The name was popular enough to reach my radar years ago when I started getting into J-pop, but the "boy band" label wasn't quite encouraging for me to find out more. I knew about one song from them I think, and when "KinKi Kids Forever" came out, I totally thought they were just another cheesy group. I didn't even know the group consists of not more than two members, until recently.
By now they've been active for more than ten years, and with a pretty impressive record. Sampling their songs over this period, I realized their singing had been decent from the start, although it's certainly better now. I wasn't following close enough to be able to say that their music matured over the years -- I found at random points songs that fit my fancy and some that don't. But for sure up to now they have produced a number of good songs, learned to play instruments, and composed some music of their own.
Given the dangerously image-oriented multi-purpose Asian idol culture (which I'm sure they are still conforming to, at many levels, to some extent) I'm glad to see such a growth in this aspect.
Just thought this is cute. For the full effect you need to listen to the bouncy song. It was featured in Grey's Anatomy, so I suppose most people already know?
On the radio You hear November Rain That solo's awful long But it's a good refrain You listen to it twice 'cause the DJ is asleep...
Regina Spektor, "On the Radio" Uploaded by reginaspektor
And of course, the referenced "awful long" classic.
In contrast, the famous "Hotel California" is definitely haunting but in a quiet, undercurrent way; and in The Fifth Element's "Diva Opera", well, the power and the haunting quality all come from Sarah Brightman's impressive voice. I'm not so much into operatic stuff (where I suppose there are more of such things?) so I don't really notice the music aside from the strategic 'bam!'-s.
Speaking of epic there is of course Meat Loaf who has been "breaking several records for chart duration", but (aside of the length factor) I think it has a lot to do with his vocal presentation and less about the full accompaniment.
Not sure what to call this -- reflection? fanfiction? Anyway, this short piece of prose was inspired by a line of dialogue in the movie Charlie Bartlett, which both Eka and I have high opinions of after watching.
Yet untitled, and probably a little mushy. =P Fanfiction-ish in the sense that references are made without explanation, so it may be difficult to understand if you haven't watched the movie (well, if you haven't but can still understand, I'd be delighted to know). It also means spoilers.
---
The boy is everything he is not, even back in those years -- sweet talk and refined manners and prim looks that scream at school bullies to get him.
He sees no malice, though, and that is why he hasn't been quite as stern as someone in his position should be. He knows this species: teenagers vying to be recognized as adults, taking charge of things in all the wrong ways, while in truth their stubbornness and cynical perspectives speak louder of how immature their minds still are.
This kid would've been no different if not for his actual capacity to stir troubles at such a scale.
That may have been his mistake, to leave alone a misguided aspiration that ends up robbing him of his job and family and the life he's been trying to piece back together.
Yes, he is game enough to admit his part in this wreck, and that, strangely, is one point where he can connect perfectly with the kid -- they make mistakes; but all their mistakes, they make in earnest.
Yet, seated in the makeshift theatre, he has to admit that the kid fixes his mistakes a little better than he does. It may be an advantage of youth to be so fixated on a dream -- when one road crumbles, he grabs his dream and moves on.
Roads are for destinations, not the other way round. For him who has spent years following a road to a dream that lands him somewhere he no longer wants to be, it might as well be that all this mess has gotten him out of it.
The curtain closes on the smiling face of his daughter, looking straight at him. He assumes it means the worst part is over.
Their relationship might have been fine before this boy came along, and a total disaster after; but without that episode, it might never be as good as it will be from now on.
That may have been his saving grace, to not kill a clumsy flame that later goes on to rekindle the meaning of all that's important in his life.
桑田佳祐「明日晴れるかな」 Kuwata Keisuke "Ashita Hareru ka na"
I am partial to deep voice. ^_^ The rockish quality caught my attention immediately upon hearing it on someone's blog, and the fact that his English pronunciation actually sounded fine in my ears. To top it off, this is one really nice song.
During the hunt, found out that it is also the theme song of PROPOSE Daisakusen, apparently quite a popular drama (seen it on display in TS), no doubt because it stars Yamashita Tomohisa. I'm not enticed to watch it yet since the theme looks set towards a very slow pace... but if it is as emotional as people said, then this theme song is definitely appropriate.
The hunt also led to the band of which Kuwata-san is vocalist, and uncovered another great song below.
Southern All Stars 「TSUNAMI」
Finally, while wading through older Japanese songs, I was surprised to find that some Chinese songs that I liked were actually ripped from them. Gah! Well, to be fair, I don't know for sure if for all cases it is not the other way round; I only deduced from the fact that most of them do cite the Japanese composers.
I'm quite accepting of the ones by Joi Cai since I knew that beforehand, and I'm actually glad she did 依恋 because I have no way of finding the French(?) original. The 后来 -- 未来へ(Mirai e) connection was quite well known too; but these pretty classic ones left me feeling a bit... cheated. ^^0
Anyway, here's a list of those I found recently. I'm quite prepared to find more match in the future. At least they did bring the nice tunes to a wider world, in some cases also giving them a more mainstream feel... so I won't complain.
I'm going to watch The Pillowman tonight. First real live event that I decided to buy a ticket for all by myself, so somehow I feel like it's something I need to be prepared for, XD which I'm not. Hmmm. Maybe I should've been more persuasive in asking my friends to watch with me, but I was in the never-mind, chop-chop-settle kinda mood. =P
Got myself a Kobukuro last weekend. Somebody should be proud of me for supporting the music industry for once. XD I knew they wouldn't disappoint (furthermore it's their All Singles Best), but part of the reason for that impulsive purchase was my excitement at knowing that their fame had apparently reached Singapore too -- wouldn't be surprised if it were in Kinokuniya, but I've found the CD in the Popular bookshop, see.
If anything, my one tiny purchase should encourage Warner Music Singapore to import more of their stuff, no? (On second thought, maybe it just helps that Kobukuro is currently signed under Warner Music Japan?) Their edition comes with Chinese translation of the song lyrics and footnotes in the album, too, so that in addition to 20 songs (16 of which I didn't have at time of purchase) in two discs at 19 dollars minus 5 cents are quite worth it, at least when balanced against my growing obsession, heh.
Two of the songs in the album I've posted some time back, so I won't post more here. Instead, here is a song "Kobukuro's smaller one" wrote for Natsukawa Rimi, another great singer whose CDs I've been buying (that's saying a lot if you know me). Please bear with the precluding talks -- there are cleaner videos out there, but I like this version because the songwriter performed with her and sang the harmony here.
There is a reason we chose this field, and it is the fun.
The minutiae that follow may not be, and we often have to foray into things we'd rather not be bothered about, because just the fun stuff rarely sustains itself. But from time to time we hit that fun bone, and we stay.
After all, it's the same everywhere else... probably.
And so once in a while we come across something that... doesn't tally with current priorities... but one that our hands itch to get on... And I am very much a creature of the moment, and indisciplinedly so.
I vaguely remember someone said something to the effect of: "Whenever you get the drive to study, do it. The motivation to learn is hard to come by." Second that.
Though maybe it just seems all the more attractive in the face of the alternative work which comes with the pressure of a deadline or responsibility.
I strive through night journeys, only for the sake of one certain window. When you are lost along the way, you'd be able to see its light.
Without realizing, I've come to think of this foreign land as my hometown. Only occasionally when I feel sad, I'll unconsciously gaze towards the distance.
I quietly hide my past accent; the promise I couldn't speak out remains in my heart all the time.
The many times that my tears are about to flow, that window is the reason that keeps me strong.
In that small entrance, her gentleness still remains, giving me warmth and staying by my side.
---
First saw him on Chinese TV, talking about songwriting in an interview. When he said, "Because [I] lost [my] father, [I] wrote that kind of song," with the soft melody edited into the clip, he definitely caught my attention. (If I got it correctly, I think he basically meant that one should write songs on what he truly felt for.)
Tune-wise the above song is my favorite, but that song he wrote for his father is by far the most touching.
So I'm losing you 大海在等候那条河流 So I'm missing you 梦中那双手轻抚我的头 就像小时候
看夕阳染红了天边那是最后的眷恋 天空和大地忘不了她的陪伴
在你离开后不久以后升起满天的星斗 他们不知道曾经难受的分手
So I'm losing you 大海在等候那条河流 So I'm missing you 梦中那双手轻抚我的头 就像小时候
So I'm losing you 大海在等候这条河流 So I'm missing you 梦中那双手轻抚我的头 就像小时候
看流星划过了天边直到你已经走远 长长的弧线那时的意念想念
Missing You
I watch the setting sun linger at the edge of the sky, reluctant to go down the mountain. The sky and the earth, all these are holding her back.
At the end you still have to leave, with no time for another word. A gust of wind sweeps past, and I let go of the hand that is still warm.
So I'm losing you; the ocean is waiting for that river. So I'm missing you; that pair of hands in my dream gently pats my head, just like it did when I was a child.
I watch the setting sun paint the sky red; that is the last sentimental attachment. The sky and the earth cannot forget her company.
Not long after you left, the stars that rise up to fill the sky knows nothing of the sad parting in the past.
So I'm losing you; the ocean is waiting for that river. So I'm missing you; that pair of hands in my dream gently pats my head, just like it did when I was a child.
So I'm losing you; the ocean is waiting for this river. So I'm missing you; that pair of hands in my dream gently pats my head, just like it did when I was a child.
I watch the shooting star sail across the sky, until you have gone far. The long arc [is like] the memory of that time, the longing.
Went for Ven. Thubten Chodron's talk on Wisdom and Compassion this morning. Paiseh, I usually went for talks only when Soracco got something on. =P But if anything, I suppose this irregularity helps to prevent these lessons from becoming a routine that I might end up ignoring.
Not that I'm advocating, ya. This is what works for me because I am a quite impulsive person -- a lesson needs to strike me at a timely moment, otherwise it's the case of pouring water into a full cup. And actually, exactly because of this I should be going more regularly since I don't know what time it might strike. And I do need it to strike every now and then, because most things fade from my head when not revisited in a long time.
As it is, I'm blogging about it because something did strike. XD This needs some background exposition first, so please bear with me for a while.
So, there is this personality that I picture I want to have. I keep shaping this picture by what is important to me over time. I got upset when someone talked harshly to me, so I decided that this personality would always be considerate to people. I felt guilty over not getting a work done properly, so I added that this personality would be responsible and trustworthy. And so on.
There are two problems in the way I apply this approach. One is that I never concretize the abstract ideas and end up drowning in mundane activities without ever progressing towards that image. The other is that I see my current situation as inferior to this personality, and whenever I commit a mistake that violates this image, I am very unhappy with myself.
(Hady likes to quote that flaws make people interesting. Oh yeah, I agree. But somehow, I'd like to choose the flaws I'd keep. XD)
Now, Ven.'s talk on compassion made a point that, being enlightened means achieving bodhicitta. Achieving bodhicitta is impossible if there is a single sentient being that one cannot feel compassion towards. Every being that we meet contribute to our life; our enlightenment depends on each one of them. (There were raised questions about ants and cockroaches, again, XD but let me not digress.)
I knocked down a child in my rush many days ago and still couldn't get over that guilt -- I blamed it on my temporary absence of mind, but I thought, it wouldn't have happened if I had had the very basic compassion in the first place.
Then Ven.'s talk on wisdom touched on how parents discipline their children, where being truly compassionate means teaching the children to deal with not always getting what they want.
When we were little we couldn't reason about things, and all manners were drilled into us by our parents. Do this because it is good. Don't do that because it is bad. Why good, why bad? Just because. Until, of course, we somehow think back to those when we are older and start discovering (or disproving) the reasoning for ourselves.
From those, I kind of realized why I hadn't been progressing -- it was because I wanted all those qualities without firstly having the seeds from which they would grow.
I have one foot in the belief that, if I have the right motivation in place, then I will naturally take the right course of action, as what my ideal personality would do. Maybe, then, I need not bother fleshing out that image any more -- all those will be there by definition.
Yet from experience, it was always when a mistake had happened that I realized I didn't have enough mindfulness to react properly based on that motivation when the situation occurred.
That is where, I suppose, the drilling should come in.
Regardless of whether I can follow up from this reflection... that has been a fruitful wandering off of my mind during the talk, if only to disentangle some of the mess in my head. So in the spirit of gratitude to Venerable and all factors that have put her and me at that place at that time... let me just revive an old NUSBS cheer:
Hip-hip, sadhu!
Photo courtesy of Bro. Goh Kuan Seng Candle-holder courtesy of Poh Ern Shih Temple
