[quote="Ashinow"]Thanks for the link. I've read it. It is true that I will probably not change my mind. However, that is not where I'm coming from. Instead of enforcing the dichotomy, I am trying to get some more understanding... and I just love to hear people talk/write passionately about the pillows' music. So yes, I'd really like you to get into it. It is just interesting to try to see things from a different perspectives... there is no 'good' or 'bad' here... (for me), just a different kind of good pillows experience [/quote]

You asked for it.

[b][i]Happy Bivouac[/i][/b] - The title track, what an opener. This song shares its title with the album for good reason, because it captures the emotion and feeling present throughout the entire album in the first 5 seconds. No soft open here, no buildup, just a gut punch of ascending octaves and Shin's rhythmic drumming. The guitar work on this song is phenomenal, flowing and melodic, and I don't just mean Manabe's liberal use of the octaver. There's a grit to it, espically during the chorus. That thick overdrive really defines this era of their music and on Happy Bivouac it's been developed to perfection. Heavy, but not like the muddy sound they've adopted since Pied Piper. The solo in this song is a great example, fuzzy and buzzing undertones dominate the track with manabe riffing over it, prominent in the mix. A lot of their modern music, the production is way too clean. It's a [i]happy[/i] fuckin' song. Shin marches the whole thing forward with that punchy shuffling drum beat.

[i][b]Rush[/b][/i] - After such a heavy opener you'd expect the album to take a bit of a breather afterwards, but then Rush starts up with all the subtlety of a bulldozer. The same heavy, fuzzy riffing is present here again with Manabe slamming those power chords in the intro only to dial back just a bit when the verse starts, picking up a smoother groove. Throughout all of it, Sawao's vocals remain really clean and the contrast is what makes this song so good. You expect him to be belting, screaming the lyrics to match the ferocity song, but he grooves through the verses like it's a damn Barry Mainlow track, only raising his voice for the chorus. Compositionally, this is a much simpler song and the guitar work takes a depature from the layered tones of Happy Bivouac for a grungy, power-chord-laden den of fuzz, it's very punk. What I like about this this song is the intensity and how relentless it is, something which is explored even further in the next track on the album...

Motherfuckin' [b][i]Last Dinosaur[/i][/b] - Third song on the album and they haven't skipped a beat or let up on the intensity at all, entirely the opposite in fact since this is the loudest, heaviest song on the album. This album is Jun's first outing with The Pillows and his strong bass playing is the driving force behind this song. Sawao's vocals have a much greater sense of [i]urgency[/i] on this song compared to Rush, and Manabe's guitar is much cleaner here with a ringing chime over the verse. Very bright and very strong in the mix, it never gets lost in that sea of fuzzy strumming that forms the backbone of this song along with Jun's thumping bass. Even with all of the noise, each of the instruments can be identified in the mix, everything is given space and that sense of space is a strong thematic element of the song. Sawao's "[i]ooh ooh's[/i]" at the end of the track really bring it all together as the song winds down and everything coalesces with that slamming drumbeat. This whole album is so upbeat, so energetic, and so full of emotion, none of which is more obvious than on Last Dinosaur.

[b][i]Carnival[/i][/b] - The fourth song in and the first to let up with its minimal intro and Shin's marching-band-esque beat, this song has a slower, smoother groove to it than the previous three and a much cleaner sound to the guitars. Sawao's vocals are interesting here, they really stand out as being on [i]top[/i] of the music rather than in the middle of it like the previous two songs on the album, the production on his voice is similar to Happy Bivouac with a subtle layering going on in some places. Every song on here has a really deep bottom end which contrasted with the bright guitars produces the hallmark sound of the album and makes it really enjoyable to listen to. Manabe has a few subtle extra fills over his lead that expand on the repetition in the verse, while Jun's bass is largely pushed back into the mix to thicken up the rhythm section. It's harder to pick out, but occasionally breaks through during the verse with a pounding sort of intensity. Carnival is a good song that forms part of the slower, more brooding section of the album which continues with...

[i][b]Our Love And Peace[/b][/i] - Arguably the weakest song on the album and a bit of a black sheep with its slow pacing, this one has grown on me over the years. The chorus is my favorite part of the song, with Sawao hitting a few high notes reminiscent of WI/LF-era Pillows. It's easy to pick on this song because it really does sound out of place, but that's part of why i've come to find it interesting. They could have put this song at the end of the album, but they didn't, they stuck it right in the middle. Manabe's sparse guitar playing fades in and out with a kind of haunting vibe as the notes float around Sawao's lyrics, and I like it. I think when taken in context with the songs around it and its place in the album, it works.

[b][i]Crazy Sunshine[/i][/b] - Immediatly after Our Love And Peace, Crazy Sunshine opens up with big, crashing chords and furious drumming. The title is appropriate, this song is like a blast of sunshine, i've said it before but Happy Bivouac is the perfect summer album. Again, Sawao's lyrics have an easy flow to them underlined by Manabe's layered, melodic riffing in the verse. The guitars sound [i]fantastic[/i] on this track, with Manabe drawing influence from their fusion years for his lead runs that really fill out the song, and holy hell what a great solo. The quiet/loud dynamic in the pre-chorus is great, very Pixies. This song in general has great dynamics, the guitars are [i]crisp[/i] and the lyrics are full of emotion. When I originally listened to these albums I never looked up the lyrics, they weren't important. I could imagine what they were trying to say just from the energy and emotion behind the words, even without knowing the words themselves. That raw emotion is part of why I love this album, and this song in particular. After Crazy Sunshine, the album changers gears again with...

[i][b]Back Seat Dog[/b][/i] - This song mirrors the quiet/loud dynamic present in the composition of many songs on the album with its placement directly between Crazy Sunshine and Kim Deal. This song has a really interesting sound and it's one of my favorite tracks on the album, Sawao's lyrics are right in the center while the guitars are seperated and pushed to the left and right channels with a sort of back-and-forth melody, trading riffs and then layering each other. I really love the backing vocals in the verse and the harmonies in the chorus, having a female singer on this track broadens the overall sound of the album and offers a nice balance to the heavy rock sound that dominates most of it, but unlike Our Love And Peace it keeps that energetic, upbeat pacing. It's a nice change of pace that keeps the flow of the album interesting, and has a cool solo and a great outtro. Woah Woah Yeah. [size=50]Here Comes Your Man.[/size]

[b][i]Kim Deal[/i][/b] - The Pixies references continue. Man, what a great song this is. Sawao's layered vocals are present again on this track along with thick, crunchy guitars that really make it stand out after Back Seat Dog. Super upbeat and super energetic, the buzzing undertones give this song an interesting sound. Happy Bivouac never really settles into a niche, each song has something different to offer in its own way, and each song feels like a complete thought. There's a wide dynamic soundstage in the mastering on this album that does it all the right kinds of favors and makes everything sound really [i]big.[/i] Kim Deal sort of just wraps around you and has an almost shoegazey quality in the way the guitars are always loud, noisy and relatively consistent throughout the length of the song, never dipping in the pre-chorus or before/after the solo. A fuzzy wall of sound, and some really nice backing vocals in the chorus from the other pirouzu. This song is so damn catchy.

[i][b]Funny Bunny[/b][/i] - Even as i'm writing this, even though i've listened to it a thousand times, i'm amazed at how [i]good[/i] this album is. The fact that a track this strong is placed third-to-last on the album says a lot. Funny Bunny, where to even begin. The constantly evolving sound of Happy Bivouac is evidenced again in this track, with its acoustic rhythm and Manabe's quiet, relaxed lead in the verse. All of this gradually builds and builds twords the first chorus which doesn't happen until 2/3rd's of the way through the song, with a solo right after that's bookended by another chorus. I like the way this song is structured, and I think this is very much a Sawao song since his vocals really carry it all forward, strong and clear. I really love that chorus and how prominant Shin's drums are here. Have I talked about great Manabe's guitar tone is yet on this album? It has a whole characteristic in and of itself and he goes through a few different sounds on Funny Bunny with a nice warbling chorus after the verse and a really thick (but short) solo.

[b][i]Beautiful Morning With You[/i][/b] - While talking about Kim Deal I said that this album never really settles into a comfortable niche, and this song just further proves it. An appropriately named song, makes me think of an early morning sunrise. The verse is just great, with Manabe showing off his flexibility by creating a number of eerie, haunting sounds on his guitar. The quiet/loud dynamic is represented strongly on this track, with the verse featuring sparse music and Sawao's quiet singing. All of which is immediatly shattered by the chorus, dominated by big thundering chords and then ending just as abruptly. This song has a similar structure to Funny Bunny, with a long verse followed by back to back chorus / solo / chorus. The building intensity, and the payoff at the end is so great with Sawao belting out those [i]YOU![/i]'s in the outtro. This is a band who is at the top of their game, every single song on the album is such a powerful effort. This isn't just a collection of songs, it's an album.

[b][i]Advice[/i][/b] - Rast but not reast, Advice. Mirroring the first track on the album, Happy Bivouac ends with a bang. Goofy engrish lyrics, but a hella fun song. Loud, noisy and agressive, Advice is simple in structure but delivers big on energy, much like Rush. Sawao goes from serious, to goofy, to screaming all in a matter of seconds and it feels like the band is getting out all of their frustrations, like a release at the end. "Okay, we made it, now here's a fuckin' headbanger." Don't get angry over trifles. Thank you.

I always come into these threads when I'm about to sleep. Horn Again is probably the bottom. I'll edit this with something when I can put it together.

I'm squirming in my chair because y'all are hating on Horn Again. This thread needs a trigger warning.

I think Advice is fucking awesome and on par with other songs on HB. It has its flaws: the Engrish, maybe some cringey moments, but that stuff doesn't kill the song for me like with other songs.

Horn Again, to me, has such a killer back end. Sad Fad Love on is pure gold to me, Movement is a really standout single, and the first half is that quirky-fun pillows goodness (Lily, my sun is adorable as hell, too).

Edit: I updated my list. Still not really ranking, but I thought a little more about which albums I spend more time listening to right now. I tend to go through phases, so the middle two groups are always changing up, as well as some of the top 5 group. Just depends on my mood, the time of year, what's going on in my life, etc.

To be honest, the sheer variety of content in the pillows' discography is my favorite thing. I can literally always find something of theirs that I want to listen to.

Lovely post, Spike. Thanks!

[quote="Son Goshin"]Before I answer your questions Ash, I'd like to ask you this: Why do you rank GD and WUx3 above three of the most highly loved albums? I'm just curious, because in my opinion, the writing on PML alone is vastly superior to anything on those two albums. I just want to know your reasoning for liking those later albums better and what magic you think those three albums lack. I think it's an interesting opinion that is pretty rare among us hardcore fans, so I'd love to hear more about it.
[/quote]
WUx3:

[b]Scarecrow[/b] is an emotional rollercoaster. ‘More than God, I believe in you’. I had teenage angst, an existential crisis. My demeanour was gloomy. The pillows, and in particularly Sawao’s singing was so powerful, emotionally, it transcends language. His singing was the language of emotion. This song alone, stands for a memory of my college (bachelor) years. I was lonely? Maybe. I felt disconnected? Hell yes. One time I was walking in the university building thinking ‘Why am I still alive’, shouldn’t I have died already? I was not REALLY depressed, or so I had myself believed, no, I could not connect to other people on a deeper level. I was always walking around with my headphones around my neck.. and in those days at least 80% of it was the pillows. How many times have I listened to this song, ‘Scarecrow’? It is like an soundtrack of those days. You can hear Sawao basically wailing, pouring his heart out, this is how I felt, I think… but I never let it out.. just kept it inside me… just like the music. Pirouzu.net/forum was a ‘God-given’. I could connect with people on such a deep level… sometimes I felt more at ease communicating/reading the board than talking with friends. Scarecrow even inspired me to a poem (it’s in Dutch originally):

Ik ben een vogelverschrikker,
[i]I am a scarecrow[/i]
op een eenzaam stuk land,
[i]On a lonesome piece of land[/i]
op een onbekende planeet,
[i]On an unfamiliar planet[/i]
en het ergste is nog: er zijn geen vogels
[i]and the worst thing of all: there are no birds[/i]

waarom sta ik hier dan?
[i]why do I stand here?[/i]

omdat het moet,
[i]because I must?[/i]
omdat het kan?!
[i]because I can?![/i]
Ik denk dat er wel vogels zijn,
[i]I think that birds exist[/i]
dat moet wel
[i]they have to[/i]
het feit dat ik hier ben,
[i]the fact that I am here[/i]
wijst erop dat er vogels zijn
[i]means there are birds[/i]

de vogels zijn allemaal zwart
[i]all the birds are black[/i]
in deze gitzwarte wereld,
[i]in this raven(black) world[/i]
daarom zie ik ze niet,
[i]that’s why I don’t see them[/i]
maar als ik ze niet zie dan moet ik ze toch wel kunnen horen?
[i]but if I can’t see them, I should be able to hear them, right?[/i]
maar het enige wat ik hoor is mijn stem
[i]but the only sound I hear is my own voice[/i]

Ik moet blijven praten,
[i]I must continue talking[/i]
want als ik ophoud met praten
[i]because if I stop talking[/i]
dan horen de vogels mij niet meer
[i]the birds won’t hear me anymore[/i]
en dan ben ik geen vogelverschrikker meer.
[i]and I will cease to be a scarecrow[/i]


Fastforward to Tokyo 2014: the pillows 25th anniversary concert. First song they played: Bloody Fucking Scarecrow. Can you believe it? I almost cried, man…. Even as I am writing this, it’s all coming back… I couldn’t look to the stage… see Sawao singing.. if I did, I would have burst out in tears…. I had a lump in my throat during the whole song… Scarecrow..
You know.. if this song would be on Happy Bivouac.. then that would raise the album some places higher.. but it happened to be on Wake Up!x3.
And if you look up the lyrics… it was exactly how I felt.. even without really knowing the literally translation, I felt it.
You know… if Scarecrow is kinda gloomy.. the rest of the album really has a happy-go-lucky attitude to it. It has quite a light attitude. And though, I painted quite a black picture just above, in reality I am quite a laid-back person…. [b]Boat House[/b] is such a song. Images of me biking to and fro school in the summer wind, humming, whistling, or singing aloud to this song come to mind. I wouldn’t listen to the pillows if they had only sad, serious songs, no. Indeed, the songs are day-to-day songs that function as lift-boosters to me. And then, if I compare Happy Bivouac to WUx3, I think HB generally sounds harsher to me… I could do with less distortion, less exuberance… but the guitar tone on WUx3 just clicks… and the guitar solos are just as great/effective.
I think that WUx3 takes it easier…, things with a grain of salt, tongue in cheek, a wink… well you get me. For example, Advice is frantic, high-energy and everything… sure I like it, but I find, more often I am in the mood for something softer… and WUx3 provides me with that. The contrast between Advice and Sweet Baggy Days cannot be much bigger. Same with Wake Up! and Happy Bivouac. Yes, I reckon, Wake Up! the song, and the album in its totality may be simpler musically, to Happy Bivouac, the song and the album… but for me simple can work just as effective… the general vibe of Wake Upx3 is mellow (except for Scarecrow and Century Creepers)… and while Spike, your summer album is HB, for me WUx3 is a great one for spring/summer: ‘sweet baggy days’. The ending part of Sweet Baggy Days too.. it shows the ambivalence of my days back then.
You know… I am listening to the album right now… and I have to admit.. it has been awhile… but I know remember why I rank this album so high… heck, maybe it should be a pinch higher, next to My Foot. It’s a fun album, with that very special song, and I genuinely like all the songs on it… and, just maybe, I like that album as a whole better than all the songs individually.

So: WUx3 – HB comparison: check.
Next: WUx3 - LB

Okay, hmmm… you know, I think that out of the thee of ‘the holy trinity’.. LB comes closest to WUx3 in terms of upbeat, fun, light-hearted, cheery songs (I am thinking of Another Morning, Little Busters, Like a Lovesong). And Jezus Christ, Bootleg Another Morning is just great… Little Busters is THE anthem song, and Like a Lovesong is super cheerful, but they yeah-yeahs do not always get me… oh, and yes, Patricia  of course. Damn cute song, but… how do I put this, I don’t know… it does not stick with me… same with Hello, Welcome to Bubbletown… and Black Sheep… I do not like these songs that much. So I already have 3 songs that I do ‘not like’. The other songs are good/great.

But I think it also has to do with familiarity and which songs you heard first. Remember, I was not introduced to the pillows through FLCL.. I watched the anime, maybe 2 years later. And you know, most of the songs on the show were from RH, LB and HB, and stalker from PML.
My first songs were a mix from My Foot, White Incarnation, Wake Up! with a collection of single songs from other albums: Walking on the Spiral, Carnival (Yes, this is exactly the song I like most of HB), Tiny Boat, Runners High, Non Fiction, 90s my life and She is Perfect). So I think, that the first introduction to the pillows is what got you into the music, and the associations you make with these songs are so powerful, this alone counts for a great deal the personal preferences of our Busters. Much like what Goshin said about his introduction to the pillows/HB.



Okay now, last but not least PML. With this one, I can totally see /hear/understand how absurd it is to rank WUx3 above this album. I mean, geez, PML, this is one heck of an album… jewels man, so many jewels. That song writing is good. Strange Chameleon: check, Swanky Street: check, Please Mr. Lostman: check, Ice Pick: check, Today, She: check…
This is my autumn/winter album. This is crimson red, chestnut brown, this is… a good book at the fireplace with hot chocolate, this is getting comfy in your blankets.. this is short days with little light and long nights… this is the album cover.. this is poetry in motion.
So why did I put it below WUx3 (bear with me, I only put it two places lower… and I also think now, that I would swap it with Little Busters). Anyway, what was I thinking?
Well, Scarecrow is one reason. Strange Chameleon could have invoked the same feelings… and in some way it did, but way less. But how about Swanky Street? Yes, this song is AWESOME. But then.. Trip Dancer, it’s sad… I really liked this song, but it has fallen of grace, some kind of bad memory to it.. and listened, played guitar + sung it a lot .. it was my song for the 25th cover contest.. now, I don’t like it anymore, … well, it’s still there, but faint. So, that’s kind of the black sheep on the album. I have listened a ton to Please, Mr. Lostman, Stalker, Ice Pick, Suicide Diving, Trip Dancer and Strange Chameleon, to a lesser extent to Moon is Mine and Girls Don’t Cry. And, I guess, these songs had their prime time, but it has just worn off. Swanky Street and to a lesser extent Suicide Diving are the songs I find myself coming back to, now and then.

So, I hope this clarifies a bit.
Good Dreams is a different story… and I may explain this in a later post.
But basically, how powerful HB sounds to many, this is the same with my Good Dreams experience. Sono Mirai wa Ima was in my top 3 for a long, long, long time… Walking on the Spiral was there from the beginning… and Good Dreams.. I don’t even have to say how powerful this song is.

That poem was pretty beautiful, thanks for sharing. I think Scarecrow is much more positive than Strange Chameleon. SC is a song of romantic loss, while Scarecrow is a song of gratitude and nostalgic love. They hit on different notes, but they both definitely have a core sense of desperate emotion and longing to them.

Also in the PML = Autumn club, here.

PML is definitely an autumn album to me too, but it makes me visualize blue more than other colors. I've wondered what colors albums/songs are for other people.

I'm listening to Girls Don't Cry and enjoying it more than I ever have. I think the context of the album gave me a somewhat negative opinion of it (I always want to go from Swanky Street straight to the title track), but on its own it's really beautiful.

[quote="Marekenshin"] I think Scarecrow is much more positive than Strange Chameleon. SC is a song of romantic loss, while Scarecrow is a song of gratitude and nostalgic love.[/quote]I agree. That's a fairly accurate description

[quote="rockman240"]PML is definitely an autumn album to me too, but it makes me visualize blue more than other colors. I've wondered what colors albums/songs are for other people.[/quote]
White Incarnation is a soft yellow...with some white..., and some light blue like a summer sky. Lol, maybe I am just imagining the album cover now?
Scent of sweet is pink, like blossoms.
Robotman is metallic, for obvious reasons.
Strange Chameleon, black and white/monochrome, just like the music clip.
Tiny Boat is a plethora of colours, all brilliant: sparkling water blue/wite, brillliant greens of plants, orange (like Sawao's shirt in the clip), pink (of Turn Back cover).

I guess I associate a lot of the songs with the album cover/single cover and music clip. So PML is rather exceptional in that regard.

I never really think much about color association for music, but one of my friends has synesthesia and it was neat hearing her describe the colors of different instruments and tones. :O

i generally just associate music with the colour of the album cover. the association is definitely more noticeable and pleasurable when the colour of the album cover seems to fit especially well with the music for whatever reason; for me, [i]moondust[/i] is such an album.

anyway, here's my list. it's one of the more obvious ones, but i stick by it.
1. Happy Bivouac
2. Please Mr. Lostman
3. Little Busters
4. Runners High
5. Smile
6. White Incarnation
7. Trial
8. Living Field
9. My Foot
10. Nook in the Brain
11. Thank You, My Twilight
12. Good Dreams
13. Kool Spice
14. Stroll and Roll
15. Moondust
16. Horn Again
17. OOPARTS
18. Penalty Life
19. Pied Piper
20. Wake Up!
21. Moon Gold

Interesting to see Moon Gold so far down on lists. It's no Living Field but I definitely think it's one of the top older albums.

Production is pretty raw, but it's got a great tracklist with a nice variety, some great guitar work, and catchy melodies!

What's everyone dislike about it?

EDIT: Looks like I'm the only one to have it in my top 10, I'm intrigued

I really love Moon Gold, if it didn't make it into my top ten, it's just because of the sheer number of epic pillows albums. Looks like it was number 11... yeah. I agree with you. Exception guitar work and super great melodies/harmonies. There are times when I listen to Moon Gold more than anything else in the discography.

[quote="Son Goshin"]I'm curious to see if Ash like Sawao's songs more, or Kenji's song more.[/quote]
I like them equally. On WI, I like the songs of Kenji as much as those of Sawao.
On Moon Gold, I like 4 songs:
I need some body
Ami Ni Utaeba (If You Sing In The Rain)
Hallo Girl
Want to sleep for

The first two songs are by Kenji (music-wise), the latter two by Sawao.

[quote="MyFoot"]What's everyone dislike about [Moon Gold]?[/quote]
It's hit or miss for me. Currently I like the four aforementioned songs, that is four out of the twelve songs... in other words, only one third of the album.
Don't get me wrong, those four songs are really pretty cool:

[b]I need some body[/b] is catchy as f*ck. This song could be on White Incarnation... and I would not have minded if it replaced Blue March for instance. It is an upbeat, happy song.
[b]Ami ni Utaeba[/b]... kind of the same thing. This song, together with Haro Garu (Hallo Girl), was part of my early pillows listen material. Brye used it in our Japan/pillows trip compilation video too! You can see us almost literally dancing in the rain, with umbrella in hand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0txakdLghhw (around 0:40)
[b]Want to sleep for[/b] (fib sex heaven aid night) is a pretty rockin' song man.
[b]Haro Garu[/b] is a cute nice mellow-vibe song with some sparkling guitars.

The other songs... are not as catchy/melodic/special to my ears
and like Tidus said it has too many great albums to compete with... also, I think none of the songs I like on the album are in my tier 1, all tier 2. I have the album at place 13 as things stand now.

[quote="MyFoot"]What's everyone dislike about it?[/quote]
I just don't think a lot of the songs are memorable or interesting. The only ones I really come back to are キミがいる, Dear my "first step", 雨にうたえば, Kiss Me Baby, WANT TO SLEEP FOR... and さようなら第三惑星. And of those, I only think キミがいる, 雨にうたえば and さようなら第三惑星 hold up against the band's later work. The re-recording of WANT TO SLEEP FOR also highlights the weak production on Moon Gold as well as Sawao's relative inexperience as a vocalist.

Yeah, I by no means dislike Moon Gold, but I do find that tonally it's the least up my alley - both because of the vocals and because of the guitar/drum sounds. I throw it on once in a while, and thoroughly enjoy it every time, but I am much more drawn towards pounding rhythms and wailing/crunchy/distorted guitars. More Century Creepers and less Yume no you na yakusoku, lol. (I know that one isn't on Moon Gold, but it's another example of that tone)