Manatsu no tobira (Glay Version) (***1/2) – No significant difference between this version and the Speed Pop one. I would say that the latter is slightly better, being more refined and complete with that little synthetic trill that follows each line in the verses.
Kanojo no “Modern…” (***1/2) – Like the first song, this one is a much rougher version of its Speed Pop brother. Again, despite the differences, I can’t really find much to favour one over the other.
Kissin’ Noise (****) – A very rugged but charming song that is probably now just a memento of their indie days. After hearing those Unity tracks, you couldn’t possibly comprehend how Glay managed to make such large stylistic changes. The song itself is amazing, with Teru’s voice unpolished yet fitting in well with the mood of the song. It has a rather raunchy feel so a more refined voice would have been a bit too clean cut to be convincing. Man, can he really shout. The bridge is awesome as well and I really love how the singing gets really slow at first before changing tempo so abruptly. Another interesting point: this is one of their songs that seems to lack a proper guitar solo… not that it seems to need one.
Hidoku arifureta White Noise wo kure (****) – This one is so cheerful and sweet that it’s impossible to fall for. It’s one of those songs that’s really catchy yet not in a corny or been-here-done-that way. Also, the opening guitars play a really cute musical seesaw twice in the song and the verses have this really casual, unruffled feel. Not many bands are daring enough to stuff like this because angst-ridden music has been the in-thing for a long while… nice to hear something warm-hearted and friendly once in awhile to lift your spirits. Other small things that make the song really good include the way Teru shouts a particular line in the chorus and when he sings really fast somewhere near the beginning. The title is pretty misleading actually… I was expecting something not too unlike X-Japan, what with a title that includes the words “White Noise”.
Rain (Glay Version) (****) – Pretty similar to the Speed Pop version. The only other song to appear in that album after the first two in this one, Rain is one of the band’s best ballads and even drastic alterations (see Makuhari concert) couldn’t spoil its lustre. Funny that it’s referred to as “Glay Version”… I don’t recall any other band ever releasing this song.
Lady Close (****) – Definitely one of my favourites. Hisashi’s guitar is outstanding throughout and turns its simple solo part into something very memorable. This one seems to be dark and seedy so yet again, Teru’s rough performance really fits the bill. Now, whether or not Takuro actually wrote songs with the intention of using his vocals to help create atmosphere is debatable but it sure works for me. Hearing him use English at a time when he probably needed katakana scrawled beneath the lyrics is also pretty fun in its own right. The song also has a brilliant ending with those repetitions of “she’s gonna be alright, ooh…”. Unfortunately, it is a complete universe away from what they’re doing now so it is likely to always remain one-of-a-kind.
Two Bell Silence (****) – My favourite song in the album and easily one of the best songs they’ve ever done. Two Bell Silence is a sharp and rapid blitz that shows that there was already huge prowess way back in their earlier days. This particular gem has a pretty long guitar solo which bears more similarity to X-Japan than the sweet but brief solos we get at the present. In fact, this entire album does have a bit more than a hint of influence by a certain Yoshiki so this is another one that is somewhat set apart from all the later stuff. Everything comes to a halt during the choruses, giving Teru the opportunity to belt out his lines in a very forceful manner, without much in the way of instruments. The final chorus, however, is absolutely fantastic as he does it one more time really quickly together with those blazing guitars.
Sen no Knife ga mune wo sasu (****) – “A Thousand Knives Pierce my Heart” is one of Glay’s few pop creations, but also one of their best ever pieces. The melody is catchy in a nifty, leg-shaking way and the vocals can go from cheerful to passionate when moving from verse to chorus. I also like the way they include that little “anata no…” at the end of the whole verse. The electronic organ playing during the chorus gives the song a slight eighties vibe and I guess it fits in with the visual look that they had at the time they made this album. However, these slight touches are what make these songs ever so charming.
Burst (***1/2) – Apparently a concert fave, Burst is a fun and catchy song and is probably as good as it gets for these fast, nonsensical, crazy tracks. Not everyone may agree with me but this is the best example of the throwaway tracks that Takuro writes to fill in space. Not to say it’s bad at all… I dig the guitars and the really fast and pepped-up singing but the repetitions of the single line: “Let me burst” does get a tad tiresome. Heh, it’s a good thing they didn’t do it like how they do it in concerts where the song can last beyond 10 minutes. For this CD version, it’s probably for the best that it lasts slightly under 4 minutes. I know it sounds really unfair and misleading but this song is easily the poorest song in the album.
if~Hai to Diamond~ (****) – The final track is a soft and mainly acoustic number that actually turns out to be a perfect way to end the album (much like Miki Piano for Beat Out!). His English is more or less fine enough and despite the roughness, I couldn’t really imagine another vocalist for this song. The song is sweet in a drifty, soothing way and although it’s not as outstanding as the spectacular tracks in this album, I think it stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the other soft ballads that the band has under its belt. This is definitely one of their forgotten songs, which is such a shame (heck, this album isn’t even mentioned on the official website). Thus, I’m pleased to announce that they’ve yet another spare gold coin hidden underneath the cushions.
Combined Star Score: 38.5 Average: 3.85
The album with the highest score and my second favourite after Beat Out. Hey, my system isn’t perfect and besides, many of the songs in there happen to be on my top 10. There’s still some variation in that top rating.
Score: 96.3%