There's so much info on the Internet. Hyde is busy. His fans are busy.For instance, Ladychris uploaded the English Ensembles versions of Angel's Tale, Shallow Sleep and Evergreen.
These are different arrangements from the originals and are simply breathtaking. (thanks to bailey59 for posting the above pic on the ARK)
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Buy different Roentgen versions at CD Japan
19 comments:
I've never heard these versions. All I can say right now is WOW *_* Hyde has once again stunned me with his composing skill.
I have to say, the classical version of "Shallow Sleep" has always been my favorite. And I really like the others as well. They're amazing. I think these files were ripped from the UNPLUGGED Live which I adore. Very good Live.
Also, looks like the link is down. Hopefully, it's just temporary.
I haven't listened to these files, so I can't be 100% certain, but I'm betting they are off the official singles (not to mention the all-English Roentgen), which included English ensemble versions of each song. The singles were Shallow Sleep, Angel's Tale and Evergreen.
And, ah, this is just my opinion, but I don't really think Hyde is that great of a composer.
He doesn't suck, but when you realize that his L'arc submissions are extensively rearranged and considering the relative simplicity of his solo work, and also that Ken and Tetsu are the primary arrangers in L'arc (with Ken being the primary musical composer,) I think arrangement is not where Hyde shines.
His songs all tend to have some weak element in them. Something that is apparently fixed in L'arc.
That's probably why, when asked on a radio interview what he thought of Hyde's submissions for Awake, Ken said they were crap and needed to be seriously rearranged.
Ken is nothing if not frank.^^
I have a hard time deciding if someone’s a better composer or not. I just know what I like when I hear it. If I think it’s great then he or she must be a great composer, right? :-)
But, seriously, it seems really subjective to me. Does technical difficulty make something a better composition? Maybe. But, some of my favorite pieces by Beethoven are the easiest to play. Or skillful variation on a theme? Again, possibly. But, John Lennon’s “Imagine” is (in my opinion) an excellent composition and the piano, drums and strings stay basically the same throughout.
So, I don’t know. What one considers a weakness may be considered a strength by someone else.
Hyde does seem to appreciate help in arranging, though (thinking especially of KAZ here). And I do think he’s best at lyric writing and singing.
Oh, but something interesting. If you watch the clip where Ken is helping Aoki arrange her part for a performance with P’unk~en~Ciel, he checks with the other band members for approval, and when Hyde is not completely satisfied they keep working.
Wouldn’t you love to watch them when they’re really arranging the music for an album?
And speaking of L’arc, here’s the cover for the upcoming Asia Live 2005 DVD.
Actually, yeah, I have seen them arrange music for their Smile album and Hyde was barely involved. Ken was doing the most, then Yuki and Tetsu. Hyde mostly just sat around until it came time to sing.
Also, that bit with Aoki was a joke. Ken was the ONLY one arranging that, but when he asked Hyde, he wasn't serious. Just like when Aoki tried to get Hyde's, Tetsu's and Yuki's opinion.
I think they all thought it sucked, which it did. XD
I know the Aoki bit was a joke.
And that's interesting about the arranging of Smile. It's one of my least favorite albums of theirs. Maybe if Hyde had been more involved, I would've liked it more. :-)
Actually, though, I think everyone in L'Arc is a genius. No matter who does what, the end result is fantastic.
Well, of course he wasn't very involved with the music on Smile 'cause he only wrote the music to, like, two songs, one of which they had already recorded before their hiatus.
Personally, I think Hyde is a good composer, maybe not a super genius in that arena but I don't think he's bad or below the others or anything like that. It brightens my day when I get a new Laruku album and I see that Hyde composed music on it.
And it's also a matter of taste. I, personally, like Hyde and Yukihiro better. Don't get me wrong, I think Tet-chan and Ken-kun are brilliant and I'm not going to say they're not just because they aren't always my exact cup of tea.
I am listening to this version of Evergreen on constant repeat - the words and his voice are simply beautiful.
and on the subject of whose collaborations are the best - it is a fairly personal choice, ne?
I enjoy the hyde/hyde and hyde/tetsu combo best myself - but to each their own.
What an amusing cover--very different from most of their others, but then they don't have any kind of "style" for covers--not in a bad way, just that each one is different. Not to start a whole new run, but I wonder how much input they have in the covers. I mean, we know that Roentgen is an X-Ray of Hyde's head (and other objects) plus his own sigil, and Faith is an artist he commissioned, but what about L'Arc.
Awake was an anomaly, so to say that on Smile "he only had two songs", well actually that is typical, not unusual.
He generally only has a couple of songs on any given album where he has composed the music.
Dune: 1
Tierra: 2
Heavenly: 1
True: 2
Heart: 3
Ark: 1
Ray: 3
Real: 2
Smile: 2
Considering how many total songs they've done, you can see that Hyde has a pretty small chunk (tho Yuki's is smaller).
Ken and then Tetsu are the primary composers. And based on what I have seen of their studio footage (not just Smile), they are also the most involved there as well.
About the covers for L'arc, Hyde has actually designed most of them, up until Real, I believe.
Hi, Jules, thanks for commenting. I’ve had the Ensemble version of Angel’s Tale on constant repeat. Love, love, love the jazzy piano with Hyde’s gorgeous voice.
About who’s a better composer, I think everyone’s been careful to present her thoughts as opinion. It’s hard to prove things like that (unless one is comparing, say, Shakespeare and Danielle Steele!).
The link is working again!
Hello musing,
I agree - Angel's Tale is lovely.
These songs are giving me a break from obsessively playing countdown / smile / and stay away repeatedly. I am giving my neighbors a little break from the loop (hee hee)
He also composed the music for 6 of the 11 B-sides and non-album singles (B-sides being among my favorite songs), and of the songs that he did compose, several are among their most popular--Flower, Honey, Driver's High. I would also point out that composing is not arranging. I have several L'Arc songs performed on accoustic guitar by Nobuyuki Hirakura and in these, one is able to hear the composition, free of the rocking arrangements and truly appreciate the music--from all 3 composers(none chosen by the artist are by Yuki or Sakura)--and all are revealed to be quite varied and exquisite, holding up musically without all of the things that make a good "rock" song.
It is certainly a matter of taste, but when listening to L'Arc I do not think, "Oh, this is Tetsu composing--I'm not going to enjoy it as much." Rather I think that L'Arc is a collaboration, quite different from their solo work and it would not be the same without any one of them. Witness the change in sound between Sakura and Yuki--not better or worse, just different. The arranging is always listed as a collaboration--and I am sure (from my own collaborations in artistic endeavors) that it would be difficult to say, "This bit is Ken, this bit is Hyde." Things are said and absorbed and come back in different ways.
I would also be wary of taking what is seen on backstage clips as gospel. We are always different when a camera is rolling and film is the editor's medium--what is filmed, what is usable, is not necessarily the whole story.
Nepenthes, I would be interested to hear/see your source for Hyde designing the covers. I know that he did their early work, but have heard/seen nothing regarding later albums and would like to hear more about his process. Thank you.
Appreciate your thoughts, Novel.
I've hardly heard any L'Arc B-sides. Which are your favorites?
And, like you, I don’t think I won’t like a song as much because a certain member composed it. Although, I have noticed that I tend to prefer songs by Hyde, Ken and Yuki (wish he composed more). I adore Tetsu, but sometimes his songs are a bit too popish for me. It’s simply my personal taste, though. I’m more of a rock than pop kinda gal.
Also, I agree about not taking backstage clips as gospel. Hope I didn't imply that in my Aoki
comment above.
My all time favorite song by L'Arc is the B-side, "Peeping Tom." I think it's just beautiful. I like his voice on it. I can't pinpoint why. I like "Metropolis" very much and "Sayonara." I can send you these files, but I don't know how to post them permanently for the site.
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