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Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
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Tracklist |
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01 - 良いテンポです。 (Yoi Tempo Desu)
02 - 脳みそショットケーキ (Noumiso Shortcake)
03 - 人生圏外 (Jinsei Kengai)
04 - エアコンのレモコン (Aircon No Remocon)
05 - なーMellow (Na-Mellow)
06 - ママのうた (Mama No Uta)
07 - アメリカのハンバーガー (America no Hamburger)
08 - おちゃっすか (Ochassuka) |
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Review |
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July 14th, 2005. Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Near the busiest train station in the world, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re and The Emeralds held a release party under the slightly excessive name "The Emeralds ‘Surfing Baby' Recohatsu & Jishu-kikaku Live ‘Talk About Love with Popcorn Volume 2 ~ Hot Rock Ga Yoi Tempo Desu. ~'" — only outdone by the amazing performance put on by the bands on that night. Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re's set was captured on video and later crafted into a fun DVD that no fan should be without and also provides a porthole for the curious who want to see how a concert is done, Tokyo-style.
I'll start with the worst part about this DVD: the production quality is not stellar. A prime example is the introduction video that takes place in a small café. The girls are all a bit drunk and acting unbelievably adorable (maybe the alcohol has something to do with it). Even those who don't speak a word of Japanese will get a feel for how much fun these girls are amongst all their giggling inebriation. However, the café isn't closed during the filming and the occasional background noise from customers can be heard, plus at least twice a coffee machine chugs along for a few seconds. It adds a little to the atmosphere, but it distracts from the desired focus — the band.
Getting to the music, the performance itself is really amazing. It's filled with all that's expected from three cute Japanese girl rockers — Mari has a string problem in between the first and second song where she proclaims "Akushidento! Ooh noo!" as she quickly recovers. Morever, one of the best things about this DVD is the track list. For those of you who have seen one of their American tours, bought a CD, and taken it home only to find the song you liked the best at the show isn't on their albums, you can finally get your fix. You'll be able to find all of the songs they've currently done live.
Now, not being a fan of those music videos where the camera twists and turns around the band, zooming in and out to showing all sorts of angles, I find myself getting distracted during the performances. Most of the performance consists of that can't-sit-still camerawork. Except for an overhead camera placed over Mizue's drum set (which does offer an interesting overhead view), the cameras spin about giving access to everything that's going on, but rarely providing a chance to focus on the scene as a whole. It doesn't entirely kill the mood, but one could wish for a cameraman with less ADHD.
Perhaps one of the real gems of this show are the short breaks taken between every two songs. Mari chats with the audience while the instruments are tuned, but even better are the special treats before "Na-Mellow" and after "Mama No Uta." Before a live performance of "Na-Mellow," the trio reels the audience in by having everyone act as if they're rowing a boat (it has to do with the song being related to an old fisherman's tune). As Yayoi and Mizue provide background music, Mari finds two oars to row with, in this case two guitar stands. Everyone rows and gets into the action until Mari leaps off the stage and into the audience, rowing along the way. She charges through the crowd before leaping back up on stage and "Na-Mellow" begins.
Even better is their post-"Mama No Uta" flyer distribution. The girls hop off the stage and run through the audience passing out flyers. These times where the camera follows Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re off stage are sometimes the most interesting because you get to see the other side of a live show — us. With the lights turned up, you get to see a bit of the face of Japan, with quite a few photographers in the crowd and even one foreigner, which is generally the makeup of many shows in a big city like Tokyo (both in numbers of photographers and foreigners).
While like with any live show, the music isn't quite the same as it is on a recorded album, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re manages to stay quite true to their songs while still showing you how much energy they put into a performance. The video quality definitely hurts this DVD's desirability and the audio quality isn't exactly perfect (expected from something recorded outside a studio), but overall one gets the experience of almost being in Tokyo, right there in the audience. If you're a Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re fan, this DVD is for you. If you're a curious first-time listener, the songs on this DVD are some of the best that they've made and getting this DVD may be even better than picking up any of their other albums. Go find yourself a copy and check it out.
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