M00zik for Snowflake Day
Dec. 21st, 2003 10:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
petroniaWent to see RotK; have no real urge to review it, so will post Christmas music for the flist instead. XD (Well. I'm certainly not disappointed. Or perhaps I am a little, as RotK is my favorite, but 97% of my misgivings boil down to the fact that the movie was not six hours long and did not happen exactly the way it does in my head - I'm one of those people who've been mentally filming the Battle of the Peleannor Fields one meticulous imaginary crane shot after another since they were nine, and scoring it too, you'd better believe it - which are the same quibbles I've had from the first, and hardly reasonable ones at that. The fact that Middle-Earth looks like it does in my head is enough of a gift for me, with these movies.)
Anyhow, music:
Pet Shop Boys - Birthday Boy
Not jpop. When I got the album over the summer I made a note to post this song in time for Christmas, because I really am that sadistic. Or masochistic, because my taste in holiday music honestly runs to the depressing and/or socially conscientious. My favorite Christmas song when I was a kid was "Merry Christmas (War Is Over)"; I had no idea what it was called or who wrote it, just that it was the only one that bothered to ask questions.
This song asks questions. One of TNeil's more sobering lyrics, not to say somber. (And there's guitar, daishokku; you'll notice when it comes in. 'Tis Johnny Marr guest-starring. *g*)
Hamasaki Ayumi - Powder Snow (Acoustic Orchestra Version)
An early Ayu number, meaning that her vocal ability isn't all that; which is a pity, because it's one of the most beautiful tracks she's ever recorded. Especially with the piano arpeggio accompaniment. One of the few pieces of music that manage to capture the sensation of watching snow fall.
(If I ever manage to get that PMK giftfic done... well, I will, and no mistake.)
B'z - Itsuka no Merry Christmas
I remember reading somewhere that the Japanese voted this one their #1 favorite Christmas song, which... says something about the Japanese. ^^; Horribly depressing, almost bathetically so - would be country music if it were American - though it's quite pleasant and catchy if you can't understand the lyrics.
Download it. Gackt and Morning Musume love it. Speaking of whom...
Gackt - 12gatsu no Love Song
The subtext to this one, really, is that it was written for Christmas '01, NYC. (No joke, but my memories of 9/11 are indelibly linked with Gackt - it was the week after the Another World single, and I had "Fragrance" on the 'amp.) Otherwise, soaringest of sappy violin-drenched love songs, exactly as advertised. Here's the instrumental, by the way, and here's the English version (warning: HILARITY).
DEEN - Eien wo azukete kure
I have a serious fondness for DEEN, actually, but goodness knows when I'll get around to posting more. You'll note that Christmas jpop is always about the same thing: wandering around with the festive shopping crowds and gazing wistfully at department store window displays and fir trees all a-sparkle with lights, wishing one's love life weren't such a ruin. Because you're far away; because you don't know I love you; because we broke up; because you got run over by a truck last Christmas and now this year you will not be there to open presents with me under the tree. The following song (the 90's jpop idoru Christmas classic) is along these general lines:
Speed - White Love
And so is this one (remember this one, minna?):
Sasaki Yuko - Pure Snow
And so is this one. (I have a very good English version of it, even - will post when I find the dratted thing.)
Yamashita Tatsuro - Christmas Eve
There is good reason for the pathos, by the way. It's because the Japanese understand that the greatest hurdle of Christmastime is its status as commercial endeavour, and listening to miserabilism while you do Christmas shopping is far more likely to keep you sane, as opposed to perky songs about Santa Claus.
Nevertheless, there are some perky Japanese songs about Santa Claus out there, and this is one of them. Be reminded of RuroKen, and dance over the slushy snowbanks. XD
Judy and Mary - Christmas
And Puffy being all Spector-ette as usual (it's one of their songs I like the best):
Puffy - Dec.
And at the very last, one of the more wistful of move's trademark melodies:
Move - Silent White?
***
...Bonus tracks! XD
Tennis no Oujisama - Tezuka Kunimitsu - White Message
Tennis no Oujisama - Tezuka Kunimitsu - Soushi ~UMUKUTU~
That is to say, the Tezuka-buchou TeniPuri Christmas single I gacked off![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
beckymarie at some point and have been listening to ever since (isn't Atobe supposed to have one of these too? XD;; Kikitainkedo), because... because it's really good. Actually. Makes no sense but really good. It helps that "Soushi" is classically miserabilist Christmas jpop, though he's only drifting with festive shopping crowds for a bit of it and the rest he's out on a beach staring into the middle distance or something. <33
Anyhow, music:
Pet Shop Boys - Birthday Boy
Not jpop. When I got the album over the summer I made a note to post this song in time for Christmas, because I really am that sadistic. Or masochistic, because my taste in holiday music honestly runs to the depressing and/or socially conscientious. My favorite Christmas song when I was a kid was "Merry Christmas (War Is Over)"; I had no idea what it was called or who wrote it, just that it was the only one that bothered to ask questions.
This song asks questions. One of TNeil's more sobering lyrics, not to say somber. (And there's guitar, daishokku; you'll notice when it comes in. 'Tis Johnny Marr guest-starring. *g*)
Hamasaki Ayumi - Powder Snow (Acoustic Orchestra Version)
An early Ayu number, meaning that her vocal ability isn't all that; which is a pity, because it's one of the most beautiful tracks she's ever recorded. Especially with the piano arpeggio accompaniment. One of the few pieces of music that manage to capture the sensation of watching snow fall.
(If I ever manage to get that PMK giftfic done... well, I will, and no mistake.)
B'z - Itsuka no Merry Christmas
I remember reading somewhere that the Japanese voted this one their #1 favorite Christmas song, which... says something about the Japanese. ^^; Horribly depressing, almost bathetically so - would be country music if it were American - though it's quite pleasant and catchy if you can't understand the lyrics.
Download it. Gackt and Morning Musume love it. Speaking of whom...
Gackt - 12gatsu no Love Song
The subtext to this one, really, is that it was written for Christmas '01, NYC. (No joke, but my memories of 9/11 are indelibly linked with Gackt - it was the week after the Another World single, and I had "Fragrance" on the 'amp.) Otherwise, soaringest of sappy violin-drenched love songs, exactly as advertised. Here's the instrumental, by the way, and here's the English version (warning: HILARITY).
DEEN - Eien wo azukete kure
I have a serious fondness for DEEN, actually, but goodness knows when I'll get around to posting more. You'll note that Christmas jpop is always about the same thing: wandering around with the festive shopping crowds and gazing wistfully at department store window displays and fir trees all a-sparkle with lights, wishing one's love life weren't such a ruin. Because you're far away; because you don't know I love you; because we broke up; because you got run over by a truck last Christmas and now this year you will not be there to open presents with me under the tree. The following song (the 90's jpop idoru Christmas classic) is along these general lines:
Speed - White Love
And so is this one (remember this one, minna?):
Sasaki Yuko - Pure Snow
And so is this one. (I have a very good English version of it, even - will post when I find the dratted thing.)
Yamashita Tatsuro - Christmas Eve
There is good reason for the pathos, by the way. It's because the Japanese understand that the greatest hurdle of Christmastime is its status as commercial endeavour, and listening to miserabilism while you do Christmas shopping is far more likely to keep you sane, as opposed to perky songs about Santa Claus.
Nevertheless, there are some perky Japanese songs about Santa Claus out there, and this is one of them. Be reminded of RuroKen, and dance over the slushy snowbanks. XD
Judy and Mary - Christmas
And Puffy being all Spector-ette as usual (it's one of their songs I like the best):
Puffy - Dec.
And at the very last, one of the more wistful of move's trademark melodies:
Move - Silent White?
***
...Bonus tracks! XD
Tennis no Oujisama - Tezuka Kunimitsu - White Message
Tennis no Oujisama - Tezuka Kunimitsu - Soushi ~UMUKUTU~
That is to say, the Tezuka-buchou TeniPuri Christmas single I gacked off
beckymarie at some point and have been listening to ever since (isn't Atobe supposed to have one of these too? XD;; Kikitainkedo), because... because it's really good. Actually. Makes no sense but really good. It helps that "Soushi" is classically miserabilist Christmas jpop, though he's only drifting with festive shopping crowds for a bit of it and the rest he's out on a beach staring into the middle distance or something. <33
