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*littlelamb

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Posts posted by *littlelamb

  3. Posted · Edited by *littlelamb

    Yuu's the best! He broadcasted Merry's live today on his IG (u_merry) live. Too bad it cut off after an hour, so most of the new songs were left out, but they played Atama ga zakuro and Kohakuiro no Ballad! I think it's still there for 18 hours if anyone wants to watch. Sounds amazing as always.

    r..., suji and crossparallel reacted to this

  4. Posted

    I think it sounds more like a run-of-the-mill DEG track than sukekiyo, let alone the original. I actually really like Gerbera and struggled to find anything familiar in that cover. It's the melodies that make that song, for me anyway. Take them away and meh. There's making a song your own and then there's completely disguising it, which seems a bit pointless to me.

  5. Posted · Edited by *littlelamb

    I didn't enjoy sukekiyo either. Maybe I'm just over Kyo's shtick, but I was so bored.

     

    Quite an enjoyable album for the most part though. Favourites in order of appearance: BAND-MAID, THE BACK HORN, POLYSICS, cali≠gari, 矢野絢子 and MERRY. Thought they were all brilliant. Also enjoyed Ken, gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy, Plastic Tree, シド, THE ORAL CIGARETTES, DEZERT and MUCC themselves of course.

  6. Posted

    I love what they did with Ieji! It really shows off what they can do and the acoustic bits are simply dreamy. I also love that song and think it's a great choice.

     

    My favourite cover has to be オデッセイ・1985・SEX. Gara just slays that one, you can tell he was living his dream.

    crossparallel and r... reacted to this

  9. Posted

    I love most of Merry's B-sides including all the ones already mentioned, but I really adore Makka na aoi haru... and ト・ロ・ケ・テ・ル. From the more recent ones (is 4 years ago recent?), I thought Waltz was a beautiful and underrated song.

     

    As for the new album, I for one love it. I thought I liked Nonsense Market, but I like this one way more (or I've just overplayed the former). It feels more cohesive, the singles are better and blend in better, especially with the new version of Happy Life, and the new tracks are ridiculously entertaining to me. So many gems! And it's very punky and energetic, so basically exactly what I wanted. I also like that it's short, which is strange in a way, but I like the songs so much I want to replay them and there's nothing that feels like filler to get through before I can do that.

    Sparrow reacted to this

  10. Posted · Edited by *littlelamb

    I listened to the whole album on Niconico since they broadcasted the trial listening event today and I absolutely adore it! So punky, so Merry, such an energy boost! Who needs coffee, just listen to this album first thing in the morning. The only song I felt a bit meh about was gaudy, but I can see it growing on me. Black flag symptom was my favourite based on the previews and of course it's a Kenichi song. Here are the credits for all the songs, in case someone's interested:

     

    1. 「M」World Order - Tetsu
    2. MASS CONTROL - Nero
    3. 犬型真性MASOCHIST - Yuu
    4. gaudy - Yuu
    5. 平日の女 -A面- Yuu
    6. Black flag symptom - Kenichi
    7. 傘と雨 - Yuu
    8. F.J.P - Nero  (Gara said the title stands for Future Japan, I think)
    9. Happy life -reprise- Kenichi
    10. SIGHT GLASS - Yuu
    11. エムオロギー - Yuu

    r..., suji, crossparallel and 1 other reacted to this

  11. Posted

    On 8/10/2017 at 9:13 PM, sheepprincessgara said:

    Yeah, I'm glad they're rerecording Happy life and hopefully make it punk like everyone's been saying. That song just sounds like basic anime op garbage :wan-06:

     

    I think they said they were going for a straightforward 80's punk rock (The Blue Hearts?) feel with Happy life, but it's just too simple in my opinion. I do like the song, but it's always felt a bit empty, like something's missing. I hope the new version is more "full" and intense. I love the acoustic one.

     

    I'm hoping for a punky album, kind of like Underworld.

    Seimeisen and suji reacted to this

  14. Posted

    On 13/01/2017 at 0:14 PM, crossparallel said:

    Lol this band will be the death of me. Look at this fine specimen of 2d trash, either MERRY are making it very clear that you need to buy that DVD, no freebies, or I'm deadly mistaken. The zombie is the best.

     

     

    Knowing Merry, the pile of trash is just them being self-deprecating. Gara often refers to how they used to be called a rubbish band.  Even in some MC during the anniversary lives, he said something like "Merry was called a rubbish band, but this rubbish band is now going on 15 years". I think that's what's going on in the video, they're so rubbish the streaming site stops working and just shows a pile a trash instead. I could be wrong, but I like it.

    crossparallel and suji reacted to this

  16. Posted

    It's super easy to download timeshifts with IDM. About two clicks and done. I just haven't watched my timeshift yet, since I'm always paranoid something goes wrong and then I've wasted my only chance to watch it again, lol. And the last time I shared a nico download, they put that stuff on some release and then I felt guilty for maybe affecting their CD sales. Seems silly perhaps, but they're my favourite band and they need all the income they can get.

     

    Oh and under-world is my favourite album. Might not be to everyone's taste, but I find it the most unique out of all of Merry's already unique stuff. I just can't think of anything that sounds even remotely like it, yet it sounds just right and has ever since the first listen.

    crossparallel reacted to this

  18. Posted

    6 hours ago, crossparallel said:

    @*littlelambOh no, your posts were very helpful and not cringey at all! There was this one about Gara's radio dorama that still makes my day any time I think about it. (If you remember that, would you happen to have a link to the actual recording still?)
     

     

    Aww, I'm glad! Sorry, it was so long ago, I don't even remember if there was a recording, so I'm afraid can't help you with that.

    crossparallel reacted to this

  19. Posted

    2 hours ago, crossparallel said:

    Oh yesss littlelamb!  <3 Sorry for the over-familiarity, ever since I fell for Merry and started looking up things on them I've just happened on so many old posts by you around the internet. Just thank you for loving them, ok? 

     

    The way I remember that interview, Kyo and Gara were still speaking, just not about music. May be mistranslation or just information getting corrupted along the way, shouldn't really matter now. I agree, it is miraculous how Merry survived everything and... do I have the right to say I am proud with them, or at least proud of being their fan? Because I am. I also love NO SMART, there's just so much humanity and integrity to that album. [ @midi:netteNah, I loved Happy Life too. Straightforward songs like that are also needed, and the message is just right. Though my favorite song on the single is 臆病者の眠り方 by far.] I also believe Merry can still grow. So many new songs by Nero and Tetsu! And they did eventually get better at writing songs out of their mold. Time will show on that one.

    Still about the lives, I may be misjudging here. I do feel Gara's voice hasn't been at his strongest (even as his control is stellar), but I have been watching the '09 concerts a lot recently, so that may be setting the bar too high and screwing my perspective. The fact that we are talking about a niconico recording (and a crappy rip in the case of the last DVD, as I can't afford to buy it at this point) isn't helping. I really hope you are right, as it is something I've been worried about - at this point I have reason to believe they can survive anything else. 

    So hyped up for tomorrow!

     

    Haha, I cringe just thinking about my old posts and even more so someone reading them now, but I'm glad if they've been helpful! And no need to thank me, Merry is pretty easy to love. It is almost unreal that they are still going after all they've been through and it just shows how dedicated they are and how much they love their band. It's not like they even have a big fanbase as in a monetary incentive to keep going, pretty sure they're broke most of the time. The fact that they're still making music and letting me watch them live every now and then from my sofa for a nominal fee is something I will never take for granted. They are special!

     

    As for the lives, "better than ever" may have been a slight overstatement, more like better than for the past 6 years. The BURST EP DVD is still my all time favourite. That Gekisei! Must've listened to it 50 times at least.

    suji and crossparallel reacted to this

  20. Posted

    Oh wow, life in the Merry thread. Needless to say they are my favourite band ever, the only one I've been a proper fan of. Their music just hits all the rights spots in my brain and never seems to get old. Maybe because it's pretty "old" in the first place, not tied to some fad. I'm really happy with their current direction and I feel like ever since NOnsenSe MARkeT they've gone back to being themselves so to speak.

     

    What happened with the Beautiful Freaks era is a combination of things I think. I sort of blame Kyo as well for some of their bad decisions, I mean he was credited as producer on their releases back then. Kyo and Gara weren't even speaking for years, but then Kyo reached out to him after Merry had left Victor and were in disarray, and I think him caring and wanting to help made Gara a bit too prone to his suggestions. I do think Kyo is brilliant in his own way and I appreciate him helping Merry get started on their career, but he really shouldn't be meddling in their music at this point. That's why I'm happy he started Sukekiyo, since he clearly doesn't have any time or interest in getting involved anymore. Thank heavens for that! It's not all his fault though. From what I've read in interviews, the members were well aware that they'll never be able to outdo the brilliance of their eary compositions, so that's why they were trying to find a new direction, but it didn't really work out. Heijitsu no Onna is the product of realising you should stick to what you're good at. The period around the switch to Free-Will was also a generally miserable time for them. They didn't particularly want to join Free-Will, the fans absolutely hated it, Gara was having constant problems with his back, people close to them were dying and just when things started looking up, Tetsu broke his neck and was out for years. It's not like BF is even close to unlistenable, the basic song-writing is still there, but the arrangements are just too simple and the sound all muddled and boring. Merry is not the kind of band who should be sending their tracks to Sweden or where ever to be finished either. It's of no benefit to them.

     

    I think they sound better than ever live at the moment. At least based on the two lives they've already broadcast on nicovideo this year. They were pretty stellar. The only song Gara struggles with is the A-side of Heijitsu no Onna, but it's no wonder, since it goes so high. Thankfully the B-side version is made for lives. In case someone didn't know, they're broadcasting their 15th anniversary White Sheep/Black Sheep live tomorrow, as in 16 hours, so don't miss out! Put it on timeshift beforehand, if you don't have time to watch live or pay the 540 yen for premium membership. Epic acoustic versions to be expected. http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv280746643

     

    BTW, I noticed the other day that someone had upped the entire nico live this summer on Youtube . The acoustic versions of Makka na Aoi Haru and Happy Life are so good!

    crossparallel, Jigsaw9, suji and 1 other reacted to this

  21. Posted

    If you pay for premium membership, you can still watch it using Timeshift. It's only 540 yen/month and you can cancel the membership anytime. I've done that so many times over the years. But if you do, make sure to not click the timeshift button unless you're ready to watch, since the recording is only available for 24 hours or so after you've started watching.

     

    You can see the setlist here: http://spice.eplus.jp/articles/38694

    suji reacted to this

  22. Posted

    Another vote for Gara! I basically studied Japanese for 3 years so I could understand him, not even ashamed to admit it. He's good at creating vivid imagery, but his lyrics also usually have a point to them, a story or a clear message that is to the point. I also like the variety of topics.

     

    Some of my favourites (my translations):

     

    Rest in Peace:

    Before we know it, it has passed away...
    The time has passed and now it remains as something called history
    now... we cannot go back, however...

    Don't forget... Don't forget
    The great happiness of the present...
    We grew up without knowing one...

    We are the children born without knowing war
    We are the very children who don't know war
    To the children of those days who knew nothing but dark skiesーー
    "The sky now is blue and truly clear..."

    So that we won't forget in the name of "reality" and "peace"
    let's engrave it in our heart...
    So that it won't vanish in the name of "reality" and "peace"
    let's engrave it in our heart...

     

    “Tokyo”:

    A red-light intersection overflowing with people.
    If I were to step forward, would I feel better, I wonder?
    The past me now raises a question inside my heart
    Did the dreams come true? Tokyo

    When the light changes green, everyone proceeds to pass me
    Alas… I’m left behind alone here as well…
    From the many seeds I must’ve planted
    The only ones to bloom are the flowers of anguish
    Repeatedly I escape reality, day after day an empty shell

    I tried to ask my withered heart
    Why do I stay in this place, I wonder
    Over the town flies a brightly coloured airship inflated with dreams
    Surely dreams will bloom. Someday I’d like to seize happiness
    The dreams I keep chasing are still in this place…

    Tokyo! I was wandering around wounded
    In this back alley there is no wind or a single person
    Struck by the rain and listening carefully
    I fell on the asphalt and I’m waiting and waiting
    Sooner or later my dreams will bloom

    The town where too much time passes, Tokyo
    Doesn’t mean I’m turning my back and walking in the opposite direction, but
    the place I struggled on to is the place I’m most used to seeing
    Until now, rather than obtaining happiness, I’ve lost
    far too many things, but before I knew it I’d got used to that as well…

    Tokyo! I was wandering around wounded
    In this back alley there is no wind or a single person
    Struck by the rain and listening carefully
    I fell on the asphalt and I’m waiting and waiting
    Surely sooner or later
    Therefore Tokyo, let me stay here a little bit longer

    With the memory of the dreams I kept chasing, I’d like to stay here
    If tomorrow compared to today, if the future compared to tomorrow
    could be a little different, it would be nice
    Help or such nobody's asking, this is Tokyo

     

    Gunjou (Ultramarine):

    Everything was dazzling, I had faith in everything, I wasn't scared of anything. Time has passed since those days... now...

    flash back

    During the repeating days, at some point I learned to give up, I was fighting alone with my old self...

    It appeared as though everyone was shining. Feelings that seemed to burst, I harboured inside my chest.
    No matter how many times I'm tread on, I still keep crawling up. Beyond this road, good luck!

    The sun who kept gently shining on me in those dear old days, is shining strongly inside this heart

    flash back

    "Well, it can't be helped right?" became my favourite phrase. I was always just looking for excuses
    I get sick of myself who can't change at all. Somehow or another, to such me now, good luck!

    In those dear old days, there were some small and important dreams, weren't there? Don't forget the promise we surely exchanged, Sun!
    My endless journey continues. In order to one day be able to laugh, keep shining as close to me as possible, Sun!

    Keep shining... inside this heart... 

     

    Happy life:

    I only worry about the people who are important to me
    This tiny body cannot be burdened with such big matters
    When I was little I also had a dreams of becoming a hero, however
    because those dreams are impossible, they still remain dreams

    Aspirations are aspirations, but my life consists of having friends and laughing at trivial matters
    Because you are beside me
    I can make the most of the present like this

    I don't really care what becomes of the world
    I only want to make the people before my eyes happy
    I don't really care what becomes of the world
    as long as you are in front of my eyes

    When it comes to big tragedies I mourn them within my capacity, but
    nevertheless that is my selfish sentimentalism
    There are people lined up to scold me for being this way, but
    since there are times when the world keeps turning, there must also be times when it doesn't

    "What will be will be"
    To have people who lend an ear to such favourite sayings of mine
    Because you are all by my side
    That is how happiness is spreading

    I don't really care what becomes of the world
    I only want to make the people before my eyes happy
    I don't really care what becomes of the world
    as long as you are in front of my eyes

    I don't really care what becomes of the world
    Since there are bad days there must be good days as well
    My life is the happiest
    I want to etch the important moments into my mind
    I don't really care what becomes of the world
    The sun is still rising today as well!

     

    Enzetsu ~surrealism~ and [human farm] (these translations came with the European version of the album):

     

    Speech ~surrealism~

    No one would listen to us
    We just do as we are told
    Before you know it, you're riding on the shimmering rail before your eyes
    Another day of repetitive labor for mass production

    I don't know about my future, but it must be clogged with anxiety
    A speck here and there leads to a mansion of junk
    What we need is infancy
    It sheds as we become adults.
    What restraints us is poverty
    If you want popularity, why don't you try being merbromin!

    Only the mind sees surrealism
    Everyone lives feeding on dreams.
    Come let's watch the coming of the end of the world together, shall we!?
    Come let's watch the coming of the end of the world together, shall we!!
    Welcome to the human farm.

    [human farm]

    Welcome! human farm
    Welcome! to the human farm
    Welcome! human farm, garbage world

    Wear your collar You will be ID-ed You will now be known only by numbers

    Welcome! human farm
    Welcome! to the human farm
    Welcome! human farm, garbage world

    Reared by temperament, thron away by convenience,
    there is no relieve in this ideological society

    The dream and ideal you've yearned for is now in a place so far away

    After all, there is no way to break free from here
    Because humans are being raised by the society

    Welcome! human farm
    Welcome! to the human farm
    Welcome! human farm, garbage world

    There is no such thing as equality, it's sad but that is the truth

    The dream and ideal you've yearned for is now in a place so far away

    After all, there is no way to break free from here
    Because humans are being raised by the society

    Welcome! human farm
    Welcome! to the human farm
    Welcome! human farm
    Welcome! to the human farm
    Welcome! human farm
    Welcome! to the human farm
    Welcome! human farm, garbage world


     

  23. Posted

    Hope I wasn't the only one who tuned in today, because it was amazing! Killer setlist and also very emotional, since it was the first full live for Tetsu in over two years. The other members seemed almost happier about him being back than he did himself. So sweet. Don't think there was a dry eye in that venue by the end. At least there's one good thing about the Europe tour being postoned. If they do make it over here next year, then hopefully Tetsu can join them!

    suji reacted to this

  25. Posted

    Thanks for making me listen to RES again! I thought I'd grown past my appreciation for them like I have 99.999999999% of VK bands, but it only took 20 seconds of Thorny Rain Break to suck me right back in. They were a great a band. Beautiful and distinctive sound. Too bad Satsuki is useless without the other members' songwriting talent. I'm glad Takumi and Mika get to be part of a decent band again though.

     

    As for Lycaon, it's best I keep my thoughts to myself.

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