Insomnia [Import]

Chihiro Onitsuka, Onitsuka Chihiro | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 7, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI
• ASIN: B00005HV89
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,930 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Gekkou

2. Innocence

3. Back Door (Album Version)

4. Edge

5. We Can Go

6. Call

7. Shine (Album Version)

8. Cage

9. Rasen

10. Memai

11. Gekkou (Album Version)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wakey wakey., July 10, 2004

By 

Caffienated Yak "caffienatedyak" (your foot) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Insomnia (Audio CD)

Ah, Chihiro... the J-pop version of, say, Dido does Sarah McLachlan, with the vocal power of LeAnn Rimes and the soft tones of - again - Dido and Sarah. Think all three voices mixed together. That's Chihiro's... but in a league all her own.

Hers is the sort of music where there's never a dull moment, and even the ones that border on remotely forgettable (Dining Chiken and the album version of LITTLE BEAT RIFLE are the only two to date) are breathtaking, and her lyrics pull you in even if you can't understand them. If not that, then the raw emotion in her voice, the frankness she exudes.

Here is a n album mostly hit with low-key, gentle, warm ballads all styled in the ways of keyboard, guitar, piano, quiet drums. The occasional synthesizer makes itself known, but the mood establishes itself as mellow from the orchestral, tear-jerking opening of Gekkou (which gets revisited in an album version at the end of the album, stripped down moreso to sweet lullaby piano. I love the album version best, actually)

The closest this album comes to rocking out is when it DOES rock out - which is when INNOCENCE ranges from haunting, spine-tingling, ominous piano and screams forth all of a sudden into a chorus of snarling, rocking guitars. BAM! Kick it up a notch!

The most upbeat it gets other than that is the sparkling, glittering, hopeful Cage, and the country-laced, quietly fun We can go, both serving as more than beautiful sections of this big, gorgeous quilt.

And standouts come in the form of a single and a b-side: Aside from Cage and the end version of Gekkou, memai (the single) and edge (its b-side) sparkle alongside the rest, the former gently grand with a beautiful violin solo and a happier sound than what she usually gives, the latter gaining a soft sort of momentum and sounding pleading and breathtakingly beautiful, also sounding a little more positive despite its esoteric lyrics.

What are you waiting for, anyway?

Shouldn't you own this by now?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Every Penny!, January 17, 2003

By 

Vinudb "Music Fanatic" (Trinidad) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Insomnia (Audio CD)

Chihiro Ontsuka's debut album is one of the best albums around and in her career.This album features a run of impressive singles including "Gekkou" which was the theme for a drama series ans was her best selling single for this album...listen to it and you'll see why.She also writes all her music and composes her songs as well...her talent is displayed very well in this album.Chihiro's words and music were honored in public as she was awarded The Best Lyircs Award for "Memai" at The Japan Record Award (December 2001) and Rock Album Of The Year for this album "Insomnia" at The Japan Gold Disc Award (March 2002).Also, "Rasen" was used in the Luc Besson film "WASABI" starring Jean Reno and Ryoko Hirosue.
"Insomnia" also topped the oricon (Original Confidence)sales charts ,japanese equivalent of the billboard charts,on its first week of release!
It also includes "Innocence" which in 2001 was featureed in an Applied Materials Ad which aired on CNBC and CNN among other channels.
This album has some of the most beatiful music i've ever heard.Chihiro's vocals are also very strong and powerful and grasps your attention from her first breath.She uses a nice variety of instruments and keeps it all natural i.e. no computer generated sounds...this is the raw and beatiful stuff.Even though this album is very raw, it ranges from upbeat happy songs to haunting-ly beatiful songs to soft sweet ballads..never a dull moment on this cd!so there is something for everyone and it is very unlikely you'll get bored of this cd.There are also new arragements of three of her singles for this album.This Album is highly recommended.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In the style of Tori and Sarah, August 27, 2001

By 

Stephen Horowitz (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Insomnia (Audio CD)

Onitsuka Chihiro's debut album is an absolute winner in my book. I've lived in Japan for a couple of years now and so I know first-hand that most Japanese music deserves its bad reputation. Imagine, then, my surprise when I heard the opening chords of "Gekkou" ("Moonlight"), the first track on this CD. Unlike the emotionless, generic Japanese sound, Ms. Onitsuka's original lyrics, beautiful piano backgrounds, and haunting sound really pull the strings of one's heart. My favorite track on the album, "Shine," is a really shows off the incredible range and pure sound of her voice. I highly recommend this brilliant debut CD for anyone who likes Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan-esque music -- Well worth the price of the import.