Listen/Review:

[@HaroMatsuRestarted]

Daydreaming MV was shot in Taipei Taiwan, using abandoned dockyard and old city areas.

[@Chan_Fry]

Oh, excellent. Thanks! What an adventure that must have been...

[@WilliamHallisey]

It is truly amazing how Band-Maid fans will dig deep into the background of their musical and video productions. Some people would call them obsessed, but the knowledge shared is much appreciated.

[@Chan_Fry]

I've often wondered where the line is drawn between "obsession" and "very curious about it". But part of the "obsession" with Band-Maid background info, for Western fans anyway, might be that we're so accustomed to knowing way too much about our celebrities -- our brains have a hard time knowing next-to-nothing about bands from countries that offer a bit of privacy. :-)

[@elliott8339]

Hi Chan. Thanks for the comments. I've said this in the past but is worth repeating...Love the format! I believe Daydreaming is one of Akane's favorite songs. I have to be in the right mindset to listen to their ballads. There's something bittersweet about the compositions that gets me really emotional. Cheers!

[@Chan_Fry]

Agreed about the "right mindset". I think 90% of days I prefer their hardest songs and 10% of days I prefer ballads. (With a lot of overlap between those kinds of days.)

[@geoffb5]

Choose Me and Play, both live, were my introduction to Band-Maid. I spent the next week bingeing on everything I could find online. After that I went and found all their CDs and the one DVD, Line Cube Shibuya, that was available new. I love this entire CD and all the various versions they have done for video released concerts. Daydreaming is beautiful and the other two are my first Band-Maid loves. Thank you for your listen/reviews, they are always so good.

[@Chan_Fry]

Thanks! I suspect the phrase "you never forget your first" can be applied here. I still remember the mixed feelings I had about the "Dice" MV (creepy doll! but amazing music!) but also the sheer joy I felt at "Freedom" and "Play".

[@dazedandconfused318]

Kanami has played the piano intro to Daydreaming live in the past and there are a few slightly different versions, she played a completely different intro at Yokohama Arena but on guitar. Also at the recent acoustic concert I gather Saiki played piano on Daydreaming.

[@Chan_Fry]

I'm glad they're still playing it. :-)

[@dazedandconfused318]

@@Chan_Fry It' one of the songs they regularly rotate in for the calmer/emotional section of their sets

[@johnverley1739]

You’ve done it again. Great stuff Chan. BTW - the first time I heard PAGE i was not impressed. By the 3rd time I heard it, it was one of my favorites. You haven’t gotten there yet but I’m looking forward to your opinion.

[@Chan_Fry]

"Page"... Is one of those that I'm sure I've heard in the past but can't currently think of what it sounds like. So when I do get to it, I should have an honest (almost) first-time reaction. :-)

[@AndersonConnors]

Daydreaming is currently my favorite song. It would be really good even without the guitar feature, but that's the culmination of the entire composition - when the dream truly escapes the mind and becomes reality. Play is harder than I generally prefer, but I agree with you about Miku's guitarist pose. She has clearly studied tons of music videos and chosen a set of recognizable stances to adopt. That clip from Play ought to someday be a bronze statue at the entrance to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

[@Chan_Fry]

You've got my vote for the statue thing. :-)

[@daaaaaave]

Miku’s playing stance really projects power. She’s always got her legs loaded up a little bit, like if you drop your guard for a second, you could catch an air kobato knee to the face.

[@AndersonConnors]

Air Kobato - hilarious! At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if she literally took flight... And cut a deal with Nike for a new logo...

[@daaaaaave]

@@AndersonConnors​​⁠Have you seen how high she jumps at the end of their shows? She’s wearing those huge heels and holding her heavy Zemaitis guitar, and she looks like she could jump clear over her amp.

[@Chan_Fry]

I too like the "Air Kobato" nickname. I need a poster that freezeframes one of her end-of-show leaps, with "Air Kobato" emblazoned on it. :-) Yes, her "power stance" looks are priceless. Such a gem of a person.

[@daft73games]

Thanks again @ChanFry Always look forward to your thoughts, great stuff 🤘❤‍🔥🤘

[@Chan_Fry]

My pleasure! I'm having so much fun with this. :-)

[@bradmenpes809]

Daydreaming - one of the best rock ballads of all time. Choose Me - one of the best pop punk songs of all time. Play - you know what I'm going to write. Great deep dive reactions!

[@Chan_Fry]

Thanks!

[@jwoodjapan]

As for "Play," I really like the moment at 34:54 where Akane almost makes Saiki laugh while she's singing. As for Miku's "whispery" voice, I've always thought that was her mike going out on her, not something she did with her voice. If you notice the next time she sings backup at 38:21, she's at a different mike (Kanami's, I think) and sings with a clear voice. To me, this is a great example of her adjusting on the fly to a technical problem.

[@Chan_Fry]

You could be right about the equipment. I just assumed she was at a different mic due to all the moving around. :-) Also, she's known to adjust her voice to all sorts of sounds, which I think takes a lot of courage and a big personality... So it doesn't bother me a bit. :-)

[@russellpotter7294]

Daydreaming was a song I remember hearing the first time and liking it. But then I heard Miku's backing and that made the song for me emotionally. Now I simply can't get through the song without feeling emotional thanks to that Miku backing. Sadly I would be one of the neighbours you would not appreciate. Grass and thorns. The film 'Kate' you refer to always amuses me because the chemical symbol PO plays a big part in the film and the young girls characters name being protected by Kate is called Miku. So many weird connections the writers never intended. I think Play was intended as an instrumental until Saiki wanted in on the fun. As always great enjoyment in spending time pouring over some great songs from a favourite band. Sorry I will get on with cutting the grass now.

[@Chan_Fry]

A bunch of my neighbors were out mowing today... Maybe I have more of a local audience than I realized. :-) As for Kate, I forgot about the Polonium (Po) until you mentioned it... And Miku, I think, is the actor's name rather than the character's name, right? The character was Ani, I think. Reading up on Polonium, it seems it's extremely rare, and decays almost immediately into lead. Chemistry is so strange: a highly radioactive element turns itself into the element we use to protect things from radiation...

[@jwoodjapan]

Thanks for your insight into these songs, Chad. I find what you say honest and usually similar to thoughts that I've had about Maids' songs, especially how it sometimes takes a while for the songs to "kick in" for me and then I like them better the more I listen to them. I felt that way about "Rinne" and "Moratorium" at first, couldn't see what was the big deal about them and now I love both of them. "Choose Me" is one of my favorite songs and this OMV is also one of my favs. I like it for the following reasons: 1. The ten (or so) times Saiki looks directly into the camera while singing. 2. The times Akane plays that fill where she beats all around the drums--there's a term for that but I can't recall it at this time, sorry. 3. Kanami's two solos, especially the way she lifts her guitar up at the end of the second one. 4. MISA's solo accompaniment after Kanami's first solo. 5. The way Saiki steps forward just before Mincho's second solo takes off (around 26:48 in this vid). 6. At 25:23 in this vid where Miku has rhymed "say goodbye" with the Japanese "kanke-nai". She's made multi-lingual rhymes in other songs, but for some reason I tend to really notice it here.

[@Chan_Fry]

Thanks! Those moments in the video do really stand out, and yes, I often notice when Miku rhymes English with Japanese (or gets very close in some cases). I tend to prefer the MVs that include something other than just the band playing music, but I assume it's more cost-effective to shoot the "Thrill" and "Choose Me" style videos. :-)

[@jjo154]

Great songs, great commentary! Daydreaming will always be one of my top songs from them. I love the atmosphere of the MV (and Kanami's solo, of course).

[@Chan_Fry]

Thanks! I'm starting to think it's not worth the effort to rank their songs (but I still do automatically, LOL).

[@jjo154]

@@Chan_Fry 😄👍

[@ziggyphoto]

“Daydreaming” is a masterpiece of sight and sound!

[@zer0tzer0]

They shot the Music Video for 'Daydreaming' in Taiwan.

[@mjhsieh]

The empty building is Agenna Shipyard Relics

[@kakqu]

Alley 3, Lane 116, Zhengbin Rd, Zhongzheng District, Keelung City, Taiwan 202

[@Chan_Fry]

@@kakqu : I didn't need the exact address, but thanks! :-) If I'm ever in the neighborhood, I'll come back to this comment...

[@BM4-Life]

Oh! *Chan Fry* so it was YOU! who reported my yard to the City...... (Oh I forgot I don't live by you) Never mind 😅😊

[@Chan_Fry]

LOL. My wife wouldn't put it past me to drive through other cities reporting out-of-control lawns. :-) But then I'd have even less time to make Band-Maid videos. :-)

[@waynebenedict5785]

This was filmed in Taiwan, btw. Daydreaming is a masterpiece from these ladies! Loved it from first listen! I've heard it's Kanami's favorite composition, or at least was at the time. "Choose Me" is great too! "Play" is from another planet!

[@Chan_Fry]

I agree that all three of them are amazing. I love "Play" so much that I want to go listen to it again, right now. :-) (But I'll take the studio version's audio any day.)

[@waynebenedict5785]

@@Chan_Fry The studio version of "Play" is great, no doubt!

[@polskabob359]

Miku n psyche harmonies in the day dreaming, are one of my favorite things about band maid , miku n psyche forming po!tron

[@bbobjs]

If your first encounter of Band-Maid was actually the movie Kate, then the first song you heard wasn't Choose Me, it was Blooming which is playing on the radio in the earlier car chase scene. That said, my Co-Worker's first encounter with Band-Maid was Choose Me, which plays on the radio in a car crash scene from Peacemaker and is probably the reason Choose Me became their most popular song. My first encounter was the TV cut of Different, which played as the opening of Log Horizon Season 3. Sadly, despite loving the song, I assumed they weren't a serious band and wouldn't checkout their offerings for over a year. Honestly at the time I also assumed they must be a male band with a female singer and that they'd suck live.

[@Chan_Fry]

Ah, looks like you're right about the order in 'Kate'. For some reason, I remembered the car chase as being after the club scene. (Either way the club scene stands out more to me because music is intrinsic to the club atmosphere, whereas in the car scene, it seemed more like soundtrack backing music.) I did also see 'Peacemaker', but honestly can't remember if it was before or after I started listening to Band-Maid. :-) "I assumed they weren't a serious band..." -- That's basically what I thought when I saw them on reaction channel thumbnails... Especially if Miku was prominently featured. I assumed it was either a fetish thing or more super-young, super-cute schoolgirl stuff that I simply wasn't interested in. :-)

[@อานนท์จอสูงเนิน]

First heard and saw them back in the 2013 with THRILL. The song is really good and they were just break the internet. But it felts bruh at the time because I thought it was just one of a gimmick Japanese music manufactured band trying to catch up with Baby METAL. You know, Japanese media produced the weird combination bands and I thought BAND-MAID was just one of them. Miku was really not good in the Thrill MV, she does not even know how to pretending to play the guitar.(And I didn't know that she is the band founder LOL) I check them out again during the pandemic and it surprising me that they has came this far and grew a lot of overseas fan base. They are truly amazing and proved that they are a real deal. Hope their name will become as big as X-JAPAN soon.

[@Chan_Fry]

I assume you mean 2014 (when "Thrill" came out), but it's very cool that you've known of them this whole time! :-) (I can't think of any well-known group that I heard of before the rest of the world, LOL, except maybe Sixpence None The Richer, because I met their guitar player Matt Slocum before the band was formed, when he was subbing for another small band I followed at the time.) "weird combination bands" -- Yes, some of them are so odd to me that I can't quite wrap my head around their sound. :-) "as big as X-Japan" -- Since never even heard of the Japanese rock/metal scene until late 2022, I had no idea which groups were big or small-time until I started following Band-Maid. The few times I've checked the Oricon charts, I'm startled to see what's on there. :-)

[@tinyhato]

It's so cool that you were able to connect randomly with another Band-Maid fan. What are the chances? Daydreaming is incredible. I've heard people say the solo comes out of nowhere, but I cannot disagree more. I had one of my stupidly long posts going but you just mentioned that you feel like the whole song is building toward something which is what I was detailing so I'll spare you that. The second verse is a masterclass in building tension. I think that's why the solo hits so hard. Literally the entire song from the first sound is preparing the listener for this moment and when it comes it is glorious. Imagine this song with a regular bass player and drummer. We are so lucky this band has the members it does. Love how you mentioned how clear everything is in the live recording. I wish they would mix their albums like their live shows. Have you seen Band-Maid's "short" video for their new song "Protect You"? I don't mean the video from the anime; they just uploaded a snippet of their own music video that will be coming out. The song is great but the sound is even flatter than it has been in the past. People have been hoping that Mike from Incubus showed them, with the mix on "Bestie", that they could do things differently and it would sound great. But this song was recorded a while ago, it seems. Maybe we can still hope that it's the sound that the Grendizer U studio wanted and the album will be more lively. I mean, I just can't imagine someone comparing the sound from their Eggman concert last year with the album versions could prefer the sound on the album. Band-Maid's music is both lively and full of depth but the sound on their albums, where everything is dulled and flattened, makes them sound so much less than they actually are. IMO. There are all these tools now where people remove vocals for instrumental versions or to isolate bass or whatever. I wish someone could use them to decompress their songs. "Choose Me" to me is their catchiest song. Looking forward to "World Domination"! So many incredible tracks on there.

[@Chan_Fry]

"What are the chances?" -- pretty low, I assume. So far, I haven't encountered a single other person who's mentioned it. I was pretty surprised when my wife told me the story. :-) I agree 100% about the "Daydreaming" solo -- it feels like everything was pointing toward it, building up to it, and making space for it. "with a regular bass player and drummer" -- It would be a pretty weird song, wouldn't it? Some bassist just strumming notes that fit the chord, and a rando drummer tapping on the downbeats... Nope, I can't imagine it. :-) I did see the "Protect You" teaser yesterday, but it was on my tablet's speakers, so I didn't expect much, and shouldn't comment on the audio. So far (2014-2017) I'm having pretty good luck with the studio tracks sounding good on these headphones, but with a distinct lack of bass. Also, so far, nothing sounds as good as the 2017/2018 live shows. I am experienced large variances in the sound quality though, from one live to the next, and between Spotify/KZbin/album. (The same song on my CD sounds better than either Spotify or KZbin, and KZbin's version sounds slightly better than Spotify, at least on the PC, but on my mobile devices, Spotify sounds better than YT. Very strange.) When I get to the newer stuff, I'll try to pay attention to changes in compression/separation, etc. "World Domination" -- I'm looking at the track list and "I can't live without you" won't stop reminding me of U2, LOL. Can't wait to actually listen to the song and put that association to rest. :-)

[@DAVID-io9nj]

Widely known that Play was suppose to be an instrumental. Always wondered how much they changed the song to include the vocals.

[@Chan_Fry]

Same here. It would be interesting to hear the last demo before Saiki's request to add lyrics. :-)

[@bandmaidfanATL]

Kanami in the weeds....🤣....Sounds like her....

[@Chan_Fry]

Ha. Yes, as I was editing, "Kanami's lost in the weeds" made me chuckle. :-)

[@olaflangness2907]

I always find the Band-Maid live performance recordings better than the studio video versions. The bass comes through more, and the drumming is more crisp. It is a mixed bag as to how well you hear Miku's backup vocals and guitar. In this one Miku's singing is more prominent than some other recordings.

[@Chan_Fry]

@@olaflangness2907 Completely agree - for bass, drums, and Miku, the lives are better 99% of the time.

[@thedocofrock1890]

exactly the same for me - found the MAIDS in 2016 with 'real existence' and ' thrill' and loved it. then this mv hit and on first listen i said " meh " - ok song but not my favorite. but i gave it a couple of more listens then on about the 4th time it hit me like a wall of bricks. it was unlike anything they had done up to that point. the musical intricacies are great and akane said that was hardest song to play - the drums are great. BUT - that emotional guitar solo by kanami is too much - she makes her guitar cry and me as well. now in my top 5 MAID songs

[@Chan_Fry]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. :-) There will be others, I'm sure, that don't hit me immediately, and that's okay.

[@_JimS]

Daydreaming was shot in Taiwan, not sure where exactly. Having a hard time thinking why you didn't like this at first listen but I get it. I didn't like "Bestie" or "Different" at first but after a fair amount of listens I got it.... Actually if you just listen to a lot of Band-Maid songs without the video they are good, when you listen AND WATCH the videos they are GREAT!!!! Case in point is "Manners". When people recommend "Manners/Black Hole to new reactors it drives me CRAZY!!!! That song needs watched to appreciate how good it really is. No, WSaiki's pitch LIVE was off a hair at the start, I caught it too. This 2017 show was amazing sound/mixing wise. Good ear Chan, the "PLAY" show was recorded through the speakers and NOT the board. The mix was very par, per say......not outstanding. The 2018 and 2017 shows, mixed through the board, were sooooo much better than the 2020 Shibuya 2020 show.....but their energy is still second to none.

[@Chan_Fry]

One factor I didn't mention in the video (regarding why I might not have liked "Daydreaming" at first) is that before Band-Maid, I'd tried a couple of other recommended Japanese groups and was really turned off by the "super-cute schoolgirl" vibe that many of them lean into. And when Miku's vocals came in early in this song, I felt a lot of that in her voice. I think maybe I had to learn a bit more about this band and their journey before coming back to the song. As for the difference in live recordings, it's like night and day. In fact, "Play" sounds a lot like older live recordings (which I complained about earlier in the video), where a lot of the sounds get mushed together... Fortunately, "Play" is a good enough song that it shines through. :-)

[@青山譲二-k7z]

私は、殆ど英語がわかりません。 でも、あなたの話や声はとても良く、聴きやすいと思います。 あなたは、DJ ？ アナウンサーですか？(もちろん、あなたの概要を読んでいるので、そうでないことはわかってますが) バンドメイドを扱っていて、とても嬉しいです。 私は、MTV, 毎週FEN (アメリカ軍向けラジオ局)で、アメリカン トップ40やカントリーカウントダウンを聴いていたので(ギターとバンジョーを趣味にもしていました。)、日本のバンドが海外の方に聴いてもらえるなんて夢のようです。 これからもリアルの生活と、あなたのチャンネルを大切にしてください。 配信があった時は、楽しませてください。 うまく書けなくて、また、日本語で突然のコメントをして、すみません。

[@Chan_Fry]

Thank you for watching. To answer your question: a long time ago, I did attempt to be a DJ (in the early 1990s) but I didn't like the strict lack of freedom. (The bosses listed *exactly* what we could play and couldn't, for example.) I did also once try to be an announcer (very small-time, recording the advertisements you might hear at an American supermarket: "Come visit our flower department! Valentine's Day balloons are half price for the next 30 minutes!") Are Japanese bands being listened to by people here? Sadly, I really don't think it's very common, despite a growing crowd here on KZbin. I very rarely encounter anyone who says they listen to Japanese music. (The man who spoke to my wife was a rare exception, which is why I remember it.)

[@青山譲二-k7z]

返信ありがとうございます。 なるほど、話し方が綺麗だと思いました。 日本でも、ロックやメタルバンドはあまり一般的ではないと思います。 アメリカやイギリスなどが本場であるし、(私を感動させた)素晴らしい音楽が、たくさんあるので、わざわざ日本の音楽を聴くこともないし、機会もないと思うので、仕方ないと感じています。 それでも、バンドメイドの他、いくつかのグループは海外公演ができているので、メジャーでないとしても、私は嬉しいです。 私は、文章を書くのが下手で、まとまらないし、会話になっていないかもしれません。また、翻訳もうまく使えないので、あなたが読むことに手間をかけてしまいます。 ごめんなさい。 最後に、私が、どれだけコアなファンか書いて終わります。(PR ではないです) My sns(X twitter )profile name is Lady's fancy . Because I love ” Dan crary played it by 12strings Taylor Guitar." ありがとうございました。

[@kevinhardy8997]

Most people daydream on the grass face up. What is the meaning of face down?

[@Chan_Fry]

Maybe passed out? 🙂 (Where I'm from, if you lie on the grass very long, you'll get chiggers -- tiny, burrowing bugs that make you itch for weeks -- so we tend to not daydream in the grass.) :-)

[@nussekuddenxxx6564]

I'm going to get shit for this! Saiki normally never sings out of tune, but the pitch in the first notes has made me stay away from the live version of this song. It's not so bad if a singer misses a few notes, as long as it's not the first. That can ruin a whole song for me.

[@Chan_Fry]

As someone who's actually tried to sing in front of people (when I was much younger!), I wouldn't let those first few notes keep me from the song. It's incredibly easy to come in on a not-perfect note. :-)

[@nussekuddenxxx6564]

@@Chan_Fry Yes, it is. Still it immediately brings me out of the mood.

[@JamesJames-iy6vx]

Proves one thing : Saiki is only human. All humans make mistakes sometimes. Don't you?