes of exactly what’s on the Next Wave (and other) albums. Every song is at least modified in some way, and in other cases, the versions on these CDs are completely new versions. Because of this, these CDs can almost be seen as remix albums. Also, if you’re a fan of the “atmosphere” that comes with live albums, this set is great, because you can really here the crowd get into the music on certain, key tracks. Being a fan of Mondo Grosso, it was a real treat to hear him take his music to even new areas on each song. In addition, these albums contain some truly entertaining CD Extra content. Favorites were Shinin’ (Mondo Grosso Mix), Dancefloor Combat (Break Da Floor Mix), Anger (Norman Cook Club Mix)/Waitin’ For T (Extra Keys), Blazilian Rhyme (Fearless Mix). If you decide to buy these albums and have not done so already, I highly recommend that you also pick up a copy of Next Wave, and possibly even MG4, as the originals are just as enjoyable and will provide you with some perspective on the work that went into making these versions. One last thought: the packaging on these is GREAT; considering everything you get with these albums, they are well worth the price.
Akiko Wada- Free Soul[/u]
Talk about a step back in time! This collection of hits from Akiko Wada spans her career from 1968 to 1994. There are even two tracks in mono! This album presents the listener mostly with a trip through the state of pop in 60’s and 70’s Japan, which I found to be surprisingly close to what you would expect of American music from the same era. If you don’t know, Akiko has a very deep voice for a female singer, but matched with the raspiness she has, it’s one that sounds particularly well-suited to the soul genre which she usually works in. However, this is not the only mode in which Akiko works. Many of her songs are also more on the blues side. Because of this mixture, there are a lot of tracks on this album with a good amount of energy, relying mostly on a good brass accompaniment. If you want something different from the mainstream, I’d pick this one up. You might be surprised by how much you can still enjoy “old style” music. Favorites on this one were Donshaburi No Ame No Naka De, Crying Baby, Watashi Yume O Miro No, Umi Ni Nare, Last Metro, and Manatsu No Yoru No 23ji.
Namie Amuro- 181920[/u]
This collection of Namie’s early works is quite the “classic” as far as modern J-pop is concerned. The songs included on this album definitely have the trademark Tetsuya Komuro feel to them, which certainly makes them excellent and unique tracks. Of course, given the time frame that these tracks come from, you’re going to find a lot of energetic music, bordering on and even incorporating Eurobeat. I found it interesting to hear how much Namie’s voice and approach to music really has changed a lot ever since she started going down the more hip-hop path. I found that for her slower songs, I think I like her current style a lot more, especially when she starts to add a bit of a trance influence, like in Come from the Style album. However, for upbeat tracks, I like both her newer and former approaches. Since this album has such a different sound from her more recent works, if you’re only familiar with the new stuff, you shouldn’t buy this album expecting the same experience, and should only get it really if you like groups like Globe, Two-Mix, etc., or eurobeat. As a last thought, I was surprised how many of the songs were actually co-written by Komuro and Marc from Globe, as well as how many were actually written by Dave Rodgers, one of the major (if not THE major) eurobeat figures. Favorites on this collection were Body Feels Exit, You’re My Sunshine, How To Be A Girl (Marc Panther of Globe actually makes an appearance in this one), and Stop The Music.
Mondo Grosso- Best + Best Remixes[/u]
This 2-disc set is a collection of tracks albums released back when talking about Mondo Grosso meant talking about a band, not Shinichi Osawa in particular. Although these songs will, by necessity, have influences from more than just Osawa, someone who’se more familiar with Osawa’s work won’t feel at all uncomfortable alienated listening to this music. The style is very similar to his later works, the major difference being an increased presence of jazz and samba on the tracks found here. Of course, though, they’re all as funky as any of Osawa’s tracks. Plus, this is music that’s sure to stand out in any collection. Even if you other music along the same lines, Mondo Grosso (whether you’re considering the group or Osawa) is just one of those artists that clearly has their own way of doing things and creates music that is wholly their own. Don’t be surprised if you buy this album set and find yourself listening to it a lot because you simply don’t have anything else quite like it. This set also gets coolness points from me for having a remix made by The Roots. Some of the better tracks (original or remixed) are Souffles H (possibly Mondo Grosso’s most well-known song), Espirito, Alleglia, Emosau, Do You See What I See, and I Can’t Go For That.
Sowelu- Heads or Tails?[/u]
Sowelu has an immediately recognizable voice, one that’s quite unlike what I’ve previously heard from other artists. My first exposure to her was on M-Flo’s So Exclusive, where her unique touch to the song certainly caught my attention. Now that I’ve looked into some of her own work, I’m glad to see that touch truly was her own, and not a construct of Taku and Verbal. Much of the music that you’ll find on this album is pretty catchy R&B, though there are a few songs which lean more towards the hip-hop side. Almost all of the tracks on this album are a collaboration in some form (either with featured artists or by being remixed by various producers. Despite this, the album still maintains a surprising amount of cohesiveness between the tracks. However, it also leaves you feeling that you haven’t really heard what Sowelu can really do by herself and what the vision she has for her music really is. I think that if you want to have a pure Sowelu experience, you’re probably better off grabbing one of her other albums. For examples, although I really liked the track, I had to wonder where Sowelu was for much of Uh. It just left me wishing Sowelu was more of the center figure than Jun 4 Shot. Although I enjoyed listening to this album, there were only a couple of songs that really jumped out at me as noteowrthy: No Limit feat. P-CHO and her remix of Play That Funky Music, White Boy (just called Play That Funky Music feat. urb on this album).
Ryohei Yamamoto- Take Over[/u]
In a word, this album is smooth. Ryohei, who has a slightly high voice, uses it to his advantage by singing in a sort of whispered, subtle way. You won’t hear this guy belt out any power notes; instead, you will hear a voice that’s utterly soothing. While his overall style may be a bit too much on the boyband side for some tastes, he sort of breaks the mold a bit. I found that his songs weren’t really formulaic, nor did they rely entirely on a catchy chorus for their execution. He often tries to mix things up, like in the title track, during which he actually transitions into a bit of reggae rapping (it reminded me a bit of what Lisa sometimes does). Ryohei delivers constant performance and quality from the moment a song begins to its last note. I was also glad to see that almost all his lyrics are written by himself. In a few ways, he’s like a male equivalent of one of my favorite singers, Misia. Their styles may not be entirely similar, but you can tell that both have a good deal of natural talent as well as a voice that you will never tire of listening to. I really liked quite a few songs on this album, but favorites (I have to pick them) were Take Over, Speedway, Game We Played, Why Not, Darling? (this one’s a collaboration with FPM, and it shows in how unique this song is), and Moon Sexy (probably the most catchy track on this entire album).
Nami Tamaki- Make Progress[/u]
Man, this girl is keeping the Eurobeat feeling alive, and she’s doing it extremely well. I’d never heard any of Nami’s music before, so this was a blind purchase for me, but it’s one I’m glad I took the “leap of faith” on. This album certainly grabs you right from the beginning, and doesn’t let go. Nami’s control of her voice impressed me for someone so young, especially since so many female artists who sing in the same style tend to be a bit pitchy. However, Nami never seems to lose her control, in spite of the sometimes rapidly changing melodies that she follows. For the most part, this album has a feel that really matches well with its title- many of the instrumentals had a “future” sound, something I usually like to picture as being “space” music. (Think Two-Mix-esque.) It’s not just electronica; it has a particularly mystical and outward-searching feel. It’s hard to describe, but you know it when you hear it. In addition, the songs on this album have extremely catchy melodies, especially for the choruses, so you’re almost never going to find yourself sitting still while you listen to this music. That’s what I like to call entertaining. My favorites on this album were Reason, Future Step, Heroine, Kurayami Monogatari, and Reason Reproduction ~Flash Forward Mix~.
Lee Jung Hyun- This Is Hyony[/u]
I’m a little split on my feelings about this release. I knew there were tracks on this album from her previous Korean ones, but I was really hoping they were all going to be re-recorded in Japanese. Most of them are not. These tracks are, however, remastered, but the differences you’ll hear are pretty slight. (An extra break here, another synth sound there, bass a little higher on one song, lower on another, etc…). On the other hand, GX 339-4 and Ggoom were rerecorded into Japanese; the new version of GX 339-4 was particularly cool-sounding, as well. I should also note here that the Japanese versions of the older songs are not just translated, they’ve also received updated instrumentals and sometimes even new beats. If you are completely new to Lee Jung Hyun, this would be an excellent album, as you get a chance to see where her music’s been, and a little preview of where it’s headed. The Korean songs that they chose to include really are some of her best, and have a lot of energy (though most of her music does anyways). Even if you do have all of LJH’s Korean albums, though, this one’s still a pretty good value because buying the two Japanese singles will cost you more than this one by itself, plus they don’t include the bonus remix of Passion (which makes for 4 versions of this song now?- original Korean, remixed Korean, original Japanese, and remixed Japanese). You just have to decide if hearing Japanese versions of a few of her older songs is something you want to hear to begin with. Favorites were the updated GX 339-4, Heavy World (is that really an appropriate name for such an upbeat, boppy song?), and of course, all the Korean versions =P. (I can’t help it- all the ones they included in the original Korean were already personal favorites.
The biggest days of Eurobeat may be behind us, but I still love it when CDs like this one come out. There’s a very youthful innocence in the lyrics and energy/excitement in the instrumentals of Eurobeat that make a pretty special and unique style, in my opinion. This particular compilation is a really good show of that. At first, I was hoping that the songs on this album would be VERY similar to the ones from the original Initial D series albums. However, when I received the album and had a good listen, I found that they still had the overall effect, but not exactly the same approach at the older Euorbeat. And I came away from that feeling very satisfied. It was refreshing to hear this genre with some updated influences, especially the recent rock/pop mixture that’s been becoming popular in Japan and has found its way onto this album. The only artist from this album that I was able to recognize was Fastway, and they still delivered just as well as I expected them to. Favorite tracks on the album are Fastway- Go Beat Crazy, Digital Planet- We’ll See Heaven, Symbol- Forever Young, and Nutty- Secret Love.
Ruppina- Best[/u]
This album’s greatest feature is the smoothness and soothing sound of Mai Kudo’s voice, which really just puts you at ease. Hers is not a particularly strong voice, but rather one that floats through complicated melodies and transitions between highs and lows rapidly. However, the music itself, though catchy at times, is not really anything special. Overall, I found the sound to be very much like HAL’s, but with not as much distinction between the songs. At times, I found the songs felt like they ran into each other. This was really only true of the slower, songs, though, so perhaps the album simply needed a different track order to be more effective. This album will most likely be one that I listen to rarely (only when I’m really in the mood for slower songs), but at those times, I will greatly appreciate it. Favorites on this album were Violet Flow, Faith, Proudly, and You Are.
Mondo Grosso- Live On The Next Wave 1 and 2[/u]
If you like Mondo Grosso, or house in general, then I highly recommend both of these CD sets. These live versions are not just straight re-hashes of exactly what’s on the Next Wave (and other) albums. Every song is at least modified in some way, and in other cases, the versions on these CDs are completely new versions. Because of this, these CDs can almost be seen as remix albums. Also, if you’re a fan of the “atmosphere” that comes with live albums, this set is great, because you can really here the crowd get into the music on certain, key tracks. Being a fan of Mondo Grosso, it was a real treat to hear him take his music to even new areas on each song. In addition, these albums contain some truly entertaining CD Extra content. Favorites were Shinin’ (Mondo Grosso Mix), Dancefloor Combat (Break Da Floor Mix), Anger (Norman Cook Club Mix)/Waitin’ For T (Extra Keys), Blazilian Rhyme (Fearless Mix). If you decide to buy these albums and have not done so already, I highly recommend that you also pick up a copy of Next Wave, and possibly even MG4, as the originals are just as enjoyable and will provide you with some perspective on the work that went into making these versions. One last thought: the packaging on these is GREAT; considering everything you get with these albums, they are well worth the price.
Akiko Wada- Free Soul[/u]
Talk about a step back in time! This collection of hits from Akiko Wada spans her career from 1968 to 1994. There are even two tracks in mono! This album presents the listener mostly with a trip through the state of pop in 60’s and 70’s Japan, which I found to be surprisingly close to what you would expect of American music from the same era. If you don’t know, Akiko has a very deep voice for a female singer, but matched with the raspiness she has, it’s one that sounds particularly well-suited to the soul genre which she usually works in. However, this is not the only mode in which Akiko works. Many of her songs are also more on the blues side. Because of this mixture, there are a lot of tracks on this album with a good amount of energy, relying mostly on a good brass accompaniment. If you want something different from the mainstream, I’d pick this one up. You might be surprised by how much you can still enjoy “old style” music. Favorites on this one were Donshaburi No Ame No Naka De, Crying Baby, Watashi Yume O Miro No, Umi Ni Nare, Last Metro, and Manatsu No Yoru No 23ji.
Namie Amuro- 181920[/u]
This collection of Namie’s early works is quite the “classic” as far as modern J-pop is concerned. The songs included on this album definitely have the trademark Tetsuya Komuro feel to them, which certainly makes them excellent and unique tracks. Of course, given the time frame that these tracks come from, you’re going to find a lot of energetic music, bordering on and even incorporating Eurobeat. I found it interesting to hear how much Namie’s voice and approach to music really has changed a lot ever since she started going down the more hip-hop path. I found that for her slower songs, I think I like her current style a lot more, especially when she starts to add a bit of a trance influence, like in Come from the Style album. However, for upbeat tracks, I like both her newer and former approaches. Since this album has such a different sound from her more recent works, if you’re only familiar with the new stuff, you shouldn’t buy this album expecting the same experience, and should only get it really if you like groups like Globe, Two-Mix, etc., or eurobeat. As a last thought, I was surprised how many of the songs were actually co-written by Komuro and Marc from Globe, as well as how many were actually written by Dave Rodgers, one of the major (if not THE major) eurobeat figures. Favorites on this collection were Body Feels Exit, You’re My Sunshine, How To Be A Girl (Marc Panther of Globe actually makes an appearance in this one), and Stop The Music.
Mondo Grosso- Best + Best Remixes[/u]
This 2-disc set is a collection of tracks albums released back when talking about Mondo Grosso meant talking about a band, not Shinichi Osawa in particular. Although these songs will, by necessity, have influences from more than just Osawa, someone who’se more familiar with Osawa’s work won’t feel at all uncomfortable alienated listening to this music. The style is very similar to his later works, the major difference being an increased presence of jazz and samba on the tracks found here. Of course, though, they’re all as funky as any of Osawa’s tracks. Plus, this is music that’s sure to stand out in any collection. Even if you other music along the same lines, Mondo Grosso (whether you’re considering the group or Osawa) is just one of those artists that clearly has their own way of doing things and creates music that is wholly their own. Don’t be surprised if you buy this album set and find yourself listening to it a lot because you simply don’t have anything else quite like it. This set also gets coolness points from me for having a remix made by The Roots. Some of the better tracks (original or remixed) are Souffles H (possibly Mondo Grosso’s most well-known song), Espirito, Alleglia, Emosau, Do You See What I See, and I Can’t Go For That.
Sowelu- Heads or Tails?[/u]
Sowelu has an immediately recognizable voice, one that’s quite unlike what I’ve previously heard from other artists. My first exposure to her was on M-Flo’s So Exclusive, where her unique touch to the song certainly caught my attention. Now that I’ve looked into some of her own work, I’m glad to see that touch truly was her own, and not a construct of Taku and Verbal. Much of the music that you’ll find on this album is pretty catchy R&B, though there are a few songs which lean more towards the hip-hop side. Almost all of the tracks on this album are a collaboration in some form (either with featured artists or by being remixed by various producers. Despite this, the album still maintains a surprising amount of cohesiveness between the tracks. However, it also leaves you feeling that you haven’t really heard what Sowelu can really do by herself and what the vision she has for her music really is. I think that if you want to have a pure Sowelu experience, you’re probably better off grabbing one of her other albums. For examples, although I really liked the track, I had to wonder where Sowelu was for much of Uh. It just left me wishing Sowelu was more of the center figure than Jun 4 Shot. Although I enjoyed listening to this album, there were only a couple of songs that really jumped out at me as noteowrthy: No Limit feat. P-CHO and her remix of Play That Funky Music, White Boy (just called Play That Funky Music feat. urb on this album).
Ryohei Yamamoto- Take Over[/u]
In a word, this album is smooth. Ryohei, who has a slightly high voice, uses it to his advantage by singing in a sort of whispered, subtle way. You won’t hear this guy belt out any power notes; instead, you will hear a voice that’s utterly soothing. While his overall style may be a bit too much on the boyband side for some tastes, he sort of breaks the mold a bit. I found that his songs weren’t really formulaic, nor did they rely entirely on a catchy chorus for their execution. He often tries to mix things up, like in the title track, during which he actually transitions into a bit of reggae rapping (it reminded me a bit of what Lisa sometimes does). Ryohei delivers constant performance and quality from the moment a song begins to its last note. I was also glad to see that almost all his lyrics are written by himself. In a few ways, he’s like a male equivalent of one of my favorite singers, Misia. Their styles may not be entirely similar, but you can tell that both have a good deal of natural talent as well as a voice that you will never tire of listening to. I really liked quite a few songs on this album, but favorites (I have to pick them) were Take Over, Speedway, Game We Played, Why Not, Darling? (this one’s a collaboration with FPM, and it shows in how unique this song is), and Moon Sexy (probably the most catchy track on this entire album).
Nami Tamaki- Make Progress[/u]
Man, this girl is keeping the Eurobeat feeling alive, and she’s doing it extremely well. I’d never heard any of Nami’s music before, so this was a blind purchase for me, but it’s one I’m glad I took the “leap of faith” on. This album certainly grabs you right from the beginning, and doesn’t let go. Nami’s control of her voice impressed me for someone so young, especially since so many female artists who sing in the same style tend to be a bit pitchy. However, Nami never seems to lose her control, in spite of the sometimes rapidly changing melodies that she follows. For the most part, this album has a feel that really matches well with its title- many of the instrumentals had a “future” sound, something I usually like to picture as being “space” music. (Think Two-Mix-esque.) It’s not just electronica; it has a particularly mystical and outward-searching feel. It’s hard to describe, but you know it when you hear it. In addition, the songs on this album have extremely catchy melodies, especially for the choruses, so you’re almost never going to find yourself sitting still while you listen to this music. That’s what I like to call entertaining. My favorites on this album were Reason, Future Step, Heroine, Kurayami Monogatari, and Reason Reproduction ~Flash Forward Mix~.
Lee Jung Hyun- This Is Hyony[/u]
I’m a little split on my feelings about this release. I knew there were tracks on this album from her previous Korean ones, but I was really hoping they were all going to be re-recorded in Japanese. Most of them are not. These tracks are, however, remastered, but the differences you’ll hear are pretty slight. (An extra break here, another synth sound there, bass a little higher on one song, lower on another, etc…). On the other hand, GX 339-4 and Ggoom were rerecorded into Japanese; the new version of GX 339-4 was particularly cool-sounding, as well. I should also note here that the Japanese versions of the older songs are not just translated, they’ve also received updated instrumentals and sometimes even new beats. If you are completely new to Lee Jung Hyun, this would be an excellent album, as you get a chance to see where her music’s been, and a little preview of where it’s headed. The Korean songs that they chose to include really are some of her best, and have a lot of energy (though most of her music does anyways). Even if you do have all of LJH’s Korean albums, though, this one’s still a pretty good value because buying the two Japanese singles will cost you more than this one by itself, plus they don’t include the bonus remix of Passion (which makes for 4 versions of this song now?- original Korean, remixed Korean, original Japanese, and remixed Japanese). You just have to decide if hearing Japanese versions of a few of her older songs is something you want to hear to begin with. Favorites were the updated GX 339-4, Heavy World (is that really an appropriate name for such an upbeat, boppy song?), and of course, all the Korean versions =P. (I can’t help it- all the ones they included in the original Korean were already personal favorites.
