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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Jul 21, 2008 0:20:11 GMT -5
ROCK ANIMALS  The Knife gets a little psychedelic! 1993 Virgin Records SK: Naoko & Atsuko Yamano with Michie Nakatani The cover pic features the gals in early 70s chic, and the music inside has a hint of that era. The music begins with the rocking Quavers, goes into more traditional Knife with Concrete Animals and Little Tree , Michie lampoons drug culture with Catnip Dreams and Naoko gets a little abstract with Tomato Head. Other songs such as Cobra Versus Mongoose and Naoko's sentimental Music Square round out an all-around excellent album.  1/2 Playlist: QUAVERS CONCRETE ANIMALS BUTTERFLY BOY* LITTLE TREE CATNIP DREAM* TOMATO HEAD ANOTHER DAY* BROWN MUSHROOMS JOHNNY JOHNNY JOHNNY* COBRA VERSUS MONGOOSE MUSIC SQUARE All songs in English * Song not written by Naoko |
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Post by jellybean on Mar 9, 2010 23:17:23 GMT -5
Quavers is an unusual Shonen Knife song. First of all, I though Naoko was too shy to write love songs; and this is not a light love song, this a really passionate, intense love song. It has lines like: "He's my god" and "I wanna to be his madonna". I haven't heard any other songs where Naoko sings so emotionally.
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 0:50:06 GMT -5
Quavers is an unusual Shonen Knife song. First of all, I though Naoko was too shy to write love songs; and this is not a light love song, this a really passionate, intense love song. It has lines like: "He's my god" and "I wanna to be his madonna". I haven't heard any other songs where Naoko sings so emotionally. Agreed, but, on the other hand, SK was never afraid to try things other than their punk-pop sound, Antonio Baka Boy, Ride your Bus & Burning Farm to name a few |
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 1:29:15 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]QUAVERS[/glow]
Easily my favorite song on the CD, this hard rocking and passionate song by Naoko hits all the right notes for me.
The girls were at their peak at this time; and I have nothing but good things to say about this track....not that the rest of the album isn't great, cause it is!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 1:32:08 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]CONCRETE ANIMALS[/glow]
A fun song in the traditional SK mode, Naoko isn't trying anything new here, but, the song is fun nonetheless; after all who SAYS music HAS to be "serious"? (The song actually names concrete animals found in a zoo in Japan...I forget which....anyone know?)
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 1:37:49 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]BUTTERFLY BOY[/glow](One of Michie's best)
I suspect Michie wrote this one with herself in mind, as the bass is the prevalent instrument here (And it proves how far she'd come as a bassist by this time) and the touching lyrics (Strangely mixed with a 60s psychedelic sound) are a perfect match for her soft "little girl" voice (I always thought that Michie had a very wonderful and original voice). Probably my second favorite Michie song after Watching Girl.
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 1:43:24 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]LITTLE TREE[/glow]
There is another faster version of this song (On the Birds & B-Sides), however, I prefer this slightly slower version with it's wonderful "latin" beat that begins in a way that resembles the beginning of the Drifter's classic "Up on the Roof"; and only gets better from there. Naoko's voice (somewhat subdued) is properly fitted to this tune, and Michie and Atsuko's BG singing is just perfect!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 1:48:40 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]CATNIP DREAM[/glow]
Another of Michie's classics (It's songs like this that make me miss her so much); Michie gives us a look at her drug addicted cat! (haha) A song that's both touching and funny; perfectly suited to Michie's "little girl" voice, (I can't imagine Naoko singing this). Michie weaves a plucky little story into a song that rocks "just enough for the subject; interestingly, in this one, the bass is much more subdued than it is in most of the Michie songs...I love it!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 1:52:40 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]TOMATO HEAD[/glow]
While the subject matter and lyrics are classic "SK food song", the beat and especially lead guitar are more like something out of a Heavy metal sound, I'm not terribly fond of this one, but, I guess it's not for everyone! (The video was apparently a cult hit in the USA on MTV for a time)
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 1:59:49 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]ANOTHER DAY[/glow]
I'm not sure if this is Michie or Atsuko (I suspect that it's Michie), but, this sweet little song about memories of a love in the past, is probably the closest thing to a standard love song that SK ever recorded; and while I'm generally not into love ballads, I have to admit that this is one that I really do love!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 2:04:41 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]BROWN MUSHROOMS[/glow]
Naoko sings this slightly psychedelic food song in a higher key than normal, but, she nails it, nonetheless...as is the case with most SK food songs; I love it!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 2:12:58 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]JOHNNY JOHNNY JOHNNY[/glow]
Another of Michie's songs, this one seems a bit out of her usual range but, she manages to do a more than credible job of this fast-sung (For Michie) mixture of punk and rockabilly (This song would not have seemed out of place in the 1950s) it's a fun song in the 50s vein, and that makes it a fun way to spend 2:40!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 2:17:15 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]COBRA VERSUS MONGOOSE[/glow]
This one is closer to punk than pop (With a bit of Heavy Metal shoehorned in); it's fast and well-played...but, I can barely understand most of the lyrics! (lol) Naoko is singing out of her range here, and it shows (a little), but, seeing as this song is punk, it works well, another great SK tune, even if it's not conventional SK!
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Mar 22, 2010 2:21:03 GMT -5
SK SONG REVUE - [glow=red,2,300]MUSIC SQUARE[/glow]
A great album needs a great finish, and, Naoko delivers with her own version of a love song. Naoko mixes lovely singing with very soft accoustic guitar for a song with more depth than expected from our favorite J-girl lead singer....I am very happy tonight!
Mikey
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Post by earthfarm on Aug 19, 2010 19:21:54 GMT -5
Just wanted to comment on this album as I have the Japanese version and it's a bit different... The songs are in a slightly different order. Concrete Animals is track #1. Quavers is missing, and it's been replaced with Strawberry Cream Puff. Fans in the West got SCP on Birds & B-Sides; fans in Japan got Quavers on a CD called Greatest History, released in 1995, with 12 songs on it. The cover image is different too, it's got the girls sitting on some stone steps. The individual member photos inside are great though (especially Michie!)  |
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