Say New Message

Refer to this Message

Cancel this message

Dear Shopgirl,

Thanks for sharing with us your view and info.
(No More of H.S PLEASE !) 

Best Regards
Tim


-------------------------------------------
Date:12/24/1998. Shopgirl 's message 

>Hi Bill, Willie and everyone,
>A very Merry Christmas to all of you too.
>
>Biteki to me is a delightful Christmas gift to end this year. 
>Comparing to all the Seiko related commodities in 2001 (CDs, radioshows, 
>magazines, etc), and a full-year of "look-at-me, hear-my-sexy-voice, existence
>of HS", Biteki delivered a piece of work that I thought was finally from a team
>of staff who had substance and pride in thier work. A team whom Seiko 
>deservingly should have had this entire year and the last.
>
>For those who are fortuntate to look into the pic in the magazine. Look how
>each face differs from the other. There is a theme behind each face as explained
>by her make-up artiste, and the colour tone, background, clothes etc had never been 
>better. A sheer excellent piece of work by enthusiastic and highly skilled team.
>
>Publicity was excellent. Publicity posters was all over the trains of major 
>train companies, including the national company JR!! We had posters hanging in
>every cabin of every train that they owned. And all this over the weekend, and 
>over this festive season. I wanted to check if the poster pic was the same one
>used in the actual mag cover, but to my dismay or delight, the posters were 
>stolen! They were only ones gone in a cabin of tens of posters. They were all 
>ripped off in every cabin of the train I was in. I waited for the next train to 
>come, but the next train that came had also suffered the same fate!!!!
>
>I see lots of clever investment, alot of it $$$ too, lots of faith in Seiko,
>AND I see alot of serious thoughts into planning (they do have done a little 
>better with the cover pic, I agree, but the nuance of their magazine is there.
>That they need not be bland in their make-up sense if they choose not to). 
>I see a highly motivated team not willing to go for second best, and not only for money.
>
>Biteki is a new fashion/make-up magazine and like VOCE, it is targeted at those 
>who experiment, who are learners/maybe even professional. To compare that with 
>Cosmopolitan, a mere better than average Women magazine, would be unfair. But
>in Biteki, I was at last able to lavish the familar level of classy, 
>professionalism and quality work that was intrinsically Seiko. 
>
>It pains alot when I listen to L&E V2 and AiAiAi, I had thought I was listening 
>to a demo tape. I seriously thought and still think that it is a HALF-BAKED 
>album, HALF-effort album.  Some of the melodies are catchy and nice. But if I 
>may boldly say so, they would have been nice had it not been officially put into
>the album. Let it be like a songs-in-the-making, something like these almost
>made it, but luckily didn't. The music arrangement was an absolute joke. 
>It was as if it was all done using a All-In-One electron keyboard bought in the 
>early 80s. It is a shame for Seiko's  voice is magnificient.  No complaints 
>about Seiko's delivery of her vocals. That is my only comfort.
>
>Am I being bias? I dont think so. I have seen how some local fans here in Japan 
>have re-mastered the recordings, removed the back vocals to get rid of the 
>persistent and monotonous chorus line. If they could, the next challenge would 
>be to remove the entire instrumentations as well. Lucky for some of you who do 
>not understand Japanese, the amatuerish and repetitive lyrics will have you 
>wondering further why you are paying so much for so little, and of which 
>probably more than half of it goes to HS. If the Seiko quality is not there, 
>having HS on stage means that the fans will only get to hear songs that he is 
>familar with, ie songs that he had written, If the Cd sales has dropped to 10% 
>over less than the last 2 years...., I dont think we need anyone else to be 
>sharing the income with Seiko and trying to steal the stage. A producer, 
>a decent one if I may so, would be smart enough to knwo that Seiko's strength 
>is her vocals, her presence on stage... Anytime anyone tries to share that 
>limelight, you are digging your own grave. To suggest singing a song or two in 
>her live is suicidal. Real pros, like we saw in Richard Carpenter, knows that
>is best for the singer, how to bring out the best in her and deliver that 
>untainted to the listeners. (Although I wouldn't mind a duet with Richard Carpenter)
>
>If I had 500yen, I go for Biteki. If I had 1000yen, I go for Biteki, two 
>copies. :) For a simple reason that I value quality and pride in carefully 
>thought and planned works. This I saw in Seiko and this is what has brought all 
>of us here. This is what keeps us or me buying every release, regardless of how
>others viewed it. This, I don't see in L&E V2, and AiAiAi. Tomorrow a magazine called
>"Sound People" is on sale. In it carries a 15page interview with Seiko and HS.
>To have him in the Red n' White is bad enough. As much as I like Seiko's 
>version of AvaMaria. I hate to see a repetition to the classic piece of Ruiiro 
>no Chikyu (last piece in the Supreme album) or and 80s electronic keyboard 
>sound version of it. For once, at least Mr Harada, please surprise and humour me.
>I hate to see if there is going to be any announcement that the Seiko-HS 
>collaboration (throughout 2001, it was more like "Seiko AND HS" and 
>not "Seiko") will be continued in the next year. 
>
>I am crossing my fingers. If it had to be, oh well, I am hoping that it would 
>be just a melody or even two, but please no more music arranging, no more 
>lyrics writing, no more band, and definitely no more chorus or in any radio talk shows..... 
>
>I am going back to "Sakura no Sono", Forever album,Its Style 95, Snow Garden, KazeTachiNu and FUN 
>tv program of this year.
>
>To all Harada Shinji fans, I apologise.
>To Seiko herself, I apologise too.
>
>I am but just a fan, who has a love for Seiko's vocals, and holds very dearly to
>the belief that Seiko's best recording album will eventually arrive. 
>DON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING BUT THE BEST. 
>I am glad that there is still alot of good materials right up to 2000 :P
>
>Shopgirl.
>ps. The cover of Cosmopolitan and its p13 are also my fav. But I am totally taken
>over by p28,29 of Biteki :)