V. A. - Japan As Number One
Having a ball or two
Well, the World Cup'06 has already spawned quite some remarkable product. German sex retailer Beate Uhse, just to name one, has launched a set of World Cup vibrators. There are already too many books and films on the subject, and - as with any big sports events nowadays - the music business isn't missing a beat, either. But who is able to give a proper explanation to the devastating fact that all the musical efforts dedicated to the World Cup are - at least as far as Germany is concerned - exclusively in the hands of notorious professional jokers?
For we hold this truth to be self-evident: Football und fun - they just don't mix! But there is a whole set of other qualities that music and football do share, now to be discovered on the latest release of Munich's ECHOKAMMER label, "Japan as Number One".
How about, e.g., the Tokyo Pikadoons' boisterously high-spirited self-confidence, as heard on their track "Japan wird Weltmeister"? A virtue much rquired on the football pitch, we would think! And whoever doubts the seriousness of the song title's claim ("Japan is going to be World Champion") is gently invited to tell the band how "funny" they find this song. They are in for some fun!
Other traits of modern football like calculating coolness and winner mentality are being brought to the game by the Suzie Trio. Their "Champions-Lied" ("We're not being paid for playing nice") once more displays the brothers Santa Cruz' straightforwardness and relentless success orientation. Scorn and mockery are vital components to a fully satisfactory session at the stands, so Queen of Japan deliver the goods here. However, whether their gleeful "I Like Japan" will soon be conquering the Japanese fan quarters has yet to be determined by future tournaments; one way or the other, the astonishingly quick switching from provocative to straight-out friendly ("Do you understand...?") discourse will always remain thoroughly impressive.
Whenever the game seems hopelessly stuck, teams tend to resort to dead-ball situations to attain their luck. And that is exactly where Yuca & Toshi come in - "The Balls of Japanema" is the perfect example of a dead ball competently converted - into a live ball! And, finally, the Sawasaki-Mix beefs up the above mentioned "Japan wird Weltmeister" with most important assets such as fast-moving pace, endurance, and stamina - which, haha, almost brings us back to good old Beate Uhse. But don't you dare misinterpret this as any kind of "fun", you hear me?!