Es VOL.46 “REQUEST BEST”全曲解说(1)

●○◦ From music freak Es Vol.46

GARNET CROW『REQUEST BEST』

Released on October 9, GARNET CROW's 『REQUEST BEST』 is a two-disc, 32-track collection selected from all of GARNET CROW's songs based on fan requests. In this issue, writer Sai Saita provides a track-by-track commentary on the album!

GARNET CROW　『REQUEST BEST』
GIZA studio　GZCA-5256–57　¥3,200 (tax included)

■DISC-1

1. “Yume Mita Ato de”
The opening track on DISC-1 is a selection that makes you think, “So they chose this one”—a quintessentially GARNET CROW choice. It is an emotional number that cannot help but bring tears to your eyes, symbolizing the memories of the band, and of all of us, after thirteen years of activity since their 2000 debut and subsequent breakup. Released as their 10th single on March 13, 2002, it was also their biggest-selling song and holds special significance as the first song Yuri Nakamura wrote before her debut. Its composed tone, as if it had seen the end from the very beginning; its supple melody; and its refined lyrical world—this is GARNET CROW at its finest.

2. “Butterfly Knot”
This previously unreleased song was performed at their final live show. The rich resonance of the strings and acoustic guitar evokes the melancholy of a band whose time is drawing to a close. The vivid lyrics, built around a butterfly taking flight; the afterglow of a fleeting yet unforgettable melody; and the voice that retains a dignified strength to the very end all suggest that this song was meant to seal their music away in the eternal future.

3. “Umi wo Yuku Shishi”
Included on 『Terminus』, their tenth and final original album, released on March 20, 2013. A noble number that fully expresses its literary motif, it is an immortal masterpiece at the summit of GARNET CROW's artistic work, with profound vocals, philosophical lyrics, and overwhelmingly weighty yet beautiful expressive power.

4. “closer”
The final track on their original last album, 『Terminus』. A gentle melody flows out of an intro reminiscent of 1980s AOR. Once it is joined by Nakamura's poised, composed vocals, a uniquely GARNET CROW world suddenly appears—one that nothing else could replace. As the song moves toward its ending while steeped in intoxication and intimacy, it hints both at the loneliness of those who are disappearing and at each member's future beyond it. Though it is an ending, this song becomes a bridge.

5. “Clockwork”
Included as the B-side of their 28th single, “Hyakunen no Kodoku,” released on October 22, 2008. This rock number creates a futuristic cyber atmosphere. The sharp distorted guitar and forceful eight-beat rhythm, together with lyrics such as “I want to break out” and “I want to see outside the eternal ring,” reveal an ambitious work driven to break through the shell of GARNET CROW's sound up to that point.

6. “Timeless Sleep”
Their ninth single, released on November 21, 2001. GARNET CROW excels at building an artistic sound with meticulous rises, moving gradually from an acoustic world led by an arresting guitar intro toward a dramatic arrangement. AZUKI Nana's lyrical world is equally outstanding when portraying feelings such as despair, loss, and powerlessness. Her skill at scattering negative words while leaving a fragment of hope at the very end is literature. This representative song shows that the band's world had already been firmly established in only its second year after debut.

7. “JUDY”
Included on their ninth album, 『Memories』, released on December 7, 2011. Several versions exist, including their first English-lyrics version, but this collection contains the original Japanese-lyrics version. The music video, made in collaboration with manga artist Hirara Natsume, also attracted attention. Okamoto's edgy guitar playing shines through the highly emotive melody. GARNET CROW has several titles named after people, and the name JUDY seems to show the same deep insight into naming. An unforgettable classic ballad.

8. “Memories”
The title track of their ninth album, 『Memories』, released on December 7, 2011. A defining feature of GARNET CROW's recent work is the way the song shifts between major and minor: the breezy arrangement at the intro gives way to a minor-key verse, then returns to major for the chorus. Hirohito Furui's arrangement sense, shaped by the influence of 1980s fusion, is evident throughout, giving the song a comparatively bright image among their catalog. A song that stays in your memory as a nostalgic, heart-tugging number.