Full Album Review!

Theme
When Miya previously mentioned that the theme of the album was "Psyche" (in katakana), i was scratching my head over what that meant. I thought he meant "psychic" or "state of mind" or something to that extent. Later I found out that he meant to say "Psychedelic". Hence "Gokusai", I suppose. It's also in the name of the Winter tour, which has been titled "Psychedelic Analysis" (you gotta give it to engrish!!!).

Well, if you ask me, "psychedelic" is indeed an apt description of the album -- there's a whole range of styles in melody, lyrics & musical arrangement. As the jacket design suggests, each song is a manifestation of colours. It's interesting how the normal vers. of the album has the multicoloured hand plummeting through the sky, sweeping past eageles - hey, aren't these the same eagles in Houyoku? Hmm.. wonder what the significance of that is?? *ponders*

Track 1 - レイブサーカス (Rave Circus)
Nice. I like the overall mood & guitars in this one.

Track 2 - 極彩
Hard-hitting number by Miya. Hard-hitting yet melodic - like the bridge to the chorus, as well as the final verses of the chorus itself. I've always admired Miya's ability to inject such melodious refrains into hardcore stuff.

Track 3 - 嘆きの鐘
Another hard-hitting Miya piece. I like the part that goes:
カラカラ哭いた
憂鬱の虫よ
お前は どこへゆくのだ
色の無い景色 背負って
当ても無く　道なき道を

Track 4 - 謡声（ウタゴエ）
Seems to be the same vers. as the single.

Track 5 - 月光
The first phrase coming from the acoustic guitar may sound like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", but in the Shoxx interview, Miya said that he had not heard "Stairway to Heaven" prior to that. I believe him, really, because the purpose of the opening phrase in 月光 is very different from the Led Zeppelin song. In 月光, it's merely a soft introduction into Tatsurou's opening lines. That's why it carries the same underlying tune. Quite different from the purpose of "Stairway to Heaven"'s guitar strains.

I like this song a lot. Be it the opening phrase, Tatsurou's entry, the different melodies, the soaring chorus.. yes, I'd like to see this song live.

Track 6 - パノラマ (Panorama)
Seems like this song is getting the most flak from the western audiences. Many muckers in the itai_tegami forum stated this as the song they liked the least in the album.

I want to say something in this song's defence. This year, many bands close to Mucc (like Deadman, Kagerou, La Vie En Rose) disbanded. Tatsurou actually mentioned this in recent magazine interviews, and said that this song talks about how even with the disbandment of a band, the members still go on down their respective paths, together. I have limited Japanese language knowledge, but I think the lyrics touch on the vehicle that had brought the members through their tours so far, down their 'road' so far. I thought there was some very good use of words (僕「等」の夢) & imagery here.

Anyway, with this in mind, listening to the song, i was moved close to tears. Especially during the chorus, because i can't think of how a better melody could have fitted the lyrics. Really, i can't. If you really want me to pin-point, perhaps i can say i don't really like the opening arrangement, but other than that, this song is one good song in my view.

I want to see it live too.

「パノラマ」
詞 / 逹瑯　曲 / SATOち・ミヤ

くたびれたシート ほこりまみれシガーソケット
重たいハンドル 効きの甘いブレーキ

カーステレオにはハイファイのロックスター宿り
継ぎ接ぎだらけの道を 走るおんぼろワゴン

夢積みすぎて 沈む車体で
誇らしげに キラリ光るエンブレム

さぁ行こう 僕等パノラマ描く夢人
飽きもせず毎日笑い会うこの場所で
現在と未来 繋ぐタイムマシンさ
どこまでも道は続いてく 続いてく

僕「等」の夢は終わったのかな？
空っぽになったトランク 寝ころんで

空を見てた 雲が流れてった
ゆっくり形を変えながら 千切れながら
今日から 僕「等」それぞれの夢を
飽きもせず笑ったここから（歩き出して）
さぁ行こう 僕等 鮮やかなパノラマへ
どこまでも道は続いてく 続いてく

Track 7 - ガーベラ (Gerbera)
Different arrangement from the single. Gerbera's my favourite amongst the 4 singles released this year, so I'm glad they did the re-arrangement. They even did a surf vers of this song in the bonus CD, cool.

Track 8 - リスキードライブ (Risky Drive)
Edgy track with a fair share of hard rapping!

Track 9 - キンセンカ
Satochi's work by-and-large (though he had help from Miya for the lyrics).
Didn't know what the title was until i googled the name - it's Pot Marigold!
I like the ending.

Track 10 - ディーオージー (DOG)
Traditional rock-&-rollish. This album certainly contains a variety of styles!

Track 11 - 25時の憂鬱
Well, I've written about my thoughts on this track already in the previous post, so I won't say too much here. Oh, but just to point out that in Shoxx, Tatsurou mentioned that when they played it at Quattro, the title of the track wasn't determined yet. Later when they decided to include it in the album, they recorded it by playing it the same way as they remembered the atmosphere to be during the Quattro lives. That's awesome.

Track 12 - ホリゾント
Seems to be the same vers. as the single.

Track 13 - 優しい歌
This track has some personal significance for me.

Just for future memories' sake: Wed, 6 Dec, was a really bad day at work. On retrospect, I was probably too hard on myself. I've realized I usually am too hard on myself, actually, so I should learn not to belittle myself at work. But anyway, I was truly down in the dumps on my way back from work. Hate to admit I was close to tears. I couldn't get my thoughts sorted out even after I confided in my mother about my problems. My mood was elevated somewhat after I watched some parts of the vers. A and B DVDs, and listening to the new album. Then I immediately went to bed. Next morning, I was listening to the album in the MRT on the way to work. Then, when 優しい歌 came on, I was... gosh... just suddenly STUNNED beyond words.

It was like Tatsurou was talking to me.

I quickly took out the lyrics booklet and re-played the track. Yes, what I heard was correct. Then I took a look at the person who wrote the lyrics - Miya-kun! It's Miya-kun's lyrics!! I was... so moved that I couldn't stop myself from tearing as I read the lyrics together with the music.

With the song, my thoughts were finally sorted out. Isn't that what a good song is supposed to do? Change the way you look at things? Affect you in ways you never thought possible? Brace you up for the rest of the day, or even, the rest of your life?

優しいね～ミヤくん。 I am grateful to you for that. I'm also very, very heartened by the lyrics that you have written.

I want to see this song live. Is that the okinawan sanshin in the song? But there weren't any credits for an okinawan sanshin musician in the sleeve. Does this mean that Miya played the instrument? So many questions...

I also want to see this song live for the harmonica portion.

優しい歌
詞・曲 / ミヤ

お元気ですか　変わりはないですか
こっちはなんとか　頑張ってます
世間では近頃、憂鬱な事件が多くて
少々、閉口ぎみの毎日です

街行く人々　相変わらずで
険しい顔に　早足で
何処へ向かって　歩いてゆくのだ
何に向かって　歩いてゆくのだ

ねえ　聴いておくれよ　ほんの少しだけたちどまってさあ

ラララ　ラララ　僕らは歌う　それぞれ違う空の下で
生きることにせかされる毎日を　不器用に噛み締めて

もう泣かないでおくれよ　さあその顔を上げて
言葉に　声に　うたにすることで見えてくる世界もある

心折れて　泣いてるのかい　所詮人間さ 愛がなきゃ滅びちまう
どこかの国の偉大な神様は　なんて言ったんだっけか

今日も明日もせわしい日々だ　ちっぽけなうた　かき鳴らせよ
悲しいうたも優しいうたも誰かのためのうたも　きっと形ある
「何か」にかわってく

誰しもが持つその歌声を
今　ここで　響かせて
うたうことで少しだけ強くなれる　聴かせておくれ
君だけのうたを

Track 14 - 流星
The album ends with an unedited version of Mucc's 2nd single in Devilish Year 2006. Oh yes, by the way, Tatsurou has mentioned that 2007 will be titled: "10th Anniversary The Brilliant". Muahaha!!!

Final Thoughts
I like this album. I like it far more than Houyoku, for sure. Although it's not 'old Mucc', there's still a heart-felt sincerity in each of the songs composed for this album, and that's what makes all the difference.