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Hugo Ball recites "Gadji Beri Bimba" at the Cabaret Voltaire.
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And by that I mean, all the translations and lyrics for the songs on Arui wa Anarchy are now up over at Not Greatest Site, but you can access them from here:
02. Cosmic Sex
03. masQue
04. Devil'N Angel
07. Lullaby IV
08. TEQUILA
09. Satanic Sex
10. [file not found]
13. Mudai
14. Keijijou Ryuusei
Feel free to leave your comments here. Please try to keep your comments polite, concise, and constructive. Gibberish responses welcome. I reserve the right to mock you if you say something stupid. Word to the wise: if you only have something stupid to say, speak gibberish instead.
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In other news, we have seen the tour, and we can say already that it was quite something to see. We're not going to spoil the set list here because some people enjoy being surprised. For now, we'll just say...that song you never ever thought would come back? It came back. Like the cat came back. Which cat, you ask? I dunno, I think he belongs to that crazy physicist guy, I think his name was Schrödinger.
Does this mean we don't get a concert review? :-(
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, I'll be writing a live report (or several) at a later date. Right now Real Life is making it so I don't have time.
DeleteSleep and appetite - [not found]. What song might it be? Will the Schrödinger cat come out if we offer it some milk from another crazy thing - Klein bottle?
ReplyDeleteWhy does actually everyone hate "Sekai ha..." so much?
ReplyDelete*I think I asked something stupid*
1) The correct romanization is "Sekai wa," please do not use "ha" for particle "wa."
Delete2) Problems with the song: it's generic and unoriginal. The arrangement is cliche. The lyrics are trite and sentimental, and coupled with the trite, sentimental music, it comes across as forced and emotionally manipulative. He wants us to share in his misty-eyed wonder, but I'm just wondering why he didn't realize, while he was writing this song, that it's bad. I expect more of him. The fact that he couldn't call himself out on this one comes across as a little bit narcissistic and doting. I expect more of him.
Finally, we all became Buck-Tick fans because we appreciated their offbeat sensibilities and general rejection of overblown pop schlock. Why did we love "Madman Blues," "Brain Whisper Head Hate is Noise," "Aikawarazu no Are no Katamari," "Mona Lisa," "Sid Vicious," etc.? Because they were all deliberate repudiation of this kind of hackneyed, schmaltzy cheese. And here, on the album celebrating the lewd, rude, anti-art of Dada, Imai has hoisted himself up and hung himself on a half-step modulation into a saccharine major-scale buildup - motto tsuyoku tsuyoku TSUYOKU.
In sum: fuck your fucking "new light." The world is fucking dark and nothing shines. Give me some absinthe mixed with the tears of August Strindberg and Charles Baudelaire.
/shakes cane at you
I don't have the same hate for the song as some (I barely understand the language, so the corny, cliche lyrics are only a problem when I look up the translation), but I still think its probably the worst song on the album.
DeleteThe best way to put it is that its a song that takes forever to not accomplish much. Musically, the song just does nothing. There's nothing wrong with simple songs, but simple songs need a strong arrangement and "Sekai wa..." definitly doesn't have one. You think something interesting is gonna happen when the vocoder kicks in and synth orchestration starts building up... but no, it just goes back to the same ol' repetitive schmaltz after a few seconds.
Maybe the song could be salvaged if they edited it down by a couple minutes, and let Ken fill out the arrangement by doing a bit more with the synth strings, but as it stands its just suuuuch a chore to sit through the whole way.
If only there was a guy in the band who has 20 years of experience composing simple-yet-engaging ballads.... Seriously, why didn't Imai team with Hide for this song? "Sekai wa..." wishes it were "Gensou no Hana" so badly.
Yeah, Lawrence, I'm with you. I actually don't hate the song *that* much, it just pisses me off that after 25 years of successful avoidance of the schlock pop trap that almost every band has fallen into at least once, Imai, of all people, put his foot in it. Message was sappy, but at least 1) the keyboard arrangement was interesting, 2) the lyrics were original and still contained a note of healthy darkness that Sekai doesn't have, and 3) it avoided the power ballad cardinal sins of a half-step modulation and climbing major scale at the end of the bridge. Far too many power ballads have them and they're bad every single time.
DeleteThe only thing I liked about the arrangement was the vococoder, but all it does is disguise the fact that Sakurai has been forced to sing "look up and see, there's a new light."
At least it has made me respect Sakurai more as a vocalist, and I thought that wasn't possible. His masterful delivery almost succeeds in making it not sound like drivel. I might add that it's clear from the live performances so far that he's not into it. So far, he's delivered the whole song sitting on his butt on a bar stool, gazing fondly into the lyrics monitor and still singing "nuguu" instead of "sukuu" in the last chorus.
P.S. I think part of the problem is that this is the first time Imai's ever attempted to write a power ballad, both music and lyrics. He's good at dealing with intellectual topics but has never been so good at dealing with emotions, lyrically, and it really shows here.
DeleteI think what really sets "Sekai wa..." apart from ANYTHING Buck-Tick has done in the past is the bridge. You know - the bit in the middle that's different from the rest of the song. Unless I've missed another song with a bridge in it... It just sounds so Western! Having said that, I kinda like it - but having said THAT, I hope it's a one-off. I may as well go back to listening to eighties hair-bands otherwise.
ReplyDelete*waits for the flaying*
Yes, Cayce knows what a bridge is. What do you take me for? Buck-Tick songs with bridges: "Down," "Gensou no Hana," "Serenade" (arguably), "Baby I want you," (arguably)...and, of course, "Message," though I'm probably missing a few. I hesitate to call the presence of a bridge "Western." Plenty of Japanese artists write them, it's just that Imai doesn't use them very much. An example of a Japanese song with a really great bridge - Sakurai's solo song "Neko." What sounds "Western" about Sekai is the pop ballad cliche-ness of it. It's not the presence of the bridge, it's the fact that the bridge sounds like the bridge of every other cheesy ballad ever.
DeleteYes, you're right. My bad. There are indeed bridges in all of those songs. Yet none of them stand out quite the same as in "Sekai wa..." because, unlike all the rest, the key changes for the bridge in "Sekai wa..." and then goes back again. It's the only song of Buck-Tick's that I really noticed a bridge in -- it's just so... bridge-y. As you say, just like every other cheesy ballad ever.
DeleteIt's not just cheesy ballads that have bridges though. Plenty of great songs have bridges. Ideally, the bridge is supposed to make the song stronger. The things wrong with this bridge are the things I already mentioned: the key change, and that fucking major scale climb with the cheesiest lyrics ever. Prediction: Imai is going to start a solo project and tour the country with an acoustic guitar on his back. In the meantime, Sakurai, Yutaka, Hide and Toll will start a supergroup playing swanky industrial tangos. The group will be called SHYT. For Sakurai, Hide, Yutaka, Toll. I know whose tickets I'm buying.
DeleteP.S. Please only post your comment once. If you post three of the same comment I will be forced to delete the duplicates.
Sorry - blogspot plays tricks on me in the form of making it look like it ignored me after I hit publish. Three times? I actually tried about ten before it said it got it. I'll only post this once - don't really expect you to make it public -- it's just to let you know what difficulty I, and likely others, are facing.
DeleteThanks for the reply. I'm with you on the SHYT. haha
I just wanted to give you a heads-up that hitting the button once is probably enough. It's not a big deal.
DeleteSo basically, you are saying that the song is "bad" because there´s nothing that makes you think "Ah, only a genius like Imai could write such a song", right?
ReplyDeleteI got that.
But in my opinion, the ballad as such is really nice.
It´s just that they should have sold it to an artist who can handle this big amount of schmatlz.
Honestly, Sakurai isn´t that kind of guy who is good at singing about shining lights and hope.
Or at least I don´t buy it off him most of the time...
No, I said it was bad because it's saccharine and cliche. It's especially disappointing coming from Imai because he's never made this particular mistake before. Sakurai's voice is the only really good thing about the song, but there's a limit when the words have been put in his mouth by someone else.
DeleteOn the other hand, it seems this song has become a great diagnostic for judging which B-T fans have a secret taste for really hokey music. You've all been outed.
As for me, I wouldn´t say I only like hokey music. I just occasionally enjoy listening to it, for example when trying to fall asleep :p.
DeleteAnd also, you knew that I have a weakness for certain slow ballads even before this discussion and I´m not making a secret out of it ;).
Anyway, I do have a little problem with this song, but only because I think that Buck-Tick can´t convey it well.
I´d be glad if Imai kept his hands off from this sort of ballads in the future, too.
There's a difference between slow ballads and *bad* slow ballads. Bauhaus's "Hollow Hills" is a slow ballad and somehow it doesn't make me ashamed to be their fan. And it's okay, don't worry...all of you who've admitted that you enjoyed "Sekai"...you can't take it back. The rest of us will always know, as we look at you, that whatever dark punk rock airs you may put on, somewhere in your head a sappy string orchestra is always playing, lending a misty, soft-focus glow to each of your hopeless romantic illusions as their petals slowly wither and fall.
DeleteI wouldn´t call it hopeless romantic illusion since most ballads I listen to are rather sad and tragic, but it´s true that this sappy string orchestra appears in my head from time to time ;)
DeleteMaybe this isn't the best post to ask this on, but you probably won't be making a general Arui wa Anarchy post in the future so....
ReplyDeleteApparently the new album reached as high as #4 on the charts, which actually makes it one of the band's highest-charting albums of the last couple decades (13kai and Sexy Stream Liner also peaked at #4, and the last album to reach a higher chart position was Six/Nine). So I'm wondering if Arui wa Anarchy was actually as well-received by the Japanese public as those numbers would make it seem, or is this just a case of the album being released in a week with very little competition at a time when album sales are down across the board?
Normally I'd just assume it was because of the latter scenario, but considering the huge leap from the last album (which peaked at #14), I've gotta stop and wonder if Arui wa Anarchy really is a moderately big hit.
Thanks for bringing that up. I never pay attention to the charts anymore because they're usually awash in idols these days. Actually there were a lot of new releases that week, though I'm not sure if they were albums or singles. Tower Records was completely mobbed. Mind you, basically the young'uns still have no idea who Buck-Tick is and they don't get much media coverage, but I think that their social media ad campaigns, NicoNico specials, and selling that silly overpriced limited edition may have modestly paid off. Also, perhaps the 2012 festival earned them some new fans among younger cohorts, it's hard to say.
DeleteSo speaking of the tour, I have an extra ticket to either the 8/23 or 8/24 show (Miyagi and Fukushima). My friend's going with me to one of the shows but not the other. I'm looking for someone to go with. I don't need the price of the ticket back, just someone to hang out with. Does anyone know anyone who'd be interested? I can hold a conversation in Japanese, too, if need be. Sorry if this is spammy; the LJ kind of died a while back and the facebook page doesn't look like it'll get much attention.
ReplyDelete(As for the 世界は discussion, pop songs with ハレルヤ in them make me want to cut off my left ear and send it to the writer, so I'm a bit biased.)
If you get a really good seat I might be persuaded to take you up on that offer. Did you get your tickets through the fanclub?
DeleteA counterexample to your remark about ハレルヤ: Sakurai's solo song "Hallelujah." I think the word becomes acceptable for use if you include enough slugs, boobs, rape and murder.
Eh, I guess I am one of the minority that actually found "Sekai wa" quite pleasant. Cliche and derivative, yes, and really weird song coming from Imai, but I certainly don't dislike it. Actually, if my Mandarin don't suck, I could probably name the title of the song, "Sekai wa" reminds me of. There is a song by HK Cantopop King, Jackie Cheung back in the 90s or maybe its the late 80s that sounds very similar to this!
ReplyDeleteSame here.
DeleteWelcome to the club.
:-D Glad to know I am not the only Odd B-T fan!
Delete"A counterexample to your remark about ハレルヤ: Sakurai's solo song "Hallelujah." I think the word becomes acceptable for use if you include enough slugs, boobs, rape and murder."
ReplyDeleteI'm dying with this!
Well, 世界は isn't my prefered either, but the tracker which I disliked the most is "Once Upon a Time", because of its lyrics. Wtf Imai...
Another that is hard for me to get into is "Uchuu Circus". It sounds like Mona Lisa OVERDRIVE stuff, in which I really liked, as LIMBO and MONSTER, or Kiyoharu/SADS songs, but I don't know why, I didn't really like this song, neither the "mother" and "womb" alusions. Still, unlike "Once Upon a Time", I want to get into this song. Maybe seeing it live I will change my mind. This song has killing bass lines, something that I love. <3
Although the track that really, really impressed me is "Dada Disco - RANDOM LETTERS-". XD
Maybe it's my favourite Imai song since "Aikawarazu...". Still, "Aikawarazu..." epicness is hard to beat.
But "Dada Disco" got some epicness on it. ;)
The rest of the songs I really liked as well. Can't choose one. Maybe "Baudelaire de Nemurenai", being two Imai songs in a row that I really loved in the same album. So, with this, maybe I can forgive him for doing "Once Upon a Time" and 世界は...
*Trying to stop being just a stalker*