the mog network 4.0- jpop part 3

Jpop

Part 3. Initially this page was a list of all the CD's I have. But that got too boring... in this section I review some of the CD's and music-oriented stuff I buy.

GLAY - Tomadoi/SPECIAL THANKS

PCCU-00003
released 00.8.23
1260 yen

Track Listing:
01. Tomadoi
02. SPECIAL THANKS
03. Good Bye Bye Sunday
04. Tomadoi (Instrumental)
05. SPECIAL THANKS (Instrumental)

This maxi-single from Glay is really exceptional; "Tomadoi" is very upbeat, and rock-ish, tropical; "Special Thanks" is a more of a slow, steady ballad. The third song on the CD, "Good Bye Bye Sunday," is an okay song, it doesn't stand out as much as "Tomadoi" and "Special Thanks" though. And the instrumentals are fun too. A unique sound, great songs: overall, a great value. If you really like the CD, you might want to get the Mirai Nikki Original Soundtrack (PCCU-00004, 2625 yen), which features songs from this single, like the piano and strings version of "Special Thanks", and the strings version of "Tomadoi."

Amuro Namie - PLEASE SMILE AGAIN

AVCD-30153
released 00.10.04
1050 yen

Track Listing:
01. PLEASE SMILE AGAIN -TK original mix
02. CROSS OVER -TK original mix
03. PLEASE SMILE AGAIN -Jamaster A Mix
04. PLEASE SMILE AGAIN -tv mix
05. PLEASE SMILE AGAIN -acappella

Namie's 2nd single since GENIUS 2000, it's a commercial song for Fran chocolate biscuits (MMM!) The song is great, I can't stop listening to it. It's a fast-paced rock song with hip hop feelings; Namie even raps in it (she's got rhythm...) "Honno shunkan, futari dake no SPACE, watashitachi no pace, BASIC na lifestyle..." Of course the song was written, produced, and composed by TK. I wish Namie would at least start writing her own songs, she's been wanting to do that for a while. As much as I like the title track, "Cross Over" isn't that great of a song, it sounds like "I Have Never Seen" except less appealing; the remix of the title track is boring; the tv mix is simply an instrumental version, and the acappella version gets boring after a while-- lots of dead space in between singing. If you're a hard-core Namie fan get the CD for the title track and the interesting photography work, if not it's better to wait for her 4th album featuring this song, which comes out in the end of December, or else download the MP3.

Koyanagi Yuki - EXPANSION

HDCA-10046
released 00.8.23
3059 yen

Track Listing:
01. feel the destiny
02. Legend of my love
03. heavin feelin'
04. unreliable
05. Aijou (album version)
06. prove my heart (album version)
07. fortune
08. can't hold me back (album version)
09. BRAND NEW WORLD
10. A Ka Shi
11. be alive (album version)
12. precious time
bonus track:
13. prove my heart (Hollywood remix)

EXPANSION is Koyanagi Yuki's third album. I bought the album simply because I liked the song "be alive"-- bad choice. I agree she can sing better than most j-pop singers out there, and her voice may be annoying to some, but many of her songs just sound plain. There are two types of songs on this CD: fast-beat disco/pop songs and a few slow ballads.

I will admit I like "Aijou" now, after hearing it before and not liking it. It's a fast-paced song reminiscent of disco, and it's very danceable. The only other song I really like on the album is "be alive;" initially I didn't like it, but it grew on me. It's a slow, yet very soulful track; the intro is really nice. The other songs that stand out from the rest are "Legend of my love" and "fortune." The bonus track, the remix of "prove my heart," is a joke... especially when I didn't like the original to begin with.

So, this album isn't all that great. I would suggest buying the singles of "Aijou" and "be alive" instead of getting the album, or possibly just downloading the MP3's. If you do get the album, give it a few listens and you might possibly like it. The revealing shots of Yuki (uhh) and the weird prismatic paper are neat as well.

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