DISC 1:
Young Oh! Oh! (***1/2) – An ode to youth and unrequited love. If you don’t understand Japanese or haven’t read a translation, you may not realise that this is actually a rather sad song about trying to look forward to tomorrow. Its tune and energy are immediate indicators that this is something for the young, especially the chorus, which is really pepped up. However, the almost 2 minute guitar piece at the end is quite unnecessary and doesn’t fit in with earlier parts.
Hello My Life (***1/2) – The opening melody is incredibly sweet and so is the rest of the track. Teru’s singing and a catchy tune can often make the most of a less radiant creation and such is the case here. They could have worked on that chorus a bit more but the song itself is under par compared to the great tunes we’ve come to take for granted.
Summer FM (***) – See Heavy Gauge Review
Rock Icon (**1/2) – A very strange track that has very little in terms of musical value, what with Teru yelling almost all of his lyrics. It is actually pretty listenable but I get the feeling that this is not so much a song as it is a rant. I’ve been informed that in this one, they’re hitting back at detractors and their own record company… pity I doubt I’ll ever find out exactly what Teru’s screaming out.
Good Bye Bye Sunday (****) – Not something I’d expect to come out of Jiro but who cares! This is simply marvellous… a mainly acoustic track that still manages to impress; Hisashi and Takuro are definitely great guitarists of their time. The tune is simple and slightly mournful and the whole song is very easy to sing along to. If they ever want to do simple, non-electric stuff in the future, this one is the one to emulate. You ought to play this at the twilight of the weekend and then listen to Trouble on Monday the next day when you find that you have to drag yourself through another week.
Time (***) – A pleasant, sixties-sounding track that is extremely laid back. Teru inappropriately sings very powerfully in some parts and the effect is quite distorting… other laid back tracks like Miki Piano and Savile Row could also showcase his singing without the need for excessive output. It is also, frankly, a bit drab but never mind. On the whole, a solid song to add to Glay’s repertoire.
Why Don’t We Make You Happy (***1/2) – Lilin is right. This is a very Beatles-sounding song indeed, especially during the instrumental bits. Teru keeps his voice down and this song succeeds where Time fails. Heh, this song could have fit in easily with the other Unity songs. Its main bad point is that, like Time, it is also a bit drab. These songs just lack that certain oomph that is probably reserved for the album tracks and single releases. But nice to see some use of brass again, after that masterful appearance in Kiseki no hate.
Good Morning N.Y.C (****) – I love this song! What Teru does to his voice is hilarious and amazing all at once… it’s nice to know that there are superstars who let their hair loose once in a while and still be quite impressive. The guitars really shine here and the whole song is like a sixties/seventies retro experience fused with more contemporary touches. In Japanese. They should do this is concert with ALL the members dressed up like Elvis! Presumably something that the American Glay fans take to heart.
Back-Up (***1/2) – More evidence that Glay’s coupling songs are not just throw-aways. Compelling and furious, the verses sound like contemporary mainstream western rock but the style of the chorus reminds me of a broadway musical for some reason. This dichotomy makes it a far more interesting track than if they’d done it completely conventionally. It also has some great guitars with a really gritty taste and nice, sudden breaks in between chorus and verse. Not vintage Glay but very good nonetheless. Let me take you down!
Super Ball 425 (***1/2) – Hmm… you know, some of these One Love coupling songs have a very good claim to a spot on the actual album. Super Ball 425 is yet another fast and fun pop-rock mix. The chorus is a bit weak but the tempo and the instruments cancel this out. Maybe it’s my CD player but Teru’s voice sounds a bit muffled actually… perhaps a deliberate move during mixing? They can certainly do better than this but on its own, it is quite comparable to anything I’ve heard from their English-language counterparts in recent months.
Sotsugyou made, ato sukoshi (***) – see Unity Roots & Family, Away album review
Brothel Creepers (***1/2) – Interesting title, interesting song. I guess the Japanese really don’t care about innuendo in things that can be easily accessed by children (though anime is the worst culprit of all). It’s well-paced and sounds like usual Glay with a weird twist… I really like how Takuro continually finds new ways to be original. They don’t reinvent the wheel but this is still a very enjoyable song with a very dark sound. I loved the later parts of the verses with the background chanting/rapping and the chorus. I don’t think it was necessary to have Teru repeat the final line three times… sounds like a malfunctioning robot. Can’t see why this didn’t do better on the Japanese charts… maybe they should stop trying simultaneous releases. Sorry but Mata koko de aimashou and Aitai kimochi are not quite Yuwaku and Soul Love.
Itsuka (****) – I was crazy about this song when I first heard a small clip on the official website. The full thing is simply awesome! The verses are some the best I’ve heard from any song and that catchy chorus deserves a place in the hall of fame of catchy choruses. Best of all, they save the guitar solo till the end. One and a half minute’s worth of outstanding guitar medley where you can clearly hear all three non-singing band members performing and each one is on top form. Perhaps their most ‘pop’ pop song to date, if you know what I mean. It is a far cry from their indie days… then, they sounded more raw and reckless. Itsuka, by comparison is very refined and clean-sounding. Purists may hate this but I think it is one of their best songs to date… an exercise in how to do pop correctly.
DISC 2:
17bars (***) – A short violin piece with background vocals that hint at what is to come in 17ans. Amusing and upbeat.
Cynical (****) – I once mentioned to my sister that the reason why Glay shines over other bands is that the songs are not just instantly likeable but they seem to challenge you. You can’t help but think ‘I wonder what this means…’ after hearing one of their greater songs. I don’t know how to explain it but it stems from the fact that their greater songs are the ones that either don’t sound like conventional pop or rock songs, either due to subtle changes or original tunes. When Teru starts with ‘Jesus’, you know you’re in for something more than your average Glay track. An advantage to not knowing Japanese is that you can draw your own conclusions from the song, gauging it from the singing, the pace and the overall feel and this one seems pretty cynical to me, but in a light-hearted way. Well, dark cynics come off as whiners all the time anyway. If all that wasn’t enough, Cynical also has features of Teru’s best performances.
Neuromancer (***1/2) – This is very Hisashi. Rock bands don’t generally try songs that sound like twisted Christmas carols but then again, this was a coupling song… in any event, this is quite enjoyable with a lot of sound effects and a mostly synthetic background. Hisashi does give himself a decent guitar solo though so some traces remain of the usual Glay rock sound. I wouldn’t call it great though and the smartest thing would be for it to be sold to some animation studio for use as an opening or closing theme.
AI (***1/2) – The only thing that disturbs me about this song is that the opening guitars are a bit too reminiscent of the Powerpuff Girls. Whether intentional or not, it is not a particularly great way to start the song (as you may have gathered, I don’t particularly like the theme song to that cartoon show). The verses are great though and the choruses are so-so. Everything does seem to add up though, and the resulting whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s a really upbeat song with a dark sound that feels like a headlong rush whenever Teru sings.
Surf Rider (***1/2) – Yet another weird but fun Hisashi track. Again, very synthetic and heavily reliant on guitars. The lines in English are incomprehensible… much like internet jargon. Don’t really know if Hisashi is in support of it or parodying it… the ambiguity is so thick you could cut it with a knife. The guitars during the parts after the choruses are awesome and overall, it is a song that is good, but takes getting used to. Can’t see why so many people really love this song though. I didn’t really appreciate the way Teru sings the chorus and it gets irritating very quickly. Thankfully, he only does it for a while before reverting back to normal.
Giant Strong Faust Super Star (***1/2) – Insane title but a good dance track. Having recently done Shitto so well, it’s good to see these guys trying to outdo themselves here. It doesn’t really work as well but I think the point of the song (quite well indicated by the name) is to be silly and nonchalant rather than deep and musical. It has a great beat and the bass is tremendous! The English is nothing I’ve ever come across but who cares! Catchy tunes like these are always so poorly done by most artists and Glay is a rare exception. I wonder what the strange speaking bits are all about…
17ans (****) – I’m awarding this full marks purely in recognition of Hisashi’s (and Glay’s) audacity to do something so radical! Glay doing country?! That’s like Eminem singing Celine Dion-type ballads. To be fair, this track deserves four anyway due its wild combination of folk violins, rock and Teru’s amazing breath-holding power. It is also very short and for once, this is a bonus as I doubt that this could have remained endearing for more than three minutes. Those weird voices and the shouting chorus are also nice touches and are hallmarks of Hisashi’s quirkiness. May he continue to explore more wacky stuff for the band to do. Weird? Maybe. Wonderful? Almost always. Tiresome? Never!
I’m Yours (Knightmare mix ’99) (no stars) – A heinous, mutilated version of a pure rock classic. I don’t understand the point of this mix…whoever came up with this must have been stoned at the time or was probably deliberately trying to be bizarre beyond comprehension. Thank god for the original version.
Dosanko siisa/Galay (****) – Strictly speaking, this isn’t a Glay song but it’s in the album so of course it’ll be reviewed. These comedian guys are actually passable singers and good composers but the best parts of the song are when Teru chimes in. There’s a very nice Hisashi solo during the final chorus and the tune throughout the song is melodious and powerful. A pretty self-glorifying song but one done with so much sense of fun that all you want to do is enjoy Glay! I look forward to even more fruitful collaborations in the future.
In conclusion, this is a very good compilation album. Many of the songs here could otherwise only be obtained via not-so-legal means so it is quite a thoughtful gesture on Glay’s or the record company’s part to have released this and its partner. The tracks may lack the pure quality of the songs that can be found in Review or Drive but they are still gems that are well worth obtaining.