i dunno, i mean it was their 15th anniversary. i think they just wanted to hype it up as much as possible. plus, i really think sawao wanted to get liberty and tiny boat on an album

[quote="omnistry"][quote="Thinliine"]Omnistry, I think you mean Nihonjin (Japanese); Nihongo is Japanese as in the language.[/quote]

Yeah I did. Boku wa baka!

Wait a tick: do you guys think this was what "Gazelle City" was all about?

[i]Come on sunshine
Let's be off
It's time for a change[/i]

So long King Records. Hello Avex.

[i]I'm sad to leave this town
and I'm afraid to say good bye[/i]

Although Sawao is happy about going to a new label, he's sad to leave his other labelmates like Eastern Youth & Yo-King. Also, he has no idea what the future will hold in his new home. Therefore he's afraid to say good-bye to his home of 12 years.

Maybe I'm looking too much into this. Maybe I'm not. What do you guys think?[/quote]

I think that the pillows writing songs in English ruins a vast assortment of otherwise great songs. That is, Gazelle City, RNR Sinners, Dead Stock Paradise, Rain Brain, Rookie Jet, Advice, Sad Sad Kiddie, and even songs like ROSS and Freebee Honey. I suppose the words in Bubbletown's Happy Zoo works, but the terrible enunciation just makes it silly. It just makes the songs sound absolutely ridiculous. No matter how good the lyrics are, or how good they would be if they were arranged by a native English speaker, Sawao still can't pronounce them correctly. It makes them into a joke.

[quote="sheerheartattack"][quote="omnistry"][quote="Thinliine"]Omnistry, I think you mean Nihonjin (Japanese); Nihongo is Japanese as in the language.[/quote]

Yeah I did. Boku wa baka!

Wait a tick: do you guys think this was what "Gazelle City" was all about?

[i]Come on sunshine
Let's be off
It's time for a change[/i]

So long King Records. Hello Avex.

[i]I'm sad to leave this town
and I'm afraid to say good bye[/i]

Although Sawao is happy about going to a new label, he's sad to leave his other labelmates like Eastern Youth & Yo-King. Also, he has no idea what the future will hold in his new home. Therefore he's afraid to say good-bye to his home of 12 years.

Maybe I'm looking too much into this. Maybe I'm not. What do you guys think?[/quote]

I think that the pillows writing songs in English ruins a vast assortment of otherwise great songs. That is, Gazelle City, RNR Sinners, Dead Stock Paradise, Rain Brain, Rookie Jet, Advice, Sad Sad Kiddie, and even songs like ROSS and Freebee Honey. I suppose the words in Bubbletown's Happy Zoo works, but the terrible enunciation just makes it silly. It just makes the songs sound absolutely ridiculous. No matter how good the lyrics are, or how good they would be if they were arranged by a native English speaker, Sawao still can't pronounce them correctly. It makes them into a joke.[/quote]

I like the way Yamanak pronounces his engrish words! It's what makes him cool in my books.

i actually thought his ennunciation was pretty good in Sad Sad Kiddie, Gazelle City and Dead Stock Paradise. but songs like R&R Sinners... he would've been better off signing it in japanese. if he takes his time with the english songs, they sound good

[quote="omnistry"]Wait a tick: do you guys think this was what "Gazelle City" was all about?

[i]Come on sunshine
Let's be off
It's time for a change[/i]

So long King Records. Hello Avex.

[i]I'm sad to leave this town
and I'm afraid to say good bye[/i]

Although Sawao is happy about going to a new label, he's sad to leave his other labelmates like Eastern Youth & Yo-King. Also, he has no idea what the future will hold in his new home. Therefore he's afraid to say good-bye to his home of 12 years.

[b]I'm looking too much into this.[/b][/quote]

Indeed you are.


[quote="sheerheartattack"]I think that the pillows writing songs in English ruins a vast assortment of otherwise great songs. That is, Gazelle City, RNR Sinners, Dead Stock Paradise, Rain Brain, Rookie Jet, Advice, Sad Sad Kiddie, and even songs like ROSS and Freebee Honey. I suppose the words in Bubbletown's Happy Zoo works, but the terrible enunciation just makes it silly. It just makes the songs sound absolutely ridiculous. No matter how good the lyrics are, or how good they would be if they were arranged by a native English speaker, Sawao still can't pronounce them correctly. It makes them into a joke.[/quote]

I completely disagree. Sawao's singing in English is just fine, and the English on RNRS and Gazelle City was ESPECIALLY good. I think that if you can stand listening to Japanese and enjoy the music/emotions even though you don't understand it would mean that you could deal with bad pronunciation but good melody and feeling.

I like the way he sings Dead Stock Paradise.

[i]The air of my room is foul![/i]

I'll admit... I think Bubbletown is frickin' hilarious, just because almost nothing sounds like it should, and it's like one of the grungiest-sounding things the pillows have made.

"Fantastic! I never tire looking at them! C'mon!" <--- Grunge.

I can see what he means. Except on Advice. That song is way above all the rest of those. And Freebee Honey doesn't really fit on that list. And i still like most of those songs.

possibly the worst list of artists on a label ever.


serously. this is really bad.

Love for the pillows includes love for Sawao's adorably weak grasp of the English language.

sheerheart, I think you're completely...off. On this entire subject.

[quote="GoldenRhino"]Love for the pillows includes love for Sawao's adorably weak grasp of the English language.

sheerheart, I think you're completely...off. On this entire subject.[/quote]

Exactly. "the pillows are infallible....except for their english songs, god I hate those!!!"? Sad, my friend.

[quote="Marekenshin"][quote="GoldenRhino"]Love for the pillows includes love for Sawao's adorably weak grasp of the English language.

sheerheart, I think you're completely...off. On this entire subject.[/quote]

Exactly. "the pillows are infallible....except for their english songs, god I hate those!!!"? Sad, my friend.[/quote]

Well, the songs I listed are among my favorite pillows songs. I just hold the belief that they would be much better if they had stuck to a language they know. It makes it more sincere.

It's kind of love/hate with Sawao's English pronunciation/grammar. It's amusing, but it detracts from the artistic quality of the work.

I sort of think that he sings in English because it's fun for him every now and them. Not only that, but a lot of the bands he likes are in English. Most of us sing along to Japanese bands, and a few of us aspire or have attempted to write songs in Japanese. Not too terribly different. If he really wanted to be serious about his English, he would do so, but he's just having fun. And his English has gotten WAY better in recent songs.

[quote="Marekenshin"]I sort of think that he sings in English because it's fun for him every now and them. Not only that, but a lot of the bands he likes are in English. Most of us sing along to Japanese bands, and a few of us aspire or have attempted to write songs in Japanese. Not too terribly different. If he really wanted to be serious about his English, he would do so, but he's just having fun. And his English has gotten WAY better in recent songs.[/quote]

I agree to this point - it's him having fun. But that therefore does detract from the artistic quality of the songs.* If he wrote fitting Japanese lyrics to certain English songs, they could be very, very amazing.

His pronunciation and grammar have gotten way better, especially in Gazelle City. Also, importantly, the emphasis on certain syllables is becoming more accurate. However, it's far from someone picking up the record and it not being obvious that he is Japanese. Of course, it's a lot better than before when it sounded like he was actually speaking Japanese.

*Edit: Compare to Weird Al. His parodies are very entertaining and fun, but bear almost no artistic quality.

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.