Gackt - Mars

Phenomenal

What more can be said about Camui Gackt? Beyond the fact that he is a fascinating individual (he speaks 5+ languages, has achieved a black belt in an equal number of martial art styles, is fascinated with all things Gothic and claims to be a 400 year old vampire), he just happens to be an amazing musician that can play multiple instruments, write his own music, and absolutely light up a stage. The Malice Mizer alum, who left after the widely successful album "Merveilles", used "Mars" as his first full length solo album, and it was a success on almost every level possible.

This album is, simply put, one of the finest recordings that I've ever listened to. Gackt melds multiple musical styles into his work, successfully incorporating his flair for pop/rock with classical orchestration, operatic vocals, electronic soundscapes, hard rock, and even elements of big band/swing. The best instrument on the album; however, is clearly his voice. He has a vocal range that is truly impressive, which glides over the music and draws you in time and again. The lyrics to this CD are in Japanese, but this does nothing to diminish the emotional impact of the music, and Gackt does a masterful job of pulling in the listener and sharing a schizophrenic and satisfying ride that's never quite the same twice.

As for the songs themselves, there isn't a weak spot on the album. The opening song "Ares" is a soft, almost operatic piece, that showcases Gackt's voice and range before rapidly leading into the driving "Asrun Dream". Third is "Emu for my Dears", a beautiful song that has since become his theme (and his fans are affectionately referred to as 'dears'). "U & K" is a straight-up high quality rock song, and the sexually charged "Vanilla" also kicks up the tempo while throwing in some great trumpet/band sounds (also a fan favorite). The "Freesia" songs are beautifully understated, and "Dears" and "Oasis" towards the end are two of the finest songs on the album. It's hard to review the album without praising every song, and like all of his work, the best way to listen to the songs is in the original album order.

All in all, this is great music, and what's also lovely about the recording is the packaging. The Japanese version comes in a plastic slip case, with one half for the digi CD case (and beautiful cover art), and the second for the photo-album style picture book that accompanies the CD. This is the best reason for not going the bootleg route (plus the superior sound quality of course), and if you purchase this elsewhere (or used) online you must exercise a lot of care, as there are fakes of this album everywhere (especially ebay). With a little examination you can usually tell the frauds (a lot of them boast 18 tracks, or ship from Taiwan/Hong Kong), but a general rule of thumb is: if it seems too cheap to be real, it probably is.

Gackt is practically a god in Japan, and one of the most entertaining and inspired musicians I've encountered. While all of his albums are of exceptional quality, I would probably recommend "Mars" as the place to start (or Malice Mizer's "Merveilles" possibly). While "Moon" (a good deal heavier) will always be my favorite Gackt album, "Mars" is the most initially and consistently pleasing, and widely considered his finest work to date. Definitely the place to go for a walk off the beaten path, and if you look here you'll find yourself a gem. June 30, 2006

The first is still the best

Mars was gackt's debut ablum after leaving the visual kei band Malice Mizer. This is truly his best album to date. Not only is the range in his vocals and melodic styles outstanding, this is the album that has some of his most beloved and bold singles.

For example: "Vanilla" is an extremely daring song lyrically. The big band sound takes away from the "in your face" sexual context of the song and makes it a fan favorite (what Dear doesn't love Vanilla?). In contrast to this are "Freesia~ Op 1 and 2". These two songs are, in my opinion, powerfull melodies ballads (even though they are short in length and Op.2 has no lyrics). These twi songs showcase Gackt's outstanding abillity as a composer.

This is a must have album for any Gackt fan! December 4, 2005

Pretty hard, driving:

Gackt is way cool! I liked this CD a lot. One of my favorite songs is "Freesia -Op.1-," just a gorgeuos piece, man, he can write some excellent music. Many other memorable tracks as well on an all around very hot effort. There are a plethora of styles and moods. Props to my holmie, Gackt! June 4, 2005

A Must buy!

I have to say that anything that comes out with Gackt's name on it is a master piece. He is a God. He is the most talented Singer out there right now and not to mention he's one sexy Bishonen and he is Bisexual (look at Vanilla Live Music Video). It's a shame that not many people know about him, so I share his voice and music with everyone I can. Snap up all of his CDs you can and his Movie, Moon Child. His songs are pure talent. May 23, 2005

Gackt is AMAZING! ^_^

Oh my gosh! This CD is amazing! I'm soooooo glad i bought it! The following are rated out of 5:

1. Ares-4 Amazing! The reason I give it a 4...too short! ^_^
2. Asrun Dream-5 Brilliant! It's really powerful!
3. Emu ~For My Dear~-5 So sweet! I don't know what he's actually singing because I can't speak Japanese, but just from the title it sounds sweet! ^_^
4. U+K-4 1/2 So cool! As I already said...I don't know Japanese, but this is a really good song even though I don't know what he's singing about.
5. Vanilla(Mars Ver.)-5 So funny, and one of my favorites. I love this song! It may be a little dirty, but it's awesome! I love how he tries to put English in it. He's so cute when he tries to sing in English! ^_~
6. Freesia -Op. 1--4 Cool! Not as good as some of his others, but it is very powerful! I love it!
7. Freesia -Op. 2--4 Also cool! It is really awesome!
8. Illness Illusion-4 1/2 I love it! It just has an AMAZING sound...not to mention a really cool title! ^_^
9. Mirror-5 One of my favorites! I had heard part of this song before I had bought the CD, and I loved it then as well! It's amazing! ^_^
10. Dears-5 I love this song! It goes out to his fans (like me...^_^)! Anyways, as I've previously mentioned...I don't speak Japanese, but that doesn't matter. I know it's to his fans a.k.a. "Dears", and I can tell he has some real feeling in it, so that's all that matters. It's a really great song!
11. Oasis (Mars Ver.)-5 Yet another one of my favorites! I had also heard this song before buying this CD, and I loved it! The video is quite odd, but I still love it and the song! ^_^
12. Konodaremoinaiheyade-4 1/2 Another amazing song! I have no idea what the title means, but it raps up the CD beautifully! It's yet another one of Gackt's amazing pieces!

Ok...there you have it! Gackt is amazing! If you don't believe me...why don't you just go and buy it? Gackt's Mars CD is so amazing! I just can't stress that enough! If you like Jrock/pop then you should get this, and add it to your collection. And...of course, if your a Gackt fan...then it goes without saying...you HAVE to buy this! Well, I hope I helped!

~The Gackt Obsessor!~ April 1, 2005

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