Prince and Princess - Versailles
So I made my first Japanese purchase. I had to put a lot of thought into what I wanted to buy because they're all so expensive, but I figured I should try for the cheapest item on my list and use it as a trial purchase. I bought the album Prince and Princess by Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet- and it was very worth it. This album only has three tracks, but this is not a disappointing characteristic and it competes just as well with any other twelve-track album.
One of the things I love the most about Versailles' music is that they tell stories like fairytales. Their music is heavy when due, but at the same time very romantic, expressive, and captivating. For a writer like me, this music speaks volumes in inspiration and has a calming effect when writer's block kicks in. Prince and Princess is my favorite for three reasons: "Prince", "Princess", and "Silent Knight". That could be enough said on its own, but I'm going to say more.
"Prince" is perhaps the least related to the rest of the album. It's decidedly less symphonic than the other two tracks...as well as decidedly less metallic, but it still fits in perfectly. "Prince" is from Versailles' first major album Noble, and is slightly more Kamijo's touch than Hizaki's though they worked on the music together. It is a tale of romance; a prince longing to make off with his love to a better future. It is beautiful but not particularly challenging on anyone's part. It's incredibly simple in fact. Even so, it's a fantastic song.
"Princess" is my absolute favorite song by Versailles. It is a brilliant fairytale told both melodically and lyrically and is both sad and romantic at the same time. It begins with a more intense introduction, but tapers off perfectly for the passionate story to begin. The song, being over eight minutes long, transforms itself various times, always returning to the same melodic theme. This keeps "Princess" interesting. Most eight minute songs burn out after four or five, but this song plays fantastically throughout. The song seems to detail the story of a very fragile princess, one longing for something like security. Her lover desires to protect her, as fragile as she is, but seems to possess some sort of inadequacy in doing so. He compares her to a flower bud, soft and delicate, but innocent (even immature) difficult to rely on. However he's willing to clutch onto her, protect her so that in time she might blossom into the flower she wishes to become. Kamijo chose beautiful symbolism for this track. It's not a secret that Hizaki composes the music first, so it's really a wonder that Kamijo could derive a story like this from the melody he was given. A truly fantastic tale, rivaling any Disney movie you've ever seen.
"Silent Knight" is a purely instrumental track and a really selfless move on Kamijo's part. It's natural that the front-man of any band gets the most camera time and often the most credit. Many fangirls are purely Kamijo-crazy. This song proves that Versailles is definitely not a band sustained by its front-man, and that each member is strong enough to stand alone. Hizaki did a brilliant job composing the track, and even despite him being somewhat of the lead guitarist, he gave Teru a majority of the solos. Jasmine You also had a moment in the spotlight for somewhat of a bass solo. The solo is easier to hear in lives, but if you know when to listen for it, you hear it every time. "Silent Knight" highlights each member's strong talents, and even without Kamijo they're entirely united. It's simply wonderful that Kamijo can opt to be a "silent knight" every once in a while.
All in all, this album was a worthy purchase. It also makes for a wonderful addition to anyone's fairytale collection.
