Rie Fu [Import]

Riefu | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 31, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0006TPI1G
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,646 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Japanese Title

2. Beautiful Words

3. Somebody's World

4. 2cm

5. I So Wanted

6. Decay

7. Prayers And Melodies

8. Japanese Title

9. Voice

10. Japanese Title

11. Shine

12. Life Is Like A Boat

13. Interlude

14. Decay ( English Version)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars *Insert title here* (This should NOT be a required field...), May 29, 2005

By 

innominate - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rie Fu (Audio CD)

Ahem. Sorry about the title-field rant. Anyway, disclaimer: Imports from Japan are so expensive that I wouldn't buy one without listening to some samples first, and definitely not based on a review alone!

With that said...

I've lived in Japan for ten months, and "Rie Fu" one of only three albums I've paid full price for. Keep in mind, I have the option of -renting- CDs here. But I wanted to own this one myself, and it was too new to be in the used CD shops in my area. So I went ahead and splurged on the full price.

End testimonial, onto the review - Rie Fu studied in London, so her English is almost perfect (they're a couple clunkers in pronunciation and writing, but they're more than forgivable.) The album itself is heavy on the English. Three songs are entirely in English, and eight are bilingual, with enough English that it's translated on the side for native Japanese speakers. Only two are predominantly Japanese.

Since it's not listed at the time I'm posting this review, here's the track listing:

1) Waratte, Megumi No Moto E
2) Beautiful Words
3) Somebody's World
4) 2 cm
5) I So Wanted
6) Decay
7) Prayers & Melodies
8) Ame No Hi Ga Sukitte Omotte Mitai
9) Voice (Album Version)
10) Tsuki No Ue (Jamming version) [<--in the title, and no, I don't know what that's supposed to mean, since it doesn't exactly "jam"]
11) Shine
12) Life is Like a Boat
13) ~interlude~ (instrumental)
14) Decay (English Version)

I'm not sure who to compare her to, but Rie Fu definitely fits the singer/song writer mold, which I'd also say means she's not like a typical Jpop artist (Ayumi Hamasaki, Mai Kuraki, BoA, even Hikaru Utada - I'm not judging their styles, but they all have a much more mainstream sound than Rie Fu.)

Much of the instrumentation is piano or guitar. Her voice is not particularly strong, but it is pleasant - a touch girlish but not as much as other artists - and she doesn't try to strain or push beyond her ability. Her lyrics are often simple but sweet poetry. From Beautiful Words: "The wind could carry all the labor away/in spite of my exertions it's not real to me." Tsuki no Ue: "Silent stars shine in the sky/I wonder the reason why/Every time I try to sing, they/sparkle in my eyes." Life is Like a Boat: "And every time I see your face/the oceans heave up to my heart/you make me wanna strain at the oars/and soon I can see the shore."

Apologies that my rudimentary Japanese is not good enough to judge the Japanese lyrics myself yet. For whatever it's worth, one of my friends, who is strongly on the intermediate level, likes them.

Once again, I'd try to find some samples before ordering. Also, I wouldn't order based on "Life Is Like a Boat" simply because it's the standout. But if you find her latest single "I Wanna Go to a Place" - different album, but the sound is comparable to the first - and like both it and "Life is Like a Boat," that's probably a good indicator that you'll like the album.

And by the way, good luck budgeting to supplement your Jpop collection. ^_~

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful and Soulful, June 27, 2007

By 

Mark Johnston (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rie Fu (Audio CD)

Rie Fu is perhaps most widely known for "Life is Like a Boat" used in the first season of Bleach. I was enchanted by that one and felt the same way about almost every track on the album.

Her sound is generally soft and adagio, contemporary, largely acoustic, heavy on the piano. Her lyrics are about 50% English, usually whole verses or songs, not random snippets of Engrish, so those who don't speak Japanese can appreciate her philosophical depth as well as her gentle music and calming voice. I compare her to Dido, Norah Jones, and the softer side of Alanis Morisette.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous, November 17, 2007

By 

mako (SF Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rie Fu (Audio CD)

Rie Fu writes great songs that just flow naturally, with evocative lyrics and interesting music. Her style touches several genres, but I can't put it in a single category -- it's like nothing I've heard, yet quite distinctive in itself. The songs on this album range from mellow to driven, and her seamless mixing of Japanese and (good) English is something that is quite marvelous.

I agree with the other reviewers' opinions, so I won't bother repeating them. My favorite song on this album, though, is "Tsuki no ue" ("Over the Moon", or "Above the Moon"). To describe it briefly, it's a song with mellow guitar but a solid beat. The chords are simple, but the melody wanders to interesting places. The first half is in Japanese, and the second half in English; it's not a translation between halves. The Japanese lyrics are somewhat metaphorical, but the English is even more so, which really gets me.

This is an import, so it's pricey, but Amazon's price is particularly egregious.