Q: (1) The Blue Hearts, (2) The High-Lows, (3) The Cro-Magnons. There are fans who have followed all three, and others who left at some point.
I'm not a hardcore fan, though I have quite a few acquaintances who are, but
Q1: I understand that the musical style differs between the (1) & (2) eras and the (3) era, but honestly, I don't really grasp the difference between the (1) and (2) eras. From the perspective of a die-hard fan, how would you put that into words?
Q2: I know the circumstances behind the transition from (1) to (2) and I find them understandable, but I don't know the background of how it went from (2) to (3). Does anyone know what happened?
These are the footprints that Hiroto Komoto and Masatoshi Mashima (Marcy) have continued to carve into the Japanese rock scene! It is very understandable that while some fans have followed all three bands, others have a strong attachment to a specific era.
Based on the perspective of hardcore fans and the situation at the time, I will put these two questions into words and explain them.
Q1: The musical differences between The Blue Hearts (1) and The High-Lows (2)
If you listen casually, both sound like "Hiroto and Marcy's punk rock," but to a die-hard fan, there is a clear shift from "impulse and message" to "the liberation of adult rock 'n' roll."
Specifically, it can be verbalized as the following differences.
① From "Message (Impulse)" to "Nonsense (Pure Sound)"The Blue Hearts: The core of the lyrics was "strong messages and literariness," such as anti-establishment spirit, loneliness, purity, and the struggles of living. There were many words that acted as "symbols" that pierced deeply into the listener's life.
The High-Lows: Nonsensical lyrics without meaning, and a playfulness that explodes like a toy box turned upside down (e.g., "Lobster," "Nichiyoubi yori no Shisha"). Hiroto himself made comments at the time to the effect of, "I did everything I could with meaningful songs in The Blue Hearts. In The High-Lows, I want to enjoy the sound more purely."
② Diversification of band sound and "degree of freedom"The Blue Hearts: Basically a solid 3-piece plus vocals punk style. Although keyboards and such were added later, there was fundamentally a strength in packaging the "initial impulse."
The High-Lows: From the beginning, there was a fixed member on keyboards (Mikio Shirai), and they developedfree and rich rock 'n' roll not bound by the framework of punk including pub rock, garage rock, reggae, and R&B. The greatest charm is the "groove" packed with instrumental interplay and adult playfulness.
To put the fan's perspective in a nutshell:
Q2: The background of the transition from The High-Lows (2) to The Cro-Magnons (3)
The flow from the hiatus (de facto breakup) of The High-Lows to the formation of The Cro-Magnons was not due to messy bad blood, but rather their "sincerity toward the rock impulse."
The background mainly involves the following two elements.
① Limits and stagnation regarding the band's "formal beauty"
The High-Lows lasted for 10 years and became a wonderful, highly perfected band. However, as the thick sound including keyboards and the precise arrangements became fixed, the desire to "do rock that is simpler and has only the clattering initial impulse" sprouted again within Hiroto and Marcy.
It seems they felt that because the name "The High-Lows" had become too big, their degree of freedom had conversely narrowed.
② The departure of keyboardist Shirai and the encounter with drummer Kirita (Katsuji)
In 2003, keyboardist Mikio Shirai left, and the band became a 4-piece. After that, Katsuji Kirita, who is also a current member of The Cro-Magnons, joined as a support drummer.
It is said that when they played music with these four, Hiroto and Marcy felt a strong response, thinking, "This is it! I want to do this simple, massive lump of explosive sound!"
Conclusion: Simply, and like lightning
In 2005, The High-Lows announced a "hiatus." After that, Hiroto and Marcy invited Katsuji and bassist Katsuyuki Kobayashi to enter the studio secretly without any media exposure.
Then in 2006, without any warning, they appeared as "The Cro-Magnons" at a summer festival like guerrillas and turned Japan upside down.
It can be said that The Cro-Magnons were started because the two, who had also learned how to enjoy stylish adult rock in The High-Lows, wanted to return to being "boys who just play straight punk with loud sounds" like they listened to in their teens. That is why, while The Cro-Magnons (3) seem to have regressed to the initial impulse of The Blue Hearts (1), the interesting thing is that the content is completely a "master's aesthetic of subtraction."
Come to think of it, the one with the longest track record of activity is The Cro-Magnons. 20th year. Amazing.