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Welcome to the Spotlight section. This grew out of the Monthly Recommend section, which had become a sort of a Whenever-the-webmistress-feels-like-it Recommend section. I hope to expand the original reviews and recommended content to include discussion about various aspects of B'z here. In any case, I am pleased to kick this off with a Tak-centric article (you see that, Mat-chan? Yes, B'z Sunshine RESPECTS you!).
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BIG MACHINE review December 2003 Spotlight
 "Yes, an she thought "Extra Heavy" meant my weight! No, an I couldn't believe it either!" Guitar-Challenged ~ Part I Good morning, visitors! Take a moment and ask yourself if the following situations seem familiar: a) You are happily listening to Raging River, and it's time for Tak's solo. Furious runs of notes emit from the speakers. "Wow!," you say, "that sounds really cool and full of emotion!" However, you can't say what exactly makes it cool other than that it sounds so. b) Browsing through your collection of B'z pictures, you spot some of Tak during the ELEVEN tour. "Whoa," you muse, "why does Mat-chan's concert Tshirt say 'Extra Heavy?' Tak's not extra heavy, he's fit and healthy!" Later, you sheepishly find out Tak was making a little joke about his guitar picks. Gee. c) You know Tak is a great guitarist. You just know it. You declare this zealously to all who ask, based on the opinion of people who know what they're talking about, the signature Gibsons, and how his solos enhance B'z songs. But you just don't really know what makes him great. When watching B'z concert videos, you judge the difficulty of Tak's parts by checking to see how serious he looks and how fast he's playing the notes...you don't know if this is right. As one who has experienced all three scenarios, I decided it was time to try ridding myself of some of my ignorance and share the results with the rest of you. For this purpose, I cornered a young lad who seems to have a good knowledge of guitars and a healthy appreciation of B'z hotpants. Please welcome B2, veteran Net Party member. Ready, set, TAK! Point 1: "His technique is focused on smooth, speedy legato lines and tasty blues licks." M: If that's Tak's general playing style...what does Tak do really well that sets him apart and merits him that signature Gibson? B2: I think it has to do more with his popularity in B'z. And his playing style is more in line with other Les Paul players. More old school...blues licks fall into that category. So it's because he has a more traditional style and he is popular. I found this explanation to be vaguely disappointing, so I persisted with this line of questioning. M: As a guitarist, what do you find really impressive about Tak's skills? I mean, what does he do really really well? Anything?? Or are you saying he's just riding on Koshi's singing...(obviously not true!!). B2: It has to do with that, but only partly. Well you may know better than me, was he all that well-known before B'z? M: Not really. Are you telling me that Tak is really not that great a guitarist...? B2: Well in a way... I was decidedly not liking what I was reading when B2 decided to clarify a bit more. B2: It's not that he isn't good. He just isn't above everyone else. To be fair, though, I don't think he displays all of his skills. M: Do you consider him in the league of the other players who have signature Gibsons? Like Ace Frehley, etc? B2: He's much better than them. More refined and impressive. Like Jimmy page is sloppy as hell, Ace plays alright but isn't so interesting M: Ok so you'd consider him above those other more famous people? (Above guitarist from bands like Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin!) B2: As far as technique goes, yes. But they have signature models because of their influence and popularity too M: Noted.
Point 2: "His style appeals to lots of people whether or not they play guitar." Obviously to the guitarist and the non-guitarist, greatness is defined very differently. B2: So I say Tak is tasteful and doesn't do a lot of that fast picking stuff. To non-guitarists, that fast type of playing is unappealing for the most part because it might not make sense. From a couple old songs I've heard, I'd say Tak has it in him to do that, but he doesn't. And he sticks with those very old, over-used but still good sounding blues-based patterns M: But that fast type of playing would be a true indicator of skill to a guitarist? B2: Yeah, you can tell someone is practiced if they can play like that. M: Ok so in your opinion, Tak sometimes sacrifices chances to prove skill to keep songs accessible? He is in fact content to let his presence in B'z songs take a backseat frequently? B2: I'd say so. His style appeals to lots of people whether or not they play guitar. M: Right, and that's important too. B2: Right. Which explains the popularity. M: Do you think he explores more in his solo works? B2: Heii, I'm afraid I can't say since I haven't heard so much recent Tak solo stuff...but there was some shred-type stuff on Thousand Wave that I haven't heard him play recently. I think he's playing it pretty safe, but it's probably just because that's the way he writes his music. M: In other words, keeping stuff mainstream and listener-friendly, or keeping himself in check to achieve the overall balance of a B'z song B2: Right M: So, is there a Tak solo that in your opinion pleases both the guitarist and the non-guitarist? B2: Well what are some solos that stick out for you? M: Off the top of my head, Liar! Liar! And Giri Giri Chop. B2: Yeah, those are technically sound. In those, though, he uses the fast legato technique that you just don't hear too many guitarists use these days. M: Is that good? B2: Well, it's not that it's an amazing thing to do, it's just that I don't hear so many guitarists playing like that, which is a good thing. So he retains a bit more of his own style. And since Tak refrains from shredding a bunch, he avoids *vocab alert* "wanking," which is just playing a bunch of notes to show off. Point 3: Technique vs. "Feel"; or Tak the Composer Takes Precedence over the Guitarist M: I guess then, what I'm asking for is a solo that is both melodic and technically sound. It sounds like what you're telling me is that these two don't often mix...? B2: Ahh, well, that is a huge debate among guitarists...technique vs. "feel" I hastily tried to beat a retreat, but this topic had caught B2's fancy. B2: Well... I'll just say, that it's not that you can't mix them. But it takes a careful guitarist to know when they flow together. And of course, not everyone will hear something the same way. M: Like, for instance, I really like the guitar parts in Ring. Maybe they're not so difficult to play, but it works really well in the song. B2: That is a good instance of mixture though. He plays the melody and it just flows into that run of notes at the end. But someone else could say it's completely out of place...but overall it's a good blend. M: From what you are telling me, it sounds like in B'z music, Tak the composer takes precedence over Tak the guitarist. B2: Yes, very much so. Usually his only impressive moments are in the solo. M: So, he is not ego-tripping, in fact, the opposite. In fact, he is a modest buttamoto. Point 4: B'z Songs that Showcase Variety vs Blues patterns B2: Ok, variety is another thing. Like I said, Tak mainly sticks to blues patterns. Not that it's a bad thing since he sounds good doing it, but there is a heck of a lot that he doesn't do. And considering he went to school and stuff, I'd assume he knows lots of theory...just no reason to use it in B'z, I guess. For examples of variety, B2 directed me to Shine and solos like that in You Pray, I Stay. However, I wanted to clarify what a blues-based pattern is. B2: You know that really fast guitar part towards the end of Gimme Your Love, in the chorus? I did not. B2: Well it is simply a pentatonic (basis for blues) scale...but I will think of another. Wanna Go Home, Strings of My Soul, Time. They just have that...sound to them. If you played guitar I could explain in terms of patterns! Quick, learn... M: Sorry, I'm aiming to be the next Mambo. M: So far, you've mentioned Liar! Liar!, Giri Giri, Shine, RING, and You Pray, I Stay as examples of songs with Tak solos that are particularly noteworthy. Noteworthy as in mixing feel and technique? B2: Well, some are technically impressive for a Tak solo. Giri Giri is about the only time i'd say he verges on "wanking," but he uses legato so it's different from what you'd normally hear. Shine is based more on a Spanish-type scale. M: I want to ask you this: I often hear Itsuka no Merry Christmas's acoustic guitar part being highly praised. What's your opinion? B2: It's short and sweet, so it's easily liked. M: Especially for the average guitar dumbazz? B2: I guess so. Like I said, he reserves most showing off for the solo, which is where people expect to hear some virtuosity. and it doesn't hurt when those solos have something memorable, in the way of melody. M: Well I think Tak himself quite appreciates this situation. I remember for the Hana album, he said the stuff he plays isn't really technically that difficult, but he was aiming for atmosphere; he wanted to create a certain moods, paint pictures. B2: Yeah, and you can definitely hear it. And not because he's older or anything, but I just think he hears things differently in his head now than he did when he was 20. But that's true for everyone. People's tastes will change no matter what. Song Analysis of the Day: Brotherhood B2 said he had to elaborate on the Brotherhood solo, so I pulled out my CD and put it on to follow along. M: See, like the opening notes, I'm sure it's not hard to play at all, but it's a good beginning. B2: Well there's that solo, which is good too. But I mean the middle one. M: It's not there yet! B2: Well skip! Ok, I will talk first, you pay attention then. M: No, I must appreciate the Koko. Eventually we arrived at the relevant song section. B2: So things start in the bridge with Koshi vocals, really. He builds and builds. And Tak busts out a big bend right when Koshi lets go. And for some reason, bends can create a lot of emotion. Vocabulary word of the day: "Bend" M: What's a bend? B2: It changes the pitch of the note, low to high, usually. Alright, well the notes that follow this bend are perfect, the pacing is just very comfortable. M: I don't know which part was the bend! B2: The very first note, right after "meaaaan!!" There are many bends in the solo though. M: *rewinds* Huh?? B2: Just listen for a smooth change in pitch. M: I'm not understanding what a bend is. B2: Mat-chan, help me! M: Do you mean the first note after "meaaan?" Is a bend just one note? B2: : Well it's 2 notes, one is bent though. M: It sounds like it has layers? B2: Yeah, cause of the more than one note. And you know what vibrato is, usually Tak will add that to a bent note and he does it very well. That is one of the biggest things I like about Tak -- his vibrato. M: Did he do that after mean?? *rewinds again* B2: Not really. I asked B2 what exactly I should be especially appreciating in Tak's solo. B2: He does that semi-fast ascending run, with the slides, and ends it with a bend with vibrato. But after a couple more notes, he does the faster part and it just goes into it very smoothly. The faster portion is followed by more slow notes and bends. Then there's a quick ascending bit that is also used in the intro, followed by a descending part with little bends and pinch harmonics (a squeal sound). For flavor, if you will. I can't really say why the solo works well, but I can explain what's in it. I had great trouble locating these sections in the solo. Heii Mat-chan, this was hard. But quote some of the above paragraph and you can impress at the next B'z cocktail party you attend, eh? B2: So really, that solo is good because it's a nice mix of stuff. Has a variety of techniques, keeps things moving, fits well into the song. But i mean, that's not necessarily why it's good. It's just good, isn't it? So all this work, and in the end, I realize again that one doesn't have to know a thing about guitars for Tak to have achieved his purpose. However, I do think it is useful to know a bit more about what he's doing on his Gibson, and I personally found this discussion informational and conducive to a different listening of the mentioned songs. Agree? Disagree? Contribute an article or suggest a topic? Let me know and we'll discuss it. Thanks to B2 for helping me out here! |
