[quote="schmatzee"][quote="Catfish"]I heard the pillows can only be spread through shared needles or intercourse.[/quote]

in that case i share the pillows alot......Oh yeah, that's right[/quote]
if i could spread good taste in music through needles and sex, i'd be raping people and doing heroin all the time.

no joke there, kids.

you wouldn't be doing heroin, you'd be sharing the pillows with needles. And raping would be considered sharing too. "Hey beautiful, how bout you come with me and i'll share this cool Japanese band with ya"

hmm... pillows-related euphemisms... i like it.

there aren't any girls worth sharing the pillows with that way at my school. i'd have to walk to the next town or something.

there's nobody worthy of the pillows in idaho.

that's why the pillows don't go there.

[quote="thejedipunk"]there's nobody worthy of the pillows in idaho.[/quote]

I am ashamed to admit but I did not Always express my true feelings about the pillows. I first found out about them when one of my best friends who was into a lot of japaneses music shared a few pillows songs with me. Hooked like cocaine i started importing cds and listening to them all the time. Long story short I had been a huge fan for a while and had declared in my heart of hearts after listening to so much good music in my lifetime I was finallly able to declare my favorite band. However my only true confidant in this band was my friend who isnt at all as big as a fan as i am. Meanwhile all my friends abd other people expect me to uphold a certain prestige awsome musical taste and knowledge, not knowing I had completly fell in love with a rock band out of japan. At times during fandango's or box socials I would secrtely go into rooms by myself blast and rock out to a song or two and get my fix. I walk out back into the party and be questioned by my piers what was that music? I often replied to them, "I can't say but You will be ready in about a thousand years." They would laugh and think my comment cool not truly understanding what mean. What I mean is most people (most americans) are not ready for the pillows.

First off the language barrier is a hurdle for most people. People have trouble letting go of the lyrics in music, so as result most people have to depend on them like crutch in order to understand the music. People hear the words, hear the music formulate the story or picture of the song. Pillows do not work that way for me and many others im sure. That is why jazz and classical is so brilliant because it must be understood on level of pure music. In jazz and classical the music tells the story or paints the picture with out words. With music I have always heard the music first and the lyrics second any way. So for me deciphiring wether the music was crap or not was first priority. Then I took in the lyrics of the songs as just another instrument filling in its part in order to make the song whole. The pillows then for me was not to much of a stretch because they wrote awsome music. So I took in the japanesse language just as another instrument. I then take the pillows songs as a whole and formulate my own picture or story in my head. I was asked once before by a friend if it bothers me that I don't understand what they are singing about. I awnserd him," but I do."

Some of the songs I have looked up thier translation, but honestly I pefer not to. I think it is part of the magic for us not knowing what they are saying. Sawao has a great voice and I believe thier is a unique beauty in hearing the songs in japanesse. This is not say that if I could understand japanesse fluently, would I appreciate thier songs less? Of course not? Why? Becaue first and foremost they create and string together kick ass musical sounds with thier guitars, bass and drums. Thier style of sound and integrity of thier muscial writing is what has allways brought me back to them.

That is why if you played any instrumental versions of thier songs people will dig it. Why? Because its awosme quallity rocking music. That is how I would slowly trickle thier music into my friends brains. Then turn it off and disavoy any exsistence of what I just played for them. Its all about making people look past the general misconceptions and get right to the heart of the music. If the music is truly good, people will dig it. That is how got my one friend to like them. We were driving in the car and I told my one of my best friends erich and said. "dude I want you to hear something, because I respect your opinon in music just as you respect mine. This japanesse band called the pillows freckin rocks and I think you will dig them. If you don't dig it even a little, it is tottally ok to change it or turn it off at whim." He agrreed and we started listening to Happy bivouac. He never touched the cd dial for the whole ride and loved every minute of it.

Another thing is you have adhere to other peoples taste. lucky for us the pillows have a wide range of music. My one friend listens to a lot music but loves rock. We live very close to eachother so very often from a night out with our friends I would drop him off at his house. Many times I would listen to the pillows. Not because I wanted him to hear them but because I wanted to hear them my self. However I would often play loud rocking jams in order to keep me alert the late night driving I was doing. Natturally he formed questions over time about them. I told them they were a rocking band out of japan. He stated dig them. Then started to dig them a lot and respects them. So here is character who has no mercy for weak music that trys to be like Rock, yet the pillows with thier wide range past his test to see them live at the Knitting Factory with me.

Those are honestly the only two people I have converted. However my best friend who I wish feel better about them is dependant on english lyrics and can not get past the japanesse language barrier. He won't be tottally honest with him self but has admit they have a few rocking jams. and after seeing them live at the knitting factorywith me I think he started to appreciate them more. In fact just the other day he called to tell me that I had left Car burnt copy of little busters in his cd player and that he had listen to the song little busters just because he felt like hearing it. It is baby steps we must take in order to spread thier wonderful music. It won't happen over night but it can happen.

After 3 years of hiding my love this band around december I decided to come out and let everyone know how I felt. I explained simply I love this band the pillows. Yes they are Japanesse. Yes they sing in japanesse (mostly). I then said they truly are a awsome, beautiful, Rocking band that I know is great and honestly don't care what others think about them. because they are great and if people can't see that then who needs their fanhood. Only those with true grit will understand the brilliance of this band and we are chocked full of that. Some of them think im crazy but all them say you should dig what makes you happy and that is exactly what im doing. I also told them about my personal experience at the Knitting Factory show and many of my other friends who did go sees them in a diffrent light. Ive explained to people that the pillows are the only band that is japanesse that I like. That they are equally good as any band out there today if not better (most likley better).

So what do we do? All you can do is play song for them and see if they like it or not, it is truly up to them. So finally you must come to the question does it really matter if everyone knows and likes them? It would be a wonderous thing if the became popular over here but can you live with that?

I have been a fan of Green Day for as long as I can remember. Now they are extremly popular in a horrid day and age where Gansters and pop pricesses rule pop music. Where rock and roll is a lost art now where very can weild it effectivly. Id be happy for them just as i am for Green Day, but Id be dammed as hell if some ass hole buys up all thier tickets for a show and sells them on ebay quadruple the price. But heck who can perdict the weather let alone the future. Just remember to be honest with your selves and people will see the truth.

no way in hell am i reading that.

sorry I get carried away. I thought that might be a little long. but if you can handle, its worth it.

I read a couple paragraphs and skipped some, but i did not read all of it. I agree though that you should listen to what makes you happy, no matter what others think. I don't hide them, i tell people they are my favorite band, but none of my friends like them, which disappointed me, but i just thought, screw them they're missing out because they don't wanna listen to a band they can't understand.

Right on, thats exactly it.

I don't, really. I've only told two of my friends, and they weren't open-minded enough to accept them, just because they're Japanese.

I agree in full force with Solomonic Thunder Whale.

I think that I exposed too many too fast and ended up not only ruining other's view of the band, but also hurting relationships with some friends.

However, that was last year. Mare-kun has become just as addicted as I have, thanks to me being pushy. Some other friends are also into the pillows now thanks to me and Mare-kun. Now things have settled down and old friends now turn their ears (very cautiosly) toward this band. I have had about five people ask for burned CDs this year and I've handed out four. Two haven't contacted me again, one wants some translations, and the last wants another CD. The fifth has been on my case for three days at school for forgetting to burn him a pillows CD.

So I guess after learning the hard way I see exactly what Solomonic Thunder Whale means by "baby steps".

BTW. I read the whole story as I felt that it related in some way to my experiences