iTunes music review: “Fun! Fun! Fun!” and “Free Time” by Shonen Knife

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Section: iTunes, iTunes Movie/TV Rentals and Purchases, Reviews

Editor’s Note: With the recent unveiling of Ping and the announcement of the streamlined Apple TV, Apple has pushed even deeper into the realm of media delivery and discussion. We at Appletell, therefore, feel it’s time we embraced this increasingly important aspect of Apple’s bottom line, and will therefore start to review not only the hardware and software used to deliver the media, but the content itself. And so…

Fun! Fun! Fun! (English Version)

Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Publisher: 2010 Good Charamel Records

Shonen Knife’s Fun! Fun! Fun! was originally released in Japan in July of 2007, but just got its official U.S. release last week courtesy of the Buffalo-based label, Good Charamel. I’m a big enough fan of this Osaka-based band to have paid the ridiculous import prices to get the Japanese version of the CD. Now, it’s available for a third of that price via iTunes (and LP), and it’s entirely in English.

If you’re not familiar with Shonen Knife, think back to the Windows commercial (was it ‘95?) that featured a spirited cover of The Carpenters’ “Top of the World.” That was Shonen Knife. Or perhaps you know them the “Buttercup (I’m a Supergirl)” video on the Cartoon Network. They also saw an unfortunately brief moment in the MTV spotlight during the mid ‘90s thanks to a push from Nirvana and appearances at Lollapalooza. They’ve gone through a few lineup changes since then and converted their sound from their unique “The Supremes meet The Ramones” punk/pop to a more straightforward alt rock, but they’ve still got an energy that makes Western bands with half their longevity seem ready for bed.

Fun! Fun! Fun! sees founder Naoko Yamano on vocals, keyboard and guitar, and Etsuko Nakanishi on drums. Naoko wrote all ten songs on the album, and musically, it does start to stretch thin. Shonen Knife was at their best when the songwriting duties were shared by original bassist Michie Nakatani, who brought ‘60s pop flavor to Naoko’s decidedly ‘70s punk/metal influences.

Still, as the name implies Fun! Fun! Fun! is arguably the band’s most enjoyable album since 1997’s Happy Hour, buoyed by a more diverse collection of songs by Naoko and maybe even more so by Etsuko’s spirited drumming. Nearly all of Naoko’s influences are on display here, from punk (“Ramones Forever,” of course) to ‘70s metal (“I Wanna Eat Cookies”) to airy AM pop (“Birthday”), and all of it is fun. The band does get slightly political for a moment—addressing environmental concerns on “Southern Island”—but otherwise focuses on more traditional Shonen Knife concerns such as eating popcorn and fighting off the flu.

The iTunes version doesn’t bring much to the table outside of the ever-important English versions, otherwise only available on LP. Considering that half the songs were in English on the Japanese release, that’s not a lot. Two bonus tracks from the Live at Mohawk Placed 2009 DVD are also included, but they sound muddy and heavy in comparison to the rest of the album, and don’t really fit in. They work much better on the actual DVD, and for live Shonen Knife, you can’t do better than Live in Osaka, which is currently only available via import. There’s also no digital booklet to assist with lyric deciphering.

Still, even if the iTunes iteration isn’t as complete as it could be, getting one of the best late era Shonen Knife albums for $9.99 is well worth the investment for fans of quirky (but heavy) alt rock…even if it is three years late.

Free Time (English Version)

Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Publisher: 2010 Good Charamel Records

Three years and two albums after Fun! Fun! Fun! (Super Group was released between them, the U.S. version also available via Good Charamel, Shonen Knife released Free Time. Again, all songs are written by Naoko, despite making bassist Ritsuko Taneda a permanent member of the band. Ritsuko wrote some excellent music for her other band, Denki Candy, so I’d love to see her share songwriting duties in Shonen Knife.

Free Time kicks off with “Perfect Freedom,” a classic Shonen Knife blend of aggressive rock with pop hooks, driven by Etsuko’s powerful drumming.

The rest of the album can’t help but pale in comparison to the opening track, but is pushed along by the heavier rockers such as “Economic Crisis” and “Monster Jellyfish.” It continues to work when it turns bouncy (“P.Y.O.”) and when it turns nostalgic (“An Old Stationary Shop”), but doesn’t quite hold up against the spirit and diversity of Fun! Fun! Fun!.

As expected (and welcomed), the lyrics largely center around animals and food (with a nice diversion in “Do You Happen to Know,” in which Naoko laments a misplaced guitar). Naoko actually addresses her lyrical stylings in “Love Song,” which is ironically about why she doesn’t write love songs: “I need you, I want you / Musty phrases embarrass me.” Shonen Knife fans don’t want or expect love songs and metaphors. Rather, when we listen to songs called “Rock ‘n’ Roll Cake” or “Monster Jellyfish,” we want them to be about cake and jellyfish.

As with Fun! Fun! Fun!, the iTunes release of Free Time offers English versions of every song (four were in English on the Japanese release). Again, no digital booklet, but the bonus tracks are a bit better this time. The Japanese download version of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Cake” is much more aggressive (and better, in my opinion) than the album version, and the techno version of Capybara clearly illustrates how Shonen Knife can songs can be fun no matter what the personality.

Those who already own the Japanese CD will therefore get more for their money with this download, but if you’re new to Shonen Knife and are considering which way to go, Fun! Fun! Fun! is the stronger album of the two.

Current (past and future) fans of Shonen Knife should note that the band (with new drummer, Emi Morimoto) will kick off their 2010 U.S. tour September 8th at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. You can check the full schedule at Good Charamel’s website. If you’re at the Mohawk Place on October 2nd, flag me down and say “Konichiwa.”

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NTD Source: Appletell