Re-recordings in Japanese Music

[fitear1590 2414]

Let's utilize this topic to discuss re-recordings in Japanese music.  No, I'm not talking about those "remastered" or ~album ver.~ tracks that aren't any different from the original, but legitimate re-recordings.

I'll wait to post my thoughts, but for now, here's a few questions to get you going:

-How do you generally view the concept of re-recording old music?
-Should there be a certain amount of time that passes before a track is re-recorded?

-Do you find yourself preferring originals or re-recorded tracks, or is it always on a case-by-case basis?  Does major vs. indie play a role?

-What do you look for in a re-recording? What makes for a good/bad rerecording?

-Do you ever fear that an artist may "desecrate" the original track with a re-recording?
-On youtube (or however), share some notable re-recordings (whether wonderful or god-awful) in Japanese music.  It would help if you post the original song for comparison!

[BrenGun 2261]

it's only interesting if there is a member change and that they made really a song more heavy or just different.

as for example all old Calmando Qual songs sound never the same more since TASC left, and even now KENKA left the sound also has a bit changed because of Till. you can hear it clearly. so re-recording for them are very interesting.

 

But if there is no member change, no change in any heavyness that it is still kinda the same.. then re-recording is just a waste of time.

[Champ213 1858]

I don't mind them. As a matter of fact, when I hear that a bands wants to re-record some of my favourite songs, I usually look forward to it and am curious what they will do with it.

 

Some re-recording are better than the original, some are worse, some are pointless because they aren't much different at all.

 

 

 

-Do you ever fear that an artist may "desecrate" the original track with a re-recording?

 

I never understood that reasoning. Yes, some re-recording may be worse than the original. But who cares? It's not like the original song will vanish into thin air, or that some almighty power forces people to only listen to the new version from now on. Like the original better? Listen to that one and not the re-recording! Case closed.

 

I think a re-recording makes most sense if the original was done with poor production value due to the limitations of the band at that point. I know some trve kvltists find it sacrilegious to take a song that was originally recorded in the kitchen of vocalists' mother and re-record in a proper studio - but not me. XD Many bands re-record old song because they finally have the means to produce them they way the wanted to begin with, but just couldn't afford to.

[kurenaishineek 646]

I dont mind re-recordings but if they are really something new , like Galneryus re-recording their song with new vocalist and with new lyrics , and also they had a new sound . The same goes for other bands , but re-recordings that dont bring anything new are kinda boring . Like in Seikima II case , their older versions sound better , i like the 80's and 90's sound style better the drums and bass lines where sounding a lot more better , also in Seikima case their re-recorded songs like Jack The Ripper had their solos changed , and not to the better but rather to the worse .

So in my case it will depend on how the re-recording relates to the original , is it just a re-recorded old song with no changes or a self cover with sound change , maybe on a total different genre , being lighter song , or maybe with new lyrics or new vocals .

Here are the examples first Galneryus (This is what i like and expect from re-recordings , both versions are great) :

Old version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zU_p1UWnj4

Re-Recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqz1u9SzW5w

Second example Seikima II (Original wins by far) :

Original

Re-recording

[fitear1590 2414]

I generally look forward to re-recordings, even if the majority of the time, it seems I end up preferring the original.  It's always a chance for the artist to outdo themselves and, if they do, then great!  If not, then, oh well, I'll just keep listening to the better version.

I don't think an actual "time limit" needs to be set regarding re-recordings, but some bands overdo it.  For instance, Scarlet Valse (f.k.a. RailTracer) will be releasing the third recording of their song "Secret Eden" (and the second PV!) in 4 years.  Based on the previews for this newest version, there's nothing especially dazzling about it, so it seems like overkill.

One trend I've noticed with a few bands is that re-recorded songs (re-recorded album versions of older singles, for instance) tend to have a lack of punch.  For instance, take UNiTE's third album Ai.  The three re-recorded singles featured on the album were missing some of the oomph that the original songs had.  Somehow, vocalist Yui didn't sound as invested in his singing on these tracks the second time around.  It came off as kinda "well, I already know these songs and we've had 'em for a while, so I'll just phone it in."  I've noticed this vocal phenomenon with other bands too when it comes to album re-recordings.  In this sense, I might find myself tending towards original versions of songs.  I'm not sure if major/indie necessarily plays a role, but I guess it just depends on what kind of production quirks you prefer.  One example that comes to mind is Czecho No Republic, who re-recorded quite a few of their songs after becoming major.  Like on UNiTE's album, these re-recordings were lacking a certain something.

Personally, I prefer my re-recordings to be as different as possible, to the point of reinterpretations. The closer the two versions are to one another, the more nitpicking I do and I find myself having to choose between them.  Just the slightest differences in production can strongly affect how much I like a song.  For instance, one of my absolute favorite songs EVER is Canzel's original version of "Yumekui Ballet" from their debut single.  The re-recording emphasized the synths more and somehow, I just don't enjoy it nearly as much.  If the two versions of a given song are quite different (like DIMMDIVISION.'s recent "remix" re-recordings, Shiina Ringo releasing bombastic big band remakes of her pop/rock oriented tracks, Jikkendai Marmot's themed "self-covers", or when bands do acoustic versions, etc), then there's a better chance of being able to enjoy and appreciate both.

[Aferni 2381]

Re-Recordings are pretty cool....but it depends what band is producing them, like for example...D E L A C R O I X. Their Re - recording of Pathological NeoHysteria was alright. I prefer the original because I feel more effort was put into the singing and growling. As for Grieva, their re-recordings arent so great even though I love Grieva, Kuroi Namida and Dead [en]D didnt need to be re-recorded.....especially Dead [en]D.

 

Original: Dead [en]D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C3OcG8988o

 

 

Re-Recording: Dead [en]D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy0o5BoSRnk
 

[Seimeisen 4406]

Original: Dead [en]D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C3OcG8988o

 

 

Re-Recording: Dead [en]D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy0o5BoSRnk

Other way around! The PV version is re-recorded. But yeah, I agree, PV version is way better.

As for my opinion on re-recordings as a whole, it's a band-by-band basis. I didn't really like any of the re-recordings of SUICIDE ALI (most demo versions were always way better), most DEATHGAZE re-recordings are really good (although Ai just can't do justice for DOWNER; Sou did a better job for once), I absolutely love it when Plastic Tree re-records something from centuries ago (though it's a rare occurrence), I absolutely hated the DIAURA re-recordings for the 失翼の聖域 2013 single so I assume that any re-recordings from them are going to sound like shit (although VIRGIN MARY 2013 was really good)...... that's all I can think of for now.

[kurenaishineek 646]

L'arc en Ciel as Punk en Ciel has a good way to do re-recordings , Tetsu's voice is awesome , maybe not as good as Hyde's but it certainly is something i would love to hear more . Also the songs are heavier and more punkish thats also good cause its nice to hear a heavier side of them . On the other hand i dont really view them much as re-recordings more like self cover .

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Well, it really depends on the band and exact song choices whether it comes out good or not, and then there's the issue of how much time has passed between the two versions. For example, bands like MEJIBRAY and Grieva re-recording tracks almost the exact way they originally did like a year before = pointless. Side-project thingies like P'unk~en~Ciel looked good on paper but once I went through all their re-doings of Laruku songs... ugh, NOPE. Too boring, lifeless and watered-down / devoid of any personality.

 

On the other hand, I was quite pleased with LUNA SEA's complete re-working and re-recording of their self-titled debut album: it made me appreciate that material a lot more, and to this day I listen to the re-recorded album way more, cuz it just sounds better and more powerful/skillful (also worth mentioning: 20 years between the 2 recordings, wow!). Plastic Tree also did an exceptionally amazing job with "re-building" their classic album Hide and Seek in 2012 (original album release: 1997), putting a new spin on some tracks and still making them 100% their style.

[doombox 4421]

I agree with what a lot of people have said already. I don't really mind re-recordings but it's definitely a case by case basis of who really had something new to add or to prove by re-doing the song again. I'm a big fan of MUCC's remixes of old songs or "modernizing" some old songs like they did recently. And Crystal Lake's new acoustic version of "See this through" with their new vocalist reads as a totally new song just about... It's so different from the original. I rather like having a reason to revisit an old song that I might have forgotten about too, and hearing a new version of a song often sends me back to dig up the original and compare. However, I do feel like bands should let songs gather a certain level of nostalgia before revisiting them. If they just recorded the song a year or two ago, that feels a little soon. Unless there's been a lot of ground covered in that time or new band members have changed the sound dramatically.