This is such a weird song, it’s like a Ballard but not, it’s rock but a lot of jazz stuff going on. It’s weird but catchy and awesome. The new shirt looks great! Keep up the great work man!
It's as if Sting said, "Ok I'm gonna do jazz and funk for my solo stuff" and Band-Maid went, "Excuse me sir, you don't have to entirely leave out the rock part to do that." And it's not the stereotyped caricature of rock that a lot of fusion-y groups do.
Saiki got me on this and choose me back to back. Before I got Misa and Arkane so saki edged me into the band. Miku followed and kanami last. Now it's all 5 equal .... They all contribute and are way in front of anything. Great band.
That cool shirt looks good on you! Wonderland is one of my favorite songs form CONQUEROR. Saiki's vocal register is wide, and her singing voice is filled with various emotions..! And.. @8:16~ Look how focused Kanami looks. She's definitely in the zone!! If we touch her while she is in the zone, a current of 10,000 volts will flow ⚡
For me Wonderland is Sai-Chans moment, her smiling, the look in her eyes and how her movements in time (i can't explain) i just get the impression she is all in on this one :)
First of all, kudos to you for the props to Kobato leading second verse!.She always goes unnoticed on this song (Saiki and MISA are stellar in this one). Your thoughts about catchiness and songwriting are the nucleus of the thing. This is new, this is important for the music and I really hope they are leading a path way. They paint a miracle in every song (Manners reference). And finally... I want a T shirt!!!. Holy shit, BAND Maid should contract you for their merchandise (in general it's not crazy good, very far from their music)
Wonderland -- a great progy, jazz rocker with touches of funky elegance wrap around mid-tempo sophistication, great storytelling and an epic soundscape. Oh, yeah... and some Pop to boot! In other words, Band-Maid doing Band-Maid things, right Ryan? 😊
Saiki is the seventh string of Kanami's guitar, impressive in her vocal skills. Saiki es la séptima cuerda de la guitarra de Kanami, impresionante su habilidad cómo vocalista.
Dream Theater were my favorite band for well over a decade. They write incredible, intricate, and occasionally moving music. They stimulate me intellectually (insert joke here) more than any other band. But I get a LOT of that from BAND-MAID, and they speak to my soul almost every time.
I can hear you, DT was my favorite band since Images and Words in 1992 until this year. Then I found Band-Maid and I have a new favorite band with DT as #2. I have seen DT live and they are an amazingly good live band with skills out of this world , but they don't move me like Band-Maid does.
Your comments really speak to me. Pretty much all my favorite bands, most times I just have to be on the mood for. But band maid is like something I will listen to no matter what the mood.
Really, really well done. Your commentary at the end was 100% spot on. This song felt magical when I heard it on the album. This performance of it IS magical. IMHO - MISA and Akane carry this song. They're so in step bringing a phat-ass groove to the song. Miku's playing on this is vastly underrated and was a true testament to her growth as a player. It allowed Kanami to just paint all over the sonic canvas put down by Saiki's beautiful vocals and the aforementioned phat-ass beat. To say that this band is better than the sum of its parts... is not a criticism but in this case extremely high praise when looking at the god-tier talent that makes up this band.
Absolutely love this somewhat underrated gem. Saiki and Miku's vocals though... And the prominence of the Barefoot Assassins Bass... Kanami and Akane, doing Kanami and Akane things. Thank you for the reaction. 🔥🖤💎
Listenability...could be the word you're looking for lol. You can enjoy just listening to them or really listening to them. Their songs are highly curated by them so there many layers to peel through. Might be why so many fans are musicians.
@@jeremydawkins8814 What again? AWESOME! I haven't even had time to go there yet. I haven't contributed at all in guessing the songs other than to say i hate Bieber. Great job Jeremy.👍
Band Maids pallet is so immense, and Wonderland is just another colour. Saiki's growth curve as a singer continues to impress. And once again Kanami just never stops the entire song. Bye the bye where did you get that t-shirt. I need one.
@@RyanMear Don't think it would be a copyright issue but I saw a photo of the band and Saiki is holding a sign that says " Just do what the pigeon says and no one gets hurt". Love that and it would make a great shirt. Just a thought.
As always Band Maid! And Ryan Mear awesome! You're like PB&J! Jack and Coke! Biscuits and Gravy! Thanks Brother! Got a request. Don't You Tell Me official MV! You've done the live version. But not the official. 3 out of 4 times I think the live is better. This is the 1 in 4. Arguably their best MV. Though Warning is pretty awesome! You've done 52 Maid videos at last count! Thanks for spreading the awesomeness known as Band Maid! PO! 😊😎✌🤘🎅🎄
Another great reaction Ryan. Wonderland and Corallium feature my favourite Saiki vocal performances. Her range here is impressive. I hope they do an acoustic version of both songs on their Christmas day show
The start with Saiki, Miku, and Kanami strumming(humming along) then Misa and Akane kick in. Miku always adding the upper/lower vocal flares while Saiki holds the main keys. Kanami also sneaking in a riff underneath the whole song. In the song's chorus Kanami and Misa do a similar thing as well( as what Saiki and Miku were doing)
Fantastic commentary as usual, especially what you were saying at the end about melodic accessibility. After listening to Wonderland more times than I can count, I've come to realize that it is basically a compositional masterclass in building tension through tonality and rhythm over the course of three minutes, and then releasing everything at the end with the return of that huge opening riff, and of course the beautiful vocal harmonies of Saiki and Miku.
Great reaction and commentary as usual! I feel the same way about this great band. I agree that they have managed to produce music that can be taken and enjoyed on the surface level while also possessing an intricate array of awesome Musical Circuitry below the surface. The scary thing is I feel this band has yet to peak and what they are still capable of producing. I hope to see the track Glory as one of those tracks you have been holding back on in the near future. Love the shirt design and other merch you have produced and I must get myself one of my own. Keep up the good work!
I was almost like shouting and screaming out loud.....its Kobato Kobato not Kanami..any "weird" stuff..its Kobato indeed..dmmmm she's adorable and yet showing some skills 😚...but yeah glad you've noticed that😚😚.. Wonderland..oufff.. marvelous.. everytime Saiki sing " to the Wonder....land"...im totally in Band-Maid's wonderland
I knew you’d catch that it was Miku doing those cool sound effect bends starting at 3:48. This song and this performance are absolute masterpieces - not many other songs by rock bands have this refined level of joyous beauty and most of those other beautiful songs use string sections (Nights in White Satin, Rush’s The Garden, for example). That Band Maid can create this without that is remarkable. They are all special musicians and then you put them together…just wow 🤩
Wonderland is another masterpiece by Band-Maid, Saiki shines like a supernova on this one. And not to forget the harmonies Miku sings. Miku have a higher pitched voice and can reach pretty high notes. Together they make the unique Band-Maid vocal sound.
R U Kidding me? I really thought you covered this. LOVE this performance. Nice one Ryan! ;) The vocals and harmonies on the last verse are just soul wrenching good.
great reaction and review from Ryan (as expected). The vocals from Saiki and Miku shine in this song. How much talent can you possibly fit into one band??? and yes - had to get one of your shirts - one of the best logos I have seen.
It's so sad that nowadays, "pop" is considered an ugly word, close to an insult! Back in the sixties, "pop" was refering to every great new rock music. Now (and since the eighties) it means commercial shit. Please peopl eremember that when people of a certain "mileage" (^^) talks about "pop" they don't always mean it in a despising or insulting way.
I agree. It is as if the Soft Rock concept had disappeared, which also had its time in the 60s and 70s (ELO, 10cc, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner ...). For a long time it was really very listened to (and very sold).
I never understood why this song seems to get overlooked. It’s a great song. The vocals are great.. the change ups are cool. Misa is doing her thing… adds up to a great song
I'm curious if Saiki will bust out a piano on the Christmas acoustic set. Also curious what songs they will play. Seems like they can pull off an acoustic performance to any of their songs.
I'm not a musician, just a music listener, but everytime you talk about your thoughts and vision and way to apprehend about music in general (not only B-M) I always the sensation I found "my music's soul-bro" xD . And for the too many few things I heard of your music, I liked it pretty much bay the way. I need to take the time to listen more of you music. And one other I like about you, you do this reaction things since a little while now, and you still the same, it's pretty rare, and it's good to see ^^ Take care :)
I could not have described Band-Maid any better Ryan. Band-Maid truly ticks off all boxes I am looking for in music, and then a couple of more that I did not know I was looking for. Also, Miku is underrated. Her vocal range is absolutely incredible, and get way to little recognition. Also she has become a really good guitar player, but the improvement has been so subtle that few have really noticed it. Kanami definitely has noticed, because she has stopped holding back when writing Miku's parts 😁
always agreed that Miku is a bit under-rated ! Whether instrumental or vocal, she starts off as back-up but soon is at more like duet level ! She and Saiki are a delight to hear, weaving and layering their voices together..................... Fascinating irony that the two members perhaps most distant at the start of the band are now building a sound together that is one of the great highlights !
Great reaction Ryan "Wonderland" is my second favorite song from "CONQUEROR" and this particular live performance is one of my favorite by BAND-MAID. I still don't get why this video has such a small number of views. Maybe it is time for a reaction to another great song from "CONQUEROR" you didn't check out yet: "glory" Thank you
You put it awesomely clear and definitely why BM is such a great group. It’s not just guitars, not drums or vocals. It’s a combination of skills that put together in an awesome display of musicianship.
I think a food analogy works. Like a custard that's rich (the overall musical depth and complexity of arrangement), sweet (the catchiness and accessibility), and savory (the nutmeg or caramelized part on top, stuff that's technical or challenging for the listener, like the lead guitar dissonance you noticed). Sometimes it seems like there's this gap of appreciation for Band-Maid in the middle between non-musicians and the more perceptive, by some people that are really focused on technicality but not actually good at picking it out of the other elements. And I'm definitely getting one of those shirts, those are amazing!
I think Wonderland Kanami’s most sophisticated composition and a showcase for Saiki’s vocals and Miku’s harmonies. Akane’s drumming is laid back and so tasty. And what is Misa doing!?
Ryan I have to ask, is there any songs that these Spectacular Woman do bad? Especially live songs? I'm with you my friend Band Maid by far is A Great Band and Everyone of These Women are Superbly Talented. Great reaction from your perspective Ryan
I have asked myself the same question and I have concluded its not possible. I have come to believe they are incapable of producing and performing a sub-par track.
@@yang-it-yin7002 Well maybe on the first recording. But anyone who was really familar with the band might be like, "Yeah I _hate_ it. And everybody else apparently does as well. But I'm gonna (EDIT: listen to it 10 more times to make sure it isn't just too good to grasp on the first hearing, and if necessary) wait for the live version before I make a final judgment." _SEE:_ Dragon Cries, Start Over, About Us.
This one deserves a reaction comment: 1:13 - How is it possible that they just keep making songs that sound different, but are incredible? 1:45 - ARGH, your L/R channels are backwards again. :P 2:05 - Just a really cool jazzy feeling 3:45 - I love this drum fill from Akane... nothing crazy, just cool 4:12 - You heard Saiki's falsetto in Puzzle Acoustic, but I can't remember if we've heard it in another full band song 5:04 - YES! I'm so happy that you heard it was Miku playing that cool part, most other reactors miss that and assume it's Kanami or a backing track. 5:41 - Akane again with the cool, unexpected china cymbal fill 7:20 - Their ability to just fake us out on the drop every time is incredible 8:02 - This harmony from Saiki and Miku gives me goosebumps 8:30 - The song is over and there are 6+ mins left, dis gonna be good 10:05 - Band Maid will definitely never be boring, at least not for me 10:49 - It's amazing to me how many reactors are able to pick out the same things. Both Champ and Wave have both compared B-M to Dream Theater but said that B-M was way more catchy. 12:28 - This is a perfect example of a solo that fits the song perfectly, but it's crazy complicated. 12:50 - Awesome, great design. 13:40 - That Mear Image Wear logo is great. Very clever 14:20 - We're happy to have met you too. :)
You're all good Ryan. The word pop and mainstream should be okay to use without criticism. It is what it is. All pop music isn't without substance and music with substance can be popular. Want proof? Band-Maid right? Thanks again man.
The Maids never do anything half-assed. The amount of time and thought that goes into each song is baffling. Quality through and through, every time. Perfect example, right here 🙂🤘
Great reaction as always. Wonderland is a brilliant piece of art. One of my favorite bits of the video is seeing Kanami totally into playing at the end of the song. She is a Rock Goddess
Thank you Ryan I have asked you about where did you get that T shirt in the past! Well I just scored a hoodie and 2 t shirts of the best ideas for A badge that I have seen in a long time You are a very good commercial Artist in all you do and what a great vision you came up with, I am sure I will be purchasing more for my two sons ! I cant wait to fly my Band Maid flag all the hell over again thanx!
The single most impressive part of this band is the versatility without being gimmicky. Other bands that try to be THIS all over the road musically end up crashing and burning at some point. Not this band. If you didn't know that Warning!, About Us, Wonderland, Puzzle, Rinne and Manners were the same group you'd be hard pressed to convince someone they were.
So professional...this is a very difficult song to perform live, but they nailed it perfectly. Unbelievable performance, and the audio quality is amazing as well.
Cool shirt! I initially was not fond of Wonderland. The bass and guitars sounded like frogs croaking to me. But after a few listens it became one of my favorites. I especially like the vocals.
Misa's bass is out there but for me instrumentally the beauty is in the subtelty of the instruments on this one, I absolutely adore the vocals on this one, Saiki at her best and Miku as always wonderfully backing her up.
Love how they fake you out the first time when you think the song is reaching its climax, and then the second time, you don't get heavy guitar or anything but those powerful harmonies as Saiki and Miku wind up and let it rip. And of course Akane is playing this jazzy stuff during a lot of the song which is also really tasty. Could go on and on, as usual with them. Enjoyed this.
This song's arrangement takes Band maid to another musical level. Again they have set the bar high , and amongst all the tricks and high brow skills , they still manage to present a great catchy pop rock fusion type hit. Amazing girls indeed.
This might be heresy, but I might like Wonderland more than Daydreaming. One thing Kanami does exceptionally well is making solos be actually part of the song. So well, that people sometimes don't even notice there is a solo😉 There are too many bands where it's obvious that the composer just leaves a "insert solo here" space and the guitarists then do something that kinda sorta fits.
Nice shirts Ryan!! Did you have the reactor channels that smash the "Pause" button to talk in the middle of a Kanami solo in mind when you designed this? ....Lol!
Nice reaction. IMO one of their best compositions. Also, I think we lost the solo's when it became all about the singer. On the radio we lost the whole band at times. All done electronically very few actual musicians involved at times. Just going by well it sounded good. But you need far more than that when you start doing solo's. At that point the music industry just dropped them. One of the reasons I listen to jazz. It's never going to go away in that genre. Soloing is part of the music. But as I've learned over the years music moves in circles. Go too long without something and it will return as folks rediscover it. Blues comes to mind often with this. We'll go a while without a Bluesy type of song and then we'll get 100 of them. It just takes time for it to come back around. The kind of exciting rock and metal music coming out of Japan right now I think is just another return of what we missed. Just, this time instead of another British Invasion we're getting a Japanese one. Which is rather cool because they're doing a great job with it too. And adding their own touch to it. Which all music needs to grow.
Hey Ryan. Been watching your Band Maid reactions since the get go, and so happy that you 'got it' right away. I was fortunate to discover them in '18, after You Tube introduced me to Scandal while watching some Japan travel videos. Scandal is who I would call the 'queens' of J Rock, and they will always be my first love. From there I discovered our girls, and have not cheated on them since. Band Maid's 'secret', which is no secret, perhaps more like 'recipe', is this: Great compositions and arrangements of songs, catchy lyrics and rhythms, world class musicianship, a love of what they do and love for each other, and the ingredient I believe that sets them apart from all the other J Rock bands; Saiki. Yep. Her voice is unique, beautiful, versatile and enchanting. No other like hers. I know a lot of people prefer Lovebites because of their musical awesomeness. And, they are probably the best shredders on the planet. But, to me a lot of their songs sound the same, not catchy, and to be honest, I really don't care for the singer's voice. I really like your shirt design and will purchase one. I can't wait to see which member you do next. I will get all five if you decide to do so, only if the next four are creative and well done as Mincho's, which I have no doubt they will be. You are a damn good artist on several fronts. I probably have about 20 years on you, but I am an old drummer from the 70's, learning my first beats through Donnie Brewer of Grand Funk in the late 60's. Then Neil Peart came into my life and I was ruined. Sad day in drummer land when he passed. But, now I have Akane and all is well. Rock on brother, and Po!
Wow, Dana, that's great! Thank you, I'm waiting for the next good idea to arrive for a shirt.... I'm not going to force it, hooefully I accidentally say something clever again!
As usual Ryan, I learned something new here. I had NO idea that was Miku playing that bit you pointed out (even though it was right in front of my face) because I've always focused on Akane's rim shots in the second verse. She accents them each with more or less force and then starts to repeat the same pattern before changing it up for the lead into the pre chorus. Smoky, tasty jazz chops, baby! Thanks cargo ship loads, Mr. Mear!
