:+: No Music No Life :+:

Monday, July 21, 2008

CDs Review :: NANA Triple Billing

3 albums that I'm going to review in due time are fall under the same umbrella in that material coming from the 3 albums are songs that were done specially for the NANA anime series in which 1 of them's a compilation album .

ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES)

Tracklist :

1) rose
2) Without You
3) zero
4) scream
5) Take me out
6) Kuroi Namida (Black Tears)
7) I'm addicted to you
8) LUCY
9) rose -STREET LIVE Edition-
10) Kuroi Namida -TV Live Edition-

ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) is a special NANA concept album that was released by Anna Tsuchiya last Feb on the 28th in Japan alongside with OLIVIA's OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) .

The 3 singles that she released prior to the announcement of the album are included in the album with Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) being my fave outta the whole lot as it's a great fantastic ballad .

rose's her most successful single to date , chart & sales wise while LUCY's 1 song that never fails to get me on a high mood without fail .

Interestingly enough , zero & rose were available in her debut album strip me ? before ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) was put out .

When you subtract the 2 live editions of rose & Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) & the B side of Kuroi Namida I'm addicted to you , it only leaves you 3 new songs in the bag .

The only song that I didn't like outta the 3 was scream . As the title suggests , it's Anna screaming into the song & her voice sounds distorted & being masked quite heavily with the music arrangement of the song .

But the other 2 songs are great especially Take me out which's described as an Evanescence style ballad by Anna & I like agree with that since in this album there're only 2 ballads & I love the way her vocals goes in Take me out .

I do find ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) a bit too short for my liking . I thought it would have been better if she included the B sides found on Kuroi Namida & LUCY which probably will make the album a bit complete but aside from that , the album's not bad & worth a listen .

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OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)

Tracklist :

1) a little pain
2) Wish
3) Starless Night
4) Shadow of Love
5) Tell me
6) Rock you
7) Winter sleep
8) Recorded Butterflies -Studio Live-
9) Wish -Live-
10) a little pain -Studio Live-

Just like the NANA theme concept of Anna Tsuchiya's ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) , OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)'s OLIVIA's 3rd album & it was releasd on the same day as ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) album .

The singles that she put out as singles are available on the album in which 1 of them's a double A side .

Her 1st Top10 single a little pain's still awesome after every listen & not to mention Wish / Starless Night are stars in their own right although I still wish that Starless Night would have received its own PV . I bet it would have been awesome .

When you subtract the live versions of Wish & a little pain from the picture , you have 5 new songs in which my fave non singles have got to be Winter sleep & the studio live version of Recorded Butterflies .

I remember when I 1st heard Winter sleep , I was blown away by how earnest OLIVIA delivered the song without going over the top & I enjoyed the studio live version of Recorded Butterflies a lot .

I wasn't really feeling the other non singles on the album & I can somehow tell that the non singles on the record were a bit overshadowed by the singles which're fantastic but still this's an album that's worth getting for .

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NANA BEST

CD Only Cover :

CD + DVD Cover :

Tracklist :

1) rose (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
2) a little pain (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
3) zero (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
4) Wish (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
5) Starless Night (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
6) Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
7) LUCY (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
8) stand by me (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
9) Shadow of Love (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
10) Winter sleep (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
11) ANARCHY IN THE UK (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
12) LUCY ~Studio Live Version~ (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
13) Nothing's gonna take my love (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
14) Recorded Butterflies ~Live Version~ (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))

NANA BEST is a special compilation album feautring the combined works of Anna Tsuchiya and OLIVIA that were used in the first season of the NANA anime .

The album was released only one month after the release of two full-albums dedicated solely to one singer each's work for the anime (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) and OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) respectively) .

5 new tracks are available on NANA BEST which're highlighted in bold .

I think it's quite interesting for Anna to cover the Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the U.K. even though that's not my fave new track on NANA BEST although I adore stand by me . Instead that honour goes to OLIVIA's Nothing's gonna take my love .

The rest of the new songs are live recordings basically .

In conclusion , I feel each of the NANA inspired albums are unique in its own right . While the material found on ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) presented a more harder & gritter rock sound in it , the material that's found in OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) has a more softer rock edge to it .

Depending on what type & shade of rock music that you like , you might probably find something that you like in here . If not , just savour the best tunes outta the mix with NANA BEST .