Pierrot
- Dictator's Circus

Note: 9/10, I love these kids.

First thing that stroke me when I first listened to it: GOOD SOUND! You feel that every instrument surrounds you, you can hear every single instrument quite distinctly, still they somehow melt somewhere to creat the melody + a little "rough" something without which it would be too cleany-softy and finaly boring... Yes I know it' s a rather "space" description, but I LOVE this kind of sound! Here is a good description! This has to be why it's one of the rare cds I can listen either on the "classical" or "rock" mode of my cdplayer: most of the time (only 3-4 exceptions) it is one or the other, definitely not both!

Anyway: what's this cd... Well Pierrot is one of these bands who absolutely don't "deny" their past, "indies period" (= when they were not signed on a major label yet [sorry for those who know, but some don't]): this is a "best of indies" + as they are great guys who respect their fans (and their money), they re-record everything (+ old versions of some of the songs can't even be found on cd anymore anyway). And I really mean re-record: not "with a better sound but, hey!, we have other stuff to fo than re-work over those songs!", but really... mmh let's say "re-thought" songs. A little as if they had gone into studio some weeks ago, with new songs "yeah I made a demo-tape of them yesterday, I wasn't so busy so I had time": new versions of every song, that make them sound very... eer... "of nowadays" [I know this isn't correct, sorry, can't find the correct expression].
And in the end... I love it! And not a little! Yes it is definitely different from the old versions, but wake up please! time has passed! as every human being they changed(/evoluated?), so the band changed! Personaly I don't care, I love both old, more innocent ("let's try!"), and new, more mature, ("this way we know it will sound good") versions, and that's all that matters to me. Especialy as, on most songs, they "removed" what I didn't like so much in the old songs, to change it with something that quite looks like what I would have "placed there"... I like when musicians read my mind so easily / I have the same "vision" of music than them! ok there would be 2-3 more things left to improve, but well... I don't like "perfect" music anyway, so... IN MY AAAAAAAAAAAAARMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...sorry... Oh and it's always funny to see how much they improved, each of them, in "mastering"[/playing] their instrument(/using his voice as for Kirito)...
Possible bad point: It' s sad to have to wait for a best of cd, even "best of indies", to have an album of them where most songs are HEAVY... General atmosphere is rather dark, as always with Pierrot, not "sad" but "dark" (and I like it). Anyway I don't care I love this band, I can't explain why but I love them! After all, there has to be a good reason why they manage to make me cry these "tears that can't be explained" that only The Beatles and McCartney managed to make me cry until now... (even though less often than these two, I admit, but these are very special!)

If you don't know Pierrot / their indies period, you probably should buy this cd! It' s a good summary of their indies period + (as I said) sounds quite "up to date" [not correct, I know, sorry] + "old version" of some of these songs can't be found anymore anyway.
Still, I have to say that one of my favourites is toumei..., which is said to be a bonus: if it is "bonus" as in "added at the last minute" it's ok, but if it's "bonus" as in "first edition only", then it would be sad if you couldn't have it!: the "old" version I have (...and I don't think there are many) is "ok but...", while this one is GREAT! So if you bought the album but couldn't get this song, just ask me it' s always a pleasure to share so good songs!

Track-list:

01- jisatsu no ryuu
02- Adolf
03- Nonai Morphine
04- Screen1 torikago
05- Dorakyura (Dracula)
06- oni to sakura
07- aoi sora no shita...
08- Sepia
09- Mangetsu ni Terasareta Saigou no Kotoba
10- Human Gate
11- [Toumei] ko [Ningen] ya

(as it isn't a jrock site, and I know a lot of people who don't know a single thing about jrock: if you absolutely don't know who Pierrot is, but would like to know more, follow the link!)
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