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Post by Charlie Huang on Apr 29, 2006 11:16:56 GMT
Dunno if anyone has watched/read this film/book before, or is interested; but I made a video in homage and tribute for it and I'll stick it here. Took me some time with file type problems and WMM compulsive crashing disorder, but I eventually got there in the end. Song is "First Love" by Hikaru Utada, which I find suits the video very well. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGhFKvHBoVE*sigh* |
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Post by davidbadagnani on May 2, 2006 7:06:24 GMT
It is wild to hear a Japanese singer sing with so much soul (in Japanese!) Couldn't hear it all the way through due to typical Youtube problems which break the audio up, at least on my computer. I guess I shouldn't be surprised but I didn't guess (as someone into an ancient instrument) that you also listen to this type of pop music! But, hey, good music is good music.
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Post by Charlie Huang on May 2, 2006 16:41:05 GMT
I love J-pop! Actually, as a good musician scholar, I have to listen to all types of music, otherwise, I'll be 'musically-deaf' like many of the grotty youths who listen to nothing but popular/hip-hop/rap/etc music! After you listen to a bit of each genre of music, you can be justified to pass judgement on what is good, and what isn't, and can learn to appreciate different musics. I detest people who go "I hate hip-hop" or "I hate rap, etc" when they haven't listened to a single (or just listened to just one or two) song(s). To pass a legit judgement, you must have experienced it (just like you need to look at a painting in the flesh as well as read about the artist/genre in order to pass judgement). You can tell (or weed out) these people by just asking them, "ok, so which song do you like from said genre" and if they can't come up with one, then you know they are pretentious and know nothing about music. To be a better musician, one must listen to everything, even 'crap music' (then you will know what 'crap music' sounds like, as well as what 'good music' sounds like). That's my philosophy anyways; I'm sure I talked about it somewhere in the forum... Actually, the videos I downloaded on YouTube are good quality ones that run smoothly on my computer. If it skips, then you either need to wait for it to download fully, then play it; or your computer is not up-to-date. Here are three more I did. Very proud of them: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSVvUlYk4lkwww.youtube.com/watch?v=nVrFjX58whQwww.youtube.com/watch?v=m1ax9wRk5s4 |
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Post by calden on May 2, 2006 19:47:51 GMT
CCC:
Wise words of wisdom, all. I used to play bluegrass and American old-time music, and have suffered the butt of musical stupidity jokes for years. "Don't listen to it because I don't like, and don't like it because I don't listen to it" is the logic involved here.
I dislike country music for specific reasons, and those are similar reasons why I dislike some modern pop music - predictability, production values, PR hype. But at least I give things a try. I have high musical standards but I like to explore.
Among my favorite trash musical forms is the locally-produced radio commercial. You know, screaming rock guitars, some woman doing her best Stevie Nicks impression, and lyrics like "Monroe Muuuuuu-flers for your car, they'll take you sooooooo far!" These things stick in my head with their earnestness and lack of pretention - they are what they are, and don't think they're something else.
carlos
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Post by davidmdahl on May 2, 2006 20:03:28 GMT
I detest people who go "I hate hip-hop" or "I hate rap, etc" when they haven't listened to a single (or just listened to just one or two) song(s). To pass a legit judgement, you must have experienced it (just like you need to look at a painting in the flesh as well as read about the artist/genre in order to pass judgement). You can tell (or weed out) these people by just asking them, "ok, so which song do you like from said genre" and if they can't come up with one, then you know they are pretentious and know nothing about music. To be a better musician, one must listen to everything, even 'crap music' (then you will know what 'crap music' sounds like, as well as what 'good music' sounds like). That's my philosophy anyways; I'm sure I talked about it somewhere in the forum... I am all for learning to appreciate to a wide variety of music, but life is too short to listen to everything. Some styles of music leave me shaking my head or plugging my ears or both. There are simply not enough hours in the day to listen to what I like. Why should I listen to what does not suit me? I have good friends that do not share my love of Asian music, and that is okay. We can still share our love of other types of music. It is indeed pretentious to pass judgment out of ignorance ("All Rap is crap"), but perfectly valid not to like something ("I don't appreciate Rap"). But I would not go so far as to claim that the close-minded are necessarily bad musicians. I have run across many interesting personalities among my musician friends and acquaintances, and many of them do not stray far from their musical niche. Best wishes, David |
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Post by Charlie Huang on May 3, 2006 17:08:04 GMT
Well, I'm sure that everyone has their tastes. Fair play to them. The thing that gets my feathers ruffled is lack of respect, appreciation and understanding of other music genres. For me, the true musician, be it a musician of practical or of theoretical, can easy embrace and find value (be it little or big) in things he listens to. Individual pieces, one can say, but for a whole genre to be dismissed is a bit lacking. I'm sure everyone can find merits for whatever music they hear (as well as defecits). Of course, I don't mean we go mad with stuffing everything in our ears, that will be impossible. For me, a little bit of some genres now and again is better than sticking to one and only one. Anyways, I've had some experiences that changed my thoughts about music appreciation. I was an idealist until I found that there are people with a lack of a responding ear. More in my essay found here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:CharlieHuang/Literature (halfway down the page, read the preface of the big long essay). EDIT: Cut and paste the link onto the address bar |
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Post by davidmdahl on May 3, 2006 20:51:27 GMT
Okay, I gotcha. I am annoyed by the provincialism common to musicians as well. I enjoy sampling a variety of musics almost to a fault. I limit my progress and ultimate mastery of any one instrument or style by my dilettante approach of playing a variety of instruments. Fortunately, I do not have to make a living at this stuff. ;D
I do believe that the best musicians are pretty well-rounded and informed. An open mind makes the music and the living better.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by Charlie Huang on May 3, 2006 22:05:34 GMT
Yes, I do find good musicians to be able to encompass and understand other musics because they know the true escence of music itself.
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Post by davidbadagnani on May 4, 2006 22:54:16 GMT
I did some research about that singer whose song you used on your video, Utada Hikaru. She's the highest selling artist in Japan, ever (one album selling something like 9.5 million copies), but was actually born to Japanese parents in New York City and listens to a lot of U.S. R&B. So that explains why she sings so differently than most other J-pop singers I've heard in the past. It must have been really refreshing for Japanese audiences to hear her for the first time -- composing all her own songs and lyrics and making albums beginning at the age of 15. I just ordered two of the Japanese-language ones via Amazon. I normally don't like commercial stuff, but there's something about hearing that black American style of singing in the Japanese language that is interesting. In Korea there are already a fair number of singers who can sing this way in Korean (and rappers too); I've just heard some of the new popular songs coming out of Korea and it's quite good, though of course very derivative of American music.
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Post by davidmdahl on May 5, 2006 2:03:07 GMT
On the latest Vietnamese-language Paris by Night DVD, there are three Korean singers who are quite impressive. From my perspective, the best of Asian Pop music is very creative, expressive, and fun.
While I regret that traditional Asian musics are neglected, there is still some good stuff coming from Asian communities around the world.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by Charlie Huang on May 5, 2006 7:12:08 GMT
I did some research about that singer whose song you used on your video, Utada Hikaru. She's the highest selling artist in Japan, ever (one album selling something like 9.5 million copies), but was actually born to Japanese parents in New York City and listens to a lot of U.S. R&B. So that explains why she sings so differently than most other J-pop singers I've heard in the past. It must have been really refreshing for Japanese audiences to hear her for the first time -- composing all her own songs and lyrics and making albums beginning at the age of 15. I just ordered two of the Japanese-language ones via Amazon. I normally don't like commercial stuff, but there's something about hearing that black American style of singing in the Japanese language that is interesting. In Korea there are already a fair number of singers who can sing this way in Korean (and rappers too); I've just heard some of the new popular songs coming out of Korea and it's quite good, though of course very derivative of American music. Her "Single Collection Volume 1" is rather good. Did you get that one? Also, Rie Fu (who's from London) is quite new, but some of her songs like "Life is like a boat" has quality in it. |
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Post by sitorimon on May 12, 2006 16:49:38 GMT
Utada Hikaru is fantastic she's one of my favourite artists ever  Her new album Ultra Blue comes out next month. I own every single CD and almost every DVD of hers so if you need any recommendations please do not hesitate to ask Secondly I've got the film on dvd because I was told it would be a good experience for me but I dont know, it just doesnt quite hit it for me. Its too - underdone?! If thats a word lol. I like the film, its just you have to be in the right mood for it. Si |
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Post by davidbadagnani on May 12, 2006 22:06:41 GMT
The ones I ordered are "Distance" and "First Love," mainly because I was most interested to hear how R&B sounds in Japanese. I like both, the earlier one a little more, though there are moments of "generic pop," and the interpolations of English phrases (typical of J-pop) can be a little trite at times, especially when the word accents aren't placed the way an American singer would do it. It seems amazing that she apparently writes all her own lyrics and music but I'm sure she has a lot of help in the production (her father is her producer, I think). Her fast vibrato is really nice, something I don't always like (except when I'm listening to Josephine Baker, ha ha).
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Post by davidbadagnani on May 12, 2006 22:07:00 GMT
Which DVDs are good? Are they live concerts?
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Post by Charlie Huang on May 19, 2006 10:45:54 GMT
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Post by davidbadagnani on May 26, 2006 17:56:19 GMT
I just watched the "fake trailer" to "Titanic: The Sequel" and heard a familiar-sounding fast vibrato. It was Celine Dion singing "My Heart Will Go On," the theme song to "Titanic." If that's where Utada Hikaru picked up her vibrato I'm not so sure I like her as much anymore. ha ha
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Post by Charlie Huang on May 29, 2006 8:05:42 GMT
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Post by sitorimon on Jun 22, 2006 13:33:16 GMT
Get the Live in Bukodan DVD if you can David - its fantastic. She's on tour with her new album and I'm sure they'll be a DVD of that too SI |
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jul 10, 2006 20:55:25 GMT
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Her new album Ultra Blue comes out next month. I own every single CD and almost every DVD of hers so if you need any recommendations please do not hesitate to ask