Post by fidella on Oct 30, 2005 11:17:26 GMT 7
Source : Life ! newspaper, Singapore
Date : 28 Oct 2005
Title : Not classical, but classic Jay
Reviewed by : Samuel Lee
Credits: isaac_1988 - www.jay-chou.net
As of now, there is nothing more eagerly awaited in Asian pop than the release of Jay Chou's sixth album on Tuesday.
Its title, November's Chopin, is either a reference to the Taiwanese prince of pop's classical-piano training or inspired by his live piano-duet routine with Yu Hao -- a member of the band Nan Quan Mama made of Chou's buddies and proteges. (obviously, this reviewer did not make any effort to research more )
But there is hardly anything remotely classical on the album , save for a chorale prelude on second track Blue Storm.
This dark and brooding rap-rock number comes across as a sequel to, or a derivative of , In The Name Of The Father ,the wildly popular opening cut from his fourth album, 2003's Ye Hui Mei.
Critics who have long lambasted Chou for being formulaic after he became a superstar , will surely point fingers at other tracks like Nocturne and Trapped & Surrounded. The latter features his mumbly vocals and a shot-in-Venice music video , co-starring actress Zhou Xun.
But these immensely infectious tunes will certainly go down well in public.
Chou is also lucky that he has the services of longtime collaborator , Vincent Fang, whose lyrics have been described as post-modern , cinematic and larger-than-life.
On November's Chopin,Fang continues to evoke a sense of mystery , romance,isolation, pandemonium and danger in song.
It conjures a world not unlike that envisaged in manga and anime --genres which intrigue Chou and inspire his music.
On this album , his songwriting moves up another level, as evident on a trio of noteworthy tracks - Romantic Handphone , Malt Candy and Coral sea.
Collectively, they make for a delectable serving of bubblegum-flavoured and candy-coated pop.
In particular, Coral Sea , which features Lara Liang (the new addition to, and the sole female in Nan Quan Mama), boasts one of the year's most memorable duets.
Comapre these three tracks with the two bonus ones (Drifting and All The Way North , featured in movie Initial D), and you will get a sense of evolution in progress.
Star rating : 3.5 out of 5
Date : 28 Oct 2005
Title : Not classical, but classic Jay
Reviewed by : Samuel Lee
Credits: isaac_1988 - www.jay-chou.net
As of now, there is nothing more eagerly awaited in Asian pop than the release of Jay Chou's sixth album on Tuesday.
Its title, November's Chopin, is either a reference to the Taiwanese prince of pop's classical-piano training or inspired by his live piano-duet routine with Yu Hao -- a member of the band Nan Quan Mama made of Chou's buddies and proteges. (obviously, this reviewer did not make any effort to research more )
But there is hardly anything remotely classical on the album , save for a chorale prelude on second track Blue Storm.
This dark and brooding rap-rock number comes across as a sequel to, or a derivative of , In The Name Of The Father ,the wildly popular opening cut from his fourth album, 2003's Ye Hui Mei.
Critics who have long lambasted Chou for being formulaic after he became a superstar , will surely point fingers at other tracks like Nocturne and Trapped & Surrounded. The latter features his mumbly vocals and a shot-in-Venice music video , co-starring actress Zhou Xun.
But these immensely infectious tunes will certainly go down well in public.
Chou is also lucky that he has the services of longtime collaborator , Vincent Fang, whose lyrics have been described as post-modern , cinematic and larger-than-life.
On November's Chopin,Fang continues to evoke a sense of mystery , romance,isolation, pandemonium and danger in song.
It conjures a world not unlike that envisaged in manga and anime --genres which intrigue Chou and inspire his music.
On this album , his songwriting moves up another level, as evident on a trio of noteworthy tracks - Romantic Handphone , Malt Candy and Coral sea.
Collectively, they make for a delectable serving of bubblegum-flavoured and candy-coated pop.
In particular, Coral Sea , which features Lara Liang (the new addition to, and the sole female in Nan Quan Mama), boasts one of the year's most memorable duets.
Comapre these three tracks with the two bonus ones (Drifting and All The Way North , featured in movie Initial D), and you will get a sense of evolution in progress.
Star rating : 3.5 out of 5
~~For The Peace For The 3Peacesoft