Jazz Pianist Reacts to Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack
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I hope that the sentiment that this soundtrack was plagiarized isn't a widely held belief...because it's dumb. Also go check out the improv course on Skillshare so you can learn how to plagiarize everybody else's improv! This is how to get good at improv.
E
@@Dogical e indeed
Never heard this accusation and it's absolutely infuriating. Her music, and especially this soundtrack, is so obviously and fundamentally authentic, and I guarantee her influence is currently being heard all over the musical spectrum.
I never even heard of it. Glad it's not though, definitely my favorite show and would be sad to hear if this were true! Thanks for the history about the composer too, never knew anything about her.
some of the isms even remind me of leo p/charles mingus moanin but also be sure to check out kids on the slope, which is anime all about jazz and romance. and now excuse me while i unshamefully check out your improv classes. im gonna need some...
Fun fact, the directors of Cowboy Bebop talk about how they wouldn't really talk with her and she'd just fall off the grid. Later she'd give them a piece of music and they seemed almost irritated because it was so good they'd have to reillustrat whole sections of the show because they couldn't just not use.
legend behavior
The music is so good it actually feels like it came first and they were so inspired they built an entire show around it.
@@HarrisTheHeckler That's because that's basically what happened.
It was more that they'd communicate almost entirely through what each created. Yoko Kanno and the Directors of Cowboy Bebop would show each other their creations and then go off and make stuff to connect with what each other made. Yoko Kanno made some music specifically for certain episodes the cowboy bebop team made and the team made some episodes specifically for the music Yoko Kanno made. It was really a back and forth of creative show and tell collaboration.
@@feminine_desires “The Postal Service” method seems to lead to some phenomenal collaborations
Hey Charles, Steve Conte here… I have done tons of work with Yoko Kanno… (If you check the credits on the CD that you were reviewing here you’ll see that I sang the song “Rain“.) I’ve also worked on a number of the other Cowboy Bebop soundtrack albums as well as The soundtrack albums to other anime series she has written music for such as ghost in the shell, wolfs rain and her solo album - song to fly. I can tell you that you are spot on! She is an incredible musician and even though we didn’t speak the same language she was able to communicate with just a few words what she wanted me to give her in the recording sessions. I’ve also performed live with her a number of times with yoko & her incredible band the seatbelts in Japan and I gotta tell you… It’s a rush! You were right on about the playing being slightly loose on some stuff and that is exactly what makes it feel so cool. There’s nothing worse than a “perfect“ imitation of a certain genre and Yoko does things her own way. I’m so glad you discovered this music… cheers! SC
i was just listening to the Wolf rain ost ( it has been part of all my playlist since 2006) and also RahXephon ost ( the garden of everything is probably one of my favorite song from you); and i was just thinking " man i wonder what steve conte is up to these days " glad to know your still doing fine :)
I just left a comment to praise Yoko Kanno and scrolled down a bit to discover this comment by the one and only Steve Conte! Just wanted to say thank for your work -- I could listen to "Stray" for hours.
Man that's so cool and thanks for the great music sir!
Thank you for the song Stray from Wolfe’s rain
@@bryankehler thanks man - please subscribe to my channel :)
I can only repeat myself like I did for the past 25 years: Yoko Kanno is a genius
She is that’s why assholes are trying to cancel her
@@krow5099 who is and why?
@@krow5099 huh?
@@Anail_Mhin probably because of her plagiarism allegations.
And may you live another 25 or more to continue speaking the truth.
I was at a high school concert for my kids, and they brought out the jazz band and with no announcement launched into this. I totally embarrassed myself screaming out a big "YEAH!" as the only adult who recognized it. The best part was that the band NAILED it! It was a good concert.
Would have been my reaction as well! Would be amazing to hear this live.
My son played the piano in his high school jazz band on Tank last year. They had a trumpet player that is at Berklee now. Great tune. Great performance.
I honestly can’t imagine a better reaction from a parent than to pick up on an otherwise obscure cut and scream their excitement all over a high-school auditorium, that rocks dude
My evil plan to turn you into an anime soundtrack critic is off to a great start
My evil plan to turn you into an anime soundtrack critic is off to a great start
He should do eva next
My evil plan to turn you into an anime soundtrack critic is off to a great start
My evil plan to turn you into an anime soundtrack critic is off to a great start
God I hope he looks at the Jojo themes now
The fact the soundtrack was made first and then they wrote episodes about it after the fact is incredible for so many reasons
It was a constant back and forth between Shinichiro Watanabe and Yokko Kanno. Sometimes Watanabe had an idea and Kanno would riff on that, which in turn caused Watanabe to redo a whole scene to fit the music.
How would they even do that?? So the whole show was made to fit the premade soundtrack ? Or when writing the music was the composer like “what should the vibe be here, oh you want it like a hectic space scene kind of thing? Got it” or they just made a bunch of pieces that the writers were like “I want a bar fight here because that’s how interpret this piece of music here at this point”
@@extras5164 Usually a script or a storyboard can be written before anything else.
@@extras5164 It wasnt quite as direct as the OP says here. The story and characters were largely planned out but the music inspired scenes, which in turn inspired the music.
"Watanabe further explained that he would take inspiration from Kanno's music after listening to it and create new scenes for the story from it. These new scenes in turn would inspire Kanno and give her new ideas for the music and she would come to Watanabe with even more music. Watanabe cited as an example, "some songs in the second half of the series, we didn't even ask her for those songs, she just made them and brought them to us." He commented that while Kanno's method was normally "unforgivable and unacceptable", it was ultimately a "big hit" with Cowboy Bebop. Watanabe described his collaboration with Kanno as "a game of catch between the two of us in developing the music and creating the TV series Cowboy Bebop""
@@joshstead6078 where’d you read that? I’d love to read it also. Thanks for clearly clearing that up, but I don’t get why her methodology was unforgivable and unacceptable? Did he not like her?
Who’s gonna tell him about the actual ending of ‘Tank!’ with the rad ass sax scream?
Saxophone*
@@DIO_Brando1801 that’s a sax actually.
@@Dualis58 that's what I said
@@DIO_Brando1801 it's a drum actually
@@DIO_Brando1801 It’s a recorder, actually.
The Incredibles, Jonny Quest, Bond flicks- as a child raised by jazz fans in the 60s... this is my stuff. Love it all. And Kanno is a bloody genius.
try checking out the show. even if you're not one for cartoons, if you stick with it, you won't regret it
One thing that didn’t occur to me, even after all these years, is also parts that are VERY reminiscent of American Cop shows from the 70s - Kojak, Starsky and Hutch, etc. This could have been coincidence, or parallel inspirations, but knowing of Yoko Kano I doubt it’s coincidence.
Also the themes from The Jetsons, Bewitched, the Flintstones are all great jazz tunes. 1960’s TV was awesome.
Early 20th century jazz musicians in the studio like: "yeah man, this should sound like the cowboy bebop soundtrack, drop it"
real persona 5 vibes with this cowboy bebop inspired album
@@jakimoretti7771 Yeah man, superkilling
Anyone else notice Bossa Jazz sounds like elevator music??? Just noticed.
@@maxhoughtonmusic elevator music sounds like bossa jazz
@@ericworthy1300 Just noticed guys :) it sounds like elevator music. Am I right? No one else has had this thought ever!
When I was in marching band in high school, we’d always played Tank for our warmup song. The band director had never seen an anime before in his life. He’d heard a senior student who was conductor at the time play it and liked it so much, it just became a tradition for all new band members to learn it for practice.
I love that. That fells like a great way to break the ice in marching band.
Definitely a song that will make you good at everything about your instrument.
We played it in jazz band in high school and I definitely leveled up in trumpet playing.
@Yongo Bazuk it isn't lol
@@ktoliman it’s a double edge sword of making great lifelong friends and convincing people you’re a child music prodigy. I say that’s a win win.
That. Is. Amazing.
If you actually watch the episode that uses the song "bad dog, no biscuits" you would totally understand why that song is so chaotic and fits the animation taking place on screen.
th-cam.com/video/wZ2she8pInY/w-d-xo.html
Your reaction to "Bad Dog" (which is one of my favorite episodes from Cowboy Bebop) was priceless. The tune itself is a fav - love the chaos and absolutely love the ending. Like a big crash and the last sound you hear is a hubcap rolling down the street. Jazz is cool that way.
If you love that you'd Love Tom Waits' "Midtown"
Just rewatched that episode today! "I'll pay you when I'm rich!"
Fun fact about this soundtrack: the tuba player on multiple tracks is Bill Barber. Now if you aren't familiar, that is the exact same Bill Barber who plays in the Miles Davis nonet on legendary albums like Birth of the Cool, Sketches of Spain and Miles Ahead.
Holy shit that’s incredible! Never knew that.
Hah, I wondered if it occurred to them to ever reach out to people like Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock.
He was part of The Seatbelts from 1998 and 2004. The Seatbelts were led by Yoko Kanno. The group was first assembled to record the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack.
oh thats so cool!!
My barber's name is bill
The fact that he went through all of Tank! except for the last flourish p a i n s me.
I looooove that outtro
I cried. I clicked to specifically watch that moment.
Real folk blues with Tank, I have never skipped any episode of Bebop.
@@thomasway0320 yes, the cowboy bebop op is one of the only ones you CANNOT skip 😂
@@rosegold5720 physically impossible
Her "Nailing" the sound is what makes this so unbelievable. I would've never guessed the soundtrack was all from one group. The blues harmonica in this OST is my favorite Harmonica playing I've ever heard. If anyone knows anything that compares or overshadows it please let me know.
I feel like in a lot of ways, the harmonica playing on the Bebop OST was heavily inspired by Charlie Musselwhite, probably the most well known Windy City blues player. As for players that truly take the instrument to new heights, I highly recommend listening to "But Anyway" and "Crash and Burn" by Blues Traveler. They get typecast as a 90s one-hit wonder, but their catalog is really solid and John Popper is the most revolutionary player I've ever heard, as well as being a solid vocalist and brilliant lyricist
Actually there were two groups: Seatbelts Japan and Seatbelts NYC. But most of the music was made by the Japanese group.
@@tmtmtlsml thanks for the recommendations!
The *Welcome To The NHK* Harmonica Song is a pretty good piece I think, kind of reminds me of "Dark was the night, cold was the ground" in a weird way
@@nyanknight107 God Welcome to the NHK is a top tier show
can confirm, its a ska vibe
Hello bluecoats man 👨🏻 fancy seein you here
as one prophet says: ska came before reggae
it's like klezmer to me!
Kind of a second wave ska vibe with third wave tempo. Like Hepcat.
Beautiful transition btw
The jazz group that Yoko Kanno made that soundtrack with was called "The Seatbelts", because apparently their jazz jam sessions got so wild that they'd fall out of their seats. And, from what I've heard, actually wore seatbelts while playing.
Thats too amazing
YeahNO.
The Seatbelts are an American band that collaborated with Yoko Kanno for the jazz pieces.
No one falls out of their seats while playing unless they are incredibly drunk.
@@andrecouture2061 Googled the band. You sir, are incorrect. They are a Japanese band. It's the first thing said in the "About" section.
Yoko Kanno is ridiculously talented. Her work on Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell (SAC), Wolf's Rain, Terror in Resonance, and of course, Cowboy Bebop is all phenomenal.
I'm gonna also recommend the Brain Powerd and Turn A Gundam soundtracks as well.
@@JRGomez81 Honestly, everything she does is just amazing
I am still grieving over terror in resonance. it's been years
Don't leave out Macross Plus
NO! She did Escaflowne?!?!? High key some of THEE best anime music 😱 I love her so much 🥺
"This would be so fun to see live." There is a recording of that on TH-cam, and it is insane: light show that warrants a seizure-warning; as soon as there's an opening, the musicians start running around on the stage; there are internal sax-battles; Yoko Kanno is mostly just dancing around in a red trench coat and waving around some old cap or whatever; and it's only a question of time before one of those trombonists poke out someone's eye.
One of the oldest videos on TH-cam.
Can you share the link?
@@sonickrndJust look for "Seatbelts - Souvenir from Tokyo".
m.th-cam.com/video/e2re7XULxXY/w-d-xo.html
?
Yoko Kanno was inspired to compose the soundtrack after her vacation trip to Los Angeles (for heavy metal) and New Orleans (for jazz). She toured Japan with the band, the Seatbelts, to perform the soundtracks of Cowboy Bebop.
This video should've been at least 3 hours long.
Maybe more
Hijacking this comment to petition Charles to listen to Kanno's "The Seatbelts - Time to Know ~ Be Waltz." I'm certain he would love the complex harmonies in this jazz piece!
Something something nebula something something lol
I made it 420 likes
Agreed!
I honestly laughed aloud at the concept of jazz being plagiarized.
It's some of her non-jazz songs that are the problem. th-cam.com/video/eOy3AuB5PtI/w-d-xo.html
@@kinosprojector this isnt a problem. iterative art isnt "stealing". Or was everyone in the art deco movement just ripping eachother off?
@@SorchaSublime this is way past iterative art. As a composition major cyberbird for example is way more similar to battersea than the whole blurred lines plagiarism win. Lucky Yoko kanno isn't american. And she has the audacity to claim he doesn't listen to other contemporary artists.
@@kinosprojector no, this is way past what *you* consider to be iterative art.
@@SorchaSublime You clearly are not an expert in the subject. do you have a composition degree? even my graduate professor agrees. Even Charles would admit to it if he heard those two songs. Your dada example is = to two different 12 bar blues songs. The example i have given has the exact same melody and word rhythm on top of the same music.take the L. Be honest with yourself listen to the first song again in my link
The song "Bad Dog, No Biscuits"' opening is actually quoting the melody from the Tom Waits song "Midtown".
And before anyone makes some dumb comment about plagiarism, no it's not. The OST release has always given credits for that part to Waits. It's just the musical equivalent of quoting another work as a preface to the main work.
I have the physical OST and from what I can tell, the booklet does not give Waits a credit.
@@victorchapa6307 can confirm, there is no credit for him in the CD booklet
Have no interest in the topic itself. Although am rather intrigued, OP seems pretty confident.
That's not even true
There's another song that's pretty obviously ripped, I Want it All Back (from Disc 2, played during the Ein chase) was very much ripped from Imperial Drag's Zodiac Sign. Even the major 3rd change.
The greatest thing about Charles review, is that it fits perfectly with Cowboy Bebop ambience and style. All that bounty hunter stuff doesn't need to be perfect, sometimes chaotic, they're refined charcaters but also rude. I'd like to think that musicians were very aware of what the CB series was about to finally arrange this great music.
Imagine if people criticised classical composers everytime they used alberti bass because it's copying mozart
Or criticized Purcell for only writing that one song over and over.
or for copying alberti
Please dislike his songs th-cam.com/video/_Glg7pkS1rw/w-d-xo.html
I'm not on the "she plagiarised" bandwagon, but that's a really unfair comparison. While I do think that it's still along the lines of inspiration and not copying, a few of her melodies (specifically ostinatos) are pretty much identical to other songs. Want It All Back vs. Zodiac Sign or Mushroom Hunting vs Let The Good Shine come to mind. Nobody's saying she plagiarised because she copied a common musical trope like the 12 bar blues.
@@btat16 but thinking that way is really unfair against the composer: you are comparing 1 (one) piece of music to *every* piece of music written beforehand.
If someone would be searching 20 hours a day, every day for a really long time, they would find a lot of earlier pieces which, when taken out of context and reorganized into a new piece, would contain every little melody, accompaniment, orchestration, texture, rhythm, harmonic cadence, etc.
But 1- it wouldn't make sense to do that (it wouldn't help anyone at all) and 2- the composer wouldn't have heard of a lot of the pieces of music that were compiled.
Besides, using 12-tone equal-temperament there are only so many melodies, chord progressions, etc. that you can come up with.
Charles: This is a 12 Bars Blue and most of you probably picked this up.
Me: (Nodding my head like I know what he’s talking about) Of course, how could anyone miss that.
I *almost* replied to this comment to explain what a 12 bar blues is and then realized, “Oh, hey, I’m about to be an asshole who only explains things to prove he knows them!”
........but just in case you WANTED to know, it’s basically just 12 measures of changes that follow a general kind of structure. Normally the fifth bar goes to a IV chord. That’s kinda it tho.
here you go:
[I7 / / /][I7 / / /][I7 / / /][I7 / / /]
[IV7 / / /][IV7 / / /][I7 / / /][I7 / / /]
[V7 / / /][V7 / / /][I7 / / /][I7 / / /]
@@notafirehydrant9232 there's so many variants though. Jazz form twelve bar blues can be wildly different, just with the rough idea of I, IV, I, V, IV, I (V turnaround).
Matrix by Chick Corea is a good example. 12 bar blues but completely changing the progression.
In case anyone is unfamiliar with chord names, here's some well known 12 bar blues songs to get the feeling for what it sounds like: Johnny B. Goode, I Feel Good, Wipeout, In the Mood and the 60's Batman theme.
In pop/rock music, I can pick a 12 bar blues out immediately.
In this instance, way too advanced for my alt rock ears.
Look up some videos about the form and it'll make sense.
The blues and early rock and roll are based on it. It's how the music "goes" and it's based on 3 chords in a specific sequence of intervals.
I'm not helping, am I? 😆😆😆
I think that was always the great thing about Bebop’s director. Shinichirō Watanabe always loved to be authentic to the music in his anime works, and made them excel the scenes so well.
Definitely worth looking into more of his works for more of the music. Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, even now with Netflix’s Carole and Tuesday. There’s such a love for music in each
Rush is one of my favorite tracks. It has a really nice big band feel with it's build up.
The trombonist in my high school jazz ensemble charted that one out and had us play it. I was the pianist, so I got to play the string line. XD
It's nice to see Yoko Kanno getting the love she rightfully deserves. She may be one of the most underappreciated musicians of the last 20 years. She's been relegated to just being a "cartoon song writer" which diminishes the genre, yeah, but also just dismisses how amazing she is.
Than you!
She also did a couple of game soundtracks, Ragnarok 2 has great soundtracks, just wasted on an that game.
She's like the most respected and well known Anime composer ever, what are you talking about?
@@SiniBANG welp. Gotta check that one out now.
I always refer to Yoko as the Best Composer (outside of Anime Fans and Japan) that nobody has ever heard of.
I mean, to be fair, I would say some of the best composers/musicians in Japan are also anime composers. Look at Joe Hisaishi, he's a national treasure and made some of the best music in the Ghibli films and who himself was a student of another great anime composer, Takeo Watanabe. It hits differently over there where anime is taken much more seriously than western cartoons. That being said, I don't think Yoko Kanno is underappreciated at all. I find her highly regarded even if some people think she's just a "cartoon song writer". Those same people probably also think she's one of the best ones if not the best.
Yoko Kanno is a musical genius. Her soundtrack for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is also really fitting and unique.
Cyber bird is literally hooverphonic -battersea
@@kinosprojector Sure, there are some influences in the song but Cyberbird is still a unique work of art. Charles says it himself in the video that music is always inspired by what came before. Nothing is ever created in a void. Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare is inspired by an italian tale from 1562. The Lord of the Rings is heavily based on old Scandinavian mythology. Whatever we do, we are literally standing on the shoulder of giants. There is also nothing new under the sun.
@@Lesandira he was only talking about jazz and the bebop soundtrack album.
yeah, velveteen kinda sets the tone for the intrigue for the start of the laughing man saga. Then that second episode, man when that song describes the man's self loathing and predicament it's so tragic and beautiful.
Had it not been for that song, I wouldn't of cared that the story felt unresolved.
Kanno is a genius, agreed.
Nice pfp
The whole point of the Cowboy bebop soundtrack was all the different influences that go into each song. Episodes are even named after the genre of music that most influenced the song featured in the episode. For example, Asteroid Blues, Jupiter Jazz, Waltz for Venus, Heavy Metal Queen, Ballad of the Angels, etc.
th-cam.com/video/wZ2she8pInY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for talking about one of my favorite songs. So cool to hear your musical insights into a song I use to blast on repeat in my car...and sometimes still do :)
Samurai Champloo is by the same creator and took its focus on Hip-Hop instead. It's also a great series, and maybe another idea for a video?
Rest in power Nujabes!
Champloo reminds me of J dilla and Fat John now that I've started listening to them.
The show that inspired an entire generation of hip hop
Nujabes is the GOAT
@@sepulcher8263 Nujabes
I feel you man, I hate it when people call plagiarism when something is just influenced by a previous creation, especially in music where nearly everything we listen to was influenced by something that came before
*laughs in Rhythm Changes
Seriously, music by it's very nature (at least after the world connected) builds and progresses from what other have done
Music started when humans started to imitate birds. It is in its very nature.
Contrary to any idea that music is “intellectual property” that can be “owned,” all sound actually exists independently and universally as the harmonic series that underpins all music and informs the manner of its being “written” by virtue of its consonant and dissonant overtones.
So yes - music is a great collaboration with everything and everyone in the universe, not so much a competition or arena for “bragging rights” I.e. “ I came up with this idea FIRST” lol imagine some dude saying that because he’d never heard a major triad being played before and he just figured it out
Basically all movies are guided by directors nowadays who give composers “temp tracks” from another score and tell them, “make something as close to this as possible without plagiarizing it.”
The bigger the funding, the more things tend to be like this.
It’s all a bit disheartening how much of the time things are like this-I have multiple professional film composer friends who complain about it.
In short, for certain special people they believe that the music comes from something like a briefcase in which a golden shine comes out, as if it did not come from the sound of two stones.
credits: izuna great spanish youtuber
Hey Charles, I just wanna say thank you for sharing your perspectives and reactions on various kinds of music. I had watched Cowboy Bebop many years ago and loved the series and the music. However, your video made me go back to the music and download it and listen to it a lot since then. I'm regularly blown away by how good and energetic it is. Yoko Kanno is such a blessing to the universe. This music is just crazy good. Also, after seeing your video on Kids on the Slope, I started practicing Moanin' and My Favorite Things and got into the John Coltrane Album. I'm a big fan of Coltrane since years, but haven't really checked out this particular album before. Now, I'm totally in love with the title track and also McCoy Tyner's playing. I'm also a big fan of McCoy since years. It's awesome how music has the ability to inspire us and makes it fun to be alive :)
I'm not into anime either, but Cowboy Bebop is the exception for me (never really watched anything else). The music combined with the backdrop scenery make it so incredibly atmospheric. It's so beautiful with the use of dramatic lighting and cinematic "camera angles". Weed pairs really well with it.
"It sounds kinda hectic"
You should see the scene that song plays in!
Was that the chase scene from Ep. 2?
@@adamdevree6482 i don’t remember can someone tell me pls
@@Gameplays1able episode 2 is about how Ein ended up in Bebop. IIRC, that scene has Spike trying to lure Hakim using Ein as a bait. But then the organisation that was looking for Ein used some sort of dog whistle while wandering around the town with a van, it caused chaos by making every dog (including Ein) running towards the van. Spike then tried to chase Ein, but Hakim appeared and hit Spike with his car. Spike then chased both Hakim and Ein by running
@@mafirasyaharani7836 The music is perfect for that scene and episode. There's so much going on in the visuals and the music is the perfect foil. Love it.
I think it's time we blow this scene. Get everybody and the stuff together. Okay, three, two, one let's jam.
DU DU DU DU DUUUUUU!
We all heard that in the voice.
I always assumed that voice was Spike.
I appreciate the breakdowns. I wish he would do Trigun's soundtrack because I've always found it so unique, uncertain of how to categorize it and would love guidance on that.
Holy shit, ive always like music and appreciated it. The way you describe why certain sequencing works and why it sounds nice is really opening for me. Awesone content. Subbed.
"Bad Dog, No Biscuits"
*sad Ein noises*
When the best song in the soundtrack denies you treats:
Bork
@@robburitto4193 the treat is having an absolutely incredible song to jam along to
Best soundrack in the series
No one ever talks about the fact that she did a cover of Pink Floyd's "On the Run" for Bebop. It's a hidden gem in the discography of the series.
could you be more specific? I would like to check it out
Do a TH-cam search for "Cowboy Bebop on the run." It should be the top result. As for which Cowboy Bebop OST it's on, I'm not 100% sure, but it's used in the episode with mad pierrot. Episode 22, if memory serves me correctly.
I always heard it on the playlist... And... Never clicked to me it was literally 'on the run' until one day i was drunk af at work hating my life and using the soundtrack to get a boost... On the run sounds (seatbelts) starts playing. "I know this..."
Funnily enough, I had listened to the songs tons of times, but didn't realize it until I was reading something about Pink Floyd covers about 10 years ago. Sometimes you miss things until they're spelled out for you.
It’s honestly a masterpiece, So good
I absolutely LOVE "Bad Dog No Biscuits"
I remember when the "ska" part came on and me and my friends started parading around the dinner table when listening to the soundtrack. Great vibes; chaotic but playful. Awesome stuff.
I'm so glad you voiced your appreciation for gritty, imperfect "one-take" sounding tracks. My favorite styles of music are (in no order) Jazz, Blues, Country, Hip-Hop, and Extreme Metal (technical, melodic, black), and in my unprofessional opinion, all of these genres have something to gain from a more natural sounding recording. The lack of "perfection" (whether intentional or not) gives Jazz a more intimate and dangerous sound, Blues becomes more soulful (think "crying over my guitar with my hands"), Country feels more rooted and genuine, Hip-Hop sounds like it's actually from the streets, and Extreme Metal sounds far more chaotic (think Behemoth's Apostasy vs Dimmu Borgir's Abrahadabra).
Your statement on the matter made me happy.
My personal favorite track from the album is Space Lion. It conveys such a terribly beautiful melancholy.
"A star just fell from the sky!"
"That is not an ordinary star, my son. That star is the tear of a warrior."
"What warrior is it?"
"A lost soul who has finished his battles somewhere on this planet. A pitiful soul who could not find his way to the lofty realm where the great spirit awaits us all."
💯 Space Lion was just so perfect
The writing 😣❤️
100th like
Absolutely perfect scene, even just reading it and remembering the scene gives me real chills
Space lion was my most listened track on spotify the year that the soundtrack was added. Listening to it on repeat got me through my depression.
My favorite has to be memory. So simple, but actually really beautiful and sad and lovely all at the same time. It makes me sad how good it is.
Anime osts I think Charles would like:
Kids On The Slope
Samurai Champloo
Your Lie In April
Carole and Tuesday
I second You're Lie in April!
Also the music from Kabukichou Sherlock (especially those by the group Egowrappin)
KIDS ON THE SLOPE IS SO UNDERRATED HE NEEDS TO GET ON THAT ASAP great soundtrack and if im not mistaken yoko kanno was also responsible for the music in it.
KIMI DAYO KIMI NANDAYOOOOOO
Samurai Champloo is dope I think that was Nujabees or someone in that camp
One of my favorite examples of authentic, messy music is Vernon Reid's guitar work in Cult of Personality by Living Colour. It's rapid-fire, visceral, and energetic as hell.
Edit: The fact that you didn't finish out Tank on the video hurts my heart. Those last few bars are brilliant and a perfect ending to such an amazing song.
I saw your comment with a bigger font, and the last two words were cut, so I decided it's a perfect illustration of your feelings :))
You're an incredible and I love your passion for music - I smiled watching this from beginning to end
Kids on the slope, literally an anime about jazz. Great soundtrack.
Has some art blakey in there.
One of my favorites of all time
Soundtrack by Yoko Kanno
Can't imagine his reaction when he met The Medley..
Came here to say this! Also directed by Shinichiro Watanabe like Cowboy Bebop.
Also by the same director of cowboy bebop.
The fact we didn’t get your reactions to the altissimo ending from Tank! is saddening
underrated comment right here
@@metrillbeats Absolutely.
Right?!
Came here to say this
That Sax solo is like the reason you listen to Tank!
Yoko Kanno is a legend. She has done some amazing music from some awesome anime. I can honestly say that Cowboy Bebop & Macross Plus would not be as great as they are without her music.
One of the great things about Kanno is she writes music that’s so great on its own but more than anything each soundtrack is like it’s music that not just illustrates the world of the show but it sounds like it might have been made in that world.
I’ve been a fan of Bebop and it’s soundtrack for years now. People should be celebrating the ost’s originality and not be having to defend it. Either way, great video. Yoko Kanno is a beast fr.
Wait why are people hating on it?
@@outgoingblur the usual "they stole/copy this style" trope, It's stupid.
@@Spherehead123 I had never heard these claims till this video. I was prepared to blow off the claims and think what you said might be true but then I listened to the posts that other have made. Have you listened the playlists/sources being posted? We're not talking about petty copyright a scale sort of thing here. Complete ideas, groves, melodies, and all. All things that if you created and then heard in her product, you would surely call out. She obviously then added other stuff on it but at best a few of these should be seen as derivative works, variations, or adaptations. Really good ones though!
@@jimmyjazz78 none of those claims are towards the cowboy bebop ost though
Some of them are.
Charles Cornell is most definitely my favorite anime
Better than the manga
@@tylermccaw8092 I prefer the audio series
There needs to be a beach episode.
Wait- what genre is he again?
@@tylermccaw8092 When's the live action coming
That descending riff at about 2:50 reminded me of a similar one in Chase's _Get It On._ There are only so many possible combinations of notes, so it makes sense that there will be overlap and similarities between different pieces.
It's already been mentioned, but the fact that Kanno can work in so many varying styles really is phenomenal, and her deeply dramatic, stunning orchestral work for Vision of Escaflowne is incredible. Plus, as at least one other commenter mentioned, she does a cover of Pink Floyd's "On the Run" for an episode of Bebop that's often missed for how good it is. Great video!
"Space Lion" off the soundtrack, is amazing
Yoko Kanno and her work on Kids on the Slope is nothing short of phenomenal, considering she stated in the bonus material that she wasn't a huge fan of jazz but still nails cowboy Bebop and Kids on the Slope perfectly.
Yes this !
Kids on the slope is already a fantastically written show with some beautiful and charming moments but pair that up with a phenomenal jazz score and wow it makes it truly special
Her saying she doesn't like jazz is probably sarcasm, like when she told Ex that she didn't listen to music outside of work. I mean she used to play piano in Paris jazz venues anonymously in the 90s (maybe 2000s), no wonder she was aware of Voulzy's discography and would think no one would recognize her ripping off his Une Héroïne song, for instance.
Anyway. I love Kanno, I just think she needs to come straight about all of this.
That show was definitely fantastic. It’s easy to watch it as what amounts to a roughly a 2 1/2 hour film, which really hits you from an emotional stand point. It took me back to my first love in High-school. The jazz music arrangements she made of some of the existing Jazz pieces from Miles Davis and John Coltrane, both of whom are fully credited, then the original pieces she composed, were truly exceptional.
@@renobutters Just pulled up this song, I see the influence. She really did straight up yoink the synthline from that one Bjork song for some GITS work... And basically recreated Sigur Ros for Terror in Resonance. The woman has impeccable taste and genius level arrangement skills, but I also would like her to be more honest about all this.
bro, i have been in band and the music world since i was in 3rd grade, and i literally was JUST SUGGESTED YOUR CHANNEL WTF you are so skilled and impressive in you ability to identify styles and compositions. very impressive m8, keep it up
Thank you, I had been wanting someone who actually knows what they're talking about to finally settle this once and for all that this is NOT plagiarism but, like all music, influenced. Most others simply make baseless claims based on similarity and not what is truly going on in the technical intricacies of a song. Great video.
The look of glee on his face when hearing these songs is priceless, I wish I could hear these tracks for the first time all over again
80% of why Tank is so good are the bongos. Unfortunely, this is lost on most of the uninitiated
That's awesome, now that you pointed it out the bongos sound amazing but someone like me uneducated in music doesn't pay much attention to it haha.
I do love those base beats early in the song right about the time where the lyrics come in. Just a super great part of the song.
@@darkmyro what, the whole piece has bongo ripping it and the best parts are at the tail end of the tune
@@tymiller176 I'm not arguing that, but I love that base beat. It's just a matter of taste.
I use to always imagine the bongo player just going nuts like animal from the muppets on that song!
Great video. 100% agree. I’ve loved Kano’s work on Ghost in the Shell for years now, but only recently discovered Cowboy Bebop. Amazing!
love Kanno's work, everything she puts out is gold. Her work on GITS was my first introduction to her work and it blew me away.
"Bad Dog No Biscuit" joins ska and klezmer in a hilarious way I really enjoy. The hand percussion cracks me up every time, then the song hits the wider ska-ish session and doesn't let up. So good.
Absolutely spot-on breakdown of this track! Not enough people at all appreciate klezmer
Another laugh out loud moment for me from this soundtrack is Doggy Dog. 😂 The lyrics and clapping are just something else 😂
I’ve listened to tank hundreds of times and didn’t realize it was 12 bar blues oops. The variation really threw me off lol
THIS! I was shooketh when I heard that Tank is basically a 12 bar blues..
Well the structure is AABA, but the A section is a 12-bar blues.
I play saxophone and I’m watching and loving this show- and it’s my favorite OST
Throwing a Big Phat Band reference in there! That's awesome. Backrow Politics is one of my favorite songs, and it's one that I use to test out every new set of speakers/headphones.
I love that Yoko Kanno shoved a ska section in one of the songs.
The Cowboy Bebop OST the greatest soundtrack of all time.
Flcl disagrees actually (please check it out if you haven’t)
@@broidk8291 Don't get me wrong, I love the Seatbelts, but the OST of Bebop was integral to the development of the anime, to the point where Watanabe changed his plans for the show to match the OST. FLCL has perfectly selected tracks but Bebop has perfectly created tracks.
@@WaywardBrigand the story behind FLCL soundtrack is also really cool actually. The pillows had zero clue what the story was about they just started making music but it still came out so perfectly. All the songs leave you with you bittersweet melancholic nostalgic feeling that fits soooo damn perfectly with the show it’s insane. Amazes me they perfectly hit what the show was going for essentially on accident.
@@broidk8291 Again, i love the FLCL OST, I will never call into question its quality.
It's still in second place.
@@WaywardBrigand just your opinion since theres so many old anime with amazing soundtrack and it's also part of its history as well
When music goes down a path of trying to be too perfect, it ends up being played in an elevator.
Bossa Nova feelings
That's actually a great quote
Or ends up in Zappa’s vault because there isnt much of a market for his truly complex but perfectly executed pieces
i've been listening with japanese songs lately and i can assure you that the imperfections are what makes the song so beautiful. it's like you're listening to someone's emotions, not their words.
You did one my favorite albums of all time justice. Love it and subscribed.
Charles now has to react to the soundtrack of "The Great Pretender"
YES and just watch the show. The art is dope and fits so we'll with the music and story.
@@tonymorrill6561 I'm not quite sure exactly how OP The Great Pretender plagiarized the Cowboy Bebop OP? I'd make the case that they were definitely making an homage to the opening. (FIXED SOME GRAMMAR)
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Stylistically both pieces are pretty far from each other.
Harmonically:
Tank! is a 12 bar blues with a clear sense of tonality and where home is.
Whereas for G.P the harmony is more modal without a clear sense of a diatonic chord progression. You have the rhythm section playing a 2 note vamp as the harmony on top is a lot more adventurous. In later portions of the song you diverge from that 2 note vamp into other modal textures but they never stick to one key center. Right off in the get-go they change keys left right and center. It is by no account a 12 bar blues in the key of C minor like Tank!. I'd wager to say that harmonically it's a lot denser than Tank in where it takes the song.
Melodically:
Tank! has a very clear cut melody that's front and center. The main melody incorporates the C and F blues scale as it's main melodic material. Rarely the melody of the piece is outshined by other melodic material (perhaps during and after the B section th-cam.com/video/UFFa0QoHWvE/w-d-xo.html where the instrumentation becomes a lot more active)
Whereas G.P. on the other hand has a clear melody as well. But it's a lot more complex/chromatic than Tank! (not to say that it's a better opening there's just a lot more going on). You also have a lot more improvisatory material being played alongside the ensemble. Which takes away from the focus of the melody and more on the individual players.
Arrangement:
Both arrangements are for jazz ensembles. But hearing both side by side you see differences in style.
The form of both pieces are widely different. In Tank! you hear a very clear AABA form.
It goes Intro - A - A - B - A - Improv(AAB) - A - Ending
Whereas for G.P. it's actually a fully fleshed-out song (they just cut a lot for the anime). The overall song is a lot more freeform and doesn't have a clear structure behind it.
The instruments for both pieces are widely different. Tank! you have your basic bass, guitar (playing alongside the bass), brass, woodwinds, drums (regular drums and congas), organ. The instruments I feel takes a lot more from Jazz fusion rather than big band jazz.
G.P. you have basic, clear cut, big band. You have double bass, piano, drums, woodwinds, brass.
Simlilarities:
I'd say both pieces accomplish very different things. They are entirely different pieces with entirely different atmospheres. You do have some similarities. Like the trumpet hits in the background are similar to Tank! but i'd chalk that up to it being more of an homage to songs like Tank! rather than a blatant rip off of it.
I'd go so far as to say there's nothing that they took as a template for Tank! as both songs vary so widely.
@@tonymorrill6561 Yeah I see what you're trying to say but like what exactly is being used as a template from the Cowboy Bebop op? Where are the similarities you hear?
It's just weird to argue that TGP used CB as a template when both songs are clearly different?
Like in that regard you should say CB ripped off of like 1960/70s jazz fusion ensembles just because some aspects sound simliar.
The op for Baccano is also really good
@@tonymorrill6561 Yeah, I can totally see the plagiarism here. The Great Pretender OP blatantly has a saxophone playing in its OP, which clearly indicates that it's a soulless and meaningless ripoff of the Cowboy Bebop OP.
I just listened to both OPs as a fan of neither show with no attachment to defend either, and I have to say that I honestly have no idea what you're talking about.
“Bad Dog No Biscuits” fuckin slaps, such a fun tune
With a name like that it couldn't be bad
Two of my favorites of the sound track are "adieu" and "the flying tea pot" featuring Emily Bindger. She used to be on the Great Space Coaster. Can't get enough of these two tracks.
I only finally listen to the full soundtrack for the first time about 3 months ago. And it's an amazing piece of art. I love every track on it!
Another anime with some good jazz is "Kids on the Slope". It's literally just a show about some jazz players and the music is very nice.
Not really original pieces though so there might be less to talk about.
That might also be Yoko
@@Loveselfloveall "The soundtrack for the anime series is composed primarily by Yoko Kanno, who won Best Music at the Tokyo Anime Awards for her work on Kids on the Slope in 2013.[2] The anime series uses two pieces of theme music: its opening theme "Sakamichi no Melody [ja]" is written and performed by Yuki,[3] while its closing theme "Altair [ja]" is written and performed by Motohiro Hata.[4]"as per Wiki. :) I thought the same thing.
It was also another collaboration between director Watanabe and Kanno.
Watanabe x Cano so yes, is a really good anime
"John Williams jacked Gustav Holst's entire shit" im dying
Which is why he's been running around in circles for some time, now.
He also jumped Korngold 😂
Yeah me n my friends all moisture farmers just chillin in mos eisley cantina after a long day's work
Guess who walks in? Stravinsky
But the movie director wanted him to do that - Williams saved orchestras in film music - because before he came, film music was shifting more towards rock/pop tracks/bands etc. cuz orchestras are priceyyyy and takes time etc. etc. and its just way easier to have premade music and chuck it to film (altho that isnt usually the best result hmmm) - From memory, star wars wasnt mean to have new music - the director put classical music to the film but then Williams got suggested and he got a chance to write music - but i dont think he had much freedom since a musical identity had already been prescribed to the film.
I cant remember exactly and this is off the top of my head - but worth doing some more looking into - twosetviolin did a comparison vid of film music vs classical and talked about how Williams stole from classical music - but if u read the comments and then do some digging online, there were a lot of circumstances surrounding it.
This is the sad thing for a lot of composers nowadays, cuz directors put music temporarily to film to get a feel for how the scene will go and then ask composers to do something similar - so rip composers arent gonna have a chance to breathe new life into the scene ;(
@@auriels1451 yeah, ik, I’m pretty sure George Lucas or somebody wanted to use Gustav holst’s “the planets” but it was copyrighted at the time and they couldn’t use it in a movie. So, they hired Williams to totally jack Holst’s entire shit. I think. I might be completely wrong, but I remember hearing something like that
I’ve loved this series for a long time. It’s one of my all time favorites. I love that you referenced the James Bond soundtrack. I hadn’t considered that before, but it makes so much sense. Some of the riffs and interludes in “Tank” remind me of the old Johnny Quest opening which is immensely nostalgic for me.
The Johnny Quest opening is so good! Thanks for reminding me about it...
Awesome review brother. I appreciate your love and depth of knowledge in music as well
Yoko is super talented, she has made so many memorable soundtracks, and each one very different from the other. It's difficult to imagine it's the same person that made zankyou no terror's ost for example, it took me by surprise when I read it.
Zankyou no Terror getting a mention? I see you are a person of culture as well!
@@AuspexAO yassssss
Oh damn! I love terror in resonances osts! Thanks for that bit of info ^^
Yes!! Yoko Kanno is incredibly versatile. She also did the Escaflowne soundtrack, which again sounds completely different. Truly a talented woman.
@@sallangel oh I don't know that one, I might give it a listen
As my friends and I like to say, "Yoko Kanno's genre is 'good.' It's the only kind of music she knows how to write."
In regards to the supposed “plagiarism”
“Good artists borrow, great artists steal” - Picasso
Why did I get chills listening to this soundtrack
My old boss used to blast this soundtrack every single day of the week. Surprisingly I still don't mind it.
I need to work for this guy.
@@ShinFahima as long as you don't mind Blind Guardian either I'm sure it'll work out 😂
@Yongo Bazuk If it were the case atleast it's good plagiarized music!
8:53 when this song is playing there was total chaos happening in the episode too. the pairing of these songs with the scenes is another level of artistry.
Great appreciation! This song always makes me feel great.
Cowboy Bebop OST is my go to working background music.
I forget about the outside and my mind goes on a frenzy. Excelent stuff.
it's so refreshing hearing someone talk about this topic who actually knows stuff
something that one of my professors said that’s stuck with me: “everything that will be written in music probably has already been performed before.” there’s no chord progression or melody that hasn’t been hummed or written in some form before. so just enjoy the music you enjoy, and as long as it isn’t directly taking away from someone else’s hard work, there’s no need to point fingers at chord progressions or riffs being similar.
Exactly. When I was working on my history degree, one of my professors stated that history doesn't repeat itself, so much as paraphrase. What has come before will so again, in a different guise. As long as it isn't active plagiarism, look at it for what other intents it could be.
Tell that to all the stevie ray vaughn guitar player clones the last 25 years (or any other group or act that hits far too close to their obvious influence source) I'm a guitar player so that is what I know most. Also the many Yngwie Malmsteen neoclassical shred metal dudes of the 80s. it became a pandemic and lame. It is not a fun listening experience and not much credit can be given beyond "wow great copying! sounds just like...". That is not a real artist, that is a great clone. If several people tell you you sound like someone else often, then you are guilty and should drop that influence and work on what is unique to you, unless you want to be king of the clones and that is good enough to you, not all musicians are true creative artists. Influence is great but you must work to get away from it if you are to claim true originality and creativity. Classical musicians work much that way, they live to play as they are told, to play as the music is written, very little interpretation allowed, and hence many classical musicians cannot improvise. There is a saying in art and music and jazz and most things: "imitate, assimilate, innovate". If you get stuck at stage 1 you are just a copier more or less. But if you take the next step and add in what is unique to YOU in addition to your influences, and assimilate them into a blend between the two, where it is not easy (or as easy) to see the influence, it morphs into something more original, and you reached step 2 which is adding some original artistry. Take it to the 3rd step and if you can become original enough where people cant compare you much if at all to influences, then that is true artistry. Not as many make it to level 3. The influences may still be there, but more originality is present to blur the lines. In the end people prefer originality over great clones. But I can understand with Yoko's area of work as production music, that it is expected for her to write near as possible to what the people who hire her for to sound like, so she is forced to as a job, as many production music people are for commercials, films, TV, etc I know many of them being in the studio business, and they do exactly what she does, play a certain song that the job tells her to make similar to, and recreate it's overall mood close as possible, so I cant blame her then, its a job, and a great job she does. But it would be nice to hear what her own solo music would sound (if she has any) outside of production music, where she is free to be unique, then we could see the true Yoko. That would be far better than cowboy bebop I would think, if it were truly not meant as production music resume example type portfolio, tho I suspect thats the case, as again its her job,
I love that the soundtrack is mostly jazz inspired but my fave episode is heavy metal queen which is such a start contrast of sound
Tank! was built for action, but not just action, but off kilter action. Like the first few notes are the moment you get spotted by the cops and the whole song is the heartbeat of the chase following. The kinetics of the song are excellent for the destitute and ramshackle Spike Speigel
The music on Bebop has an integral role. Like, the episodes are called "sessions". It reflects that choatic jam feeling.
Yes! I’d recommend anyone watching this who hasn’t seen it, go watch the chase scene in bebop where they use Bad Dog No Biscuit, the music conveys so much of the hectic situations that’s happening. Then compare it to the chase scene where (maybe spoilers?) Jet is chasing his ex, and while the scene is another chase scene, the music this time is melancholy and slow, reflecting sadness of the situation. All in all, the use of music is masterful in this show.
Back when I saw this as a kid in 2001 I thought I would never like jazz or the blues but cowboy bebop and yoko kanno blew the doors for me and now I like a little bit of everything
So true! After Cowboy bebop I did find out so Many interesting, fun and enjoyable jazz stuff that whole new world of music did open to me! Now jazz is one of the genres I like most and I am basically EDM, synthpop guy!
Ofcourse the combination of rap, edm and jazz Are all there, but Also the more purer forms of jazz definitely Are in my ball cround now!
@@haukionkannel the cowboy bebop edm remixs that go released one of them is the luke vibert tank remix
When I was a kid I got these DVDs out of the library and did the AB repeat of that intro and played it into the ground and I still can't get enough.
This soundtrack, although Cowboy Bebop came before, remains me of the Sam & Max soundtracks. There is just something so beautiful about both that I can’t help but smile and enjoy it!
So as a Jazz Pianist, you might REALLY like the OST for something called Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky, with a MAJOR chunk of the soundtrack being tied to the character's love of Jazz, and is astonishingly good. I only worry that this won't really get looked at since there aren't that many gundam fans around, but please trust me, it's an incredible OST that you'd love picking apart.
seconding this
Don't forget Lupin III ost's and theme. Their musics are godly
Ahh you’re a man of culture indeed..
best gundam ever it is
Kids on the Slope (another anime) is what got me into jazz (from the same director and composer as Cowboy Bebop too)
I agree, I think he would get a real kick out of that soundtrack
Yoko Kanno is a genius. Her work for Escaflowne and Wolf's Rain is amazing. To your point she makes every style feel "authentic". Love her decision making at the time of production. It's crazy.
At last, someone mentioned Escaflowne!
Someone mentioned Wolf's Rain!
My favorite anime of all time...
I mean, it starts with 'Tank!' and it had me there already; and the gorgeous visuals, the writing and the rest of this amazing soundtrack follows right behind, highly recommend it to anyone!