I'm seventy years old and I have to see this band before I go. Seeing them live would be better than heaven. I appreciate, Ryan, how much you admire this band. They are a gift to the world!!!!
Even among the reactors who truly love Band-Maid, ya won't see them reacting to one of the lesser known tracks of Conqueror. Which is a shame, cause that album is full of amazing music. Liberal and Flying High are constants on my playlists. While the slower, quieter songs I put on, close my eyes and just vibe to em. Every other band I've listened to before, their albums have one or two good tracks and the rest I could care less about. Only Band-Maid can I listen to a whole album no skipping. They really make me appreciate music in a way I've never done before.
I absolutely agree with you. Say Eagles, Led Zeppelin and Deep purple. All have a couple excellent songs in albums. Others would be better not to put on track at all. Band maid is phenomenal. There are no one day songs. Each one has a chance to become my favourite after a while, when I’m back to old tracks.
On the acoustic Christmas special audio commentary, during the last song, they talk about how they originally just did one song after the other with no MC, but at hotter venues they began to worry about the audience after someone needed oxygen and people fell (fainting?). So Miku started doing MC stuff to slow the pace and check on the audience, they brought oxygen bottles and distributed water, they also thought they might need some slower midtempo songs, so they wrote Conqueror as a way to help keep them and the audience cooler/less fatigued. I thought that was a cool backstory for an album.
Agreed. Line Cube Shibuya (and maybe a couple of okyu-ji streams as well) changed a lot of minds as well, including mine, but even that concert had some engineering issues. The Christmas concert was one of the first times you could hear everything clearly, even if the songs were arranged differently.
One of those never heard songs (FOWARD) is from Maid In Japan, their very first album, & one they hardly play anything off of anymore. So it was quite special when they played it! (It was the one with Saiki, Miku, & Akane on the Cajon).
Hi,Ryan. Thank you for reacting to this song.This song is very important to me. I was very happy. This song from an acoustic live was really awesome. I like this band very much because"BAND-MAID"do such songs. I'm looking forward to the live stream on December thirty first.🤟
At the acoustic, Band-Maid did Page as the final song, Page is also from the album Conqueror. Please react to it, Page is emotional like Daydreaming and brings tears to my eyes from time to time. Saiki's voice and singing is soooo great on page as well.
It is said that he sang the feelings of a woman who had a crush. I can sympathize with the desire to stay unrequited love, rather than confessing and losing love.
Definitely my favorite one of all the slower ones on "Conquerer" and pretty much made for an acoustic version. In the audio commentary to the online concert they were even joking around, how happy they are for "Conquerer", because without they wouldn't have had enough songs to play acousticly. Typical BAND-MAID humour 😉
Live, this songs short epic, ending is heart stirring. The online acoustic version was IMHO beautiful as was, the whole show. My shirt is almost here, I hope. USPS says it's 50 miles away since the 23rd......Was super tickled when Kanami sang "Shut UP!" in the "toughest" voice she can manage.
Some metal fans think this album is not HEAVY enough for their taste, they get high with songs like Rinne but I think some of the less heavy songs in this album are actually very elegantly written.
I agree completely! Mirage is a song I just love and it simply doesn't get the recognition it deserves, and I could say the same about Catharsis. Loved hearing both in the acoustic show. 🎶🎸🥁🎸🎶🔥🙂
When you realize that they rewrote so much of the music and changed it up for the acoustic show. So much for having enough material in a song to make 4 other plains songs, now it's enough material in 1 song, for 8.
The feels by the five as usual. Mincho emoting along with Saiki on the guitar solo too. Also like we always say, they somehow make the live versions better!(Hurry up and listen to the vanilla versions, so they don't spoil you on all the live versions!)
WOW! never listen to this song and now its another favorite mello song i like from BAND MAID. ps i got my KANAMI hoody fits great and looks even better.AS a fan of KANAMI I SALUTE YOU C-YA
Ryan! You lucky ....! I could not hear for reasons out of my control, but blimey, I am waiting for yourrreactions when the Christmas concert appears on video! I'll say it again, you lucky...! Expect some lengthy comments, lol! Best regards, Rober-tGilles
My thoughts are that it is obviously apparent she could score films, so much so, that I am sure some film makers are aware and she will have the opportunity to score if she wants to.
@@markmark6378 yeah for sure. The only problem is it would take away time from Band-Maid, or she would try to do both and then her health would suffer, and no one wants that!
Anybody else notice MISA's slap style at the acoustic was different. She mostly used finger style picking but when she slapped without the pick.....I think she is hiding some Victor Wooten stuff we haven't seen yet.
@@tommcfall1274 I agree that she is a genius. My point is that she is even more versatile than we realize, with skill in reserve...and your point is you think she is as we see her... and no more? I think you are selling her short.
@@tommcfall1274 I don't think there is a need for hostility. We are ultimately on the same side here. Perhaps You misunderstood my initial statement and I yours. If I did I apologize.
Of the songs in the acoustic concert that you hadn't heard before... the one that is the most different from the original is Catharsis. Especially the breakdown and solo.
Enjoying the acoustic vs studio comparison. Hope you do the same with Page, Mirage and Catharsis. I will say I think it is better to hear studio and then acoustic. For some reason hearing those incredible acoustic versions makes it hard for studio tracks to measure. Although I think I prefer the Page studio...primarily for Kanami's melodic solo.
truly impressive, Misa, Akane, Kanami, all magnificent in this song, but feel that Miku and Saiki voices are at unmatched levels of expression and precise intonation. great reaction as usual, ❤❤👍👍😎😎
I really regret missing that live set. I really hope they release it on video. Circumstances just didn't allow it. I've seen some of their acoustic stuff and it's always been good. Thanks for this review.
I have wanted to see him do this one for a while as he has often commented on their ability to write with "pop sensibility" and this is their one true pop song. Not to mention this is where Kanami learned that sensibility. IMO
@@sjnix7044 WHAT??, no way start over is a killer song, sure it's pretty poppy, but it rocks pretty well. I know fans shit on this song because they thought Band-Maid was going to go in this direction sonically, but now that that has been put to bed, it's a pretty unique and cool song among their entire catalog. Anyways it doesn't matter because Saiki don't give a fuck, people, ok!
@@gradyshmalady8284 I'll go to my grave not liking this song. For one, it is bland. Just not up to the caliber of Band Maid and two, the video is trash. It forever tainted the song for me. The gawd awful cut scenes ruined it.
I think, like you, Band Maid got my attention because of the musicianship and the composition of their music. Then I paid more attention to Saiki's vocals. I love her voice, especially when she sings in this lower register that is near to what is her speaking voice is. She gives me goosebumps when she sings like this.
That was a fun concert on Christmas, I was so happy when they played "PAGE". They don't play that enough IMHO, such a beautiful song.....as is this. Speaking of MISA, she needs an acoustic bass for these acoustic sessions/songs just to keep it truly acoustic.
She owns one! You can see it in her Instagram. They can still get away with the electric bass though and it gives such a nice soothing warm blanket for everything to work off of. You’re right though, not full acoustic, but I’m not complaining 😁
My "PAGE" journey: 1. Meh, this isn't really my kind of song. Kind of Mom-Rock. 2. After hearing it numerous times because _all_ Band-Maid songs are on my playlist: But this is way better than most songs in this vein by other groups. 3. After the acoustic concert: Well JEEZ if you do it like THAT, sign me up for the Mom-Rock Appreciation Society. More confirmation that the ladies are geniuses at taking a sound that's familiar or even cliched and raising the bar for it to where it should have always been in the first place.
At the Drop of a Hat is one of my favorite songs off Conqueror, or heck, any of their albums. Although I agree that maybe the synth doesn't work so well, there are other parts of the album version that I like better than the acoustic. For example, something that hits me every time is the part at 5:08 where the volume suddenly drops, and Kanami and MISA trade phrases behind Saiki's vocals. Overall, I think the regular and acoustic versions are about equal in musical quality. But I sure wish that they could have gotten the same level of audio engineering on Conqueror as they did with the acoustic set.
What’s up Ryan?! You can’t deny the voice of Saiki! Though Miku has grown into a great rhythm guitarist, imo Saiki is the one who matured the most! She’s gone thru so much with her voice in the beginning, after her surgery she worked very hard to become rocks best singer/vocalist!
Before watching your reaction to this particular song, and after watching the Acoustic Set a few times, I watched/listened to a few of the other songs in their original format - Mirage, Forward, HGK, etc. To me, the acoustic versions of those 14 songs are like original compostions (except Smile and Forward which have a previous acoustic). As you mentioned, Misa's bass seems to be the one connecting factor but even Saiki's vocals for Wonderland and Manners seem different - they actually give me goosebumps in the acoustic set. Had to edit this into my comment: Just watched the live version Sayonakidori again - amazing of course. But except for Miku's lyrics, the acoustic version is very different, especially without Kanami. One more thing - Would you go to a coffee house set with Misa, Akane and Kanami playing jazz?
Conqueror is a very interesting album. Of course I love it, I mean it's Band-Maid, but it still winds up 4th on my list. Unseen World, World Domination and Just bring it clearly ahead. I kind of think Conqueror as a test ground. They tried a lot of new things on it that wasn't like World Domination. Even though Conqueror has stuff that sounds half finished to me, or like they were searching for other directions and testing things out, there was some really great stuff on it as well. I mean Blooming is still a top 5 for me, Rinne is just a Banger and I think Bubble vastly under rated for replayability. Jeez, now see, I was fixing to spout off 3 more really good tracks, but, if I did, I probably add on a couple more. I was really glad they did Conqueror the way they did. It's not my favorite album of theirs, but, GD it, They did'nt try to remake World Domination! They tried to grow instead, tried some new things, pushed their selves to expand their and our horizons. Bottom line, I don't think we get Unseen World without Conqueror.
I have CQ higher than you but you make the point I have said. The experimenting and branching out they did on CQ made UW possible. For example...the last song written for CQ was Dilemma which is the song most like those on UW. I also think CQ works nicely sandwhiched between WD and UW.
Conqueror is an amazing album, and I love it as much as any of their "full" albums. But at its launch it suffered from two problems IMHO: many songs had already been released as singles, sometimes nearly one year before; so it was more a kind of compilation of songs without artistic unity; and the heavy mastering compression (leading to awfull clipping, especially on the cymbals and overall high tones) made listening to the whole album at once a nearly painfull experience. But the songwriting was (once again) stellar and those songs translate wonderfully on stage. Btw, there's less clipping on the recent vinyl edition, making it more pleasant to listen to.
Great song. Acoustic was pretty close to the original. Not their best mid/slow song but upper 1/3 in the catalog. Dunno why this album gets the shade it does. Sonically it would fit better before WD but still a solid album.
Between WD and Conqueror, I get that WD is heavier, but I end up feeling that the vocals on Conqueror are better. The heavier songs on Conqueror are every bit as killer as anything on WD, and I like that they mixed in some softer stuff.
Actually I like Conqueror slightly more than WD. because it offered many great pop style songs that are not really your regular pop at all if you hear them through good headphone or stereo. Oh and the great variety! Btw I usually don't really like pop songs.
Awesome as always beauty and the beast studio version nobody has attempted this song in reaction and I'm not sure way its straight up classic rock be well
MISA MISA MISA! Totally agree the synth spoils it When I first heard Conqueror this song was my least fav on it then after 30 or so listens I realized I was really looking forward to it as it had ear-wormed it's way into the top half of the album (again would be higher but for the synth work)
Conqueror hasn't grabbed me as an album. Which is strange because most of the songs are strong. It's the production choices, some of the arrangements, and a couple of the songs lack personality IMO, which is something I haven't seen in other albums. I felt that songs from Unseen World were the strongest in the acoustic concert.
Conquerror is one of my favorite albums... It is wonderfully arranged, but unfortunately poorly mixed and mastered. It's mixed like a metal album.. And BM isn't only all about playing hard. Especially Conqueror. So many nuances on that album. I like all the songs on there, but mostly their live versions. Even Rinne, which IS a metal song is too squished by the multiple compression. Wonderland is my favorite BM song, but the album version sounds terrible. Thank god they played it live and released it :) Adding so many conqueror song in there was the best thing that could happen to that album. So much gold in there.
Curiously, my least palatable song in their entire production (at one point the girls are capable of sounding like The Corrs, incredible). The acoustic version however is memorable and they have made it a much more Band Maid version with the arrangement (this is hard to explain I guess). Compared to WD, which is rocker, and UW, which is more progressive metal, Conqueror is a multifaceted album and the girls show that they can masterfully play and compose whatever they want. Thanks Ryan, a pleasure.
The vocal break in Blooming always reminded me of The Corrs (Their Unplugged album is pretty splendid...I hope the Maids release the acoustic concert on CD too).
Since Miku is somewhat accomplished now at rhythm guitar, I would love to see Kanami incorporate some piano into future acoustic performances... or even more on future albums.
Is seems to me sometimes when *BAND-MAID* puts a CD out it seems like it is kind of rush and not as polished as it should be for example *Wonderland* it never really connected but the live version just floored me or *Play* the studio version is ok but the live version is incredible. Like this song in the acoustic show was floored by this song or *Different* I really never gravitated toward but the acoustic sign me up. 😊 Its like let’s get the CD out and we will make it up in the live shows but in my car if a *BAND-MAID* track came up I would never hit the skip button. 😊
Yeah, I've always had the impression that other than _Unseen World_ all their albums were recorded in a rush between other commitments, if not piecemeal. "So Tuesday we've got the serving in Osaka, Wednesday we're on the TV show back in Tokyo, Friday is a serving in Sapporo, then Saiki and Miku have the radio interview in Sendai on the way back..." "Wait, what about Thursday?" "Thursday, Thursday...Oh yeah Thursday we're in the studio to record three songs for the new album. Except Miku, she'll be in Fukuoka learning a traditional fisherman's dance for a travel show."
A lot of fan like less CONQUEROR because the mixing/mastering seems to be done with feets (and probably not because of the BAND), (I'm not parts of it, this is the album who have Blooming for gad sake!! xD) But I have to admit I'll be curious to hear this album with a more balanced mix. On another topics, about song you nerver heard before this accoustic live, I'll be very interesting to see your reaction on they very first album "MAID IN JAPAN". It"s something else :p Take care
I love the song. I am not so sophisticated a listener, so when I first heard the song I was carried away by the chorus and vocal melodies. I never noticed the programmed kick drum, and wonder why they bothered (sounds like something Akane could do in her sleep). Maybe a musician here could enlighten us on why Kanami would choose to use an electronic drum instead of good ole' Akane?
If I recall correctly from a past interview, it was a experimental thing that Akane wanted to try, she programed it & was actually pretty excited about it... guess all the hate for it will guarantee that experiment never gets repeated, lol.
@@lordvorador5735 That's the point. The Band arranges the songs not only Mincho. There are a lot of experimentation in Conqueror, it took an entire year of songwriting. In this LP they learned a lot about mixing and effects. The outcome of that period is the arrangements in UW and, over all, Sense EP.
The problem with Conqueror wasn’t so much the songs themselves, but the ordering of the songs on the album and the production which is bland and over done. Try reordering the album. There’s maybe one or two songs that could be left out. Agree with you Ryan that this song was better acoustically.
I agree Ryan. The acoustic version is way better. IMO it's not the synths that bother me because I find them pretty. It's rather this hammering of electronic drums which seems useless to me. Sorry to say this because I love Akane for the amount of clever elements she brings to every song. This is the only negative review I will make about it.
CONQUEROR is my favorite Band-Maid album, but this was probably my least favorite track from any modern Band-Maid album. The acoustic okyu-ji has changed my mind on this song, and I like it a lot more now for what it uniquely represents in their catalog.
I like the chorus. It's probably my least favorite song on Conqueror, so I often feel like skipping it, but then the chorus starts and I can't bring myself to do it. I really don't like the use of digital drums, which is one of the few things Kanami likes to do that I really don't like. She has a few of those "bad habits" like using random samples in songs and going overboard with synths. It's a good song, but not the strong side of the band imo. If it wasn't a BAND-MAID song, I probably wouldn't care for it 🤔
Man, it's been a while since I listened to this song. If you randomize their full catalogue on a playlist, some songs rarely come up lol. Have you listened to 'Liberal' from the 'Conqueror' album yet? If not I highly recommend it. Loved how you talked about the pauses and space in the composition again, I remember you making similar points on another song of theirs, but I can't really remember which one it was. All these ideas packed into 1 song, I honestly wonder how they do it, especially Kanami. I got quite a backlog from your new videos, haven't had much time the last few weeks, so I'm excited to watch the other reactions in the coming days! Btw I absolutely LOVE your shirt, bookmarked the site for it right away!! Guess I gotta save some money for a shirt and hoodie lol! Is it time-limited in any way or are you planning to keep it permanently?
The members have levelled up. Anything they play now will be better than an album recording. I forget when Conqueror was released but unlike some fans I love the album because of the change of pace for most of the tracks. If I had to choose only one stand out track from the acoustic I would say Manners. You can add swing to the many genres these talented woman can crush.
Which other songs had you not heard from this set? I had heard them all (although FORWARD is not one I've listened to much, so I couldn't identify it when they played it). I think that "Catharsis" was my favorite from the acoustic set. The original is also one of my favorite tracks from Conqueror.
Such a beautyfull Song ... i really got hooked to this one. Whoever did the Mix .... Kudos ... it is like sitting in the same room with them.
Elegant sound.. ✨I can imagine how the acoustic sounded! This artwork on the album cover is beautiful..
Maybe the most underrated song on the most dissed of their albums - love this song.
I love every song on Conqueror. To me it is a wonderful album; any lack is in narrow minds and expectations IMHO.
These ladies rule.
"At the drop of a hat" has one of my favorite BAND-MAID pre-chorus. CONQUEROR is an underrated album but it's still my favorite from them.
I'm seventy years old and I have to see this band before I go. Seeing them live would be better than heaven. I appreciate, Ryan, how much you admire this band. They are a gift to the world!!!!
As 5 talented individuals B-M are awesome. As a band they're phenomenal. Add them & the Maidiacs together & we're unstoppable :)
Word Amen!!!
❤ this
@@DavidMISAMISAMISACook 🤙🏼
Missed this comment before, but Amen brother.
@@Kevin6059 Don't worry Kevin i dodn't get notified of any of these apart from yours. Stupid YT :)
Even among the reactors who truly love Band-Maid, ya won't see them reacting to one of the lesser known tracks of Conqueror. Which is a shame, cause that album is full of amazing music. Liberal and Flying High are constants on my playlists. While the slower, quieter songs I put on, close my eyes and just vibe to em. Every other band I've listened to before, their albums have one or two good tracks and the rest I could care less about. Only Band-Maid can I listen to a whole album no skipping. They really make me appreciate music in a way I've never done before.
Band-Maid all killer no filler
Flying High is in my top 5 songs by B-M
I absolutely agree with you. Say Eagles, Led Zeppelin and Deep purple. All have a couple excellent songs in albums. Others would be better not to put on track at all. Band maid is phenomenal. There are no one day songs. Each one has a chance to become my favourite after a while, when I’m back to old tracks.
On the acoustic Christmas special audio commentary, during the last song, they talk about how they originally just did one song after the other with no MC, but at hotter venues they began to worry about the audience after someone needed oxygen and people fell (fainting?). So Miku started doing MC stuff to slow the pace and check on the audience, they brought oxygen bottles and distributed water, they also thought they might need some slower midtempo songs, so they wrote Conqueror as a way to help keep them and the audience cooler/less fatigued. I thought that was a cool backstory for an album.
I think the Christmas online okyuji might change the minds of at least a few of the Conqueror bashers. Great song, great album, great concert!
Right on it, mate!
Conqueror never got a fair tour of play, so fans never got to hear the songs live to make a fair judgement... good it finally got some live play time
Agreed. Line Cube Shibuya (and maybe a couple of okyu-ji streams as well) changed a lot of minds as well, including mine, but even that concert had some engineering issues. The Christmas concert was one of the first times you could hear everything clearly, even if the songs were arranged differently.
The "ooooooh-ooh" that happens 19 seconds in.... gives me full-body chills.
A Band-Maid sit down acoustic online concert... MORE PLEASE!
One of those never heard songs (FOWARD) is from Maid In Japan, their very first album, & one they hardly play anything off of anymore. So it was quite special when they played it! (It was the one with Saiki, Miku, & Akane on the Cajon).
Ah okay, thanks!
Didn't they play this at the previous acoustic but with five of the members?
For some reason, my favorite part is when Saiki sings "I doesn't work that way." Makes me smile every time :)
I wonder if that line was her idea. Sounds like her.
Another Saiki masterclass vocal performance!!!! And she was damn good in the acoustic as well, she is a great singer, I love her voice soooooo much.
Hi,Ryan. Thank you for reacting to this song.This song is very important to me.
I was very happy.
This song from an acoustic live was really awesome.
I like this band very much because"BAND-MAID"do such songs.
I'm looking forward to the live stream on December thirty first.🤟
Great song imo and the album is great too. Really shows their diversity.
At the acoustic, Band-Maid did Page as the final song, Page is also from the album Conqueror. Please react to it, Page is emotional like Daydreaming and brings tears to my eyes from time to time. Saiki's voice and singing is soooo great on page as well.
Man, I love this side of The Maids. The slower, wide open sounds and layers. Saiki really shines. Just gorgeous. Thanks Ryan!
One of my faves. Permanently in my Band-Maid playlist.
Ryan, it's time to buy their entire catalog :-) I have, it's well worth it.
It is said that he sang the feelings of a woman who had a crush. I can sympathize with the desire to stay unrequited love, rather than confessing and losing love.
Definitely my favorite one of all the slower ones on "Conquerer" and pretty much made for an acoustic version.
In the audio commentary to the online concert they were even joking around, how happy they are for "Conquerer", because without they wouldn't have had enough songs to play acousticly. Typical BAND-MAID humour 😉
This one is nice too. Underrated. Page is also a fave. Yes, the digital drum added on the real one can be distracting but I get why it's there.
Live, this songs short epic, ending is heart stirring. The online acoustic version was IMHO beautiful as was, the whole show. My shirt is almost here, I hope. USPS says it's 50 miles away since the 23rd......Was super tickled when Kanami sang "Shut UP!" in the "toughest" voice she can manage.
Some metal fans think this album is not HEAVY enough for their taste, they get high with songs like Rinne but I think some of the less heavy songs in this album are actually very elegantly written.
yesyesyesyes
💯🕊️
100%
Dead right, mate!
A proof of their all-encompassing talent!
I agree completely! Mirage is a song I just love and it simply doesn't get the recognition it deserves, and I could say the same about Catharsis. Loved hearing both in the acoustic show. 🎶🎸🥁🎸🎶🔥🙂
Such an amazing band. Can’t wait to see the US tour dates and locations. Hopefully someplace close to me.
It's great you can always look back in their old catalog to find fresh new listening
Needed to listen to this again.. one of my very favorite songs ❤️
I agree with you Ryan, I prefer the acoustic version. Still a great song. Conqueror is so underrated.
Conqueror is a stunning album, I dont get why people are negative about it.
Make sure that you have an XS t-shirt to give Mincho when you meet her during the upcoming US Tour. Thinking ahead for you!
Good point!
When you realize that they rewrote so much of the music and changed it up for the acoustic show. So much for having enough material in a song to make 4 other plains songs, now it's enough material in 1 song, for 8.
My favorite Band-Maid album by miles.
The drums remind me alot of like a marching band. I think it's the tempo and all the cymbal work.
The feels by the five as usual. Mincho emoting along with Saiki on the guitar solo too. Also like we always say, they somehow make the live versions better!(Hurry up and listen to the vanilla versions, so they don't spoil you on all the live versions!)
WOW! never listen to this song and now its another favorite mello song i like from BAND MAID. ps i got my KANAMI hoody fits great and looks even better.AS a fan of KANAMI I SALUTE YOU C-YA
Yes, thanks I'm glad you like it!
What's interesting is it sounds like your typical atmospheric J-Pop piece, but the rhythmic movement is much more complex than most.
Your t-shirts are unbelievably awesome ×D
Ryan!
You lucky ....!
I could not hear for reasons out of my control, but blimey, I am waiting for yourrreactions when the Christmas concert appears on video!
I'll say it again, you lucky...!
Expect some lengthy comments, lol!
Best regards,
Rober-tGilles
It is up on my Patreon (I won't share on YT until they do) 4$! If you don't that's totally fine, just letting you know👍
This song could be used in a movie somewhere. We had a discussion whether Kanami could score films and stuff and it’s apparent that she could.
Oh there is no doubt in my mind that she could score films
@@RyanMear whenever I hear her piano arrangements, I think, this could work in a movie 😂
My thoughts are that it is obviously apparent she could score films, so much so, that I am sure some film makers are aware and she will have the opportunity to score if she wants to.
@@markmark6378 yeah for sure. The only problem is it would take away time from Band-Maid, or she would try to do both and then her health would suffer, and no one wants that!
Anybody else notice MISA's slap style at the acoustic was different. She mostly used finger style picking but when she slapped without the pick.....I think she is hiding some Victor Wooten stuff we haven't seen yet.
She has never hidden anything that I could ever detect. SHEER BASS GENIUS. A beautiful version of John Entwhistle
MISA practices constantly and restarted taking lessons a while back so she is getting scary good.
@@tommcfall1274 I agree that she is a genius. My point is that she is even more versatile than we realize, with skill in reserve...and your point is you think she is as we see her... and no more? I think you are selling her short.
@@tommcfall1274 I don't think there is a need for hostility. We are ultimately on the same side here. Perhaps You misunderstood my initial statement and I yours. If I did I apologize.
Outta here. Stimproid, you're fine
Of the songs in the acoustic concert that you hadn't heard before... the one that is the most different from the original is Catharsis. Especially the breakdown and solo.
Enjoying the acoustic vs studio comparison. Hope you do the same with Page, Mirage and Catharsis. I will say I think it is better to hear studio and then acoustic. For some reason hearing those incredible acoustic versions makes it hard for studio tracks to measure. Although I think I prefer the Page studio...primarily for Kanami's melodic solo.
The members have all levelled up in terms of skill and technique. Plus they've always (in my opinion) sounded better live.
Totally agree about Page.
truly impressive, Misa, Akane, Kanami, all magnificent in this song, but feel that Miku and Saiki voices are at unmatched levels of expression and precise intonation. great reaction as usual, ❤❤👍👍😎😎
that fucking bassline
I really regret missing that live set. I really hope they release it on video. Circumstances just didn't allow it. I've seen some of their acoustic stuff and it's always been good. Thanks for this review.
Like you I missed the Xmas day, due to work. Still brought a ticket and can watch it over and till march. On my sixth viewing at this posting.
You can still buy tickets to see it.
Yes, it wasn't live, it was pre-recorded so if you can see it, it will be what everyone else saw equally
The extended archive of the show will be on sale until March.
This song stuck at my memory but never remember the song name
Love your comments! I agree almost all the time..... hey if you haven't seen START OVER yet. You're missing kanami on the keys. Thanks 👍👍👍🦧🍌🙏
Ya….no. Worst song in the catalog.
I have wanted to see him do this one for a while as he has often commented on their ability to write with "pop sensibility" and this is their one true pop song. Not to mention this is where Kanami learned that sensibility. IMO
@@sjnix7044 WHAT??, no way start over is a killer song, sure it's pretty poppy, but it rocks pretty well. I know fans shit on this song because they thought Band-Maid was going to go in this direction sonically, but now that that has been put to bed, it's a pretty unique and cool song among their entire catalog. Anyways it doesn't matter because Saiki don't give a fuck, people, ok!
@@gradyshmalady8284 I'll go to my grave not liking this song. For one, it is bland. Just not up to the caliber of Band Maid and two, the video is trash. It forever tainted the song for me. The gawd awful cut scenes ruined it.
@@sjnix7044 I don't think it's bland, but I will agree the music video is pretty bad and cringe.
MISA!!! MISA!!! MISA!!! 🥃🥃🥃
Sorry i didn't reply. I really don't get notified anymore :(
@@GaryHolloway-810 you weren't notified by Gray??
After these originals you'll only have a handful of Conquerer songs to finish off the album: Glory (has MV), Liberal, Azure, Dilemma, and Flying High.
I think, like you, Band Maid got my attention because of the musicianship and the composition of their music. Then I paid more attention to Saiki's vocals. I love her voice, especially when she sings in this lower register that is near to what is her speaking voice is. She gives me goosebumps when she sings like this.
That was a fun concert on Christmas, I was so happy when they played "PAGE". They don't play that enough IMHO, such a beautiful song.....as is this. Speaking of MISA, she needs an acoustic bass for these acoustic sessions/songs just to keep it truly acoustic.
She owns one! You can see it in her Instagram. They can still get away with the electric bass though and it gives such a nice soothing warm blanket for everything to work off of. You’re right though, not full acoustic, but I’m not complaining 😁
My "PAGE" journey:
1. Meh, this isn't really my kind of song. Kind of Mom-Rock.
2. After hearing it numerous times because _all_ Band-Maid songs are on my playlist: But this is way better than most songs in this vein by other groups.
3. After the acoustic concert: Well JEEZ if you do it like THAT, sign me up for the Mom-Rock Appreciation Society.
More confirmation that the ladies are geniuses at taking a sound that's familiar or even cliched and raising the bar for it to where it should have always been in the first place.
Your shirt is very cool!
At the Drop of a Hat is one of my favorite songs off Conqueror, or heck, any of their albums. Although I agree that maybe the synth doesn't work so well, there are other parts of the album version that I like better than the acoustic. For example, something that hits me every time is the part at 5:08 where the volume suddenly drops, and Kanami and MISA trade phrases behind Saiki's vocals. Overall, I think the regular and acoustic versions are about equal in musical quality. But I sure wish that they could have gotten the same level of audio engineering on Conqueror as they did with the acoustic set.
Yes, great point!
What’s up Ryan?! You can’t deny the voice of Saiki! Though Miku has grown into a great rhythm guitarist, imo Saiki is the one who matured the most! She’s gone thru so much with her voice in the beginning, after her surgery she worked very hard to become rocks best singer/vocalist!
No, she is phenomenal!
@@RyanMear I want that Kanami shirt, please send me that link
She was an incredible singer long before the throat surgery....Thrill for instance. Why do so many people repeat these idiot narratives like parrots.
Oh Man, Saiki was incredible on the acoustic show!
Before watching your reaction to this particular song, and after watching the Acoustic Set a few times, I watched/listened to a few of the other songs in their original format - Mirage, Forward, HGK, etc. To me, the acoustic versions of those 14 songs are like original compostions (except Smile and Forward which have a previous acoustic). As you mentioned, Misa's bass seems to be the one connecting factor but even Saiki's vocals for Wonderland and Manners seem different - they actually give me goosebumps in the acoustic set.
Had to edit this into my comment: Just watched the live version Sayonakidori again - amazing of course. But except for Miku's lyrics, the acoustic version is very different, especially without Kanami.
One more thing - Would you go to a coffee house set with Misa, Akane and Kanami playing jazz?
I would go there and just die
Conqueror is a very interesting album. Of course I love it, I mean it's Band-Maid, but it still winds up 4th on my list. Unseen World, World Domination and Just bring it clearly ahead. I kind of think Conqueror as a test ground. They tried a lot of new things on it that wasn't like World Domination. Even though Conqueror has stuff that sounds half finished to me, or like they were searching for other directions and testing things out, there was some really great stuff on it as well. I mean Blooming is still a top 5 for me, Rinne is just a Banger and I think Bubble vastly under rated for replayability. Jeez, now see, I was fixing to spout off 3 more really good tracks, but, if I did, I probably add on a couple more. I was really glad they did Conqueror the way they did. It's not my favorite album of theirs, but, GD it, They did'nt try to remake World Domination! They tried to grow instead, tried some new things, pushed their selves to expand their and our horizons. Bottom line, I don't think we get Unseen World without Conqueror.
I have CQ higher than you but you make the point I have said. The experimenting and branching out they did on CQ made UW possible. For example...the last song written for CQ was Dilemma which is the song most like those on UW. I also think CQ works nicely sandwhiched between WD and UW.
Conqueror is an amazing album, and I love it as much as any of their "full" albums. But at its launch it suffered from two problems IMHO: many songs had already been released as singles, sometimes nearly one year before; so it was more a kind of compilation of songs without artistic unity; and the heavy mastering compression (leading to awfull clipping, especially on the cymbals and overall high tones) made listening to the whole album at once a nearly painfull experience. But the songwriting was (once again) stellar and those songs translate wonderfully on stage. Btw, there's less clipping on the recent vinyl edition, making it more pleasant to listen to.
I have the CD on repeat in my car and I have zero painful experiences.
@@gib666 reconnect the tweeters so ^^
@@realdocloco They already work, maybe it's my ears.
@@gib666 j/k of course 😉 - happy 2022 !
@@realdocloco and may pigeons rule the world! Happy New Year po.
Great song. Acoustic was pretty close to the original. Not their best mid/slow song but upper 1/3 in the catalog. Dunno why this album gets the shade it does. Sonically it would fit better before WD but still a solid album.
Between WD and Conqueror, I get that WD is heavier, but I end up feeling that the vocals on Conqueror are better. The heavier songs on Conqueror are every bit as killer as anything on WD, and I like that they mixed in some softer stuff.
Actually I like Conqueror slightly more than WD. because it offered many great pop style songs that are not really your regular pop at all if you hear them through good headphone or stereo. Oh and the great variety! Btw I usually don't really like pop songs.
Awesome as always beauty and the beast studio version nobody has attempted this song in reaction and I'm not sure way its straight up classic rock be well
MISA MISA MISA! Totally agree the synth spoils it When I first heard Conqueror this song was my least fav on it then after 30 or so listens I realized I was really looking forward to it as it had ear-wormed it's way into the top half of the album (again would be higher but for the synth work)
🥃🥃🥃
Conqueror hasn't grabbed me as an album. Which is strange because most of the songs are strong. It's the production choices, some of the arrangements, and a couple of the songs lack personality IMO, which is something I haven't seen in other albums. I felt that songs from Unseen World were the strongest in the acoustic concert.
Conquerror is one of my favorite albums... It is wonderfully arranged, but unfortunately poorly mixed and mastered. It's mixed like a metal album.. And BM isn't only all about playing hard. Especially Conqueror. So many nuances on that album. I like all the songs on there, but mostly their live versions. Even Rinne, which IS a metal song is too squished by the multiple compression. Wonderland is my favorite BM song, but the album version sounds terrible. Thank god they played it live and released it :)
Adding so many conqueror song in there was the best thing that could happen to that album. So much gold in there.
Curiously, my least palatable song in their entire production (at one point the girls are capable of sounding like The Corrs, incredible). The acoustic version however is memorable and they have made it a much more Band Maid version with the arrangement (this is hard to explain I guess). Compared to WD, which is rocker, and UW, which is more progressive metal, Conqueror is a multifaceted album and the girls show that they can masterfully play and compose whatever they want. Thanks Ryan, a pleasure.
The vocal break in Blooming always reminded me of The Corrs (Their Unplugged album is pretty splendid...I hope the Maids release the acoustic concert on CD too).
@@philproffitt8363 I will buy it!!
@@JuanSan66 You'll be in 'easy listening' heaven 👍
Since Miku is somewhat accomplished now at rhythm guitar, I would love to see Kanami incorporate some piano into future acoustic performances... or even more on future albums.
Well, I guess my wish came true... even though it was Saiki on piano, lol.
Is seems to me sometimes when *BAND-MAID* puts a CD out it seems like it is kind of rush and not as polished as it should be for example *Wonderland* it never really connected but the live version just floored me or *Play* the studio version is ok but the live version is incredible. Like this song in the acoustic show was floored by this song or *Different* I really never gravitated toward but the acoustic sign me up. 😊 Its like let’s get the CD out and we will make it up in the live shows but in my car if a *BAND-MAID* track came up I would never hit the skip button. 😊
The Japanese engineers tend to way over compress but that is off set by their genius in mixing. Way the hell better than the shit over here
Yeah, I've always had the impression that other than _Unseen World_ all their albums were recorded in a rush between other commitments, if not piecemeal.
"So Tuesday we've got the serving in Osaka, Wednesday we're on the TV show back in Tokyo, Friday is a serving in Sapporo, then Saiki and Miku have the radio interview in Sendai on the way back..."
"Wait, what about Thursday?"
"Thursday, Thursday...Oh yeah Thursday we're in the studio to record three songs for the new album. Except Miku, she'll be in Fukuoka learning a traditional fisherman's dance for a travel show."
Lol
Is this song an homage to Akane's droppage of TinyHat-san...the holy of holys?
A lot of fan like less CONQUEROR because the mixing/mastering seems to be done with feets (and probably not because of the BAND), (I'm not parts of it, this is the album who have Blooming for gad sake!! xD) But I have to admit I'll be curious to hear this album with a more balanced mix.
On another topics, about song you nerver heard before this accoustic live, I'll be very interesting to see your reaction on they very first album "MAID IN JAPAN". It"s something else :p
Take care
I love the song. I am not so sophisticated a listener, so when I first heard the song I was carried away by the chorus and vocal melodies. I never noticed the programmed kick drum, and wonder why they bothered (sounds like something Akane could do in her sleep). Maybe a musician here could enlighten us on why Kanami would choose to use an electronic drum instead of good ole' Akane?
Probably just something she heard initially in her head? Maybe a sound she was going for from the start? Maybe a thing she found in studio?
@@RyanMear Thx. So it sounds like a stylistic choice, and nothing to do with Akane.
If I recall correctly from a past interview, it was a experimental thing that Akane wanted to try, she programed it & was actually pretty excited about it... guess all the hate for it will guarantee that experiment never gets repeated, lol.
@@lordvorador5735 Ah. That seems to make sense. Hard to imagine any scenario where Kanami would prefer electronic drums over Akane.
@@lordvorador5735 That's the point. The Band arranges the songs not only Mincho. There are a lot of experimentation in Conqueror, it took an entire year of songwriting. In this LP they learned a lot about mixing and effects. The outcome of that period is the arrangements in UW and, over all, Sense EP.
The problem with Conqueror wasn’t so much the songs themselves, but the ordering of the songs on the album and the production which is bland and over done. Try reordering the album. There’s maybe one or two songs that could be left out. Agree with you Ryan that this song was better acoustically.
I agree Ryan. The acoustic version is way better. IMO it's not the synths that bother me because I find them pretty. It's rather this hammering of electronic drums which seems useless to me. Sorry to say this because I love Akane for the amount of clever elements she brings to every song. This is the only negative review I will make about it.
One the best albums I've ever listened how can a person not like this album
Beautiful open vocals, a very chill quality. Probably ripe for the acoustic arrangement.
CONQUEROR is my favorite Band-Maid album, but this was probably my least favorite track from any modern Band-Maid album. The acoustic okyu-ji has changed my mind on this song, and I like it a lot more now for what it uniquely represents in their catalog.
Enjoyed your reaction and the song. Subbed
I don't wear hats so I'll drop a like instead.
I'm sure Tiny Hat will be thankful that you didn't drop him ;)
I like the chorus. It's probably my least favorite song on Conqueror, so I often feel like skipping it, but then the chorus starts and I can't bring myself to do it.
I really don't like the use of digital drums, which is one of the few things Kanami likes to do that I really don't like. She has a few of those "bad habits" like using random samples in songs and going overboard with synths.
It's a good song, but not the strong side of the band imo. If it wasn't a BAND-MAID song, I probably wouldn't care for it 🤔
Man, it's been a while since I listened to this song. If you randomize their full catalogue on a playlist, some songs rarely come up lol.
Have you listened to 'Liberal' from the 'Conqueror' album yet? If not I highly recommend it.
Loved how you talked about the pauses and space in the composition again, I remember you making similar points on another song of theirs, but I can't really remember which one it was. All these ideas packed into 1 song, I honestly wonder how they do it, especially Kanami.
I got quite a backlog from your new videos, haven't had much time the last few weeks, so I'm excited to watch the other reactions in the coming days!
Btw I absolutely LOVE your shirt, bookmarked the site for it right away!! Guess I gotta save some money for a shirt and hoodie lol! Is it time-limited in any way or are you planning to keep it permanently?
It's going to be available for awhile, you have time👍 Thank you!
The members have levelled up.
Anything they play now will be better than an album recording.
I forget when Conqueror was released but unlike some fans I love the album because of the change of pace for most of the tracks.
If I had to choose only one stand out track from the acoustic I would say Manners. You can add swing to the many genres these talented woman can crush.
Which other songs had you not heard from this set? I had heard them all (although FORWARD is not one I've listened to much, so I couldn't identify it when they played it). I think that "Catharsis" was my favorite from the acoustic set. The original is also one of my favorite tracks from Conqueror.
At the drop and the last 4
@@RyanMear interesting. The last three are all from Conqueror, and are some of my favorites from that album.
I need that shirt
ryan-mear-reacts.creator-spring.com/listing/shut-up-kanami-is-speaking
@@RyanMear ty