~ June 12, 2000.
(Note: "NG"= Newsgroup, "EM"= Email, "LM"= Letter Mail, "MB"= Message Board. All Shonen Knife Freaks are welcome to send in a small photo of their smiling, freaky selves... and we'll include your pix in the mix! *Otherwise, you get a big strawberry!*) This section is reorganized with newest messages first, back to the beginning.
~ "Took nine weeks for Amazon to get "Strawberry Sound" for me from Japan.
First release without Michie. Put it on the player and listened...
well okay but nothing special... expectations... comparisons, the old
with the new... some apprehension that I might not like the new Shonen
Knife... "Nya Nya" is good... "Sesame" is catchy... and then... "Chinese
Disco in the groove" put that goofy Shonen Knife grin on my face and
they had me again!
And I went back and listened to "Sesame" again, and
"Nya Nya" (and had three favorites), and "Buggy Bug", and "Wild Life"
(uh, four favorites), and "Chinese Disco", and "Mosquitoes" (okay,
five favorites, well, six), and then the rest, and then back to the
beginning... My favorites of my favorites: "Sesame" in first place with
"Nya Nya" and "Chinese Disco" battling for second.
Several Strawberry sounds have been compared to other songs and bands,
in particular "Mayonnaise Addiction" with the Beatles' "Rain". But after
"Mosquitoes" ran through my head for a while I found that it had segued
into Concrete Blonde's "The Beast". I wonder whether "Mosquitoes" was
influenced by the sound and theme of the "Bloodletting" album... vampires,
leeches, and now... mosquitoes!
By the way, does anybody have Romanized versions of the Japanese lyrics?
(English versions would be appreciated too!)
Naoko-san, Atsuko-san... arigatoo gozaimashita!
- William Patterson (NG posting: 6/11/2000)
http://www.neosplice.com/~ailanto
mailto:ailanto@neosplice.com
http://members.xoom.com/ailanto
An elephant is a mouse built by Microsoft.
"Dear George Ojisan: I'm Tankayo. I listened to "Strawberry Sound", and I felt a little difference between this album and the others, but Shonen Knife taste is still the same! "Strawberry Sound" is colorful! I like "Chinese Disco" and "Mosquitoes" in it. See you, bye bye!" ~ Tankayo, Fukushima, Japan 6/2/2000.
****mutou@ht-net21.ne.jp ****
****All You Need is Love!****
*******WORLDWIDE LOVE********
+++payaco ei-chan tankayo+++
(Note: Tankayo is Drummer/Vocals with "Worldwide Love" - an important new band from Fukushima, Japan! *See previous email reviews from Payaco & Ei-chan* New CD available! Webpage coming!)
"I bought translation software. But, it seems it can't be trusted much, either! ha-ha. By the way, an impression of Strawberry Sound of the Shonen Knife! For my first impression, it felt heavy...but it is very good. I like it very much! I became happy with the usual power (which Shonen Knife music imparts...) though it was my thought by Michiesan's seceding, and being a little sad (for her sound). The tunes I like are:
Buggy Bug
Punk Rock Star
Mayonnaise Addiction
In my thought, it is clear that with this album, the thing they wanted to do is done well! We who are listening can become happy, too! Still (today), Shonen Knife is the best! As I listen more, it comes I like it all the more, I am their fan eternally. And, we will keep respecting them as a wonderful model." ~ Ei-chan, Fukushima, Japan. 2/21/00.
****mutou@ht-net21.ne.jp ****
****All You Need is Love!****
*******WORLDWIDE LOVE********
+++payaco ei-chan tankayo+++
(Note: Ei-chan is Bass Player/Vocals with "Worldwide Love" - an important new band from Fukushima, Japan! *See previous email from Payaco* New English Lyrics CD soon! Webpage coming!)
Tasty Strawberry Sound ! "Dear George-ojisan: Hello! I am Payaco. I am writing this email as I listen to "Strawberry Sound!" I love this album !!! This is from my heart. I think, this album has an initial spirit of Shonen Knife so much, it is a my favorite style of them. I love their guitar-rock sounds of course, but they don't (aren't) particular about punk-rock style, they have free imagination in their music, and this is why I love SK! My special favorites are "Wild Life", "Gokiburu", "Chinese Disco" and "Mayonnaise Addiction"..... but I like all songs very much *smile*"
"I always dance as I listen to "Gokiburu": "Aburaburabura...Aburamusi Pi,Pi!"... then "Pi,Pi", I point the forefingers at the air or someone by me. hahaha ! "Mayonnaise Addiction" remind me that Aerosmith's song called "Sweet Emotion" in their singing melody , I like it!"
"We like colorful clothes, specially 70's or 60's ,and hippy style too ! We sometimes go to shopping all together, and looking for some good clothes for our show!"
take care!
****mutou@ht-net21.ne.jp ****
****All You Need is Love!****
*******WORLDWIDE LOVE********
+++payaco ei-chan tankayo+++
(Note: Payaco is singer/writer/guitarist for "Worldwide Love"... talented band from Fukushima, Japan. These women featured a great track on Shonen Knife's recent 1999 Indie Label release, "Wonder World, Vol. I" on Burning Farm Records, Japan!)
"Came across this in the Devo newsgroup! Anyone confirm this? I knew those girls rocked, but this takes the spud!":
(From CD NOW:)
Devo, Cornelius and Others Line Up For Power Puff Girls Soundtrack. (dtd: March 16, 2000, 1:55 pm PT.)
Power Puff Girls: An eclectic group of artists, including "Apples in Stereo, Cornelius, and Devo", has contributed music to the Power Puff Girls soundtrack, which comes out July 4 on Rhino Records. Bis, who wrote the series' theme song, will also appear on the album. The two-year-old Cartoon Network show is a favorite of college students and kids. Devo founders Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh are producing the project, while Power Puffs creator Craig McCracken has also taken an active role in putting the album together and picking the artists to participate.
The album itself will be closer to a concept album than your typical soundtrack. "Each artist has been given a storyline," says Rhino spokesperson Mike Engstrom. "Then [McCracken] is going to add voices from the show between tracks to stitch it all together."
Among the other artists rumored to be contributing songs to the project are Frank Black, David Byrne, and Shonen Knife.
"It's got real crossover appeal," Engstrom says. "There's something for everyone without it being too homogenous." (by Chris Parker). ~ Marc Plainguet, USA. ~ paldek@ix.netcom.com ~ 3/20/00.
"Just to let you all know that as of last week, the Kinokuniya in Rockefeller Center in Manhattan had four copies of "Strawberry Sounds" (that is, when I left -- when I went in, they had five!), plus "All I Want For Christmas" and many older CDs as well. AND a copy of "Shonen Knife Land" in the window display! So, if your travel plans take you to New York, check it out. I haven't been to the Kinokuniya in San Francisco, although I live twenty miles away, because I haven't had time, but I bet they have it too.
I was in New York for the first American taping of "Iron Chef", a Japanese TV program which is now seen on the US cable channel Food Network. (...Friday/Saturday nights.) While we were waiting for the program to begin, I talked to several other people in the green room who were Knife fans -- a young man in high school who had his CD player in his backpack and brought it out to show me "712" inside -- but he hadn't heard of "Strawberry" or the Nexus, so you bet I put him wise... And also a couple of writers for the cartoon "Powerpuff Girls". I asked if the general look of the (Powerpuff) girls wasn't a bit of a homage to Naoko's RockGrrl -- they weren't sure but said the series creator was a big fan of Japanese pop culture, so it wouldn't surprise them. As for my thoughts on "Strawberry" -- I'll save them for a few days so
I can listen a few more times... But I love it already..." ~ Nina, USA ~ ninathor@earthlink.net ~ NG: 3/19/00.
"Strawberry sound" grows on me more and more each day and I have to say I'm impressed with the quality of Naoko's guitar work on the album.
I'd be curious to know how long it took to record. It seems like it moves at the pace it was recorded, very fast. Naoko seems to be becoming a bit of a workaholic over the last few years. Whether its Knife recordings, production, promotion, touring and other appearances, she certainly doesn't show any signs of slowing down, which is fine with me.
On a side note, and this is not a criticism because "Strawberry Sound" stands on it's own, I miss Michies background vocals. It always seems that she sang just a hair out of tune, just enough to be hard to do on purpose and just enough to really establish a presence behind Naoko. It's as unique a sound as Jagger and Richards." Sean Roper, USA ~ sroper@fipsco.com ~ NG: 3/17/00.
"Hey, George !... I'm glad my thoughts on "Strawberry Sound" rippled across 'the pond' so well... I think it is exciting times for Shonen Knife... and I'm sure that the new album will attract more of a wider audience (and hopefully some more new faces on the newsgroup ! :) ).
Right... i'm off to give it another listen with your comments in mind !." ~ Nick Waters, United Kingdom. ~ nwaters@recital.co.uk ~ NG: 7 Mar 2000.
(George Ojisan wrote): "Mayonnaise Addiction" bears this out, I think: In that ONE song.... It's India/Western Pop Fusion instrumentally, with lyrics about American mayonnaise sung with devotion... a melody reminiscent of a slower-paced
chorus from "The Word"... a Bass Line evoking "Rain"....
(Bob wrote:) "When I first heard "Mayo Addiction" the Beatles are just what I was thinking of, this could have been on the "Magical Mystery" album or movie for that matter). During the closing, I can almost hear, "I've got blisters on my fingers!":) Anyway there are many good tunes on this album, "Super Big Black Bass" and "Sesame" to name just two.
And I nominate the "Kaiki Game" as the theme song for the next Bond movie, I can hear it as the opening credits roll... Jaa," ~ Bob "Baggs" ~ bornred208@aol.com ~ (BORNRED208) NG: 3/15/00.
"My copy finally arrived, and I'm digging it. There are already some songs that I can't get out of my head, lots of fun, rockin' numbers, and
some totally new, out of nowhere, surprises."
"This is a nice package - from the extra-tasty artwork adorning the covers, to the personality the sisters inject into the proceedings through the side announcements and 'commercial messages'
added to the songflow. And there are some great songs. I realized that I'd reached the point where certain tunes had gotten stuck in my head, when co-workers began to complain. "Buggy Bug" (a very appropriate song to burst forth with from time to time I would have thought, being a computer programmer), "Chinese Disco" (the first single?), plus the choruses to "Wild Life, Punk Rock Star, Nya Nya" (OK, so the last isn't really in English...). The Japanese-language songs have catchy melodies, rock with abandon, and Naoko's voice sounds great. The songs that seem to stand out as being new directions for Shonen Knife are "Kaiki Game, Mayonaise Addiction and Synthesizer (Bubble Houkai)".
"Kaiki Game" suggests a 'vocalese' treatment of something from the great "Ventures In Space" album. Haunting, alluring, this brings to mind all those grainy black & white sci-fi movies I grew up watching on TV. Something completely new and different for Atsuko, whose lead vocal is
mesmerizing. "Mayonaise Addiction" is also totally unlike anything SK has tried before... I'm glad that Naoko got a chance to try out an electric sitar - it's a new texture. I don't have any idea what this song is about, but it's epic! I can hear both this song and the next appearing in the soundtrack of a Stanley Kubrick film."
"Anyway, I'm enjoying this stuff now, and "Synth Me Up" proved to be a nice lead-in to "Strawberry Sound". "Synthesizer" (Bubble Houkai) is very evocative and masterfully done, and I'd like to hear what else SK can do along these lines." ~ Don Leighty ~ clem@a1usa.net
"I've had SK's new disc, "Strawberry Sounds," for a few days now, and I really like it. I think my favorite song is "Nya Nya." It's all in Japanese, so I have no idea what the lyrics are about, but I just love the music.
Especially the rhythm guitar, vocals, and the couterpoint, clean lead
guitar melody. Tasty!! A very fun song. This track rules. My second favorite is totally, totally not what I'd have expected. I just LOVE track #11. I have no idea what it's called, what it's about, etc. It's the track before "Chinese Disco." It's not even a guitar
track. Very dramatic, unknown... not like anything I've ever digged before... but this one really strikes a chord with me. Kick ass. My hat's off to Naoko... wow."
"My third favorite is another all-Japanese song, Track #10. I have no idea what the title or subject is, but it could be "Sesame." It's just a very good song, very SK. Love it!! Great rhythm & lead guitar, and I love the song structure and sound.... other favorites are Track #5, with the wacky 70's wah guitar and butt-shaking bass & horns, "Chinese Disco" (a true butt-shaker), "WildLife," and "Buggy Bug.""
"Great album. Some returns to the great stuff we've come to expect, and a lot of growth into new areas. An English-lyric version would just be even that *much* better!! I was both pleased by familiar, great songwriting, and challenged by creative forays into new areas. Yeah!" ~ Dean Mentjes, Oklahoma, USA ~ dean74@webtv.net ~ NG: 3/3/00.
IMG
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This Section Debut: April 16, 2000.
Peace, Love and Shonen Knife!
"It's Here ... It's Here !!! Well... My package arrived from CD Japan today ! The Cover looks cool and it is itching to jump into the CD Player... What a shame I have 6 hours of work to go... before I can hear it !... This indeed is my definition of torture !. :( ~ Nick Waters, United Kingdom ~ nwaters@recital.co.uk NG: 2/24/00.
"Hi, George Ojisan. Now, I'm listening to "Strawberry Sound". I got their black wrist-band without advance order at HMV Yokohama. When I was picking up front CD, it's packaging wrist-band together. It's only one CD. I was very lucky! I love Rodney's cute Illustration! Especially, I like Black Bass on the CD. My favorite songs of "Strawberry Sound" are Super Big Black Bass, Punk Rock Star, Sesame and Chinese Disco. These are Shonen Knife song! I hear Mosquitoes are like Beatles song "Rain". Do you think so, too? Here is "Punk Rock Star" English translation, it's good words!!..." ~ Pretty Little Kappa-chan Mamiko Nakagawa, #1 SK Fan. Yokohama-city, Japan ~ EM: 2/23/00.
"My copy just came in today.....and it is just awesome! I can't wait for the tour dates!! The girls out-did themselves once again!" ~ EgG!, Canada NG: 2/24/00. "eggie" eggman@idirect.com
"Mine arrived today and I think it's great. It reminds me some of their earlier highly energetic more punk-like music. It's very different from
"All I Want For Christmas". I certainly agree with Jussi that everyone should run out and get a copy." ~ Matthew Dixon Cowles, U.S.A. NG: 2/22/00. matt@mondoinfo.com
"..Just received a Small Brown Packet from Japan... "Strawberry Sound", of course! (Wow, pretty quick service!) Well, it IS a leap from anything they have done before! I have to admit I was a bit confused at first - but now, playing it the second time around... boy, the familiar feeling of being hooked by Naoko-san's magical melodies! The album is GREAT! Get it NOW!" \(^O^)/" ~ Jussi Ritola, Finland NG: 2/21/00. jussi.ritola@dlc.fi ~ http://www.saunalahti.fi/ritolju/ICC.html
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