[quote="GoldenRhino"]
I'm not saying I don't enjoy his singing, and some "decay" is expected as they're growing older...but you gotta admit. I mean, just listen to the chorus of One Life from LB. Or Shiroi.
The recorded material has stayed pretty solid, but a lot of live stuff is getting pretty...rough, in terms of vocals.

Again, it's not a flame. But does anyone feel the same way? I'm sure we've talked about this before...
[/quote]


I'll admit that One Life sounds pretty horrible live now compared to 97, for Sawao has lost the lyrical quality of his voice from back then. It is clear when you hear him singing. He can't sing as well as he used to be able to, and sometimes the dude just sounds bad. I admit that. But still, the pillows still maintain the ability to give awesome lives, and they'll be able to keep performing their songs.

I wonder if Sawao is undergoing intensive vocal practice to maintain his singing voice? XDDDD

I just hope they can continue to make good music and find success, being able to play live. Sawao is battling the limits set in by his body now, and hes doing well with what he has. I hope he can fight on for another decade.

His raw vocal power has deteriorated a bit, but his skill at singing has gotten far better in recent years. Overall, I'd say his live vocals now (when he's not worn out) are better than they have ever been.

[quote="Tidusauron12"]I hope he can fight on for another decade.[/quote]


what are you talking about...? he's immortal.

[quote="Marekenshin"]His raw vocal power has deteriorated a bit, but his skill at singing has gotten far better in recent years. Overall, I'd say his live vocals now (when he's not worn out) are better than they have ever been.[/quote]

Interesting point, here, Mare. I kind of agree. Some recent performances have shown us some very impressive vocals from Sawao (Century Creepers in the Wake Up! Tour Final, for example). His tone, when not over powered by the nasally tendency, can be very rich and impressive. Also, he is better at singing the new stuff compared to the older stuff; the older stuff suited his voice in the 90s, the new stuff suits his current voice.

[quote="kosumiku"][quote="Tidusauron12"]I hope he can fight on for another decade.[/quote]

what are you talking about...? he's immortal.[/quote]

Oh NO. Sawao is the new Chuck Norris?

[quote="Tidusauron12"][quote="Marekenshin"]His raw vocal power has deteriorated a bit, but his skill at singing has gotten far better in recent years. Overall, I'd say his live vocals now (when he's not worn out) are better than they have ever been.[/quote]

Interesting point, here, Mare. I kind of agree. Some recent performances have shown us some very impressive vocals from Sawao (Century Creepers in the Wake Up! Tour Final, for example). His tone, when not over powered by the nasally tendency, can be very rich and impressive. Also, he is better at singing the new stuff compared to the older stuff; the older stuff suited his voice in the 90s, the new stuff suits his current voice.[/quote]

I disagree. I think that his voice now suits ALL his music far better than his voice used to. I've heard Girls Don't Cry, Tonight, and Like a Lovesong live, and they sounded far better than the old live videos/recordings I've seen and heard, from the standpoint of vocal technique. I strongly doubt Sawao ever took any sort of real vocal training, but he's certainly learned from time and experience, and it shows now more than ever in the shows he's done in the past two or so years.

[quote="Marekenshin"]
I disagree. I think that his voice now suits ALL his music far better than his voice used to. I've heard Girls Don't Cry, Tonight, and Like a Lovesong live, and they sounded far better than the old live videos/recordings I've seen and heard, from the standpoint of vocal technique. I strongly doubt Sawao ever took any sort of real vocal training, but he's certainly learned from time and experience, and it shows now more than ever in the shows he's done in the past two or so years.[/quote]

0_o

Whatcha' talkin' 'bout, Mare?

Yeah... I'm gonna' have to go take a venture out and study his lives then, because I don't see it; not right now, as I'll listening to Climbing on the Roof at 1AM working on some English crap.

IMO, Like a Love-song had it's best performance in 1997's Welcome to Bubbletown's Happy Zoo. Same with Another Morning, AND One Life.

Can you honestly tell me that Any of those three songs sounded better live at 916 than they did back at BTHZ?

Granted, when Sawao pulls off a good vocal nowadays, it's damn impressive... but I think 1997 was the year for Sawao. I mean, tops. I haven't seen One Life or Like a Love-song sounding as they did back in 1997 in any live.

[quote="GoldenRhino"]We should confirm what we're referring to - I'm talking about vocal tone - are you talking about his guitar's tone? On one hand, I see how it'd be cool to see old songs revisited with their newer pop ROCK sound. But recent live shows (like that performance of New Animal, some other Scarecrow lives..) have shown Sawao's vocals (out of studio) are sort of...well, they're not as "pure" sounding as they once were. He's sort of all over the place in some songs (the 916 DVD has a handful of cases like this), sometimes the notes in Scarecrow's chorus are a little too high for him. Sometimes he just sounds careless.

I'm not saying I don't enjoy his singing, and some "decay" is expected as they're growing older...but you gotta admit. I mean, just listen to the chorus of One Life from LB. Or Shiroi.
The recorded material has stayed pretty solid, but a lot of live stuff is getting pretty...rough, in terms of vocals.

Again, it's not a flame. But does anyone feel the same way? I'm sure we've talked about this before...

And if you simply mean a rerecording of something like Razorlike Blue, of course I'm all for it. And if they played Razorlike Blue live, I'm sure I'd love it. Point still stands though.[/quote]


I agree with you on this. You can tell Sawao's vocals kind of started falling off towards TYMT, nowadays they sound a little more processed as well on the studio work. In response to Tidus' post, I would say his vocals were at it's peak from 1995-1997, specifically around the time of Tiny Boat. I still think that is his best vocal performance throughout the years. Now that's not to say that his vocals suck now or that he's losing his tone or whatnot, I just think that he isn't what he was 10 years ago. And 10 years ago his vocals did sound better, at least in my opinion.

[quote="Tidusauron12"]IMO, Like a Love-song had it's best performance in 1997's Welcome to Bubbletown's Happy Zoo. Same with Another Morning, AND One Life.[/quote]

The entire performance in Liquid Room was fuckin' amazing. His vocals sounded way better than the recorded songs. These are certainly my favorite live versions.

on the subject of getting the pillows to play more older stuff here in the states will have a few steps to it.

1. get more fans to import albums.
when the numbers start piling it would help to facilitate

2.get king records to release older music, or at least compilations in the states. Even if it's just LGTY and Fool on the Planet.

if you notice they only play stuff available in the states. FLCL tracks, my foot, PL, WUx3. And give us tastes of new stuff.

why? because people hear a song and go "hey I like that song! I want to hear it some more" and buy the album. However not everyone is happy to pay 40 bucks to import the album.

so If some more older music made it to US stores or at least itunes, we would probably see older tracks in their tours.

[quote="Camio"]on the subject of getting the pillows to play more older stuff here in the states will have a few steps to it.

1. get more fans to import albums.
when the numbers start piling it would help to facilitate

2.get king records to release older music, or at least compilations in the states. Even if it's just LGTY and Fool on the Planet.

if you notice they only play stuff available in the states. FLCL tracks, my foot, PL, WUx3. And give us tastes of new stuff.

why? because people hear a song and go "hey I like that song! I want to hear it some more" and buy the album. However not everyone is happy to pay 40 bucks to import the album.

so If some more older music made it to US stores or at least itunes, we would probably see older tracks in their tours.[/quote]

So basically you're saying the pillows will never play older stuff here... got it.

[quote="Tidusauron12"][quote="Marekenshin"]His raw vocal power has deteriorated a bit, but his skill at singing has gotten far better in recent years. Overall, I'd say his live vocals now (when he's not worn out) are better than they have ever been.[/quote]

Interesting point, here, Mare. I kind of agree. Some recent performances have shown us some very impressive vocals from Sawao (Century Creepers in the Wake Up! Tour Final, for example). His tone, when not over powered by the nasally tendency, can be very rich and impressive. Also, he is better at singing the new stuff compared to the older stuff; the older stuff suited his voice in the 90s, the new stuff suits his current voice.

[quote="kosumiku"][quote="Tidusauron12"]I hope he can fight on for another decade.[/quote]

what are you talking about...? he's immortal.[/quote]

Oh NO. Sawao is the new Chuck Norris? [/quote]


Only without the beard.

I think Shin-chan deserves Chuck Norris status. THE GUY PLAYS A UKELELE. HOW HARDCORE IS THAT.

[quote="Kurisu"]I think Shin-chan deserves Chuck Norris status. THE GUY PLAYS A UKELELE. HOW HARDCORE IS THAT.[/quote]


lololollolol

we all know Shin is the real drive behind the pillows.

I mean, I dont think manabe would be the one beating sawao so he remains charmingly boyish at 39.