Akiraaaa!

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BucketBucket Frets: 7751
edited February 2018 in Guitar
I've loved this guy for years - his playing on Japanese hair metal legends Loudness's albums is absolutely peerless, some of the best you'll find on any 80s rock albums. I knew he used to use Marshalls and some kind of rack gear too IIRC, but hadn't been paying that much attention, and then all of a sudden up he pops on Friedman's website playing a Brown Eye!

It sounds fantastic for his playing - absolutely nails every last nuance of the sound I recognise from those old albums. The fatness is there but the top end sizzle is present and correct too - really brings out his squealy pinch harmonic-laden single-note playing. 



Glad to see he's still rocking and sounding better than ever. He's basically Japan's equivalent of EVH - big big name over there as far as I'm aware, but quite under the radar in the west and deserves to be better known, because he's a monster of a player.
- "I'm going to write a very stiff letter. A VERY stiff letter. On cardboard."
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Comments

  • BGGBGG Frets: 688
    Ahh man those riffs bring back some great memories, used to love Loudness in the 80's !!
    #thebatesmotelband
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  • BucketBucket Frets: 7751
    BGG said:
    Ahh man those riffs bring back some great memories, used to love Loudness in the 80's !!
    Just bunged "Thunder In The East" into the car, should I feel like rocking out on the M25 at some stage.
    - "I'm going to write a very stiff letter. A VERY stiff letter. On cardboard."
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  • I had a few drinks with the late Loudness drummer when I lived in Osaka. I had no idea who he was at first and got me a few drinks in even though I was being a lairy twat.  Had a listen to their music but not my thing. 
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    Any love for Kyoji Yamamoto and Bow Wow, @Bucket? ; I really liked them in the '80s, more so than Loudness.
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  • BucketBucket Frets: 7751
    edited February 2018
    Philly_Q said:
    Any love for Kyoji Yamamoto and Bow Wow, @Bucket? ;; I really liked them in the '80s, more so than Loudness.
    I've not listened to them. I do love a bit of Japanese rock though, so what should I check out of theirs?
    - "I'm going to write a very stiff letter. A VERY stiff letter. On cardboard."
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    Bucket said:
    Philly_Q said:
    Any love for Kyoji Yamamoto and Bow Wow, @Bucket? ;; I really liked them in the '80s, more so than Loudness.
    I've not listened to them. I do love a bit of Japanese rock though, so what should I check out of theirs?
    Gosh, it's a long time ago, I don't know what they've done more recently, but.... he had a solo album called Electric Cinema.  The Bow Wow albums I remember are Asian Volcano and Warning From Stardust.

    They temporarily changed their name to Vow Wow in the mid '80s and Neil Murray from Whitesnake was in the band for a while.  The album I remember there was (don't laugh) Beat Of Metal Motion.
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    I was just about to click on the video when I saw your timely warning about the squealy pinch harmonic laden stuff.
    Phew! That was a close one.
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  • BGGBGG Frets: 688
    Bucket said:
    BGG said:
    Ahh man those riffs bring back some great memories, used to love Loudness in the 80's !!
    Just bunged "Thunder In The East" into the car, should I feel like rocking out on the M25 at some stage.
    I've just stuck Live Loud Live - Loudness In Tokyo in mine :)
    #thebatesmotelband
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  • I've got a Vow Wow live vinyl album, bought with my first week's wages after seeing them on The Tube in the 80s. Great record... Beat of Metal Motion is a great song, along with Shot In The Dark and Hurricane.
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  • DominicDominic Frets: 16013
    I like the Rock -out riffing but that dreadful tapping thing sounds like a first generation kids computer game on speed
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  • When I was a teenager I had a mate called Pete who played keyboards in a band called Atlantic Conveyor and their guitarist was a chap called Rupert. Now Rupert lived in a big house ( well, I guess his parent’s house) and the band use to rehearse there in a spare bedroom. There was a collection of hangers on ( obviously including me) who would gather downstairs, play albums, drink tea then go to the pub with the band later. 
    Anyway, one of the Loudness albums was the most played , people got very excited about it ( can’t remember which one unfortunately). Later on I bought a couple myself. 
    So, for a trip down memory lane I shall watch that YouTube clip smile 

    Philly_Q said:
    Bucket said:
    Philly_Q said:
    Any love for Kyoji Yamamoto and Bow Wow, @Bucket? ;; I really liked them in the '80s, more so than Loudness.
    I've not listened to them. I do love a bit of Japanese rock though, so what should I check out of theirs?
    Gosh, it's a long time ago, I don't know what they've done more recently, but.... he had a solo album called Electric Cinema.  The Bow Wow albums I remember are Asian Volcano and Warning From Stardust.

    They temporarily changed their name to Vow Wow in the mid '80s and Neil Murray from Whitesnake was in the band for a while.  The album I remember there was (don't laugh) Beat Of Metal Motion.
    Vow Wow I saw at a record signing in Tower Records in London. I hadn't gone in for them but they were there. What I remember is Neil Murray being approximately three times as tall as the rest of the band. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • DrBobDrBob Frets: 2998
    I came here looking for a crazy ESP Custom ace with a graphic of Kaneda or Tetsuo on it ! 
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  • DrBob said:
    I came here looking for a crazy ESP Custom ace with a graphic of Kaneda or Tetsuo on it ! 

    Not much of the gear, even less idea.
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  • DrBobDrBob Frets: 2998
    DrBob said:
    I came here looking for a crazy ESP Custom ace with a graphic of Kaneda or Tetsuo on it ! 

    Now that’s more like it !
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  • westwest Frets: 994
    When I was a teenager I had a mate called Pete who played keyboards in a band called Atlantic Conveyor and their guitarist was a chap called Rupert. Now Rupert lived in a big house ( well, I guess his parent’s house) and the band use to rehearse there in a spare bedroom.


    there aint many guitar players called rupert in west mids im sure i used to know him , small world  !!


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  • LuttiSLuttiS Frets: 2243
    Ahh Loudness :)

    Akira Takasaki, my first Japanese guitarist love, followed by hide from X Japan :)

    Paul Gilbert and Akria did a bunch of stuff together that's pretty cool :)
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