question : did sugizo really play hide part of guitar?

[denx]

when i saw sugizo playing silent jealousy on first day of reunion concert, i think he really play hide part of guitar. but when i saw rusty nail on hongkong live, looks like sugizo didnt play hide part, but same with pata .  i m not really sure, but is it true? and if its true, why sugizo didnt play hide part ?

[Ba-DiL]

It depends on the hide-playback ... :p

[denx]

badil = ? what do you mean by depends hide playback? dont really understand. both silent jealousy and rusty nail i mention above got hide-playback

[obi325]

it's same with blue blood- sugizo played hide's part, but both of this songs weren't on last live, looks like it has to do something with this (exception being art of life)

[rafaelo]

I do not understand why Yoshiki does not place Sugizo for do the soils..

[Faestian]

@Rafaelo

I do not understand why Yoshiki does not place Sugizo for do the soils..

Everything I have read says that hide will always be the 5th member of the band; that Sugizo is not replacing hide, but is rather the 6th member of the band. hide's hologram and his audio solos represent his presence as an existent member of the band. Sugizo brings his own unique style to the guitar in X now. Sometimes he does short duets with Pata the way hide used to but not too often. I think it was just a decision on the part of the band to honour hide by leaving his solos exclusively his. Also, this way, Sugizo's particular style can shine, instead being a copy of hide.

[rafaelo]

thank you very much Faestian

[Joker]

X NEVER needed a "3rd guitarist". A band can't be serious using playbacks instead of an alive member playing during 90% of the concert. This hide exploiting should end. Everybody is worried about Toshi being exploited by Masaya, but nobody seems to care about Hiroshi making lots of monnies with hide image.

[myuu]

@Rafaelo

I do not understand why Yoshiki does not place Sugizo for do the soils..

Everything I have read says that hide will always be the 5th member of the band; that Sugizo is not replacing hide, but is rather the 6th member of the band. hide's hologram and his audio solos represent his presence as an existent member of the band. Sugizo brings his own unique style to the guitar in X now. Sometimes he does short duets with Pata the way hide used to but not too often. I think it was just a decision on the part of the band to honour hide by leaving his solos exclusively his. Also, this way, Sugizo's particular style can shine, instead being a copy of hide.

good statement, although it's getting tired when they repeat the hide playbacks again and again.....

[obi325]

X NEVER needed a "3rd guitarist". A band can't be serious using playbacks instead of an alive member playing during 90% of the concert. This hide exploiting should end. Everybody is worried about Toshi being exploited by Masaya, but nobody seems to care about Hiroshi making lots of monnies with hide image.

i totally agree with you, it's disrespectful to hide

[Faestian]

Everybody is worried about Toshi being exploited by Masaya, but nobody seems to care about Hiroshi making lots of monnies with hide image.

My personal opinion on this is that we KNOW Masaya continues to exploit Toshi. However, (and I can only speak for myself), I do not know enough about the handling of hide's estate to claim exploitation. Personally? I have no idea what provisions hide may, or may not, have left in his will regarding his music, his image, his royalties, or merchandising, etc. Nor do I know the dynamics of his relationship with his brother, or with his family, or with Yoshiki for that matter. I have only speculation, as does anyone who did not know him in the familiar. I see nothing wrong with honouring his memory and talent this way. Nor would I understand it if the country and fans decided to 'put him behind them' and move on, letting his memory die along with is body. This is just MHO though.    As for any merchandising of his name, I have no idea what kind of debt hide might have left when he died,  nor what kind of contracts he might have had in place. Some people have 'in perpetuity' clauses in some contracts that can mean, whoever the contract is with, owns the rights to the name, etc. of the deceased, even in death. *shrug*

Some of us believe hide's name and talent are being exploited. Others (well...me) think that he likely had obligations even in death, no matter what they were, and that maybe his family might know better than any of us what his wishes and obligations were, or, for that matter, how he liked to be shown love. *shrug again* These are things we can't really know unless we were actually intimate with the dynamics of how hide lived his life, or how his friends and family are now handling his death, not just the few hours of video hide chose to share with us. Again though, I know this is just my opinion. For all I know, Hiroshi really is exploiting his name, but somehow, I just can't bring myself to think so.

[Tanabata]

Faestian, 

I really like your posts.  The last one in this thread was really interesting.  You raised some points I have never thought about regarding hide.  I agree with you.  Somehow I don't see that his brother is exploiting him.  I just don't get that feeling.  I think that there is still such interest in hide that his brother is merely responding to that.  Personally, as I said in a recent post, I don't need a lot of paraphernalia but I do get excited when, from time to time, some piece of X Japan or hide merchandise comes my way.  And, for those fans who are really into all that, then good for them.

When hide left this world he left a big hole and I guess his brother somehow tried/is trying to fill that hole.  If he, in some way, benefits from that and, as long as nobody is getting hurt, I don't have a problem with it.  I have passed the Matsumoto home several times and notice a very nice house and a nice Mercedes (but not *too* nice....nothing like Yoshiki's "pad" in LA!).  I guess that is thanks to hide and I say good for them.

[Faestian]

//blush// thanks Tanabata.

I was just thinking about what you said about the modesty of the Matsumoto home. I remember reading or hearing somewhere, (if I can find it, I will post it) that hide had either left the stipulation in his will, or that it was arranged after the fact, that the proceeds from the hide Memorial Summit in 2008 would go to charities of hide's choice. I believe, and I have no way of researching this at this time, they went to ovarian and uterine cancer, as well as a couple of others. Because artists have to have such tight legal papers, his will was likely pretty detailed as to accidental death, etc. All this 'exploitation' could very well be at his own direction, the bulk of any merchandising proceeds not going to the coffers of the Matsumoto companies and family, or back into the band, but silently, without fanfare as hide's personal endeavours often were, to aid the people of Japan. He was a well known philanthropist. We know of one, perhaps two girls he helped with financial assistance and/or personal bone marrow donations. That could well just be the surface of where his focus outside his music was.

Just a thought.

What a wonderful yet sad sense of connection you must feel driving past that home. Thanks again.

[Tanabata]

Faestian (and everyone),

Do you know that Mayuko Kishi passed away last year?  She was the girl who hide befriended and who, as a result, became quite famous herself.  Perhaps she is one of the people you are referring to in your last post.

[Faestian]

Yes, Mayuko is one of the girls I was speaking of and no I didn't know she had passed away. There is no news of her here in the West and I always wondered how she had handled his death, and how she was doing. He really was very close to her. I saw the documentary that showed their bond, as well as some interviews and video of Mayuko at the museum after his death, but her speech abilities were so poor by then all she was capable of was yes and no. I speak no Japanese so only caught the gist of most videos. I am sad to hear of her passing, but she had deteriorated so severely even back in 1997. Thank you for the news, Tanabata. Do you know the date of her passing? Just me being a detail freak.

Leaving such a wealth of personal impact behind him, I remain firm in my belief that it would be insulting to X, and to hide's memory, to put his electronic presence aside and out of the band. Despite what we might think, they show him great respect and honour by refusing to put him aside. As spokesperson, Yoshiki said hide would remain the 5th member, always, and that Sugizo would be the 6th. I doubt this was a dictate, but rather a discussion, and I will not fault the band for their decision. In my opinion, hide's licks and riffs, wed to Pata's, are what make X's sound so blazingly unique. Adding Sugizo to the mix will only enrich it as they eventually find his fit. 

[NanniGong]

One thing I wonder is - will their performance be limited when they have the hide playback at the same time? I mean the alive members have to coordinate with the playback. And I believe that Sugizo can add something new to their performance. Once the band is reunited, they need something fresh to go further ahead instead of lying on the past.
And for Mayuko, as far as I know in these years her family runs a cafe called Lemoned Cafe(various hide stuff in that shop) and Mayuko took part in operating the shop's website.

[Tanabata]

Yes, Mayuko's parents run a cafe in Wakayama Prefecture where she came from.  As for when she passed away, it was September 30 last year.  She was 28.  Her parents maintain her blog.

[Joker]

How do you "don't see nobody exploiting hide's image"?
Hiring a new guitarist that DOESN'T FUCKING PLAY, using playbacks of him for everything, letting hide appear more than EVERYBODY on the concert, as the rest of the band "is not so good as him", is just ridiculous.

But, every month we have a new "hide new product", re-re-re-re-re-re-relases of the same thing, lots of stuff using his name, mantain a "hide fan letter" on the site, creating X cards, each member has one, and hide has TWO. This is pure exploiting of his image to make more money.

I don't want X to "forget" hide. But simple things are more touching that playbacks, products and flashy holograms. IMHO, the best tribute they can do to hide is leaving his guitar on the stage, as they are doing on the PVs. On I.V. it was just beautiful. The playbacks on the concert are boring and exploiting.

[Tanabata]

Joker,

I agree. The guitar in I.V. was so poignant.  It said so much in its simplicity.

[rafaelo]

our it did not know that Mayuko had died what a pity
it was worth ouch by the information

[Eve]

Where is the adress of blog on Mayuko kishi please ? I would read please !

Thank's a lot !

[radicalblues]

I think it was just a decision on the part of the band to honour hide by leaving his solos exclusively his.

Then again, "his" solos are completely random.

So far, these are the songs where Sugizo plays the solos with Pata:

Silent Jealousy (first song ever to do and now on every concert; an exception was hide memorial summit)
I.V. (on every concert)
Orgasm (on every concert, if it's played)
X (on every concert)
Blue Blood (at countdown gig, only one so far)
Jade (on every concert)
Born to be free (on every concert)
Endless Rain (started recently at the tour)

hide gets the rest, like Rusty Nail, Week End, Kurenai, Drain, Art of Life, Dahlia...

So the question here is, what's the parameters to consider them "his" (hide's) solos? Wasn't I.V. very specifically made with hide's solo? Then why Sugizo plays it? Aren't Silent Jealousy and Endless Rain is work too? Again, it's all completely random. There's no fixed pattern to tell which solos "belong" to hide.

Most importantly, and I say it without resentment, hide is dead and he has no action or vote on what X JAPAN does now. The songs hide appears in are completely based on what others decide to do, he has nothing to do with this show and is merely an object. Of course I won't discuss that his spirit is present, he's beating inside the soul of X, he lives through what he wrote, through what he did, but he's doing nothing now. Others are manipulating what "hide" is now.

In resume, I don't think there's a specific reason or pattern why Sugizo should play these or these solos. I think the band sounds more powerful when it actually plays 100% live. It's hard to do real good rock using pre-recorded guitars.

My two cents.

[Sander]

...Wasn't I.V. very specifically made with hide's solo? Then why Sugizo plays it? ...

Maybe because Yoshiki took something hide wrote and then changed the pitch and the octave (as Yoshiki stated in at least two interviews to US newspapers, which I'm not going to search for atm, but if you have read them you should know), so it's near impossible to use those...

[radicalblues]

Interesting. So they don't use I.V. hide pre-recordings because it would sound like crap?

Well, you could say the same for The Last Live pre-recordings ...

[Sander]

I'm sorry but I personally love songs from TLL. They sound like they have real (sad) emotions behind them. Might be just because I know the history but still...

And yes, if you record something, then re-pitch them and change them totally, the possibility of it sounding like crap is quite big

[Joker]

I love songs from TLL. On TLL itself. Because it was a real live concert.
Using a lead guitar playback of TLL on every fucking concert is stupid and annoying, and a real rock band can't use any excuse to it. They have an alive guitarist. He should play. That's a guitarist do. I repeat, again. They are X JAPAN, not Milli Vanilli.

[Matthias]

They are X JAPAN, not Milli Vanilli.

That comparison fails, cause Milli Vanilli pretended to do something (singing in their case) and lying/fooling the audience their fans. It's not that Sugizo is on stage pretending to play a solo while you can hear a backing track, you can clearly see/hear what he's playing.

[Joker]

They are X JAPAN, not Milli Vanilli.

That comparison fails, cause Milli Vanilli pretended to do something (singing in their case) and lying/fooling the audience their fans. It's not that Sugizo is on stage pretending to play a solo while you can hear a backing track, you can clearly see/hear what he's playing.

No.
People are paying to see a live concert, not to see TLL recordings again. If you pay attention on Yokohama concerts, where no image shows Sugizo during the solos, just shows the people or Yoshiki, and on Yokohama and the last US concerts, where Sugizo plays the first part of hide solo and runs almost out of people sight, so the people can see only Pata playing... Or as he did on Rusty Nail on Lollapalooza, that he turned to Yoshiki so nobody could see what he was playing...

Using playbacks is ridiculous, and if Yoshiki wants to build their image on the rest of the world, they need to drop them. No hide on screens and a lead guitar that is not nobody on stage, THIS is complete fail. A rock band can't use playbacks on the main instrument, even worse when they DO have an alive guitarist to play. And please don't start the "sixth member" shit, because X never had a third guitarist, because they NEVER needed a third guitarist. They need an ALIVE guitarist playing. Corpses can't play.

[MiXu]

They are X JAPAN, not Milli Vanilli.

That comparison fails, cause Milli Vanilli pretended to do something (singing in their case) and lying/fooling the audience their fans. It's not that Sugizo is on stage pretending to play a solo while you can hear a backing track, you can clearly see/hear what he's playing.

No.
People are paying to see a live concert, not to see TLL recordings again. If you pay attention on Yokohama concerts, where no image shows Sugizo during the solos, just shows the people or Yoshiki, and on Yokohama and the last US concerts, where Sugizo plays the first part of hide solo and runs almost out of people sight, so the people can see only Pata playing... Or as he did on Rusty Nail on Lollapalooza, that he turned to Yoshiki so nobody could see what he was playing...

Using playbacks is ridiculous, and if Yoshiki wants to build their image on the rest of the world, they need to drop them. No hide on screens and a lead guitar that is not nobody on stage, THIS is complete fail. A rock band can't use playbacks on the main instrument, even worse when they DO have an alive guitarist to play. And please don't start the "sixth member" shit, because X never had a third guitarist, because they NEVER needed a third guitarist. They need an ALIVE guitarist playing. Corpses can't play.

This. They could use his playbacks on his memorial day but only that.. if they're going to conquer America, they have to drop the playbacks. PERIOD. But I think there's some progress. Sugizo has played the whole (omfgzz) silent jealousy solo, and parts of art of life and stuff. Now yoshiki has to be a bit wiser and let sugizo play EVERYTHING. And why not pata. He could play the solos, and sugizo do the comp guitar. Every solution is better than the current.

[radicalblues]

Basically Joker expressed my feelings, I love The Last Live, on that concert itself, not in every modern concert.

In 2009 Tokyo Domes you can notice that the 1997 TLL recordings were specially bad, as you could hear Yoshiki's drums and Toshi's screams in the background... isn't that worse than trying to use hide's I.V. solo in a bad pitch?

And MOST of the time during hide solos, we don't actually see focus on Sugizo. It happened clearly at Lollapalooza. But at least Sugizo is not hiding during this tour when Rusty Nail or Kurenai solo plays.

I recall a big part of listening X (for me) was going crazy during the solos, now that only happens partially. That's only 8 songs that Sugizo has fully played, which isn't saying much. But I'm happy to start seeing things like Endless Rain with Sugizo as a regular. =]

I'm sure there's a way to give hide a role in the band without making X become Britney Spears.