Okay... don't wanna interrupt a chat here, but I gotta reply to the main topic, hehe.
What I don't like on X(Japan) - where should I start it?
Since they are musicians, I'd start with the music and afterwards mention the rest.
Albums/recordings:Hate me for that, but I can't stand most of the ballads! I won't deny that I first liked them, since the arrangements aren't bad at all - no doubt in that points. But I just prefer rock music in general and the more I listened to the ballads the less I liked them. :roll:
I mostly listen to music to cheer me up, but this doesn't mean that I dislike ballads in general. For instance I love November Rain from G'n'R or Only Women Bleed from Alice Cooper. But these are somehow different in my ears... somehow not THAT dramatic. If I didn't knew the background of the X ballads I'd just say they're too much overacted. IF! With knowing what they mean especially to Yoshiki and with knowing that these songs were somehow therapy for him I cannot say that it's overacted, but that I simply don't like this special style Yoshiki created in these ballads.
The only exception for me is Voiceless Screaming - for me a ballad like November Rain or Only Women Bleed. Simply like that song!
And I rarely listen to the Album Dahlia. It's not only the fact that Taiji isn't there anymore, but much more the arrangements and the ballance between ballads and rocking songs. Apart from this: The few rock songs on Dahlia to me simply sound sytheticly and somehow lifeless.
Lives:Some parts of the lives to me seem often a little bit too overacted and theatrical. There I mean again especially Yoshiki's style.
Also the way he plays the drums is in my opinion somehow a little bit too straight and... well... maybe the translation is wrong now - statically.
I have no problems when there's used much double bass drum, but there are soooooo many possiblities to emphasize and make sophisticated styles with rhythm. In my opinion it would sound more interesting, if there are used some technical skills, but not only this timingproof and straight style (also sometimes a little bit liveless - I DON'T mean the apperance, but only the sound now!). For instance here: Eric Carr from KISS had a style I really like - especially in his solos.
What I also don't like that much is, that hide was in my opinion too often somehow in the center of interest. Especially after Taiji left it seemed to me somehow not really ballanced anymore. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know, but it's simply my impression. And often I think hide is anyways overvalued. :? Don't wanna say, that he was a bad musician - never! But he's not the god for me, like some people say about him.
Appearance:Sunglasses suck, if they're worn TOO often! :evil: It's anyways the business of the one who wears them, but in my opinion they really can disturb!
The general apperance from X(Japan) never really disturbed me. Though I like the appearance of the older days more - especially the style between Blue Blood and Jealousy was in my opinion pretty cool!
That they changed then... I dunno - somehow I can understand that, but somehow I missed the older style then. At least the rocker style I missed then.
Last but not least -
Fans:
I don't like fans, who say their idols are perfect/gods/the best artists ever! It's because I see a HUGE difference between saying an own opinion and claiming facts. At least they should say "He is
my god"/"The best band
I've ever heard" then. In that point I'm really small-minded and I think all depends on taste. In my opinion there doesn't exist a BEST.
And what I also don't like is screaming like hell, because one of their idols moved one finger. I'm glad that I never was at a concert which turned out like the SKIN-gig! I think it's just unfair to not LISTEN and to make the rest of the audience also unable to listen. Fuckin' hell, when I'm a concert I wanna hear and look, but not cry and yell like an insane baby puppy.
And really bugging for me are many hide fans. Sorry for that and maybe I have some enemies from now on, but: hide was ALSO only a human being! The fans have to accept, that he's dead now and will never come back. They can keep him in mind and whatever, but I'm really sure, that some fans are only that extremely fans because he died. For me it's simply the usual James Dean/Jim Morrison/Elvis Presley/Kurt Cobain and so on phenomenon. Of course all these guys were talented, but there are also LIVING talented musicians who should be respected at least the same way.
:oops: Sorry for that really long entry.
*coughes* Should I mention, that X isn't my favorite band, but ONE of my favorite bands? I never can choose a favorite one - as I said before: For me there doesn't exist a BEST!