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Thursday, July 23, 2009

CD Review :: Fukuyama Masaharu - Zankyou

Tracklist :

1) Gunjou (Ultramarine Blue) ~ultramarine~
2) Keshin (Incarnation)　　
3) Ashita no (Tomorrow) ☆SHOW　　
4) Nagareboshi (Star Stream)
5) Koufuku Ron (Theory Of Happiness)
6) 18 ~eighteen~
7) Saiai (Beloved)
8) Sou (Idea) -new love new world-
9) phantom
10 survivor
11) Konya , Kimi wo Daite (Tonight , Hugging You)
12) Tabibito (Traveler)　
13) Tokyo ni mo Attanda (It Was In Tokyo)
14) Michishirube (Guidepost)
15) 99 (Instrumetnal)

Zankyou is Fukuyama Masaharu's 10th album . It was released last month on the 30th .

Fukuyama's last album offering was Go-nen Mono which was released 3 years ago .

3 singles , 2 B-sides & a collaboration single are included in Fukuyama's brand new album . An instrumental tune called 99 is only available in the 2 different CD + DVD editions of Zankyou .

Gunjou (Ultramarine Blue) ~ultramarine~ is the 1st track to kick things off in Zankyou & it was used as the ending theme song for TV Tokyo news program World Business Satellite .

I was really blown away when I 1st heard Gunjou ~ultramarine~ because it's an epic & grand sounding tune & you have a sweeping orchestra melody going on in here which's awesome & the ending of the no. is plain lovely .

Keshin (Incarnation) is Fukuyama's 24th single & it served as the theme song for the drama Majo Saiban which starred Ikuta Toma . It's also the latest single to be included in Zankyou before the album was released last month .

This's the very 1st song that I heard of Fukuyama as before that , I had no idea as to how he sounds like but when I saw the video of Keshin that received its fair bit of airplay a while back ago on MTV Asia & MTV China , I was immediately drawn & hooked onto Keshin at an instant .

There's no way you can escape the infectious & groovy melodies going on in Keshin that's for sure & it's probably the most aggressive/in your face song you can find in Zankyou too .

Ashita no (Tomorrow) ☆SHOW is track #3 & it's the 1st B-side song you can find in Fukuyama's 23rd single Sou (Idea) -new love new world .

This's a real cheery guitar driven song . I love it that it's catchy & uplifting at the same time when I 1st heard Ashita no ☆SHOW & you definitely can feel a lot of positive vibrations coming from this song which's great .

Nagareboshi (Star Stream) is track #4 & this's a really mellow & chilled out song . I have to admit that it took me quite a while to remember as to how Nagareboshi sounds like as it was really boring & un-memorable for my liking on 1st listen .

After a few more listens or so , I began to soften up to the song & I considered it as a really solid guitar ballad .

Koufuku Ron (Theory Of Happiness) is track #5 & I find this to be a really charming tune . It's just Fukuyama with his trusty guitar in this song & with a few percussions thrown in for good measure , the final product you get for Koufuku Ron is this really peppy & upbeat song .

18 ~eighteen~ is track #6 & just like Ashita no ☆SHOW , both songs have the same catchy & uplifting characteristics . Except for 18 ~eighteen~'s case , the music arrangements are a lot more toned down which's nice & Fukuyama's vocals are in fine form in this song .

Saiai (Beloved) is Fukuyama's 2nd collaboration single which was released last year on Oct 1st which you can find this song in the single KOH+ & it's a collaboration with Japaneses singer/actress Kou Shibasaki .

Unlike other songs you can find in Zankyou , Saiai is a gorgeous piano driven ballad that I really like on 1st listen . I love it that I was drawn into Saiai immediately & you can tell how much music input that was went into Saiai .

Sou -new love new world- is Fukuyama's 23rd single & this's a solid upbeat song . I frankly didn't know what to expect before I heard this tune but I was real impressed after hearing it & the synth that's going on in here gives a nice edge/touch it needs to stand out from the other songs in Zankyou .

phantom is track #9 & it's also the longest song in Zankyou , clocking in at 6:42 mins . This's a straight up no nonsense mid tempo guitar no. . I initally thought that I might get bored of phantom especially since the duration of the song's almost 7 mins but I'm surprised that I was being kept pretty much entertained by phantom from the start to the end .

The highlight of phantom's after Fukuyama delivered the 2nd chorus , you can hear a really great instrumental piece that I simply adore .

The only grouse I feel about phantom's that the closing of the song should have been shorter since I find it a bit un-necessary to have almost like a 3 mins instrumental for an ending but I suppose this's what makes phantom stands out in its own unique way so I guess I can pardon Fukuyama for that .

survivor is track #10 & as the song title suggests , it's a very catchy & uplifting song that you bound to feel positive vibes after hearing this pretty good no. & the drum beats are a lot more prominent in here as compared to other songs you can find in Zankyou .

Konya , Kimi wo Daite (Tonight , Hugging You) is track #11 & to me this's probably a weak link in Zankyou because it took me almost like forever to recall as to how Konya , Kimi wo Daite sounds like .

But after I got that outta the way , I came to appericate this pretty slow no. even though I will not consider this as my fave song in the album .

Tabibito (Traveler) is track #12 & this's used as the theme song for the upcoming Ueno Juri film , Killer Virgin Road .

Honestly on 1st listen , I find Tabibito really interesting as it's a bit different & unique as compared to other tunes in the album & the melody has a really infectious hook which got me to like Tabibito in due time & I found myself humming along to the song after a few listens which's nice .

Tokyo ni mo Attanda (It Was In Tokyo) is the 1st A-side of Fukuyama's 22nd single Tokyo ni mo Attanda / Muteki no Kimi which was used as the theme song for Tokyo Tower - Mom & Me, And Sometimes Dad . As such , you will not find the 2nd A-side Muteki no Kimi in Zankyou .

It's the 2nd longest track in Zankyou after phantom , clocking in at 6:21 mins .

The song frankly did not catch me on 1st listen . I found it really lengthy & pretty much was bored by it but after a while when I got myself familiar with other songs in Zankyou , I cast a different light/opinion towards Tokyo ni mo Attanda & now I find the song to be a really enduring & charming ballad .

Despite the long duration of the song , you can't help but felt a sense of nostaglia feeling when you listen to Tokyo ni mo Attanda .

Michishirube (Guidepost) is the final song you can find in the CD only edition of Zankyou since I will not be reviewing the instrumental piece 99 . This's the 1st B-side song of Fukuyama's 24th single Keshin & Michishirube was used as the ending theme song for NTV news program NEWS ZERO .

I think it's a perfect way to close Zankyou off with this powerful & inspiring song . I really like Michishirube when I 1st heard it as it's such an uplifting no. , there's no way you will not like it at all .

Zankyou's the very 1st album I listened to of from Fukuyama Masaharu & I must say that this's a very solid album as Zankyou offers a really good mix of mid tempo guitar driven songs & ballads thrown in for good measures .

Considering that he has been in the music business for 20 years , it's no laughing matter at all & it's easy to see as to why he's 1 of the most respected singer/songwriter/guitarist/actor around .

I kinda regret not listening to Fukuyama much much earlier because I'm quite sure that the rest of his discography's equally as great as Zankyou , be it for the album tracks & the singles which made the cut in his brand new album but I still say that it's never too late to start right now & what better way to do so than in the form of Zankyou , ain't it ?