For me the first song coming to my mind is Royz’s Hoshi ni genai o.
I swear, if I would have heard the first version befor their first single, I would have said: “Uhhh, that’s aweful, that band will never have a future!”
Luckily Subaru improved a lot before they released Haru no Yoru no Yume/Koi Hanabi. The retake of Hoshi ni negai o is abolutely lovely and I’m always happy hearing it live.
All 3 releases are different both physically and audibly.
The first pressing has a noticeabley rougher mix and performance. The band played around a lot with effects and, as a result, it has an overall more echoey and fuzzy soundscape. The track listing is also completely different than subsequent reissues (but honestly my preferred order).
The reissue Tzuusetsu -inshouchigai- features completely reworked mixing and tons of rerecorded parts. Melodies are different, instruments are switched out, and effects are even missing. It’s a lot closer in tone to Homura Uta with more crisp and punchy production.
The third and final reissue features even more tweaks to the mix. Using the 2nd pressing as a base, it tightens things up even more and, in some tracks there’s further noticeable tweaks to effects. To my ears, it lowers the drum levels a tad, and overall compresses all the instruments more. The result is, I think, a tad over produced and, when compared to the 2nd pressing, lacks the same impact. But it could feel that way also because it’s generally more quiet in areas than the 2nd pressing.
My preference is Tsuuzetsu -Ishouchigai- as the production on it is vastly superior to the initial first pressing while retaining some of its rougher qualities. I think the first pressing still has its charm though and I like listening to it. The third pressing has the best booklet though with great band photos and graphic design. The paper also has a premium soft feel to it.
I feel like many songs with emotional weight to them lose that weight when rerecorded years down the line. I think it’s usually loss in the vocal department. Mucc’s Zetsubou original versus the rerecorded version or Hate Honey’s Blueberry Motel and it’s several other versions come to mind atm. The newer versions aren’t bad but they lose the roughness and the drive they had during their initial inception.
Before remake and self-cover albums even similar to what DEG had done (or “reinterpretations,” if you will), as well as MUCC, BUCK-TICK (at least to me) was one of those cases where they made the original song into something as good as new, but also as good as completely random - and all of that back in 1992:
Sounds like the classic 1988 ver. but with some small twists and more mature Atsushi?
Basically a dreamier version of its 1990 original. Sounds fun though.
I think even the band themselves admitted that this version is basically “deconstructing” or even “destroying” the original. Give it a listen and decide for yourself.
Seriously though, if you are still new to BUCK-TICK, do not shy away from their “greatest hits” album (actually, a rerecording/self-cover album) “殺シノ調べ This is NOT Greatest Hits” (Koroshi no Shirabe)
Ryutaro Arimura (Plastic Tree) released his second solo album “demo #2” in 2018.
Original version of 19罪/jukyusai is very shoegaze, chill and stuff:
In 2023 he re-recorded some songs from demo and demo #2 for “≒demo [re-arrange]” and ≒jukyusai turned into a 90s grunge/punk track which more mosh pit than dreamy.
I actually have a copy but forgot. It’s the version I’ve spent the least amount of time with so I had to gather my thoughts after listening to it more.
Overall, it’s a great remake album. Instrumentally, Miya plays so well on it. I think it’s the best the compositions from Tsuuzetsu have sounded. He brought new life out if them.
The new shiny production helps though. The album has never sounded better in terms of clarity. Although over polished, it manages to still sound faithful tonally. For the most part, it walks an even line between their old sound and current production quality.
I do have issues with it though. Some of the changes they made to various songs are…well I’m not thrilled. The piano in Suna no Shiro has effectively ruined the song for me. The tone is completely different than the original and I can’t listen to it at all. Danzetsu is way too polished and adds a weird extra synth sound in the beginning. It just doesn’t hit the same.
When the compositions remain untouched, the album sounds pretty amazing. But the minute they start adding extra riffs, sound effects, etc. it’s a turn off for me.
Overall, I still prefer the original versions. But as far as remakes go, Sin Tzuuzetsu is a pretty solid modern take.
I personally really prefer the Refined versions Love Tripper and Wasurenakusa 100% on board with that Historical Fly me to the Zenith. I also think the Historical version of Believe was better
I really favor Nightmare re-recordings. Oldest Nightmare sounds like absolute ass, they would have never been my favorite artists if they kept productong stuff like that.
The one re-recording that I really don’t care for is Sabato. I really liked the way they performed it in 2011, but the re-recording is just a new song altogether (which is probably why it’s called alter, aside from the very minor word changes). I understand that the 2000~ release is now impossible to sing, so Yomi had to make it easier, but I still feel the way it was performed in 2011 is perfectly feasible for him today, if taken down a little.