Living In The Past.
Finally! After a month of having two awesome gifts in my possession, I get to watch them on my TV! My friend Tomoya gave me two LUNA SEA concert DVDs from Japan: 真冬の野外 (Mafuyu no Yagai – 1996.12.23 concert) and 真夏の野外 (Manatsu no Yagai – 1998.08.10 concert) both of which needed a region 2 or region-free DVD player to view them. I did not have one, except for my iBook, and I couldn’t figure out how to hack my Blu-Ray / DVD player (and not that I wanted to try.) Thankfully, I was given a DVD player by a friend who recently upgraded their home theatre and then I was able to dig up the hack for unlocking the region code. WIN!
This entry is a continuation of the one two entries ago, as I had promised Tomoya after receiving his thoughtful gifts. No one cares to know about how crazy I am for this band, except for maybe Tomoya, but I definitely will love writing this entry!
In some shape or form, I have every video that LUNA SEA released through DVD or VHS. There is a chemistry and intensity to this band that gives me “chicken skin,” especially when I see their concert footage. Though I got turned on to LUNA SEA later in their career (1997), I tend to enjoy their earlier material than their later material. It has almost everything to do with lead singer RYUICHI’s voice changing as he built his pop persona for his solo career as “Ryuichi Kawamura.” That being said, I really enjoy 真冬の野外 from 1996 much more than 真夏の野外 from 1998. Even though they are only two years apart, there’s a big difference between the two albums they promoted at the time, STYLE and SHINE respectively, in their mood and style of music. Both are great concerts though, because there are performance of songs that you don’t hear in their later concerts, such as “c/w” songs or obscure titles from those albums. I especially like the inclusion of one of my deeply personal favorite songs “RA-SE-N” in both DVDs.
My favorite album from LUNA SEA (and possibly out of any other album I own) is their 1994 album titled, EDEN. It’s unfortunate that they don’t release any additional promotional concert footage from that time. Ryuichi’s voice wasn’t too “nasal” like his pop voice is nor was it too “raw” like it was with the first two albums. I also liked where the whole band went musically and in their lyrics where it wasn’t too dark nor was it too pop. It’s like the “Goldilocks” period of their career. Some could argue that their next album MOTHER was, but I think my preference lies in their earlier days with EDEN.
Not that mind their really earlier stuff, back when RYUICHI wasn’t afraid to show his tattoo! 
And this is is Ryuichi Kawamura now? Kind of sad.
Yay for the Internets and YouTube and being able to look back on LUNA SEA’s phenomenal career. I do however miss the old school fansites of long ago (and by long ago I mean 8 years ago?) I think I want to continue this entry later with more reflection, because there is so much more to say.
For now, it’s time to enjoy my long put off vacation!
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Comments (2)
good thing to see other people who like Luna Sea,I think Luna Sea is one of the best band in Japan,I like Luna Sea for about 11 years,oh man I feel old xD.I respect your opinion about Ryuichi though I kinda disagree with the last Heroine part,but I am not against you,and I am not Ryuichi’s fan,I tend to be Luna Sea fan in general,anyway I acknowledge through Luna Sea’s career and solos,I proud to say that Ryuichi indeed improved a lot now than he used too,his voice to me much more powerful,he already gotten rid that nasal voice,his voice is much more lighter but deep at the same time.You should see his concert of 70 no monogatari where he sang 70 songs in 4 1/2 hours straight,to me that concert really has open my eyes of his perfect ability in singing.Also he just held a concert (don’t know if this day or yesterday),where he sang micless.
I understand that some of people disagree with his voice since it is pop so it sounded weak or uncool,but I realized even rock vocalists or visualkei vocalists or whatever could even get what Ryuichi has achieved nowadays.To me he had revolutionized to be a better one,and I like it very much.So I would say right after I saw that 70 no monogatari,I changed my mind that even a genre didn’t guaranteed that a singer is better in singing,hope you get what I mean.And Ryuichi showed off his tattoo on One Night Dejavu concert.
Ryuichi sang micless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFWs2qXi0m8
also please hear his albums of his 97′s-2004 solos and compare them with his evergreen album that he released on 2007,you could tell the difference in his voice
Chris — Thanks for commenting! I would have loved to have replied earlier but I was so very busy.
Yes, I have to agree with you that Ryuichi sounds much better now than after LUNA SEA broke up, or even before that. I was pleasantly surprised with his vocals in the One Night Dejavu concert, particularly with the tracks “SLAVE” and “JESUS.” I never really cared for the concerts they had promoting their last album LUNACY because Ryuichi’s voice was so horribly nasal for the classic songs and I thought a LUNA SEA reunion after their breakup wouldn’t be so satisfying because of his voice. (The PERIOD remakes were awful!) So yes, it was a great improvement. I think I noticed a difference from when he started his work with Tourbillon.
I have NOT seen 70 no monogatari! I unfortunately am not in the fan club because he does not have an English version of his website. But yes, that does seem very impressive and I’m sure he pulled it off well.