Customer Reviews

Terra 2001

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

 

 

I love j-pop music. But I love the brillinat green even more. Why do I say that? Because the brilliant green isn't your typical j-pop group, they are heavily influenced by american rock, some country folk and even brittish rock. They definitely aren't an "idol" group. Terra 2001 their second album is fantastic follow up, with a refined and smoother sound. Though I do miss their pseudo-indie sound from their previous releases. The band itself has great guitar rock sounds that is rarely heard in j-pop. Like I said they are a rock band, which isn't the norm for j-pop. But for those that are fans of classic idol j-pop, you'll love the songs Brownie the Cat and Funny Girlfriend. But as for me I really like the folk like songs Aino Aino Hoshi and Sono Speed De. And as in their previous album their is a great accoustic guitar song, Maybe We Could Go Back To Then. Tomoko Kawase has very distinctive vocals that I love. Sure I love the cute vocals of someone like Chisa, But Tomoko here has got the perfect "rough around the edges" vocals that I like in a female rock singer. Love her :)

This album was my first introduction to The Brilliant Green. I actually got them, because I heard their single (Ai no Kokoro/Ai no Hoshi) on music station from a local tv station. I was quite surprised to find that the entire center section (tracks 3-8) was in English! And good english too, not the random snippits of ENGRISH that appears all too often in Jpop. Some of the songs are quite silly (and thereby fun to listen to: Brownie the Cat: "When I saw you sitting there/In your yellow flower chair/You were eating pink ice cream/I fell in love with you"), but others are quite deep (Round and Round: "It's a crime/living your life/without ever looking down/at the ground/at the flowers/yeah that you keep stepping on"). And they've included a translation of all the english songs back to Japanese in the booklet =).

All in all, this album has got a great lead singer (Tomoko Kawase), backed by a very indie-sounding band. It's a definate purchase for people looking for a new Jpop band to explore.

This is their second album, but a good starting point as there's more variety here than on the first album. I love every song on here, this is one of only 3 records I'll say that about."Maybe We Could Go Back To Then" is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. "Bye My Boy","Call My Name" and "Can't Stop Cryin'" are all a lot harder than anything on the first album. If you like The Brilliant Green, try Swinging Popsicle. Brilliant Green thanks them on this album...I don't know what the connection is, but they're pretty good, too.

Terra Ni-Sei-Ichi was what encouraged me to list The Brilliant Green as my favorite rock band. Even though it's not heavy metal or punk rock, their style is similar to that of the mellow sounds of the Beatles. Kawase Tomoko's voice isn't overly dramatic when she sings tracks off the album. It's just right and fits the music, courtesy of bassist Okuda Shunsaku and guitarist Matsui Ryo.

The songs that I listened to the most were "Brownie the Cat," "Sono Supiido de," and "Nagai Tameiki no You Ni." Brownie the Cat is a light hearted song about, what else, cats!! I adore cats, so this song touched a soft spot. Sono Supiido de (At That Speed) and Nagai Tameiki no You ni (Like A Long Sigh) were featured on the Japanese television drama "Overtime." These two songs are my favorites overall on this album. Tommy's voice is very good on these two songs and they are highlighted quite well.

The first time I listened to Brilliant Green, I was shocked! I never expected J-pop to be like this, only listening to groups such as Speed, etc. before. But after listening to "So No Speed De," I fell in love with the band, and bought their first album soon after, which didn't fail to entertain me. Needless to say, I was HOOKED! I bought "Terra 2001" just last week when I was traveling, and let me say, "I LOVED IT!" All of my favorites are on this album, such as "So No Speed De," "Nagai Tameiki No Youni," "Round and Round," and actually, EVERYTHING on it! Tomoko Kawase's voice is so mellow, matching perfectly with the Euro beat of the songs. Some of the songs make me feel sad, like Track 5, while others just make me want to go crazy! I dunno, you just gotta listen to it. Her English is actually pretty good too, once you get used to the Japanese accent, and they actually make sense (probably due to the fact that many of the songs are ALL in English). Buy this CD. It's worth it!

This cd is very good. Though I don't speak japanese, the songs have a wonderfull sound. Most of the songs, however; are in english.

This album is what got me hooked on buriguri (what they call 'em in japan). The songs are so catchy and have ripping hooks. They are reminiscent of the 70s and are a fresh sound amidst the tiring voices of teeny bop stars and boy bands "churning out drivel for them masses." Hey, when you can't find good music in America (on the radio) look elsewhere.
It's impressive that many of their songs are in English so you can actually sing along. There's tab too floating around on the internet so you can strum along. The best songs are "Brownie", "Sono supido de" and "round and round."
Their new cd Los Angeles is good too, just darker and less pop-py.

Thank you Shunsako, Ryo, and Tommy for making my favorite CD ever. I like to think "Maybe We Could Go Back To Then" is about GAEA wrestlers Meiko Satomura and Sonoko Kato, when they split up: "You chose red and I chose blue, did what we had to, but I'm still missing you"

Great second CD by the best Japanese pop/rock group after Shonen Knife. At first I didn't like it as much as their first CD, but it gets better every time I listen to it. "Brownie the cat" is as good as pop songs come. Some of the songs in Japanese are my favorites even though I don't understand the language. This group deserves wider exposure in the US, and I hope they will tour here. For now, you can hear them on the Neo Japan channel on Spinner.com.

The Brilliant Green (referred to as Buri Guri from now on) is one J-rock band that deserves more exposure to American ears. They were even featured on the Global Music issue of TIME. The reasons why they have appealed to all genres is their wonderful music. 'Terra 2001' is a classic example of a band that hasn't slumped after their debut album. Tracks such as "Ai no Ai no Hoshi" and "Sono SUPIIDO de" are delightful and are mellow enough to simmer you down. Kawase Tomoko's voice is unique. Even though she can't hit the high notes, she deserves props for providing the lovely vocals and lyrics to each song. Matsui Ryo and Okuda Shunsaku play guitar and bass. These guys are awesome to say the least. Buy this album! It's a must-add to any cd collection.