Chinese Music Blog

My very 1st review! Please be indulgent and forgive my English mistakes!

Here it is! After 5 years of waiting, rumors of disbanding and a weird name change, here comes a new album to satisfy all the old Meteor Garden fans!

体验 (Experience � Ti Yan)
1st of the 2 group songs�.the beginning feels great, I don�t like the chorus that much. I don�t know why, the English doesn�t fit in�it�s too loud and heavy, really sad� But anyway, it is a good start, and it brings us back in time!

在这里等你 (waiting for you  � Zai Zhe Li Deng Ni)
If I have to recommend one song, it will be this one, it is a real progress compared to their previous works, and has a catchy tune. This song is likely to be THE big hit, the kind that is broadcast all day long! It�s less personal than their previous songs, sounds much more modern, it has rhythm, it emphasizes their voices, well, I love it! Enjoy the MV, they look great, though Vanness really stands out with his �reddish hair�!
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=6uNIPKIw-QU
One last stupid remark, when they sing 发现爱, I can�t help thinking of 183Club�.


你是我唯一的执着 (You are my one and only attachment - Ni Shi Wo Wei Yi De Zhi Zhuo)  aaargh I admit that I was a real 道明寺addict some years ago, but that wasn�t enough to make me able to stand Jerry�s singing, no offence�. This song makes no difference, his voice is weak, almost offtune (enough to make you gnash teeth�) and it�s a real pity, because the piano tune seems quite good, and with a good singer, this song could be awesome�

Listen to your heart
If you liked V. Dubb, you may be disappointed by this one. In my opinion Vanness regressed here, it has less maturity than 我的王国，零时差 or For Eternity. He seemed to have found his style, and this group album obliges him to go back to the nice and sweet guy style, plus this song doesn�t have many feelings in it, if we compare to 如果 or again For Eternity (those ones being quiet and moving)
On the other hand, F4 lovers who hated his new style will be pleased!

残念 ( ?? � Can Nian)
I�ve never been a fan of ZaiZai�s singing�.only his looks, so I at least I don�t have much expectations. I�m kind of lost though; his last album is called �I�m not F4�, but still sounds like his old self, and now, a F4 album!
Anyway, the song is ok, it�s not bad, but still the same as ALL his past ones. Maybe I�m not the best judge since only 3 of his songs got my liking (三千年的留言, 熟悉的溫柔 and 为何你不来). I have to admit its better than the ones he sung in the last F4 albums, that I skipped, light speed (I now have an allergy to the 1st notes of Make A Wish). He does manage to convey feelings, and sings really in tune, but the songs lacks this little �something�.

爱不停止 (Can�t Stop Loving � Ai Bu Ting Zhi)
Ken�s 1st song�.not much change compared to the previous albums�.this is a nice �ballad�. I�m a little disappointed Jerry got the 3rd track, that Ken could have performed much better�and that he instead got this one, a little tasteless to my opinion�.

七天 (Seven Days � Qi Tian)
Closer to V. Dubb�s style, this song has much more beat than �Listen to you heart�, and I really appreciated the rap part, low and sober. Overall there�s a �jazzy/ RnB� feeling, and you find yourself enjoying the song, though it has nothing really special. The lyrics are really simple, and for those like me learning Chinese, you�ll be happy to hear a chorus that you can understand easily!

白 (White � Bai)
Vic�s 2nd song�.here I won�t complain about a lack of feeling, this song is really sad, the piano is nice, and the end of the song is really smooth. Vic�s voice is sometimes pushed at it�s limit, but it�s still okay, and helps convey the feelings

无所谓 (I don�t Care � Wu Suo Wei)
Haha another one I liked�.Ken�s last F4 songs (I don�t know at all his solo works) always put me in a good mood, like �Here we Are�, 爱不会一直等你, and 晴天. This one is the same. Still I have to say, that Ken�s voice isn�t as emphasized as it could be with this song, it is sometimes closer to talking than singing, as if he lacked some training�. Overall it�s still a god song, and really catchy, plus I like the rebellious meaning (世界怎么看我都无所谓I don�t care how the world sees me)

我没有办法离开你 (I Can�t Leave You � Wo Mei Ban Fa Li Kai Ni)
Jerry makes it up here, it�s not a hit, but it�s a relaxing song, really quiet, like a murmur.
This is a good end for the album, but don�t expect much from this song.

Conclusion
This is a good album for old fans, with a good group song, and average solos, without much innovation. It won�t help much conquer new fans, but for all the Dao Ming Si/ Hua Ze Lei unsatisfied fans, this is a real treat, and it brings back good memories. We know their past songs, and more or less know what to expect. But without their background and fame, if this was their debut album, who knows what would happen�(are they cute enough to compete with Fahrenheit??)
To put it in a nutshell: F4 is like riding a bike, you can never forget!

Last edited by silane (2008-01-02 3:29:pm)