Over the past weekend, the movie channel Showcase was running multiple viewings of "Man of Steel", another reboot of the Superman franchise. I did see it on the big screen and my good friend actually gave me the DVD but until this past weekend, I hadn't bothered seeing it again. Watching it with relatively fresh eyes again, I could appreciate certain scenes (Krypton, the battle scenes) but I thought it was basically a movie of some good scenes which wasn't quite more than the sum of its parts. I am hoping that "Batman vs. Superman" which comes out in a few months brings something far more magical and is perhaps somewhat even better than the past year's "Avengers" entry.
Well, let's make a cheap segue to YMO or perhaps for this song anyways,
It was indeed a single created by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi（坂本龍一・高橋幸宏）, and I was impressed by the nice little R&B groove added to the percolating techno. Would have loved to have seen this performed at a rave in the later hours. As for the "Superman" part, the lyrics didn't go either way. Instead it was just a gravelly voice (and a pretty voice) exhorting what seemed to be a perpetual hikikomori to get off his or her duff and make something of himself or herself.
Imagine my surprise on finding out in the liner notes that the gravelly voice belonged to the late William S. Burroughs. "Naked Lunch" W.S. Burroughs?! Did YMO actually lure this guy out to the recording booth? I'm not totally sure but I think the band just pulled out a few samples although I don't know which speech or lecture the phrases came from. Whatever the case may be, it was quite the inspired song.
"Be A Superman" was indeed on YMO's 7th and final studio album, "Technodon" from May 1993 which peaked at No. 2. As for the single itself, it only got as high as No. 76. But hey, that doesn't take away at how cool it still sounds.
Hello, Mr. J-Canuck! I'm Japanese highschool student and big fan of YMO. In this song, BE A SUPERMAN, they actually invited William S. Burroughs and recorded his voice. And they also recorded William Ford Gibson's voice for the song "FLOATING AWAY" in this album. I think Ryuichi Sakamoto planned and show them in the recording room by using his connection in order to achieve his big success abroad by this album. So I assume that the melodies in Technodon unbecoming to YMO with Sci-Fi atmosphere were loaded with controversy, as a result.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for my poor English.
Hello, Shawn. And just call me J-Canuck...we're not formal here. :) Thanks for the information on Burroughs. I'm rather impressed that Sakamoto was able to get the famous author to come over.
DeleteYour English is fine enough but I wanted to confirm your last statement. Did you want to say that the songs in "Technodon" were controversial because they were too different from past YMO songs?
By the way, from the name that you're using, would you be a fan of ice hockey or American football? There are a couple of athletes with that name in North America. Also, how did you first get to know YMO?
Hope to hear from you.
J
Thank you for your prompt reply!
DeleteFirst, the paraphrase about my last statement certainly matches what I wanted to say. Actually, not only most YMO fans who are conservative, but also the members of YMO says that they should not have reunited then and produced Technodon. You probably already know, but, behind this unless reunion(再生, saisei),there were complex circumstances such as Sakamoto's ambition to global success after "Merry Christmas, Mr.Lawrence", a dispute that happened between Sakamoto and Hosono again, and speculations of record company, advertising agency, and the media.
Eventually, Technodon which followed the trend was severely criticized by YMO generations. However some young fans who hadn't heard their songs live and enjoyed techno like this album. (In contrast, Hosono's album "medicine compilation"(1993) which contains elements of ambient earned high praises.) I think I am typical YMO fan who says that BGM and Technodelic are their masterpieces, but I like Technodon too.
Second, my online name comes from my real name "Shion". Japanese people sometimes pronounce my name like "Shawn" so I decided to use it as a kind of joke. I'm surprised that there are some athletes with that name. I want to watch their play!
Third, I explain how I get to know YMO. One day I was absent junior high school with the flu, I encountered two bands which changed my life. The one is Suchmos, and the other is METAFIVE. But I didn't have little interest in music at that time.
After that, I entered high school and in the school I made friends with a man who is a music enthusiast. When I brought up the subject about METAFIVE, surprisingly, I know he is a Yukihiro's relative! (It's a true story, not a joke.) Since then, thanks to his teaching and my never stop interest, I'm into music especially YMO and it's surroundings.
Sorry for ranting.
Hello, Shawn. Thanks for explaining about your name.:) I wasn't quite sure where it came from, and since I live in an ice hockey-loving country...
DeleteI had recently read about the tensions in YMO in the early 1980s, and it's not all that surprising when one considers the high talent, ambitions and perhaps also egos of the people involved. I think Sakamoto did really want to move onto other things after several years of YMO. The Beatles broke up under somewhat similar circumstances.
Although my favourite Yellow Magic Orchestra songs have been from their early period (1978-1981), I've also enjoyed some of their later material such as "Kimi ni Mune Kyun" and "Perspective".
I don't know Suchmos or METAFIVE as well as YMO, but I've also written on their songs too on the blog. I really like the R&B vibe with Suchmos. As for YMO, I first got to know them through some of their music videos which were pretty cutting-edge at the time. The very first music video that I saw of YMO was for "Firecracker".
I think that you are very lucky that you have a personal connection with Mr. Takahashi. Out of the three members, my impression is that he is the most relaxed member. I wouldn't mind talking with Mr. Sakamoto, but I have the feeling that he can be quite intense at times.
Anyways, good talking with you, Shawn.