BEST ~ first things ~ Review

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(More customer reviews)Im not a kumi fan but i do like this cd. Its a best of koda kumi vol 1. (vol 2 is also out now but its not as good at alL!). this cd has some gems on it i must say. but the best thing about this cd is the dvd that comes with the special edition! THE DVD DOES NOT COME WITH THIS VERSION!!!!!!!! try to find the one with the dvd on ebay or yesasia.com or email amazon and maybe they will get it.

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Japanese pressing. Kumi Koda's best-of compilation including "Real Motion," "Cutie Honey," and "Butterfly." Bonus track is availalable for the first pressing only. Rhythm Zone. 2005.

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Smile Review

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(More customer reviews)This album completely surprised me. I'd heard plenty of good things about L'Arc, and I'd liked the theme they did for the Final Fantasy movie, but I was never in any hurry to learn more about them-- I've been burned too many times by "promising" Korean and Japanese groups that turn out to be more of the same.

But after seeing L'Arc in their first U.S. concert at Otakon in Baltimore, MD, I'm a complete fan. Their concert rocked-- and their album rocks even harder. Hyde, the singer, is equally good live and recorded, and his range (and control thereof) is astounding. "Smile" is absolutely brimming with energy and lyrical beauty (even if you have to go hunt down translations).

The U.S. release of "Smile" has two more tracks than the Japanese version: the FF movie theme "Spirit Dreams Inside" (good move, as that's how most U.S. listeners know them), and a "Hyde-less" (karaoke) version of "Ready, Steady, GO!" (the opening theme to the soon-to-be released in the U.S. anime "Full Metal Alchemist").

Beautiful vocals, energetic melodies, and a complete joy to listen to-- whether you're from the East or Western hemisphere.

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Japanese edition of the first album from L'Arc-en-Ciel in more than three years, features ten tracks including, 'Spirit Dreams Inside', 'Ready Steady Go', & 'Hitomi No Junin'. Copy Controlled. Ki/oon Records. 2004.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Five in the Black (1 CD + 1 DVD Version) Review

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(More customer reviews)DBSK (or Tohoshinki, as they are known in Japan) is a Korean group that has quite rightly reached huge success in Asia. And they deserve it. This is their second Japanese album (their first was "Heart, Mind, and Soul"--also and excellent album!!) and you can tell their Japanese has improved and they sing their lyrics with more conviction and feeling. This is one of the few boybands in which ALL the members can actually sing really well. (And they can all dance well, too.)
"Five In The Black" has a TON of great songs, with good variety. A lot of them actually defy desciption. Here are my favorites, although like I said, all of the songs are excellent and I can listen to this album without having to skip any.
- Included is their huge Korean hit "O", which they sing in Japanese here. It sounds just as awesome. Very catchy dance song; great vocals!
- "Choosey Lover" - oh my god, this song is so catchy...
- "I'll Be There" - beauuuuutiful ballad; great harmonization
- "Step By Step" - great feel-good song, bouncy and catchy
- "Begin" - another beautiful ballad...they get to show off their amazing vocals in this one.
Believe the hype...this is a group that really deserves their success. They're all such young, talented boys, and I believe and hope they'll be sticking around for a long time.
Easily 5/5.

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Triangle Review

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(More customer reviews)Perfume is a very unique group and they are simply awesome. This CD is no excpetion. It's loaded with super catchy upbeat tunes that u can move to! Infinity stars!!!!

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Sweet Revenge Review

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(More customer reviews)I had listened to Mr. Sakamoto since YMO days. I went to see Marry Christmas Mr. Lawrence for him not Bowie. If you are going to rate any of his works on anything else he has done then you completely miss the point. Sakamoto's music is different every album. Heartbeat and Sweet Revenge are similar but not the same. Sweet Revenge took the culture of the world and compressed it down into some of the smoothest beats the world had ever heard. This album is a pinnacle of the time and one of my favorite CDs from the 90s. Sakamoto left this style behind and went on to make some more fabulous albums. He knows that genius cannot be repeated.

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Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Genius 2000 Review

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(More customer reviews)As a huge Amuro fan (native Japanese, living in Canada), I was pleasantly surprised with this album. Although there has been a great shift in her music from Sweet 19 Blues to now, I definately think it was for the better. This album has a much more mature feel to it; her voice seemed to settle down more, there was more feeling into her singing and the songs were beautifully composed. This CD has more of an R&B style to it, rather than the dancy tunes she is used to singing. This was an awesome CD, a must buy!

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Blue Blood Review

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(More customer reviews)Now when people think of the beginning of "Power Metal," most think of Germany's Helloween and Gamma Ray or the United States' Manowar. What most people do not know is that a whacky, yet amazing looking band from Japan will forever transform melodic heavy metal--X (later known as X Japan). The drumming, the soaring guitars, the cutting vocals, everything that makes melodic metal great. X Japan is not only credited as one of the first power metal acts, but also covered by many of today's Power Metal bands such as Germany's Lord and Finland's Sonata Arctica. The Blue Blood album contained the ground work for the future. The drumming, especially, was incredibly influential on the genre. The double bass playing that complemented the tremblo guitar picking that this album contains on tracks such as Kurenai and Rose of Pain became essential in Power Metal.
Blue Blood through and through is an excellent album that tends to be overlooked by many outside of Japan. Not only do mainstream magazines/outlets ignore the band, but even heavy metal outlets tend to ignore this incredibly talented band. No one mentions the sheer genius behind Blue Blood. Tracks such as "X" and "Rose of Pain" are incredibly heavy yet awesomely melodic. Blue blood is as heavy as Ride the Lightning yet as melodic as Rainbow in the Dark. Yoshiki's piano playing is an also additional plus.
For all power metal and melodic metal fans, this album is A MUST!!!!! If you like Helloween, Iron Maiden, Dio and Sonata Arctica, you will love Blue Blood!

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