The Rare Collectives are actually compilations of GLAY's B-sides. I was despairing because I loved most of the songs and couldn't get them on CDs. Then GLAY announced this. Oh, my dream came true! Anyway, some songs are really good, and some really weird. Overall, it's worth buying, especially if you're a GLAY fan!
DISC 1
Life~Tooi sora no shita de~ - Go to SPEED POP
INNOCENCE - Go to SPEED POP
REGRET - Go to SPEED POP
GONE WITH THE WIND (****) = Sugoi! This song is just so great, and kinda reminds me of songs like TWO BELL SILENCE and LADY CLOSE. I sort of wish GLAY would still do songs like this. It's got very good guitars and listen to it on headphones. The bass is very powerful. It's got really memorable lines, and sounds really sad. "Wow You're gone with the wind..." and "Oh My Precious Love..." very nice and well-done song. +Salutes Takuro+.
ACID HEAD (****) = The perfect concert song. Oh, I've waited for the day to review this song! If you go to my other website, I've reviewed it differently but never mind! I love the collaboration between Takuro & Teru! +No surprise, with Teru, you've got sexy lyrics..."Oh Baby Baby Baby..." the girls in my class love that bit!+ It's a totally cool rock song and perfect for concerts. Lasting for approx. seven minutes, this song can hold your attention throughout. With Takuro leading the song with a very cool guitar melody, until the catchy "NO MORE HERO!" sung by both Teru and Hisashi, this will leave you breathless. Very good and well-written guitar solos for both Hisashi and Takuro, you can see both show off their prowess here. Jiro and Teru are awfully hyper and give out great and spectacular performances when performing this song live. It's also tradition for Hisashi to sing the "No More Hero" bit! However, in my opinion, the MAKUHARI + GLOBAL COMMUNICATION EXPO is much better than the CD version because it's performed faster. But they usually never sing the "Oh Baby baby baby" and "GO AHEAD GO AHEAD!" bits. You also feel everyone has a part in this because Jiro sings after the "Oh Baby..." part and Hisashi as mentioned, sings the "No More Hero" bit and Takuro shouts the "GO AHEAD GO AHEAD! part! One of the best live songs. Go to a GLAY concert and you MUST anticipate this!
Believe in Fate (****) = This song has a very catchy chorus, but what really makes it shine is the bridge. I love it when he sings really fast and when he goes "Kimi no kimi no kimi no..." it gives a very nice ring to the song and the tune is very pleasing to hear. Don't get me wrong though. It's a rock song. In the second bridge, watch out for spectacular drums performance! It'll take your breath away!!!
Together ~new orchestra version~ = Nothing much. Just starts out really dramatically. Go to BEAT OUT
Haru Wo Aisuru Hito (****) = Ohhhhh... "A person who loves spring...". This song opens with dramatic violins then straight away you hear Teru's voice saying "Sunshine..." accompanied with background singers going "Oohh.." it gives a beautiful effect with just the piano and a tambourine? +I think the background singer/singers is actually Teru!+. Teru's voice is exceptionally beautiful here, especially when he goes "...miageta...". Suddenly, at the end of the first verse, the beat picks up and violins are playing extremely fast and the song goes into full swing! The song goes from spring, to summer, autumn then winter. You have three main tunes, the verse, the chorus and the beautiful bridge where everything slows down and goes into the guitar solo. It's a very beautiful song and the piano deserves special mention here. The bass during the bridge is very audible and gives Jiro the limelight for a while. Teru ends it nicely, the chorus going back to the very beginning with the background singers, by singing "Oooh oooh!" and it doesn't drag on like most GLAY songs tend to do, it just ends after a few moments. Teru sings so passionately here and his voice so beautiful, when you hear this song, you have to like it. No one I know has ever dissed this song. Give it a go! A must listen!
I'm Yours (****) = I just love this song. It's very rock and I don't know. The chorus is very very catchy. I love it when Teru goes "Harikitte mairimashou!" and the verses are also quite catchy. It sounds like a cynical, tired-of-love kind of song. Yes, when Teru says "chotto chotto tsukarete..." but he screams somehing in the end which means "I just want to tell you that I love you..." Very contradictory ne? But it's really quite sweet if you look at it from a different perspective. Also "Konya sekai wa bokutachi tame ni aru..." which means "The world belongs to us for tonight...". Kakkoi deshou?
Little Lovebirds (****) = AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! A Teru song!!! Er-hem. I love this song for the simple reason that it is sweet, simple and has a beautiful melody good enough to make you melt. It's a very good song and makes you wish Teru would write and compose more songs like this. This is one in a million. I really love the guitar solo. I can remember the whole guitar solo in my head. This song really calms me down and gives me strength. "Anata ga soba ni..." oh... it really is very sweet. "Anata ga soba ni itekuretara...mou nani mo kowakunai to omou... sono ai ga areba ii..." which means "If you can be by my side, I will not be afraid of anything...all I need is that love," Sweeeeett!!!! *sighs*. THIS is the type of song that can touch girls' hearts. Trust me. I'm a girl remember?
Doku Rock (****) = Whoo! Hahaha! A song written by Hisashi, composed by Takuro and arranged by GLAY ONLY! Very Beatles and very funky, fun, cool and ROCK! I absolutely love this song! It's got a very cool tune and the guitars are so very cool! If only they made it longer. This song is only two minutes and a little bit. Sad. It's a very good song. After the chorus, you get guitar solos, and suddenly the tune and beat changes to...
Strawberry Shake (****) = It begins with a lot of electronic sounds in the background. Weird. But you can hear guitars and a bass. Very cool. Then you hear a voice singing. It's not Teru. Who else but our kawaii genki Jiro!!! He's got a very...nasal voice. I love it. Not as much as Teru's not as good but anyone will love it. I LOOVE it when he goes "Yoku wakaranai FRUSTRATION" but it's in katakana so it's "FURASUTORATION". Cool. You get the feeling that the song is played at such a low volume, so you turn it higher. After the first verse, you give a little shriek because guitars and bass and drums are crashing in your ear and full speed ahead! Yup! A little clever trick of Jiro's, the man who wrote and composed and sang this song. It's so cool and playful and rock at the same time. Love it when he goes "Strawberry shake wo..." And you hear electronic voice going "Straw-berry shake...". Lovely song. "Boku no system..." you can hear Teru's voice in the background. Also, at the end, you can hear something go, "Yow!" but Hakkai-san thought it was a cat!
~It's Dying It's not Dying~ (*** 1/2) = When I heard the drums in the beginning, I thought : Weird. Plus, you hear people singing something like "We Live in Unibus..." but it's actually "We Live In Universe". Tsk. Japanese singers and their English. My friend commented on Toshi's English in Forever Love and complained about his voice, but I thought his English was very good and I like his voice! Anyway, this song is not bad, just kinda preachy. +Bows to Hakkai-san for that word+.
Shiawase ni naru sono toki ni (***) = Err...I don't know why I'm giving them this mark. Am I becoming way too strict on GLAY's ballads or am I being lenient? I'm feeling awfully confused right now. After hearing X Japan's ballads...I'm starting to see why they are the Kings of J-Rock. But then again, I'm not the type that goes for screeching, head-banging music. That's why I settle with GLAY. This song is all right, I'm glad they didn't make it your typical eight minute ballad, because it would have been BORING. The ending is the best bit. That's cuz that's the part where all instruments come in.
DISC 2
I'm not going to go in detail for all the songs, so here's the list:
1. INNOCENCE
Mitsumeteitai (****) = Yes, I love this song. The way Teru sings "You are alive...you are my dream" is just so touching and so beautiful. I like the reggae feel to this song and the chorus is very catchy. Takuro co-wrote this song with a woman called Nina Nageshima...(I think!). Well, I'm glad she wrote it with him. It came out great. I suggest GLAY fans download this song or buy the album if you've never heard it. It's worth the money.
MISERY (hide TRIBUTE SPIRITS ver.) (****) = A moment of silence for the great Hide. All right. In case you didn't know, he commited suicide a few years ago. Many fans tried to kill themselves along with him, and some suceeded. To those who still feel sad: "Dry your Tears...with Love". X Japan broke up and Hide went on to do solo work and came up with this great masterpiece, along with Pink Spider. Re-arranged by GLAY, this version is good, faster than the original more punk. But it doesn't stand a chance against...
MISERY (MAKUHARI ver.) (****) = Teru addresses the crowd, and even calls him "senpai"! +Goes to show how polite Japanese are+. Then they go into punk mode! They play this super fast, with Hisashi's guitars and Jiro's cool bass skills! I love this version!!! Many people still say Hide's version is better, but I can't seem to make my mind up! +By the way, I love Hide's voice!+
^ v ^!!!
2. Mitsumeteitai
3. Survival
4. MISERY (hide TRIBUTE SPIRITS ver.)
5. MISERY (MAKUHARI ver.)
6. Kokodewanai dokokae
7. Hitohira no Jiyuu