Forum - View topicSound Decision - The Pillows, KOTOKO, Live 8 + 365
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Josh7289
Posts: 1252 |
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w00t for you Live 8 part of the article. I seriously never saw how it could actually help anyone, as it is simple "raising awareness". It did nothing to encourage people to act on that awareness, however.
Anyway, I like The Pillows. |
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GoodLuckSaturday
 Posts: 567 Location: Indiana |
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I was pretty disappointed in My Foot as well, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who just felt it was a snore. I don't remember much about the album, since through my first listen, I was drifting in and out of interest (mostly out), but "March of the Gods" caught me off guard, and the album did end on a respectable note. I do thoroughly enjoy "Third Eye" though, so it's not a total waste.
Some of the more mediocre albums of the year that I've mistakenly picked up have more or less caught on with me, but this one probably never will. I think the cover is funny though. I would've kept it up there. |
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Akukaze
 Posts: 185 Location: Stony Brook, NY |
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The thing that kinda pissed me off about Live 8 was that I watched MTV for at least six hours hoping to at least catch a glimpse of DAI or Dreams Come True. Silly me for thinking that they'd treat a global campaign like, well, a global campaign.
Seriously though, the little (well, not so little) snippet about Live 8 caught me off guard, since I was expecting you to talk about the j-pop artists that performed. Of course, I would've liked to see that too, but I was much more pleased with your insight, even if Sound Decision was a weird place to put it. I guess when you've already got your platform, though, you might as well use it. :p |
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omnistry
 Posts: 1015 |
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I am shocked that you did not talk about "Sayonara Universe": the best space rock epic since Syd Barrett first took LSD.
No way that "My Foot" sounds like the mediocrity of "Penalty Life".  In my opinion, "My Foot" is their best work since "Thank you, my twilight". Hopefully now people won't call the pillows' "The FLCL band" and be called what they really are: Rock Gods. 
Oh and the front cover is better than the back. It's the vision of "MARCH OF THE GOD": a dinosaur walking in space. And the chant of "Yes, more light" will hopefully be the chant for underground rockers hoping to grab the brass ring of fame. 
I'm sorry, Mr. Mays, but if your knowledge of the pillows consists of FLCL and Penalty Life, then you don't have the right to review this album. Take my "Advice" and import "Please Mister Lostman", "Living Field", and "Thank You, My Twilight". In fact import all their stuff, and you will feel what the pillows are really about. Then go back and listen to "MY FOOT" and feel its goodness. Last edited by omnistry on Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:20 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Kozumou!
Posts: 5 |
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the pillows suck except for what was in FLCL. EDIT: THAT IS A SARCASTIC REMARK! Last edited by Kozumou! on Thu Jun 29, 2006 2:05 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Hunter Sopko
 Posts: 259 |
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Kim Deal, Trip Dancer, Midnight Down, Swanky Street, Fool on the Planet, Kono yo no Hate Made, Wonderful Sight, Subhuman, Lesser hamster in blue, Beautiful Picture, Want to Sleep For, Bubbletown Happy Zoo, Nowhere, and a bunch of other songs beg to differ. I'll have to take the side of omni here (though not gonna come off like you don't have a right to listen to/review the pillows). I think My Foot is a pretty good installment in the pillows saga. Much better than Penalty Life was, on which less than half the songs were passable. (I Know You being my pick). It wasn't until I heard Dead Stock Paradise live that I started to appreciate it, though. Rock N Roll Sinners and Dead Stock Paradise... aren't similar at all. I don't know how you're drawing a comparison at all. One's supposed to be a catchy tune to rock out to, while Dead Stock Paradise is one of those slow rocking tunes that give you a slight breather in a concert while still keeping your adreniline pumping. The Air Resistor/Instant Music is a bit more apt, but you're forcing one of the best songs in Pillows history on a brand new track... kind of unfair. MOST songs wish they had Instant Music's direction. Plus, Instant Music is a rather scathing attack on Japanese pop music in addition to that. Really unfair comparison. Surprised no commentary on The Third Eye. Gets my pick of the album, at least. I like the cover, though I would've put it on a single for Last Dinosaur, personally. Last edited by Hunter Sopko on Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Kozumou!
Posts: 5 |
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GoldenRhino was right!!! I'm so sorry! At least you were nice about it. 
I was being completely sarcastic. We have a thread about that review in the forum over at instant music that omnistry started. Check out the site if you haven't already, fellow pillows fan. I literally joined this forum just to post that.
By the way, some awesome choices, there—actually, some personal favorites.  But I thought Midnight Down, Bubbletown's, Kim deal, and Nowhere were part of the whole FLCL thing . . . I thought it was all of LITTLE BUSTERS, HAPPY BIVOUAC, and RUNNERS HIGH. Plus, Ride on shooting star and I think I can, of course. I haven't even watched the whole show, and I don't remember much about it anyway.
My favorite on MY FOOT is probably Sayonara Universe. |
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Lix
 Posts: 31 Location: All the wrong places... |
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Wow. Although I frequently disagree with many a review on this site, I don't think I've ever dissented quite so inherently with one as I do with your pillows review. (Well, I probably have, but I'm trying to exude some righteous indignation here, s'aright?) Heh, sorry, that may have sounded a little more abrasive than I'd prefer, but I'm really not trying to instigate any hard sentiments. There's just a few things I'm concerned about, ol' chum, so I guess I'lll just chime in.
For one, how exactly did you come up with the comparison between "Rock'n'roll Sinners" and "Dead Stock Paradise," or "Kuuchuu Rejisuta"/"The Air Resistor" and "Instant Music"? It seems as if you just picked songs at random, because to me they sound nothing alike. "Dead Stock Paradise" revs up precariously, and then charges, like a motorcycle crunching gears onto the highway, while "Rock'n'roll Sinners" is an up-tempo motor-burn that barely even stops to catch its breath. "Instant Music" is a dreamy, booming meditation with a laid-back sneer for a chorus; "Kuuchuu Rejisuta" is simply a brief, ripping whir of a pop song. Even though I don't find myself blue balling over "Nonfiction," I still don't get what your actual complaint with the song was. You say that My Foot is the same as Penalty Life, but then you proceed to claim that the last 4 tracks sound as if they are from an "entirely different band." If my ingenious calculations are correct, then 4 songs is more than 1/3 of the 11-track CD, which is a sizeable portion. Granted, I don't actually agree that those songs sound like they were written by a different band, but I'm just saying that your generalizations are contradictory. The following are now mere opinions, although they do happen to be pointlessly aggravated opinions, which are so much sexier than the regular kind. 
While I like all the songs on My Foot to at least some degree, it didn't take me long to decide that "Degeneration" is my least favorite song. It just sounds like the closest thing to a generic rock number on the album. And I can't believe you actually attempted to find fault with "March of the God." Those "dischordant chords," as you call them, happen to be some of the coolest frickin' musical elements I've ever encountered, and they prepare for the greatest instrumental chorus in all of eternity. What I'm really dumbstruck by, however, is that you never even mentioned "Gazelle City," which is a glorious and effortless piece of sheer pop majesty and, along with "March of the God," easily the best song on the album. |
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Hunter Sopko
Posts: 259 |
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Nope. Not all of Little Busters, Happy Bivouac and Runner's High were used. Though heck, I think Kim Deal is the ONLY Happy Bivouac song not used... but I think Our Love and Peace was on that album too and that wasn't in it either. Most of Little Busters and only a few of Runner's High were used. Sad... I usually catch internet sarcasm, but eh... no skin off my nose. I didn't exactly make an ass of myself.
I hear you. Felt the same way. |
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omnistry
Posts: 1015 |
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Okay, maybe I was a bit harsh; so sorry if feelings were hurt. But next time please compare musician's work with some of their non-anime stuff instead of rehashing stuff the majority already knows.
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cosmicerica
Posts: 1 |
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I dunno...I know this is an anime site...but furi kuri is while not old, old-er. It would be nice to kinda stir away from always refering to the pillows as that furi kuri band.
I seem to like older pillows music more in general, but I thought My Foot was a fun cd! Non Fiction is probably one of my favorite songs! And besides, I think the whole point of the group the pillows is to throw "cureballs" and make no sense anyway... They just want to have fun! |
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Bell02
 Posts: 168 |
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QFT, that's part of the reason why I find some anime/game Otakus annoying, but at least its been improoved more than "it's the (insert anime title) song". I think My Foot had to grow on me to like it, but I liked and loved a lot of the songs the second listen. I don't think its their best though, but its definately better than a lot of stuff today... I guess its why its still a tune in rather than a tune out. |
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Akukaze
Posts: 185 Location: Stony Brook, NY |
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Wait, so you're suggesting that when you're reviewing something, you should compare their music to stuff that most non-fans have never heard, thus giving them no grounds to work from, confusing and alienating them, and in all likliehood discouraging them from trying the band/album/whatever in question? Now that may work well for a completely terrible album, but since you're obviously a Pillow's fan, I'd think you'd want others to enjoy their music too. Like, say for example, you're going to review Snakes on a Plane, hmm? And let's pretend that a lot of people want to see it because of the director. (HAH) You're going to compare it to Cellular and Final Destination 2, because those are movies that he's worked on that people actually know. You're not going to compare it to Homeward Bound 2: Lost in San Fansisco, because that wasn't a movie that SoaP's target audience would have seen, or cared about. Ya know? It's also likely that Mr. Mays hasn't heard much, if any, aside from The Pillows' domestically released albums (including the FLCL ones), so should he compare a CD to something he's never heard? I understand where you're coming from, but after that, you lost me. |
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omnistry
Posts: 1015 |
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"the majority already knows": bad choice of words. My bad.
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Fireline
Posts: 29 |
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I won't quote specific points, but I definitely agree with this previous poster more than the column. My Foot is their most solid album in some time, and a solid album on its own merit. My only real issues with the album are the chorus of Mighty Lovers and the slowdown in Nonfiction, as they each feel forced. Degeneration is admittedly weak, but still fun as a straightforward rock song.
I find any allusion to Penalty Life disappointing; yes, Dead Stock Paradise is a strong track on that album, but that's not saying much, as Penalty Life is certainly their worst (rock-era) album. I was most surprised by a complete lack of specific mention of Sayonara Universe. I found that to be the most surprising track (and one of the best) they've offered in quite some time. Overall, My Foot may not have the individual-track strength of Good Dreams, but it stands up far better as a whole, and shows that the Pillows are not merely riding the wave of success they built up in previous releases. (For the record, I find it a bit presumptuous to include mention of your own approach to production. I realize that your column is, by definition, an opinionated one, but there's a difference between offering an opinion and self-promotion. I don't mean to be offensive, but one of the subjects at hand is an international musical success, and the other writes columns for a website. I only include this in the post so that you can more easily take my difference of opinion with a grain of salt. Obviously, if I were legitimately upset, I wouldn't still be reading your columns.) I wholeheartedly agree with your points concerning Live 8. It's terribly disappointing that popular musicians (or other notable figures) can be bothered to do something "charitable" when it earns them extra publicity, while the real problems at hand are still being dealt with to about the same extent as they ever were. Live 8 (or similar awareness campaigns) didn't solve any problems, but merely built up American culture's opinion of superiority. Yes, the situations faced by people in third-world countries are far more difficult than ours, but the people themselves are no less human than we are. I believe these events have good intentions, but when a year passes and the problems are still as relevant, it seems more like we're regarding the people in Africa as pets that we feel pity for rather than equal humans we legitimately wish to help. |
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