Customer Reviews

Mars

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gackt was my very first Japanese singer. My first song, Rain, was on his album MOON, but this was the very first album I owned. I swear... I fall asleep to this, and my alarm is set to wake me up with this every day. Gackt is positively the best male vocalist I've ever had the fortune to discover. I could tell you everything about him if you ask me (I've read his autobiography, for pete's sake...). But just to give you a taste of just his intellect, he can speak six languages (Japanese, two forms of Chinese, Korean, French, and English) and play seven instruments (piano, drums, guitar, tuba, trumpet, trombone, and horn). He composed all of the music in this album, and all of his others.

His range is VERY broad. He can go from quite low to very high (higher than I can, and I can sing fairly high!) in one line. This man is amazing! His songwriting abilities are second-to-none, and many of his prettier songs can move me to tears.

This album is said by many to be his best. (I agree, but MOON is still my favorite... ^^)

He's got a mix of pop, jazz-like rock, rock, and some very moving instrumentals. Blüe, for example, is one of the most stunning piano pieces I've ever heard. While his band (GacktJOB, as they are referred to) backs him up with guitar and drum playing, he usually does the piano playing himself. (But after you've seen Vanilla live... Who is actually playing? Are they all pretending? Do they need a backup tape for that song? o.O)

He's a deeply artistic and dramatic individual (as can be seen in the Mizerable video ^^), and is well worth your time. No matter what mood you're in - happy, depressed, angry, you name it - MARS, as well as all of his other songs and albums, is something you can never go wrong with.

Mars is the first solo album from the Ex-Malice Mizer-vocalist Gackt Kamui.(He parted from the J-rock band 1999) This Album is really a precious one,not only for MM or Gackt-fans.All song sound excellent,some instrumental tracks are included which are beautifull arranged(with nice Violin and Piano solos) and along with Gackt's wonderfull voice every track is worth hearing it.If you compare the style with malice mizer it's mostly softer(still cool and powerfull J-rock^_^)After all I recommend this CD to everyone who likes Japanese-rock.The price is tough but believe me it's worth it all.You can't go wrong with this excellent Album.

Mars is one of my favourite cd's of all time. No matter what else I'm listening to, I always come back to it. In my opinion, Gackt is the best male vocalist I've heard in years. He has power, range, clarity and emotion. The songs on the cd really showcase his voice and his talents as a composer/writer. The songs include classic rock pieces, an almost operatic opening vocal in Ares, a classical instrumental piece, some upbeat pop and a few solid ballads. No matter what mood I'm in, I can listen to Mars and really enjoy it.

This album has to be one of the best in Visual-kei J-rock history. Your emotions are guaranteed to be led by every note in each song. The album has a perfect mix of romantic, mysterious, and happy atmosphere. I would recommend "Freesia" and "Illness Illusion", if you are into visual-rock. For the traditional rock fan, perhaps "Mirror" and "dears" would be the right ones for you. Nonetheless, "Mars" is a perfect album with 12 perfect tracks, a must-have for both the long-time or the beginner J-rock fan.

What more can be said about Camui Gackt? Beyond the fact that he is a fascinating individual (he speaks 5+ languages, has achieved a black belt in an equal number of martial art styles, is fascinated with all things Gothic and claims to be a 400 year old vampire), he just happens to be an amazing musician that can play multiple instruments, write his own music, and absolutely light up a stage. The Malice Mizer alum, who left after the widely successful album "Merveilles", used "Mars" as his first full length solo album, and it was a success on almost every level possible.

This album is, simply put, one of the finest recordings that I've ever listened to. Gackt melds multiple musical styles into his work, successfully incorporating his flair for pop/rock with classical orchestration, operatic vocals, electronic soundscapes, hard rock, and even elements of big band/swing. The best instrument on the album; however, is clearly his voice. He has a vocal range that is truly impressive, which glides over the music and draws you in time and again. The lyrics to this CD are in Japanese, but this does nothing to diminish the emotional impact of the music, and Gackt does a masterful job of pulling in the listener and sharing a schizophrenic and satisfying ride that's never quite the same twice.

As for the songs themselves, there isn't a weak spot on the album. The opening song "Ares" is a soft, almost operatic piece, that showcases Gackt's voice and range before rapidly leading into the driving "Asrun Dream". Third is "Emu for my Dears", a beautiful song that has since become his theme (and his fans are affectionately referred to as 'dears'). "U & K" is a straight-up high quality rock song, and the sexually charged "Vanilla" also kicks up the tempo while throwing in some great trumpet/band sounds (also a fan favorite). The "Freesia" songs are beautifully understated, and "Dears" and "Oasis" towards the end are two of the finest songs on the album. It's hard to review the album without praising every song, and like all of his work, the best way to listen to the songs is in the original album order.

All in all, this is great music, and what's also lovely about the recording is the packaging. The Japanese version comes in a plastic slip case, with one half for the digi CD case (and beautiful cover art), and the second for the photo-album style picture book that accompanies the CD. This is the best reason for not going the bootleg route (plus the superior sound quality of course), and if you purchase this elsewhere (or used) online you must exercise a lot of care, as there are fakes of this album everywhere (especially ebay). With a little examination you can usually tell the frauds (a lot of them boast 18 tracks, or ship from Taiwan/Hong Kong), but a general rule of thumb is: if it seems too cheap to be real, it probably is.

Gackt is practically a god in Japan, and one of the most entertaining and inspired musicians I've encountered. While all of his albums are of exceptional quality, I would probably recommend "Mars" as the place to start (or Malice Mizer's "Merveilles" possibly). While "Moon" (a good deal heavier) will always be my favorite Gackt album, "Mars" is the most initially and consistently pleasing, and widely considered his finest work to date. Definitely the place to go for a walk off the beaten path, and if you look here you'll find yourself a gem.

This is probably one of his better albums, it has an interesting mix of songs and very original, in my opinion. Though, I would say this album is more 'pop' than it is 'rock'. All in all, a great album. One of my favorites.

Yup! This is a great CD, the lyrics and the music combined make for a great listen anytime (especially on the way to anime conventions) I adore Gackt's vocals and the presentation of the songs is incredible. His concerts are beyond fab and this album is the best j-pop/ j-rock album I've heard in a very long time! My favorite songs are Oasis, Nine Spiral, Vanilla, and of course Dears, and every other one on this CD is beautiful too! Buy right away!

This album has 12 Tracks
1.Ares
2.Japanese~for my dear~
3.U+K
4.Vanilla
5.freesia~op.1~
6.freesia~op.2~instrumental
7.Illness Illusion
8.Mirror
9.dears
10.OASIS
12.Japanese Title

This is one of three Gackt albums that I own and my favorite. There was something new and interesting in practically every song. I actually bought this one for Vanilla, Mirror and OASIS-Vanilla being my favorite song on this album. This album overall was much more upbeat than either of the other albums (DIABLOS & SEVENTH NIGHT)that I have, which I like. Ares was cool, Gackt has some interesting and beautiful vocals going on there-if I had heard that song on the radio, I'd have sworn a woman was singing. Illness Illusion is pretty trippy and absolutely awesome,while ~for my dear~, dears & track 12 are pretty. I was a little miffed with freesia~op.2~, the booklet shows lyrics, but it's instrumental. I would recommend this album to anyone wanting to try Gackt or jpop/rock in general.

Mars was gackt's debut ablum after leaving the visual kei band Malice Mizer. This is truly his best album to date. Not only is the range in his vocals and melodic styles outstanding, this is the album that has some of his most beloved and bold singles.

For example: "Vanilla" is an extremely daring song lyrically. The big band sound takes away from the "in your face" sexual context of the song and makes it a fan favorite (what Dear doesn't love Vanilla?). In contrast to this are "Freesia~ Op 1 and 2". These two songs are, in my opinion, powerfull melodies ballads (even though they are short in length and Op.2 has no lyrics). These twi songs showcase Gackt's outstanding abillity as a composer.

This is a must have album for any Gackt fan!

Gackt has a truly lovely voice. That's all I have to say. ^_^ Track listing is as follows:

1: Aries; 2:Asrun Dream; 3: [Japanese] ~ For My Dear; 4: U+K; 5: Vanilla [Mars Version]; 6: Freesia ~op. 1~; 7: Freesia ~op. 2~; 8: Illness Illusion; 9: Mirror [Mars Version]; 10: Dears; 11: Oasis [Mars Version]; 12: Kono Daremo Inai Heyade