CRUSH! 90′s V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs

Let’s face it. The announcement of this cover album brought with it as much doubt as excitement. “What if XXX can’t live up to XXX?” “What if they destroy the arrangement?” Well, the verdict is out and it’s a flying pass! (Mostly.)

It’s always easier to improve on something great than build something great from scratch (on the other hand, you could be AND and pour considerable amounts of time and skill into destroying something brilliant). That said, several of the tracks on CRUSH! have an original flair that makes it OK to argue this might just be better than the original. Some of the songs were expected (and some surprising), and still others fell short, but let’s get the disappointments out of the way, shall we?

Matenrou Opera: “Kurenai”

Unfortunately for Matenrou Opera, “Kurenai” is a difficult number to improve upon. The tone of Sono’s voice could have been refreshing, but his English pronunciation killed that avenue for improvement dead. The higher notes of the chorus have an awesome twang, however. As for the instrumentals, while Anzi’s guitar skills are evident, the drastic runs and dramatic flair only distract and detract from the arrangement. The number improves vastly once you get to the instrumental (if you can make it that far) and Yuu’s YOSHIKI-style drum interlude deserves a round of applause.

AND: “Romance”

My only thought the moment AND’s vocalist came in after the promisingly original intro to “Romance”: He’s singing in the wrong key! But I realized it was intentional, and proceeded to cross AND off from my list of bands possessing any potential whatsoever. They systematically massacred a brilliant song. There is no excuse for this abomination and I intend to pretend it never marred the pristine surface of this album.

Merry: “Schwein no isu”

As for Merry, the thing about covering DIR EN GREY is that DIR EN GREY only sounds great because it sounds like DIR EN GREY. Merry’s “Schwein no isu” just sounds like Merry imitating DIR EN GREY. Not awful but nothing special, either. Along those lines, 12012’s “Winter, again” followed suit, and just turned out horridly boring.

So who did live up to expectations?

heidi.: “Pink Spider”

heidi., for one. Their arrangement of “Pink Spider” has a certain funk tempered with telltale guitar that makes it their own. It’s drastically different from the original, and yet at the same time, inoffensive. Taking on Hide and coming out on top is a feat few could hope to accomplish, so opening with this piece was a great decision.

DaizyStripper: “With-you”

Kings of covers, DaizyStripper’s La’cryma Christi, “With-you,” is simply stunning. Kazami certainly worked his magic with the arrangement, and Yu-Giri’s voice soars in all the right places. The piano trickled in throughout the moody guitar solo is enchanting. This was simply a perfect choice.

D: “Gekka no yasou kyoku”

The first of the two biggest surprises came from D. Most giggled when they learned D would be covering Malice Mizer. Well, it’s just so obvious. However, D’s cover of “Gekka no yasou kyoku” far exceeds a mere carbon copy and takes on the carnival mood of the original, fleshing it out with some real guitar and a solid vocal style. Only the staunchest of Malice Mizer fanatics could dislike this arrangement.

DuelJewel: “Jupiter”

On the other hand, DuelJewel’s “Jupiter” sounds just like Buck Tick’s “Jupiter,” and oddly just as texmex as the original. Despite its boring intro, the saving grace was the skillful guitar solo and the subtle croon of Hayato’s voice getting under the skin once lethargy sets in. A couple of listens and this piece builds up a magical rapport full of shivers and delight.

Dog in the Parallel World Orchestra: “Yume yori suteki na”

Biggest shocker: Dog in the Parallel World Orchestra. Their cover of “Yume yori suteki na” by Raphael preserves the fun feel of the music yet eliminates that MIDI clang. The smooth tones of Haru’s voice are thoroughly refreshing. This was certainly one of the biggest points of contention on the album, yet it nestles smugly among the highlights.

Honorable Mentions

Special mentions should go out to Doremidan with “Machi” (a little karaoke-ish, but delightful nevertheless), BugLug with “Melty Love” (extra points for replacing the awful original intro with something punchy), NoGod with “1/3 no junjou na kanjou” (difficult to decipher some lyrics, but a tribute to Siam Shade), Lolita23Q with “Storm” (a brave, solid performance), Mix Speaker’s, Inc. with “S.O.S Romantic” (Frankly, this was just a great match), and LOST ASH with “ENDLESS LOVE” (Nicely performed, but not particularly original).

Out of fifteen covers total, 1 fails hardcore, 4 are passable, 4 are pretty good, 3 are great and 3 are absolute musical gems.

Regular version (15 track CD)

Track List

1. heidi. (Hide with Spread Beaver) “Pink Spider”
2. Doremidan （Sophia）”Machi”
3. BugLug （Shanza）”Melty Love”
4. NoGoD （Siam Shade）”1/3 no junjou na kanjou”
5. D （Malice Mizer）”Gekka no yasou kyoku”
6. Lolita23Q (Luna Sea) “Storm”
7. Matenrou Opera (X JAPAN) “kurenai“
8. DaizyStripper（La’cryma Christi）”With-you”
9. 12012 （Glay） “Winter, again”
10. AND （Penicillin）”Romance”
11. Mix Speaker’s Inc (Cascade) “S.O.S romantic”
12. Lost Ash (D-Shade) Endless Love”
13. Merry, （DIR EN GREY）”Schwein no isu”
14. DuelJewel, (Buck-Tick) “Jupiter”
15. Dog in the Parallel World Orchestra, （Raphael） “Yume yori suteki na”