Morning Musume [4th Ikimasshoi! (4th 「いきまっしょい!」; Let's go!)] (Fourth Album)

The Peace! (Complete Version)
Ii Koto Aru Kinen no Shunkan (いいことある記念の瞬間, The Moment I Remember When Something Good Happened)
Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~ (Long Version) (Mr. Moonlight～愛のビッグバンド～ (Long Version), Mr. Moonlight ~Love’s Big Band~)
Hajimete no Rock Concert (初めてのロックコンサート, My First Rock Concert)
Otoko Tomodachi (男友達, Guy Friend)
Souda! We’re Alive (そうだ！, That’s Right! We’re Alive)
Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru (Album Version) (でっかい宇宙に愛がある(Album Version), There’s Love in this Great Big World)
Ikimasshoi! (いきまっしょい!, Let’s Go!)
Densha no Futari (電車の二人, Train for Two People)
Honki de Atsui Theme Song (本気で熱いテーマソング, The Seriously Passionate Theme Song)
Suki na Senpai (好きな先輩, My Senior Crush)
Renai Revolution 21 (13-nin Version) (恋愛レボリューション, Love Revolution 21)
Nanni mo Iwazu ni I Love You (なんにも言わずに, Without Saying a Word, I Love You)

The album starts off with the anthem The Peace! (Complete Version). This song is completely ridiculous and I mean that in a good and bad way. I’m sure this is quite the fun song live, because so many things are going on, from talking to singing, to rises in the arrangement and all kinds of things that would make a non-momusu fan such as myself very confused. There’s nothing wrong with that, but at the same time there seems to be no structure, maybe I’m being too much of a critic instead of just enjoying the song for what it is, but honestly what IS it, because I have no idea what’s going on. Everything seemed to just happen for no reason and I’m not exactly sure what they were going for. It just makes this track very impossible in my opinion. Energetic way to start off the album, but its just not a song that I could get down to.

The next track on the album is the light Ii Koto Aru Kinen no Shunkan (いいことある記念の瞬間, The Moment I Remember When Something Good Happened). This track was quite charming, I really enjoyed it. The arrangement is so warm and gives off such a good feeling, it also made me think of this one song I just adore, in which I can’t remember at the moment. It really makes me want an instrumental of this. The vocal performances were nice, I didn’t really have a problem with them, because the semi cute-sy vocals were appropriate for a song like this. I also really like what the title translates to and it just made me enjoy this song all the more, because it makes the song rather nostalgic, but fills you with an unexplainable gladness at the same time.

The next track on the album is the Jazzy Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~ (Long Version) (～愛のビッグバンド～ (Long Version), Mr. Moonlight ~Love’s Big Band~). Ah, my favorite Momusu song, I just wish I wasn’t so tired, so I would have enjoyed it more. I don’t really favor the long talk at the beginning, I understand its necessary for the set-up, but it just seems tedious, it makes more sense in the video for obvious reasons. I love the arrangement, so Big Bang and Swing, really makes you want to get up an dance. I also really enjoyed the vocal performances, they really sounded like they were enjoying themselves and why not? This is a fun song: ‘mr. moonlight!’

The next track on the album is the rather dull Hajimete no Rock Concert (初めてのロックコンサート, My First Rock Concert). Umm… for a song to have ‘rock concert’ in it this is as far from rock as you’re going to get, in fact it sounded pretty pop to me. The arrangement was uninteresting and seemed to just sputter along, seriously. Whoever was singing could not have sounded more uninspired if she had tried, it just made the song a bit tedious and or boring.

The next track on the album is the around mid-tempo Otoko Tomodachi (男友達, Guy Friend). This song is a bit average, but I found that I enjoyed it a lot more than I originally thought I would (which would be not at all). The arrangement is very light and fresh and makes you give way to a warm smile. The vocal performance was all right, it wasn’t very good, but I thought she pulled it off. I really dig the chorus, yes dig.

The next track on the album is the rather infectious Souda! We’re Alive (そうだ！, That’s Right! We’re Alive). This song sounds like an anthem and listening to it from that respect, I like it quite a bit. This is such a great song to either start a concert an or tour or end one or the other with, because its so in your face, yet retains such an inspirational quality to it that is very endearing. The arrangement is typical Momusu full of activity flare, which was fitting. The vocal performances were charming and I love how everyone involved were so into the song and sounded like they had a great time.

The next track on the album is the all together Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru (Album Version) (でっかい宇宙に愛がある(Album Version), There’s Love in this Great Big World). This is a really nice song and I found that I enjoyed it immensely. It was just something about them all singing together –to the minimal but so fitting arrangement– that just really touched me. It made me feel a little nostalgic…

The next track on the album is the exuberant Ikimasshoi! (いきまっしょい!, Let’s Go!). This was a song that took a bit to grow on me, because when it first started I honestly didn’t care all that much about it. I think its the chorus that sold me, its rather cute. I also like all the activity that seems to be going on in the background and in the arrangement.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Densha no Futari (電車の二人, Train for Two People). This song was pretty nice, it does nothing to jump out you, but I found myself still somewhat paying attention to it. The arrangement was suitable, even if I can’t really recall it; the vocal performances were also decent, but there was notable strain which made them sound kind a weird and amateurish. This is a nice listen though.

The next track on the album is the party-esque Honki de Atsui Theme Song (本気で熱いテーマソング, The Seriously Passionate Theme Song). I like how the song seems fun, passionate no, but if the passionate is morphed into the fun and friendly like atmosphere of the song than I get it. I mean there’s more than one way to define ‘passionate’. As is typical in Momusu and H!P songs in general is there is a lot of activity going on in the background, which works to keep the song interesting, but not in a negative and annoying way, thank goodness. The vocal performances were pretty good, I didn’t really have a problem with that department this time around.

The next track on the album is the charming Suki na Senpai (好きな先輩, My Senior Crush). Ah, I can remember those long school days in which I crushed on some guy way older than me, knowing he would never look my way. This cute track brings back so many memories. I like this song, I thought it was a nice and rather genuine listen.

The second to last track on the album is the party-esque Renai Revolution 21 (13-nin Version) (恋愛レボリューション, Love Revolution 21). This is a fun song. I’m actually quite surprised with myself, maybe I’m not as uptight as I think I am. The vocals performances I want to highlight because they were good, perfectly n-sync and made this song quite a treat for the ears, plus I love it when they say: ‘love revolution!’

The last track on the album is the rather sweet Nanni mo Iwazu ni I Love You (なんにも言わずに, Without Saying a Word, I Love You). This song goes completely over my head, I won’t lie, half the time I wasn’t even paying attention to it and then when I would I would think: ‘hmm? this is a nice song’ the chorus is pretty light and simple and gives off a sort of young innocence that is charming. The vocal performances were as sweet as the song suggests, I really liked the chorus, their cute somewhat immature vocals meshed together really made me want to smile and how adorable was the ‘i love you’ at the end?

-GRADE: B+
Rating: ** stars

Morning Musume’s fourth album 4th Ikimasshoi! was better than I expected it to be. The only Momusu albums I recall liking are their first (favorite) and eighth albums, the rest pretty much fade into the background. I mean I’ve already gushed about how much I love ‘mr. moonlight’ and how its my favorite Momusu song, but besides that I didn’t really expect to like more than a handful of tracks on here and came out liking nearly the whole album. I’m very amazed by this, but in the end this was a pretty good album; ‘Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru’ definitely stands out and is one of my favorites now.

Morning Musume [Naichau Kamo] (38th Single)

Naichau Kamo (泣いちゃうかも, I Might Cry)
Yowamushi (弱虫, Coward)

Morning Musume’s 38th single starts off with the a-side Naichau Kamo (泣いちゃうかも, I Might Cry). The first time I listened to this song it was while pretending to watch the video, and well it seemed OK to me then, but now its nearly unbearable. I don’t know, maybe it stems from the fact that I’m not much of a Momusu fan or a H!P fan for that matter, but this song just kind a made me uneasy and cringe while I was listening to it. The arrangement sounds rather lukewarm, or better yet like video game music, it really does sound like video game music to me. The vocal performances were just not good, some were high and nasally and then others were strained and it was just all very annoying. The only interesting part of this song was the: ‘kamo, kamo, kamo!’ of the chorus, but even that lost its appeal after a while. This is a pretty weak a-side.

The next track on the single is its b-side Yowamushi (弱虫, Coward). Wow… this song was boring. It had the potential to be a bit better than the a-side, but I found sooner rather than later, that I care even less for this track. The arrangement was pretty interesting, sounded rather mysterious and then I kind a forgot all about it as the song progressed. The vocal performances were low, which I can understand, but the uninspired way in which everyone was singing just made the song quite the dull listen. This song seems to go on for forever too and that just makes it all the more dull.

-GRADE: D
Rating: * star

Morning Musume’s 38th single Naichau Kamo was pretty awful. I mean I really didn’t like this single at all. The a-side was annoying and the b-side was boring. I’m just glad they’re finally putting out another album, though I don’t think I’ll enjoy it, because I haven’t been too enthused with the singles leading up to it so far.

Morning Musume [3rd-Love Paradise] (Third Album)

~Ohayō~ (～おはよう～, ~Morning~)
Love Machine (Loveマシーン, Love Machine)
Aisha Loan de (愛車ローンで, A Beloved Car on Loan)
Kuchizuke no Sono Ato (くちづけのその後, Right After the Kiss)
Koi no Dance Site (恋のダンスサイト, Love’s Dance Site)
Lunchtime ~Rebanira Itame~ (ランチタイム～レバニラ炒め～, Lunchtime ~Liver Leek Stir fry~)
Dance Suru no da! (Danceするのだ!, The Fact is, We Dance!)
Omoide (おもいで, Memory)
Harajuku 6:00 Shuugou (原宿6:00集合, Meeting at Harajuku at 6:00)
Why?
“…Suki da yo!” (「、、、好きだよ！」, “… I Love You!”)
~Oyasumi~” (～おやすみ～, ~Good Night~)

The album starts off with the calming intro ~Ohayō~ (～おはよう～, ~Morning~). One of the Momusu girls is talking, in a somewhat placating voice for a bit, and then a few of the other members comes in and says: ‘ohayo,’ I thought it was a really sweet opening.

The next track on the album is the somewhat up-tempo Love Machine (Loveマシーン, Love Machine). This is a really nice song. I mean the arrangement is very cute, and fun-friendly. I’m guessing this was suppose to be up-tempo, but it never seems to get fast enough to me, though in all truth this is one addicting song and I almost found myself singing along to the chorus because it sounded like they were having such a good time. The vocal performances were pretty good, I really liked the harmony brought a lot of personality and variety to this song. This was a lot of fun to listen too.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Aisha Loan de (愛車ローンで, A Beloved Car on Loan). What a weird title, but its really cute. I thought this was a really nice song, mostly because of the chorus though which really gave me such a friendly and warm vibe. Their harmonies are very childish, but it really works to this songs advantage and makes it quite the charming track.

The next track on the album is the downer Kuchizuke no Sono Ato (くちづけのその後, Right After the Kiss). I really tried to like this song, because it has so much potential, but it is really quite the downer track. The arrangement is very bland and consists of a guitar arrangement that couldn’t have been more uninspired if you had wished it to be. The vocal performances were very lank, uninspired, stale and a little awkward or should I say uncomfortable. This song just went completely over my head.

The next track on the album is the quirky Koi no Dance Site (恋のダンスサイト, Love’s Dance Site). This was a cute and fun song, I will admit that. However, it just loses its spark a little too fast. The arrangement is very quirky and frenzied in a sense, it seems almost like circus music really, but then it get’s bland. The vocals were nice I thought, there harmonies was good, but they just sounded weird, and then it just got repetitive. Also, the song becomes disjointed and messy when the arrangement speeds up and it seems like so many things are going on at one time, it seems unnecessary and is what ultimately ruins the song for me.

The next track on the album is the insanely purposeless Lunchtime ~Rebanira Itame~ (ランチタイム～レバニラ炒め～, Lunchtime ~Liver Leek Stir fry~). I was waiting for a song that never came. Instead I had to endure over three minutes of some guy talking weirdly and some acid-induced arrangement and sound effects. Also, what the hell is a liver leek stir, it sounds disgusting!?

The next track on the album is the rather nice Dance Suru no da! (Danceするのだ!, The Fact is, We Dance!). I actually really enjoyed this track. The arrangement was very fitting, I mean its really hard to describe it but the drums and the clapping went really well with the whole flow of this song. I adored the vocal performances in this, they were still childish, but not in an irritating way. The harmonies were spot on and gave this song a really warm and friendly feel. It seems too slow for a dance track, so the title is a bit misleading–I mean it should be fast, but the song comes across as very mellow. I think it was intentional though. Still, this is a pretty nice song.

The next track is the somewhat down-tempo Omoide (おもいで, Memory). I think this is as close to a ballad as we’re going to get. I had a hard time deciding whether I liked this song or not, and then decided that I liked it. The arrangement is pretty slow-paced, but not entirely and it has a very smoky and jazz-like feel to it. Its an all right arrangement. I think only one Momusu member was singing, because I heard the same voice throughout. If so, her voice was pretty OK. I mean I didn’t like how it seemed like she was trying a little too hard to match the beat by putting a bit of sensuality into her voice, it made her vocal performance a little absurd. This song is decent.

The next track on the album is the mind-numbing Harajuku 6:00 Shuugou (原宿6:00集合, Meeting at Harajuku at 6:00). Wow, talk about annoying and pointless songs. The arrangement was very stop and go, and that really irritated me, which is a shame because the trumpets gave this song a nice jazz feel. The vocals and harmonies were godawful, and what was the purpose of the, ‘hah! hah!’ sounds throughout, it just made this song even more stupid. Insanely forgettable!

The next track is the snail-paced Why?. Oh God… OK I really thought I was going to like this song, but as usual, I didn’t. The arrangement is like something out of this world annoying and that accompanied with one of the Momusu girls slow and painful singing, and some rappers lame rap/talking nearly made my head explode. It was so monotonous and boring that I completely forgot I was listening to it and had to start it back from the beginning. I mean this song is like torture, make your ears bleed inducing and after a while you’d literally be begging your captor to kill you all ready, because it has to be better than listening to this song. Fail.

The next track on the album is the nice “…Suki da yo!” (「、、、好きだよ！」, “… I Love You!”). Oh, I had to listen to this again, because I had actually forgot it… I really like how the arrangement gave off a very shy but genuine feeling of love, it was really nice and very fitting. The vocals were nice as well, I thought. I mean the lead Momusu girl(s) who was singing, her voice sounded very weak, but when they all sing together its actually really nice.

The last track on the album is the outro ~Oyasumi~ (～おやすみ～, ~Good Night~). Its similar to the intro track, except in this one they’re saying, ‘oyasumi’ as opposed to ‘ohayo’.

-GRADE: C
Rating: * star

Morning Musume’s third album 3rd-Love Paradise was a bit less underwhelming than it was when I first listened to it, but still just as bad. I’m not a Morning Musume fan, as I’ve stated, but I do on certain occasions enjoy their music. I like my music to be very thoughtful, deep and leave a lasting impression, but at the same time I like that I also like songs that can make me throw away my inhibitions and just have a bit of fun. I think that’s what Momusu does, and that’s why I find that I enjoy their music more than the other H!P groups, because its more on my level, and less kiddy bop in my opinion. I really adored the first Momusu album, and I think that maybe I enjoyed the second album too, but this album is definitely a couple of steps down from those, which is a shame because it contains two of Momusu’s highest selling singles Love Machine (Loveマシーン, Love Machine) a song in which I actually liked and Koi no Dance Site a song in which I didn’t so much like. Imagine that. 3rd-Love Paradise is an album for Momusu fans, because I’m quite sure they’ll enjoy it a lot more than I did.

Morning Musume [Mikan (みかん, Mandarin Orange)] (35th Single)

Mikan (みかん, Mandarin Orange)
Bon Kyu! Bon Kyu! Bomb Girl (ボン キュッ！ボン キュッ！BOMB　GIRL)

Morning Musume’s 35th single starts off with the a-side Mikan (みかん, Mandarin Orange). What an odd title? Hmm? I really didn’t like this song when it first came out, I thought it was a whole bunch of noise, but its obvious that I didn’t listen to it, because personally I didn’t care too. I’m not a Momusu fan, but I do happen to enjoy their music, my favorite song being Mr. Moonlight. Anyways, I thought the arrangement was very light, pop-ish and cute. It had a friendly and warm air about it that was nice. The vocals were decent, I thought they had good harmony… considering. I mean the song can come across as very annoying; it touches the line but never crosses it. I thought the song was a bit long, and I admittedly was waiting for it to end. I did enjoy this though, a whole lot more this time around. It’s pretty fun and a bit catchy.

The next track on the single is the b-side Bon Kyu! Bon Kyu! Bomb Girl (ボン キュッ！ボン キュッ！BOMB　GIRL). This song is ridiculous. It sounds so Broadway, but not even that, but musical-like. It also sounds like something I would hear on an animated movie, like Cats Don’t Dance or something. Its just so quirky and cute, and seems pretty random. I mean different girls pop up and sing or shout some things, its really crazy. I mean the a-side didn’t quite get annoying, but this song certainly does. Its just too many things going on and though its endearing, I just found I couldn’t be bothered to care. If I was a fan I’d probably like this song, but I’m not, so I don’t.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

Morning Musume’s 35th single Mikan was pretty OK. I found I really enjoyed the a-side Mikan, it was a fun and nice listen. The b-side Bon Kyu! Bon Kyu! Bomb Girl I however did not like all that much, and the title is just really… WTF?