I apologize for taking so long to get to all the comments... (My wife had a late flight right after this video went live, and the flight kept getting delayed, so we spent a lot of time with that last night -- she didn't get in the air until after 11 p.m...) Thanks everyone for watching!

„You“ is one of my favorite Band-Maid songs!

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I can see why. :-) Very memorable chorus and the musical composition is something I want to keep hearing over and over...

@froopax1468

2 ай бұрын

@@Chan_Fry I was so happy when they played the song on the 10th anniversary spin off show in February, the archived video was an instant purchase for me!

I find myself going through the albums concentrating on the drums and the work they do when at first I may have missed the significance of all that Akane contributes. But that way does lie madness. The variety in every song never makes it a hardship to re listen to the same album a few times and find fresh insight and interest.

@me262a1

2 ай бұрын

Smile is my all time favorite mostly because of Akane's drums.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

It won't surprise me if I spend the rest of my life going through this catalog repeatedly, always finding new twists and surprises. The drum work is something that certainly stands out as "most improved" over time (at least in these first few albums).

Wow, your top 10 list is all over the place. Awesome! "You" - Love the guitar tones in this. I think it makes the song really stand out. "Awkward" - So good. I love how it feels like it's going to explode after the first chorus but they pull back. Then when they do explode after the second chorus it's so satisfying. And Akane's fill into the final chorus is perfection! They had to bridge the gap between the explosion and the more mid-tempo last chorus and she nailed it. Call me crazy but I think that without a fill like this, the ending doesn't work as well. It would have felt a bit like something was off. To me anyway. For me these little things can change so much. Band-Maid does it right (well, what I consider right) so much more consistently than any other band that I've ever heard. Have a great day!

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Thanks! (My top ten list changes with each step in this journey... "Manners" and "Black Hole" are on there from many months ago, when I first started listening to this band; looks like it'll be a while before I get to touch them again.) "guitar tones" (in "you.") -- During this video, I obviously focused on the lead vocals and drums, but when I watched my finished/edited video on my TV, I the guitars stood out a ton more -- totally different speaker sound -- and I could barely hear the drums at all. So I now understand what you mean. :-) "Awkward" -- yes, an exercise in restraint. They take us to the edge and then step back, more than once, before the solo erupts. :-)

Chan, you're the man! Love the format. I really appreciate that you're reacting and commenting on songs others are ignoring on KZread.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

My main advantage over "others" is that I'm *only* reacting to / reviewing Band-Maid. :-) (And that I don't care about clicks and all the other bells and whistles...) So I can completely focus on this amazing band...

I listen to 'You' and 'Fate' pretty much every day (Fate is on WD, I know). Perfectly crafted Hard Rock Songs! 😎🤘

@Kevin6059

2 ай бұрын

Love both of these songs.

@me262a1

2 ай бұрын

Throw in "Shake That" and that's me.

@me262a1

2 ай бұрын

I get an old Yardbirds vibe from "FATE". Love it!

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

"Fate" is something I hope to get to before long... I think it's the next album after this? (I have a single between them...) But I totally agree about "you." The composition is incredible.

@Jonas_S_

2 ай бұрын

@@Chan_Fry Yep, the next album after this one! A whole lot of great stuff on that one (as in, all of it 😉)!

I listen to secret my lips every day

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I understand this sentiment (I haven't gotten to "secret My lips" yet, but I will soon!) For months, I listened to "Be OK" daily. :-)

Miku's funk strumming in the song “Awkward” is a unsung hero.🕊

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I did notice one quick clip of a Zemaitis closeup (while I was editing) and realized "Oh, that's MIKU on that part." She had already come so far by this point. :-)

I think there was an awesome version of "You" on the recent 10th Anniversary Spinoff stream.

@Davey-Boyd

2 ай бұрын

Indeed there was!

@me262a1

2 ай бұрын

They played this at Houston in '23. That and Secret My Lips. Hell of a show!!!

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Cool! Maybe they will eventually release a few of those as "official live" videos. (Like they did for the tour-ender at Yokohama.)

@Davey-Boyd

2 ай бұрын

@@Chan_Fry Yes, the version of "Moratorium" they played was epic, about time they actually released a live of that! The live of "Screaming" would be another good candidate too!

@Kevin6059

2 ай бұрын

@@Davey-Boyd 💯🔥

*Decided by Myself* has always stuck out for me. Something about it just makes me smile. 😃

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

While editing this video for upload, I think I was more impressed with "decided by myself" than the other two... I think it's growing on me. :-)

Dankeschön!❤😂

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching/listening!

A truer title to an album, there isn't. Thx Band-Maid, and Chan!

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Great point. I should remember to point that out in my next video... And I hate that I can't say "just bring it" without immediately thinking of the movie line: "it's already been broughten!" LOL

@TomClark-Futoura

2 ай бұрын

@@Chan_Fry 👍😂🤘

Ah! Awkward. One of my favourite all time (60 years of listening to music) songs. Stylish, beautiful arrangement. It has a sort of jazzy, prog feel. Everyone shines, but Saiki, Saiki- genius. Kanami's final solo is to die for. You are sort of correct about the jam style, in that Kanami has a database of previously un-used riffs and melodies to choose from if required.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Kanami certainly made it feel natural, like they were sitting around trading riffs and kinda fell into the song. Genius. As for Saiki, it took me far too long to recognize how essential she is to the Band-Maid sound... (What convinced me was listening to a hundred other Japanese women vocalists... None of whom approach what Saiki's voice does to me.)

Your comments at the end about working multiple ideas into a song: that nailed it for me, because that is exactly why I keep coming back to Band-Maid -- it just never gets stale. Awkward is one of my B-M hall of fame songs: it's got that patented Kanami build, tightening the tension with each verse, exploding at the end.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I think "Awkward" is one that will grow on me over time... I do like that teasing sensation : "we're going to go full blast now! Just kidding! Wait another verse!" :-)

"You" live is awesome! The crowd singing all Miku's Wow Oh Oh parts is spectacular! I saw them play it live last October in Akita. "Awkward" is my all time favourite song - though "Akasimahen" the Maiko version is even better.

@jwoodjapan

2 ай бұрын

"Akasimahen"--that Saiki sigh is right up there with the Mona Lisa smile.

@Davey-Boyd

2 ай бұрын

@@jwoodjapan Yeah, it completely destroys me!

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

On my list (I have a spreadsheet now!) it looks like Band-Maiko didn't hit the scene until 2018 ("secret MAIKO lips") and then the rest weren't released until 2019... So I'm debating whether to handle those chronologically like the rest, or to squeeze in the "covers" (remakes) with the songs they belong to.

@Davey-Boyd

2 ай бұрын

@@Chan_Fry When you get to the Maiko songs, play the original then the Maiko version back to back. It will make the differences very clear.

Three more brilliant songs off a thoroughly fantastic album!

"you." became a sleeper favorite for me along with Don't Apply the Brake, Alive-or-Dead, Dilemma and Why Why Why.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

"Don't Apply The Brake" is a fun song indeed, especially coming so early in their career. "you." is on another level in my opinion, but I might feel differently on a different day. :-)

@bbobjs

2 ай бұрын

​@@Chan_Fry Yea, I think "Don't Apply the Break" wouldn't be in my top half of Band-Maid songs, it's just that song from New Beginning that I admit to dismissing on my first several listens (I rank it 6th on that album). Same with the others listed, they're my sleeper favorites, it took a few listens for me to appreciate them.

Just want to say....I really enjoy your reviews. You are a fan rather than a reactor who reacts to 10 tracks from different bands each day. A pleasure to watch and share your passion. Keep up the good work!

@Chan_Fry

Ай бұрын

Thank you! (I realize a lot of folks don't get it, and that's okay. And I really don't want to make my intro any longer by explaining, LOL. But maybe I should... "I'm not a reactor. I don't care whether you subscribe. I don't have a Patreon. I'm just listening to Band-Maid and saying what I think/feel about it.") :-)

That live Awkward is my favorite version of it.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

It's an excellent version to be sure. :-)

that 'awkward ' live is a classic

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Yes, very well done. Looks like that entire show was a huge peak for Band-Maid, pre-Covid.

Oh, I don't think I'd heard Awkward before... Brilliant! I see what you mean about the riff behind the vocals - Kanami is a mastermind... And Saiki? I can't imagine this song with a different vocalist. Awkward might be my new favorite Band-Maid song.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I figured you'd latch onto "Awkward". :-) And I agree about Saiki... I didn't realize at first but then I tried a hundred other Japanese bands with women vocalists and I haven't yet found one that comes close to Saiki (for me). In fact, the vocals turned me off to a bunch of those groups...

i would like to see 'you' live, now i have to find that

@me262a1

2 ай бұрын

The big stage is Houston. I was there! kzread.info/dash/bejne/p6l3xapvipDKhLQ.html

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I just typed "band-maid you. live" (without quotation marks) into the YT search and it's the first result for me. The video's title is "BAND-MAID / You. (Live in Tokyo 2018)" Personally I'm visually distracted by a LOT and the textured overlay combined with lyrics on screen (in at least two colors) would have been a bit too much while I'm trying to listen and watch the performance on camera. :-)

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

@me262a1 : Those were the two shows nearest me but I was still too new to Band-Maid back then. I won't miss them next time. :-)

@me262a1

2 ай бұрын

@@Chan_Fry The 2019 show in Dallas was already sold out by the time I tried to get tickets. I'm in Fort Worth and went to Dallas 2022, Houston and Minneapolis (second off the rail right between MISA and Kobato) in 2023. I'm still mad I missed Austin but I was dead on my feet. LOL I made a hi-lite video of Houston. kzread.info/dash/bejne/mmh2ydGNhZOTiLA.html

Awkward is a favorite of mine thanks for sharing

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

It won't surprise me if it grows on me too, partly because it's so unique. :-)

Crappy day at work, got home and needed some Band Maid. Went to YT and there’s Chan first in my suggestions. Just what the doctor ordered. Thanks Chan, excellent as usual!

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Glad to help! Band-Maid is perfect for so many situations...

"secret My lips" deserves its own video. Maybe with "secret MAIKO lips".

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I'm still internally debating with myself whether to keep Band-Maiko in chronological order (2018 for that song and 2019 for the rest) or pairing the songs with their Band-Maid originals... I'm leaning toward chronological at this point but I could be convinced of the pairing idea too. :-)

@me262a1

2 ай бұрын

@@Chan_Fry Oh man, I forgot about the different release dates. Either way I'm looking forward to it.

I love the “you.” they did live at the spin off show in February, it really grabbed me by the chest 😊 Also I love the Shinkiba Studio Coast version of Awkward with Kanami guitar intro, might be my favorite performance of it🕊️

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Imagine trying to choose a set list from this band's catalog. ("We can only play 22 songs tonight, so which 80+ songs do we withhold?")

I love these three songs, esp you and Awkward. I esp like the live version from the 2017 Studio Coast performance. Thank you for reacting to them.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

You're welcome! Thanks for watching.

17:08 Sometimes Mincho must explode.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Yes! And I love how Akane leads her into it, like "c'mon, Mincho, you won't get a better set-up than this!" :-)

Miku had fun with her Zemaitis and pedalboard with Decided By Myself, Po! 🕊️ Chunky chugs.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I guess so! I haven't seen a live version of this but I do like the heavy sound of the backing guitar in that song.

Thanks, Chan, enjoyed your insights into these songs. Three seems like a good number to do per session. All three of these are unheralded but solid Maids' songs. My fav is Awkward but it took me a few listens to get into it (I'm like that for a lot of their songs). I have a feeling it will grow on you if you keep listening to it. I haven't always felt that Kanami's first solo fit the song, but it seemed fine in this live performance. The outro solo is one of my favorites of hers. The longing in it . . . One thing I noticed is that I couldn't hear the instruments as well in the studio cuts as I did in the live one. Is this from the compression I'm always hearing about? It really makes a difference when it comes to enjoying the songs. Looking forward to more reactions/reviews from you.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Thank you! Yes, "Awkward" is one that seems like it will grow on me over time. :-) As for the compression... I assume some of the sound differences are the fact that I'm playing them in different software (the live was obviously in my web browser, and the studio tracks were from my CD), and possibly the way my recording software (OBS) handles the different inputs. Maybe the sound card figures into that as well.

Of course secret my lips gets it's own video

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

I ALMOST squeezed it in here, but my editing software starts to choke on videos longer than 30 minutes, LOL. So it kinda worked out. :-)

@polskabob359

2 ай бұрын

@@Chan_Fry you'll need 30mins for secret my lips ,trust me , do secret maiko lips too

the seminal album. 🤘🔥

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

Definitely. Previous albums had hints, foreshadowing, teasers, but this... This is the full debut of Band-Maid in my opinion. :-)

Just Bring It is Band-Emo.

@Chan_Fry

2 ай бұрын

If so, then color me emo. :-)