It looks like fans in SCANDAL Heaven are pretty split about either if they like or dislike this new album thats came out... as I've said before its just taking a step in a another direction these girls aren't staying on pure rock... its not like they've totally gone pop... their still using their instruments to make music, unless they do something that ruins their reputation I'll support them fully till they disband. SCANDAL isn't always going to be that high school band we all know they've evolved.... ^_^

I have mixed thoughts on this album. It is their most tecnhnical album, but I don't like the are relying on extra effects. I prefer raw bass, guitar and drums, and I think some songs in this album may sound better without some effects. Let's see how they perform them Live, they usually change my opinion.

I was expecting songs that sounded like Kimi ni Shitto Chuu, not like Love Survive. Don't get me wrong I like Love Survive but it is overloaded with effects. And there's Pride, Haruka and Nanka which don't count in the review because they were released before.

The best songs IMO are Glamorous You, Burn, Very Special and One.

Squall wrote:I prefer raw bass, guitar and drums, and I think some songs in this album may sound better without some effects.

Oh, I can't help but agree with this. ._.

@Nikki
Mmmm, I have to agree with you and Squall !
I was listening to AKB48's last album "Koko ni Itakoto" and they even have a Barry White style 70's disco number because Akimoto is a huge Barry White fan !

That is OK for AKB48 but I am a little concerned that Scandal are heading in that direction and they are not a Japanese idol band !
Don't get me wrong, I still love Scandal very much but they are fast moving away from their almost punk sound with their combat boots which I loved so much !

But I know all bands have to evolve and change, I just don't want them to become 'C-ute' or 'Berryz' , although I also like those groups very much !

I guess the change of musical direction can't be help, I mean just look at their influences.

I've seen names like Triceratops, Namie Amuro, Morning Musume, bandied about. Individually the girls are fans of idol units and K-pop and Chatmonchy, among others. That pop influence is going to come out sooner or later.

But I wouldn't despair just yet. My ears tell me that the SCANDAL attitude is still there, there are still very much a guitar driven band and they have enough punk and rock influences (The Who, Rolling Stones, RHCP, The Strokes etc) to keep the edginess they need to stop themselves from becoming a bubble gum pop outfit.

..unless they sell out of course. I don't think they will (at least I hope not). I think the girls have a good idea of what they want to do with themselves.

And no, I don't think the album is "too pop". Pop rock, yes but not pop. In my opinion, BA is too edgy to be considered pure pop. Heck, BA is harder than Avril Lavigne's new stuff and I don't consider her pop either.

I could elaborate with great detail about why but I'll leave it as it is. Live and let live.

I do believe however, when these songs are played live a lot of people are going to change their minds. This album was built around this very idea and if you listen closely enough, you will notice it.

Another 2 sen from me.

For me, I purely enjoy this album. This is an album I feel mostly happy listening to.

With songs like Very Special, Sono Toki, Sekai wa Kimi Darake no Lane and Sparkling, it really cheers me up and get me moving along.

There's a lot of energy in this album and I really love it. I've been looping the album over and over again and still enjoying it like how I did when I first picked it up.

I also enjoy the fact that I noticed Tomomi is having more parts in vocals (and definitely doing a great job!), and so are the rest of the girls altogether in e.g One Piece.

The only only song I that don't do for me is Nanka Buttobase but I think it's just a personal preference.

I'm not a very hardcore rock band supporter, I just happen to like SCANDAL. As a matter of fact, I think SCANDAL has been progressing really well. I'm getting their songs more and more. To be honest, I enjoy their recent songs more.

I'm personally enjoying their change and I think it's a positive one.

phoenixnumber1 wrote:Well I just got my first ever SCANDAL CD today from cdJapan so I am very pleased!

Glamorous You is fun, catchy and memorable, but it doesn't have the live performance value that Scandal Baby and Everybody Say Yeah have, in that it doesn't strike you immediately as powerful or set the bar for the rest of the album. SCANDAL BABY I loved immediately and set the tone for the rest of the album, and for me it was BS's best new track. I still like it more than ESY though, it's a nicer melody.
Sono Toki is short and sweet but overly simple I think - the guitar is not memorable or interesting and though I don't mind the tune it's not very outstanding. I'd compare it to Hello!Hello! on TB. Love Survive fits well here but at the moment there's too much sugar and sparkle in terms of either production or melody, if you know what I mean.

I didn't like Sparkling at first as it was super poppy, but it's grown on me and there are a lot of small things I like about it, eg the riff, the second verse, the quiet chorus etc...The melody is nice too, definitely a likeable singable song even if pure pop. By the way I was looking at the lyrics and was surprised to see the s word in there, though when she sang it it just sounded like 'oishii'...

Burn is an improvement as it breaks up the sweetness and glitter and it really sounds like something from a credible well-established band - not that their stuff isn't credible, but a lot of their songs lacked maturity. Haruna's voice really suits it and I like the instrumental bit at the end, almost reminds me of the Radiohead CD I've been given to listen to...adds an unpredictable twist. :D

Appletachi no Dengon is not as memorable as I'd hoped, I like the riff but the melody is not as catchy and likeable as say for Sparkling. I'd like to see it live though, the guitar sounds overly produced here. Tokyo Skyscraper is catchy, I like the bass and funky vibe, and what I can understand of the lyrics are great. As they said it does progress into a disco vibe which I'm not as keen on, and the interlude is a little disappointing, but I like the verse and it's definitely a stick-in-your-head type.

The 3 singles I think should have been spread out a bit more, but I think Pride and Nanka do suit the vibe of the album, though Haruka a little less. Very Special is OK, I'm glad Tomo composed but I think I like Rina and Mami's style more - Emotion, Want You and Hikare have more of a garage-band feel whereas this is more pop and sweet, like Tomomi but not to my musical taste. One Piece is relaxing and calm, has a similar feel to Burn. The melody is OK, I think the chorus could be better and them singing together gives it a Secret Base feel, probably one they're hoping to last.

Overall I like most of the songs and it's closer to BS than TB was; there is a credible band feel to some of the tracks and the instrumentals are strong - great improvement from Mami and Rina in particular. I think the songs were a little over-produced; too much keyboard/synth or editing the instrument sounds or adding sound effects,but there were places where it was well done too, like in One Piece where the drums come in - perfectly and dramatically done.
A thing I noticed about BS recently is that the sound of the instruments are fairly consistent throughout most of the album; going from Ring!Ring!Ring! to Maboroshi Night it could almost be them finishing practising a song then jumping into the next. Other instruments like keyboard are added where they add to the melody and composition of parts and not to add explosions of impact. This gives a sense of consistency and therefore helps glue the songs together into a collective album I think. Production is also minimal but even so each song is different while complementing one another and the whole album. Anyway TB didn't have this as much and BA less so, though it didn't necessarily make it a worse album.

Anyway sorry for rambling, for now overall 8/10 :D

well, i won't comment that ^ long...
anyways, i think TOKYO SKYSCRAPER is the best song from the BA album (for me, the best songs in BA are track 2 and 1).... i give a big thumbs up whoever wrote that song, the melody and arrangement of the song is an absolute masterpiece, probably it would be lined with SCANDAL BABY (i think scandal baby is scandal's best song yet).... i think RINA wrote that song,...

I agree with macdyne73 that BA couldn't really be classified as only more pop. It just happens to have different genres of rock that are new to the ears of us old SCANDAL fans. So I also understand and it is already expected that some will be turned off or disappointed by the change.

But I don't think this is the only direction SCANDAL's music is going. They are still experimenting and finding that "SCANDAL sound". (Just listen to Hikare, a purely SCANDAL-only written and composed song off of the Love Survive single) Experimenting is very risky and I applaud the album for pulling it off. The songs are good and varied. Although I agree with others that some had effects that are overused or unneeded.

Stand out tracks for me are GLAMOROUS YOU (I noticed that this song hasn't been given love here yet.. ), Sono Toki, Sekai wa Kimi Darake no Rain, LOVE SURVIVE, BURN, Pride, Haruka, one piece.

GLAMOROUS YOU - this song, although not similar with SCANDAL Baby and ESY which were upbeat, fast paced rock openers, is a great album opener on it's own, albeit in a different vibe. It feels really laid back but fun which really is the feel of the whole album.

Sono Toki, Sekai wa Kimi Darake no Rain - catchy and cute vocals, with a little bit of a punk feel, what more can I ask?

BURN - Another of SCANDAL's sound experiments. Great "alternative" guitar riffs at the intro and near the end. It fits SCANDAL's sound surprisingly imo. It's even more surprising that they fit it in a song that is slow-paced and emotional. I give my hat off to SCANDAL, and I wish they will have more songs in this vein.

one piece - a great emotional piece to end the album. The piano part is a great addition. And the effects are just right for the song and doesn't ruin it.

Others like Tokyo Skyscraper, Appletachi no Dengon, etc are just so-so (at the moment) for me and will require further listens to make me get the hang of it. The genres of both songs I mentioned are just too "foreign" for my ears. The remaining others are just so-so and doesn't really catch my ears' attention.

Some songs in this album are a little bit long. But I think SCANDAL intended this and I think will be great in lives. Just imagine GLAMOROUS YOU's last part in a concert environment, complete with the crowd doing the clapping and cheering..

I am not a musician (yet) but I listen to a lot of music so I judge with what I hear. Well, that is all. Peace!

My favorites are GLAMOROUS YOU, Tokyo Skyscraper and BURN
I personally think that this album is too pop...
But I just roughly listen to it... I think if I listen more I'll become loving this album XD

*I used to be okay with TEMPTATION BOX but when I listen it carefully, I'm so in love with it

burn and one piece are my fav.

For me, I loved "One Piece" so much T__T I remember "Secret Base" from "One Piece" because in "Secret Base," there is one part there that goes something like "I believe I will see you again in 10 years..." then it was revived as a 10 years after version in Ano Hana (ToT) Then it's almost the same with "One Piece." There is also one line in the song that mentioned something about 10 years LOL errr.. to put things short, I love "One Piece." Next to that would be "LOVE SURVIVE," "BURN," "GLAMOROUS YOU," "Appletachi no Dengon," "Tokyo Skyscraper...." Actually I love all the tracks :D

hmm...i dont really hear the "pop" problem..i still find they they are rocking it out

I am also quite glad that the vocally it was more diverse...
As in after pride and haruka it was manily haru wif tomo pitching in a line or 2..
Was really quite worried that it gonna turn out that way from then on...even though haru is my fave it wouldnt feel "scandalous" anymore

Song wise...i hv no problem wif them trying out the new stuff but i just hope that they would create more of their own songs...lyk the entire song.
Mayb they did but it sux so it wasent selected...

Love Burn and One Piece the most...but tts just mi wif emo feel stuff...

Tokyo skyscraper feels awesome too..it really stands outs in a good way..
Normally its takes a few play through for a song to sink it....but for skyscrapper once was all it took along wif one piece n burn
The opening reminds mi of old sch 70s kamen rider...am i the only 1?

i see alot of hate towards nanka buttobase...i do feel lyk it sticks out abit from the rest of the album and not the skyscrapper way.
But as a song its awesome especially the PV and the transition of voices between each verse...The dance move!...i really wan see a live where they dont play the instrument but dance wif it as props instead

Finally Really hope to see その時、世界はキミだらけのレイン performed live...can already imagine they doing sum kinda funny dance for it...

baby action album is just AWESOME i really like all the songs, i listen 2 every day.

A-a-am I the only one who enjoyed BA over TB and BS? Q____Q
*isobviouslynotarockconnoisseur*

GLAMOROUS YOU was one of the catchiest for me, though I do agree with the others that it doesn't sound like something that sounds great live, it's not as "interactive" as SCANDAL BABY and EVERYBODY SAY YEAH! - it sounds like a song that would be somewhere in the middle of a tracklist, it's not the sort of song you start off an album with. That said, however, I find it really poppy and girly and fun. I play it everyday while dressing up for school, it gets my day starting.

Sono Toki, Sekai wa Kimi Darake no Rain isn't that special to me, but I have to say I just ADORE how the girls sing "Abracadabra". I don't know. It's just so cute. And I liked the instrumental part too.

LOVE SURVIVE is another of the catchiest, which I play when exercising/dancing in front of the mirror like an idiot. I like the tempo, and upon looking at the English translation, I've begun to love the message as well. And for some reason I love Tomomi's and Rina's playing here. Like I said, I'm not a rock connoisseur, so I probably don't know what I'm talking about, but I enjoyed them. Also, the instrumental part thingie was headbangingly awesome - it's probably one of my favorites out of all SCANDAL songs.

Sparkling was so girly, it reminded me of SNSD/Perfume/Sense of Wonder. Not necessarily a bad thing, though. It sounds like an OP or ED of a comedy anime. It just gives me that feeling - especially when the girls sing "Take it easy" every after chorus.

BURN was probably the most sophisticated for me. I haven't seen the translation of the lyrics yet, but it sounds like a rock ballad, in the vein of Namida no Regret (not as sad, though). And I love Haruna in this one - I think it's part of the reason why I feel it's so sophisticated.

Appletachi no Dengon is the most "meh" for me, though the trumpet part's kind of new for them. It sounds like something out of those old detective shows, I don't know. Not much to say about this one.

When I first heard Tokyo Skyscraper's intro, it made me laugh. Now THAT is something out of those detective shows or even those super sentai shows. I also like the rhythm of this one - it's pretty danceable. AND I can imagine a Charlie's Angels-like PV out of this one, even if, you know, there are four of them.

Every time I hear Pride, I remember Star Driver, and Star Driver was quite a good *coughfunnycough* anime to me, because of the fabulous and not despite of it. So it's mostly the memory of that anime that makes me feel good when listening to this. That doesn't mean I don't love the song as a standalone, though.

I didn't like Haruka at first, but it eventually grew on me until it became a favorite. It's far from what I would expect out of SCANDAL, I guess - when I first heard it, I was missing their raw rock sound, so I didn't like it at first. But when I tried not to think of the raw rock thing I like about them, I found that it's actually quite a good song, something that's nice to listen to while studying or on a long drive.

SCANDAL Nanka Buttobase is just awesome. I like how very aggressive it sounds - I'm probably being influenced by the PV though, but it really does sound like something that would be playing in the background of a gang fight. And the better distribution of the vocals gets me here, too. I like hearing Mami. And the guitar riff! <3

Very Special gives me a feeling of summer and carefree days. I find the addition of the sitar-sounding thing in the background fun, too. Also the guitar riff, again. It reminds me a bit of Ring! Ring! Ring! It's probably just the tambourine, though. ) It's also one of the catchiest to me.

one piece reminds me of another song I can't remember the title of - I just know it was a sad song. So I find this one sad and heartbreaking, especially with all three vocalists singing the chorus - I'm reminded of a bittersweet ending, or high school graduations. I've never seen the translations of the lyrics though, so I could be totally getting the wrong feeling here.

Anyway, though it's not perfect,and though it's the closest sounding to more pop than rock, I loved this album, and it's probably my favorite, beating the other two by a very close margin (though all three have their own "personalities" to me, which I love). My favorites would be (in order), GLAMOROUS YOU and LOVE SURVIVE; Very Special, Haruka and one piece; and Sparkling and Burn. It's hard for me to dislike anything SCANDAL, so I'm probably being biased. Feel free to shoot. ^^;;;

ceyrai wrote:A-a-am I the only one who enjoyed BA over TB and BS? Q____Q
*isobviouslynotarockconnoisseur*

Hehe.. nope you're not the only one. Words fail to describe how much I'm loving BA. I also looove those B sides from Love Survive. I hope they continue down this path, they've grown up and it shows in their music. Really looking forward to watching them play BA tracks live!

I personally loved it. What I loved seeing the most is that the girls are dabbling in writing the music for their songs a bit more and not simply the lyrics and leaving it to others to put their words to music and arrange it in a way that works. That shows they're getting better. They've obviously realized that Tomomi's voice together with Haruna's is a big part of their "SCANDAL sound", so they're incorperating more of Tomo into the songs. I also noticed a bit more Mami singing, and there was some other voice which was probably Rina, so all of them are getting their voices as well as their instruments. They said in an interview that the reasoning behind the title is that it's their first step in phase two of their development, I mean, they're not dressed as schoolgirls on the album cover anymore. Let them experiment with new things in their music, like trumpets and and playing a more active role in the music writing end of things. The only way they'll know if it worked or not is album sales. I'm looking forward to hearing BA tracks live, but moreso to seeing them perform live PERIOD. Had I had time off to spare I would have gladly flew cross country to meet and rock out to our four favorite girls. If some con gets them back in the US for 2012, I'm definitely going!

^ +1 to this..

and

macdyne73 wrote:

ceyrai wrote:A-a-am I the only one who enjoyed BA over TB and BS? Q____Q
*isobviouslynotarockconnoisseur*

Hehe.. nope you're not the only one. Words fail to describe how much I'm loving BA. I also looove those B sides from Love Survive. I hope they continue down this path, they've grown up and it shows in their music. Really looking forward to watching them play BA tracks live!

^ this..

I'm soo in love with BABY ACTION right now.. every song in it I like and I agree with MAMI that it is a masterpiece!

Finally received my copy of the album on Friday, and finally got to listen the songs~~ \(^0^)/

As with the other 2 albums, the songs in BA appeal to me, and I am enjoying them a lot. I like Best Scandal more, but this is probably because I am so familiar with those songs as compared to these new ones. The catchy ones like Sparkling, Glamorous You and その時、世界はキミだらけのレイン, definitely make me feel happy listening to them. Burn and One Piece are very emotional, and I got to say I particularly like the bass in 東京スカイスクレイパー.

These are simply how I feel when I listen to the songs, and I say NICE~~

For me BA > TB > BS

Overall BA got mostly songs that are good as compared to others and in the vein too. Although so far i think if you just compare the really good songs that it is a close match among the 3..

I always got a special liking for Scandal Baby and Aitai but overall i think BA for me is most balanced.

I think it is silly to try to compare this new album to the their previous ones. It is unfair to judge this music against the album you heard when you first fell in love with the group. Nothing is going to compare to that. If you take the emotion out of it and just listen to how much their musicianship has improved you can't help but admire what they have done. I am really looking forward to seeing video of their live performances of some of these new songs (check out their live version of "Love Survive" at Mezamashi Live from a few weeks ago - the live version is very cool). Go Scandal !!

for me Baby Action is a great album! I don't think it is much more pop than TB . Well, I'll just say something about some of the songs.

Spoiler:

GLAMOROUS YOU: Not a typically opener for an album, but the song is quite catchy and it is fun to listen to.
I wish it It had a bit more power like ESY or Scandal baby, but that isn't too bad.
4/5

その時、世界はキミだらけのレイン: One of my favorites of the album! The split of the voices is awesome and the guitar riff also. It reminds me kind of S.L. magic, punk sounding and powerful
5/5

Sparkling: I guess that's my least favorite. It is a cute song, but also really pop and with kind of a too high Tomo voice, too girlish for me.
3/5

Burn: Now that's the kind of song I wanted to hear of them! This song proves that they improved as a band and became adults. An emotional song, but it doesn't sound too soft.
5/5

アップルたちの伝言: Interesting song, cause they used horns in it. I think this shows a new side of them and it fits in well. And again a rocking song!
5/5

東京スカイスクレイパー: This song sounds older than it is I like the disco touch in it that the bass and drum give. Tomo shows that she improved much in the slapping part of it. The only bad thing I can say about it are the strange synth sounds in the chorus.
5/5

Very Special: a bit like Sparkling, but in a much better way. The guitar riff reminds me of some old american alternative stuff, and that goes well with them. The solo is really cool
4/5

One piece: A nice ballad song for the end. The combination of the voices in the chorus sounds good. And I love Mami's part in this.
4.5/5

All in all I like this album quite much and I prefer it over TB and even slightly over BS. I think they put much of their own ideas in it and that is great. I just think the drums could be louder in the most songs, but I thought that on every album xD

@~Tomami~: I couldn't agree more on your review! although now, I'm really into every song on the album!

For me, BA quickly became my favorite album from the girls. I fell in love with it almost instantly after buying it. I think BA really has a good balance between a pop sound and a rock sound. I also think the album has a good balance between upbeat songs and the more emotional ones. The girls did well on the album. My favorite song from the album is Burn, the lyrics really got to me the first time I listened to it. Overall, I really loved BA. I'm looking forward to hearing some of the songs live.

for me , i really love BA because the song in the album is unique. The best part is they have change their style(clothing)...

For what it is worth here is my review of Baby Action ;

01. Glamorous you
This track made me think of AKB48, I do not mean that in a bad way, I like AKB48, I mean it is just a very much J-Pop song.
It is about the girls growing up and wearing make-up and glamorous clothes of course.
There are some nice lines by Tomomi.

02. Sono toki sekai wa ...
More J-Pop but with a touch of their old punk roots.
And lots of Tomo-rin !

03. Love survive
Like many of their songs this did not do much for me at first but now I like it a lot.
Definitely a more grown up sound.

04. Sparkling
A nice J-Pop number that had me tapping my feet and some nice harmony work.
And lots of Tomo-rin !

05. Burn
This is of course the theme song from 'Rabbit Horror' but it did not strike me as very scary, the song I mean !

06. Appletachi no dengon
I like the 'do wah's' in the background, in fact I like this track a lot, it is more rock than J-Pop, dare I mention Tomo again, I had better not !

07. Tokyo skyscrapper
Another very nice, very Scandal track.
I really like the chorus.

08. Pride

09. Haruka

10. Scandal nanka buttobase
Another nice more rock style track with lots of vocals from you know who !

11. Very Special
I have a soft spot for this track as I have many Japanese friends and it is about ordinary people facing up to life after the earthquake.
Sadly the rest of the world has already forgotten about the disaster, but I have not.

12. One piece
This song is about their dream to do a one man show at the Jou Hall in Osaka where they started which of course did come true.
Rina wrote it was about their promise to each other to always do their very best.
Not everyone can have a dream come true, but they deserve it.
It made me think a little of "Thank you for the music" by ABBA that was written for very similar reasons.