December 30, 2018

Yumi Matsutoya - Benisuzume (1978)





Partial album transcription!  First handful of songs are written out, the rest are not since the album is mostly functional jazz harmony, it is more of the same.

All voicings worked out on guitar and notated in short hand if applicable to the song.  Short hand guitar chords written out as EADBGE, so for example, open A major would be x02220.
If a specific chord voicing is not given, it means the regular barre shape will probably suffice for that particular chord.



1. 9月には帰らない Ku-gatsu Niwa Kaeranai


               Lovely, lovely A major tune.  Very jazz standard.  The chord progression is as follows:


Intro:
|| A maj9     |  D maj9    |   C#-11     |     B-7     |   E7b9     ||

A major is x06600.  D major seems to be x5797x.  C#-11 is  x4x452.  Nothing unusual about the B-7 I think.  E7b9 is 0x6767.


Verse
||A maj9    | A maj9     |  C#-7    |C#-7b5    |
|Dmaj7   /C#|   B-7       |   E7      |  E7           |
|A maj9    | A maj9     |  C#-7    |C#-7b5    |
|Dmaj7   /C#| B-7    E7  | Amaj7  Bbmaj7      | A maj7  Bbmaj7           ||

A major 9s tend to be voiced on guitar as x06200.  Most other chords in the verse are voiced standard barre chords.  D major 7 uses the staircase shape, x54222.  The final A major 7 is the open shape, x02120, slide everything up a half fret for the Bbmaj7.


Chorus
|| D maj7 |  D maj7    | A maj9     | A maj9    |
|D maj7    |  C#-7 F#7b13|  B-7    |  E7           ||

A major here is the beauteous x02424, and Yumi Matsutoya lands a feathery B note over the A maj9.  Something funny happens with the strings during the D major, might be a passing chord, not sure.  She also nails a D note over the F37b13, super perfect.
Form repeats for solo and more singing.



 2. ハルジョオン・ヒメジョオン Harujoon Himejoon 


Intro is a G minor vamp, medieval sounding, similar riff to that push it song from the 80’s.  Quick F-69 sneaks in and then:


Verse
||Eb maj7    | D-7    |  G-9    | F-69    |
| Eb maj7    | D-7    |  G-9    | They skip a bar, weird time here.

G-9 is the big one, 357333.  F-69 is x8678.  OOPS, this doesn’t actually have the 9 in it, but you could trill around with it.
  

B section
||  C-7     |  F7    |  Bb maj7   |  G-     |
|   C-7     |  F7    |  Bb maj7   |  Suspendything   |

Melody coming into the C-7 outlines a G minor arpeggio, pretty cool.  D, G, B, D, C, are some of the notes.

There is a final section of the song that uses the same types of chords, only difference is a D-7b5 gets thrown in somewhere, more of the same.  Some more bar skips happen, making for a cool weird glitch in the time.



3. 私なしでも Watashi Nashi Demo 


Fast chords, similar to Chick Corea’s, “Spain”.


Intro fades in with A maj7 and Bb maj7 vamp.


A section
||D sus4    |  D sus7     |  E maj  F#-7     |  E maj F#-7   |
|  B-7       |  E9             |  A maj7  B-7    |  C-7    A maj/C#||

Dsus4 flops between the G and F# notes, lines up with the melody.  Everything else is straight forward enough.

B section
||D maj7   |D maj7    |  A maj7            |  A maj7      |
| D maj7   |D maj7    |  E7            |  E7                       ||



Saxophone Solo
||D maj7    | D min maj 7    |  C#-7   F#-7    | B-7       E7   |
|A maj7       |   A7                  ||  This repeats.  



A bit regretful to cut the analysis short, though most of what has yet to happen has already happened.  100% functional jazz harmony, what an album :3

December 23, 2018

Takashi Kokubo - Jamaica ~ Waves And Light And Earth




1.   朝の海 (The Morning Sea) 



               In the far reaches of a Grandia white sky, a straw hut wafts in the wind.  Perfect sun, Perfect star.  Shine on, Shine far.  

               There is a sense of a small clearing waterside where a small tribal village monuments the earth.  There is a sense that the village is populated well, though currently seems abandoned.  There is a sense of dream strangeness.

               After a fun run with the tribal village, walk away, exit.  Walk along the silent water crest stream, knowingly referred to as “Eagle Siphon Way”.  

               Spirits of the village come forth and show us a mystic pathway towards eternal peace.  Through the jungle, pathway adorned with ancient leaves and rotting vines, centuries of natural protection.  A deep narrow cave, marble silver cobalt pure inside walls, lead downward, shining light, opening lower cave, plop into another realm.  Traverse, traverse, aimlessly through the new world.  Still a Grandia white sky, every present images in the distance, seldom closing.

               In the entire picture, ocean is the only thing making noise.



2.   楽園 (Paradise) 

               ~Endless Bliss~ ~Light, too Bright to See Past~   ~Subtle Shadows, Happy People~
               Light fades, glow bugs, sunset flies, dragon skimmers illuminate upon ascension.  Fresh green.
      ~Surrounding Jungle Garden of The Pavilion of Dreams~    ~Tropical Garden of Dreams~
               Violet haze sunset dimmer begins to darken.  Heaven blinks, and for this moment, though fleeting, seems eternal, and night curtains us.  Subtle winds from the warmth subdued night sky rest on our shoulders, winking stars hint at future secrets.  Glint, gleam.  The Earth Hums.
               Like  a lazy snail, the eye opens and we are sharpened with the sun of a new dawn.  Sun casts its light on all animals, a collective waking yawn from the forest.  Life, Birth, Renewal.  Dew, mist, carbonated air with each perky burst freshens all life.



3.  星月夜 (Starry Night)

               Happy birds with sunglasses sipping martinis on the beach not a care in the world.  Rock and Roll Radio can be heard in the distance from some kid’s window.  Cool breeze down the streets, Japanese seaside town.  Quietude, tipsy businessman and woman in red dress stumble home.  Woken up in the middle of the night for Advil balding father half awakenly returning home.  Gossipy group of school girls chatter home.
               Curfew because at deep dark night o’clock spirits parade the town in a muted eerie manner.  Anyone on the streets loses their life if caught in the stampede, and joins the ghostly spirits way of life.  For these spirits can only see the pathways of the town, never the personal spaces and homes of the villagers.  Mostly, it is a peaceful ritual, as the spirits are generally harmless and provide the town with a gorgeously sweet lullaby each night.


           In the End, most things are better experienced than read or heard of.

December 16, 2018

Yoichiro Yoshikawa - A Dream of Aku-Aku




1.  Patagonia

               Flora bouncy balls that spurt bits of plants, greenery and flowers with each bounce.  The ball turns into a giant, yellow smiley face full of cyber emotives.  It bounces down the pixilated hills adorned with autumnal fallen leaves and a radiant sun tan glow from the great above.

               The smiley bouncy ball bounced through all 4 seasons; Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring.
               It is especially Spring when the Flute and Strings comes in towards the end.


Intro starts out ambiguous, flute bops between F and E notes.  When the full instrumentation comes in its SORT of like C major strum for a while, then to F major strum.  I think this chord progression alludes to a song later in the album where I believe a IV major happens, then IV minor.

The following section:
||A -     |  Abmajor7    |  C7sus/G    Cmaj    |  Fmaj13   |
|A -       |  Abmajor7     |  C-7/G                    |   Fmajor7    ||

The melody descends as follows, changing with each chord:  G, G F,  F E, E D.  G, G F, F Eb, E.  Yoichiro Yoshikawa is a big fan of 7ths! 
Form repeats once, ends on big fat C major.

              
2.  K 2

               A curtain call at the end of this play goes wrong and turns into Japanese Thriller, in all its melancholic beauty.  Slightly Triumphant, Modestly Victorious, Shyly a Winner.  It’s just a guy in a white suit and hat, MJ style, moon walking against a brick wall.  

               The progression towards the end, he is sky walking with a boom box soaring over obstacles of the mind.  Strange resolve, Gangster Crusader, a victory for justice!  THAT PROGRESSION IS A HIDDEN IV, I, the IV major chord has something funny in the bass, might be its own 7th chord degree.  Then it resolves to the 1 major 7 like normal.  

               FOR EXAMPLE:  ||Fmajor 7/E in the bass    |  C major 7                 |  F major 7/E in the bass   | G major 7         ||    IDK I NEED TO ANALYZE THIS PART

               The bass at the end is Michael Jackson dressed bouncy ball smiley face moonwalk sky walking down the street in a bountiful bumpy way!



Intro:  
||C maj     | C maj7      |   Fminor major 7      |  F min 6    ||  This repeats.

Verse:  
||C minor    |C minor 7   |  Bbmajor 7     |  Bbmajor 7   ||  This also repeats.  Also, when the synthesizer arpeggios come in, this same chord progression still plays.  Instrumentation changes, music does not.  The synthesizer plays  Bb, F, C, notes descending, then C, F, D, also descending.

3rd part: (So sick)
|| Eb major 7    |    Bb major 7    |  Eb major 7     |  F major 7   |
|Eb major 7     |   Bb major 7    |   Eb major 7    |   D major 7    ||  Then bounces off the D major 7 for a while, THAT BASS OCTAVE GROOVE yea man (n.n).   The Eb and F major 7s are voiced with that half step crunch right in the middle, and they are parallel voicings, so that’s pretty cool.  Makes for that rocking crunchy I IV V where everything is a major 7.  Super rad.  Also, I still think during the Ebmajor 7 chords the bass is playing a high D, it’s got a really weird texture here.  

Song ends on the D major 7.

              

3.  Aurora Veil


               Snow Dragon keeper of Crystalis rhythmically roars in the background while sweeping erhu tells the tale of his Legends.  

               “This dragon, the quiet friend, has been guardian for over millennia.  He’s watched these parts with a ruling firm safety for the people of this town.  Before that, the safety of these mountains.”

               Etc, etc, regarding the battles, journeys, loves, and achievements of the dragon.

               A beautifully blanketly soft blue light resonates from the dragon’s face.  He purrs a purr of honor, dignity, loyalty and strength to the land.  The nearby village people hear him and offer a communal campfire as they’re offering.  They burn a specific type of wood.



Song begins on beautiful D major 7, continuing from previous song!  It’s a very slow progression, but it is:

||D major 7     | G- 7     |    F major     |  C-7     |    D7     |   C-7      |  D7    ||  Pretty cool  (n.n)

2nd tidbit
||Bb major 7    |  D major   ||  Repeats, then picks up again from the G-7.  Ends on D7 mixolydian jawn.



4.  Tassili N’Ajjer

               Laughing digital baboon in the background.  SNES.  16 Bit insects flutter past view, they are probably crickety locust type things.

               Lots of smaller dragons, look like they’re made out of papier-mâché.  Red crimson scales.


Weird song, has a Bb sort of tonal center.  The clearest notes I can make out are Bb and F.  An instrument, not sure how to describe it, plays C F slide to G.  Then later there are some B naturals in here.  I’m guessing the exact chordal structure is left open ended because each instrument brings a certain flavor to the table.  Curry curry curry MMM.


5.  A Dream of Aku-Aku

               The tabla vibe carries over.  This scene would be reflective of the final playing of the Aku-Aku song on this album (last track)  This version is more in the present time while the last is more reminiscing of memory.  The tale is as such:

               Girl and Boy (Miyazaki style) are shown traveling to different towns and countries, pointing, laughing, and leaning in for a kiss at sunset.  Romantic, in a French kind of way, the strings are so HONEST and emotional.  They feel weighted down with emotion.  The pair shares a meal and has a heart 2 heart.  It is an honest love.  It is melancholic.  The fragmented cut scenes eventually lead to the current situation, the two parting at an old style London train station, outdoors.  The final repetition of the main theme, with higher strings adding this go around, is this scene at the train station.  The two exchange adieus like, “Thank you so much, I’ll never forget you!”  The words are rushed due to time, a quickening exit train perhaps, but not fallen on deaf ears.  The two continue staring at each other despite the physical distance growing apart.  The girl sees the boy and the train disappear beyond sight.  She looks up at the dark mountains, purple with empathy, her gaze goes off into the night sky as she walks home.


                  Opening synth has I think A-7 to Cmajor7, again, C major 7 hitting that B note in the melody SO TRAGIC.

              The melody begins with the pickup note G A E, which is how I believe the synth A-7 is voiced in the very very beginning.  Basic verse melody is G, A, E,   D, E, G, D, G E.  Basically, there are variations obviously.  An innocent pentatonic sweetness, how heartfelt.  Basic chord progression for this part I believe is D-7 to C major 7, at the end a D-7b5 sneaks in there.  That chord is really subtle.  It’s along the same lines as  IV- chord, or  bII major 7, or even a II diminished.  It’s got THAT kind of vibe to it.
 
          The 2nd part chords are F- and C major.  So there’s the IV minor chord!  Melody outlines F-9 arpeggio, G F C Ab,  G F C  Ab, F E.  When E hits, it’s the C major chord.  Strings over this part play D B D B.  C major 9 it is.  Very jazzy.  Almost sounds like Tifa’s theme from FF7. 
What a title track, obviously a highlight of the album.  Simplicity at its best. 


5.  Keirin (Remix)

               Hauntingly sweet dreams fill us as we sleep.  The kind of dream it hurts to wake from.  A warm circular inside the stomach.  A sweet pain.
               Startled awake. 

               The piano has a vinyl, old sounding effect on it the entire time.  The piano also pans differently on each hit.  IV, I progression just like track 2.  I think the IV, I progression happens FOR THE ENTIRE SONG, but what changes is instrumentation and arrangement.  There are different core rhythms between the two parts.  

 Listen to the bass and snare drum interaction.  They make a cool delay by displacing the 16th note I think.  Reverse snare sound hit right before the snare.  Cool dragging effect, probably contributes to the overall dragging feeling of the song.

Song basically alternates between a few progressions:
Intro:       ||F maj   |  G  maj   |  F  maj   |  C maj  ||
Part 1 :    ||F maj    |  E-    |  Fmaj    |  E-    ||
Part 2:    ||F maj    |   Cmaj   | F maj  |  Cmaj   ||



6.  Dryad at 4 A.M.

               Love the title.  Sounds like Meridian at first (water level in Super Metroid?)  Beautiful acoustic piano takes the lead through the lunar landscape, shadowed and mysterious.  Overall!  This is a very ambiguously and exotic piece.

               Very odd one.  Song is broken down into a handful of sections.  First section is SOME KIND OF C tonal center, with the use of notes A, D, and F#.  Super loopy, wondering if it’s a Dmajor/C chord, because the next section is comfortably Dmajor7 based.  

          3rd section is another F major 7 to C major 7, it never gets old.  Followed by a brief Ebmajor, D7 thing, ends on D7..then sparkles to C major and G major chord progressions.  After this, form repeats back to the wonky C mysterious scale.  The dryad is just waking up, after all.



7.  Nettai Gunchou Zu I

               Cybertron Digital Zodiac Monks perform on steel drums, ensemble of at least 7 but no more than 12.  It’s at lika happy festival with log cabin like buildings, like a woods land from Suikoden 2.  Taiko drumming ensues.

          The high synth on the left is playing a melody with F and D, so I’m inclined to believe this is Bb major based.  Short tune.  Choir synth does something like F, D, G, C.  Very up and down.

 
8.  Nettai Gunchou Zu II

Just Cybertron LOL.

           The sequel!  C major based it would seem.  Tonal center distorted but still pleasant.  Probably a prelude to Sahara.



9.  Sahara

               Lots of Indian vibes on this album, very cool!  And it’s not overdone, it’s not bodacious.  Tasteful vibes.

               What starts as an oasis of terrific luxuries of an ancient desert civilization mirage shimmers into a darkened, ruined, and weathered truth of current states.  The ruins are viewed at length.  Memories of a wondrous civilization pan past view.  The ruins seem cursed.

               Easily the most tense song of the entire album.  This sets up the cradling set down of the final Aku.

         Opens with C Lydian sitar jawn.  Nice.  Specifically, C D F# G.  That is abandoned for a traumatic distressing heavy string orchestra.  

       There’s some changes between C major to C minor…  One of the melodic themes is C, Db, Eb, C.  This theme seems based in F minor.  There’s an ascending bass line that goes F#, G, A, Bb.  Hard to say what’s going on with this song, although it does sound grand like the scorching might of the Sahara desert.  


              
10.  Final dream of Aku

               A simple short haired Japanese woman in rice steppes.  She puts down her gardening tool, wipes the sweat from her brow, and looks back and to the left, off into the wind.  Recollecting her thoughts of that fateful month, years ago; her lost love, their grand adventure, the treasure, the zeal, the passion, she heaves a heavy sigh.  A sigh that aims to release the tension of her heart; like thick fields of wheat they ran through that year.  A bridge seen in the distance, view travels the span of the bridge following the headlights in the distance.  Purple sky.  Intimate Fade out.  This woman is the same person as the Girl from track 5.  She is remembering her love!!!! :’(

               40+ second fade out, nearly half the song.  The final dream is fading forever.  A slipping melancholy, a heart breaking goodbye.

               Or this entire reprise could be the credits roll.