Super Eurobeat 188
-
DJ Mike TJG
- Eurohero
- Posts: 847
- Joined: 10 Feb 2007, 12:44
- Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
I can't believe I'm gonna say this (as people who listen to SEPH know about me and Norma), Norma's song is very good. It's the first CD since 167 and before that 144 that I enjoyed just about every song on there. I actually like all 13 songs...
You can hate me but you know you have quality issues =p
LOL that's funny, because after hearing the full song I didn't really like this Norma songJion wrote:I can't believe I'm gonna say this (as people who listen to SEPH know about me and Norma), Norma's song is very good. It's the first CD since 167 and before that 144 that I enjoyed just about every song on there. I actually like all 13 songs...
I bought Race Queen and Norma's song from mu-mo last night; I loved Race Queen!!! It's an awesome song (not as awesome as Go Cosplay though.. avex must release it!!!)
Is it weird of me that I found that Tokyo Tonight sounded like a HRG song during the sabi? Man... way back when, I used to think that SAIFAM was the antithesis of HRG. How that has changed...
AMERICAN GRADING SCALE
SONGS I'VE PURCHASED:
QUEEN OF MEAN by The Snake: RIIIIDE INTOOOO THE DAYNJAA ZOWWWNE! This song bleeds awesome. It inhales awesome, it exhales OH GOD YES-ness. Its only downfall is that it was only a drop TOO guitar-centered, but that's not enough to drop it a percent less than 100. Thusly, A+
TOKYO TONIGHT by Mark & Roby: Is it just me or has SAIFAM really sped up their sabi lines since the 160s? I like it. In fact, when the sabi hit, I almost had an HRG moment for a second. A few minor slipups vocally, a bit... odd in places; otherwise, great track. A-
SPIRIT OF THE NIGHT by Daniel: The sabi is good, yes? Yes. Daniel is still coming into his own, but he has clearly settled into his role rather well. I also approve of the "old-school"-ness this seems to exude in small amounts. B+
RACE QUEEN by Giorgia V.: GGM would be nearly perfect if they could get a hold of the "chirp" sabi sound ABeatC has used in previous songs to this album... Giorgia has a nice voice, though the lyrics don't seem to fit her voice somehow. She sounds like she's a bit more elegant than the song allows her to be. Nevertheless, very solid track from GGM. B+
DO YOU REALLY WANNA LOVE ME by Norma Sheffield: Just to be controversial~ I miss ABeatC's energetic intros. I really do. Hell. Give me a guitar or SOMETHING! The sabi is... soothing somehow. Norma sounds like she's still hanging in there after... how many years of singing? Believe it or not, this is a pretty damn good track, for its shortcomings. It's soothing, but the production values are... quite nice, actually. I never thought I'd like an aishu song, but this one... is good. B
ANYMORE, ANYWAY by Cherry: I was dumb enough not to buy the extended from iTunes first ._. Ah well. That aside, the intro is really quite cool, like older-school ABeatC intros. Oh--! That's a really good sabi! And Cherry sounds like she's on top of her game. Perhaps, though, this would have suited Leslie Parrish better (in terms of titles)? It's Eurobeat, unflavored yet delicious. What a great track. A
GO CHAMPION by DJ NRG: Whaaaat? A slightly-more-energetic intro from ABeatC? And the chirp synth! Oh God yes! It's like oldschool's back again! I'm addicted in less than 1 minute. Gianni Corianni really gives it a great flavor, and HOW he sings it all! (He wants to play the Game Boy?) A real winner from ABeatC! Even the audience surges work well! THIS is what ABeatC's been trying to do since the late 170's, and it really works! Way to go ABeat! A-
TSUNDERE NIGHT by David Dima: BIBLE LIEK ZOMG!!! And Dima still has his vocal chords, right on. Ah, how I've missed these warm-sounding sabi sounds. Dima really hits SEB with a bang. Tasteful guitars, great vocals, a great sabi... even if AMV's attack it like ravens on a carcass, it's still a GREAT track all-around. I mean, wow. A
POWER OF LOVING YOU by Sandy: Do NOT like the opera-like hoo-HOOOO-HOOOO's. Do like the intro vocal bits that aren't those, though. I like the composition in this one. Very strong musicianship. However, it suffers Sinclairestyle Eurobeat Syndrome (SES): It sounds VERY much the same as the previous installments SS has given us. The sound world has no different flavor from previous. I like the vocals and composition and production VALUES; but it's just more of the same. Perhaps they're not fixing a style they don't think is broken, and it isn't; however, even good Eurobeat styles get repetitive. We need new flavors, Sinclaire. Not a bad track by any means, but very copypasta. B-
I'm impressed. Good showings from pretty much every label, at least from what I bought.
I look forward to what Dima has to offer.
Hopefully HRG can recover from their weak entry. I should say, as well, that it wouldn't kill them to revisit their more energetic hits (Caballero With Sombrero, Bazooka Pistolero); their recent sabis have lacked a sort of compositional energy. Then again, how many people are composing these songs? Two? Three maybe? Maybe some new, cow-loving, gun-toting meat is necessary for the grinder.
Delta hasn't had a bad entry for some time, I must say. This doesn't change it a bit.
ABeatC has some surprisingly high-quality showings. It seems they're really getting the pedal to the metal and really cranking some better songs. I would say... yes, it must be... ABeatC is s-l-o-w-l-y making its comeback.
Sinclairestyle still has some developing to do; if they cannot write a different sounding song soon, they will fade into obscurity. It's GOOD, but it's too much of the same song. Soundworlds, Sinclaire, Soundworlds! How do you think Night of Fire and Speedway did so well?
SAIFAM surprised me pleasantly. Though I do get a drop tired of Mauro, Mauro and more Mauro, my opinion of SAIFAM has changed a good bit over the last two years and I really gott'a say I like what they have to offer so far.
I may pick up the remaining tracks later; for now, I'm looping Queen of Mean 'till I puke out that copy of Top Gun I digested at Great America. :3
YOU'RE THE QUEEEEEN OF MEEEAAAAN~!
AMERICAN GRADING SCALE
SONGS I'VE PURCHASED:
QUEEN OF MEAN by The Snake: RIIIIDE INTOOOO THE DAYNJAA ZOWWWNE! This song bleeds awesome. It inhales awesome, it exhales OH GOD YES-ness. Its only downfall is that it was only a drop TOO guitar-centered, but that's not enough to drop it a percent less than 100. Thusly, A+
TOKYO TONIGHT by Mark & Roby: Is it just me or has SAIFAM really sped up their sabi lines since the 160s? I like it. In fact, when the sabi hit, I almost had an HRG moment for a second. A few minor slipups vocally, a bit... odd in places; otherwise, great track. A-
SPIRIT OF THE NIGHT by Daniel: The sabi is good, yes? Yes. Daniel is still coming into his own, but he has clearly settled into his role rather well. I also approve of the "old-school"-ness this seems to exude in small amounts. B+
RACE QUEEN by Giorgia V.: GGM would be nearly perfect if they could get a hold of the "chirp" sabi sound ABeatC has used in previous songs to this album... Giorgia has a nice voice, though the lyrics don't seem to fit her voice somehow. She sounds like she's a bit more elegant than the song allows her to be. Nevertheless, very solid track from GGM. B+
DO YOU REALLY WANNA LOVE ME by Norma Sheffield: Just to be controversial~ I miss ABeatC's energetic intros. I really do. Hell. Give me a guitar or SOMETHING! The sabi is... soothing somehow. Norma sounds like she's still hanging in there after... how many years of singing? Believe it or not, this is a pretty damn good track, for its shortcomings. It's soothing, but the production values are... quite nice, actually. I never thought I'd like an aishu song, but this one... is good. B
ANYMORE, ANYWAY by Cherry: I was dumb enough not to buy the extended from iTunes first ._. Ah well. That aside, the intro is really quite cool, like older-school ABeatC intros. Oh--! That's a really good sabi! And Cherry sounds like she's on top of her game. Perhaps, though, this would have suited Leslie Parrish better (in terms of titles)? It's Eurobeat, unflavored yet delicious. What a great track. A
GO CHAMPION by DJ NRG: Whaaaat? A slightly-more-energetic intro from ABeatC? And the chirp synth! Oh God yes! It's like oldschool's back again! I'm addicted in less than 1 minute. Gianni Corianni really gives it a great flavor, and HOW he sings it all! (He wants to play the Game Boy?) A real winner from ABeatC! Even the audience surges work well! THIS is what ABeatC's been trying to do since the late 170's, and it really works! Way to go ABeat! A-
TSUNDERE NIGHT by David Dima: BIBLE LIEK ZOMG!!! And Dima still has his vocal chords, right on. Ah, how I've missed these warm-sounding sabi sounds. Dima really hits SEB with a bang. Tasteful guitars, great vocals, a great sabi... even if AMV's attack it like ravens on a carcass, it's still a GREAT track all-around. I mean, wow. A
POWER OF LOVING YOU by Sandy: Do NOT like the opera-like hoo-HOOOO-HOOOO's. Do like the intro vocal bits that aren't those, though. I like the composition in this one. Very strong musicianship. However, it suffers Sinclairestyle Eurobeat Syndrome (SES): It sounds VERY much the same as the previous installments SS has given us. The sound world has no different flavor from previous. I like the vocals and composition and production VALUES; but it's just more of the same. Perhaps they're not fixing a style they don't think is broken, and it isn't; however, even good Eurobeat styles get repetitive. We need new flavors, Sinclaire. Not a bad track by any means, but very copypasta. B-
I'm impressed. Good showings from pretty much every label, at least from what I bought.
I look forward to what Dima has to offer.
Hopefully HRG can recover from their weak entry. I should say, as well, that it wouldn't kill them to revisit their more energetic hits (Caballero With Sombrero, Bazooka Pistolero); their recent sabis have lacked a sort of compositional energy. Then again, how many people are composing these songs? Two? Three maybe? Maybe some new, cow-loving, gun-toting meat is necessary for the grinder.
Delta hasn't had a bad entry for some time, I must say. This doesn't change it a bit.
ABeatC has some surprisingly high-quality showings. It seems they're really getting the pedal to the metal and really cranking some better songs. I would say... yes, it must be... ABeatC is s-l-o-w-l-y making its comeback.
Sinclairestyle still has some developing to do; if they cannot write a different sounding song soon, they will fade into obscurity. It's GOOD, but it's too much of the same song. Soundworlds, Sinclaire, Soundworlds! How do you think Night of Fire and Speedway did so well?
SAIFAM surprised me pleasantly. Though I do get a drop tired of Mauro, Mauro and more Mauro, my opinion of SAIFAM has changed a good bit over the last two years and I really gott'a say I like what they have to offer so far.
I may pick up the remaining tracks later; for now, I'm looping Queen of Mean 'till I puke out that copy of Top Gun I digested at Great America. :3
YOU'RE THE QUEEEEEN OF MEEEAAAAN~!
A lot's changed in the decade and a half I've been here.
Full-time eurobeat producer, full-time musician, part-time Vtuber. #JessaIsReal2021
Join me on an Odyssey.
Full-time eurobeat producer, full-time musician, part-time Vtuber. #JessaIsReal2021
Join me on an Odyssey.
The reason why he burnt out during the 140s to 160s was BECAUSE he tried too hard to replicate those two tracks. Just let him do his own thing and see what happens. Only three of his latest tracks have been released on SEB and that's hardly a lot to judge him by. As for A-Beat C...zoupzuop2 wrote:Sinclairestyle still has some developing to do; if they cannot write a different sounding song soon, they will fade into obscurity. It's GOOD, but it's too much of the same song. Soundworlds, Sinclaire, Soundworlds! How do you think Night of Fire and Speedway did so well?
The more I listen to "Power Of Loving You", the more I hate it unfortunately. I even like the Norma track more, lol.
~ REVIEW OF SUPER EUROBEAT, VOL. 188 ~
1. QUEEN OF MEAN / THE SNAKE: (10++++)
This...is...EPIC! EPIC!!! This is what happens when a hard rock song meets the standards of eurobeat, and the outcome in this instance is really groundbreaking. It doesn't need a synthesized hook in order to stand out perfectly - the guitars, and even drums, suit its heavy metal base, and the energetic SCP backgrounds act as complimentary backup. The vocalwork is immensely powerful and right in-your-face, exaclty as this song wants. Speed Of Light was quite good, but it's not truly longlasting; Queen Of Mean, however, is simply bound to become a milestone in eurobeat history that I will surely be listening to unstoppably for years to come.
2. TOKYO TONIGHT / MARK & ROBY: (10++)
I already bought this track, because it's amazing. Mauro Farina gets 50% of all material from the Asia catalogue nowadays, so applying his excellent usual style with something completely different is perfect. Tokyo Tonight is already a completely awesome song title, and the song itself is sure quite less than a disappointment. Everything in it is just blooming with energy from start-to-finish; a wild synth hook, expectedly catchy lyrics, and an immensely powerful beat. Sure, the verse + bridge melodies are quite reminiscient of Divine, but that's really just a small familiarity gimmick that makes the original progression look like it's been taken to a completely new level. Easily one of the best songs Saifam has ever put forth!
3. SPIRIT OF THE NIGHT / DANIEL: (10+++++)
I thought for sure that Queen Of Mean would completely steal the show from everything else on this CD, but that was before I got a complete taste of this. Delta more than blew up with Hello Hello! on 187, yet that level hasn't declined at all with this song. The 180's have presented a much slower side of Daniel, but Spirit Of The Night is more like his first releases from the 170's, and I simply can't get enough of it. It retains all the classic energy of Delta's roots and features one of the most ingenious synth hooks eurobeat has even seen. The orchestral theme is present yet again and shines magnificently from start to finish. Everything about this song draws me in so much I can hardly stop listening to it, and surely I won't be putting it down anytime soon. Yet another unbelievably groundbreaking Delta performance that's easily among the best tracks of the 180's decade.
4. RACE QUEEN / GIORGIA V.: (10++)
Ah, finally they're back! Go Go's Music is an awesome label, but aside from Gas Gas Gas, the 180's haven't really done them much justice. Race Queen, however, is finally a new song from them that just shines like a jewel in every way possible. The costume-wearing girl who brought us the excellent Go Cosplay makes her promising Super Eurobeat debut on 188 and has really has quite a lot to show. Her vocals are powerful, smooth, and perfect for this type of eurobeat. The production values are simply top-notch, and the lyrics are more than certain to get you moving. The chorus was a little repetitive to me at first, but it's quickly come to grow on me and perfectly compliments the excellent verse + bridge. An absolutely fantastic song that defines just about everything I love about female eurobeat.
5. A PERFECT HERO / CHRIS STANTON: (10+++)
With now only one offering by Time per album, the song selected 'ought to be good, but A Perfect Hero simply does not disappoint. The structure of this is actually taken from Para Para Night 2006 (as well as Iron Man by MC Thunder), yet it still doesn't sound like a re-hash. The song is pretty much everything I've come to love about time; full-on production that works excellently, classic melodic progressions, and super-aggressive vocals. I've never really been much of a De Leo fan, but this song is by far one of his best and easily right up there with Pride. "A perfect tack".
6. NOTHING ABOUT ME BABY / IRENE: (9½)
The sample didn't impress me, but in it's full cut, it's actually extremely listenable. It's different from Irene's other tracks and sounds instead like an Elena Gobbi performance, and somehow this style suits SCP quite nicely (Irene's vocals are a bit clearer than Gobbi's imo, so I take to them more easily). The song itself doesn't stray far off from the usual SCP female standards, but it's still presented quite effectively in every way.
7. DO YOU REALLY WANNA LOVE ME / NORMA SHEFFIELD: (7½)
Quite frankly, Norma Sheffield doesn't do anything for me at all. Her songs are just tired and airy, and even her singing can't keep up with the rest of the eurobeat industry. Even though Do You Really Wanna Love Me is one of her better tracks throughout the years, it's still not particularly special. It's actually a pretty good song overall, and it even has a nice, sturdy beat, but I still can't get over the way Norma handles everything; it just gives it a bored and uninspired feel that simply doesn't draw me in the way Matt Land did with Magical.
8. ANYWAY ANYMORE / CHERRY: (10+)
Yet another song that I already own, but again, I happen to enjoy it quite a lot. It's not an energy-faire like Set Me Free or Yes I Will, but the softer side of Clara works just as well as her more aggressive style. She has among the best vocals of any female eurobeat artist, so she's always lucky to always be with Delta in its persistent glory. Anyway Anymore has fresh production, nice lyrics, and a really listenable melodic progression to suit the perfect vocals; not much else to say - I just really, really enjoy it.
9. RUN AND RUN / LESLIE HAMMOND: (9+)
Thankfully, the vocals don't sound nearly as tedious in the verse + bridge here as they were in the sample chorus, so I'm far more warmed up to it and can finally enjoy all the highlights it offers. While I do still wish Monica's vocals weren't pitched up all the time, she really does keep that Melody Castellari vibe kindled at Hi-NRG Attack. The chord progression here is quite infectious really, much like Bang Bang Crashing Of The Boom Boom, and even though this isn't the best the label can do, it still captures all the right elements that they excel at.
10. UP & DOWN SPIN ME LIKE A RECORD / MEGA NRG MAN: (8½)
I find it quite surprising how high I ended up rating this, but well, my impressions almost always improve once I hear the entire song. While still miles from Mega NRG Man's earlier classics, it's still quite listenable. The backgrounds aren't particularly great, but the little jigs going on do make it a lot catchier. It could be a little more polished, but at least it's still got that energetic vibe that made Tomas Marin an A-Beat C legend.
11. GO GO CHAMPION / DJ NRG: (9-)
Gianni Coraini makes a comeback at A-Beat C, thank goodness he's got a good song for us! This title never saw this label during it's golden era (1997-2006), so it's nice to see Go Go Champion presented in a way that's more like their classic style. For some reason, I thought the melody lacked prominence, but it's nonetheless catchy and energetic eurobeat, and surely won't leave fans of A-Beat C cold. Hopefully Pasquini will continue down this path even further in the near future.
12. TSUNDERE NIGHT / DAVID DIMA: (10)
It's Davide Di Marcantonio! How can you go wrong? Dima more than deserved a spot on Super Eurobeat with Vibration now gone, so the label's introduction is more than welcome to me. Tsundere Night is done in Dima's traditional style, yet it doesn't sound like a rehash like some of Marcantonio's other releases; not with the up-to-date production and enticing lyrics. The piano is an excellent addition that makes it sound even more beautiful, and even though I was expecting something a bit faster, the outcome of Tsundere Night is still everything that I could hope for and expect from Dima.
13. POWER OF LOVING YOU / SANDY: (9-)
As far as Sinclaire's productions go, this isn't from the upper end, but it's not bad by any means. It's got his uniquely infectious style as ever; I just wish the song itself were a bit stronger, as it doesn't have that same edge from Sinclaire's other tracks and really doesn't suit his production methods very effectively. Still a nice song in the end, but I know he can do better.
FINAL SCORE: (10)
The exceptional level doesn't end after the fantastic 187, not at all. 188 is, yet again, an extremely diverse and highly-rewarding installment of Super Eurobeat with no bad songs and an immense amount of massive standouts. Whether the tracks being made right now are of top-notch quality or just the freedom of choosing the very best songs from each of the labels results in a higher level, I'm convinced that the new format is quite honestly for the better. I got used to it pretty much immediately, and I truly wouldn't mind at all if it continued into the 190's. Fantastic all-around, and again one of the best Super Eurobeat albums I've ever heard, up with the likes of 106 and 187.
TOP 3 SONGS:
1. SPIRIT OF THE NIGHT / DANIEL
2. QUEEN OF MEAN / THE SNAKE
3. A PERFECT HERO / CHRIS STANTON
BOTTOM 3 SONGS:
1. DO YOU REALLY WANNA LOVE ME / NORMA SHEFFIELD
2. UP & DOWN SPIN ME LIKE A RECORD / MEGA NRG MAN
3. POWER OF LOVING YOU / SANDY
HONORABLE MENTION:
- RACE QUEEN / GIORGIA V.
1. QUEEN OF MEAN / THE SNAKE: (10++++)
This...is...EPIC! EPIC!!! This is what happens when a hard rock song meets the standards of eurobeat, and the outcome in this instance is really groundbreaking. It doesn't need a synthesized hook in order to stand out perfectly - the guitars, and even drums, suit its heavy metal base, and the energetic SCP backgrounds act as complimentary backup. The vocalwork is immensely powerful and right in-your-face, exaclty as this song wants. Speed Of Light was quite good, but it's not truly longlasting; Queen Of Mean, however, is simply bound to become a milestone in eurobeat history that I will surely be listening to unstoppably for years to come.
2. TOKYO TONIGHT / MARK & ROBY: (10++)
I already bought this track, because it's amazing. Mauro Farina gets 50% of all material from the Asia catalogue nowadays, so applying his excellent usual style with something completely different is perfect. Tokyo Tonight is already a completely awesome song title, and the song itself is sure quite less than a disappointment. Everything in it is just blooming with energy from start-to-finish; a wild synth hook, expectedly catchy lyrics, and an immensely powerful beat. Sure, the verse + bridge melodies are quite reminiscient of Divine, but that's really just a small familiarity gimmick that makes the original progression look like it's been taken to a completely new level. Easily one of the best songs Saifam has ever put forth!
3. SPIRIT OF THE NIGHT / DANIEL: (10+++++)
I thought for sure that Queen Of Mean would completely steal the show from everything else on this CD, but that was before I got a complete taste of this. Delta more than blew up with Hello Hello! on 187, yet that level hasn't declined at all with this song. The 180's have presented a much slower side of Daniel, but Spirit Of The Night is more like his first releases from the 170's, and I simply can't get enough of it. It retains all the classic energy of Delta's roots and features one of the most ingenious synth hooks eurobeat has even seen. The orchestral theme is present yet again and shines magnificently from start to finish. Everything about this song draws me in so much I can hardly stop listening to it, and surely I won't be putting it down anytime soon. Yet another unbelievably groundbreaking Delta performance that's easily among the best tracks of the 180's decade.
4. RACE QUEEN / GIORGIA V.: (10++)
Ah, finally they're back! Go Go's Music is an awesome label, but aside from Gas Gas Gas, the 180's haven't really done them much justice. Race Queen, however, is finally a new song from them that just shines like a jewel in every way possible. The costume-wearing girl who brought us the excellent Go Cosplay makes her promising Super Eurobeat debut on 188 and has really has quite a lot to show. Her vocals are powerful, smooth, and perfect for this type of eurobeat. The production values are simply top-notch, and the lyrics are more than certain to get you moving. The chorus was a little repetitive to me at first, but it's quickly come to grow on me and perfectly compliments the excellent verse + bridge. An absolutely fantastic song that defines just about everything I love about female eurobeat.
5. A PERFECT HERO / CHRIS STANTON: (10+++)
With now only one offering by Time per album, the song selected 'ought to be good, but A Perfect Hero simply does not disappoint. The structure of this is actually taken from Para Para Night 2006 (as well as Iron Man by MC Thunder), yet it still doesn't sound like a re-hash. The song is pretty much everything I've come to love about time; full-on production that works excellently, classic melodic progressions, and super-aggressive vocals. I've never really been much of a De Leo fan, but this song is by far one of his best and easily right up there with Pride. "A perfect tack".
6. NOTHING ABOUT ME BABY / IRENE: (9½)
The sample didn't impress me, but in it's full cut, it's actually extremely listenable. It's different from Irene's other tracks and sounds instead like an Elena Gobbi performance, and somehow this style suits SCP quite nicely (Irene's vocals are a bit clearer than Gobbi's imo, so I take to them more easily). The song itself doesn't stray far off from the usual SCP female standards, but it's still presented quite effectively in every way.
7. DO YOU REALLY WANNA LOVE ME / NORMA SHEFFIELD: (7½)
Quite frankly, Norma Sheffield doesn't do anything for me at all. Her songs are just tired and airy, and even her singing can't keep up with the rest of the eurobeat industry. Even though Do You Really Wanna Love Me is one of her better tracks throughout the years, it's still not particularly special. It's actually a pretty good song overall, and it even has a nice, sturdy beat, but I still can't get over the way Norma handles everything; it just gives it a bored and uninspired feel that simply doesn't draw me in the way Matt Land did with Magical.
8. ANYWAY ANYMORE / CHERRY: (10+)
Yet another song that I already own, but again, I happen to enjoy it quite a lot. It's not an energy-faire like Set Me Free or Yes I Will, but the softer side of Clara works just as well as her more aggressive style. She has among the best vocals of any female eurobeat artist, so she's always lucky to always be with Delta in its persistent glory. Anyway Anymore has fresh production, nice lyrics, and a really listenable melodic progression to suit the perfect vocals; not much else to say - I just really, really enjoy it.
9. RUN AND RUN / LESLIE HAMMOND: (9+)
Thankfully, the vocals don't sound nearly as tedious in the verse + bridge here as they were in the sample chorus, so I'm far more warmed up to it and can finally enjoy all the highlights it offers. While I do still wish Monica's vocals weren't pitched up all the time, she really does keep that Melody Castellari vibe kindled at Hi-NRG Attack. The chord progression here is quite infectious really, much like Bang Bang Crashing Of The Boom Boom, and even though this isn't the best the label can do, it still captures all the right elements that they excel at.
10. UP & DOWN SPIN ME LIKE A RECORD / MEGA NRG MAN: (8½)
I find it quite surprising how high I ended up rating this, but well, my impressions almost always improve once I hear the entire song. While still miles from Mega NRG Man's earlier classics, it's still quite listenable. The backgrounds aren't particularly great, but the little jigs going on do make it a lot catchier. It could be a little more polished, but at least it's still got that energetic vibe that made Tomas Marin an A-Beat C legend.
11. GO GO CHAMPION / DJ NRG: (9-)
Gianni Coraini makes a comeback at A-Beat C, thank goodness he's got a good song for us! This title never saw this label during it's golden era (1997-2006), so it's nice to see Go Go Champion presented in a way that's more like their classic style. For some reason, I thought the melody lacked prominence, but it's nonetheless catchy and energetic eurobeat, and surely won't leave fans of A-Beat C cold. Hopefully Pasquini will continue down this path even further in the near future.
12. TSUNDERE NIGHT / DAVID DIMA: (10)
It's Davide Di Marcantonio! How can you go wrong? Dima more than deserved a spot on Super Eurobeat with Vibration now gone, so the label's introduction is more than welcome to me. Tsundere Night is done in Dima's traditional style, yet it doesn't sound like a rehash like some of Marcantonio's other releases; not with the up-to-date production and enticing lyrics. The piano is an excellent addition that makes it sound even more beautiful, and even though I was expecting something a bit faster, the outcome of Tsundere Night is still everything that I could hope for and expect from Dima.
13. POWER OF LOVING YOU / SANDY: (9-)
As far as Sinclaire's productions go, this isn't from the upper end, but it's not bad by any means. It's got his uniquely infectious style as ever; I just wish the song itself were a bit stronger, as it doesn't have that same edge from Sinclaire's other tracks and really doesn't suit his production methods very effectively. Still a nice song in the end, but I know he can do better.
FINAL SCORE: (10)
The exceptional level doesn't end after the fantastic 187, not at all. 188 is, yet again, an extremely diverse and highly-rewarding installment of Super Eurobeat with no bad songs and an immense amount of massive standouts. Whether the tracks being made right now are of top-notch quality or just the freedom of choosing the very best songs from each of the labels results in a higher level, I'm convinced that the new format is quite honestly for the better. I got used to it pretty much immediately, and I truly wouldn't mind at all if it continued into the 190's. Fantastic all-around, and again one of the best Super Eurobeat albums I've ever heard, up with the likes of 106 and 187.
TOP 3 SONGS:
1. SPIRIT OF THE NIGHT / DANIEL
2. QUEEN OF MEAN / THE SNAKE
3. A PERFECT HERO / CHRIS STANTON
BOTTOM 3 SONGS:
1. DO YOU REALLY WANNA LOVE ME / NORMA SHEFFIELD
2. UP & DOWN SPIN ME LIKE A RECORD / MEGA NRG MAN
3. POWER OF LOVING YOU / SANDY
HONORABLE MENTION:
- RACE QUEEN / GIORGIA V.
-
Shinji-kun[NGE]
- Euro To B
- Posts: 47
- Joined: 02 Feb 2005, 16:51
- Location: Moscow
Haha, this is so funny that Tokyo Tonight just appeared to be a remake of Mike Hammer - Divine, with changed lyrics and sped up 
It's also funny that Daniel's song reminds me of Nick Mansell's Spirit Of The Night =)
Just wanna say BRAVISSIMO to Dall'ora. A Perfect Hero is A Perfect Song, no objections. Second to this masterpiece is Tsundere Night, DiDi is back with all his power, awesome song.
It's hard to pick third cause there are no other standouts in this album. Maybe I'll pick Sandy's song, it reminds me of some previous Moroni songs from the past)
It's also funny that Daniel's song reminds me of Nick Mansell's Spirit Of The Night =) Just wanna say BRAVISSIMO to Dall'ora. A Perfect Hero is A Perfect Song, no objections. Second to this masterpiece is Tsundere Night, DiDi is back with all his power, awesome song.
It's hard to pick third cause there are no other standouts in this album. Maybe I'll pick Sandy's song, it reminds me of some previous Moroni songs from the past)
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drnrg
- Eurobeat Guru
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the_ditz
Good review #infinty! That one has got me superhyped for Chris Stanton!
I don't think that means he downloaded it. This cd seemed to be delivered alot sooner than others. My parents also told me that I got a package in the mail, back in the states; which means those who live in Ca. got it this week. I won't know for sure untill this weakend when they come down. Hopefully it is the cdI take it you managed to download it then #Infinity?
Good review #infinty! That one has got me superhyped for Chris Stanton!
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Wataru Akiyama
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