X JAPAN - On The Verge of Destruction (double cd version)

Sawadika. Oppss tu Thailand. Banzai!!!! Nippon!!!

"It's a dream, I'm in love with you.
Hold me warmly in your arms.
I awake from my dream
I can't find my way without you
The dream is over.
I can no longer hear the voice of your gentle words.
Floating off tear stained walls.
So awakening in the morning, I'll move into my dreams ...
until I can forget your love."

Firstly lets get the negatives out of the way first,

Three things that makes me miserable being a X Japan fan is

- Lack of news about them, and having zero knowledge on Japanese language and websites is difficult.

- Their cd/dvd releases are fuckin expensive being it a Japanese release, unless you go for the slightly cheaper Korean pressings. 

- They dont play live in this ass-of-the-world region. But I think there are definitely fans who traveled to see their reunions.

X Japan is like Yoshiki himself, one moment a high stamina mad fast speedy drummer, another moment an emotional classical pianist.

So X Japan songs borders from speed and power heavy metal stuffs with dual guitars and the next moment they can just switched to the tear-jerking love ballads.

(oo and I realised I post a photo of the recent Maiden's Killers bloody tshirt a week back , and its a legend of the demo tapes of X Japan performing this exact song haha).

Today lets talk cock about On The Verge Of Destruction - Live at Tokyo Dome 7 January 1992. The double CD version not the dvd one.
"Psychedelic Violence Crime Of Visual Shock" indeed. So this one is the Audio Shock I guess haha.

Last show before Taiji left and join Loudness. Seems the truth is I guess he got sacked for questioning why Yoshiki gets more money than the rest haha.

If you guys have seen the video/dvd of this show, basically you will notice its like the whole Tokyo Dome is filled with 55,000 hysterical crying ladies screaming non-stop haha. But they can rock too, love the audience participation on KURENAI.

cd1

SILENT JEALOUSY starts immediately at the speedy part. I think this is one of the best heavy metal songs ever, everything about this song, even the song-title is already so attractive. I used to read translations of X Japan lyrics and found they are beautiful indeed. 

SADISTIC DESIRE raise the tempo further, then it goes DESPERATE ANGEL, STANDING SEX and the happy pop sounding WEEKEND.

YOSHIKI DRUM SOLO is next, reminds me of the late Great Cozy Powell who drum solos to 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. Yoshiki's usage of classical music and ends with that famous part of Air On A G String by JS Bach.  For rock music fans will be quite familiar to this classical piece due to Vinnie Moore's April Sky.

HIDE SHOWCASE is next. Really maniacal and frighteningly crazy haha. Anyway, Hide's funeral was really something isnt it? The way the Japanese people especially the ladies showed their grief.

VOICELESS SCREAMING ends cd1, X JAPAN really knows how to write sad lonely heartbreaking love ballads.

cd2

Yoshiki remains on the piano for quite some time on this cd2 haha.

YOSHIKI PIANO SOLO starts. He used Tchaikovsky classical music too. Again for rock fans, this is the Tchaikovsky classical piece taken by Ritchie Blackmore for his Blackmore's Night song Writing On The Wall from their first breathtaking album Shadow Of The Moon
. 

Then Yoshiki plays ES DUR piece which is the intro of Jealousy album.

Then UNFINISHED starts. Now I really really love this song... SEDIH GILER!!!

This song is depressive haha - Really love the way X JAPAN have this song as an UNFINISHED SONG on the first album, and then records it again as a more FINISH UNFINISHED SONG on the next album.

Then Yoshiki goes back to his drums and its rock n roll with CELEBRATION.

""""CELERY-BRATION!!!""" 

ORGASM is next, love this song....  very fast, very trashy haha.

*KURENAI* is next, I remember on their cds there are two versions of this song, at least on the two studio versions of both Vanishing Vision and then Blue Blood, I prefer one over the other, I forgot from which one though.

Whatever it is, Kurenai-Red?-Crimson?-Maroon? or a short discussion last night and I realised the name of NARUTO's sword is something like this Kurenai too, this is another X Japan song that I really like.. starts slow and then explodes like crazy. Fabulous song with English/Japanese lyrics. 

JOKER is next, another great song...

then the song X.

I run out of superlatives to describe the songs at this show. X is another nice fast song. Though a translation on the words will help haha.

ENDLESS RAIN ends the show...14 minutes of crying the eyes out.
The audience were singing and singing.
First time I saw the video of X Japan playing live this song and the reaction of the audience, its really an eye opener haha. I remember if correctly that they used a drum backing track as YOSHIKI will be on the piano for this song.

" I am rose, blooming in the desert " this part Toshi did not sing haha.

Antara lagu cinta paling sedih dan best la kira....ni baru alih bahasa..

I'm walking in the rain,
though everything seems to be hurting me for some reason.
There is only nothing.
Just kill me now ... as I roam forever.
Until I can forget your love.

To me sleep is a confusing, narcotic
that only quiets the beating heart.
All my love seems to flow from my body like a heart felt memory.
I keep my love for you to myself.

Endless rain, fall on my heart In this wounded soul.
Let me forget, all of the hate, all of the sadness,

Days of joy, days of sadness slowly pass me by.
As I try to hold you, you are vanishing before me.
You're just an illusion.
When I am awake, my tears have dried in the sands of sleep.
I'm a rose blooming in the desert.

It's a dream, I'm in love with you.
Hold me warmly in your arms.
I awake from my dream
I can't find my way without you

The dream is over.
I can no longer hear the voice of your gentle words.
Floating off tear stained walls.
So awakening in the morning, I'll move into my dreams ...
until I can forget your love.

Endless rain, fall on my heart In this wounded soul.
Let me forget, all of the hate, all of the sadness,

Endless rain, fall on my heart, in this wounded soul.
Let me forget, all of the hate, all of the sadness.
Endless rain, let me stay a memory in your heart.
Let me take in your tears, take in your memories.

mendiang HIDE paling stylo mylo, dressing dia untuk Dahlia dvd, last live dvd semua pengsi giler.

Yoshiki terover sangat la dressing dia cam pompuan, tapi Toshi menang rambut haha.

Pata paling cool dan low profile haha.

Dorang main live 2 , 3 jam, ribut, tapi maintain je....tip top!

ok.

ARIGATO!!!

oo you say ARIGATO! just like a Japanese says ARIGATO! .

- Kill Bill Sushi seller who is actually the best samurai sword maker talking to uma thurman haha.

I think I want to re-listen to Dahlia next. This is the one with Forever Love right? I had forgotten all these already..

tshirts "baju raya" galore,- maiden and on the verge of destruction

I re-re-subscribed again to the iron maiden fan club, for another year. I think its quite worth it especially for the magazines, the codes for pre-sale, the forums, a free fc tshirt, etc etc 
though being part of the "rest of the world" always is a target for much more expensive postage.
So, everytime you re-subscribe for another year, you'll get a fanclub tshirt, sort of free as a gift.
So this is the design for 2013. Its already the end of the year, but thats when my access expires every year.

Not bad really, the classic 1988 evil that men do artwork with iron maiden FC curving on the chest level, I guess to tie up to 2013 being a Maiden England theme tour.

Treat myself to some new tshirts to wear to work haha.

Cannot resist this BLOODY Killers tshirt.
Black is always since Ritchie Blackmore!!! so its always nice to go to the opposite sometimes. Though I always love Bon Jovi's Good Guys Dont Always Wear White song haha.

And lastly, 
got myself a Personalised Tshirt of the Strangers In A Strange Land theme.Where No One Is A Stranger. I think thats kind of a nice mesage.

I dont know what to put in for the "Personalised Name or Message" column on the top of the tshirt behinds, so I go for a long one this time haha.

Pai-seh sia, embarrasing, so lets just pixelize it first haha.


Well thats about it....
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ooo I've been listening to this double live album for the past few days going to and back from work on the buses and trains...
the classic and legendary On The Verge Of Destruction.

I guess I'll talk cock about it next.

Everytime I listen to X Japan, the more I think Yoshiki is a genius.

my introduction to X-Japan was a cheap Taiwan release boxset more than 10 years ago, and all the studio albums are in there.

Aku gi kedai aku nampak boxset beberapa artis yang dorang repackaged, lepas tu semua album tu letak dalam kotak, paper sleeved mini-lp style, contoh cam RageOfTheMachine ada lima album sumbat kat boxset, harga dalam S$40 tak salah aku. Bruce Springsteen 8 cd, pun mini-lp style, cantik2 boxset. Sony tak salah ni smua. Puas hati kan kalo minat? Terutama untuk sapa yang nak build up koleksi ori.
Tapi aku tak minat la. Saje je ceta. So meh aku cerita cammana aku suka kat X-Japan tu yang aku belum start koleksi, lagi stress paham2 je la cd2 band Jepun punyelah sakit hati nak carik, kalo jumpa pun harga memang lagi mahal selalunye, tapi ni terus jumpa boxset murah, dan ni smua sebelum zaman Ebay, skarang ebay banyak Korea/Taiwan pressings....semua studio album ada kat dalam...
ni cerita dah lama dah pun, lebih sepuluh tahun lepas beli.. tapi skarang baru nak review lepas aku nampak Sony Columbia Epic nye artists boxsets mini-lp gitu..memang untung la untuk yang minat.

I first heard about X-Japan a dozen years ago thru some strong recommendations at some European discussion forums. A reader was asking everyone to give Silent Jealousy a listen. Those were the glorious days of AudioGalaxy, and I was hooked. I start to listen more and it gets frustrating because you cannot find X-Japan cds easily. Then I went to Tower Records at Bukit Bintang and saw this boxset. Its original, but since I cant afford Japanese pressings, a cheap Taiwan press will do.




So you have Vanishing Vision which is their sort of an Indie small label released, with Unfinished of course, and early Kurenai or something, I'm typing this from memory so I dont really check the details.
Maybe next time I will do a review.

You have Blue Blood , which I had already reviewed the Remastered Version which I think you can find the link at the bottom of this post under the labels section.
Which of course have the finished Unfinished.

Jealousy, the 29mins song Art Of Life and Dahlia.. Maybe one day got time, can talk about all these cds.

The packagings with the lyrics booklets are good enough for me, so sometimes hunting down Taiwan or Korean pressings of Japanese rock bands that we like is good enough especially if the Japanese pressings are so expensive.

Now, if only I can find a cheap but original complete OUTRAGE collection...
Still cant afford to get their new live double cd yet, now they have this double dvd coming out..
Yes, its all in Japanese, but... I think the 2nd dvd is a full show of the Rise and Shine cds.

review - X Japan Blue Blood 2007 Remastered double cd

My review and photos of the out of print remastered X Japan's Blue Blood rereleased in 2007 with the 2nd cd of instrumental versions.


Dah lama aku tak cerita pasal album2 yang aku anggap perfect. Those yang special gitu untuk diri aku. So nari aku cerita sikit pasal album X Japan - Blue Blood. Dikeluarkan tahun 1989. Aku ada versi cetakan Taiwan pasal nak beli Japan print mahal giler ler. Tapi bila keluar ni special edition remastered tahun 2007 aku berjaya tangkap jugak, tapi cdjapan dah sold out tu jam, so memang susah sikit nak carik. Special nye release ni ialah dia ada bonus cd, lagu2 album ni tapi versi instrumental.



I discovered X Japan very late (after they disbanded, and Hide had died ). I think it was around 1999 when I was reading a european metal message board discussions about some of the better heavy, power melodic metal songs. One guy vouch for a song called 'Silent Jealousy' by X Japan from their album 'Jealousy' which was after Blue Blood. He sounds convincing so I took the trouble to find and listen to that song...



Its one of those moments where all the planets seems to be aligned together. This song has everything in it, piano sentimental intro, dual Iron Maidenish guitar harmonies, superb lyrics even if more than 50% are in Japanese, loud drums, everything is loud, and with that passion that only Japanese bands can have.

Its a love song but it has metal written all over it, the kind of metal that I like. I try to find a few more X Japan songs, like what I hear, on my trip to Kuala Lumpur at that period I bought the X Japan made in Taiwan boxset of all their studio albums on cd, and the rest is history. I do have a few of their dvds but being Japanese bands, their releases tend to be super mega expensive and hard to get, so it is difficult most of the time. Seeing them play to a capacity crowds at Tokyo Dome is something.

Anyway, X Japan is actually known as X till the Jealousy album. Then they add Japan behind it when they have a proper global release for the next few albums to prevent any confusion. This is why the covers are all identified just as X for the earlier albums including this one.



If I have to choose only one Japanese band that I like, I'm so sorry Loudness, but X Japan it will be. They have that Manowarish attitude in them, to do what they like - fast,chaotic speedy songs one moment, and a slow ballad with only a piano with vocals the next.
Not forgetting they look good whether in the early days of weird hairdos and 'overdressing' in the costumes they choose, or in their latter days with Hide being the coolest, and Yoshiki is just being Yoshiki haha.


The songs on this album are
Disc 1
1. Prolouge ( World Anthem )
2. Blue Blood
3. Week End
4. Easy Fight Rambling
5. X
6. Endless Rain
7. Xclamation
8. Kurenai
9. Orgasm
10. Celebration
11. Rose Of Pain
12. Unfinished

Disc 2 ( instrumental tracks )
Features- Blue Blood, Week End, X , Endless Rain, Kurenai, Celebration, Rose Of Pain , Unfinished.


Left to Right - PATA on guitars / TAIJI on bass ( who will later join LOUDNESS ) / TOSHI the singer who from what I understand caused the band to disband and should have been hammered by Yoshiki on stage during that Last Concert LOL! / YOSHIKI the drummer whom I so like to see and hear, and the piano player too, and of course the most prettiest or should I say most good looking :-) / HIDE the guitarist, the best dresser, who accidently died because I dont think he meant to commit suicide, and cause a wave of hysteria of schoolgirls crying and wailing on the streets of Japan ( check out the youtubes of the footages, I hope these can be found in Youtube ).







My song by song opinion
1. Prologue - Orchestra like intro. Very majestic instrumental. Very bombastic. Suits that World Anthem title well. About 2 and a half minutes long.
There are words being whispered, trust me I didnt realise Toshi was actually saying them in English till I carefully check the lyric sheets. Ooo the beauty of Japanese rock bands singing in English.

2. Blue Blood - Fast tempo song. Mixture of Japanese and English lyrics. Depressing type of lyrics. The break in the middle is very melodic. Helloween-like instrumental break. About 5 minutes long.

3. Weekend - Reminds me of Roxette. I always think Roxette as a heavy rock band trapped in a MTV pop channel body. Their songs are very melodic, catchy, full of harmonies ( just like Iron Maiden or Lost Horizon who are also from Sweden like Roxette ) but there is a sense of heaviness in them that I prefer compared to Poison, Warrant or any other so called Rock bands that I am scared even to give them a try. Motley Crue? still around? vomit blood, but I do like the Dr Feelgood album, a bit.

4. Easy Fight Rambling - What a silly title isnt it? Sounds like a very happy jovial song. The lyrics ( the English portion that is ) sounds weird.

5. X - Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath all have their own self titled songs, and X Japan has one too and its great. Fast and exciting. I really like watching their live performance on dvds on this song, with all the Japanese fans ( mostly girls ) shouting together on the chorus " X !!! X!!! X !!!! ".

6. Endless Rain - One of the most famous X Japan song. Yoshiki is really brilliant. He should write with Steve Harris LOL!!. Toshi's voice is a bit rough, so when he sings these sad slow heartbreaking ballads, it dont sound wimpy but instead makes the song even more realistic.
This is a song to be heard. The song to be played for all the lovers out there who's hearts are broken. " I am a rose blooming in the desert " \m/
The English translation for this song is so lovely, that I often wonder how touching it is for those who understand Japanese when listening to this song. No wonder some in the audience cry when this song is played live.



7. Kurenai - I think the translation is Red Blood.
One of my most favourite X Japan songs. Starts slowly and all hell break loose type of song. Very fast but melodic. This is the type of song that I love. The instrumental part is very Maidenish , very Helloweenish.

8. Xclaimation - Instrumental. Seems each member has a chance to be in the spotlight for this song. Different moods during the 4 minutes of the song.

9. Orgasm - Fast song but I dont really get the idea of what this song is about haha. With this kind of title the meaning must be interesting.

10. Celebration - This album is a mix of very happy and sad songs. Another cheerful party sounding song.

11. Rose Of Pain - 11 minutes 50 seconds of a roller coaster ride. Slow moments, speedy moments. Remember, this was in 1989. The impact would have been more for me if I had listened to this song back then. This song begins with that classical melody that Yngwie Malmsteen also did. I forgot the title.

12. Unfinished - This song first appeared on their 1st album, and as the title say, this song was actually unfinished. But on the Blue Blood album, I guess they finally complete it.
The only song from this album with 100% English lyrics. Nice love song with simple but memorable lyrics. Its one of the lyrics I used to sing to myself when I am alone haha. As an asian, I do enjoy the way Japanese bands sings and write lyrics in English.

The 2nd cd features what seems the exact recordings minus the lead vocals, except for unfinished intro vocals before the piano kicks in.



All Blue lineup.. The one beside the Blue Blood cd is the promo of Iron Maiden's No More Lies. Very nice yes..

I always dream of seeing the X Japan live spectacle for myself. I know its near to impossible as they tend to play only in Japan and it will be beyond what I can afford, but it took me 25 years to see Iron Maiden live, so maybe just maybe, my dream to see X Japan live will come true one day.