I saw this interview that was posted on the pillows facebook:

http://www.jungle.ne.jp/sp_post/195_the-pillows/

So I asked a friend to give me a basic idea of what was going on. This isn't a line by line translation, but there were some interesting points I thought I'd share:

"For their 25th anniversary, the pillows will be releasing their second tribute album, 『ROCK AND SYMPATHY -tribute to the pillows-』. 14 unique bands will display their various takes of pillows music.
Interview of Vo. Yamanaka Summary:
Yamanaka does not care too much about anniversaries, but he does like special events. He hopes to get pumped up preparing for their special tour events: recreations of "1st period" and "2nd period" pillows music.
They then go on to talk about why they went on hiatus. Yamanaka felt that the band was getting methodological, especially in the last 7 years of their then 23 years of playing. The first 15 years were "good" band times, but in the last 7 years, the other band members didn't give much input, and it felt like a solo project of Yamanaka's more than a band. The band was not functioning, and he was disappointed at this state of lethargy. Yamanaka hoped that a hiatus would remedy the situation, a move unprecedented in pillows history. If that didn't change things, well, then maybe it was time to disband.
Fortunately, Yamanka's bet paid off, though, and the band is again "functioning". He feels that the band has returned to a healthy state now.
They then change the subject to tribute albums. The previous tribute album 『シンクロナイズド・ロッカーズ』 (Synchronized Rockers) was a "strange" tribute album, or so Yamanaka claims. It was made on the whim of Yamanaka, who wanted to hear how other bands would play pillows music. He went around asking people to cover songs, and they did, but he wasn't too sure if there was genuine "respect" for them as a band. It seemed like a thing among friends. He recalls really being moved by Strange Chameleon, by Mr. Children, from that album.
This current tribute album, 『ROCK AND SYMPATHY -tribute to the pillows-』, is a more "proper" tribute album. Participants are mostly younger bands, some which the pillows are not very familiar with. They all have their interesting takes on pillows music, and none of it sounds too pillows like (in a good way). One thing Yamanaka says that he will take from the album is sound mixing. He finds the non-pillow-esque mixing oddly intriguing, and hopes to be able to mix some of that new taste. He also was surprised to find that no two bands picked the same song, and songs were selected from a wide time period. He was glad that all periods of pillows music history was appreciated.
The interviewer then asks if the pillows are preparing new material, to which Yamanaka says that while he has things in mind, the band is really busy preparing for their tour. The second period music is especially challenging: the Jazzy sound really doesn't fit with current pillows music. Will this revisiting of the old affect future music? Nope, claims Yamanaka. It's a party, a blast to the past, but when the party's over, it's over.
The rest are comments from artists performing in the tribute album. Mostly generic comments about being thrilled at the opportunity and why they picked that song and such."-u/sakuromp

Some interesting stuff. I don't know if it's just the rough translation or whatever, but Sawao comes off a bit...superstar-y? A little arrogant?

Comparing these recent old-school shows as a party was interesting, when it's over it's over!

BTW, instead of posting a new thrad:

I bought this recently not knowing how big it actually was!

If anyone wants/can help translate any parts they're interested in/want a couple scans, let me know!

http://www.geocities.jp/shiwasutakashi/ ... -cast2.jpg

Wow, that was really insightful, and proves all the more why we really need more translated articles in here. I think the biggest thing here is that Sawao flat-out admitted that the pillows were getting too methodical in the past seven years. That puts us right at Wake Up X3, which was released in 2007. Think about that for a sec...

For all the times we called these recent albums stagnant, BOILERPLATE, unoriginal... we weren't the only ones thinking so, apparently the rest of the band was getting tired of it too. I always have thought that My Foot was the last REALLY great album, maybe you could say the same for most of Wake Up X3. But I think what we see here is that Sawao was getting too complacent in his writing, and we can see that clearly as his recent solo albums have been very, very similar to recent albums released under the pillows. I'm glad the band realized this and went through with the "hiatus". Hopefully when they do put out the next album, we get something that's well thought out and not, well, so BOILERPLATE for lack of a better word.

I'm glad that we're not the only ones who felt that the last 7-ish years of shit wasn't that great.

Maybe now Sawao is ready to get serious again!

Man, this is starting to make me feel like we might actually get some sort of REVIVAL this year.

If we can go back to the days of the holy trinity.

Gentlemen.

I don't want to see the last seven years have been shit though, because they haven't. We've gotten songs like Ameagari ni Mita Maboroshi, Primer Beat, and Energiia. It's just been subpar; I kind of liken it to what Weezer has gone through post-Pinkerton. I just hope the other band members input has Sawao go about writing music in a different way now, and he gets back to writing some truly excellent music that we all know he's still capable of.

That part definitely stuck out to me as well, and I agree, My Foot was definitely the last EXCELLENT album, with the rest being just good or ok/meh. I have hope because Trial, in my opinion, was excellent.

[quote="Son Goshin"]I don't want to see the last seven years have been shit though, because they haven't. We've gotten songs like Ameagari ni Mita Maboroshi, Primer Beat, and Energiia. It's just been subpar; I kind of liken it to what Weezer has gone through post-Pinkerton. I just hope the other band members input has Sawao go about writing music in a different way now, and he gets back to writing some truly excellent music that we all know he's still capable of.[/quote]

Meh, the stuff has been more inspired than Weezer's recent efforts, imo. There have been some great moments on all the albums since My Foot. Ooparts/Horn Again was the lower end of the trough.

But it's interesting to see that Sawao noticed that his head was in his own ass all that time, and I'm ready to hear what the pillows will sound like with it out for a while. Hopefully there's a noticable change. He mentioned being interested in mixing differently as well. This definitely seems like a Godsend, because these are the two key things we've complained about. The lackluster performance of the band members, and the production.

It's all decent. There are great moments. But it could soooooooo much better. And now Sawao even acknowledges this.

Do away with the muddy guitars, plz.

[quote="MyFoot"]That part definitely stuck out to me as well, and I agree, My Foot was definitely the last EXCELLENT album, with the rest being just good or ok/meh. I have hope because Trial, in my opinion, was excellent.[/quote]

The whole "acually that album is BAD" schtick is really old for this board, but man, if we wanna be super serious, I don't think calling My Foot "EXCELLENT" makes sense if you're gonna use the same word to describe their other middle period greats. I'm not even being ruthless to be edgy: we got Third Eye, Gazelle City, and if you're feeling quirky, Nonfiction. My Foot the title track pretty alright too. But isn't it pretty much a consensus that a lot that album was pretty fillery?

edit: My Foot was released in 2006. I was 16. I'm 24 now. My god that's a long long period of watered-down pillows.

[quote="GoldenRhino"][quote="MyFoot"]That part definitely stuck out to me as well, and I agree, My Foot was definitely the last EXCELLENT album, with the rest being just good or ok/meh. I have hope because Trial, in my opinion, was excellent.[/quote]

The whole "acually that album is BAD" schtick is really old for this board, but man, if we wanna be super serious, I don't think calling My Foot "EXCELLENT" makes sense if you're gonna use the same word to describe their other middle period greats. I'm not even being ruthless to be edgy: we got Third Eye, Gazelle City, and if you're feeling quirky, Nonfiction. My Foot the title track pretty alright too. But isn't it pretty much a consensus that a lot that album was pretty fillery?

edit: My Foot was released in 2006. I was 16. I'm 24 now. My god that's a long long period of watered-down pillows.[/quote]
Sayonara Universe? I think Kuuchuu Resister is a really good song too. It's definitely a somewhat fillery album. Degeneration might as well not exist. I can't hate on that song enough.

I'm gonna go way out on a limb here and say I remember you praising the guitar work on My Girl (document version), at least when it came out. I hope I'm right.

[quote="GoldenRhino"][quote="MyFoot"]That part definitely stuck out to me as well, and I agree, My Foot was definitely the last EXCELLENT album, with the rest being just good or ok/meh. I have hope because Trial, in my opinion, was excellent.[/quote]

The whole "acually that album is BAD" schtick is really old for this board, but man, if we wanna be super serious, I don't think calling My Foot "EXCELLENT" makes sense if you're gonna use the same word to describe their other middle period greats. I'm not even being ruthless to be edgy: we got Third Eye, Gazelle City, and if you're feeling quirky, Nonfiction. My Foot the title track pretty alright too. But isn't it pretty much a consensus that a lot that album was pretty fillery?

edit: My Foot was released in 2006. I was 16. I'm 24 now. My god that's a long long period of watered-down pillows.[/quote]

Alas, the middle period greats could fall under something like "amazing".

My Foot was pretty damn solid all the way through. The only song that is iffy would be Degeneration. You didn't mention Sayonara Universe, My Girl, Mighty Lovers, Air Resistor, etc. which all fall under the excellent catagory to me.

[quote="GoldenRhino"][quote="MyFoot"]That part definitely stuck out to me as well, and I agree, My Foot was definitely the last EXCELLENT album, with the rest being just good or ok/meh. I have hope because Trial, in my opinion, was excellent.[/quote]

The whole "acually that album is BAD" schtick is really old for this board, but man, if we wanna be super serious, I don't think calling My Foot "EXCELLENT" makes sense if you're gonna use the same word to describe their other middle period greats. I'm not even being ruthless to be edgy: we got Third Eye, Gazelle City, and if you're feeling quirky, Nonfiction. My Foot the title track pretty alright too. But isn't it pretty much a consensus that a lot that album was pretty fillery?

edit: My Foot was released in 2006. I was 16. I'm 24 now. My god that's a long long period of watered-down pillows.[/quote]

I think you're conflating your personal opinion of the album with everyone else's opinion of it.

Let's see. My list of good shit on My Foot:
My Foot (alright? lol. That's selling the song short imo. Seriously, that was one of my favorite pillows songs back in the day)
Sayonara Universe
March of the God
Third Eye


Alright shit:
Gazelle City (I like it, but I never felt the amount of love for it most others tend to show)
Nonfiction (good chorus and solo, but overall it just isn't a mainstay)
Mighty Lovers (fun song, interesting arrangements)

Meh Shit:
My Girl (always preferred the fiction version)
Degeneration (lol)
Air Resistor (this song always rubbed me the wrong way)

The good shit list is longer than the alright shit and the meh shit lists. The songs in the lesser lists are aided by me liking the overall album sound, which lends itself to me listening to the whole thing more often than not.

Who knows, maybe the pillows' new sound will involve more Sawao solos a la We Love Butchers. Maybe we'll get a whole instrumental album with Sawao on lead.

I guess maybe a more interesting question is: do you guys find yourselves *coming back* to My Foot? Like, I'll always come back to Happy Bivouac, or "Adult" by Tokyo Jihen. When was the last time you searched out the My Foot album to listen to it? Not really trying to challenge yall here, I just think that's maybe more of a useful metric to gauge relative interest.

In this case, us being pillows diehards, I think throwing the term "excellent" isn't particularly useful if we can't qualify it with listens. I'm just not imagining you guys queuing up Mighty Lovers and Kuuchuu Resistor on your iPods or whatever - or if you have in the past four years, doing so at a rate that's at least in the same ballpark as other music you'd call "Excellent" or "Amazing". But if I'm wrong, let me know.