X Japan Signs With EMI, Plans New Tour

• I am so happy!!!! This is going to be so awesome~

• This is GOOD news!!! Hopefully people here will listen to the music and learn to love it... Because this is the kind of material you never get tired of once you're hooked... it's for life...

• I am dying to hear the new album. Based on songs like Jade, I.V. and Born To Be Free, as well as the brief clip of Scarlet Love Song, Yoshiki's songwriting has only grown more solid. His tastes have ripened to a more consistent maturity, without losing the passion and sensitive introspection that have always defined him. Nor have the rest of the band lost their edge, as demonstrated by some of their best shows ever in New York City and Toronto last year. Toshi's voice rung out with a strength and clarity it's never had before, while Sugizo not only mastered but put his own personal touches on the hardest guitar solos. Obviously, America's tastes are not Japan's tastes, and the ordinary American sound is very different from the ordinary Japanese sound. Music that sounds too "weird" and "foreign" will be ignored. That's why X Japan is assembling an album of universal hits in English, before subjecting its music to the American mainstream market and critics, who will be looking for excuses to dismiss what is foreign. Much as it pains me having to wait till this summer for a release, after expecting one last year, I understand the importance of making a perfect first impression. Signing with EMI was a good idea, as EMI knows how to reach the mainstream American market. They will worry about the mundane details of publicizing X Japan properly, ensuring that impressionable teenagers count X Japan as a "cool" band and give their music a fair chance, which frees up the group to concentrate on their music. After waiting years for X Japan to return, and having had those dreams fulfilled so spectacularly last year at the three U.S. lives I attended -- something I never thought would be possible -- I am ready to wait as long as necessary for Yoshiki and X Japan to release an album they are satisfied with.

• I am beyond excited about their new tour this year! They are a legend and I really hope they make it big in U.S. Their music is definitely not like anything America is used to, so it may be more underground than mainstream at first. But they already have die hard fans in every continent who "get" their music and history. I hope America will be open minded enough to give them a chance. American music industry needs something new anyway. I'm so tired of all the mediocre pop songs on the radio. X Japan will bring hard rock back but with a melodic, classical twist. I especially love Yoshiki who is a Tommy Lee and a Beethoven in one. Often within the same song. If you have any doubt he is a musical genius, just ask George Martin.

• Yes. I hope they could debut bit earlier when they were in prime in early or mid 90's while late guitarist HIDE was still alive. The majority of X Japan's new fans listened and watched their music recorded in late 80's and early 90's. To be honest, they are old, good way saying they are mature, still manage to play their fast songs. But for me as a long time X fan, they are bit different. OK, no HIDE is the most big loss. YOSHIKI's talent for making heart-felt songs is still there, may be more polished up. Just I wanted to show more edgy, ambitious X for not only US, all over ther world. Luckily, I've seen their prime time. Still waiting to see mature X Japan. I'm bit frighten to see HIDE would not be on the stage, though. Last time I've seen them was 1994. I don't know they will be able to catch more US fans. Yes it will be X factor. It could be possible? Like YOSHIKI put his band name as 'X' when he was a teenager, because he believed this band would have unimaginable possibility ahead. Only I can do is trust YOSHIKI and wait to see.

TotalComments: 5