The new Girls Generation Japanese Album "Girls Generation II: Girls & Peace" has GOT to be one of the most beautiful Limited Editions I've ever owned, a HUGE Box Set housing all sorts of goodies and collectibles, starting from its very nice slipcover and laminated box adorned with the "Girls Generation Airlines" Logo:
Opening up the gatefolds and I am blown away by how completely FILLED the box is! No wonder the thing was so HEAVY! As I removed all the times one by one, I had an enjoyable time examining each thing like it was early Christmas! In fact, it was my Birthday, and a finer celebration there never had been!
Contents include the CD/DVD set, a photobook with lyrics and shots of the individual girls in their stewardess uniforms and a mini-photo album with stickers for your Travelogue...and what was that packet with the picture of Seohyun?
Opening up the plastic pouch that held the Seohyun picture, I was presented with the coolest inclusion in this set, awesome mini-posters of the girls featured in retro 60's TWA Style Airlines Travel advertisements:
There was one poster for each girl, (nine of them!) which unfolded, looked like this:
Above: Taeyeon, Tiffany and Yuri
Above: Sunny, Hyoyeon and Sooyoung
and Yoona, Jessica and Seohyun! Such COOL looking posters!
The Songs
When I first heard SNSD’s first Japan release (the eponymously titled GIRLS GENERATION), I was surprised at how different they sounded from their Korean output. They sounded a lot more synth/hard rock than the playful sounds from Genie and Oh!, and GIRLS GENERATION II: GIRLS & PEACE continues the trend- like its predecessor, this album is full of powerful, rocking tunes backed with pounding rhythms, saturated keyboards, and electrified voices!
Flower Power
The album opens with their most recent Japanese single “Flower Power”. I tried not to listen to the MVs and clips while they were promoting the song because I didn’t want to be sick of it by the time the album came out, so the song sounds brand new and fresh to me!
So far while it’s a terrific song (with a cool chorus), it doesn’t really strike me as an opening track, but we’ll see how my opinion changes as I learn it better.
Animal/I’m A Diamond/ Reflection
The next three tracks are what I call the “Dance Tracks Suite” as they successfully go into attack mode after the Flower Power opening! When I first saw I’m a Diamond” on the tracking list, I thought it might be a Japanese remake of their Christmas song “Diamond”, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! Far from the sweet and jingly Diamond, “I’m a Diamond is a fast and funky song that reminds me so much of Amuro Namie’s “Put ‘Em Up” with its stattaco low monotone rapping style “IfYouGotDukesThenUBetterPutEmUp”, in this case, “ReadyYourDreamBerryIceCream”
Stay Girls
Aw man, so far my hands down FAVORITE song off of the album, Stay Girls is the true Girls Generation anthem- No matter how old they get or how much their life changes, in their hearts they always want to remain the same pure, innocent and true girls that they are right now. It amazes me that KARA’s album is the one called “Forever Girls” and not SNSD! Such an awesome song with awesome vocals by the girls!
A cool attitude-y song slightly reminiscent of f(x)’s “My Style”, as they chant the lines We’re Still On Top, Girls!” I have to wonder why the title is written as an acronym like it should stand for something longer instead of simply being called “top”??
Boomerang
When I first read the track order for the album and I saw Boomerang listed, I was beside myself with excitement, for this was one of those terrific songs that never made it to an actual release (it was originally intended for the Gee album), and instead seemed destined to remain floating around online in the “bootleg” category of SNSD hits. Of course, the original song was Korean and not only is this one Japanese, it sounds a lLOT different from the one I knew and loved. The music is more rock-tinged, and of course the lyrics are all almost completely changed, even the English ones! The line “Let’s Talk Talk about it Boy” had been replaced by “Boom Boom Loving You”, though the echo that follows it still refrains with “Talk about it…talk about it…”making for a very strange bridge! Oh well, hopefully this means the Korean version will eventually make it to an actual release as well?
Oh!
When they announced they were going back and remaking this song, my first thought was “WHY?” I mean, I LOVE the song, but specifically in the context of the “Oh” album, and to me it seemed like they were taking one step back rather than moving forward. And sure enough, I really can’t stand hearing the song on the Girls & Peace album. To me it sticks out like a sore thumb, imagine listening to the Beatles “Sgt Pepper’s” album and suddenly hearing Love Me Do” between Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and Getting Better!
I’ll be honest with you: when I ripped the Girls and Peace CD for my ipod, I cut “Oh” out. If I want to hear that song, I’ll play the “Oh” Album, okay?
All My Love Is For You
Another beautiful song from the girls. I first head this as the backing track to the Japanese “Oh”, and was taken with it from it’s first strains. Though we all know that a few of the SNSD girls are famous for things other than great singing, the ones that CAN sing are freakin’ excellent, the core vocals of Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun, and Jessica are so damn powerful and full of emotion, they always KILL me when they bring it on for powerful ballads like this!
I already knew this song quite well and was worried I’d be sick of hearing it on this album, but somehow it really fits in with this album and I find that I’m loving it even more! In fact, when I play it now, I’m surprised it's not more famous as a killer song in their catalog- It’s such a sleek tune!
Girls and Peace
No album would be complete without a catchy and FUN song (I’m not even counting Oh!) and they saved this sweet toe-tapper for the end of the album (or at least, towards the end) and after an album of hard hitting, loud rockers, listening to them playfully singing the chorus “Girls and Boys Kujikenai De, Ima Swing, Swing!” just puts a smile on my face and brings it all back to a sweet and happy vibe, setting us up for the album’s closer…
Not Alone
A nice, somber way to conclude the album, but every time the song ends, I feel so empty! My solution to this was when I ripped the CD for my ipod, I threw on the fun and cutesy “Beep Beep” at the end of Girls and Peace, making for a decidedly more upbeat finale! The chorus of “Hello Hello Moshi Moshi Ciao Ciao Busy Busy” makes me laugh, and that’s surely a great way to go out!
