SONG OF THE DAY (#160)

'such a beautiful girl like you [single version],' by pizzicato five

when i saw pizzicato five at the el rey in l.a. back in 97, it was at that time the single most entertaining concert i've ever been to. ten years later it still is. costume changes (at least 5)! dancing bears! feather boas! it wasn't just a concert: it was an experience. and it was incredible!

nomiya maki [who you see at the top of this blog] was the essence of a superstar. she was glamorous, flirty, adorable, sophisticated, classy, and drop-dead gorgeous. yasuharo konishi marched around the stage with a snare drum draped from his neck like some hyperactive tenth-grader [and most of the time he didn't even match up with the beat], and some other guy [no idea who he was] wore black leather pants, a purple silk shirt with matching boa was playing an unplugged guitar. it was organized mayhem and it was 100% awesome. (my friend tim saw them in SF a day or two later and his friend, joe, wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real or a result of the booze!).

but explosive stage shows are nothing if you don't have the songs to back it up. pizzicato five, imho, may be the finest pop band of the last twenty years (it's neck and neck with saint etienne). unfortunately, a lot of people turn a deaf ear to a song not in his or her own native language. p5 released a few songs in english, or english versions of their songs, but naturally it's about 95% japanese, as well it should be. the duo of yasahuro konishi and keitar�� takanami (who later left the band) had considerable songwriting chops [their intricacy and complexity of their arrangements is astonishing] and led the rise of the shibuya-kei music scene. pizzicato five drew on influences like serge gainsbourg and other french y��-y�� singers, bossa nova, lounge, pop, with an image nicked straight from audrey hepburn and the pages of 1960s british vogue.

pizzicato five was the perfect blend of music and image. i could spend hours [and have] watching their videos [which are actually mini-movies, most beginning with 'starring ms. nomiya maki']. these are my favorites: 'tout va bien,' [i dare you not to smile], 'such a beautiful girl like you,' & 'twiggy twiggy.'

pizzicato five wasn't just a band, it was a movement. and dang if they weren't the coolest. band. ever. i'm as straight as they come and even i wanted to be nomiya maki. it must've been illegal amounts of fun to be part of p5. but, all good things must come to an end. sadly, in 2001 pizzicato five called it quits and the world is a lesser place because of it. i still miss them.

we love you p5, oh yes we do!

��� pizzicato five: such a beautiful girl like you
��� pizzicato five: twiggy, twiggy vs. james bond
��� pizzicato five: magic carpet ride

if you like those, check these out:

��� pizzicato five: made in the usa
��� pizzicato five: big hits and jet lags 1991-1995
��� pizzicato five: big hits and jet lags 1994-1997
��� pizzicato five: the singles