寿記 29.04.10 RECORDING

We started recording a few days ago.

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These days I've seen absolutely nothing but the studio and the inside of my house.

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Here, Mr. Yokoyama and Hide are pretending to do a sound check.

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And in this one, Yuuta and Hide are going over some phrases.

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Drums and bass are done for today.

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Good work!

IMAI 23:50

Question & Answer, FT. 011

What medicine do you use when you get a cold?

Toll: Whatever the doctor gives me.

Sakurai: Next to my bed I have some bananas and ice cream that my friend brought me.

Imai: I ignore it.

Would you rather spoil or be spoiled?

Hide: Spoil and be spoiled.

Toll: Both.

Sakurai: I have two cats.

Yutaka: Be spoiled~~~^.^

Imai: What happens to the lime you put in Corona beer?

You have to lose 10 kilograms in one week. How will you do it?

Yutaka: I won't eat.

Imai: Won't eat, won't sleep, will think.

Sakurai: I can lose weight...you just don't eat and you run...

Toll: Breakfast and lunch=three cigarettes and some milk. Dinner=that, plus a salad.

You have a chance to have one wish granted by god. What would you wish for?

Hide: I can't say.

Toll: I'd wish to be the most powerful, important person in the world.

Yutaka: I'd have him make me a god, too.

Sakurai: I'd wish to be able to fly in the sky, up to Mach 3.3 when I'm at full speed. But my outer appearance would be mostly normal.

Imai: Buy me some ice.

Someone has learned a secret of yours that you don't want anyone to know. What do you do?

Hide: I'd tell my own secret before they could tell it on me.

Toll: I'd learn one of their secrets back.

Yutaka: ......

Imai: I'D TAKE IT BACK! And then we'd beat each other up.

Sakurai: 75 days.

What do you think you were in a past life?

Hide: A mole.

Yutaka: A woman.

Imai: I was condemned to be a granny bicycle.

Sakurai: If you know someone who can see people's past lives, tell me. Someone told me I was apparently a person who punished criminals and sinners in the Middle Ages, or B.C.

Tell us your strategies for relieving stress.

Yutaka: Groaning!

Sakurai: I turn into a cat.

Toll: I drink with my friends.

Imai: I make curry! (20 plates of it)

What is the most important thing to you right now?

Toll: My own body.

Sakurai: My alcoholic-beverage-consumption time

Imai: Tu lu lu lu lu....my double espresso!

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Taken from the Question & Answer Section of FT 011, March 1999.

Just One More...House?

Some curious and motivated friends of mine dredged up this remarkable cover of "Just One More Kiss." They call it a "house music" cover, but you should listen to it and form your own opinions.

If you like it, you might also like the same artist's cover of Kuroyume's "Shounen", Dir en grey's "I'll," Siam Shade's "1/3 Junjou na Kanjou," Shazna's "Melty Love," Malice Mizer's "Gekka no Yasoukyoku," ready and waiting to become the opening theme to some Lolita-themed shoujo anime (I really want it to exist.)

寿記 20.04.10 Ah

That's right.

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The band that opened for Lady Gaga was pretty good.

I'm talking about the second opener.

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...but I don't know the name of the band.

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And, that's right.

I finally bought that walnut chocolate I was talking about earlier.

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It's really good if you eat it when it's almost melted.

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Thanks to the person who sent me letters and emails with the info about what kind of chocolate it was.

IMAI 20:00

寿記 20.04.10 Lady Gaga With Mr. Hotei

I asked Mr. Hotei to take me along with him to Yokohama Arena, so I could see Lady Gaga in the flesh.

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I was expecting something you could call "out there."

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The image she creates with her visuals makes me think of glam, or Klaus Nomi, or something...?

Something like that, anyway.

I won't know till I see it.

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There was one song I knew.

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I thought to myself,

Why do I know this song?

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I'd heard it playing somewhere or other.

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Then we went back and Hotei treated me to a get-well party.

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His left hand and my right hand.

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I'm so glad my hand got better.

IMAI 17:00

Get by Gaga Life!

Taken from Hotei's blog. Translated by Cayce.

LADY GAGA WITH MY PAL IMAI

I went to Yokohama Arena with Imai to see Lady Gaga live. I'm going to dare to not put down my impressions of the show.

We shared box seats with Yuming, Shibuya Youichi, and Katori Shingo. The other VIP seats were also full of an amazing array of people (the it-people of the times!) Mr. Shibuya also has a blog, I was surprised.

When we got back to Tokyo, I treated Imai to the get-well party I'd promised him.

Here's me shaking his newly healed right hand with my left hand.

I'm glad, my brother.

Note: Shibuya Youichi is the CEO of Rockin' On, and Katori Shingo (if you didn't know) is Shingo-Mama from SMAP. Everyone in Japan is going Gaga!

Cayce loves Lady Gaga.

Lucifer a Go Go

If you're thinking that I only titled the last post the way I did so it would juxtapose well with this post, then you're absolutely right. And my apologies for taking so long to get around to translating Lucy's second album Rockarollica II! I can't promise the entire album any time soon, but for your enjoyment, here is my translation of "Lucifer a Go Go"...and as a bonus, you can sing these English lyrics with the original melody! Shock your family, shock your friends. Enjoy!

P.S. For those of you who don't know, Lucy is a super-group consisting of Imai Hisashi from Buck-Tick on guitar and vocals, Kiyoshi from Madbeavers and Media Youth on guitar and vocals, and Okazaki Katsuhige from Guniw Tools and Age of Punk on drums. Lucy got their start in 2003, playing raunchy rock-n-roll in a sort of tribute to Imai and Kiyoshi's late friend hide of X Japan. Imai's detour into working on Lucy meant that in 2004, Buck-Tick took a break from activities. In multiple interviews, when Sakurai was asked about his solo project, he said, "Well Imai was cheating on me with Lucy, so I had to do something." Lucy has released two albums so far, Rockarollica and Rockarollica II. Most recently, they played live alongside Awaji Yukuhiro's band Acid Android and Fujii Maki's band Suilen at Music & People, a rock event sponsored by magazine Ongaku to Hito in November 2008 at Yokohama Blitz.

As always, translation by Cayce. Credit me and link me if you repost, pretty please.

LUCIFER A GO GO
Lyrics: Imai Hisashi
Music: Imai Hisashi
Album: Rockarollica II
2006.4.26 Victor Invitation

Angel of the Land of Depravity
His name is Lucifer Morningstar
He's the Angel of Hell, Baby
In Babylon Baby, Baby
On his favorite six-legged horse yeah
Running through the Forest of Confession
In the sky above the hill of misery
Angel's blowing, blowing on his trumpet yeah

Charismatic Prince Lucifer
Lilith & Paradise Lost, yeah
He's the Angel of Hell, Baby
In Babylon Baby, Baby
Great Dragon of the dawn incarnate¹
One jump off of his rebel tower
Playing his trump card, Sodom & Gomorrah²
One pair, he lines up boredom & ennui³

Pillars of fire piercing the sky
Pillars of ice, yeah, pointed sharp like frozen spears
It's an illusion
The sound of the breaking waves reaches my ears
We're here in the Country of Fools
I hear the heretics singing the forbidden songs
It's an illusion
The sound of the waves come to wash it away

Angel lord of the Abyss, yeah
That bastard, he's Almighty
He's the Angel of Hell, Baby
In Babylon Baby, Baby
My name is the Angel Lucifer
Shining brighter than anyone, anywhere
Crawling up to Valley of the Fall, yeah
In Eden, he's gonna eat the apple now

Pillars of fire piercing the sky
Pillars of ice, yeah, pointed sharp like frozen spears
It's an illusion
The sound of the breaking waves reaches my ears
We're here in the Country of Fools
I hear the heretics singing the forbidden songs
It's an illusion
The sound of the waves come to wash it away

He's gonna eat the apple now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's feeling the renaissance now⁴
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's feeling the renaissance now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's feeling the renaissance now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's feeling the renaissance now
He's gonna eat the apple now

Note: This song deals with the story of Lucifer Morningstar, who was once the brightest and most powerful angel in heaven. But when he started becoming power-hungry and "building his tower too high" God felt he was a threat and cast Lucifer and his angels out of Heaven. In some stories, Lucifer and his angels must forever fly above the Abyss, but in others, he went down into the Abyss and made it his kingdom, thus becoming the Devil, Lord of Hell. As the Devil, he went to the Garden of Eden in the form of a serpent and tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, often represented as an apple. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit they became as God, knowing good and evil. As punishment for disobeying his orders and eating the fruit, God cast them out of Eden to make their way in the cold, hard world...but he couldn't take their knowledge away.

In any case, I'm no Biblical scholar, so if you want more detailed information, I highly recommend you do some research on your own. Also for the record, this song is not intended to offend the religious beliefs of anyone out there. Japan is a largely secular country with only a very, very small population of Christians, so Christian imagery tends to get tossed around freely in Japanese culture, often without any deep meaning intended.

1) "Great Dragon" is an antiquated name for the Devil.

2) Sodom & Gomorrah were two cities destroyed by God in the Old Testament of the bible because of the supposed moral depravity of their residents.

3) "One Pair" is a poker reference.

4) The word here that I translated as "renaissance" is "rinne," the Japanese word for the Buddhist cycle of death and rebirth. Though "Renaissance" with a capital "R" usually refers to the period in European history between the 14th and 17th centuries, its original, literal meaning is "rebirth." I used the word here because I think Imai's talking about a stronger concept than just simple rebirth--he's talking about how the fall from Eden started a revolution.

LUCIFER A GO GO

Lyrics:今井寿

Music:今井寿

Album: Rockarollica II

2006.4.26 Victor Invitation

堕落の国のAngel

名は明けの明星　ルシファー

地獄の天使さ　BABY

Babylonで　BABY BABY

六本足の愛馬で　懺悔の森を駆け抜ける

嘆きの丘の上空　天使がラッパを吹いている

カリスマ　プリンス　ルシファー

リリスとパラダイスロスト

地獄の天使さ　BABY

Babylonで　BABY BABY

夜明けのドラゴンは化身　反逆の塔を一飛び

切札　ソドムとゴモラ　そそるワンペア無駄と怠惰

天を突く火柱か　凍てつく氷柱の槍か

そうか　イリュージョン　波の音が聞こえる

ここは愚かの地　禁断の歌も聞こえる

そうか　イリュージョン　波の音がかき消す

奈落のそこのAngel

ヤツはオールマイティー

地獄の天使さ　BABY

Babylonで　BABY BABY

我が名はエンジェル・ルシファー　誰より強く輝く者

堕天の谷を這い上がり　エデンでリンゴをかじっている

天を突く火柱か　凍てつく氷柱の槍か

そうか　イリュージョン　波の音が聞こえる

ここは愚かの地　禁断の歌も聞こえる

そうか　イリュージョン　波の音がかき消す

リンゴをかじっている

リンゴをかじっている

リンゴをかじっている

リンゴをかじっている　リンネをかんじている

リンゴをかじっている　リンネをかんじている

リンゴをかじっている　リンネをかんじている

リンゴをかじっている　リンネをかんじている

リンゴをかじっている

LUCIFER A GO GO
Lyrics: Imai Hisashi
Music: Imai Hisashi
Album: Rockarollica II
2006.4.26 Victor Invitation

Daraku no kuni no Angel
Na wa ake no myoujou Rushifaa
Jigoku no tenshi sa BABY
Babylon de BABY BABY
Roppon ashi no aiba de zange no mori wo kakenukeru
Nageki no oka no joukuu tenshi ga rappa wo fuiteiru

Karisuma Purinsu Rushifaa
Ririrsu no Paradaisu Rosuto
Jigoku no tenshi sa BABY
Babylon de BABY BABY
Yoake no doragon wa keshin hangyaku no tou wo hitotobi
Kirifuda Sodomu to Gomorrah sosoru wanpea muda to taida

Ten wo tsuku hibashira ka itetsuku tsurara no yari ka
Sou ka iryuujon nami no oto ga kikoeru
Koko wa oroka no chi kindan no uta mo kikoeru
Sou ka iryuujon nami no oto ga kakikesu

Naraku no soko no Angel
Yatsu wa oorumaitii
Jigoku no tenshi sa BABY
Babylon de BABY BABY
Wa ga na wa Enjeru Rushifaa dare yori tsuyoku kagayaku mono
Daten no tani wo haiagari Eden de ringo wo kajitteiru

Ten wo tsuku hibashira ka itetsuku tsurara no yari ka
Sou ka iryuujon nami no oto ga kikoeru
Koko wa oroka no chi kindan no uta mo kikoeru
Sou ka iryuujon nami no oto ga kakikesu

Ringo wo kajitteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru Rinne wo kanjiteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru Rinne wo kanjiteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru Rinne wo kanjiteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru Rinne wo kanjiteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru

Jesus a Go Go

Talking to various fans over the years, I've realized that no one knows what Sakurai says in the chorus to "Misty Blue," at 1:42, 1:56, 3:26, and 3:40, respectively. It's clear he's saying something in English and not pronouncing it well, but whatever it is isn't written in the lyric booklet. I started Not Greatest Site to help the non-Japanese fans understand what Buck-Tick (especially the lyrics) are all about, but in recent years I've gotten hits from Japanese fans as well, all of them looking for those elusive lyrics that show up on the recording but not in the album liner.

Since I speak English, they often ask me.

"Hey, do you know what Sakurai's chanting in the chorus of 'Thanatos'?"

"What the hell is he saying in 'Misty Blue'?"

And sometimes, "Why are you laughing so much at the words to 'Empty Girl'?"

Sadly, I wasn't able to give a satisfactory answer to the last question to fans who couldn't speak English. But in "Thanatos," the consensus is that Sakurai's chanting "Let's go let's go let's go/Let's fly let's fly let's fly." The lyrics to "Misty Blue" are harder to puzzle out. Most fans I've talked to, Japanese or not, seem to think Sakurai is singing "ohh Jesus Christ...dare mo inai."

Some of the foreign fans have applauded Sakurai's embracing of Jesus as his personal savior (somehow I'm doubting that's the real story). The Japanese fans have just been confused, asking, "What does Jesus Christ have to do with pelvic thrusts and poruno graphs?" Imai has an answer for that one in the lyrics to "Tenshi wa Dare da," but as it turns out, Jesus is in fact nowhere to be found in the blue mist.

When I finally got my hands on the Aku no Hana band score, I was delighted to discover that the missing lyrics were actually written in the sheet music. No Jesus. Turns out what Sakurai's actually singing is "ohh (she just goes) dare mo inai"...etc. Could have fooled me. But we can't blame him too badly...as any of you out there who may be studying Japanese, or speak English (and read this blog) as a second language may attest, learning new languages is a difficult and time-consuming business.

MISTY BLUE

Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi

Music: Imai Hisashi

Album: Aku no Hana (The Flowers of Evil)

1990.02.01 Victor

MISTY BLUE, seductively caressing

MISTY BLUE, everything at your fingertips

Let’s dance oh ~ tangled together

It’s like a paradiso oh ~ when I look at you

Just in blue, I want to feel it¹

Just in blue, the world in these thrusts

Let’s dance oh ~ flowing past us

It’s like Poruno graph oh ~ while we can't move

(La~) Romance beneath your fingernails

Oh~ (She just goes) It disappeared so soon

(La~) In the night I go mad with love, but

Oh~ (She just goes) There’s no one there

MISTY BLUE Do you remember our last dance?

MISTY BLUE Do you remember our “shadow dance?”

Let’s dance oh~ Do you believe me?

It’s like paradiso oh~ Do you believe me?

(La~) Romance beneath your fingernails

Oh~ (She just goes) It disappeared so soon

(La~) In the night I go mad with love, but

Oh~ (She just goes) There’s no one there

(La~) Romance beneath your fingernails

Oh~ (She just goes) It disappeared so soon

(La~) In the night I go mad with love, but

Oh~ (She just goes) There’s no one there

Romance so gentle, at the tips of your fingers

When you hold me, I know it's an illusion

That we'll be like this forever

And soon it disappeared

Mad with love, it cuts my heart

When I despair, I know it's an illusion

Us like this, might as well be a dream

And there's no one there

Translation by Cayce, please link me & credit me if you repost.

寿記 08.04.10 One thing and another

Yesterday, I went to a hanami.

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Usually with hanami, every year it's colder and colder, and the whole thing just turns into a tournament of who can stand the cold the longest, but this year it was warm, nice weather.

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I was looking forward to it.

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But then, with one thing and another, I wasn't able to get there until 6 in the evening...

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It was cold.

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Also, by that point there were only three people including myself.

Oh, well then.

They asked me if I would like a seat.

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Then our stylist, Yagi-san, showed up.

Now there were four of us.

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Okay, let's start drinking.

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It's cold.

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Also, this park has already gotten pretty dark.

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There was no one else around.

I mean, nobody at all.

Just us.

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Maybe we should laugh!

Ahahahahahaha

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Hmm~~ should we go somewhere else now?

It's a little far away but should we just go to that other park?

Should we go to that other park where there are lots of people and it will be more fun?

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At least, let's go somewhere where there's more going on.

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Oh man~~ it's cold!

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Oh I know what, let's invite the people from Big Black Maria.

They're the people who always make our goods and accessories.

Here's a picture of the "rebel jacket" they gave me, so I can look like I'm dressed for cold weather.

(It says "rebel" on the arm.)

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It's an original.

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Mmm....some food would be nice.

The delivery pizza guy asked us if we wanted anything.

Really, they do that?

So nice of him!

So we ordered two pizzas and some fries.

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Oh look, here comes Buck-Tick's manipulator and keyboardist, Yoko-chan.

He brought us the chicken we asked for.

Then we were pretty much set for food.

Now there were about 10 people at the party.

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It's cold.

But, it was getting to be lots of fun.

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I got a mail from Yuta.

He joined us, along with Kimura Seiji from hurdy gurdy.

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With one thing and another, now there's more than ten of us.

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With one thing and another, it ended up being a really fun hanami.

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But, with one thing and another, hanami are alllllllllwaaaays cold.

IMAI 19:00

寿記 08.04.10 New Song

We're making a new song

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We went into the studio

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We're just on the vocal demo right now, though.

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But, we're looking forward to it...

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And then, we'll start recording a new album.

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Soon the studio life is going to be starting up again.

00:00 IMAI

ﾟﾟﾟﾟﾟ-y(^｡^)｡o0○ (^-^)/(((((((((●～*

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....April Fool!