Listen/Review: 'start over' & 'Screaming' by Band-Maid

[@tunes5077]

1st time listening to this and I love it!! I appreciate good music from great musicians and this song just adds to their legacy. Top shelf stuff!

[@青山譲二-k7z]

おわかりかもしれませんが、彩姫さんが最後に言っているのは、たぶん ありがとう。 また、絶対に お会いしましょう。 バンドメイドでした。 共に頑張ろう。 頑張って。 だと思います。 近々住んでいる所から約4マイルなので、インフルエンサーのロケ地に自転車で行くつもりです。(子供の頃に行った事があります。) 返信はいりません。いつも楽しませてもらってます。

[@HaroMatsuRestarted]

“Start over”came out, just few months after BAND-MAID released their album WORLD DOMINATION. Actually, when the album was finished, KANAMI kind of hit a slump and couldn’t write hard-hitting song for a while. So KANAMI asked the members what should be done, and all members said that she should write any song she wants to, and also the record label suggested to write a song that was easy to sing on a karaoke, which fruited into this song. The last line of lyrics was written as is, to show that BAND-MAID can write this kind of easy singable song, but at their heart, they still are a rock band😅

[@G-man_810]

IMO Kanami is having fun trying different things…I read somewhere(?) she listens to many different genres. So she said I want to try this Start Over (Radio friendly) - Screaming (let’s see how chaotic we can get)! MISA and Akane are always up for challenge! Miku is saying “She so Devil” and Saiki is just smiling! I believe the video for Start Over turned me off somewhat…but after I saw & heard it played live from the spin-off concert. I really enjoyed it and you can see how much fun they’re having playing it…and they put it on their Best of Albums I wanting to see it live wt. Saiki on the piano! 🤘🕊️🦍🥷👸🏻👀PO!

[@ALAN_COX]

You are damn straight that it would have been awesome to be in the room during one of the Online Okyuji. My favorite Band-Maid performance is the Online Okyuji from 2-11-2021. Great track list, great performance, great sound mix. Everything about it is top notch.

[@_JimS]

MISA: The Slide Queen..... I LOVE any music video whenever we can see Miku's gorgeous Mother of Pearl Zemaitis the Zemaitis CS24PF Ring Chess...about 5~$6K right now. I dig "Starting Over", lite and jazzy-pop....as an old drummer it took me back to Jazz Band in school. "Screaming" definitely paved the road for their manic songs like, "Different" "No God" and hell, the entire "Unseen World" album. I would love to have been a fly on the wall to see the looks on the girls faces when they first viewed the sheet music for "Screaming"....and watch the first practice....LOL!

[@johalareewi]

Listening to Start Over again, it reminds me of their recent acoustic sessions. Going straight into Screaming afterwards is a big shock. Akane always makes the drumming look easy. On the August 2020 Okyu-Ji, Screaming was the last (13th) song of the concert.

[@airlinesecret6725]

Love START OVER Po!

[@grahamreed8774]

Jazz fusion will do generally for Start Over, and top quality too. Any funk band would be happy. I love the prog edge to Screaming.

[@jwoodjapan]

I always think of Start Over as the Maids' "slick song." Love MISA playing those slides and chords on the bass. She started out playing regular guitar, so I think she uses some of the same techniques while on bass, including using a pick. I also think it's too bad that Saiki doesn't want to give away any of her ducks. Enjoyed your comments as usual, Chan.

[@Chan_Fry]

For my money, Saiki (and her four pals) can give (or take) whatever they want at this point. :-)

[@waynebenedict5785]

This MV surprised me when Saiki used the "F" word, first time I heard anything like that from Band-Maid. I saw them live in 2022 and 2023 and after Miku's Magic Time, Saiki would say to the crowd, "Let's Go Fuxking Crazy!, Let's Go Fuxking Crazy More!" Of course we did!

[@Chan_Fry]

Obviously, it kind of surprised me too, though I can't say it bothers me. It's just you get used to someone *not* saying certain things and then when they do, it's a shock. Like if I ever heard my mother utter ANY profanity, I think I would faint. She's never even said "damn", as far as I know. :-)

[@waynebenedict5785]

@@Chan_Fry It doesn't bother me either, it was just a surprise at first. I have read Saiki has a bit of a potty mouth away from the shows.

[@jwoodjapan]

It's useful to know that most of us don't mind cursing in a foreign language because it doesn't carry the emotional baggage it does in our own language. For us to say "merde" (French) or "kuso" (Japanese) doesn't have the same strength of feeling as us saying "shit" in English. Actually, Japanese doesn't have much in the way of curse words like we do in English, so getting to use something like the word "fuck" is probably pretty liberating for Japanese when speaking English, especially since there's no real emotional weight attached to it. I often had to tell my university students not to use "the f-word" or flip the bird at people when traveling in the US because they could really upset some people, maybe even get in a fight, even though they thought they were just having fun. They just didn't know the depth of feeling that those engendered in US culture.

[@waynebenedict5785]

@@jwoodjapan Interesting, thanks for the explanation.

[@AndersonConnors]

Oh, yes, the ashtray definitely took me back to childhood - so many places we visited back then (even businesses) had actively used ashtrays indoors... Such a stinky time! And what an interesting thing to include in a 2018 music video!

[@Chan_Fry]

For that matter, even in my adulthood, some places still allowed smoking indoors. (I worked at a supermarket in Arkansas in the mid-1990s, and customers/employees regularly smoked on the sales floor.)

[@PaulEngineer]

One story for "Start Over" is that Akane wanted a song that could be sung at karaoke! And the final lyric is Saiki's response to the band being told what type of songs they had to produce or videos to produce. A small assertion of their authority over what can be released. "Screaming" definitely more aligned with where they were going musically - and very replayable/relistenable for the reasons you mentioned.

[@Chan_Fry]

Maybe it's true? It sounds reasonable enough, doesn't it? :-)

[@dazedandconfused318]

I love Start over and yes highly jazz influenced. They played it at the Yokohama spinoff show and there was a lot of audible gasps when the piano intro started, I'm not sure if it was shock, happiness or disgust lol. It was also played straight after Rinne which I like to think that it was Band Maid trolling those who dislike this song. Screaming was the penultimate song of the set and it was rather good.

[@Chan_Fry]

Honestly, I think it would be perfect to follow "Rinne" -- I'm the kind of concert-goer who likes a nice build-up/progression of power and volume with occasional drops into slower, softer tunes (followed by another build-up). Even when I was younger, I liked a slow that would change the pace every few songs. :-)

[@BM4-Life]

Never seen a reactor with eyes bulging during the performance of *Screaming* 😊

[@Chan_Fry]

Would you believe my reading glasses magnified the eyes? That's what I'm going with. :-)

[@armynurseboy]

I liken "Start Over" to Extreme's "More Than Words" from bsck in the early 90s. It was a soft acoustic ballad that was very radio friendly and appealed to a very wide audience. This song sharply contrasted with the rest of the album, which featured Extreme's normal funk tinged 80s hard rock/metal sound. I heard of many cases of new listeners buying their album "Pornograffiti" thinking the rest of it was like "More Than Words"....😂. BTW, I LOVED "Pornograffiti." One of my favorite albums of the time. Personally, I like "Start Over." It's far from my favorite song, but i don't get the icks from it that a lot of fans of harder music complained of.

[@Chan_Fry]

Oh I definitely wouldn't say "ick". It's just more a song my wife would listen to (if she was still in the late 1980s or early 1990s) than a song I would gravitate toward. Plus it's competing with 100+ other Band-Maid songs and thus it's going to get bumped down my list. :-)

[@miqoto]

I've always said Screaming is a tribute by Kanami to the "flight of the bumble bees". Btw the only physical release of Onset was a bonus to the first prints of Bubble-Glory singles(had to buy them together as a set) and you would also get Anemone and Puzzle acoustic as well

[@tmctmhs]

Thank you! "Screaming" is my number one BAND-MAID song. However, this online live version is not very good. Among the video software versions, I think the live version included in "BAND-MAID WORLD DOMINATION TOUR [Evolution] at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (Shibuya Public Hall)" is by far the best. This is still available on Blu-ray/DVD, but unfortunately it has not been officially distributed on video.

[@Chan_Fry]

It is certainly a bit frustrating coming into this fandom so late -- when so many "better versions" exist but are hidden away in the dark corners of the world. Perhaps someday, the band's management will wrap up a boxed set of Blurays and let us send them money for it. :-)

[@Kissthetoad321]

Start Over is clearly a pop song. But a good song. Of course, it seems to be very far from their usual music but who knows Band-Maid cannot be surprised if he has listened to their entire catalog. They have the courage to explore other genres of music but it goes against the taste of some fans. You can't put a leash around their neck. Thanks Chan Fry.

[@Chan_Fry]

Exactly. They can play/write/perform what they want, or at least they *should*, in my opinion. Trying to please fans is obviously a good business decision, but artistically/creatively, you have to write and play what you WANT, what you FEEL, and if this is what they wanted and felt just then, more power to them. :-)

[@Kissthetoad321]

@@Chan_Fry You are 100% right. They have total freedom in their creativity. Which is not common in the Japanese music industry for a female rock band from what I know. But maybe I'm wrong?

[@daaaaaave]

I kept thinking I had 4 notifications when I looked back at the video. -_-

[@Chan_Fry]

Ha! I noticed that halfway through recording but decided not to draw attention to it. :-)

[@waynebenedict5785]

I have heard that "Start Over" was in a time Kanami was getting a little burned out and may explain why some don't especially like it. I love it, have from first listen! "Screaming" is a great song, for sure! Don't overlook "Gion-Cho" from Band-Maiko, the next years April Fools song.

[@Chan_Fry]

I did wonder if maybe Kanami just decided to give herself a break on this one. Even in the video, after the piano intro, it's clear she isn't contributing what she normally does. Just some notes here and there; no guitar solo, no ongoing background riff, etc. And if anyone deserves a break, it's one of these five people right here. :-)

[@waynebenedict5785]

@@Chan_Fry Agreed!

[@AndersonConnors]

I think this is my first time hearing "start over". I'm incredibly impressed that they wrote and played this - it's FAR outside their usual sound and could be some other band's number one song. As someone else said, if you just switched out Saiki for Miku, it could be Cluppo's song and no one would bat an eye. In fact, it might have been Cluppo's best song.

[@russellpotter7294]

I am sure others can confirm or deny. But the actors in 'Start Over' were interviewed or at least one of them was. Apparently an enjoyable experience for them. But my brain has forgotten what was said. Anyway as ever Band Maid provide so many feels and genres to their songs. I am no good in deciding what sounds like a Band Maid song anymore. Thanks for the review.

[@Chan_Fry]

I think even the hardest rock bands ought to have a few "laid back" songs in their repertoire, just in case. :-)

[@jakeimhotep4866]

If Miku had done the vocals for Start Over, I might have thought it was a Cluppo song. It may not be my favourite style but I definitely don't hate it. ✌

[@Chan_Fry]

Yes, Cluppo wouldn't have surprised me with this song. :-)

[@bandmaidfanATL]

Start Over could have been a Matchbox 20 song. It gives me that specific time period feel. MB20, Papa Roach, GoGo Dolls, Michelle Branch, Wildflowers...It is a good song, but it is in my bottom 2 with The Dragon Cries. Screaming, OTOH, is a terrific song, especially live.

[@Chan_Fry]

Yes, I was feeling that Matchbox 20 era... But my wife says it takes her back even farther, maybe to late 1980s Debbie Gibson. (I won't argue, she has far more pop music knowledge than I do.) :-) "Dragon Cries"? I remember liking that one! Oh my. I suppose I'll get back to it soon enough on this journey. :-)

[@BM4-Life]

_In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida_ 🍻🍻🍻🍻 *In the Garden of Eden* 🤣🤣🤣

[@Chan_Fry]

I heard at least one of those on "The Simpsons". :-)

[@artomatt]

Start Over has grown on me quite a bit from repeated listenings, but then years ago I was more into Billy Joel than Van Halen, for example, and I'm always drawn to piano music. The story part of the video has NOT grown on me; I'd rather look at the maids! I agree that World Domination is very cohesive, and I would add that it has an amazingly consistent high quality. Conqueror is more varied. I'm interested to see your reactions to those songs :)

[@Chan_Fry]

I wouldn't be surprised if I follow that same path ("start over" song growing on me but not the video). And to be clear, it's not that I don't "like" the song; it's just not a genre I look for, most of the time. (Although Juna Serita and her Jazz Avengers bandmates are starting to turn my ear in different directions...)

[@bbobjs]

I think you pretty much nailed it on what they were building up to with Conqueror. I don't want to say much beyond that since it'd be "spoilers" and the whole point of this journey is to imagine the experience of being with this band from the beginning. The band really didn't have much creative control for the first few albums. Just Bring It was probably the first album that was more Band-Maid than production and World Domination was the first album that really distilled their sound. At this point I think the majority of the band was finally playing what they liked, but Saiki was probably a bit left out. I imagine they deliberately made a pop song to appeal to Saiki's desire to be a pop singer.

[@Chan_Fry]

Saiki sounded good on this track ("start over"), though I think Miku would have sounded very nice on it too. :-)

[@synousia2]

i was definitely not a fan of start over when i first saw the mv. the song itself has grown on me, not so much the mv.

[@Chan_Fry]

I assume the song (not the video) will grow on me too... And it's not that I "don't like it', it's just that they have 100+ other songs that I enjoy just a bit more than this one. :-)

[@synousia2]

@@Chan_Fry indeed. i doubt it will ever be among the 20 songs in my top 10, but still i find it interesting how my perception of the song has changed. it helped that you listened to it as audio first, i think. i could here more of the nuance of the music without the mv to distract me.

[@daaaaaave]

Neither of these are my favorites. I enjoy the band members experimenting with their parts, but whenever Saiki does a weird voice, like she does in Screaming (21:15) and the beginning of Rinne, it loses me a little.

[@Chan_Fry]

Oh, I didn't think of that as a "weird" voice... I guess maybe now that I hear it again. I just thought she was slowing down and enunciating precisely... Those definitely don't take me out of the song, but I guess I can see why it would for others. :-)