Crush 40
{{Short description|Japanese-American hard rock band}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Crush 40
| image = Crush 40.JPG
| caption = Crush 40 performing at Summer of Sonic 2010 in London. From left to right; Jun Senoue and Johnny Gioeli.
| image_size =
| alias = Sons of Angels
| origin = Japan, United States
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| years_active = 1998–present
| label = Wave Master, Frontiers, Victor
| associated_acts = Hardline, Sevi, All Ends, Magna-Fi, Zebrahead, Steve Conte
| website =
| current_members = *Jun Senoue
| past_members =
| alt = Jun Senoue with a guitar and Johnny Gioeli with a microphone
}}
Crush 40 is a Japanese-American hard rock band. The group consists of guitarist and composer Jun Senoue and principal vocalist Johnny Gioeli. Crush 40 is best known for producing most soundtracks for the Sonic The Hedgehog series in the 2000s.
Senoue has been employed by Sega as a composer since 1993. While preparing music for Sonic Adventure, he contacted Gioeli to perform the game's theme song, "Open Your Heart". They also recorded the soundtrack for NASCAR Arcade under the name "Sons of Angels", which was released in Japan as the album Thrill of the Feel (2000). Afterward, Senoue and Gioeli continued recording music for further Sonic titles, as well as their own original songs.
Crush 40 has released a total of two studio albums, two live albums, two compilations, an EP, and individual tracks, mostly under Sega's Wave Master label. The band's musical style of hard rock, considered by some to be a continuation of glam rock, has created a legacy with fans of the Sonic video game series.
History
=Formation, ''Thrill of the Feel'', and ''Crush 40''=
After graduating from college, Jun Senoue was hired by Sega in 1993 to compose music for video games. His first project in the Sonic the Hedgehog series was Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994),{{Cite magazine|title=Jun Senoue on Creating Music for 'Team Sonic Racing' and the Future of Video Gaming Music|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/gaming/8529526/jun-senoue-interview-sonic-the-hedgehog-video-games|last=Herman|first=Tamar|date=September 10, 2019|magazine=Billboard|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230221108/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/gaming/8529526/jun-senoue-interview-sonic-the-hedgehog-video-games|archive-date=December 30, 2019|access-date=May 12, 2020}} and he also contributed to Dark Wizard, Sonic 3D Blast, and Sega Rally 2.{{cite web|title=Style Factory interview with Jun Senoue|url=http://junsenoue.com/content/view/13/19/|date=May 13, 2004|website=junsenoue.com|publisher=Jun Senoue|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103005741/http://junsenoue.com/content/view/13/19/|archive-date=January 3, 2008|access-date=January 27, 2008}} During recording for Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition, Senoue worked with Eric Martin of Mr. Big to record the main theme, "Sons of Angels".{{Cite web|title=Sega Rocks with Rubbin' Racing|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/14/sega-rocks-with-rubbin-racing|last=Williamson|first=Colin|date=March 13, 2000|website=IGN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428165534/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/14/sega-rocks-with-rubbin-racing|archive-date=April 28, 2020|access-date=April 28, 2020}} Senoue said he brought a rock music feel to the games he worked on, including the Sonic the Hedgehog series, because he is a "rock guy".
In 1998, Senoue contacted vocalist Johnny Gioeli during the recording process for Sonic Adventure and recorded their first song, "Open Your Heart". Senoue had previously recorded a demo of the song with Eizo Sakamoto on vocals, but Senoue has stated that he wrote the song assuming Gioeli would sing it.{{Cite web |last=Shea |first=Brian |date=August 21, 2021 |title=Crush 40 Guitarist Jun Senoue Talks The Band's Creation And The Evolution Of Sonic Music |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/interview/2021/08/21/crush-40-guitarist-jun-senoue-talks-the-bands-creation-and-the-evolution-of |access-date=May 4, 2022 |website=GameInformer |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321143919/https://www.gameinformer.com/interview/2021/08/21/crush-40-guitarist-jun-senoue-talks-the-bands-creation-and-the-evolution-of |url-status=live }} According to Gioeli, Senoue was a fan of Gioeli's band Hardline and connected with him via Doug Aldrich, the guitarist for Whitesnake. After making the track, the two stayed in contact, having enjoyed working together and wanting to do more. Senoue and Gioeli worked together again on songs for NASCAR Arcade. In addition to Senoue and Gioeli, Naoto Shibata and Hirotsugu Homma of Loudness played the bass and drums, respectively, for the songs, and the group took the name Sons of Angels, from the title of the song Senoue recorded with Eric Martin. In 2000, the band released Thrill of the Feel in Japan, published by Victor Entertainment. The album contained the tracks they had written for NASCAR Arcade, along with "Open Your Heart".{{cite web|title=Crush 40 History|url=http://www.junsenoue.com/content/view/1/14|last=Gill|first=Parminder|date=April 10, 2005|website=junsenoue.com|publisher=Jun Senoue|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130073822/http://junsenoue.com/content/view/1/14|archive-date=January 30, 2008|access-date=January 7, 2008}}{{cite web|url=http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Discography/A014575/VICP-61014.html|title=JVC Music/Victor Album Information: Thrill of the Feel|language=ja|access-date=April 10, 2008|publisher=jvcmusic.co.jp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009175049/http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Discography/A014575/VICP-61014.html|archive-date=October 9, 2008|url-status=live}}
During the development of Sonic Adventure 2, Senoue and Gioeli reunited to record the title track, "Live & Learn". As Shibata and Homma were busy performing with Loudness and later Anthem, {{Interlanguage link|Takeshi Taneda|lt=Takeshi Taneda|ja|種子田健|WD=}} was brought in to play bass, and Katsuji Kirita from Gargoyle and The Cro-Magnons played drums.{{Cite web|title=2 Nights 2 Remember! "Crush 40-Live In Tokyo 2014" report showing two new songs|url=https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2014/02/07/74153.html|date=April 7, 2014|website=Inside Games Japan|publisher=IID, Inc.|language=ja|access-date=May 11, 2020|archive-date=July 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702223045/https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2014/02/07/74153.html|url-status=live}} According to Vice, "Live & Learn" is one of Gioeli's favorite songs.{{Cite web|last=McDonald|first=Andy|date=June 23, 2016|title=How Sonic the Hedgehog Kept Glam Rock Alive After Its Grungy Demise|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jmkqx7/how-sonic-the-hedgehog-kept-glam-rock-alive-after-its-grungy-demise-430|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200122041954/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jmkqx7/how-sonic-the-hedgehog-kept-glam-rock-alive-after-its-grungy-demise-430|archive-date=January 22, 2020|access-date=May 5, 2020|website=Vice}} Senoue recorded the intro to the song for the game's trial edition; he worked on the rest of the arrangement later and completed it within one day. He then sent a demo to Gioeli to record his vocals. Gioeli was given the task of writing the lyrics for "Live & Learn". He initially was nervous and asked Senoue if his lyrics were okay on multiple occasions, but despite this, "Live & Learn" became one of the most memorable songs on the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack according to Sean Aitchison of Fanbyte, and even appearing in the third Sonic The Hedgehog movie.
Around this time, the band was renamed Crush 40, after discovering that there was a Norwegian rock band already named Sons of Angels.{{Cite web|title=Sonic Youth: The History and Impact of Crush 40|url=https://www.fanbyte.com/features/sonic-youth-the-history-and-impact-of-crush-40/|last=Aitchison|first=Sean|date=January 10, 2020|website=Fanbyte|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426023945/https://www.fanbyte.com/features/sonic-youth-the-history-and-impact-of-crush-40/|archive-date=April 26, 2020|access-date=May 10, 2020}} When asked why he chose "Crush 40", Senoue said, "When we had to pick one, we chose the word we like... 'Crush' is one of them, and Johnny added the number. Crush is the name of the soda too... that's my favorite!"{{cite web|title=MelodicRock.com interview with Jun Senoue|url=http://junsenoue.com/content/view/10/19/|author=McNiece|first=Andrew|date=February 7, 2004|website=junsenoue.com|publisher=Jun Senoue|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201025824/http://junsenoue.com/content/view/10/19/|archive-date=December 1, 2007|access-date=January 13, 2008}} Gioeli added that his inspiration for the title was a desire to "crush" his forties, which he was approaching at the time. Two years after the 2001 release of Sonic Adventure 2, the album Crush 40 was released by Frontiers Records.{{Cite web|title=Crush 40 - Review|url=http://www.vgmonline.net/crush40/|last=Greening|first=Chris|date=August 1, 2012|website=Video Game Music Online|access-date=May 5, 2020|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812172857/http://www.vgmonline.net/crush40/|url-status=live}} The album contained the vocal tracks from NASCAR Arcade, Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. According to Senoue, Crush 40 is specifically the band of himself and Gioeli, though tracks "It Doesn't Matter" and "Escape from the City" (sung by Tony Harnell and Ted Poley, respectively) were included on the album. Senoue explained this was done to exhibit these songs to fans.{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions to Jun Senoue|url=http://junsenoue.com/content/view/5/11/|author=Gill|first=Parminder|date=February 27, 2004|website=junsenoue.com|publisher=Jun Senoue|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205221118/http://junsenoue.com/content/view/5/11/|archive-date=February 5, 2008|access-date=April 12, 2008}}
=Recordings for Sega and ''The Best of Crush 40: Super Sonic Songs''=
In 2003, Crush 40 composed two new songs entitled "Sonic Heroes" and "What I'm Made Of..." for Sega's Sonic Heroes, the first multiplatform Sonic game. Both Senoue and Gioeli have called "What I'm Made Of..." their favorite song to perform.{{Cite web|title=Summer of Sonic 2012: Crush 40 Interview|url=https://www.sonicstadium.org/2012/07/sos12-interviews-part-1/|last=Swiss|date=July 24, 2012|website=Sonic Stadium|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305130041/https://www.sonicstadium.org/2012/07/sos12-interviews-part-1/|archive-date=March 5, 2020|access-date=May 10, 2020}} For Shadow the Hedgehog in 2005, Crush 40 recorded "I Am... All of Me", as well as "Never Turn Back". The drums for both songs were recorded by Toru Kawamura.The Best of Crush 40: Super Sonic Songs booklet. Wave Master. 2009. Additionally, Crush 40 recorded covers of songs used in 2006's Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic Riders and Zero Gravity, and Sonic CD. The band also recorded five original songs and a cover for Sonic and the Black Knight.
For their first 10 years, Crush 40 never performed live. In 2008, Crush 40 performed live at the Tokyo Game Show, with Senoue and Gioeli performing with backing tracks.{{Cite web|title=The Jun Senoue Interview: Part One|url=https://www.sonicstadium.org/2010/02/the-jun-senoue-interview-part-one/|last=Tuff|first=Adam|date=February 23, 2010|website=Sonic Stadium|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725193518/http://www.sonicstadium.org/2010/02/the-jun-senoue-interview-part-one/|archive-date=July 25, 2015|access-date=May 13, 2020}} A year later, Senoue revealed to Famitsu that Crush 40 had two album releases in the works, one of which was a "Best Of" album, due for release in September 2009. He also announced the release of future songs that were not written for video games.{{Cite magazine|title=Exclusive interview! The secret story of the ending song of "Baseball Tsuku 2"|url=https://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1225015_1124.html|date=June 21, 2009|magazine=Famitsu|language=ja|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726020237/http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1225015_1124.html|archive-date=July 26, 2015|access-date=May 10, 2020}} The Best of Crush 40 – Super Sonic Songs was released on November 18, 2009. In addition to compiling various Crush 40 songs from previous games, the album featured a new song, "Is It You,"{{Cite web|title=The Best of Crush 40 - Super Sonic Songs|url=http://www.wave-master.com:80/ent/details/wwce/wwca31207/index.html|website=wave-master.com|publisher=Wave Master|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228144333/http://www.wave-master.com/ent/details/wwce/wwca31207/index.html|archive-date=February 28, 2016|access-date=May 12, 2020}} and a cover of "Fire Woman", a song released by The Cult in 1989. Senoue was also credited as a soloist on "Before This", a song from the 2009 Hardline album Leaving the End Open.{{Cite web|title=Leaving the End Open - Credits|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/leaving-the-end-open-mw0000816334/credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=May 12, 2020|archive-date=July 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703045246/https://www.allmusic.com/album/leaving-the-end-open-mw0000816334/credits|url-status=live}}
=''Rise Again'', ''Live!'', ''2 Nights 2 Remember'', and ''Driving Through Forever''=
After the 2010 release of Sonic Free Riders, Crush 40's contributions to Sonic the Hedgehog decreased. Senoue was no longer lead composer on games in the Sonic series after 2011's Sonic Generations.{{cite web|title=Jun Senoue lead composer on Sonic Team Racing|url=http://www.vgmonline.net/jun-senoue-lead-composer-on-sonic-team-racing/|last1=Gallagher|first1=Mathew|date=June 7, 2018|work=Video Game Music Online|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142216/http://www.vgmonline.net/jun-senoue-lead-composer-on-sonic-team-racing/|archive-date=June 12, 2018|access-date=June 7, 2018}} During the next few years, Crush 40 made more live performances and recordings. In 2010, Crush 40 performed live at the Summer of Sonic convention. The next year, Crush 40 recorded a single, "Song of Hope", as inspiration for hope for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. According to Senoue, the song was written for charity, specifically for the Red Cross. Subsequently, "Song of Hope" and three new songs were released as an EP called Rise Again. One of the included songs, "Sonic Youth",{{Cite web|title=Rise Again|url=http://www.wave-master.com:80/wma/crush40/wwca31280.html|website=wave-master.com|publisher=Wave Master|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608022809/http://www.wave-master.com/wma/crush40/wwca31280.html|archive-date=June 8, 2015|access-date=May 12, 2020}} pays tribute to Crush 40's fans with numerous references to the band's past songs.
On March 29 and 30, 2012, Crush 40 performed live at Shibuya GUILTY in Tokyo, with Sonic Team producer Takashi Iizuka in the audience.{{Cite web|title=This is the Crush 40 Live! Photo report of the live performance of Mr. Jun Senoue, who works on the "Sonic" series!|url=https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2012/04/01/55592.html|date=April 1, 2012|website=Inside Games Japan|publisher=IID, Inc.|language=ja|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200106015227/https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2012/04/01/55592.html|archive-date=January 6, 2020|access-date=May 10, 2020}} From this concert, performed with Taneda and Kawamura, Crush 40's album Live! was recorded,Live! booklet. Wave Master. 2012. and was released on October 3, 2012.{{Cite web|title=Crush 40 Live!|url=http://www.wave-master.com/wma/crush40/wwca31281.html|website=wave-master.com|publisher=Wave Master|language=ja|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026212057/http://www.wave-master.com/wma/crush40/wwca31281.html|archive-date=October 26, 2019|access-date=May 13, 2020}} The band also performed at the St. Louis Sonic Boom Festival in August 2013, Detroit’s Youmacon anime convention at the Renaissance Center in 2015,{{cite web|first=Mike|last=McGonigal|title=Event preview: A look at some of the music on hand at Youmacon|url=https://www.metrotimes.com/music/event-preview-a-look-at-some-of-the-music-on-hand-at-youmacon-2378408|website=Detroit Metro Times|date=October 28, 2015|access-date=October 8, 2024|archive-date=July 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701214513/https://www.metrotimes.com/music/event-preview-a-look-at-some-of-the-music-on-hand-at-youmacon-2378408|url-status=live}} and performed additional shows at the Summer of Sonic convention in 2012 and 2016,{{Cite web|title=One Glorious Day at London's Summer of Sonic Convention|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bnjv9z/one-glorious-day-at-londons-summer-of-sonic-convention|last=Jones|first=Matthew|date=August 9, 2016|website=Vice|access-date=May 13, 2020|archive-date=May 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505025923/https://brightcom-d.openx.net/w/1.0/arj?ju=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vice.com%2Fen%2Farticle%2Fy3vbnk%2Fmicrosoft-is-now-accountable-for-activision-blizzards-mess&ch=UTF-8&res=1600x1000x24&ifr=true&tz=0&tws=1215x17778&be=1&bc=hb_pb_3.0.3&dddid=fd3bab80-242b-45e1-adf9-009f69736efa&nocache=1651719563320&gdpr=0&schain=1.0%2C1!brightcom.com%2C20474%2C1%2C%2C%2C&aus=300x250&divids=google_ads_iframe_%252F16916245%252Foo_web%252Fvice%252Fgames%252Farticle_5_hb&aucs=&auid=556674782&aumfs=50|url-status=live}} and San Diego Comic-Con conventions in 2016 and 2017. After more live performances at the Tokyo Game Show and Japan Game Music Festival 2013, in 2014 Crush 40 was announced for another two-night performance at Shibuya GUILTY. For the concert, Senoue and Gioeli were joined by Taneda and Katsuji.{{Cite web|title=A must-see for hard rock fans! "Sonic the Hedgehog" Crush40, a band led by Jun Senoue, holds LIVE|url=https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2014/02/07/74153.html|last=Kyanko|date=February 7, 2014|website=Inside Games Japan|publisher=IID, Inc.|language=ja|access-date=May 13, 2020|archive-date=July 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702223045/https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2014/02/07/74153.html|url-status=live}} The concert featured two new songs, as well as a performance of Hardline's "Love Leads the Way". Recorded from that performance, 2 Nights 2 Remember, Crush 40's second live album, was released on May 13, 2015. It features four additional studio-recorded songs.{{Cite web|title=Crush 40 releases new album featuring new originals and live recordings|url=http://www.vgmonline.net/crush-40-releases-new-album-featuring-new-originals-and-live-recordings/|last=Greening|first=Chris|date=May 13, 2015|website=VGM Online|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621113133/http://www.vgmonline.net/crush-40-releases-new-album-featuring-new-originals-and-live-recordings/|archive-date=June 21, 2017|access-date=May 10, 2020}}
In 2018, Senoue was named lead composer for the soundtrack for Team Sonic Racing. He was requested to make the game's theme a song by Crush 40. This led to Senoue and Gioeli recording "Green Light Ride" for the game,{{Cite web|title=Team Sonic Racing Theme Song 'Green Light Ride' Short Ver. Now Available|url=https://www.siliconera.com/team-sonic-racing-theme-song-green-light-ride-short-ver-now-available/|last=Wong|first=Alistair|date=December 28, 2018|website=Siliconera|access-date=May 13, 2020|archive-date=February 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217001957/https://www.siliconera.com/team-sonic-racing-theme-song-green-light-ride-short-ver-now-available/|url-status=live}} Crush 40's first Sonic game theme in several years. The song was premiered at E3 2018, to a stronger reaction than Senoue expected. A short version of the song was made available in December 2018, before the 2019 release of the game itself.{{Cite web|title=「チームソニックレーシング」メインテーマ曲がiTunesとAmazonで先行配信開始|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/421/G042176/20181227100/|date=December 27, 2018|website=4gamer.net|language=ja|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228135929/https://www.4gamer.net/games/421/G042176/20181227100/|archive-date=December 28, 2018|access-date=May 13, 2020}} Senoue expressed his joy at being able to record another game theme with Crush 40, twenty years after Crush 40 began. Subsequently, Crush 40 released another compilation album, Driving Through Forever, in 2019. In 2020, Gioeli re-recorded "Song of Hope" with Bulgarian vocalist Sevi, as a way of reconnecting with fans during the coronavirus pandemic.{{Cite web|title=Johnny Gioeli Re-Records Crush 40's "Song of Hope" with Bulgarian Vocalist Sevi; Video Available|url=http://bravewords.com/news/johnny-gioeli-re-records-crush-40-s-song-of-hope-with-bulgarian-vocalist-sevi-video-available|date=May 9, 2020|website=BraveWords|access-date=May 11, 2020|archive-date=November 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121043114/https://bravewords.com/news/johnny-gioeli-re-records-crush-40-s-song-of-hope-with-bulgarian-vocalist-sevi-video-available|url-status=live}} On June 23, 2021, Sega held the Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony with Crush 40 as one of the participating acts.{{Cite web|last=Shepard|first=Kenneth|date=June 25, 2021|title=I'm Still Crying About the Sonic Symphony Concert Days Later|url=https://www.fanbyte.com/trending/sonic-the-hedgehog-30th-anniversary-symphony-concert/|url-status=live|access-date=October 6, 2021|website=Fanbyte|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625175015/https://www.fanbyte.com/trending/sonic-the-hedgehog-30th-anniversary-symphony-concert/ |archive-date=June 25, 2021 }}
In February 2024, following the use of its instrumental in a teaser, Gioeli confirmed that "Live & Learn" would be featured in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He said that how the song is used is ultimately up to producers.{{Cite web |last=Shepard |first=Kenneth |date=February 7, 2024 |title=Sonic 3 Movie Is Bringing Back An All-Time Sonic Adventure 2 Banger |url=https://kotaku.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-movie-live-and-learn-crush-40-song-1851236128 |access-date=April 18, 2024 |website=Kotaku}} The song was ultimately used in the movie's climax and its riffs were used as a leitmotif for the character of Shadow.{{cite news |last1=published |first1=Bradley Russell |title=There was "no version" of Sonic 3 that wouldn't include Live and Learn according to director Jeff Fowler: "The fans would hunt me down" |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/live-action-movies/there-was-no-version-of-sonic-3-that-wouldnt-include-live-and-learn-according-to-director-jeff-fowler-the-fans-would-hunt-me-down/ |access-date=26 December 2024 |work=gamesradar |date=21 December 2024 |language=en}}
In December 2024, Gioeli sued Sega of America, claiming ownership of the master recording and co-ownership of the composition of "Live & Learn." Gioeli demanded $1 million in damages and restitution for the song's unauthorized use in more than two dozen subsequent releases, including ports of Sonic Adventure 2 and the Japanese version of the Sonic X anime.{{cite news |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |title='Live and Learn' musician suing Sega over ownership of iconic Sonic the Hedgehog song |url=https://www.polygon.com/news/498953/sonic-music-live-and-learn-copyright-lawsuit-crush-40-sega |access-date=19 December 2024 |work=Polygon |date=18 December 2024}}
Musical style and legacy
According to Allegra Frank and Philip Kollar of Polygon, Crush 40 and Senoue have made "some of the most memorable butt rock tracks from Sonic history (and the history of video games in general)".{{Cite web|title=The Sonic series' high point is not a game|url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/7/5/12053024/sonic-adventure-2-city-escape-best-song-ever|last1=Frank|first1=Allegra|last2=Kollar|first2=Philip|date=July 5, 2016|website=Polygon|publisher=Vox Media|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230215534/https://www.polygon.com/2016/7/5/12053024/sonic-adventure-2-city-escape-best-song-ever|archive-date=December 30, 2019|access-date=May 13, 2020}} Writing for Vice, Andy McDonald stated that Crush 40 helped to keep glam rock alive after grunge had supplanted it as a more popular style of rock music. Reviewing the album Crush 40, Chris Greening of Video Game Music Online highlights the hard rock sound and showing of Gioeli's experience in the vocals, stating that "Live & Learn" is "an ecstatic Americana rock anthem featuring Johnny at his best", while also stating the instrumentals are inspired by early 1990s heavy metal. He calls the album "among the best of the genre in game music".
Gioeli, who is not a gamer, described his songwriting process with Senoue for games as being akin to writing a soundtrack for a movie, watching scenes from the game or looking at storyboards. According to Gioeli, "Jun and I have our system—he starts with a musical feeling and sometimes a melody idea and then I go nuts with it! The lyrics do have to be approved for content, but that's it. We have the freedom to write what we feel is the right song for the scene." He has stated that among his three main projects—Crush 40, Hardline, and performing with Axel Rudi Pell—all three are different styles of rock music and he has to set himself in the "right emotions" to perform.
When interviewed about his style and that of the band, Jun Senoue said, "I know what my style is, and I know what my favourite genres of music are. I listen to a lot of metal music, as well as other genres of music, and my inspiration is always there. The style of the music in the game does change, and it gives a great sense of progression... When we got together to write stuff for Shadow [the Hedgehog], we found that our fresh ideas were a lot different to the songs we'd written back in 2002 – our sound had changed."{{cite web|title=Q&A with Jun Senoue Part 1|url=http://junsenoue.com/content/view/114/19/|author=Tuff|first=Adam|date=August 14, 2006|website=junsenoue.com|publisher=Jun Senoue|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223060735/http://junsenoue.com/content/view/114/19/|archive-date=February 23, 2007|access-date=August 14, 2006}} Senoue has stated that the tempo of each song written for a game is based on how it is planned to be used and what would be suitable, but those songs not for a game are what the duo want to perform.
Writing for Fanbyte, Sean Aitchison stated that Crush 40 provided a signature musical style for the Sonic the Hedgehog series and expanded the musical tastes of Sonic fans. According to Aitchison, "The band embedded themselves in the memories and hearts of an entire generation of Sonic fans. Though their contributions to the Sonic franchise may be small in number, they are massive in impact." Kofi-Charu Nat Turner's 2008 study of media usage in an American urban middle school listed the band as a common interest within the group studied.
Discography
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Album !Publisher !Type !{{Refh}} |
| 2000
|Thrill of the Feel (as Sons of Angels) |Victor Entertainment | rowspan="2" |Studio album |
| 2003
|Crush 40 |Frontiers Records |
| 2009
|The Best of Crush 40: Super Sonic Songs | rowspan="5" |Wave Master |Compilation |
| 2011
|Rise Again |EP |
| 2012
|Live! | rowspan="2" |Live album |
| 2015
|2 Nights 2 Remember |
| 2019
|Driving Through Forever |Compilation |
Games
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite web |url=http://www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=5936-JTX1-JBM5-C359&csi=270944,293847,270077,11059,8411&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true |access-date=May 16, 2014 |title=Best Bets |last1=Newmark |first1=Judith |page=G4 |date=August 9, 2013 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |via=LexisNexis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517154309/http://www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=5936-JTX1-JBM5-C359&csi=270944,293847,270077,11059,8411&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true |archive-date=May 17, 2014 |url-status=live }} {{closed access}} {{subscription required|s}}
{{cite thesis |last=Turner |first=Kofi-Charu Nat |title=Multimodal Media Production in the Development of Multiliteracies |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |year=2008 |type=Ph.D. diss. |page=61 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/304697401 |access-date=May 16, 2014 |via=ProQuest |id={{ProQuest|304697401}} }} {{closed access}} {{subscription required|s}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Japan|Rock music|United States|Video games}}
Category:1998 establishments in Japan
Category:Japanese glam metal musical groups
Category:Japanese hard rock musical groups
Category:Japanese video game composers