Customer Reviews

Amiyumi

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

puffy launched their Japanese pop career with this image-defining mini-album. from the opening rocker "tokusuru karada" to the hit single "ajia no junshin", the whole thing is great. it's not very long, but very good. and a must for the puffy fan. the import price is a little expensive, but if you want it, you won't be disappointed. okuda tamio produces.

Puffy is all about fun. Their lyrics won't send shivers up your spine or change your life, but Puffy is always enjoyable from the first track to the last. They're also derivative, but they're derivative in an interesting way. When they steal, they steal well (anyone raised with western pop will instantly recognize what's 'borrowed'). Puffy does not take themselves too seriously (just look at the CD booklet), and they're able to utilize many musical styles and still sound like Puffy.

This album, their first, is short but good. It's not their strongest or most fun album, but it's a good listen nonetheless. It's great to see and hear female pop that is not sold on the bodies of the singers alone (witness America's pathetically sexualized female pop stars). Puffy is not going for the sexy look (they often wear loose t-shirts, jeans, or rumpled clothing - I've never seen them in spandex or bikini tops). Sometimes they are too cute for words, but this doesn't diminish the music on their albums. It seems to intensify it for some unexplainable reason.

Puffy is for enjoyment. It's fun. It's cute. It's Japanese. Not to mention that the music industry is VERY different in Japan. Puffy have sold just about every conceivable product on Japanese television. Pop, snacks, cars, etc. They even have their own talk show complete with cartoon representations of themselves. They're huge stars, possibly the Pink Lady of their generation.

I doubt they will ever "make it big" in the United States, but if they do it will be too soon for me. Puffy are fine as they are.

"amiyumi," the first CD from Japanese duo Puffy is great boppy fun, and a big step above your average j-pop bands like SMAP or Morning Musume. Ami Ohnuki and Yumi Yoshimura are the requisite girl-band cute, and they have some talent as well. While not necessarily big stars in Japan, their one hit "True Asia" is included on this CD.

"amiyumi," while only a short seven songs, does a good job of showcasing what Puffy can do. Quick, synthetic pop on one song followed by quirky guitar rock for another. They have a decent range of styles, all of them clean and enjoyable.

Maybe not the best Puffy album, due mainly to its short length, it is still a welcome CD in any collection.

I would say that this is the best thing that Puffy have done so far, in spite of it's brief length (around 35 minutes), because of the sheer breadth of material, the absolute lack of any kind of filler, and the fact that it does not outstay its welcome.

Many later Puffy releases pad out the material (albeit with some intriguing distractions eg. Black Sabbath-style sonic rumble weirdness, daft conversations about shopping). Nothing like that here.

Track 1 (Toku suru karada) rocks harder than it has any right to - Puffy have never put anything as punk-rock out as this since. The next track (Usagi Channel) is super-mellow, and the rest of the album hits a perfect balance between heavier and lighter tracks a la Led Zeppelin / Smashing Pumpkins.

Culminating in the massive track 'Pure Asia', and the equally sublime 'Hey Mountain' (a 'duet' with their producer, the genius Okuda Tamio), this is a blinding cd. It will make your life that much richer, just grab ahold of a copy.

Look, if you even found this page, you're way ahead. Puffy Ami Yumi is so good you should just click the add to cart button now, but if you must read on.... The CD includes many a great song, both fast and slow. The complex rock/pop melodies are so interesting that this CD can be lessened to over and over and it still sounds fresh. I heard the hit `True Asia' (included in this CD) while in Japan and picked it up there. Even as a non Japanese speaker, I found that the CD was full of great songs. That was six years ago and I still regularly pull it out. The CD has a rich, deep quality like `Abby Road,' I don't think you can go wrong.