The Klassic Note Review 2023.12 + Omake (from 2018)

Hello, good evening. You might be real surprised that why I'm here doing another Klassic Note Review (still of this year's songs) instead of focusing on preparation of the Song Awards which I hear is the buzz of the town in this blog *giggles*, but wait, this is as important as that even though I'm pretty sure these three singles will not be talked about a single bit for the Awards later this week.

I'm sorry YUKI-san but this is definitely to compensate for the decade of listening to your songs, I promise you. Let's talk about what I missed, shall we?

THE ORIGIN

It all started when I decided to listen to some YUKI-san songs a month ago after listening to her in a rock festival live performance. Yes, she sang pop songs but this is typical of rock festivals now they just put idol groups in them anyways (haha), but it was defnitely a song I have not heard before. And as I recall, I did listen to a best album from her, but with her experience in the music industry with dozens of songs under her name, it is not then surprising that the best album I listened back in 2018 to did not contain all of her classics. And thus, I embarked on the journey to listen to some of them, including finding out that songs I listened before did have separate, and - you didn't see this wrongly - single-track CD releases because this isn't the digital age and the CDs are still sold in Japan even today. Yes, even up to 10 years ago, which we will be talking about today.

Dude, this will also be the HARDEST I will go to understanding lyrics because damn, is YUKI-san quite a... how should I say, inspirational lyricist herself. *giggles* You will get it when I show you what's up in a bit. All the years of translating lyrics has built me up for this lmao

音楽 The Klassic Note Review

YUKI - Nagai Yume [Single]

[The title has definitely nothing to do with this image, so don't ask me why YUKI-san is like this]

Origin: It all started from a live performance, so let me talk a bit of what I felt when I saw that. Think of this as like a deja vu experience every time I have to encounter YUKI outside of Anime; She just wears some flashy outfit like she does decades ago, walks into stage and starts vibing. This is what I felt when I had to give this song and this single. Though this song came back in the year of 2005, it still is very relevant in terms of style and presentation, and we shall talk about that in detail.

(1) Nagai Yume [Long Dream]

From first chorus:

"Bye bye long dream, (though) how do (I) go over there?

(I) will get lost, guide you along

Bye bye long dream, someday (it) comes full circle

Teach me the next move (up your sleeve)"

As the lyrics will explain to you without much sense because YUKI's lyrics writing is basically that, it's just a description of random stuff in a dream. Does it make sense or not? It doesn't matter. But how you can vibe to it is more important than I realized as I heard of this for the first time. The pop beats hit every cell in your body, and I think that is all that matters. The music video definitely presented it in a different light with the animation, but heck, it's up to the imagination at this point. It's a dream, remember? The ongoing beats are long though which is its likely downside, maybe the sometimes off-note singing, but I dreamt longer than this, so I won't blame her for this, to be honest.

Rating: Decently Average

Conclusion: I'm sure to recommend this song, but if you are here to support her even after all these years, then yes, you can still pick this up. It's a symbol, I would argue, more than just a dream, to still obtain and listen to one of these at this time and age, but what am I to say? It's just that good.

Next up!

音楽 The Klassic Note Review

YUKI - Sukitte Nan Darou… Namida / Tonari no Metro [Single]

[Crying humans? Philanthropists (or women) be like]

Origin: Ah yes, this single from when I heard it in the best album back in 2018. Just like when I reviewed best albums, I normally just give the first A-side to this double A-side just because and we will talk about it detail later, so I did not care too much to trace which single it was from besides finding the music video, perhaps. But years later in, just as I had a resurgence to listen to her older songs, I decided to give this single a chance and listened to the other song in this release, and I am pleased. How pleased? Maybe I should tell you more.

(1) Sukitte Nan Darou... Namida [What is love... (Sheds a tear)]

From first verse:

"In bad times, (one's) experience goes up

(Experience) the bitter love

"The important things, those aren't (that important)"

We will live on, that's why (we) are happy"

Wow am I so glad I get to talk about this very song. Despite having a rather beat-like melody it is soft, despite having motivating lyrics it is actually about female expression, and despite sounding like a pop song, its parts are actually more varied than the usual format. This is how the song got me among the many other songs she had on her best album back then, and boy does it still leave a lingering taste even after all these years. The music video too, and if that isn't a greater hint of what the song represents, then the lyrics written by YUKI herself might help. Female power, dude, it is emotive as it is great.

Rating: Feministic Above Average

(2) Tonari no Metro

From first verse:

"Stuffing a magnificent doodle into my backpack, riding the metro,

Assisted by sentimentality, gazing at that sky dyed in blue.

Yearning for a modern girl, her scarf fluttered."

Being a commercial song for Tokyo's metro that many years ago probably made this a better case than it should be, but behold, this is a relaxing song and more catchy then I would have ever expected. If I did ever listen to this I wonder why did I not give it, but now, it served as a journey of relaxation with its chill melody and positive lyrics as it should be, and did I hesitate to even dislike this. How can I, when it's about trains that I have taken a fancy to, not like the acoustics that made this song so palatable? For this, I will only say good things about it.

Rating: Cruising Average

Conclusion: This single has the overall package of what you would expect from music artist YUKI, acoustic emotional songs she sings from time to time, and her overall image represented in slow to moderate pop beats. I think this is a rather good example of what she sounds like, even if this single is from 2015 and I listened to them all about 5 years since I started to know of it. Whether it represents something further than her artistic inspiration, I'll leave it to you to figure it out.

- Aozaki Shouhei, on the Klassic Note

OMAKE!! So I don't have to time travel to do this in another post lol I have to write another intro though- And that's why I don't want to review single-track releases? It doesn't fit in the format haha

音楽 The Klassic Note Review

YUKI - Daredemo Lonely [Single]

[Why be lonely when you have music and a flower dress? Real cool though]

Origin: This song and single, in comparison to her usual catalogue of songs, might feel normal to be frank at least it is to me, but damn this song is such a good one, it's hard to miss. Pretty much everything, and I really mean everything is so normal, the only weird thing is how can I can like it so much. As with vibe master YUKI here, it is no surprise they are making sure this song hits as much as it can at the time when this went popular, and boy did it leave an impression on me years later even when I heard it on the best album. Let's talk about what drew this song to me.

(1) Daredemo Lonely [Anyone (Can Get) Lonely]

From intro:

"Laughing while enjoying (oneself), anyone (can get) lonely; Yearning for love(?), sorry

The starts are waiting, waiting, waiting"

Alright, the music video I think is the best representation of what this song is, even long after I have heard of the song and added it to my music library. It's the dancing, if you didn't get what I mean. The lyrics also kind of explain why, that everything about love and people around and dancing it away, people can get lonely. As I said, this isn't your usual YUKI song mainly because it's not abnormal: This is a solid tune to dance to, the lyrics also echo in your mind so much you would think this is the remix instead of the remixes in this single...  I am already dancing to this as I'm writing this, no joke. 

Rating: Full of Vibes Above Average

Conclusion: What else is there to say? Maybe the two remixes in this single will convince you to buy this release. If not, then just vibing to this song alone is more than enough fuel to get anyone going in the morning, I would argue. If you thought being lonely can't sound this good, you can take it to YUKI to making this as great of a wake up call as she can make it. 

- Aozaki Shouhei, on the Klassic Note

This is definitely a new level of awkward in terms of review format and writing but also because I didn't notice 5 years ago that one of these can be reviews so *shrugs*

MOVING ON!!!

THE PACKAGE

What a combination, really.
*laughs*

These singles are simple in design, not much flair, and yes, it is rather the cover art featuring the artist herself that might stand out once in a while. Or that drawing of a woman which I assume is also her. *laughs* Anyhow, I'm not aiming for anything else, this is just for keepsakes, so I'll take these as it is. I don't think the application forms will work after this long so (lol)

The bottom one just had white as the back of their inlet booklet, so I flipped it around lol

Oh this was sold in conjunction of an upcoming album at that time.
Maybe I listen to that next.

This shall be all- ALL HAIL FRIDAY NIGHT~!!! *dances* You know what that is if you play (or watch people play) the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) video games. *giggles* But this week is far from over for me, and as unintentionally planned thanks to the arrival of the recent package, we will continue the not-so-normal weekend by doing the final (for this season, relax) Fanfiction for the year, followed by the Klassic Note Song Awards results! If you would excuse me I will continue to prepare for them, so see you then. *wink*

P.S. And that's why I think like, artists like YUKI and Cocco among many other ones, are the kind that are truly free in making music. You know, they are the free spirits who sing and/or write songs/lyrics because it's in their mind, not to write popular songs to make money. Though the latter could be said the same on them, but through the songs I can feel, that it's also more of the former, and that's fascinating enough for me. *thumbs up*