88 posts from 2007

An interesting year, full of resurrections and drama. Here is my cold hearted opinion on reunions...purely a money making venture. Very little in the way of fresh creativity going down.

D'erlanger managed at least a passably original album, though not one I feel compelled to own, or to listen to much. For some reason they annoy me a little now, apart from Tetsu who is a sweetheart. His song was the best on the album. Reunion concert made me cry at the end. It was very emotional.

Kingshows' new album was best forgotten apart from some really tight new versions of old songs, though I did really enjoy their reunion concert too. They also produced one really good single and PV with 筋肉少女帯　仲直りのテーマ.

Everyone seems a bit lame compared to Hiroto and Marcy. Especially Marcy of course (Masatoshi Mashima), who was my Most Impressive Jrocker of 2007 and the artist I enjoyed listening to most in 2007. The songs he wrote for The Cro Magnons this year were awe inspiring, and his solo, some of which was rereleased this year, is pure and utter genius. He writes the greatest songs and has an exquisite voice. Pretty impressive for a virtuoso guitarist. I suspect he is also the true leader of The Blue High Magnons. I wish he would do some solo again, or at least sing a song or two.

Next is my Best New Pet of 2007, Machida Machizo (aka Machida Kou), whose vocal skills defy belief. Machida! Ah ho ah ho ah ho! How bizarre that Western fandom has bypassed this extraordinary talent so completely! >< How strange that his most amazing cd is out of print. *cries*  Gloria in exelsis deo INDEED!

Baki and co really impressed me hugely with the new Mosquito Spiral album Marbles. It's got so much energy and I love all the songs especially Monster and Everlasting Flower. Here is Love in Vain. The guitar work on this album is impressing me a huge amount! I might have to investigate this guy Hiroshi Kasuga. Its so good I want to give it the big prize, but Gargoyle are the sentimental favourite this year having released one of the best albums of their illustrious career in time for their 20th anniversary so I am going to give the prize for Best Album of 2007 to Gargoyle 刃～YAIBA. It really is flawlessly beautiful. Well almost. Once or twice Kentaros solos went awol. He is very good at everything else though.

Strictly speaking I did listen to the awesome The Cro-Magnons' Cave Party more times (think, in the hundreds) and it could just as easily have won this prize. Maybe if they hadn't won last year as well...A very close race this year.

Thanks to Morgianasama for the Kiba scan.

As for Kiyo, he has had an Annus Horribilis, but still managed to release some truly gorgeous songs. You can read my review of his album FOREVER LOVE here. Rinne is a hot contender for Best Single of the 2007, but it gets knocked off its perch by Kami Hikouki by The Cro Magnons.

This year I also finally fell deeply in awe of Endo Michiro. My god, what an amazing human being! In these days of rampant stupidity it cheers me up to know I am sharing a planet with people like him.

Best PV of 2007 goes to Hiroto Koumoto (solo) second year running with his hilarious video for the adaptation of Beethovens song of Joy: よろこびのうた（藤兵衛ドンと農民たち） Can't find the full video on youtube now...must have been taken down, but here is the first part on Veoh.
He is so funny if he didn't have such a gorgeous voice he could be a comedian.


Oh and my Favourite Live of 2007 would have to be the performance of Aruku Chibu and Kami Hikouki on the Giri giri ga ga gan single.
Hopefully a proper live dvd from The Cro-Magnons can be expected in 2008.
 BTW Fuck Sake rerelease Rabbits in the Moon, Crows in the Sun
and MACHIDA KOU AND THE GLORY.
NOW!

Aka Stephen Shits Butterflies
CJ7 Official Site
is up and running (kinda >.<)
JAN 31!
In The Cinema!!
Yay!

So I finally got around to watching *most* of this movie last night. I lasted three quarters of the way through without fast forwarding with no subs, and crappy quality, so it's a fucking good movie I think. Visually and musically. Like to watch it properly some time. It's like a Mad Max X Punk Musical X Yakuza Movie.

Seems like Machida Kou gets sold as a (sex?) slave to a big guy on a motorbike, and gets dragged around chained to his side car. He does a lot of screaming >,>...anyway...I think he's not a bad actor. Better if they'd just let him sing though.

The Stalin of course have a big fight scene and Michiro Endo is amazing as usual, but moving far too fast to screencap. There really should have been a LOT more Endo in this movie. I think this is him though preparing to high jack the other band (The Roosters I think). (please correct me if I'm wrong)

Anyway I really liked it. I might have to try Crazy Thunder Road next.
Someone should organize a Sogo Ishii festival.
Hello Australia, did you hear that?

You were stronger, more beautiful and more gifted than I am, and I miss you.
Where have you gone to with that cup of my heart in your hand?
Eight years since you left and only now am I starting to find my way again.
I promise you this....I will live the way you raised me to live.
With freedom and joy.
I love you.

Why am I posting an ugly picture of the worlds loveliest cat? I dunno maybe because it's strange and dramatic. I didn't mess with it really. Just a very fractional curve. Really!
You can tell he was just a kitten when it was taken. Still looking gawky. Now he fits his ears and nose better xD
And he's a much darker rich brown.

This live is quite abrasive, with very little of the sweet soft hearted Marcy in evidence. Raw Life was of course his most aggressive and up beat solo album so this is hardly surprising.

But for all its harshness its totally and utterly riveting.The kind of live you just cannot look away from. He has a pretty stellar support band too, with Shinji Miyake and Soul Toul. Soul Toul in particular seems to be having a lot of fun. He finds Marcy very amusing...but then doesn't everyone?

Makes me think, the Cro Mags had a song called whale...Kujira Nawa. Marcy wrote that too. Might have to try and decifer that one. Then of course there was the Dugong song. I love dugongs. Manateeeeeee.

Oh I supposed to be reviewing this?
Hmmmmm, very adorable and talented, with a charming tendency to try and communicate.
And I don't think it was an accident that he turned up the day before the election.

I couldn't resist one last addition.....from the Nothing Beats Curry and Rice PV.
So funny and so mad. It's interesting how different each Marcy is in each of these PVs.
I'm a Politician PV, he's quite scary and fierce looking, and Curry Rice, he's all daffy and cute. Hedoroman falls somewhere in between. Hedoroman I'd roughly translate as Toxic Waste Man or Sludge Man. I suppose Marcy is doing the ironing.



I will say he managed to teach me something very useful about boiling eggs. Which is funny..xD
And I love curry and rice too. Nothing beats that spicy steam filling up my kitchen.