Search - Yoko Kanno :: Song to Fly

Never Dull

Emperial Young | Roanoke, VA | 09/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"No matter what she's doing, you can be sure Yoko Kanno will make it interesting, and her first solo album, "Song to Fly," is one of the most interesting albums ever created. From haunting to enlightening to beautiful, every song is full of the unique essence that is Kanno. Fans of her past soundtrack work (Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, Macross Plus, to name a few) are sure to hear some similarities, but also a great many differences. Kanno's genius is her ability to write any kind of music, and write it well. Her work stands out on its own. I have a hard time picking a favorite song-- I love them all-- but a few stand out in my mind.Atomic Bird - The spectacular opening to the album, a soaring choral piece that rises and falls like the wings of a bird. Similar to Green Bird from Cowboy Bebop.Next Time - The lyrics are creepy and fun, and the vocals suitably disturbing to match. It sometimes sound like the song is being sung by a drunken Frenchman. Definitely strange. The tinkling chimes at the beginning and ending of the song are beautiful.Nowhere and Everywhere - One of my favorite songs in existence. The first time I heard it, I didn't like it, but the second time, I actually listened to it, and it said a lot to me. It's a little more Pop than some of the other songs on the album, but still undeniably different, the mark of a Kanno piece. It's a lot deeper than Pop songs, for starters, and even quite a bit darker.Simply put, if you can keep your ears (and your mind) open, this album will give you a lot to think about. I wish I could force everyone to own a copy and think about it. Since I can't do that, I encourage you to take the initiative and buy it on your own. This is one purchase you will never forget."

Album To Fly

E. Ramos | Vancouver, BC, Canada | 09/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I blind bought this CD since I was a big Yoko Kanno fan... The first time I listened to it, I was soooo disappointed... I found myself not liking a single piece... So, I scrapped the CD to the shelf and let it collect dust... Then, one strange day, I decided to listen to it (dunno why, just felt like giving it a second chance)... Praise be to heavens! I was so glad I did!!! Now I carry this CD with me in my CD case along with all other Yoko Kanno CDs I have for my collection!... This album really deserves a second chance if you didn't like it the first time!...



1. Atomic Bird - A striking chorale of The Cosmic Voices Of Bulgaria... The first part is not that lively, but the second part sets off some very engaging scatting and singing... Then the song ends with a nice finale of chanting...



2. Reunion - There's something about Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch's voice that's very calm yet strong... She's the one who sang the fantastic Mushroom Hunting (Cowboy Bebop: Blue OST, track 4) and grossly misunderstood The Singing Sea (Cowboy Bebop: No Disc OST, track 15)... I don't particularly find myself listening to this track, but the calm I get from this song is very satisfying... Somewhat sounds like one of those Christian Life song IMO...



3. Next Time - Dark, villainous, drunkenness... All comes to mind with this song... Franco Sansalone does a perfect job of singing this drunkard song... Oddly, children joins him in singing and turns more lively, sounding like a carousel or carnival in tune!?!?...



4. ABC Mouse Parade - Another dark but cute song... I guess it does remind me of a mouse parade for a children's cartoon... Not a fave of mine, but worth listening to once in a while when in the mood... The mood changes entirely though by the end cuz electric guitars finish off the song...



5. This EDEN - sounds very similar to 23 Hanashi (Cowboy Bebop: Cowgirl Ed Mini-disc, Track 6)... The same kid sings a nice tune by the end as well... This time though he sings Maria, probably pertaining to THE Immaculate Virgin Maria... Not that bad, but I really prefer 23 Hanashi better though...



6. Nowhere And Everywhere - Now we come to the BEST song Yoko Kanno made for Steve Conte (In my honest opinion, of course)... Like the other person below said, I didn't like this song at first!... Oh, how could I have been so dumb!... This has skyrocketed way up high my favourite Yoko Kanno pieces (or any other songs for that matter!!!)... I love the lyrics, the strings/piano composition, Steve's voice, and especially the 60's Beatles feel to it!...



7. The man in the desert - I'm gonna sound like a dolt sharing this but: One day, I was waiting in a bus stop by a not too busy yet a highly commercial street on a nice sunset WHILE I was listening to this track in my Discman... Then pigeons started flying by above (probably about a hundred, there were LOTS)... My mouth hanged opened and I tells ya' it was such a perfect song to go along with that moment I gotta share the experience!... A-N-Y-W-A-Y-Z, other than that I love this piece... If any of you have seen the inspiring animated short "The Man Who Planted Trees" (narrated by Christopher Plummer), THIS, in my opinion, is a picture perfect theme for it !...



8. Artisan - This is a nice piece but reminds a whole lot of Greensleeves... I still like it though...



9. The Ship - Doesn't start out that exciting, but....... wait for it........ Aah.... It escalates to a better piece especially the strong chorale and violins at the end... It kinda does remind me of a "Hook"-type ship (Now I really sound like a dolt!)...



10. Hallelujah - Ms. Yoko Kanno's version of the ever-so-sung Christian chorale piece: HALLELUJIAH... I like this version, it has two parts (A lively beginning and a peaceful ending); but I still prefer the more famous Hallelujah mainly played during Christmastime and the less famous Hallelujah from The Sound OF Music (1965)... But that doesn't mean I still don't like listening to this one... It's still a fantastic track...



11. Lydia - Jadwiga Rappé sings a more soothing Opera-type song... Not a fave of mine although it ends a magnificent CD..."

Weird collection of music

E. Ramos | 05/25/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have enjoyed Yoko Kanno's soundtrack for Macross Plus for years, and one day I had the idea of looking up Kanno on amazon.com. As a result, I found and bought this album. I do enjoy the album, but it certainly bears little resemblance to the Macross Plus music.The first half of this album consists of a very odd mixture of tracks, many of which are performed by people other than Kanno. The tracks vary from East European chanting (Atomic Bird) to 1980's style soft rock (Nowhere and Everywhere) to New Age (This Eden), with two songs simply unclassifiable in any genre of music (Next Time and ABC Mouse Parade). Many of these tracks are performed by non-Japanese musicians as well, although ABC Mouse Parade is performed by Kanno (under a pseudonym). Although these tracks collectively make for a weird mixture of music, they are all great to listen to, and they may even lead the listeners to find new genres of music.The second half of the CD includes mainly orchestral and choral works that I found less interesting. Although I have no training in classical music whatsoever, I can tell that some of the music is experimental in nature. However, the music failed to interest me as much as the music in the first half of the CD. Some of the orchestral tracks are nice to listen to, but they do not excite me as much as the earlier tracks.In summary, I would say that this is a good CD to buy for someone who is interested in simply trying something different. Fans of Kanno's work on anime soundtracks might find something similar to what she has performed previously, but most of the CD will be different."