Here is my first attempt at being objective in reviewing a hide CD. This'll be hard, but I really want to give it a shot. This is the first of hide's 3 albums (4 if you count Zilch's 3.2.1.) Well, here we go!

hide... He was just amazing.

1. Psychommunity
This intro starts off with random noise, then suddenly becomes a hide guitar solo. That's always a good thing. It's pretty slow and has a lovely melody. When the drums enter and the music swells, you just know it's gonna be a good album. The pace picks up, making it a great piece to bob your head to. It might be a little 80s, but in a good way. At over 4 minutes, it's a long intro track, but the key and tempo changes keep it interesting. So good it deserves to be scored.
Rating: 9

2. Dice
This song is pure hide. The rollicking, fast guitar riffs, the lyrics that are half-sung, half-spat... ah. hide's voice isn't as nasal as in other works, so it seems a little more serious. After 1 minute, hide gets a guitar solo. Whoo! It's kind of X Japan-ish. Like most hide songs, this one is fun, fast and catchy. The end is hard enough to satisfy even some metal fans. Good stuff.
Rating: 9

3. Scanner
This is the kind of song that has to grow on you. Nasal, hide vocals, a hard, fast beat... hide's metal roots are showing through here. The chorus is pure, classic hide: "Scan your brain, scan your bone." I mean, who else writes lyrics like that? The best things going for this song are the steady guitars and the speed. If it was any slower, it would be boring. But it's not. On a side-note, Luna Sea did a cover of this on the hide Tribute~Spirits album that is brilliant.
Rating: 8

4. Eyes Love You (T.T. Version)
I love this song. It's very, very 80s, but oh so cool. It has a laid-back tempo and some of hide's most serious vocals. He is really trying hard here to be a good vocalist, and he succeeds. You almost can't believe that the same man sang this song and something like "Beauty & Stupid." It's amazing. The verses of this song are nice, but really it's the chorus that sells it. "Eyes love you, but my heart can't love you so, zanzou no VENUS." That's the kind of line that stays with you, I think. It's very memorable, but I think some fans overlook it. It also has one of my favourite guitar solos of all time. Seeing him play it live is a treat.
Rating: 10

5. D.O.D. (Drink or Die)
Ha, this song is so crazy! Crazy, and fast! It is the complete opposite of "Eyes Love You". hide is singing about his favourite hobby, DRINKING! This song has a very cool punk edge. Just when you think it can't get any faster, it does! I will never, ever be able to sing the lyrics. At 2:18, it's really short, but also a lot of fun. If any song exemplifies hide's personality, it's this one.
Rating: 8

6. Crime of Breen St.
This is an interlude. It's just over a minute long. Yay.

7. Doubt (remix version)
A hide classic, and one of his hardest songs. This song just KICKS. It's loud and fast and angry. hide's vocals are nasal and filtered, so he sounds like he's singing from far away over an intercom or something. It's a cool effect that would show up more on "PSYENCE." I don't know a single hide fan that doesn't like this song. It's such a perfect combination of rock and metal and hide uniqueness. Plus, it's a great way to let off steam when you are having a REALLY bad day. hide gets bonus points for using the word "jellyfish" in a song.
Rating: 10

8. A Story
Probably the most un-hide-like song he ever wrote. It opens with quiet acoustic guitar, then finally some percussion enters. The whole atmosphere is very dreamlike. hide's vocals are gentle and serious; he sounds like a whole new person here. Amazing. It's such a change of pace for the album, and really throws the harder songs into contrast. It also shows how complex hide's personality was.
Rating: 8

9. Frozen Bug '93
Now, I don't want to say that I dislike this song, but it's not one of my favourites. It begins with pounding guitar chords, over and over, with accompanying percussion. Finally, we get some variety in chords, but that's only a slight improvement. Obviously, hide was trying to do another metal song here. hide growls and screams the vocals to good effect, but this song just isn't quite my style. It lacks that hide originality and flair. That's all. The instrumental bridge is pretty awesome, I must say.I don't skip over it, but I don't sing along either. It's just there. It is cool to see live though.
Rating: 7

10. T.T. Groove
30 second interlude. Moving on...

11. Blue Sky Complex
Okay, this is a cool song. It opens with very hide-ish guitars and then adds... a brass section?! What the f...?! hide starts singing with his "serious" voice, but the nasalness peeks through here and there. (Like the little "oh!") The brass section really makes this song unique. That, and the hide rap section. LOL I'm serious. This song is so groovy. "Riding on the wind, take me to nightmare." hide jams quite a bit on the guitar, which is ALWAYS good. Then we get a quiet, dark bridge section which builds back toward the chorus as the percussion gets louder and more persistant. Toward the end, a female backup singer joins in and really belts... this chick has a BIG voice. I won't give this song a 10 since it doesn't quite measure up to songs like "Misery," but damn it's close! So much fun!
Rating: 9

12. Oblaat (remix version)
Someone, please tell me what an oblaat is. I am dying to know. This is a faster, punkish hide song with some 80s-esque backing vocals. It also has hide's most nasal performance on the album. He just sounds so cool when he sings like that. How can I explain it? I guess you just have to hear for yourself. "Nevermind my friends." This is just a happy, bouncy song. Pure hide goodness.
Rating: 8

13. Tell Me
One of the two hide songs that forever changed my perspective on both music and life. (The other one is "Misery" of course). This is an upbeat song with classic hide guitars and one of his best vocal performances. The chorus is one you will never, ever forget. It always makes me smile. In the middle is a super-cool (yes, I am a dork) guitar solo, followed by the reggae bridge. Wha?! Yes, reggae. It might sound a little retro, but if that bothers you, check out the hide w/ Spread Beaver update a few years later. I happen to love it. "Singin' my song for me, singin' your song for you."
Rating: 10

14. Honey Blade
The most overlooked hide song ever, in my opinion. It's a little retro, but darker than almost every other hide song. It's all about betrayal, murder and suicide. Fun topics, to be sure. hide wrote a short story to accompany this song. I've never read the whole thing, but it's very creepy. hide's performance here is kinda scary, as if the character he's playing is bordering on madness. Need I mention the guitar solo? Thought not. The spoken part is pure Yoshiki, but with a hide twist. I love this song so much it's my UJournal name. You can read it here. Um, I adore this song and it's dark beauty.
Rating: 10

15. 50% & 50% (Crystal Lake Version)
This is just hide having fun. It's a country version of a pure hide rock song. It starts with the original version playing on a radio, which fades out for acoustic guitar. It's actually really funny in a way. I can see hide as a country singer. Sort of. LOL This is mostly just hide with his guitar. It's cool. At the end, the original arrangement takes over, which makes it even more fun since you can see how different the two are. You have to hear this to believe it.
Rating: 8

16. Psychommunity Exit
Long album, huh? hide gives you your money's worth. Most of this is just the Psychommunity theme looping and repeating. It ties the album together, but you won't listen to it often. It's 19 minutes long, but a lot of it is silence and/or white noise. It does give the album a finished feel though. No score necessary.

Overall Score: 9 out of 10 I hope you enjoyed this review and that you will support and honor hide's memory by buying one of his cds. Don't waste his music on mp3s. I recommend this Cd, but as long as you keep hide in your heart and mind, anything will do.

matsumoto hideto 1964~1998