Reviews written by j-obsessed
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Ashita no Tame ni - Forever More (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
Ashita no Tame ni - Forever More (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$31.49Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:2 people found the following helpful
December 10, 2007 disaappointingkamiki aya does have an outstanding voice. it does stand out among j-pop singers (though the sweet voiced horie yui is still my favorite). i love her occasional high note that is common among japanese singers (i really do). but her voice isn't enough to save this cd. the cd starts off great. the first four songs have pretty much it all: great voice, energetic background vocals, radio/ear friendly tempo. the fourth song took poetic license with not one, but two rolling stone intro's and ended with another variant on some 'stone's lyrics, and it worked. but from the fifth song on, things started to go down hill. with hard to hear guitar licks, to standard studio music (not the musicians, the music), to britney/mtv type songs to five boring slow songs to close the cd, this project wasted the great pop voice of kamiki aya. the uptempo songs are great, but when aya-san slows things down, she (or the producer) rely on the same basic string/orchestra as any other ballad. tokyo jihen needs a new vocalist, maybe aya-san and her great voice should look for employment with that band. aya-san, tell them i sent you. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Goraku (Variety) (Japan Version)
Goraku (Variety) (Japan Version)
(3)Our Price: US$34.49Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:3 people found the following helpful
December 9, 2007 hire aya kamikisince shiina ringo has never adhered to the "less is more" adage, one might think that having the band write the music would help matters. except for a few original moments of psychedelia here and there, the music is just a tamer version of things past. although it makes the cd easier to listen to, it also exposes the cd's main fault, which is shiina ringo herself. along with her stagnant singing style and nonsensical songs, her voice is absolutely annoying more often than not. she/the band needs to take a lesson from the defunct "do as infinity" on song writing. while they are at it they should bring in a new producer, and most important, they should hire aya kamiki as the new vocalist. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Kakashi
April 10, 2007 mildly scary, but funthis movie, while not the scariest, nor graphic, in comparison with other modern movies, is still an enjoyable movie. the seemingly low budget for this movie adds to the gritty feel. the viewer can pretty much figure out the secret of the village, but the suspense element, and the empathy for the sister throughout the movie (especialy at the end) is what maks this movie work. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Komatsu Miho 8 - a piece of cake (Japan Version)
Komatsu Miho 8 - a piece of cake (Japan Version)
(3)Our Price: US$34.25Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:August 21, 2006 pleasant, not greatafter reading the glowing reviews of this cd a couple of months ago, i had to see what all the fuss was about. one constant gripe is that the drum/drum kit is annoying through out the album. song 1: starts off nice with nice melodic guitars, then the vocals and guitar kick in. nice guitar work all through the song, with nice piano in the background. Grade: A. song 2-" deep grief": slower tempo song, with nice melody. again nice singing and nice guitar work that isn't overdone. grade: A. song 3: song itself is nice, but nothing to set it apart vocally. the guitar work saves the song. Grade:B-. song 4-" my darling": nothing spectacular, but still a pleasing song. starts off slow and picks up speed. the background "swoosh" effect is annoying. Grade C-. song 5: nice piano intro, but what seems to becoming a pattern is the sameness from song to song. Grade C-. song 6: this song is a case in point. with a little more "umpf" in her vocals, this song would have been a very good song, but as it is, it is hardly memorable. Grade C-. song 7: yes, there is a pattern here. another song that could have stood out with a bit more spark in the vocals. also, for the past few songs, the music has sounded the same. Grade C. song 8- "i just wanna hold you tight": nice piano (annoying drums at times), nice guitar behind the lyrics. guitar solo is basic. pleasing vocals that compliment the song. Grade B+. song 9: are we getting back on track with this song? neat opening guitar work, peppy vocals. looses a bit of steam in the middle, nice ending. Grade: B+. song 10: except for some nice filler music, there is nothing to grab your attention. Grade: C-. song 11: nice singing, keeps you listening. guitar solo could have a bit more treble in it. pleasant song. Grade: B. song 12: at nearly 6 minutes, this song tries, but doesn't go anywhere even miho-sans voice and the nice piano can't save it. Grade: D. everthing (vocals, guitar, and overall music) started off great at first, but soon became repetitive/same sounding. i blame this on the producer (who was the producer,again?). with half of the songs being average (and after 8 cd's) miho-san could have done better. but still, as a whole, this cd is enjoyable if not spectacular. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
August 20, 2006 cd of the year? no, but still
all the positive reviews for this cd were lost on me at first. now, although it isn't as good (in my opinion) as everyone says, it isn't bad. song 1: except for some good guitar work, this is a generic sounding song with a jazz style. nothing to remember it by. Grade: C. song 2: same as previous song. some peppy music, but with corny lyrics. should have been sung in japanese, the english lyrics looses a lot in translation (maybe it is just as corn in japanese). Grade: D. song 3: thought i was listening to an old sergio mendes album. starts off nice (relaxing vibe), and is good until the end is overdone. should have kept the ending music in line with the rest of the song. Grade:B-. song 4: lovely singing, great music. reminds me of ringo-sans earlier cd's. great fuzz guitar. Grade:A. song 5: nice guitar and vocals, nice jazzy feel that actually works. electric piano in background is nicely restrained. Grade B+. song 6: first one and a half minutes or so is a nice vocal/piano combo that turn into a generic style that ringo-san seems to hide behind at times. the more she does, the less effective it is. Grade C-. song 7: this english sung song is much better than the 2nd song. snappy song with good vocals, ringo-sans discontent comes across much better. grade:A. song 8: a good song to have in the background or when driving. not great, but good tempo and some good interplay between instruments and vocals. Grade:B-. song 9: this is one of those songs where the gal gets on top of the piano and sings. doesn't matter, because it is a boring jazz/night club type type song. Grade: C-. song 10: this a good j-pop/rock song. nothing overdone. music (some good chicken-picking guitar) complements the vocals, without overtaking the vocals, as often is the case with this band. Grade: A. song 11: a fine song. especially to end the album. nice music build up in the background. ringo-sans voice is very nice here. a nice sounding guitar piece leading to a good (if not overdone) ending. Grade: A. although there are some outstanding songs here, a few songs hide behind ringo-sans tendency to over do the music. also, at least for me, this jazz style she is using now, gets old for me. but even with a few minor criticism's, this cd, although not the masterpiece other people seem to think it is, is still enjoyable. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Do As Infinity -Final- (Japan Version)
Do As Infinity -Final- (Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$37.49Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:2 people found the following helpful
August 14, 2006 wonderfulsince there are 43 songs (some alternate versions), space won't allow a critique of each song. one thing i want to say, though, is that the musicianship (including the back up vocals) is top notch. tomiko-san may be the main attraction, but the musical talent gets equal credit for elevating them above other bands (including tokyo jihen). the songs from disc's 1 and 2 range from upbeat and highly addictive (i.e. "rumble fish", "week", "desire"), to the more sedate (i.e. "under the moon" and "tao"). disc 3 features the encore's plus other live concerts. included are 2 versions of "tangerine dream" (one is a nice mostly acoustic version, the other is the normal version), and alternate versions of "oasis" and "under the sun" which are both good. the live version of the very nice studio song "need your love", sounds very good here. i thought with the programmed style of the studio cd, it may not work on the live version. my favorite DAI album ("break of dawn") is well represented here, but (of course) my favorite DAI song of all ("raven") is almost ruined here. a couple of songs have extended endings with distorted effects that take away from the feel of the songs. but this is a minor gripe that is corrected with the advance button. this album has great sound, especialy for a live performance. musically, the band is in synch with each other, and tomiko-san's voice is as lovely as she is. my only major complaint is that i wasn't in the audience. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Farewell (Japan Version)
1 people found the following helpful
July 3, 2006 all in all, a keeper.After reading "Cherry Blossom-Garden's" review, i wondered if i made a mistake ordering this cd. Like "CB-G" stated, most solo ventures are average at best. "CB-G's" criticism of the vocals and general disappointment was a concern also. Well, at first, the cd was a disappointment, but after 2 weeks, i have changed my mind. For me, the criticism isn't the signing, but the overproduction/programming. Before i review each song, let me agree with "CB-G" and say that the "bonus" Disney song is corny,outdated and does not belong on anyone's cd. 1. FAREWELL: very nice song, lovely signing. The music could have been less "big". GRADE: A 2. MORNING GLORY: the music should have been more guitar based (esp. the instrumental/interlude), but has a nice melody, and nice vocals. GRADE: A 3. This boring song reminds me of a corny theme song to some 70's tv movie. Just a filler song. GRADE: F 4. Essence: The song/vocals are very good, but again, the programming/music production seem to be competing with Tomiko's voice. But still...GRADE A 5. Horoscope: Ever been in a restaurant with an in-house singer? This song will remind you of that. It starts off pleasant enough, but being over 6 minutes, it gets old after about 3 minutes. Musically, it is bland. GRADE:C 6. Complacence: This song will make D.A.I. fans happy. It has a great DAI feel to it. Only gripe (a minor gripe), is the programming that fills the gaps. GRADE:A 7. This may be one of the vocal gripes that "CB-G" had. The song itself is very nice but Tomiko could have toned down her voice a bit. But still..GRADE A 8. Holy Planet: Boring, nothing to remember it by. GRADE: F 9. Before Sunset: This song is a pleasure to listen to, but again, there is to much going on musically. It would have been fine with the basic guitar/piano background. nice vocals. GRADE: A 10. Hold Me: Boring jazz/dinner house type music. But, Tomiko's singing turn it into a pleasing song. GRADE: A-. Musically, i wasn't to impressed with this cd, but Tomiko and her voice are "all that", and make this cd a keeper. Oh, FYI, i folded the cd booklet over, and i am using the lovely photo (that is next the stupid Disney song) as the cd cover photo. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Farewell (Japan Version)
1 people found the following helpful
July 3, 2006 all in all, a keeper.After reading "Cherry Blossom-Garden's" review, i wondered if i made a mistake ordering this cd. Like "CB-G" stated, most solo ventures are average at best. "CB-G's" criticism of the vocals and general disappointment was a concern also. Well, at first, the cd was a disappointment, but after 2 weeks, i have changed my mind. For me, the criticism isn't the signing, but the overproduction/programming. Before i review each song, let me agree with "CB-G" and say that the "bonus" Disney song is corny,outdated and does not belong on anyone's cd. 1. FAREWELL: very nice song, lovely signing. The music could have been less "big". GRADE: A 2. MORNING GLORY: the music should have been more guitar based (esp. the instrumental/interlude), but has a nice melody, and nice vocals. GRADE: A 3. This boring song reminds me of a corny theme song to some 70's tv movie. Just a filler song. GRADE: F 4. Essence: The song/vocals are very good, but again, the programming/music production seem to be competing with Tomiko's voice. But still...GRADE A 5. Horoscope: Ever been in a restaurant with an in-house singer? This song will remind you of that. It starts off pleasant enough, but being over 6 minutes, it gets old after about 3 minutes. Musically, it is bland. GRADE:C 6. Complacence: This song will make D.A.I. fans happy. It has a great DAI feel to it. Only gripe (a minor gripe), is the programming that fills the gaps. GRADE:A 7. This may be one of the vocal gripes that "CB-G" had. The song itself is very nice but Tomiko could have toned down her voice a bit. But still..GRADE A 8. Holy Planet: Boring, nothing to remember it by. GRADE: F 9. Before Sunset: This song is a pleasure to listen to, but again, there is to much going on musically. It would have been fine with the basic guitar/piano background. nice vocals. GRADE: A 10. Hold Me: Boring jazz/dinner house type music. But, Tomiko's singing turn it into a pleasing song. GRADE: A-. Musically, i wasn't to impressed with this cd, but Tomiko and her voice are "all that", and make this cd a keeper. Oh, FYI, i folded the cd booklet over, and i am using the lovely photo (that is next the stupid Disney song) as the cd cover photo. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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