Beat Out!

More Than Love (****) – A perfect introduction to an almost perfect album. This classic has it all and then some: great beat, cool tune and TWO guitar solos. I must confess that I didn’t quite like it so much at first but like a lot of their songs, it gradually grew on me. They should do songs more in the vein of this, Yuwaku and other classic rock tracks more often actually… heh, sometimes I still think Teru’s singing about ‘modern life’.

Yes, Summerdays (****) – This is a really beautiful song that I’m sure a lot of people would list as one of their favourite Glay songs. I really love those violins cause they give a sort of cascading effect that goes on throughout the song and makes it all the more enchanting. Sort of reminds me of the hot summer sun. The best parts are actually the verses and it’s a pity that Takuro only put two in (and they’re both in the beginning) but just to hear that single guitar sounding off notes in the background is still amazing, even if it’s only at the beginning.

Genshoku no sora (Cloudy Sky) (***1/2) – Comparatively mediocre, this song starts out well and really gets you up, especially as you start reaching the chorus. Then, it kinda lets you down. I think most people have this subconscious need for a good chorus over a good verse. Actually, it’s not too bad and it’s cool when Teru starts going ‘precious, precious…’ but it sort of dampens the whole song, leaving it just shy of full marks.

Trouble on Monday (****) – This is an absolutely fantastic song and I really love it. The guitars are really good here and it has such a lovely tune. The chorus is brilliant and it reminds me of a man who’s trying to smile at his misfortunes in love (supplemented with Jiro’s ‘baby touble’). My favourite part comes at the end though. That closing verse is the singer’s fantasy: finally getting a girl in the 21st century. It’s a very bittersweet finale to the lamenting and guaranteed to make you smile.

Together (****) – The opening sounds like it came off ‘The Sims’ and it continues into an excellent ballad. Whilst I don’t like it as much as superior works such as Pure Soul and Zutto futaride, I’ll give it four stars because it really is a superb track which features some very powerful vocal work from Teru. Interestingly enough, like ‘More than Love’, I didn’t really like this song very much at first but now I like it even more than Lilin!

Tsuki ni inoru (***) – I know that this is a pretty popular song but it just didn’t work that well for me. Hmm… most of Glay’s lesser songs seem to have a problem with the chorus. The tune is rather tiresome, as if they ran out of ideas on approaching it in a more original way. The verses save this song from getting a lower grade and the opening is deceivingly a hallmark of a great song. I mean, all in all, it is catchy and listenable but it really pales in comparison to the other stuff on the album.

Ikiteku tsuyosa (****) – Wonderful, wonderful track that happens to occupy a very high spot on my top ten list. I really love this song because it’s just so spirited and inspiring; it really can help to ease the pain of a bad experience and I can relate to this song in more ways than one. Very well crafted and it features an excellent performance by Teru. However, when listening, put it on speakers rather than listening through headphones.

Shuumatsu no Baby Talk (***1/2) – Good, catchy track written by Teru. He ought to write more since the two that I’ve heard (this and Little Lovebirds) are pretty good songs. The chorus sort of reminds of ‘I’m Yours’ actually, but much less striking. This is the type of rock that is immediately identifiable with Glay and certainly adds to the depth of this album. Again, gotta love those guitars.

Glorious (****) – Another one of my favourite Glay songs. I’ve read reviews stating how American this song sounds and it’s kinda true. There is a definite western feel about this song but that only proves how versatile Glay is. This song belongs to Teru, no question. His performance here stands out above the very high quality of the backing instruments and you’ll find yourself happily singing along to ‘Glory nights, glory nights…’ (I know, heh heh). Glorious is of the highest quality and comparable to any other rock song I’ve ever heard.

Kiseki no hate (****) – They don’t seem to run out of steam! It’s a very sing-along type track that is very pleasant to the ear with superb use of brass (not very common these days) and another standout performance by Teru. The last minute or so of the actual song with just him repeating the chorus is just pure beauty. And when he peters off, going ‘whoa… whoa…’, you get this striking sense of sorrow (it is a very sad song) coming off the singer. I don’t usually get moved by songs so this is a true testimony to Teru’s talent. This is my favourite song in the album, after ‘Ikiteku tsuyosa’ (and not by very much).

Miki Piano (****) – An interesting choice for a finale. This is very mellow compared to the passion of the previous two songs but that doesn’t mean it isn’t nearly as good! This is a nice, slow one for relaxing to and it would probably make a good date song as well. It has a lovely chorus and makes very appropriate use of acoustic instruments for a change. I still think it’s ‘Darling, darling…’ at the beginning of the chorus though (rather that ‘Hey, darling…’). I don’t know… to me it sounds better.

COMBINED STAR SCORE: 42 AVERAGE: 3.82 (to 3 sig. Fig.)

SCORE: 95.5%

MY CHOICE FOR THEIR BEST ALBUM