Greatest Hits (Half Japanese album)
Encyclopedia
Greatest Hits is the first compilation album
released by punk rock
band Half Japanese
, in 1995. It features the lineups from all albums released by the band.
and Eugene Chadbourne
.
There are strong differences in the styles approached as well as the sound fidelity between the songs. It's possible to find noise and electronic
tracks, such as the ones from 1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts; punk rock
songs, like those from Charmed Life
; experimental
songs, such as those from The Band That Would Be King as well as more straightforward rock
from other releases.
from Allmusic gave the album 4.5 stars of 5 calling it the best way to start with Half Japanese
given the scattered discography of the band. He praised the songs "King Kong," "Amazing Clock" and "Identical Twins" as well as "How to Play Guitar," which, according to him, makes for a great final touch.
The album was included in Blender
s top 100 indie rock
albums, where it was called "undeniably difficult and triumphantly messy."
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
released by punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Half Japanese
Half Japanese
Half Japanese is a punk rock band formed by brothers Jad and David Fair in their Coldwater, Michigan bedroom around 1975. Their original instrumentation included a small drum set, which they took turns playing; vocals; and an out of tune guitar...
, in 1995. It features the lineups from all albums released by the band.
History
Half Japanese's Greatest Hits, which was the band's first compilation album, was released on March 13, 1995, after more than twenty years of activity as a band. By the time it came out, the band had gained an international fan base and it had already released thirteen studio albums; since the release of the compilation, there have been three more. Half Japanese would later release two more compilation albums.Music
Greatest Hits is composed of two discs and it features at least one song from each album: from 1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts, with the band's original set, to Boo! Live in Europe 1992. The album features notable guests such as John ZornJohn Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
and Eugene Chadbourne
Eugene Chadbourne
Eugene Chadbourne is an American improvisor, guitarist and banjoist. Highly eclectic and unconventional, Chadbourne's most formative influence is free jazz. He has also been a reviewer for Allmusic and a contributor to Maximum RocknRoll.Chadbourne started out playing rock and roll guitar, but...
.
There are strong differences in the styles approached as well as the sound fidelity between the songs. It's possible to find noise and electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
tracks, such as the ones from 1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts; punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
songs, like those from Charmed Life
Charmed Life (Half Japanese album)
Charmed Life is an album released by punk rock group Half Japanese in 1988.- Track listing :# Said and Done# Penny in the Fountain# Evidence# Vietnam# Roman Candles# Love at First Sight# Snake Line# Bright Lights, Big City# Face Rake...
; experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
songs, such as those from The Band That Would Be King as well as more straightforward rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
from other releases.
Critical reception
Ned RaggettNed Raggett
Ned Raggett is a library assistant, freelance writer and music journalist. His work has been published in Allmusic, the OC Weekly, Plan B, Metal Edge and The Quietus, while pieces have also appeared in Dream, Arthur, as well as Stylus, The Broken Face, Fake Jazz, Freaky Trigger, Careless Talk...
from Allmusic gave the album 4.5 stars of 5 calling it the best way to start with Half Japanese
Half Japanese
Half Japanese is a punk rock band formed by brothers Jad and David Fair in their Coldwater, Michigan bedroom around 1975. Their original instrumentation included a small drum set, which they took turns playing; vocals; and an out of tune guitar...
given the scattered discography of the band. He praised the songs "King Kong," "Amazing Clock" and "Identical Twins" as well as "How to Play Guitar," which, according to him, makes for a great final touch.
The album was included in Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
s top 100 indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
albums, where it was called "undeniably difficult and triumphantly messy."
Disc one
Disc two
Personnel
The people involved in the album are from the band's different lineups:- Terry AdamsTerry Adams (musician)Terry Adams is an American pianist/composer and a founding member of the musical group NRBQ , known for decades of extensive touring, energetic and humorous live shows, and wide-ranging musical repertoire, including rock, blues, country, pop, and jazz...
– PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Pippin Barnett – DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Hank Beckmeyer – BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - George Cartwright – SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Eugene ChadbourneEugene ChadbourneEugene Chadbourne is an American improvisor, guitarist and banjoist. Highly eclectic and unconventional, Chadbourne's most formative influence is free jazz. He has also been a reviewer for Allmusic and a contributor to Maximum RocknRoll.Chadbourne started out playing rock and roll guitar, but...
– Guitar, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, vocals on "Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)" - Byron ColeyByron ColeyByron Coley is an American music critic who wrote prominently for Forced Exposure magazine in the 1980s, starting with their fifth issue until the magazine ceased publication in 1993. Prior to Forced Exposure, he wrote for NY Rocker, Boston Rock, and Take It! magazine. Coley is one of the first...
– Liner notesLiner notesLiner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:... - David Doris – Saxophone
- John Dreyfuss – Saxophone
- Rick Dreyfuss – Drums
- David Fair – Guitar, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vocals, liner notes - Jad FairJad FairJad Fair is an American singer, guitarist and graphic artist, most famous for being a founding member of lo-fi alternative rock group Half Japanese.-Biography:In 1974, with his brother David, Jad Fair founded the lo-fi group Half Japanese...
– Guitar, harmonica, vocals, producer - Danny Finney – Saxophone
- Don FlemingDon Fleming (musician)Don Fleming is an American musician, best known for being the frontman of Velvet Monkeys, B.A.L.L., and Gumball.-Biography:...
– Guitar, vocals - Tim Foljahn – Guitar
- Fred FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
– Guitar - Mick Hobbs – Guitar
- Scott Jarvis – Drums
- Mark Jickling – Guitar
- Steve Johnson – Guitar
- Rob Kennedy – Bass
- Kramer – Organ, bass, guitar, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, producer - Eppo Krol – Producer
- Richard Labrie – Drums
- David Licht – CongaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
- Joe Martinelli – Drums
- Lisa Mednick – Keyboards
- Gilles V. Rieder – Drums, producer
- Rebby Sharp – Guitar
- John Sluggett – Guitar
- Jay Spiegel – Drums
- Maureen TuckerMaureen TuckerMaureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
– Drums, producer - Jason WillettJason WillettJason Willett is an American musician, known largely for his work with experimental rock groups including Half Japanese, Can Openers, Pleasant Livers, X-Ray Eyes, The Dramatics, The Jaunties, The Attitude Robots, Leprechaun Catering, and many more...
– Bass - Gary WindoGary WindoGary Windo was a jazz tenor saxophonist.He came from a musical family in England and by age six took up drums and accordion, then guitar at 12, and finally saxophone at 17. He lived in the United States in the 1960s, but returned to England in 1969...
– Saxophone - Howard Wuelfing – Bass
- Lana Zabko – Saxophone
- Don Zientara – Producer
- John ZornJohn ZornJohn Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
– Saxophone