Reviews written by Howard
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LOVE JAM (Japan Version)
June 27, 2009 Simply and punchyLike with Love Punch, a lot of the songs on this album were from Ai's portfolio of music written before she became famous. For this reason, don't expect a growth in maturity since Love Punch. The songs are equally as fun as on the previous album and there are the beautiful ballads aswell. In a lot of ways it does just sound like a perfect sequal, varying very little from it's older sister, and yet sounding fresh throughout.
Honestly speaking, this album probably doesn't have as many gems as Love Punch, but there's still plenty none-the-less. Mousou Chop is a fantastically daring and fun song and Pon Pon is a lovely piece of silly fun. Happy Days manages to be well written, catchy and completely insane at the same time and there is the usual wealth of ballads. The production here is at a level of sharpness only equaled by Love Piece and is completely perfect to carry Ai's voice and the songs from start to finish and also makes the reply value of the CD top notch.
In all honesty, if you loved Love Punch, it's hard to see how you could be too dissapointed. However, if you are a fan of the later works, this is about as far as you could get from what you probably want to hear as Ai has very much abandoned this sound of recent for a more subtle approach.
This is a joyful wonderful piece of intelligent pop that I would recommend to anyone.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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LOVE COOK (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
LOVE COOK (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
(2)Our Price: US$34.25Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:June 27, 2009 Fantastic CD, but it just never clicksAi Chan's 3rd offering contains some fantastic writing but unfortunately seems to lack a lot of the tonal qualities of earlier albums. Her song writing here is in a lot of ways better, but it does feel like it's a transition phase for her. You start to hear the sounds of the first two albums dying away and the sound of later work trying to find it's place.
In some of the songs her delicate voice is some what washed away by over-powered guitar heavy backings that don't seem to have had much thought put into them, but you are held in by the engaging melodies that keep the songs alive.
The production is spattered unevenly across the album and I can't say that there is much of a feeling of joy in the majority of the songs, but it is, once again, something very different. Ai Otsuka has achieved an interesting side-note to her career in Love Cook, but I can't say it ever works as well as the other albums both before and after.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
LOVE PUNCH (Japan Version)
June 27, 2009 Under-ratedThe music on this album is simple, and that can't be denied, but in a change from much of her later work the CD contains a real variation in mood and style without a feeling of having to fake it as some other artists might create when trying a similar tapestry. From bouncy happy tunes down to the pretty ballads, it's a loveable CD.
It's important to remember that, despite the simplicity of a lot of the music, it achieves it's worth through very clever arrangements and core writing values. Ai Chan's voice may be thin compared to other singers, but it perfectly suits the music behind it as the majority of the songs have a very sweet and innocent undertone and much or the arrangement focuses on mid-range tones from piano and guitar mainly.
All in all, this CD could be criticized for not being a fantastic work of art, but my estimation of a CD is how much enjoyment you can actually get from it, and on an emotional, a joyful and a musical level I would say this is a treat that only the most cold hearted of people couldn't take a liking to.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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