Music review: X-Japan - Forever Love

Artist: X Japan Members: Deyama "Toshi" Toshimitsu (vocals), Hayashi Yoshiki (drums and piano), Matsumoto "Hide" Hideto (lead guitar), Morie "Heath" Hiroshi (bass), Ishizuka "Pata" Tomoaki (rhythm guitar) Album: Forever Love (single) Release date: 7/8/96 Video link: Via YouTube

English translation: I'll never walk alone again, the winds of time are to strong. Ah, it's that what you hurts, which you'll have to live with... Ah, this tight embrace, and this burning, unchanged heart. In this ever changing time, love will never change.

Will you hold my heart? Stop flowing tears. Again, all of my heart is broken....

Forever love, forever dream Only flowing emotions,bury this intense, trying, meaningless times. Oh tell me why ... all I see is blue in my heart.

Will you stay with me? Wait until after the wind passes, all my tears are still flowing...

Forever love, forever dream Stay with me like this. Hold my trembling heart in the dawn. Oh stay with me...

Ah, everything good seems to be ending, in this unending night. Ah, what else would you lose if nothing at all matters.

Forever love, forever dream, stay with me like this. Hold my trembling heart in the dawn.

Oh will you stay with me... Until the wind passes, stay with me again.

Forever love, forever dream, I'll never walk this path. Oh tell me why, tell me true, teach me how to live. Forever love, forever dream, within flowing tears Bright seasons will forever change again and again .... forever love... About the song: Another gorgeous ballad written by Yoshiki. It's one of those songs that makes it very difficult not to cry while it's on. The more I listen to X Japan's songs, the more I love Toshi's voice. I only wish I had the talent that Yoshiki or Toshi has. Hopefully I'll get a chance to review some of their happier songs.

Music review: Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Kimi to iu Hana

Artist: Asian Kung-Fu Generation Members: Kensuke Kita, Masafumi Goto, Takahiro Yamada, Kiyoshi Ijichi Album: Kimi Tsunagi Five M Release date: 11/19/03 Video link: Via YouTube

English translation: In the despair of a transparent foam My spinning heart looped Moving forward somehow, unconcerned A hesitant story Always losing something Then we’ll know today Moving forward somehow, meaninglessly A hesitant story In short, everything was smashed up

In our transparent desires My heart that is dying out, looped Moving forward somehow, unconcerned A hesitant story For how long will we lose things? You know the real me, that I was hiding Moving forward somehow, meaninglessly A hesitant story

In short, everything was smashed up In short, it was dancing in the wind A drop shining in your eyes Ah, thunder in the blue sky If there is only pain, then it’s divided between us, that’s right The color of the two of us Until our white breath runs out That road that we flew over From atop a hill, I can see a flower called "you" That has bloomed in the city, and will bloom again

In short, everything was smashed up In short, it was dancing in the wind A drop shining in your eyes Ah, thunder in the blue sky If there is only pain, then it’s divided between us, that’s right The color of the two of us Until our white breath runs out That road that we flew over From atop a hill, I can see a flower called "you" That has bloomed in the city, and will bloom again

In a color like yours... About the song: AKFG always reminds me of Weezer. They come across as these geeks that know how to rock. That's not bad, it's just unusual for a popular band. This song mostly leaves me speechless. The guitar line is so rocking that most of the time, I'm not even listening to the lyrics. I just let the feeling of the song and the sound of the music wash over me. It's definitely a song that will leave you feeling good after you listen to it.

Jmusic review: Gackt - Farewell

Artist: Gackt Album: Diabolos Release date: 9/21/05 Video link: Gackt performing Farewell and Future on the televised version of his Diabolos tour

English translation by Mina-P: A silver crescent moon flutters down into my parched heart In this night without any moonlight, you tell me "you can walk even alone" Those words you gave to me, with kindness and warmth Turned the tears back into a smile on my face that was hung in dispair

When I'm sad, if I close my eyes, You're by my side

You refused to show your tears as you bid farewell And you gave me your same kind smile I will never forget that warmth

I smile even as the tears flow Even if this road comes to an end I'll unfurl my wings for you

The broad back that disappears into the fallen drops of the moon Teach me once more why I keep walking

I can keep walking without turning back Because you are always by my side

May my tears never spill over again Because I have decided not to go back Because that is the promise that we made that day

Even if the tears gather, the rain will wash them away Because if I ever get to see you again I want to be able to tell you that I surpassed you About the song: Gackt always has at least one song on every album that has very strong orchestrations. Farewell is one of those songs. Both the music and the lyrics give the impression of growing strong. The verses of the song give a feeling of sadness and loss but when the chorus kicks in, Gackt's voice gains strength and you can almost feel the forcefulness of the lyrics. In the background, the drums and guitar back this emotion up. During the verses, the guitar is almost nonexistent while the drums build up to the chorus where the guitar really takes over, giving the lyrics the wings they need to fly forth. This really is quite a powerful song.

Jconcert review: Gackt - TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY

Artist: Gackt Concert: TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY Date: 12/19/06 Location: Zepp Tokyo GacktJOB members: You, Chachamaru, Ju-Ken, Jun-Ji Song list:

1. Cube 2. Maria 3. uncontrol 4. Emu-for my dear- 5. seven 6. REDEMPTION 7. Ash 8. NINE SPIRAL 9. Speed Master 10. Lu:na 11. Storm 12. Papa lapped a pap lopped 13. Kalmia 14. Fragrance 15. mind forest 16. Metamorphoze 17. Birdcage 18. Mirror 19. ANOTHER WORLD 20. Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume

Tell me about the concert: This is one of Gackt's most laid back concerts. There are no costume changes, no backdrops and few videos. The entire concert is just Gackt and the band playing their hearts out in a smaller venue. None of his dancers are there but two new dancers - Kaori and Chika - dance in masked nurse uniforms to Storm and Papa lapped a pap lopped. On the DVD, only the second half of Mirror is performed. When you reach the extras, you will find that You and Chacha sang the first half of the song while Gackt slammed away on the drums. It is extremely funny to watch but I wish they had kept it in the context of the concert. I was very confused when the second DVD began with the infamous Gackt yelling in the middle of the song. There is also a beautiful rendition of Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume at the end of the concert. It begins slowly - almost like a tinkling jewelry box song - then it picks up speed, giving you a very satisfied ending to the event.

What are your feelings? TRAINING DAYS is my favorite Gackt concert. All of the guys seem more relaxed here and therefore seem like they are truly enjoying playing music together. There are some amazing performances in here. Fragrance and Birdcage are absolutely stunning. While I know that some people didn't enjoy this concert, I think that the lack of theatrics made it much more breath-taking than anything else he has done. This is a perfect example of the musical genius that is Gackt.

Music review: L'arc~en~Ciel - Flower

Artist: L'arc~en~Ciel Members: Hyde (vocals, guitar), Tetsu (background vocals, bass), Ken (guitar), Yukihiro (drums) Album: True Release date: 12/12/96 Video link: On Veoh

English translation: Yes, you'd noticed that in the afternoon sun I was still sleeping The scenario that won't go as I plan Just causes me confusion

Because I can't meet you today I'll just stay in bed and close my eyes Until the morning after the next I'll be fascinated by the you I see in my dreams

Always shaken up by your smiling face I want to blossom strongly, like the sun Because my heart hurts, hurts so bad it's about to break If it's an unreachable dream, at least let me wither!

I can't smile any longer Even in my dreams, you tell me the same thing Beyond my window I wonder what the real you is doing now

In that far away day called yesterday Holding an empty bird cage As I walked on I was probably searching for you

Even though I'm tempted by the vivid wind I'm still chasing you in a daze The sky, even now a blue that looks ready to rain down Embraces me as I gaze up at it

Carrying countless seeds to that hill I'll lay down a bed of beautiful flowers Hurry and find me, find me 'cause I'll be right here I'll wait to be awakened by you

Always shaken up by your smiling face I want to blossom strongly, like the sun Because my heart hurts, hurts so bad it's about to break If it's an unreachable dream, at least let me wither! About the song: Flower is a sweet little song about waiting for the one you love to return to you. I like the harmonica solos peppered throughout the song. While L'arc is usually a rock band, they manage to kick out these almost-ballads with touching lyrics and a catchy tune. Whenever I make a mix album for myself, this song is almost always on it.

Music review: Gackt - Dybbuk

Artist: Gackt Album: Crescent Release date: 12/3/03 Video link: On Veoh (video also has White Eyes on it)

English translation by Mina-P: A silver dream, the sweetly spun sound of the rain Who's that standing behind you? Once more, close your eyes so we can meet

My burned out heart is bound in chains My torn wounds are embraced by the sun The light and shadows piercing my body, watching...

"Still, you can't change... so, close your eyes"

I can't wait until you find your way here Don't stop, the rain will tell you when it's over Don't cry, until the wishes you've drawn out have been granted

"Still, I can't let go... so, hold me tight"

"That wish won't be granted... so, raise your hands"

Burned by the sun break my body Pain and separation kill time Yearning for the sun entrust my body Embraced by loneliness kill me About the song: I didn't like this song until I watched Gackt perform it as the opening song for his Diabolos concert. Something about that performance left a powerful impression on me. The song is fierce, yet it has a soft side as well. A dybbuk is a piece of Jewish folklore. It is basically a soul that can't fulfill its duty while alive. It will attach itself to a living body in an attempt to accomplish its goal. Once the goal has been completed, it will leave the body and move on. These are not considered good souls and are often known as tricksters. Taking that knowledge and applying it to the song, we come up with a person that died but their soul could not move on. The soul probably could not let go of the person they loved while mortal. So now they beg for release yet they are stuck until their love has been fulfilled. This is a marvelous song that shows how much thought Gackt puts into his music, his lyrics and his performances. (Seriously, how many of you knew what a dybbuk was before I told you? ;) )

JConcert review: Gackt - Jougen no Tsuki

Artist: Gackt Tour: Jougen no Tsuki Year: 2003 Location: Yokohama Arena GacktJOB members: ChaChamaru, You, Ren, Ryuichi Song list: Noah (plays in the background during the introduction) Speed Master Lu:na Fragrance Rain Solitude -Regret- Kimi ga Matteiru kara Doomsday Tsuki no Uta Mirror Another World Soleil wa.su.re.na.i.ka.ra Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume memories Birdcage Orange no Taiyou

Tell me about the concert: As a few of you may know, Gackt is an amazing performer. If you muted the sound while watching this, you could still be very entertained by what you see. The DVD starts out with an introduction about the Moon Saga - a collection of projects that included CDs, concerts (with their DVDs) and a movie. From there, you slam into Speed Master, a high energy, fast paced, erotic song. As a warning, if you have epilepsy, you probably shouldn't watch a Gackt concert. Speed Master starts off with the lights flashing and twirling, making it somewhat difficult to distinguish the individual members of GacktJOB.

Immediately, Gackt slams into Lu:na. Most of his dancers come out wearing black clothes with white masks. Two of the dancers match Gackt’s white outfit, though they have a black hood and a white mask on. While Gackt holds his microphone, all of the dancers hold swords. The dance that follows is a mixture of sword fighting, martial arts and gymnastics.

Fragrance slows things down a little. Smoke surrounds Gackt’s feet as his dancers move around him. It’s a good break from the frantic opening songs.

In my opinion, the performance of Rain is really what makes this particular concert amazing. About halfway through the song, water falls from above and surrounds the stage. I don’t mean that there is one gush of water and that’s it. Rain falls steadily around the stage for a good ten minutes without any apparent splashing onto the stage. I still have no idea how he managed to pull this off without getting a speck of water on the stage. (The video for this can be found here.)

After a short guitar duet between ChaCha and You, a video of flashing lightning and moving clouds is shown. Gackt appears back on stage wearing his black baggy costume and performs a piano piece titled Solitude – Regret-.

Following the instrumental is the one-two punch of Kimi ga Matteiru Kara and Doomsday. Both are powerful songs but Gackt’s performance of Doomsday is exceptional. For those that don’t know, the song is about obsession ending in madness. Gackt uses his entire body to look quite insane as the song bounces back and forth between softness and almost yelling. At the end of the song, a blast of fire shoots upward from the stage as Gackt screams. It is definitely an appropriate ending to the song.

There is a short blackout before we find ourselves looking at a child. Anyone who has seen the movie ‘Moon Child’ would recognize the boy as the child version of Gackt’s character, Sho. The boy and Gackt, who has changed costumes again, stand a couple of feet apart from each other. As Gackt sings, he moves toward the boy. Once they are standing together, the boy begins to lip-synch showing that they are, indeed, the same person in child and adult form. Chalk this up to another beautiful performance for this concert.

Usually this is where Gackt moves into the ‘fun’ side of the concert. We are still treated to the high-energy, GAKUTO-screaming, jumping off the stage fun of Mirror and it is followed up by another high-energy song, Another World. However, this concert leaves out the U+K cat costume dance. Instead, the cats come out to Soleil. It’s not a bad song and I’m sure many people have tried to wash the men in tutus from their brains but it’s not U+K.

Wa.su.re.na.i.ka.ra and Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume round out the last of the fast songs. Gackt finishes the concert with the slower songs, memories and Birdcage. Finally, the cast from ‘Moon Child,’ minus Hyde, come out and perform a small skit. Wang Leehom performs the duet of no Taiyou with Gackt as clips from the movie are shown. Toward the end of the song, the rest of the cast leave the stage and Hyde’s voice comes over the speakers. Gackt finishes off the duet with the recording of Hyde while standing next to an empty spotlight. He motions toward the spotlight and the concert ends.

What are your feelings? This isn’t the best Gackt concert by far but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching. If you enjoy watching plays or highly theatrical performances, chances are you will like this concert. Of course, you can watch it just for the Gackt factor too. It’s hard to not like a Gackt concert.

Music Review: Gackt - Speed Master

Artist: GacktSong title: Speed Master Album: Moon Release date: 6/19/02 Video link: http://www.veoh.com/videos/v257966P6JN4CK4

English translation by Mina-P:

"love..." I love you Cause you give me everything So much that it destroys me, everything

I love you You let me coil around your wet body So much that is drives me mad again, everything

I can't get it again Pleasure from you

I love you Even your insane face is beautiful So much that I lose consciousness, everything

It won't go back again Even pain from you

But you're not here... I can't endure, all alone

But you're not here... Just once more I hold you

I won't let go again Even your rotten body

But you're not here... I can't endure, all alone

But you're not here... Just once more I hold you

But you... I can't fix it again

About the song: The music to this song, to me, is very erotic. It starts out with a fast pace then slows slightly to rev back up to a frantically fast pace again. The chorus has a sort of 'thrusting' sound to it. As for the lyrics, I interpret them as someone very deeply in love but they have lost their loved one...most likely to death. They just about go insane from missing the love they held so dear.

While I love this song by itself, it really comes to life when Gackt performs it live. He really knows how to bring the lust out of it. I know that Gackt isn't for everyone but it's difficult to turn away from someone thrusting their hips on stage ^_^