I think that people are forgetting about the recent pillows tribute album that came out around the end of the summer in Japan. "Synchronized Rockers ~Tribute to the Pillows~" includes some EXTREMELY famous bands of main stream and "indies" stardom, such as BUMP OF CHICKEN, Mr. Children, ELLEGARDEN, The Pees, GOING UNDER GROUND, STRAIGHTENER, and even Jiro from GLAY. If bands like these are featured on a pillows tribute album, then one has to agree that the pillows are or were pretty popular and have made a sizable impact on rock music in their time. Also, the simple existence of a tribute album shows that the pillows are quite respected as the rock gods that they are (and respected they should be!).

I've been to a pillows concert here in Japan before and the majority of the audience was of quite a young variety. The earilest (official) pillows record was released in 1990 which isn't TOO long ago when you think about it. And most of their lasting hits/most popular songs started coming out later in the decade, around 1994, 1997. Heck, "Little Busters" came out in 1998 which is only 7 years ago.

I could blather on about the current state of Japan's music/pop culture industry, but I'll save myself the bother and subsequent headache as I'm sure you guys know much about it anyway. There are just so many idols and bands appearing everyday that no one really stays on the top for too long (and so many bands here are just so good that it's hard to support just one or two!). Let's just be glad that our pillows aren't appearing on every low budgeted, fashion fest quiz show or random stomach medicine commercial. Our pillows have class and dignity - they do things their own way. Though they sell out all of their shows, the pillows always think of their fans first. Remember, the "Rock Gods" must be appeased first - consumerism comes later.

The pillows have made a lot of music, but they're still going strong (2004's "GOOD DREAMS" is AWESOME!). I think that they have an even brighter future ahead of them than even this brightly shining present. I'm certainly looking forward to the journey and am thankful the pillows care enough to let me come along.


ok, enough rambling from me. rock'n'roll for ever and always!


btw - If anyone hasn't picked up the "Sychronized Rockers" album yet, I HIGHLY recommend it!

I like the tribute album as well, and I really agree to your post Scarlet, I'm sure they'll still go for a couple albums or so, to me I doubt they break up for a very long time.

The pillows are to Japan as Weezer is to America.


Pretty simple.

but better than weezer. and more prolific..

not that i dont admit to loving weezer, but thats for nostalgic reasons, grew up on weezer

Popularity wise, that is...

Have any of the Pillows' songs been as big as Hash Pipe or Buddy Holly?

wtf.

[quote="Jomei"]Have any of the Pillows' songs been as big as Hash Pipe or Buddy Holly?[/quote]

I know Ride on Shooting Star was played on Pop Japan TV at one time. Also, someone from Japan got on the Pillows English BBS and said something about how it seems they are more Popular in the US now than they are in Japan.

I don't think they are more popular in the US than in Japan - that is, mainstream America has never heard even a whisper of the pillows. They are very well-known and popular amongst the anime crowd, which is growing ever and ever more mainstream, but it isn't quite there yet, and only a subsection of that crowd knows the pillows. Then again, it might be true after all...the last show I went to there were like 8 gaijin! hehe It's hard to tell, because they really aren't huge in either. But we have to remember the difference between the anime subculture of the US and mainstream US in general...
But they also aren't that well-known in Japan. I teach at a high school and I have never met one student or teacher or anyone who has ever heard of them. They are very underground still. They do seem to be respected in the music world (that is, people that actually know), as the tribute album points out, and that tribute album is bringing them closer to mainstream. Good Dreams was quite popular, and I even saw a poster for it in the music store where I bought it. I think the tribute album probably helped people to know who they were and then people bought Good Dreams. At the show on Sunday there were a lot of people there for the first time, drawn to the pillows from the tribute album. There's been a lot of talk about it on the BBS too.
But they aren't quite mega hits yet. They don't sell out every show...in fact, I've never been to a show that didn't have tickets available at the door, and I've seen them in Tokyo and Osaka, presumably some of their bigger shows. But they do get big crowds, and their fans are big fans.
But wasn't Weezer like seriously HUGE in the US for a while? I don't think the pillows have ever seen that kind of publicity. But they seem very very pleased with where they are now. At the concert before they played 'so no mirai ha ima' Sawao gave a very moving (if a bit trite...but the atmosphere was so grand that it was only moving at the time - tears to my eyes, man!) about how 16 years ago they never dreamed of ending up here, and now they're here, and they love watching everyone in the audience, etcetc, and sonomiraihaima! hehe
Sorry for a certain lack of organization in this post!

(OT: Scarlet, you say 'here in Japan'...where are you in Japan btw, if you don't mind me asking?)

It doesn't really matter if they're popular or not... All that matters is if you like them or not... Well. that's just how I feel.

When I was in Tokyo I saw a few people wearing Pillows shirts, and Pillows CDs were available at pretty much any record store. Makes it seem like they are relatively popular.

i didn't see anyone with pillows ahirts in tokyo. Also, alot of record stores i went to didnt have their albums. This big record store did, but not many of them.

The Pillows fucking suck.

[quote="Culen"]The Pillows fucking suck.[/quote]

Now you tell me....

From what I understand they aren't wildly popular in Japan. I imagine they still have a bigger fan base there than here, but that seems to be changing. More and more people in the US are starting to hear of the pillows. I have introduced a few people to them. Made fans out of some of them too. Things are looking up.