Customer Reviews

Happy End of the World

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I like my music moody, and difficult to listen to. I loathe pop, and I never dance. And yet I found "Happy End of the World's" ridiculous cheerfulness to be irresistable. More than once I've caught myself singing, "La, La-la, La-la, LA la la," (those are actual lyrics) while out in public, and then I want to hide. Pizzicato Five does everything wrong: they use badly outdated pop samples, and sing in Japanese when they're not babbling complete gibberish. And yet you get the impression that they could skip merrily into Hell and make Satan himself giggle.

OK, well, my husband already thinks my taste in music is shall we say...unique. When I put this CD into the stereo and cranked it up he thought I had really lost my mind. Now he is begging me to put it on. I suppose it's not run of the mill. It's not like all the other uninspired, mindless bleck that you hear on the radio. Yes that is true. People may think you've lost your mind too until they are taken over by the catchy melodies and the way the vocals compliment the unusual dancy, loungy, martini in your hand kind of sound. You will suddenly feel superior, dare I say it, COOLER than everyone else in the world if you buy this! I feel that I am transformed into an ultra hip chick when I listen to this - sure it's in Japanese. Just take a chance and try it!! YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY.

This was my first Pizzicato Five CD that I ever owned. About 4 monts before I got this CD for my birthday I had discovered Pizzicato Five. And I have to say that this was a good first CD for me. If you are curious about Pizzicato Five and want to try out your first CD, this one is a good one to start with (especially if you don't speak Japanese). It has a lot of great songs, and it is a good mix of English and Japanese Music. And for those of you who don't speak Japanese, the CD comes with a mini-translation booklet so that you know what they are saying.

The best songs on this CD are Trailer Music and Arigato We Love You. Trailer Music is sort of an instrumental part (the beginning they just introduce the album in the background) and then it is a catchy tune that I keep on wishing that they would have made longer. And then Arigato We Love You is more of the pop/dance genre that has a catchy toon and is in English. The only low point is the 10 minute Porno 3003, which I skip over. The rest of the songs are all different and they all are really good too.

This CD is the perfect thing to stick on a blue afternoon and then you can feel the smile run to your face.

...

If you're ever feeling down, depressed, manic, suicidal... Don't take a Paxil. Don't make an appointment with your psychotherapist. Simply insert this CD in your player and you'll be instantly transformed into a happy-go-lucky, dancing, la-la-singing, contented human. This is my all-time favourite P5 album. Every single track is a 10. The sound is lush, the mix crackles with energy, and you'll find it hard to keep from trying to sing along with the transliterated Japanese lyrics. "Nanimo na-i!!!!"

The Pizzicato Five, like the B-52s, are all about happiness and the positive aspects of existence. Neither band ever has a morose song in their mix. No broken hearts; no blues. Every tune on this CD is uplifting, fun, crazy, and delivered with a sonic Esquivel-esque stereo hi-fi blast that hits you over the head and makes you dizzy with its delirious beats. It's positively one of my most-treasured possessions. I think I've listened to it over 100 times so far.

If there's any sadness to be had, it's that the P5 have been broken up for seven years now and there's nothing new to come. But with their prolific output (16 albums, I believe, in all), there's plenty to play and replay and ENJOY!

Being a student of Korean, I was surprised to see "Pizzicato Five" rendered in gorgeous Korean Hangul on the cover. Funny thing is: There's a TYPO! Hangul has no "F" or "V" sounds, so they're approximated with "HW" and "BUH" respectively. Those two sounds are correct, but the middle character combination should be "I", not "MI". The way it's written, it says "Pijicato (Korean has no "Z" sound either) Hwamibuh"! Could this, like "Engrish" be an example of "Japorean"? Maybe it's just a square-ish designed font.

So, if you're having a bad day, not feeling quite up to par, want to end it all-- Don't pop a pill; pop in the P5! You'll be glad you did!

Arigato! We love you!

Yes, as others said, this stuff may be an acquired taste, but once you let yourself acquire it, you'll be addicted. Now I need to check out their other stuff. If you like Arling and Cameron or Dimitri from Paris, try this!

Oh, but what's up with the Korean (not Japanese) letters on the cover??

This album is kind of odd. It's like a mix of '60s pop songs with modern beats and music. The singer has a lovely voice and it's all very catchy. Not quite what I was expecting, but really good all the same.

You probably should avoid this if you don't have a sense of humour. The combination of cheesy 50s pop sounds with sudden attacks of 90s techno-style becomes alarming at times, but it rapidly seeps into your consciousness. The eccentric inlay notes merely add to the joy of the experience.

This album just tune you up for an happy (and dancing) ending of the world. Pure fun in a true "British beat" style! Enjoy!

The imaginative and polished lead track "World is Spinning at 45 RPM" sets up the rest of this album perfectly. "Happy End of the World" is, in true Pizzicato Five fashion, a blend of attractive vocals and layered instrumentals that conjures up a groovy (and there is no other word) dimension unlike anyone else in pop--in Japan or any other country.

What a wonderful collection of P5's latest inspirations! My favorite, Mon Amour Tokyo, stays in your head for days. Subarashii!