Jack Bond fills a request

(Scott)-Jack Bond responds to a request from Jonder for Murahacibu "Live"...thanks 10000000 times over
for this, and it gives me the opportunity to point out a few things about my beloved contributions to the blog.... .first off, if you have links or text or anything, it is FAR better to email them to me at csgmiller@sbcglobal.net  than to place them in the comments...... when they are placed in the comments, hardly anyone will see them...... if you email them to me, I can make a post of them and the whole audience will see them.... just trying to help everyone's submissions to get MAXIMUM exposure... in regards to a question Jack poses, other people's links are FINE because I download them, convert them to MY links....usually it's not an issue, but there is one tool who makes a huge deal out of it, little he can say if I convert them to "my" links......in other words, don't give it a thought!

Anyway, as requested by Jonder, here is Murahachibu "Live" ....sorry no track list as the songs names are in Japanese letters that my computer can't reproduce, and I cannot find English translations for them (and too bad, often they are quite a hoot).....anyway, here is the album, anxious to hear it myself, link (MY link) in comments section!

Jonder's Japanese Rock series, part 4

(Scott)-Forgive me for taking a day off from posting on Thursday? I'll still hit well over EIGHTY posts in the merry merry month of May, so I can at least get one day's indulgence, can't I? And of course, I couldn't get anywhere NEAR that number without my wonderful team of contributors, you know the list by now, but I have some guest submissions to lead off the Memorial Day weekend, perhaps a thing or two of my own (I've got one I'm DYING to put up if I can find the CD, just heard it on IPOD today and forgot how fab it was)....

Anyway, let us begin with part 4/4 of Jonder's fantastic Japanese rock series....... just FYI, the very FIRST album I posted on this blog (SO long ago) was "Thee Michelle Gun Elephant"..... so, here is Jonder, telling you about part IV of his latest submission..... MANY thanks to him for these (Links in Comments section)
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Thee Michelle Gun Elephant's name came from a mishearing of the Damned's album title Machine Gun Etiquette (just as Radio Birdman misheard "radio burning up above" -- a Chuck Berry lyric quoted by the Stooges).   

TMGE were Tokyo college kids who started playing in 1991, influenced by punk and garage rock. The great Futoshi Abe (who died in 2009) combined classic Detroit axemen (Ron Asheton, James Williamson, Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith) with influences from surf, spy films, Link Wray, and the Pirates' Mick Green (who made a single with TMGE).  

TMGE vocalist Yusuke Chiba has an incredible raw-throated sound, and sings in a word salad of Japanese and English.   TMGE drummer Kazuyuki Kuhara later played reggae and ska, and Chiba now sings for rock balladeers the Midnight Bankrobbers.

2000's Gear Blues was their breakthrough to a US audience hungry for more Japanese punk/garage bands like Guitar Wolf.  TMGE's attitude was always more serious than Guitar Wolf, despite the elephantine name and song titles like "Satanic Boom Boom Head",  Here are Gear Blues and my favorite, the ominous Rodeo Tandem Beat Specter.  I added a top-notch cover version of "Soda Pressing" by British punks The Boys.  

TMGE broke up in 2003.  Check out the manic brilliance of "God Jazz Time" from their final concert, beautifully filmed for the DVD Burning Motors Go Last Heaven.  They were definitely "big in Japan":  youtu.be/2a67-mvGTQo

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GEAR BLUES-01 West Cabaret Drive/ 02 Smokin Billy/ 03 Satanic Boom Boom Head/ 04 Dog Way/ 05 Free Devil Jam/ 06 Killer Beach/ 07 Brian Down/ 08 Hotel Bronco/ 09 Give the Gallon/ 10 G.W.D/ 11 Ash/ 12 Soul Wrap/13 Boiled Oil/14 Danny Go/15 Jenny

RODEO TANDEM BEAT SPECTER-01  Citroen No Koduku (The Loneliness of the Citroen/ 02 Alligator Night/ 03  Abakarta Sekai (The World Exposed)/ 04 God Jazz Time/ 05  Baby Stardust/ 06 Rita/ 07 Beat Specter  Buchanan/ 08 Turkey/ 09 My Heart With Its Brakes Broken Loose/ 10 Margaret/ 11 Bird Land Cindy/ 12 Beat Specter Garcia/ 13 The Redhead Kelly

My OWN Japanese rock contribution, Hideki Ishima

Long, long ago, I did a post on the totally incredible Flower Travellin' Band, I'm sure the links are long dead, but that was a bad ass fucking band, I'm telling ya.... what i've NOT posted (I don't think) is this album, "One Day" from their guitar whiz, Hideki Ishima.... pretty fine stuff here, his solo album ca. 1973... he was also a sitar ace as well, also mastering the "sitarla", a sitar/guitar hybrid of his own invention.... he's been in several bands since the Flower Travellin' Band went on hiatus, this is (I think) his lone solo effort.... it's pretty decent, please give it a listen. This is something of a lesser-known effort, but if by some chance you either were a fan of/or checked out my post on The Flower Travellin' band, you may possibly enjoy this minor gem.... may as well give it a spin while we are in this Japanese Rock-groove!

ONE DAY-01 We're Just Tryin' My Way/02 Artificial Flowers/03 Lady Bird/04 Night Mare/05 Unbalance/06 Depending By the Time/07 Trash Blues

Part 3 of Jonder's Japanese rock extravaganza!

(Scott)-This one I am FAIRLY familiar with (though not as familiar as I was with the great Bleach 03),
Boredoms..... they come at the recommendation of Kurt D Cobain, for me that's pretty much enough!
--------------------------------------------

Boredoms formed in Osaka in 1986.  At the band's mid-90's peak, they were on a US major label, collaborated with Sonic Youth and Ween, and played Lollapalooza at the request of Kurt Cobain.  Boredoms began to explore psychedelia and Krautrock at the end of the 90's.  Vision Creation Newsun consists of nine hypnotic tracks that build and fade, with symbols for song titles (kinda like Hairway To Steven).  There is also a Vision Creation Newsun EP, a box set, and a four volume series of Vision Creation Newsun remix albums called Rebore, featuring UNKLE and other DJ's reconstructing the album.  

The album itself is a showcase for Seiichi Yamamoto's spiraling guitar patterns and the dual drummer rhythms of Yoshimi P-We and Kazuya Nishimura.  Boredoms vocalist Yamatsuka Eye is not overly obtrusive or abrasive here:  he chants and handles turntables, sampler, vocoder, and synthesizer.   

Vision Creation Newsun is far more musically accomplished than the lo-fi sound collages and scatological gibberish of early Boredoms records such as Soul Discharge and Chocolate Synthesizer.  Vision Creation Newsun is a beautiful album that hearkens back to classic psychedelia and motorik while pointing the way toward the new century's massive drum ensemble performances of Boadrum.

Vision Creation Newsun-9 tracks, all untitled

Rebore Volume 0: Vision Recreation 01 7/02 77/03 777/04 7777/05 77777/06 777777/07 7777777/ (gotta love the track titles on this one!)

More Japanese rock from Jonder

(Scott)-this one I know, and it is worth your while..... Used to have this one, actually maybe I still do, but PLEASE don't let the Japanese language scare you away from this one.....really, really, great stuff, AND, I strongly suggest you read the book in the bonus section on the Jap Rock scene, it's really tremendous as well!
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Bleach (known in the US as Bleach 03 or Bleachmobile) is a different kind of trio: they are "Three Girls from Okinawa" as the title of their compilation album describes them.  Bleach sound nothing like High Rise or those three girls from Osaka, Shonen Knife.   Bleach combine spazzy punk, thrash metal breakdowns and funky riffs.  All three members sing, and bassist Miya unleashes some guttural screams worthy of Cannibal Corpse.  You can see the band's virtuosity in these live performances:  youtu.be/pFX0A7jSzTU  and youtu.be/Ibns1U6vg7w

The first Bleach album came out in 2000, and they announced their breakup in 2009 upon the release of their fifth album, Bleachstone.  Their self-titled album came out in Japan in 2003, and was reissued in the US in 2005.  It ends with a hidden track that doesn't begin until 3:00.  

There is a bonus in the comments section for those who are interested in reading a well-researched history of Japan's rock scene in the 1960's and 1970's, written by a famous Drude from Liverpool. 

01 Kuropen Bigaku Tenshi-Chan to Kangaemashita (My Sweet Angel and I)/02 Sun-Dance--Moon-Dance/03 

Canary Teikoku No Gyakushuu (Canary Empire Strikes Back)/04 Chousen (Challenge)/05 Raiko-Kareki Ni Hana Wa Sakanai (Lightning-Flowers Don't Bloom)/06 Nils/07 He (Hips)/08 Howling/09 Arigato Gozaimasu (Thank You Very Much)/10 Taiyou (Sun)/11 Untitled Track

Jonder with fab Japanese rock

(Scott)-As I have pointed out so many times, I am a sucker for non-english language rock, not sure why, I just happen to love it, the music really MUST do the talking when the vocals and lyrics make no sense to me, I guess.....anyway, I was not previously familiar with this EP from High Rise, presented by longtime blog friend Jonder......this will probably be first on my playlist Tuesday morning, but I trust his judgement, and , as I said, the genre is right up my alley......so here ya go, enjoy, and don't be scared off by the Japanese vocals....expand your horizons!

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I'm no expert on Japanese rock, but I have a few records that I dearly love.  As Scott wrote, don't let a language barrier prevent you from enjoying great music.   Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals was once asked if SFA's Welsh language songs could appeal to listeners who don't speak the language, and he replied,  "If I listen to a Nirvana record I don't understand most of their lyrics... I just understand the frustration and the passion in his voice."  

Do words mean much in Japanese songs like "Pinhead Cranberry Dance" (by Thee Michelle Gun Elephant), the Boredoms' "JB Dick and Tin Turner Pussy Badsmell" or "The Head That Controls Both Right and Left Sides Eats Meats and Slobbers Even Today" by Bleach?  No -- let the music do the talking!  Boredoms, Bleach, and TMGE are on the way, but we begin with the universal language of rock:  the almighty guitar riff.

The group High Rise formed in Tokyo in 1982.  They were first called Psychedelic Speed Freaks, which describes their music well.  They took the name High Rise from a J.G. Ballard novel, and they pared down to a power trio for their second album.  The band is most frequently compared to Blue Cheer.  Guitarist Munehiro Narita works that wah-wah pedal!  Bassist Ahahito Nanjo's vocals are kept low in the mix. Hot and tasty riffs are the main course, so grab this platter and dig in.

Disallow is a 1996 EP (reissued in the US in 1999).  Some folks hear a free jazz influence, and High Rise improvised the EP's last track.  They toured America in 2000 and broke up not long afterward.  Look up "Psychedelic Speed Freaks" for some High Rise live videos. 

Uplift Spice

Well a buddy of mine who wishes to remain anon sent me these today, just as I was thinking, "Gosh, it's certainly been a bit of a while since I've posted any Japanese-language, alternative grunge from the mid-2000's with song titles in Japanese fonts that I have no way to even copy, much less translate "......and lo and behold, Uplift Spice, 5 albums yet...... he told me to listen to em, I listened to enough to get the idea..... .it's decent hard rock, you can hear a little Asian twinge in there. The vocals are decidedly Japanese, not psuedo-English like a lot of bands (the Mops, or Loudness at times) have tried.... a little research determines the lineup to be guitarist Yookey, vocalist Chiori, drummer Tovita, and bassist Kenji.

OK, when I have posted Greek punk stuff before, by man Apantabapanta has translated and researched the material, I have no Japanese "go-to-guy", so, here's the skinny......if I'm able to copy/paste the Japanese characters, I will, and if I can find some sort of translation in standard alphabet, I'll put them, even if (when, really)I have no idea what they mean....if in my course of researching these I can find any title or lyric or anything else translations to English, I will drop them on ya also.

Please take a chance on these. It's only rock n roll, and as you know I personally go out of my way to find stuff like this, and it gives me great joy to be able to share them with you.....if you by nay chance read Japanese, feel free to jump in and assist, and, these guys have a few more albums not included here, so if ya happen to have em, well, what are you waiting for?

Not for everyone, to be certain, but will you ever accuse me of lacking in variety? You might, but I do try, and I'd love to hear what everyone thinks of these, even if they only sample a bit...that's the wonderful thing about this internet information age, we actually CAN hear stuff like this, unknown gems from other lands, and without it costing us an arm and a leg (I remember paying well over 20 bucks for a vinyl copy of a Sadistic Mika band album back in thet 1970's some time, a small fortune relative to the time......still have it and am thrilled that i DID buy it, it was thrilling to stumble on stuff back then, and it's thrilling today.....only today, we have the ability to share, and isn't that the way you were brought up, that sharing was the RIGHT way?

SYATEKI-01 射的 (Shateki)/02 雨ざらし (Amkazarashi)/03 M31/04 絵の具 (Enogu)/05 青空が滲んだ日 (Aozora ga nijin da hi) (this is an EP with a release date of 2006 I THINK the album title translates to "Target Practice", but don't hold me to it) (Late edit: found English translations of the titles-01 Target Practice/02 Weather Beaten/03 M31/04 Paint/05 Blue Sky Is Blurred Day)

HANABI NO IRO-01 Hanabi No Iro/02 Kikyyu i Natta Fuuse/03 Shiroi Hato/04 Niji No Fumoto/05 Mahou No Komoriuta.....

(also a mini-LP this one released in 2007, cannot find the Japanese lettering for these ones on a source I can copy from. Album title translates to "Fireworks of Color", song titles-01 Fireworks of Color/02 Balloon Became Balloon/03 White Dove/04 At the Foot of the Rainbow/05 Magic of Lullaby

RASEN-01 Nijuusan Ya/02 Syndrome/03 Amanogawa/04 Raiu/05 Komaku/06 Skate Board (Yet another EP from 2007, this one's title translates to "Helix", song titles:01 Two Waxing Crecent/02 Syndrome/03 Milky Way/04 Thunderstorm/05 Eardrum/06 Skate Board

UPLIFT SPICE-01 Oni/02 Kanojo/03 Hallelujah/04 =/05 NGc224/06 Pandora No Hako/07 Muguet/08

Mikansei/09 Matenrou/10 Hana to Chou/11 Bodyguard/12 Katachi (This is firsts full length, self titled CD from 2008, again, cannot locate a form of the Japanese lettering that I can copy, I only try to coz I think its kinda cool.. Song title translations: 01 Demon/02 Girlfriend/03 Hallelujha/04 =/05 NGC224/06 Pandora's Box/07 Myuge/08 Unfinished/09 Skyscraper/10 Hana and Butterflies/11 Bodyguard/12 Shape

OMEGA RYTHYM-01 Omega Rythm/02 Nanatsu No Umi/03 Amidakuji/04 Klein No Shinzou/05 Gingasekidou/06 Peace/07 Dot Sight/08 Boku Wa Dummy/09 Present/10 Diorama.....Song Title translations: 01 Omega Rythm/02 Seven Seas/03 Ghost Leg/04 Klein of Heart/05 Galactic Equator/06 Peace/07 Dot Sight/08 I Dummy/09 Gift/10 Diorama

I have spot-listened to all of these, and I must say, I think they are quite good, what I've heard at least, unique to say the very least........I'd like you to try these out, maybe not all of em, but give one or two of them a spin for a possible pleasant surprise. As I said before, they have some albums of more recent vintage, and I would really enjoy hearing them if anyone can help out with that!

Boris, Part 3

OK, I hope I can make this coherent enough....BigCarla66 and myself are heading off later today for a casino weekend, lots of blackjack and lots of FUCKING, etc, but I thought I wouldbe a wonderful guy and put up some MORE Boris stuff before the weekend......in case you can't tell, I am drunk as hell right now, I assume my homie Brian has probably already sent me some of the links that I have neglected here, forgive me.....anyway, I have some Boris scraps here, that I mostly copped from a Pirate bay Torrent, if ANYONE has some more of their shit, post it HERE in the comments section of this post, I am still sorting things the way I ALWAYS have, attempting to complete everyone's music collection, but GOOD LORD, right now I can barely even TYPE, so I hope this post comes out fairly reasonably.....

First of all what we have is something taken from the aforementioned Pirate Bay, "1970"....I have no clue if it is a single or what, but it is BAD ASS.... 01 1970/ 02 Wareuraido ....bad ass shit, man, I promise ya....
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/4uo2l7Wn/file.html


Next up, we have, I guess a great tune from the album "Absolutego", the title track, which is presented here in a "Special Low Frequency Edition"), and it really is wonderful.....
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/9U48cRgo/file.html

So what else ya got? Well, if ya wanna compress all this stuff into a little bit more manageable format, here we have three discs of Boris "Archives, Volume 1-3".......kinda hard for me to figure that by NOW if you are "up" on the Boris "thing" you'd want an "archive", but here is is nonetheless.....some especially wonderful extended versions of some of the great Boris material....

VOLUME 1- 01 Huge/02 Hush/03 Soul Search You Sleep/04 Vacuum/05 Mosquito/06 Mass Mercury/07 Scar Box/08 Hama

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/YxtGEUC0/file.html


VOLUME 2- 01 01 Huge/02 Mosquito/03 Vomit Yourself

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/nfwL8J9O/file.html


VOLUME 3 -01 Absolutego/02 Flood
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/56wp2IA2/file.html


Next up, it's a weird one ("Implication Flooding") I don't even feel like looking up where it comes from/was created, it IS bad-ass, wonderful creation....if BY NOW you are a Boris fan, dig up on THIS SHIT.... CRAZY ASS SHIT and the greatest song titles in the history of music (Possible exception: The Liars, FUCK YOU if you don't know them, check my archive!).

01 A Rise, A Moment Before Something Unexpected Is On the Verge of Starting/02 Not Knowing If It Will Be Agony or Comfort For Us/03 Wonder What Colour Would Be Suitable For the Dwelling/04 The Decision of A Dream Which Will Never Be Completely Red/05 It Should Be Watched, Not to fail to Notice These Flashes of an Accusation From Inside/06 Offer It All Up, Our Madness, That Which Will Be Crushed On This Land That Has Come To Be Called Chaos Unzipped/07 From The Distance With Their Own Gentle Eyes Always Fixed On Us They Are Affectionately Gazing At the Black-Implication F/08 Don't Be Cheated By the Oozing Silt From Both of the Accuser and the Accused Which Is Always There, Saying "Something Have/09 The Person Who, What Is She Like, The One Who Has Been Determined And Prepared

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/6JYdHS52/file.html


Got a split or two here as well, might as well allow you to check these out.....

BORIS/THE DUDLEY CORPORATION SPLIT-01 BORIS-Ibitus/02 THE DUDLEY CORPORATION-Little Man/03 THE DUDLEY CORPORATION-3rd Song

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/t5fM4UDD/file.html

BORIS/BAREBONES SPLIT-01 BAREBONES-Just Broken/02 BAREBONES-Puppets/03 BAREBONES-Shoot Up and Die/04 BAREBONES-Freak Out/05 BAREBONES-Still Unknown (Live)/06 BORIS-Soul Search You Sleep/07 BORIS-In Hush/08 BORIS-Scar Box (Live)/09 Mosquito (Live)

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/fbq5EA27/file.html

BORIS/TOMSK SPLIT (BORIS TRACK ONLY)-01 Mass Mercury


http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/uIUS12Z3/file.html

BORIS/TORCHE SPLIT-01 TORCHE-King Beef/02 BORIS-Luna
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/0HBuUuEf/file.html

HEAVY METAL ME-01 A Bao A Que/02 The Evil One Which Sobs/03 Feedbacker (Live)/04 Flood (live)/05 Credits
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/WXtrvWyj/file.html


BORIS/TOUCHING AIR LANDSCAPES SPLIT-01 Fukurou/02 Kanau Part 1/03 Kanau Part  2

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/6VXhpqLZ/file.html

VARIATIONS-01 Introduction (Edit)/02 Korosu/03 Pink/04 Woman On the Screen/05 Yesterday Morning/06 Rainbow/07 A Bao A Qu/08 Statement/09 My Neighbor Satan/10 Floor Shaker/11 Naki Kyoku/12 1970/13 Farewell (Full Length)

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/kbkRZrf7/file.html

YO, that is a whole buncha shit.....I prolly have more, in fact I am CERTAIN that Mr. Brian Parker has sent me some other stuff, like some collaborative efforts, which at this moment I cannot find.....l ikely there will be a "Boris Part 4" post, sometime in the future, I know Brian is diligently working on a Swans extravaganza, and as I told ya, I plan on spending this weekend FUCKING and playing blackjack........so for right now, here is a BUNCH of Boris stuff.......if any of you have ANY other stuff, live stuff, any other splits or whatever, send em my way, coz I really DO plan on doing  a "Part 4", at some point, just right now I be kinda burned on Boris......we will see what happens, but I DO know that Boris (one of our greatest unknown rock bands) has a whole BUNCH of OTHER shit out there, but for right now, it's the weekend off, and maybe next week prepping some easier, one or two album posts, until my dawg Brian gets the Swans mega-thing ready.........hey, see ya Monday or so, taking the weekend off.......

Boris, part 2

BigScott62 here, any of you actually listen to the entire Boris deluge from last night? Do your self a favor and do so over time, this is complex, wonderful, imaginative music, and of coure, given my weakness for non-English language hard rock, right up my alley......I didn't really know I had so much of their stuff on my shelves, but away we go......

Well, I need to aknowledge that Brian Parker has helped tremendously with these posts, uploading links, writing text, etc, and he's done a fine job......just didn't want to forget his input. So, last night we wrapped up with three separate versions of "Smile" from 2008, after which the band took a hiatus before releasing "New Album" in 2011....it appears in a few different versions, and I can't give you a complete track listing as many of the titles are written in Japanese characters which my keyboard won't duplicate......do I need a Japanese version of Apantabapanta to help me straighten this kind of thing out? Actually, I did find English translation titles for one of the albums versions:
http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/fEN243iC/file.html

01 Flare/02 Hope/03 Party Boy/04 Luna/05 Spoon/06 Pardon?/07 Jackson Head/08 Les Paul Custom '86/09 Tu, La La/10 Looprider

I find it to be a fine disc as well, highlighted in my opinion by the great "Les Paul Custom '86"......Now, in a typically confusing Boris move, in 2011 they released an album bearing the EXACT same title as they had used in 2002, "Heavy Rocks"....as best as I can determine, this was symbolic of a "get back to roots" kind of move, after all this material, an attempt to remain true to the heavier sounds of 2002.....at least that's how I get it, there are alternate takes of a few tracks from "New Album", and the album DOES sound fresh and like a sly blend of new/old Boris, and NO DOUBT it certainly is BORIS!

http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/OYkBrYNG/file.html

01 Riot Sugar/02 Leak (Truth, yesnoyesnoyes)/03 GALAXIANS/04 Jackson Head/05 Missing Pieces/06 Key/07 Window Shopping/08 Tu, La La/09 Aileron/10 Czechoslovokia

In another typically Boris move, on THE SAME DAY they released "Attention Please", which is a much more modernistic effort, droning and hypnotic, really somewhat less rocking than we are used to from Boris......to be honest, I am not crazy about the album.....it features some droned out takes on earlier material ("party Boy", "Les Paul Custom 86", etc), but give Boris credit......much like the Melvins whom I earlier compared them with, they will try ANYTHING and do not remain slavish to any particular sound, unlike, say, a band like Rush or something who basically recorded the same album  over and over every year for 40 years.

http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/4YpODe6c/file.html
01 Attention Please/02 Hope/03 Party Boy/04 See You Next Week/05 Tokyo Wonder Land/06 You/07 Aileron/08 Les Paul Custom 86/09 Spoon/10 Hand in Hand

OK.....I have been trying to download "Noise" and "Parapat" or whatever it's called, since Pirate Bay has ceased being my  go-to site, I'll get em on KickAss Torrents or Bunalti or something, just not working right now.....I be hoping you be liking the Part 2 Boris post, there will be a Part 3, with EP's, singles, live shit, all that stuff, but be forewarned......it may not be until Monday or so,as BigCarla66 and myself are heading for the casino/resort for a couple of days, and if any of you think you take precedence over myself and BigCarla66.....well, honestly........Boris has a shit-ton of material, a lot of it classic/great, and sooner or later I will get all their shit posted.....my homeboy Brian is working on a VERY COOL post featuring The Swans, should be finished, well, whenever it is finished, but we have given you guys enough Boris shit to choke yourselves on anyway...

So, eventually I will locate "Noise" and "Parapat" and will put them up for you, but the NEXT post will be the "Part 3" Boris, with singles, Live, and whatever else I can dredge up......I may or may not be back here before Monday, we'll see, but there is a LOT of material here for you to delve into.....oh, by the way.....did  ANYONE predict a Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl? Oh, that's right, that was ME.....(look for Seattle to be the first team in some time to go back-to-back).....anyway, the king of the retired State Workers needs a few days of SEX and BLACKJACK and BEER.....so I may not see none of ya till monday......But, I DO expect you to tell me what you think of our Boris post (Part 2), coz we think it's baddass, and at the very least , please offer up your commentary!

New and Improved Boris!

OK, lets take another stab at the Boris thing, we've stumbled around with this long enough.......I think Brian Parker is back on track with us again, at least part time, I should have probably started him out on an easier post than the mammoth Boris, but I was sick and etc......so let's just take another stab at it.

OK, some of these albums might have been posted the other day, I don't feel like checking, I'm going to start at the beginning and put up the Boris albums that I have on my shelves and post them, most of the commentary given will be from Brian, (if it is mine, I'll let you know, but who among us could not recognize my unmistakeable wordsmithery?

So, Boris have been around since the mid-90's, and they are for my dough the best of the Japanese bands, rocking, innovative, experimental......Eternal Elysium, to be accurate, made some damn good albums as well (including the classic "Spiritualized"), but the volume and experimentation of Boris work renders them as champions. The original crew was drummer/voclaist Atsuo, Bassist Ohtani, and guitarist Wata......

OK, these lads have a rather complicated and extensive catalouge, sort of a Japanese version of the Melvins (?).....some REALLY good, some not so much, but all daring and imaginative......I like it all, you may not, but we'll try to guide you if you wish to cherry pick....

OK, the first proper album is "Absolutego" from 1996......this is a gimmick that has been used before, such as Sleep's "Dopesmoker" and one of the Atomic Bitchwax albums, ie, one lengthy track domination an album.......I think this is a pretty good effort, myself, lets see what my protege Brian thinks:

"The band's first release, and quite an audacious one. While it follows in the same vein as that other epic timestamp work - Sleep's DOPESMOKER - it favors high pitch squall along with the epic trudge. While I wouldn't recommend it as your first listen, for those with patience, this one pays off. This is in a "Special Low Frequency Version"...a loving tribute to EARTH 2.

(Tracks: 1.AbsoluteGo/2.Dronevil 2)" (Brian)........Scott: couldn't have put it better myself, here is the link for this semi-classic:
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/h3WNKfGd/file.html

Next up, we have my (Scott's) personal favorite, "Amplifier Worship", an unknown classic, stateside at least......Long, trippy heavy tracks, "Vomitself" stands out, but the whole thing adds up to a wonderful four star effort......Brian, what do you have to say about it?


"This one lives up to its fucking title! Here, the band fully indulges in their Melvins fetish, especially on "Vomitself". The longer songs manage to mutate over their running length (say like on "Ganbou-Ki"). The amazing thing about Boris is how they can mix their doom stomp along with their more thrashier psych-rock side, say on a song like "Hama". For fans of Earth, Sleep, or the doom-like side of the Melvins. And not to take anything away from the later stuff, but Boris never made anything this balls-to-the wall heavy again."

(Tracks: 1.Huge/2.Ganbou-Ki/ 3.Hama/4.Kurumizu/ 5.Vomitself)" (Brian)
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/SOpR6DcP/file.html


Next we have 2000's "Flood".....it's a damn fine album as well, might as well let Brian inform you on this one as I agree with him pretty much......

"Here is where the band really started to indulge in it's psychedelic side. Song titles are simply "Flood" 1-4. Very spacey and atmospheric, in a wandering sort of way, with lyrical heaviness for texture. Boris doing ambient, if you will. Good one to fall asleep to."-Brian........ (Scott: It is an DAMN fine album, psychdecelic and droning, and another one for the ages)
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/IU3OzTsE/file.html

So, two years later, they gave us "Heavy Rocks", yet another decent effort, but in my mind not as great as the previous two, but still DAMNED interesting and hard rocking, Brian says:
"Putting the year there is important, since nine years later they released an album with the same name. This is one of their Japan-only releases, and needs all the more exposure because of that. Their first album that touched on all of their musical aspects, pointing the way to later American albums like PINK and SMILE."

(Tracks: 1.Heavy Friends/2.Korosu/ 3.Dyna-Soar/ 4.Wareruraido/5.Soft Edge/6.Rattlesnake/7.Death Valley/ 8.Koei/9.Kane -The Bell Tower of a Sign/10.1970).....(Scott here now), yep, the difference between "Heavy Rocks" and Heavy Rocks 2011 Is signnificnat, we'll get to that one in a while, if not tonight then tomorrow.........

http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/1xCVbopd/file.html


So why not "Akuma No Uta", yet another fine album, so what say you Brian?......well:
"The band's first wide release in America, and immediately distinctive for its Nick Drake cover homage. It opens with the familiar trudge of "Introduction", before breaking into the thrashers of "Ibitsu" and "Hama". "Naki Kyoku" - the longer centerpiece of the album and best track IMO - starts in beautiful echoing dreaminess before Wata comes in with some of her best groove-riding guitar work ever!"

(Tracks: 1.Introduction/2.Ibitsu/3.Furi /4.Naki Kyoku/5.Ano Onna No Onryou/6.Akuma No Uta)"
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/mRbMAxS0/file.html

And so, what next from this fine and criminally underappreciated band? Well, another, mega-opus, "Boris At Last, Feedbacker", which is again, a single disc split into five parts......again, a fine disc and one that I feel is essential......
(Track List: 01 Feedbacker 01/02 Feedbacker 2/03 Feedbacker III/04 Feedbacker IV/05 Feedbacker V... This motherfucker rocks the house as well, really, as ALL of their discs do......please appreciate this great shit as it is among the great non-English rock n roll ever recorded.
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/ko7C0t2r/file.html

The next releases from these quasi-geniuses were "The Thing Which Solomon OVerlooked" an "The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked Volume 2".....OK, let's be honest here......I am NOT  crazy about these discs, they are droning, instro-hypnotic efforts, simply not my cuppa tea......if you dig it here it is, but hey, it's not for me......

The Things Which Solomon Overlooked Volume 1
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/jow5Cxc9/file.html

The Things Which Solomon Overlooked Volume 2
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/nGpPfUO8/file.html

Next up we have 2005's two-disc set, "Dronevil", this is a fine set imo, it's up to you guys if you like this stu8ff or not, by now, More long, droning tunes, hey, it's better than The Outlaws, or something, if ya don't like it, well, there's always Foreigner for ya to listen to......

DRONEVIL DISC 1
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/HfXRKkgx/file.html
DRONEVIL DISC 2
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/WI5LJkQ1/file.html

So, in 2005 they released a soundtrack album to the Japanese film "Mabuta no Ura"....best as I can determine, no such film exists, OK then....these dudes were more out there than I AM, which is saying something.......But, hey, this is a decent release as well....

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/zgg2my7F/file.html

OK, 2006's "Pink" is a damn fine album as well, more along the lines of their earler, sludgier, uglier stoner rock.....it's a great album, and damn near essential....this is likely the most "famous" Boris album (although not necessarily the BEST), here be the track list:  01 Pink/02 Woman on the Screen/03 Nothing Special/04 Blackout/05 Electric/06 Six, Three Times/07Afterburner/08 Psuedobread/09 My Machine/10 Farewell/11 Just Abandoned Myself
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/6kzeeG1J/file.html


So, next up, we have the infamous "Vein", a collection of "untitled" tracks........hope ya like it, it is Boris to the core without question......
http://www15.zippyshare.com/v/66qgJlJ5/file.html

Next relese was "Smile", yet another good one, Hell, I'm TIRED of trying to straighten this this shit out, why not let Brian give his estimatiom of this disc?:

"Some criticisms of this album mark it as too similar to PINK, as if Boris were repeating themselves. That's crap. This release is even tighter than that album. "Statement" just socks you in the gut, while you also have the devastating beauty of "Flower Sun Rain" and "Kare Hateta Saki". Like PINK, this album is also radically different in its U.S. release compared to its Japanese one."

Yep, sounds about right to me.....this is a fine album as well and if you guys have caught the Boris addiction by NOW, you'll wanna  hear this one as WELL!....

Well, to be all-inclusive, we have included not only the US version of "Smile", but also the "Live" version as well as the  Japanese version...nmae yer fuicking poison, do you have a fucking clue how much work this is?


SMILE-Japanese Version-http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/gg4YLhlw/file.html
SMILE-US Version -http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/upfp5RH5/file.html
SMILE-Live Version-http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/gVLsEOXn/file.html

OK, that's gonna bout do it for today.....plenty more BORIS to come in the next couple days, I COULD put it up tonight, but guess what? I FUCKING DONT FEEL LIKE IT......thanks loads to my protege Brian, I think he is going to be a HUGE help to me over time, as I finish the Boris thing, he is working on a Swans thing, which is tremendous......what with him, and the Greek Punk, and the Dave Sez stuff, I can become an internet star and never do a goddamn thing!!!! Not  really, I thank all my helpers, you guys are great and I could never do this without ya......Brian Parker deserves TONS of credit for helping me put this Boris post together, as he will the remaining sections of it...... THANKS BRIAN, and you HAVE BEEN a tremendous help in keeping this blog up and running!

BORIS part 1.........mega-post, a collaborative effort bewteen Big Scott and Brian Parker!

Brian Parker REALLY needs a snappy screen name, BUT , number one, he is from the great Buckeye State, and number two, he seems genuinely interested in learning the blogging/SHARING game, which is of course ALL GOOD.......this is part one of our multi-part mega-post on BORIS, if you are somehow unaware, BORIS are one of the planet's best bands, have been for a while.....they are an experimental Japanese rock band, they have released some 19 or so studio albums, (plus live, EP's, singles, etc, ALL of which we intend to touch upon in this multi part blog post.......I probably SHOULD HAVE done a Boris post long ago, but never did, and with the help of Brian, it is finally here.......


So, here are the first batch of links Brian provides for us......

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/HfXRKkgx/file.html

Dronevil Disc 1

Another of their more rare releases. A two CD set that is meant to be played - like the Flaming Lips' ZAIREEKA - at the same time. While I've never listened to it that way, it's spacey riffing, drum shimmers, and wandering solos work just fine on their own. And pay attention: the last track on disc 2 is gonna show up in devastating form later...

(Tracks: Disc 1 - 1.Loose/2.Giddiness Throne/ 3.Interference Demon - Disc 2 1.(Japanese script) Red/ 2. Evil Wave Form/3.The Evilone Which Sobs)

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/WI5LJkQ1/file.html
Dronevil Disc 2



Flood

Here is where the band really started to indulge in it's psychedelic side. Song titles are simply "Flood" 1-4. Very spacey and atmospheric, in a wandering sort of way, with lyrical heaviness for texture. Boris doing ambient, if you will. Good one to fall asleep to.

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/8zQ5C39g/file.html


Mabuta De Ura

A soundtrack to an imaginary film. Spacey but firmly band-based, I kinda look at this like Boris's OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. Japan-only release.
(Tracks: 1.Theme/2.Middle of Stairs/3.A Bao a Qu/4.Slow Ripple of a Puddle/5.Your Name/6.White Warmth/7.Melting Guitar/8.Yesterday Morning/9.Amber Bazaar/10.Smoke Sequence/11.Space Behind Me Pt. 2/12.Picture Of a Wind/13.It Touches)

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/zgg2my7F/file.html

New Album

This marked a shift in Boris. Not only in record labels - leaving the mighty Southern Lord - but in their sound. This release is kind of a distilling of the next two albums. You've got shivery J-Pop snuggling up to video game music and feedback squall. This one takes some assimilating, but is worth it.
(Tracks: 1.Flare/2.Hope/3.Party Boy/4.Luna/5.Spoon/ 6.Pardon?/7.Jackson Head/8.Les Paul Custom '86/9.Tu La La/10.Looprider)

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/Uh6qhFod/file.html

Pink

Their first high profile release in the U.S. You have the haunting beauty of "Farewell" and "Just Abandoned Myself", the psych-rock shronk of "Woman On the Screen" and "Afterburner"...just a stellar album. Also released in a radically different version in Japan (wiki link HERE). Cultural note: "Farewell" was used heavily in Jim Jarmusch's existential assassin film "The Limits Of Control". That soundtrack will be in a later catch-all post.

(Tracks: 1.Farewell/2.Pink/3.Woman On the Screen/ 4.Nothing Special/5.Blackout/6.Electric/7.Pseudo-Bread/ 8.Afterburner/9.Six, Three Times/10.My Machine/11.Just Abandoned My-self)

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/6kzeeG1J/file.html

  Pink (US)
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/YUxMUFEz/file.html

So here is a whole bunch of some of the greatest japanese rock of all time, (except of course Eternal Elysium), but here are some great albums from the wonderful Boris.....let me dig in and see what ELSE young Brian has uploaded for us, it WILL be phenominal......