:Night Fishing (album)
{{good article}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Night Fishing
| type = album
| artist = Sakanaction
| cover = Nightfishing.jpg
| alt = A white Ferris wheel against a night scene, created with paper
| released = {{start date|2008|01|23}}
| recorded = 2007
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Pop, dance, electronica, post-rock
| length = {{Duration|m=49|s=51}}
| language = Japanese
| label = BabeStar Label
| producer = Sakanaction
| prev_title = Go to the Future
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = 'Night Fishing Is Good' Tour 2008 in Sapporo
| next_year = 2008
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Night Fishing
| type = album
| single1 = Word
| single1date = December 5, 2007
| single2 = Sample
| single2date = December 5, 2007
| single3 = Night Fishing Is Good
| single3date = December 26, 2007
}}
}}
Night Fishing (stylized as NIGHT FISHING,{{cite web | url=http://www.en.barks.jp/sp/news/?id=1000005419 | title=Sakanaction will digitally release all albums in hi-rez | publisher=Barks | date=March 20, 2015 | access-date=August 8, 2015 | archive-date=September 24, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924011932/http://www.en.barks.jp/sp/news/?id=1000005419 }} {{IPA|ja|naitoɸiꜜɕɕiŋɡɯ}}) is the second studio album by Japanese band Sakanaction. It was released on January 23, 2008, through Victor Entertainment's BabeStar Label. The album primarily features music written by vocalist Ichiro Yamaguchi since the release of their debut album Go to the Future (2007). Compared to their debut album, which compiled songs that the band had already written, the majority of the songs on Night Fishing were written specifically for the release. The album was an attempt by the band to find a better balance between popular music and underground, and was an album where the members wanted to incorporate more of their own personal styles; which caused the members to disagree over its content much more than on their debut album.
The album was preceded by the digital singles "Word", "Sample" and "Night Fishing Is Good", all released in December 2007. Out of these, "Sample" was chosen as the main promotional track for the album, receiving high radio play in Hokkaido. Critically, the band was praised for their new direction on Night Fishing, with critics praising the album's mix of pop and electronic musical elements, Yamaguchi's poetic lyrics and "transparent" vocals. Night Fishing was more commercially successful than Go to the Future, reaching number 53 on the Oricon singles chart.
In 2009, the album was made available globally as a digital download, alongside the band's debut and third albums Go to the Future (2007) and Shin-shiro (2009). In 2015, the album was reissued on CD, LP record and lossless digital formats.
Background and development
Sakanaction was first formed in 2005 in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The band gained exposure in Hokkaido after winning the audition to perform as a newcomer artist at the Rising Sun Rock Festival in Otaru in August 2006, and after demos of their songs "Mikazuki Sunset" and "Shiranami Top Water" performed well on College Radio Japan Sapporo.{{cite web | url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/44829/full/ | title=北海道から全国区へ?新種バンド"サカナクション" | language=ja |publisher=Oricon |date=May 22, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015}} The band were signed to major label Victor Entertainment, and released their debut album Go to the Future on May 7, 2007, through Victor's BabeStar Label. The group performed a short tour of Japan to promote the album's release, performing concerts in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo in May.{{cite web | url=http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000031134 | title=北海道で人気急上昇中のバンド、サカナクション | language=ja |publisher=Barks |date=April 20, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015}} As a part of the Sapporo concert's set-list, the band performed the songs "Teenage" and "Amsfish"; then unpublished songs that would later be added to Night Fishing.{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/802050139 | title=サカナクション 山口一郎『NIGHT FISHING』全曲解説！インタビュー「アムスフィッシュ」 | language=ja |publisher=HMV.co.jp |author=Takehiko Hosaka |date=February 8, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}}{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/802050136 | title=サカナクション 山口一郎『NIGHT FISHING』全曲解説！インタビュー「ティーンエイジ」 | language=ja |publisher=HMV.co.jp |author=Takehiko Hosaka |date=February 8, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} Since their debut, the band had been based in Sapporo, and had recorded their albums there.{{cite web | url=http://www.babestar.net/sakanaction/ | title=サカナクション「NIGHT FISHING」2008.01.23 RELEASE | language=ja |publisher=Victor Entertainment |date=April 26, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525074557/http://www.babestar.net/sakanaction/ |archive-date=May 25, 2008}}{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/49647122.html | title=ライブとレコーディング。 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=September 30, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217042230/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/49647122.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}} Night Fishing would become their last Hokkaido-based release, as the group moved to Tokyo in mid 2008.{{cite web | url=http://blog.sakanaction.jp/?month=200805 | title=オムライス | language=ja |author=Emi Okazaki |publisher=Victor Entertainment |date=May 14, 2008 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802081450/http://blog.sakanaction.jp/?month=200805 |archive-date=August 2, 2008}}
Due to the response to the band's debut album Go to the Future, Sakanaction's A&R team pushed them to quickly follow this up with a second album.{{cite magazine |url=http://ro69.jp/feat/sakanaction_201109?p=2 |title=特集 サカナクション |language=ja |author=Shinji Hyogo |magazine=Rockin' On Japan |year=2011 |access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217175110/http://ro69.jp/feat/sakanaction_201109?p=2 |archive-date=February 17, 2015 }} They felt extremely pressured while creating the album, especially by their musical director at Victor Entertainment.{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/802050129 | title=サカナクション 山口一郎『NIGHT FISHING』全曲解説！インタビュー | language=ja |publisher=HMV.co.jp |author=Takehiko Hosaka |date=February 8, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}}
Writing and production
= Conception =
Most of the songs featured on Night Fishing were written specifically for it. The band members felt like the album was their first release that they had made together as a five-member band, as opposed to Go to the Future, which the band's vocalist and songwriter Ichiro Yamaguchi described as feeling like a "business card" due to the inclusion of mostly old material.{{cite web | url=http://www.sapporolife.com/entertainment/interview/sakanaction/index.asp | title=Artist Interview vol.018 サカナクション | language=ja |publisher=Sapporo Life |year=2008 | access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208120012/http://www.sapporolife.com/entertainment/interview/sakanaction/index.asp |archive-date=February 8, 2008 }}{{cite web | url=http://eonet.jp/music/interview/index_080307.html | title=サカナクション インタビュー | language=ja |publisher=K-Opticom Corporation |date=March 7, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217152535/http://eonet.jp/music/interview/index_080307.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}} The material for the album was created based on the response and criticism for their debut album, and the members realization that they should not be frightened to make bold changes.{{cite web | url=http://www.shift.jp.org/ja/archives/2008/01/sakanaction.html | title=サカナクション 音楽はアート。|author=Madoka Suzuki |publisher=Shift Japan |year=2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} However, several songs were already written beforehand: "Sample" was originally a song released by Yamaguchi's high school band Dutchman 2002, and "Amsfish" was a song written during Sakanaction's early days in 2005 that did not make the album cut of Go to the Future, because Yamaguchi felt that the song did not fit well on their debut release.{{cite web | url=http://dutchman.jp/music/index.html | title=Discography | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041211230053/http://dutchman.jp/music/index.html |archive-date=December 11, 2004}} The band attempted to make a more commercial sound compared to Go to the Future, and tried to strike a balance between underground, minimal electronic music and "high entertainment" popular music. The band wanted to keep a sense of enjoyment in their music, and attempted to do so by experimenting with different musical styles, including progressive rock and choral singing, and experimenting with elements of ambient and folk music. After performing their first Japanese tour in 2008, Sakanaction put more consideration into choosing arrangements that would work better at live concerts.
The album was created at a point where each of the band members wanted to incorporate more of their own personalities into the music of Sakanaction, which led to Night Fishing becoming the album where the members disagreed over its content the most. Sakanaction also had difficulty between themselves and their record label over deciding which song should have been the leading promotional song. The label had chosen "Sample", but there was a lot of opposition to this from Yamaguchi, who preferred "Night Fishing Is Good". When the band unveiled their song to their director at Studio Milk, he did not react very well to the song, and the label chose not to promote this song due to its six-minute length.{{cite web | url=http://www.tfm.co.jp/lock/sakana/index.php?blogid=4&archive=2012-12-10 | title=レクリエーション | language=ja |author=Ichiro Yamaguchi |publisher=Tokyo FM |date=December 12, 2012 | access-date=February 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224043756/http://www.tfm.co.jp/lock/sakana/index.php?blogid=4&archive=2012-12-10 |archive-date=February 24, 2015}} During this time, Yamaguchi had begun to realize the power of music videos after the rise in popularity of video-sharing websites such as YouTube, so decided to make his own low-budget video for the song; describing "Night Fishing Is Good" as the underground leading promotional song for the album.{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/802050132 | title=サカナクション 山口一郎『NIGHT FISHING』全曲解説！インタビュー「ナイトフィッシングイズグッド」 | language=ja |publisher=HMV.co.jp |author=Takehiko Hosaka |date=February 8, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}}
Demo recording sessions for Night Fishing began several days before the release of the band's debut album Go to the Future in May 2007.{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/46782514.html | title=気まぐれ僕の頭。 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=May 8, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217041216/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/46782514.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}}{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/47332766.html | title=セカンドアルバム | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=May 31, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217041352/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/47332766.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}} The band members formally proposed the album concepts to Victor Entertainment staff in June 2007.{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/47416834.html | title=フィッシャーマンテクノフェスティバル07開催 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=June 4, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217041511/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/47416834.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}} The album's official studio recording sessions began in September 2007 and concluded in October, and were entirely undertaken at Discovery Studio in the Maruyama Nishi-machi area of Chūō-ku, Sapporo.{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/49169458.html | title=レコーディング始めました。 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=September 3, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217042000/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/49169458.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}}{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/49857445.html | title=試みる。 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=October 12, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217042555/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/49857445.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}} After the album sessions had finished, however, the band immediately kept on recording for their future projects.{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/49890646.html | title=次の次。 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=October 14, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217042642/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/49890646.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}} The album's track order was not considered until the very final mastering stages of the album.{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/802050133 | title=サカナクション 山口一郎『NIGHT FISHING』全曲解説！インタビュー「雨は気まぐれ」 | language=ja |publisher=HMV.co.jp |author=Takehiko Hosaka |date=February 8, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} Yamaguchi did much of the album's final mixing himself personally.{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/802050135 | title=サカナクション 山口一郎『NIGHT FISHING』全曲解説！インタビュー「うねり」 | language=ja |publisher=HMV.co.jp |author=Takehiko Hosaka |date=February 8, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}}
Several of the band's plans for the album did not come into fruition. Originally the band had planned for "Ame wa Kimagure" to be the leading song on the album, but after producing the song, Yamaguchi felt that the song's arrangement was too stylized and not easily accessible. The band had wanted to shoot a video for "Atarashii Sekai" on location in Kyoto, however they abandoned plans for this.
= Song inspiration and production =
File:QueenPerforming1977.jpg.]]
Lyrically, Yamaguchi worked around a "night" theme, and was inspired by creating film-like imagery for each song. Yamaguchi wanted to compile lyrics featuring introspective feelings of worry and sadness that people primarily felt at night. Yamaguchi was further inspired to write more autobiographically, creating a documentary-like non-fiction work. He wanted to create lyrics closer to the style of haiku than standard pop lyricism, in order to express many things with as few phrases as possible.
Despite the album's track order not being decided until the very end, Yamaguchi had thought from the start that "Ame wa Kimagure", "Malaysia 32" and "Uneri" should be in that order. After plans for "Ame wa Kimagure" to become the leading song were scrapped, Yamaguchi decided to elaborate on the "oriental" feel of the song. "Malaysia 32" is the band's first instrumental song, and was based on a synthesizer riff made by the band's guitarist Motoharu Iwadera which was then completed with ideas from everyone in the band.{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/802050134 | title=サカナクション 山口一郎『NIGHT FISHING』全曲解説！インタビュー「マレーシア３２」 | language=ja |publisher=HMV.co.jp |author=Takehiko Hosaka |date=February 8, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} The song was called "Malaysia" because of how at one point they added a vocal melody that sounded like the name of the city Kuala Lumpur. The number 32 in the title is a reference to the fact that the song is based on a synthesizer loop of 32 bars. Originally "Uneri" had been envisioned as a rock song, but the band decided against this after creating "Night Fishing Is Good". The band's musical director suggested that they perform the song acoustically instead, which led to the final studio arrangement of "Uneri".
"Night Fishing Is Good" was inspired by the style of musical theatre and classical music. Originally the other band members were hesitant about the song when Yamaguchi first played it to them, and they suggested that they split the piece into two compositions. During the song's recording, Yamaguchi felt that the song would benefit from having a similar style to the English rock band Queen, which the band's pianist Emi Okazaki in particular responded well to. Iwadera added Queen-style guitar riffs to the song, and the group decided to add a vocal chorus, in the style of a Queen song. Only after "Night Fishing Is Good" had been finished did the band decide to title the album after this song.
Promotion and release
{{Multiple image
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| width = 200
| image1 = 070127 tanuki-fuji.jpg
| alt1 = A mountain next to a lake.
| image2 = Aratagawa Gifu2008-1.jpg
| alt2 = A river.
| footer = Two of the music videos from Night Fishing were shot on location in Japan. "Sample" was shot in Shizuoka Prefecture close to Mount Fuji, and "Night Fishing Is Good" at the Arata River in Gifu.
}}
The album was first announced on November 12, 2007.{{cite magazine | url=http://ro69.jp/news/detail/1446 | title=サカナクション ２ndアルバムのリリースが決定！ | language=ja |magazine=Rockin' On Japan |date=November 12, 2007 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} In December, Sakanaction traveled to the Tokyo area to promote the album, where they performed at the Countdown Japan 07/08 new year's music festival.{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/50903708.html | title=東京と僕。 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=December 17, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217043049/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/50903708.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}}{{cite magazine | url=http://ro69.jp/news/detail/1908 | title=サカナクション ２ndアルバムの全曲ロング試聴サイトが期間限定でオープン！ | language=ja |magazine=Rockin' On Japan | date=January 14, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}}
On December 5, the songs "Word" and "Sample" were released as a two-track single to iTunes.{{cite web | url=http://www.babestar.net/babestar/-/Information/A020936.html | title=News | language=ja |publisher=Victor Entertainment | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119060845/http://www.babestar.net/babestar/-/Information/A020936.html |archive-date=January 19, 2008}} On December 26, the song "Night Fishing Is Good" was similarly released as a stand-alone digital download to promote the album.{{cite magazine | url=http://ro69.jp/news/detail/1755 | title=サカナクション 初の全国ツアーが決定 | language=ja |magazine=Rockin' On Japan |date=December 20, 2007 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} "Sample" was chosen as the album's leading promotional track,{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/802050140 | title=サカナクション 山口一郎『NIGHT FISHING』全曲解説！インタビュー「『NIGHT FISHING』総括」 | language=ja |publisher=HMV.co.jp |author=Takehiko Hosaka |date=February 8, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} receiving heavy rotation on radio stations such as Hokkaido's FM North Wave in early February, while "Word" received minor airplay during the same period.{{cite web |title=SAPPORO HOT 100 vol. 759 |url=http://www.fmnorth.co.jp/CHARTFILE/hot100_vol759.pdf |language=ja |location=Sapporo |publisher=FM North Wave |date=February 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220054647/http://www.fmnorth.co.jp/CHARTFILE/hot100_vol759.pdf |archive-date=February 20, 2015 |access-date=February 20, 2015}}
Three songs on the album were promoted with music videos: "Word",{{cite web | url=http://www.spaceshowertv.com/search/detail.cgi?mu=0066092&ch=0 | title=ワード | language=ja | publisher=Space Shower | access-date=February 17, 2015}} "Sample"{{cite web | url=http://www.spaceshowertv.com/search/detail.cgi?mu=0064976&ch=0 | title=サンプル | language=ja | publisher=Space Shower | access-date=February 17, 2015}} and "Night Fishing Is Good".{{cite web | url=http://www.spaceshowertv.com/search/detail.cgi?mu=0064976&ch=0 | title=ナイトフィッシングイズグッド | language=ja | publisher=Space Shower | access-date=February 17, 2015}} The music video for "Sample" was recorded on December 20, at a lake close to Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture, and was directed by Kanji Suto.{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/50940916.html | title=東京と僕。その4 富士と寒冷。 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=December 20, 2007 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217043119/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/50940916.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}} "Night Fishing Is Good" was shot in a single day during the new year period in 2008 at the Arata River in Gifu, in two takes, by "Mikazuki Sunset" director Yoshihiro Mori.{{cite web | url=http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/51319941.html | title=鯉とラジオとPV。 | language=ja |publisher=Ichiro Yamaguchi |date=January 15, 2008 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217044033/http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kemurinokuni/51319941.html |archive-date=February 17, 2015}} It was released after the album was available in stores, on February 4.
In mid-January, the band unveiled a special website for Night Fishing, featuring sound samples and song commentary by Ichiro Yamaguchi, and also opened their official MySpace profile.{{cite web | url=http://sakanaction.jp/news/ | title=News | language=ja |publisher=Victor Entertainment |year=2008 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209130957/http://sakanaction.jp/news/ |archive-date=February 9, 2008 }} Sakanaction were featured on the February 26 episode of Fuji Television's Factory, where they performed a four-song set, featuring "Sample" as well as songs from Go to the Future.{{cite web | url=http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/FACTORY/index.html | title=Factory | language=ja |publisher=Fuji Television |year=2008 | access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110150702/http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/FACTORY/index.html |archive-date=January 10, 2008}}{{cite web | url=http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/FACTORY/CS0167/index.html | title=FACTORY LIVE 0119 | language=ja |publisher=Fuji Television |year=2008 | access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411030545/http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/FACTORY/CS0167/index.html |archive-date=April 11, 2008}} Special features on Sakanaction were published in the magazines Pia, Musica, Barfout!, Bass Magazine and Rockin' On Japan.{{cite web | url=http://sakanaction.jp/media/ | title=Media | language=ja |publisher=Victor Entertainment |year=2008 | access-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115162139/http://sakanaction.jp/media/ |archive-date=January 15, 2008}}
In March 2008, the band held a Japan-wide tour to promote the album, 2nd Album 2008 "Night Fishing Is Good". The tour began in Nagasaki on March 1, and finished in Osaka on March 29. In 2015, the band re-released their studio albums, due to the pregnancy of their bassist Ami Kusakari. In March, Night Fishing was released for the first time as a lossless digital release and as a vinyl record/ A remastered CD edition was also released during this time.{{cite web | url=http://www.tfm.co.jp/lock/sakana/index.php?blogid=4&archive=2015-2-12 | title=サカナクション初期3作品の再発、アナログ盤リリース | language=ja |author=Ichiro Yamaguchi |publisher=Tokyo FM |date=February 12, 2015 | access-date=February 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224090502/http://www.tfm.co.jp/lock/sakana/index.php?blogid=4&archive=2015-2-12 |archive-date=February 24, 2015}}
Reception
= Critical reception =
Critical reception in Japan to the album was positive. Music journalist Takehiko Hosaka gave a very positive review of the album, noting the band's new and wider direction, and felt it was at the forefront of modern pop music. He felt that Night Fishing had a Don Quixote-like strong volition that was easy to become obsessed about.{{cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/news/article/801210073 | title=『NIGHT FISHING』レビュー | language=ja |author=Takehiko Hosaka |publisher=HMV.co.jp |date=February 7, 2008 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} CDJournal reviewer Mori listed it as his third favorite release of the year, praising the word-play, melodies and arrangements on Night Fishing.{{cite web | url=http://www.cdjournal.com/main/cdjpush/-/2000000433 | title=CDJournal.comスタッフが選ぶ"2008年 私のBest5" | language=ja |publisher=CDJournal |date=January 14, 2009 | access-date=February 19, 2015}} Yuji Tanaka of CDJournal praised the album's addition of "opera-like choral work" on the album, noting it as the biggest change compared to Go to the Future.{{cite web | url=http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/kikuuiki/4110010713 | title=New Discs レビュー | language=ja |author=Yuji Tanaka |publisher=CDJournal |year=2010 | access-date=March 8, 2015}}
Haruki Terada of Musica believed that the album was a great improvement on Go to the Future in all aspects, calling it a "masterpiece".{{cite periodical |script-title=ja:MEGA MEGA DISC REVIEW: やっぱり日本人は魚が好き |author=Haruki Terada |periodical=Musica |language=ja |location=Setagaya, Tokyo |publisher=Fact |issue=10 |date=February 2008 |page=129}} He felt that the album's experimentation was "special", likening it to the lyricism and eloquence of 1970s Japanese kayōkyoku songs. He noted that Yamaguchi's "transparent" vocals expressed pain no matter how he sang, and felt that the band were able to incorporate funk elements due to the band having a keyboardist. Terada felt that there were three important factors to the album's success: Yamaguchi's vocals, the "intimacy" felt between band members, and Yamaguchi's songwriting skills; something that Terada saw as a strong unchanging factor between Go to the Future and Night Fishing. Terada felt that the album's lyrics had a consistent poetic worldview, and often switched between sentimentality and frigidity.
File:Cornelius 5268079w.jpg felt that vocalist Ichiro Yamaguchi's love of 1990s pop and electronic musicians such as Daft Punk and Cornelius (pictured) heavily expressed itself on the album.]]
Atsushi Sasaki of Invitation described the album's appeal being its "fusion of home recorded-style arrangements and US indie-like band sound, overlaid with naive and noble vocals."{{cite periodical |script-title=ja:内と外から見る「J」時評 J-POP IN OUT |author=Atsushi Sasaki|author-link=:ja:佐々木敦 |periodical=Invitation |language=ja |location=Shibuya, Tokyo |publisher=Pia Corporation |date=March 2008 |issue=60 |page=117}} He felt like Night Fishing inherited the "bedroom techno meets guitar pop" that the Japanese bands Supercar and Quruli had in the early 2000s. He noted progressive aspects to the album's style, but felt that the band were still in the process of growth. Terada felt that the reason why many people saw the band as being a successor to Supercar and Quruli was not just their "nostalgic soundwork": a mix of kayō and speedy inorganic four on the floor arrangements, but simply Yamaguchi's "comfortable" vocals.
Shunsuke Kosugi of Musica called the use of electronic beats on the album "excellent", praised them as "detailed" and "precise", and noted how they stirred up nostalgic feelings that "pulled at the heartstrings".{{cite periodical |script-title=ja:MEGA MEGA DISC REVIEW: ビートで歌ってる |author=Shunsuke Kosugi |periodical=Musica |language=ja |location=Setagaya, Tokyo |publisher=Fact |issue=10 |date=February 2008 |page=129}} Kosugi felt that there was a uniformity to the beats on the album, and stressed that listeners should listen to the work as a whole to experience this properly. Reviewers for So-en praised the album for Yamaguchi's vocals and Sakanaction's atypical band sound, feeling that listening to the album created a "floating feeling like being in space".{{cite periodical |title=So-en Jam: Music |periodical=So-en |language=ja |location=Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo |publisher=Bunka Publishing Bureau |date=March 2008 |issue=3 |page=161}} They further praised Yamaguchi's "unique" lyrical worldview, and the high level of perfection found in the recordings.
Kei Iwasaki of the band Sekaiichi, writing for Musica, felt that Ichiro Yamaguchi's dual love of 1990s pop music and electronic musicians such as Daft Punk and Cornelius strongly expressed itself throughout the album. He lauded Sakanaction's efforts to mix electronica and pop, but felt that mixing these two genres was a double-edged sword that invariably influenced the composition of songs. Because of this, he felt that Night Fishing might be more successful musically if the songs were re-recorded.{{cite periodical |script-title=ja:MEGA MEGA DISC REVIEW: シャイな歌い手と、マクロミュージックについて |author=Kei Iwasaki (Sekaiichi) |periodical=Musica |language=ja |location=Setagaya, Tokyo |publisher=Fact |issue=10 |date=February 2008 |page=129}}
= Commercial reception =
In its debut week, Night Fishing was the number 53 most sold album in Japan, according to the Japanese music chart Oricon, selling 3,500 copies. This was more than double the number of Go to the Future, which had sold 1,500 copies and reached number 105. It continued to chart in the top 300 albums for an additional four weeks, selling a further 3,600 copies. During the release of the band's single "Aruku Around" in January 2010, the album re-charted for a single week, bringing the total tracked number of copies sold to 7,600: 2,400 more than Go to the Future. In 2015 the album was reissued, selling an additional 1,500 copies. In tracking regional sales, CDJournal noted the album had mid-level charting success in Tokyo and charted highly in Sapporo, however under-performed in Hokkaido position-wise compared to Go to the Future.{{cite web | url=http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/night-fishing/4107110675 |script-title=ja:サカナクション / NIGHT FISHING | language=ja |website=CDJournal | access-date=February 19, 2015}}{{cite web | url=http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/go-to-the-future/4107021529 |script-title=ja:サカナクション / GO TO THE FUTURE |website=CDJournal | language=ja | access-date=February 17, 2015}} Much like Go to the Future, the album did not see particularly strong sales in the regional centers of Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka.
Track listing
{{track listing
| headline = Night Fishing track listing
| all_lyrics = Ichiro Yamaguchi
| total_length = 49:51
| title1 = Word
| note1 = {{nihongo2|ワード}} Wādo
| music1 = Yamaguchi
| length1 = 4:32
| title2 = Sample
| note2 = {{nihongo2|サンプル}} Sanpuru
| music2 = Yamaguchi
| length2 = 4:41
| title3 = Night Fishing Is Good
| note3 = {{nihongo2|ナイトフィッシングイズグッド}} Naito Fisshingu Izu Guddo
| music3 = Yamaguchi
| length3 = 6:18
| title4 = Ame wa Kimagure
| note4 = {{nihongo2|雨は気まぐれ}}, "The Rain Is Whimsical"
| music4 = Yamaguchi
| length4 = 3:57
| title5 = Malaysia 32
| note5 = {{nihongo2|マレーシア32}} Marēshia Sātitsū
| music5 = Sakanaction
| length5 = 5:10
| title6 = Uneri
| note6 = {{nihongo2|うねり}}, "Swirling"
| music6 = Yamaguchi
| length6 = 4:46
| title7 = Teenage
| note7 = {{nihongo2|ティーンエイジ}} Tīneiji
| music7 = Yamaguchi
| length7 = 5:27
| title8 = Aishū Train
| note8 = {{nihongo2|哀愁トレイン}}, "Sorrow Train"
| music8 = Yamaguchi
| length8 = 3:33
| title9 = Atarashii Sekai
| note9 = {{nihongo2|新しい世界}}, "New World"
| music9 = Yamaguchi
| length9 = 4:49
| title10 = Amsfish
| note10 = {{nihongo2|アムスフィッシュ}} Amusufisshu
| music10 = Yamaguchi
| length10 = 6:28
}}
Personnel
Personnel details were sourced from Night Fishing's liner notes booklet.{{cite AV media notes |title=Night Fishing |others=Sakanaction |year=2008 |language=ja |publisher=Victor Entertainment |location=Tokyo, Japan}}
Sakanaction
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- All members – arrangement, production, songwriting (#5)
- Keiichi Ejima – drums
- Motoharu Iwadera – guitar
- Ami Kusakari – bass guitar
- Emi Okazaki – keyboards
- Ichiro Yamaguchi – vocals, guitar, songwriting (#1-4, #6-10)
{{div col end}}
Personnel and imagery
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- Brown Post – mixing, recording
- Hatos – artwork
- Kentaro Ishikawa – A&R
- Daisuke Ishizaka – photography
- Ted Jensen – mastering (2015 reissued edition)
- Kamikene – artwork direction, design
- Kotaro Kojima – mastering
- Yasumura Kubota – executive producer (BabeStar)
- Yujiro Mitsugi – manager
- Natural Bicycle – clothing cooperation
- Tatsuya Nomura – executive producer (Hip Land Music Corporation)
- Normalization – artwork
- Takeshi Takagaki – supervisor (BabeStar)
- Wataru Woka – A&R
{{div col end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (2008) !Peak |
| Japan Billboard Top Albums Sales{{cite magazine | title=Japan Billboard Top Albums Sales | url=http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=top_albums&year=2008&month=02&day=04 | magazine=Billboard |language=ja | date=January 31, 2008 | access-date=January 10, 2016}}
|align="center"|54 |
| Japan Oricon weekly albums{{cite web | title=NIGHT FISHING | url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/419701/products/745645/1/ | work=Oricon | access-date=December 13, 2014}}
|align="center"|53 |
| Chart (2015)
!Peak |
|---|
| Japan Oricon weekly albums
|align="center"|62 |
=Sales=
| class="wikitable"
!Chart !Amount |
| Oricon physical sales{{cite web | title=オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 |trans-title=Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree' | url=http://ranking.oricon.co.jp | work=Oricon |url-access=subscription | access-date=November 15, 2015}}
|align="center"|9,000 |
Release history
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{Sakanaction}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Night Fishing}}