Truth be told, I’m always a sucker for Yoko Oginome, especially when it comes to Laserdisc/DVD releases of her live performances. Needless to say, I was all the more surprised when I accidentally stumbled on YouTube upon Pop Liberation Force, a compilation of clips from Yoko’s concert tour in 1992.
After a quick investigation online, it becomes apparent that Pop Liberation Force was originally released on Laserdisc as well as VHS, but it also received a DVD edition in the late 2000s. In my opinion, the title itself and the artwork for this compilation are simply awesome. You really get the feeling you are in for military-themed entertainment delivered by Yoko.
Indeed, Yoko wears a military uniform, but unfortunately only for the first four songs of the compilation, which is a shame. Another downer is the shoddy editing, which is certainly not suitable for people suffering from epilepsy. It is almost as if the editors wanted to go full 90s and show how edgy they were with their craft, but the end result is a fast-paced mess that takes you out of the viewing experience.
This is very much evident in the opening song called "This is Pop". The song itself is incredibly catchy. I love how the beat remains constant during the chorus, and all of a sudden, everything goes into overdrive towards the concluding section. Still again, the editing of the performance is painfully insufferable. Yet, I found myself constantly rewatching this clip time and time again, just to make out the dance choreography. It is clear that Yoko put a lot of effort into it, and it must have looked amazing on a stage, but then again… the editing gets in the way!
All in all, I love the song and it’s up there together with "Stranger Tonight" and "Hot Summer Night" as my fave Yoko Oginome’s songs. It really motivated me to study for my university exams which I had to take just recently. Interestingly, Yoko did an updated version of the song for another music video compilation called New Fashioned Love Songs. Evidently, this version is more… hip/techno(?) It is hard for me to describe it. It is longer but low-key at the same time. The concluding section is not that epic anymore. Judge for yourselves and thank you for reading.
Hi, Oliver. Thanks very much for the article and I appreciate your reviews on laserdiscs especially since I've never owned one and there was a time that fans needed to get them to get their J-Pop fix.
ReplyDeleteYeah, looking at "This is Pop", it seems as if some 80s remix DJs decided to over-apply their craft in the editing room. Maybe it would be best not to watch this in a dark room.
I think Oginome was one of the few aidoru of her time that was allowed to dance up a storm which was amazing considering that she also had to sing her dynamic songs at the same time. I haven't seen the remainder of the concert but if the director had told her to tone down her choreography on behalf of the editors, then that would have been a pity.
Looks like you've already got one interested party in the form of Naika Video on Twitter.
Thank you for reading, J-Canuck. I will try to cover more of Laserdisc MVs in the future.
DeleteAbout the song, indeed, the editing is just too much, but I can't help but adore the song and Yoko's dance moves. One can only imagine how much strain all that workout plus singing put on her lungs.
Well, the rest of the concert is definitely slower. I definitely enjoyed "Steal Your Love" song, which I would like to cover in a separate post. Yoko also did an updated version of "Dancing Hero" during the concert, but too me it's not that great. It just screams Madonna vibes.
Yes, thanks for letting me know about Twitter. I've seen the conversation between you and Naika, and I appreciate your kind words.