COLOR – BLACK ~A night for you~ (A J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)
January 6, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“With the second generation of newer members of the Japanese R&B group COLOR, their fourth album has a smoother tone. A good number of solid ballads which were incredible but the upbeat tracks, too many of them sound too familiar with each other. A wonderfully sung album but music production-wise, I wish for more variation.”
BUY THIS ALBUM:
GROUP: Color
ALBUM: Black ~A night for you~
LABEL: Rhythm Zone
DURATION: 44:50
RELEASE DATE: July 30, 2008
- mic check intro
- Night for you
- Midnight call
- X-GIRL
- BUDDY feat. J Soul Brothers
- Call My Name
- night interlude
- Just a Little Bit
- What aobut us Pt. 2
- S.S.D. feat. TO-C (Warp-generation)
- ain’t so easy
- share wit’ me
- 24karats -type C- feat. DOBERMAN INC. (bonus track)
DVD: Region 2, DURATION: 11 minutes
- Midnight call (Music Video)
- Just a Little Bit (Music Video)
- ain’t so easy (Music Video
The Japanese quarter Color has gone through changes within the last two years. Originally a side project group of EXILE’s ATSUSHI, ATSUSHI and several of the members of the group left to pursue other interests.
For ATSUSHI, EXILE had become such a big hit with countless #1 albums and CD singles and the guys were literally busy. So, busy that that he and even others who had their own side projects had to focus on EXILE.
With one of my favorite albums of 2005-2006 being COLOR’s “RED Love is All Around”, I wasn’t sure what to expect when the group reannounced that they would regroup in 2007 and come out with a new CD single.
The quartet known for their smooth vocals are back with their second color-based album for 2008 with “BLACK ~A night for you~ continuing with the same R&B style but there are a good number of awesome tracks on this album despite there being no CD singles release from this album.
The album has a total of 13 tracks, the first two tracks “mic check intro” and “Night for you” are simply short 1-minute tracks with the first being music based and the second showcasing the quartets a capella. The first three vocal tracks “Midnight Call”, “X-GIRL” and “BUDDY” are all upbeat track that showcases the group’s harmony. Not quick dance tracks but smooth tempo but upbeat tracks. The majority of the tracks on the album are upbeat “smooth” tracks and the main EXILE-ish dance track on this album is actually a cover of EXILE’s “24karats -type C-” featuring hip-hop group DOBERMAN, INC.
There are a few other collaborations on this album with the track “BUDDY” with another EXILE-startup group J. Soul Brothers and “S.S.D.” with a collaboration with hip hop artist TO-C from Warp-Generation.
But where the group truly shines on “BLACK” is their ballads. Songs like “Call My Name” demonstrate the groups ability to harmonize but effectively touch your soul with beautiful melodies and they follow it up perfectly with a sexy track titled “Just a Little Bit” that pretty exemplifies this group’s talent for smooth R&B tracks with fantastic vocals.
As for the DVD, the 11-minute DVD features three music videos. The first is “Midnight Call”. One thing I’ve noticed compared to music videos from the past, their videos have gotten a jumpstart possibly with a higher budget or better crew because the production quality for “Midight Call” is pretty good. The group is featured singing in a bar-like setting and a woman awaits a phone call from her boyfriend.
The next two videos are quite interesting as they star EXILE’s MATSU and MAKIDAI. My favorite song from the “BLACK” album “Just a Little Bit” features MATSU who is a guy that is looking back at his old relationship with his ex-girlfriend and pretty much how he messed up. He goes into a club and see’s COLOR singing the the ballad and gets him thinking. He remembers being at the club and being with his girlfriend and having a lot of fun. You are shown shots of how he wanted to take part in a dance competition in the United States. His girlfriend surprises him by buying him a plane ticket to the US. But in one night, he gets in an argument with his girlfriend and it’s so bad that he rips the plane ticket and the two eventually break up.
It’s been awhile since they have broken up but as he listens to the song, as he sits at the bar, he’s surprised to see his ex-girlfriend come to the club and possibly, maybe he can make ammends and get back with her. But as he looks at her, he notices that she is wearing an engagement ring. He drives her home and sees her come home to her fiance. She comes back to the cab to give him something before they say goodbye and when he opens the envelope, it’s the plane ticket that he ripped up on the night that he broke up. She had picked up all the pieces and taped it all together. A very good music video.
The video for “ain’t so easy” features EXILE’s MAKIDAI and it’s the first time I’ve seen dancing on their music videos. But the video features MAKIDAI depressed and just throwing cards and his coat around. And laying in a spa tub and drinking himself away. Video uses several special effects with cards flipping, dice being rolled and Makidai throwing a card like a boomerang.
As for the CD insert booklet, you get the lyrics, production credits and solo shots of each of the guys. A promotional flyer for upcoming Rhythm Zone releases is included.
Overall, “BLACK ~A night for you~” is a good album and there are a few solid tracks. I definitely would like to see some more musical variation with their upbeat tracks because sometimes when listening, many are too similar to each other. On this album, anyway.
But there are some really cool jams on this album overall. “Just a Little Bit” is an awesome heartwrenching slow jam and “Call My Name” is anothe track that I’ve listened to a million times. With their talent and their awesome ability to harmonize and really work well together, what I miss the most is that variation of musical styles.
With the original “COLOR” especially on the “Red” album, you got that variation. With “BLACK”… too many of their upbeat tracks sound too similar to each other and that I think that is what makes this album so average when it could have been much better.
Again, the group does a spectacular job with their vocals and harmonizing may it be in a capella, upbeat tracks or their slow jams but producers really need to come up with variation with the music. The group is set to release a new album in Feb. 2009 titled “White ~Lovers on Canvas~” and I look forward to see how they change things up for that album.
BUY THIS ALBUM:
COLOR – Blue ~Tears from the Sky~ (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)
November 21, 2008 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“With the second generation of newer members of the Japanese R&B group Color, their second album ‘Blue ~Tears from the sky~’ manages to showcase the group’s dedication to great vocals, that western R&B flavor and more. Romantic, beautiful and solid!”
BUY THIS ALBUM:
GROUP: Color
ALBUM: Blue ~Tears from the Sky~
LABEL: Rhythm Zone
DURATION: 56:36
RELEASE DATE: January 23, 2008
- You Are
- Blue Sky
- 青い鳥
- Make It Hot
- 君のいない道
- I’m thinkin’ bout U
- Since You Went Away
- End of the Road
- 涙が落ちないように
- For you ~blue tears~
- Baby Girl
- Lost Moments ~置き忘れた時間~
- If I…
DVD: Region 2, DURATION: 25 minutes
- Namida ga Ochinai Yoni (Video Clip)
- Blue Sky (Video Clip)
- Aoi Tori (Video Clip)
- Kimi no Inai Michi (Video Clip)
- Lost Moments ~feat. ATSISHI (from EXILE LOVE TOUR 2007 EXILE EVOLUTION~SUMMER TIME LOVE – 2007)
The Japanese quarter Color has gone through changes within the last two years. Originally a side project group of EXILE’s ATSUSHI, ATSUSHI and several of the members of the group left to pursue other interests.
For ATSUSHI, EXILE had become such a big hit with countless #1 albums and CD singles and the guys were literally busy. So, busy that that he and even others who had their own side projects had to focus on EXILE.
With one of my favorite albums of 2005-2006 being COLOR’s “RED Love is All Around”, I wasn’t sure what to expect when the group reannounced that they would regroup in 2007 and come out with a new CD single.
And sure enough, the new quartet featuring TAKA, YUICHIRO, KEISEI and RYO came out with the romantic but upbeat single “Namida ga Ochinai Yoni” and was quite happy that the newer members continued the smooth R&B vocal style that the original group had.
The album has a good balance of upbeat songs and also plenty of slow jams.
Standouts on the album for me are:
“You are” featuring a collaboration with MICHICO who wrote the lyrics and the music for the track. Quite beautiful with the piano playing through the background, cool beats and beautiful harmonies of the group. Well done!
“Make It Hot” features an upbeat track that focuses on the guy’s harmonies. Well done and really smooth vocals!
“Kimi no Inai Michi” and “Lost Moments” are just lovely ballads written by ATSUSHI and featuring a nice touch of piano and percussion. Both are very beautiful and romantic ballads!
The album also contains its share of all-English tracks such as “Since You Went Away” which features ATSUSHI, an acapella cover of the Boyz II Men hit “End of the Road” and the KSK Music track “If I…” courtesy of Kevin and Sean Kumar.
And of course, the single tracks such as the beautiful mid-tempo ballad “Aoi Tori”, the mentioned “Kimi no Inai Michi” and the upbeat “Namida ga Ochinai Yoni” are also awesome tracks.
The DVD feature the music videos for the four single tracks.
The music video for “Namida ga Ochinai Yoni” features a music ideo of the guys looking like they are going through their separate ways and leaving the group and holding an airline ticket with their names on it and they all end up ripping the ticket.
The music video for “Blue Sky” features a CG video of the guys performing with the sky and sunlight in the background and the group singing.
The music video for “Aoi Tori” features a sad track of saying goodbye. I this case, a husband and family are saying good bye to a love one and are at the church to say their final goodbyes. The family remembers the good time they had together with the whole family and then you see a flashback of the family eating dinner together and then mourning. A lot shot of the wife buried in blue flowers and a last shot of the family taking their final photo together.
The music video for “Kimi no Inai Michi” features the guys singing in a building and positioned behind windows.
The fifth video is a live performance with EXILE’s ATSUSHI and COLOR performing “Lost Moments”. ATSUSHI playing the piano and all his female fans screaming his name. ATSUSHI sings the opening and then is joined by COLOR. A very awesome live performance showcasing the group’s vocals.
There is a sixth unlisted video featuring information on the group, their website and fan club. Also, a short promotion for EXILE.
CD insert booklet features lyrics and pictures of the guys and a flyer promoting Rhythm Zone releases of the month this album was released.
Old group or new group, COLOR is one of the few Japanese boy bands where vocals is what is showcased. The guys are just talented vocalists and their harmonies are just incredible. The fact that ATSUSHI of EXILE is still involved as a producer is great but these four on their own are talented singers.
The group differs with other male bands on the Rhythm Zone label like EXILE and Tohoshinki in that these guys are not dancers, they are vocalists and most of their songs emphasize the harmonies and the unity of the four performers.
Overall, “Blue ~Tears from the Sky~” is a pretty awesome album, not sure if I want to necessarily call it a debut album (since it’s their second overall but with new members) but there is a good balance of upbeat jams and slow ballads that Japanese R&B fans will truly dig.
Overall, a solid album!
BUY THIS ALBUM:
[WORLD GROOVE] Currently listening to COLOR – “Blue Sky” CD single
September 1, 2007 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
GROUP: COLOR
ALBUM: Blue Sky
LABEL: Rhythm Zone
CATALOG #: RZCD-45606/B, Released on July 25, 2007
- Blue Sky
- Make It Hot
- I’m thinkin’ bout U
- Tell Me It’s Real
DVD TRACK LISTING: Region 2, 4:3, 4 minutes
- Blue Sky (video clip)
I enjoy soul R&B and enjoyed groups such as Jodeci, Shai, Silk, Troop and dig that old school sound.
When COLOR first came around and seeing that ATSUSHI of EXILE would be working on a new project, I will tell you that I really digged the music and enjoyed their CD single and album and as fast as they came together as a group and released a few CD singles and an album, the group broke up in 2006 with their last CD single back in December 2005 (Neiro).
With EXILE becoming a music powerhouse, I figured that is why each member of EXILE that had a side-project (the other was the hip-hop, R&B group RATHER UNIQUE) would end them and personally, it sucked because I was really getting into the music of these groups.
Fortunately, COLOR announced that they would be back and on April 2007, the group now with a few new members (consisting of TAKA, YUICHIRO, KEISEI and RYO) released “Namida ga Ochinai no Youni”.
The group has released their second CD single of the year titled “Blue Sky” written and produced by former member ATSUSHI and also a cover of the popular K-Ci and JoJo song “Tell Me It’s Real”.
The quartet’s latest song “Blue Sky” continues the same R&B style of COLOR and manages to continue the blend of great vocals and the R&B sound that the group is known for.
“Blue Sky” has music similar to recent EXILE single releases. By saying that, I mean that the sound is more commercial, pop and R&B driven.
My favorite tracks are “I’m thinkin’ bout U” because its more soul R&B and of course, the cover of the K-Ci and JoJo song “Tell Me It’s Real” was a pleasant surprise and the group did a wonderful job singing the song in English.
The accompanying DVD features the music video for “Blue Sky” and a one minute brief intro. of the new COLOR and Website announcement.
The CD insert features the lyrics to the song and information on upcoming Rhythm Zone artists and the COLORSOUL official website and fan club.
Now, for one to appreciate COLOR, if you enjoyed the old school soul and R&B music of the 90′s, this is what makes the music of COLOR special because they continue that trend without straying away from the formula.
You can find any Japanese boy band that focuses their music on pure J-Pop and dance music but COLOR takes the unique path of using their vocals, their harmonizing and incorporate soul R&B music and embrace it.
So, the group is very Western influenced musically and also visually and because of that,
they are clearly distinguishing themselves from other male R&B groups in Japan.
So, if you dig the old school sounds of K-Ci and JoJo, Shai, Jodeci, etc., then you will more than likely dig COLOR.
“Blue Sky” is a good and balanced CD single and the main track is a good pop R&B track from the group, consistent from past CD single in terms of sound and even current EXILE releases but I found the soul R&B tracks much more enjoyable.
