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9. Paper Planes

This is fairly a problematic production. It blew of the bands shell. The moment we reached an impasse it became such a song but...it is a song that came out in a too different way. We put different tastes from what we had until now into it while discussing with each other. In the end it also has a nuance of "well that's it, can't be helped"(TN: I tried to translate the nuance the Japanese term has, so it is basically like "that is how it turned out, can't be helped" in some way.)

10. Good Goodbye

I made this song simply because I wanted to sing a song in an uncomplicated way. That is why I did not really think much about the band. The field, where I feel best when singing...I liked this kind of American Country but I could not reproduce it until now. It is a song I could make because I faced the wind over there( referring to America).

11. One by One

That is the song, that was completed first. I made it on the grounds of thinking of as what kind of band we want to introduce ourselves to John. I felt some anxiety about how he would handle it and what the sound felt like. The outcome felt like something is about to start, so it was good.

12. Stuck in the middle

Well there is no information about St(a)ck in the middle

13. Fight the night

It felt good to make this song because when we made it, we already were at a stage, where we absorbed the American sound. The producer is someone not solely for rock sound. He is the person, who does the management for Lifehouse, a band I really like. And he seemed like a musician himself. I love the latest album from Lifehouse. The sound and vocals are great and feel really good. When we searched for a producer for this album we finally found him. We wanted that atmosphere also in our album, so he made it together with us.

Looking back at the sceneries, the places where we recorded and talked with each other during the whole making process of this album, every member remembers them clearly. There where moments we did not have in previous album making processes. So this is all the making process of 35xxxv. The whole album seems like it ends like the role of a road movie.

5. Mighty Long Fall

There are several things different in the intro in order to make it different from the single. When we suddenly released it as a single, I think even people around us were surprised. To be honest, inside of us it had a nuance to be a song within the album. But in the making process we thought it'd be good if its presence could be felt at various places, so it was released as a single first. Moreover we wanted to release it as one song of the album. Rather than making a single, we aimed for making it a song of the album.

6. Heartache

Firmly being the first song about disappointed love in a long time, it is the theme sing for RRK 3. There was even a request from the leading actor Takeru Sato, who wanted to end it with a ballad, so I made it while taking that into consideration. Rather than making a song for the album, the feeling to make a song that fits the movie was stronger.

7. Memories

That is the only song with a punk tone and also with the desire to forget the feeling of assault(TL: sorry for the bad translation, it is not completely clear to me what he wants to say but from what comes next, maybe he wants to forget the feeling of being attacked/criticized for being different/making different music. Just my guess.) I think it is for this album that I/we have been attacked to this point. Within ourselves we are different is what I wanted to express with this song. I made it under the theme that it is important to enforce the things you think are right in this constantly changing age. 

8. Decision

A song that happened by chance. While making it with the acoustic guitar, being in America and feeling the air there, Feldmann told me he liked this song the best recently, what made me confident and let me add different colors to this song. Recently I thought to make it simple but after looking at it in the end it became a magnificent song. That is what makes American amazing. Maybe we included such a scale into our basic. 

Part 3 will follow soon

1. 3xxxv5

We do the sound effects always in the end. In the tracks we had nothing about 'anxiety', so we put it into the intro. Anxiety because we are a bit doubtful about what is going to happen from now on.

2. Take me to the top

The melody is OORish but for tune or rhythm we but a different atmosphere in it. OOR has an fervent/(furious) image but in this song this comes out in a bit different way than before.

3. Cry Out

This is the song we made last in the album. After we returned to Japan once I had the feeling that this album lacks something. In order to pack everything that misses into it I went to America once again and made it. In order to make this song, Take me to the top and Good Goodbye.

4. Suddenly

akkin, who used to do our arrangement until now also took part in this song.I'm not exaggerating, when I say he is like our fifth band member. We also had the option to make it in Japan but because it took great pains(TN: in terms of going to America and being able to record there) he came to America.It is a song we made while breathing the same air. We made it almost with a Japanese sensation/feeling, so it also feels a bit like previous works. 

Din't he say in an other interview 3xxxv5 was the last song they made ? Well, maybe Cry Out was the last full song. 

translation: kimishidai

Well, I want to express my first thoughts on the new album after listening to it a few times. I try to keep it simple and just make a few comments on the songs

1. 3xxxv5

I was surprised that it actually has some lyrics and kind of like the combination with the screaming, though it's overproduced.

2. Take me to the top

I did except a blasting song like the No.2 always was. You get one, you get one, but it becomes really monotonous because of the repetitive lyrics and eventually loses it's drive.

3. Cry Out

I have listened to it about 30+ times, so it's bit different. I really don't like this whole anthem like woahing, because it is misplaced. It is more like two songs in one. I don't even have the urge to listen to it again and if I do, I get bored after the first minute. For me, it is too predictable.

4. Suddenly

The intro is actually one of the few things I remembered after the first loop and I like it. But the lyrics suck and it the sounds lacks variation after the intro.

5. Mighty Long Fall

Listened to it a few hundred times and I like it for what it is. As one different song from the rest that isn't overwhelming but good. I don't really view it as part of the album but more as a single song that didn't get the same bad treatment to an extend the album got.

6. Heartache

Well, it is not bad but couldn't keep my attention after I listened to it the first time a few months ago. The lyrics are also ok, but nothing more. Though I like the studio version better than the acoustic one and I think it still can grow on me.

7. Memories

Very catchy, poppy-rocky-poppy song. I can't help but to think of Pieces of me at some places.  Repetitive lyrics that you could also use for a American pop teenage song. The Japanese lyrics are not really much better than the shitty English ones, but ok, at least it has some.

8. Decision

A song I didn't like from the beginning. Melody and lyrics vise. It did not manage to grow on me but still is kind of catchy, though very generic.

9. Paper Planes

I don't know if they were serious with publishing something like this. Skipping the robot boy.

10. Good Goodbye

It is average. The melody seems familiar to me but still good. Lyrics are at best ok, since half of it is good goodbye. Still more variation in lyrics than Take me to the top. 

11. One by One

After the first notes I did not think it would come out like this. I kinda like it, since the screams are not misplaced like in Cry out and seem more raw. Lyrics are the greatest weakness of it. Again repetitive and kind of unreasonable, it's a bit too much.

12.  Stuck in the middle

One of the better songs, probably because I had some hopes after listening to the live version. Lyrics are a bit stronger than before but still weak. The high tempo is also a plus for me, but because it's overproduced I think they could have done much better with this one.

13. Fight the night

A rather calm song, that doesn't really appeal to me, though the lyrics are ok, but again very repetitive. I always liked that they had something special in the end. Especially Nobody's home and Kimishidai. Some kind of rock hymn. Well, I guess they ran out of the woahs after using it in almost every other song. 

This album is at best average to me. It simply doesn't compare to previous works concerning quality and lyrics. For what it is, it is a an more than average pop-rock album with some better songs. But for ONE OK ROCK it is a bad album, their worst. 

A few important matters I already noticed earlier: In general the lyrics suck. They are very repetitive and cliched. In some songs it seems that they can't even make more than 2 strophes that vary in text and melody. Mostly it's very boring and predictable. That the words itself are mostly nothing more than generic pop lyrics with some heights may be due to English being not their mother tongue or maybe the influence of the new co-writers and producer who definitely have an influence on them. The very, very few Japanese lines that we get are ok, nothing special, but ok. Though sometimes misplaced, always reminding me of John saying to Taka "why not put some Japanese in it" during the recording of Decision. 

It is not a direction I want to support, so I hope it won't last.

It lets you think Japanese Rock is fine.

This album lets you think, if this hits No.1 in the charts, then Japanese Rock is completely fine. 

Since it has been produced in America and with an American producer it exceeds previous albums frames concerning arrangement and sound. But for the same reasons it shows ONE OK ROCKs attitude and will. An precise attitude and will that says 'Create the future' (TN:or smth. like We create the future). An attitude and will that overcomes the scenes (Jp. music scene) status quo and limits and creates their own future. That is what dwells in this new sound.

This album has also enough power to involve the listeners in this attitude and will. In every song the verses are being pushed to the strongest point and to full energy. Furthermore there are calm melodies that are more simple and more scaled up than the typically Japanese somehow lonely melodies. For example Paper Planes and Good Goodbye are showing that clearly.I think the biggest fruits of work for recording in America are rather these new melodies than the change of the sound.

A change to a universal sound and to universal melodies. That is the essence of ONE OK ROCKs advance to overseas. The overseas tour and release are nothing but the definite proof of this approach.

From the start Taka overcame the grudge and darkness shut in his heart and entered the music scene and then he overcame that self of him and the ambiguity and disorder that surrounded the band. And now together with the band, he is trying to overcome the limit that wrapped up the Japanese scene. I think this is an exceptional resolution. That is what the albums sound conveys.

If this is the country that makes the album No.1, then I think the Japanese scene will be fine.

From 山崎洋一郎

Source: http://ro69.jp/blog/yamazaki/118158

1. 3xxxv5

It is a symbol for the light, which shines through darkness and light. Even though it is the title song, it is the last song we made.

2. Take me to the top

We wanted to make it in a new form of punk with our sound. It is typical for OOR but at the same time it is not.

3. Cry Out

It is like dried squid. The more you chew it the tastier it becomes.(The more you listen to it the better it becomes)

4. Suddenly

It is a song I made together with Toru. It has a catchy and alternative atmosphere. We made it, when we got tired from all the noise.

5. Mighty Long Fall

It is a song from the album but in next to no time it became a single. I think you get an aha reaction, when listening to it in the flow of the album. I definitively want you to listen to it in the album.

6. Heartache

A song i always postponed. Since we played it at the Stadium show many people said they like it. It is a song like "wherever you are" but I got tired of it and wanted to make a different ballad. I am happy that the reaction to it is good.

7. Memories

Punk as it is. Its OORish sound comes out. I made it without thinking much about it. I made it because I wanted a high tempo song.

9. Paper Planes

Even I do not really know why we made it. We made it after playing around with John at the studio. The feature act is Kellin from Sleeping with sirens. They had a recording session right after us so John told him about us, showed him the song and it seemed like he liked it. We did not intend to make a feature but now it is on the album. It is a considerably poppy song.

11. One by One

It is the song we made the fastest. I made it which John in a jam session at his house. Even though it is sorrowful it also has a new feeling. 

12. Stuck in the middle

We made it in a band session but it still has very much fury, like you are stuck in the middle. That's also what the title means. Probably this is the song, where fury and shouting comes to the frontage the most. 

13. Fight the night

In my plans I wanted to bring it to a finish in such a way. I wanted to end it splendidly and there is the meaning of fighting in it. I got confident with making this album. I do not know how the Japanese fans will think about it, when they listen to it but I hope the will like it.

There is no full text source for Decision and Good Goodbye. All I get from the scans is that Decision was Johns favorite song and that it has become a magnificent song. Good Goodbye is not a ballad, but something in that direction.

Well, from what we get from the interview it does not seem really good for people, who like the original OOR. Memories and album version of Stuck in the middle are the most promising to me. Still, from the way he talks about the production, Feldman seems to have a great influence on them, what leads to songs like Decision.

Picture Source: vinjic