September 19, 2009 · 6 Comments
As I mentioned in an earlier post (click here to read it), the band KISS has recorded a new album titled “Sonic Boom“.
"Sonic Boom", 2009
It’s due to be released on 2009 October 6.
Well, thanks to my friend Masa, I was able to get the CD early.
I got it today and listened to it already.
It’s very good!
It’s not their best work…but it’s still a great KISS album.
Gene Simmons, bass player of KISS, said that their new “Sonic Boom” album is similar to classic ’70s albums…in particular, their 1976 album “Rock And Roll Over“…
"Rock And Roll Over", 1976
…and their 1977 album “Love Gun“.
"Love Gun", 1977
Personally, I don’t think it’s like either of those or any of their other albums from the 1970s.
I think it sounds more similar to their under-rated 1989 album “Hot In The Shade“…
"Hot In The Shade", 1989
I think “Hot In The Shade” is a very good album, and “Sonic Boom” reminds me a bit of it.
Those two albums have another similarity…”Hot In The Shade” is the only album to feature former drummer, the late Eric Carr, singing a new song (he sang vocals on the song “Beth” on the Smashes, Thrashes & Hits album…a song which the original KISS drummer, Peter Criss wrote and sang on).
On “Hot In The Shade“, Eric Carr sang lead vocals for the song “Little Caesar“.
And “Sonic Boom” is the first KISS album to feature current drummer Eric Singer and current lead guitarist Tommy Thayer each singing lead vocals on a new KISS song.
Eric Singer sings on “All For The Glory” and Tommy Thayer sings on the song “When Lightning Strikes“.
The track listing for “Sonic Boom“:
- Modern Day Delilah
- Russian Roulette
- Never Enough
- Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect)
- Stand
- Hot & Cold
- All For The Glory
- Danger Us
- I’m An Animal
- When Lightning Strikes
- Say Yeah
I’d say “Modern Day Delilah” and “All For The Glory” are the best songs on the album. But the whole album’s good!
Also, KISS have new costumes for the Sonic Boom Tour:
KISS 2009
Categories: Celebrities · Japan · music
Tagged: Ace Frehley, All For The Glory, Bruce Kulick, Eric Carr, Eric Singer, Gene Simmons, heavy metal, HITS, Japan, KISS, Love Gun, Mark St. John, metal, Modern Day Delilah, Never Enough, new KISS, new KISS album, new KISS song, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Rock And Roll Over, rock music, rock n roll, Smashes Thrashes & Hits, Sonic Boom, Tommy Thayer, Vinnie Vincent
Today is the first day of a five-day holiday period in Japan that’s being called “Silver Week“.
In late April – early May every year, is a similarly long holiday period called “Golden Week“…but this is the first time there’s a “Silver Week“.
It’s because Monday, September 21 is a holiday called 「敬老の日」 (”Respect For The Elderly Day“) and Wednesday, September 23 is another holiday, 「秋分の日」 (Autumn Equinox).
Since most people have Saturday and Sunday off, and then Monday and Wednesday are holidays…the government made Tuesday a filler-holiday (being called 「国民の休日」 (”Residents’ Holiday“)) to make it a full five days off.
September 2009 calendar
(If you want to read my FAQ about Japan’s holidays, then click here.)
Every year, “Golden Week” in the springtime is good for business for stores, hotels, airlines and bullet trains in Japan…so I heard that if “Silver Week” proves to be as profitable, it may remain as regular holiday period every year.
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On a different subject, the oldest elephant in a Japanese zoo, the 62-year old Umeko, died last Thursday.
Umeko having a cake for her 60th birthday two years ago.
Now, the oldest elephant is Hanako in the Inokashira Zoo in Tokyo. She’s also 62 years old.
Hanako, the oldest elephant in Japan
My family saw Hanako two years ago for her 60th birthday celebration.
Categories: Animals · Holidays · Japan
Tagged: Autumn Equinox, ぞう, 秋分の日, Elderly Day, elephant, 花子, Hanako, inokashira Zoo, Japan, Japanese, Japanese holidays, oldest elephant, Silver Week, Umeko, 国民の休日, 敬老の日, 梅子
Do you know the Japanese cartoon 「クレヨンしんちゃん」 (”Crayon Shin-chan“)?
It was created in 1990 (the year I came to Japan) by 臼井義人 (Yoshito Usui).
It’s about a mischievous kindergarten-age boy named Shinnosuke, nicknamed “Shin-chan”.
Shin-chan and his family and friends live in 埼玉県春日部 (Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan) near Tokyo…which is where 臼井義人 (Yoshito Usui) lives.
Some of the characters in the show are Shin-chan and his friends and classmates in his kindergarten, including the bossy Nene-chan who likes to force the boys to “play house” with her, and the principal of the kindergarten who looks and acts like he used to be a mobster in the Japanese mafia, as well as Shin-chan‘s mother, father, younger sister and their dog.
I found out that 「クレヨンしんちゃん」 (”Crayon Shin-chan“) is shown around the world in many countries, including America…but that it’s usually edited alot due to Shin-chan’s habit of playfully exposing himself and speaking impolitely.
I heard that many countries even edit out the fact that Shinnosuke often flirts with pretty young women and that his father likes to drink beer.
After all that editing, I wonder what’s left of the cartoon? 
I watched the show on TV last night. Did you see it?
It was about the adventure Shin-chan and his father had when they went grocery shopping together and couldn’t find the key to the father’s bicycle when they were ready to go home.
It was pretty funny.
Well, the creator of the 「クレヨンしんちゃん」 (”Crayon Shin-chan“) cartoon, 臼井義人 (Yoshito Usui), told his family that he was going hiking in the mountains in Gunma Prefecture last weekend.
He has been missing since then.
The police have been searching for him since last Monday.
He’s been missing for nearly a week now…but hopefully they can find him safe.
Categories: Celebrities · Gunma · Japan · News · anime · manga
Tagged: anime, クレヨンしんちゃん, Crayon-Shin-chan, 臼井義人, Japan, Japanese, Japanese cartoon, manga, Shin-chan, Shinnosuke, Yoshito Usui, 春日部
