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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jul 17, 2008 20:11:57 GMT -5
BURNING FARMBurning hot early SK!!!originally released in Japan 1983 re-released 2005 Oglio Records SK: Naoko & Atsuko Yamano with Michie Nakatani If you were standing in a record store and you'd never heard of Shonen Knife, the hand-drawn cover by Michie (Which resembles a children's drawing) might not intice you to buy, but, what's INSIDE is truly the pick of the crop! While 712 is my favorite of the early SK albums re-released by Oglio records in 2005, this one is a VERY close second! To listen to it almost belies the fact that the band were OLs** just 2 years before, and had never played professionally, before that! The only English track on the CD is Twist Barbie, but, that doesn't detract from enjoying the energy of the band in their formative days, if anything, it just means that you arent distracted by lyrics! (hehe) The album starts off strong with Miracles (With the Worlds greatest chorus: several MEOWS ..yes, like a cat) and stays fun and fresh all the way through! among the highlights are Elephant Pao Poa, A day at the Factory, Parrot Polynesia and of course, the original Japanese version of my fave SK song, Watchin' Girl (Sung here by the writer, Michie, rather than by Naoko) this album is certainly one of the best the girls had to offer. **OLs = Office Ladies , a Japanese catch-all term for secretaries and receptionists 1/2 (of 5) Playlist:MIRACLES PARALLEL WOMAN TWIST BARBIE* ELEPHANT PAO PAO TORTOISE BRAND POT CLEANER ANIMAL SONG A DAY AT THE FACTORY BURNING FARM PARROT POLYNESIA WATCHIN' GIRL BANANA FISH WATCHIN' GIRL (live) TWIST BARBIE* (live) * English version
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on May 29, 2010 21:32:09 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Liner Art:[/glow] Note Michie (far left) doing the "Madonna scarf tied in the hair like a bow" 80s thing! Naoko (far right) looks strangely sensuous here, while only Atsuko's drums are shown, Atsuko herself seems to be hidden somewhere behind her older sister!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jun 3, 2010 22:31:56 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]MIRACLES[/glow] by Michie Nakatani While this one was written by Michie, it doesn't really sound like her singing (I could be wrong); this song , a remake of a song from their earliest "album" the self-released Minna Tanoshiku* (Everybody's Happy) This version is a little bouncier, faster and less experimental, but, like the first one it features the World's greatest chorus.....Meow meow meow meow meow meow...etc This song is one of the very best of the early SK hits (Even though I can barely understand a single word) ! Burning Farm version (You Tube): www.youtube.com/watch?v=npyOGhQZjZs*Original version from Minna Tanushiku ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minna_Tanoshiku ) : www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANNzjwxXYOQ
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jun 3, 2010 22:40:31 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]PARALLEL WOMAN[/glow]by Naoko Yamano
Fun and bouncy, this was another remake of a track from Minna Tanushiku ; and like the former, a little faster and less experimental.The actual (Japanese) words have to do with a woman who's tired of society and takes justice into her own hands, while none of that really comes through here, if you can't understand Japanese, it's perhaps for the best as the song is just a lot of fun to listen to!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jun 3, 2010 22:47:43 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]TWIST BARBIE[/glow] by Naoko Yamano
The only English language song on the CD and, the most familiar to SK fans, this is the original version of one of the band's best songs (later remade on their best album, Let's Knife); this version features a buzzy guitar and much of the energy the band would later become known for. On this version, as with many of the early ones, Michie has her bass turned WAY up, almost drowning out Naoko's lead guitar, yet, somehow , it all works very nicely; and many fans prefer this to the later version! (I love them both, but, I prefer the remake, by just a little bit) This song can either be seen as a tribute to the dolls that Naoko collects , or, if you cut open the layers, you can read this song as a social commentary over the way young Japanese girls see themselves; as opposed to the way they see western women. (Blonde hair, blue eyes.....she is welcomed by boys) The song seems to compare Barbie's western ideal to that of Japanese woman, who is darker tressed and shorter (Stressing Barbie's long legs and the way she dances....her sexual appeal). Whether Naoko wrote the song this way on purpose is only known to her, but, I suspect it wasn't a coincedence.
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jun 3, 2010 22:52:22 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]ELEPHANT PAO PAO[/glow]by Naoko Yamano
This is either an animal or a food song, depending how you look at it! It's a song about an elephant named Pao Pao who just loves bananas and screams in pleasure, as he eats to his heart's content! the song is well accompanied by a wonderful if naive drum solo by Atsuko!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jun 3, 2010 22:57:40 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]TORTOISE BRAND POT CLEANER[/glow]by Naoko Yamano Apparently SK's idea commercial jingle for a brand of pot scrubbers in Japan (According to one source, it does exist, but, I can't say for sure), anyway, the song is a nice short rock anthem for the best pot scrubbers in the World!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jun 11, 2010 21:33:49 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]ANIMAL SONG[/glow] by Michie Nakatani
Beginning with several soft notes on what sounds like a glass chime, the song soon speeds up and is a feast for the ears, as Michie's vocals fill you with happiness.
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jun 11, 2010 21:38:55 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]A DAY AT THE FACTORY[/glow]by Naoko Yamano
This is a song most notable for it's well played guitar riffs and Michie's bass which was just beginning to develop the style that SK fans love, meawhile, several percussive sounds fill the air (Representing the sounds in a busy factory); I guess it's Naoko singing, but, in a strangely nasal tone; all in all, a very entertaining song.
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jun 11, 2010 21:41:07 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]BURNING FARM[/glow] by Naoko Yamano
The title song of this album, I have never liked this song, but, that doesn't mean you won't! (it was remade for "Let's Knife")
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jul 18, 2010 0:49:40 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]PARROT POLYNESIA[/glow] by Naoko Yamano
One of my favorite tracks on the CD, PARROT POLYNESIA is based on the Doctor Doolittle books (The parrot in question belongs to the good Doctor). It begins as with so many of the early songs with Michie's baseline; the song has a wonderful Carribean flavour which is complimented by Atsuko's nicely done (and wonderfully subtle) percussion on the cowbells. For an early SK song, this one shows a lot of finess and polish; a great little song.
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jul 18, 2010 0:58:18 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]WATCHIN' GIRL[/glow] by Michie Nakatani
This is the Shonen Knife song that I love the most; from it's driving beat, to the harmonies of the 3 originals (Naoko Yamano, Atsuko Yamano & Michie Nakatani); who are singing a kind of appeal to the women of Japan, to become more self-aware (one might even say liberated); there isn't anything about this song that I don't love! Michie's basslines (She wrote the song*) and Atsuko's drums are well complemented by some of the best lead guitar that Naoko has ever done....OOO DA OOO DA OOO DA OOO DA OOO DA OOO DA, WATCHIN' GIRL!!! ;D *I once believed that Michie was also the lead singer on this song, however, I now know that Naoko did the lead vocals (Usually Michie did her own vocals on the songs she wrote)
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jul 18, 2010 1:10:22 GMT -5
BURNING FARM song Reviews~ [glow=red,2,300]BANANA FISH[/glow] by Michie Nakatani A cute song by Michie (Also sung by her) about a greedy fish who ate 76 bananas from an octopus trap*, and got so fat that he was caught in the trap forever! (I have no idea whether the Japanese fishermen ACTUALLY bait octopus traps with bananas, but, I rather doubt it) * In Japan, octopi are caught in ceramic jars, called Tako-tsubo, made in such a way that they can get in, but, can't get out; in japan, octopus is a delicacy, especially in Sushi. The CD ends with live versions of Watchin' Girl and Twist Barbie; in all, a great little album and a preview of the remake album "Let's Knife", which would prove to be their best album ever. Mikey
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Post by lazybone712 on May 12, 2015 7:20:09 GMT -5
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Post by tangerinesun on May 12, 2015 10:38:19 GMT -5
That settles it, these albums are officially capital-C Classics. The vintage re-issues cost a little more than regular jewel-case releases, yet are value-packaged in cardboard sleeves. Huh? It's because they are SHM or "Super High Material"*** discs, which promise fewer read errors from your high-end disk player and audiophile digital-to-analog converter. The ones you bought to be able to make the most of these re-releases. SK's Crown Tokuma label-mates include such certified-awesome creators as Studio Ghibli. *** some would say, "Super High Marketing"
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