[quote="Marekenshin"]I don't find the English songs "funny." I just think Yamanaka is ENJOYING MAKING MUSIC. This is a good thing.[/quote]

Right. It doesn't matter if Sawao's writing a heartfelt ballad like Strange Chameleon, an anthem like Little Busters, or a fun jam like Dead Stock Paradise.

You love the music for what it is. Music. As Mare said, it's Sawao writing music, and having fun doing it.

There are times when Sawao's like "Ok. I want to do something really personal and deep. I want to express my emotions in the best way, so I'll write in Japanese, and do it well."

Other times, he probably thinks: "Hey. I love English. I think I wanna write something fun in English. It doesn't have to be the next One Life, hell no. I just want to have a good time, and I want my listeners to feel that too."

"Good music is timeless", no matter if it's a serious ballad or a happy tune with grammatically incorrect English lyrics.

[quote="Marekenshin"]I don't find the English songs "funny." I just think Yamanaka is ENJOYING MAKING MUSIC. This is a good thing. And on speaking English to the point of sounding not Japanese...I don't think I want him to do that. They might turn into an Ellegarden clone and making only English pop songs. [/quote]

I didn't say they were funny. Enjoying something is one thing. Creating a piece of art is another. If you can do both at the same time, excellent. However, in his English songs, Sawao tends to stick with the former.

I don't know what Ellegarden is, but if he masters the English language, I can't see how that would effect his musicianship. Sounding "Japanese" is a bit of a tarnish to the song as a piece of art, in my opinion, if the song is meant to be English. Like urban hip-hop speak, Engrish is never in good taste.

Edit: And to clear anything up, I have no qualms at all about the music.

[quote="sheerheartattack"]I didn't say they were funny. Enjoying something is one thing. Creating a piece of art is another. If you can do both at the same time, excellent. However, in his English songs, Sawao tends to stick with the former.[/quote]

Oh fuck this to all hell.

I definitely do NOT want to get into the "what constitutes art?" dispute. There's no end to it, and it's mostly bullshit.

GAZELLE CITY IS ART. SAD SAD KIDDIE IS ART. MUSIC IS ART.

I don't really care about what you think is a "higher form of art". Or what's better than what, and why. No. That just doesn't matter.

I don't CARE what my music is classified as. In another world, where music isn't considered as being art, I would STILL sing along with Shiroi's last lines, I would still air-drum along with Funny Bunny, and I would still get goosebumps when Sawao says "My song is your song", at the end of Fool on the Planet.

It's music, we're talking about. Pure enjoyment and pleasure for onesself via sound. Names, tags, and labels don't matter. What matters is if you're having a good time or not.

"You easily get angry over trifles" being changed to something more fluent and natural-sounding wouldn't make the song any better. If anything, it would make it worse.

the pillows ARE awkward and quirky English. That's one of the many elements that they consist of. If you don't like it, then go listen to some other band that has vocalists that are actually fluent in English. It's not Sawao's job to sing you songs with beautiful and impactful English lyrics.

Everybody's got "flaws", but that's what makes them unique! Mukai's untrained singing voice. Tabuchi's rough guitar tone. Sambomaster's sometimes over-the-top energy. Most times, these variations are even better than "perfection", whatever the hell that is.

And for the record, while Ellegarden may have a more fluent-sounding vocalist, he still sucks. He still sounds like that dude from Blink182, and there are still a shit ton of flaws with his accent AND grammar.

You implied this point yourself: Art is subjective and what you make of it. We all have our own objective measures as to what we prefer, and obviously they will differ at many points. I have no idea who Mukai, Tabuchi, or Sambomaster are (or Ellegarden); however, if someone deems them to be good - if [i]anyone[/i] deems them to be good - then they are good. Their appeals are simply different. Anything is art as long as someone thinks it is. I can only speak for myself. You can only speak for yourself.

Edit: I'll always remember Diamond Dave on his radio show refer to a term, "wabisabi" or something like that. Beauty derived from that that is imperfect. What you said reminded me of this. Beauty and art can be derived from both perfection and imperfection.

Your implication that something like Gazelle City isn't "art" with your 'Enjoying something is one thing. Creating a piece of art is another.' thing is what threw me.

Is that infact what you implied? That the low level of skill in which Sawao writes in English makes songs somehow below your concept of what art is?

[quote="GoldenRhino"]Your implication that something like Gazelle City isn't "art" with your 'Enjoying something is one thing. Creating a piece of art is another.' thing is what threw me.

Is that infact what you implied? That the low level of skill in which Sawao writes in English makes songs somehow below your concept of what art is?[/quote]

My implication is just that. Enjoyment and art are two separate things. I can enjoy the music, and appreciate it as art. I can enjoy the poetic value of the words and their execution, but it is difficult for me to appreciate it as art.

summing up the discussion:

GoldenRhino
Dude, I agree with you 100%.

sheerheartattack
You're entitled to your opinion, as always, but I think most people will disagree with the statement "If someone deems them to be good - if anyone deems them to be good - then they are good. Their appeals are simply different."

any questions?

[quote="Marekenshin"]any questions?[/quote]

Yeah, where's my Scarecrow / Propose?

[quote="Last Dinosaur"][quote="Marekenshin"]any questions?[/quote]

Yeah, where's my Scarecrow / Propose?

[/quote]

Yeah, let's get an angry mob together, go to Japan and then complain to the pillows.

[quote="Marekenshin"]any questions?[/quote]


Is life delicious?

[quote="Blank"][quote="Marekenshin"]any questions?[/quote]


Is life delicious?[/quote]
Rife is dishes!

[quote="Marekenshin"]any questions?[/quote]

[quote="Last Dinosaur"]Yeah, where's my Scarecrow / Propose? [/quote]
On the way.

[quote="Blank"]Is life delicious?[/quote]
Indeed it is, my friend.

As most of you have heard by now, The Pillows have left King Records for Avex Entertainment Corporation, home of Ayumi Hamasaki and ughhhhh.... Some of you may be wondering why after 12 years of dedicated service to King Records, the pillows would decide to relocate to a label seemingly lacking any musically creditable groups? The mighty Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra aside, of course. It's my assumption that Sawao wasn't the one behind the decision and it wasn't a case of him simply looking for a fresh start or new direction. Rather, I beileve that Sawao, through sheer dicktitude and even quite possibly (read as: most assuredly) lackluster sales of his band's last few releases, was simply sent packing by his handlers at King Records. I won't even bother with bringing to the attention of you, the largely biased denizen of Instant Music, my other suspicion that this label change was more about another incident that transpired over the course of the year. I heard from a reliable source that Sawao attempted to stick it in the pooper of King Record's CEO's pregnant daughter. Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen...he did the mash. He did the monster mash. The monster mash. It was a graveyard smash. He did the mash. It caught on in a flash. He did the mash. He did the monster mash.

From Culen <3

That was beautiful.

Um...Culen is wrong *gasp*

My Foot, Good Dreams and the recent singles have been some of their best selling and highest ranked CD's in japan in recent years according to wikijapan. Sorry, Culen, but....FAIL