Buck-Tick Zone

Notes

Ranked #1 on the album chart. 320,000 copies sold. This is the first album to chart at #1.

The single released from this album was "Just One More Kiss", Buck-Tick's first single on a major label. The b-side was "To-Search", their only single during their indie days.

The album was recorded in September 1988 in London, England. It is the only Buck-Tick album recorded outside of Japan.

This is the last album Buck-Tick has released where the album title and all the song titles are in English.

This is the first album to contain a song with lyrics written by Toll.

The lyrics for "Iconoclasm" are the first for Buck-Tick to be completely written in English.

"J" is apparently about Jack the Ripper.

"Tokyo" is the first song to mention a prefecture. Atsushi does sing "cyber Tokyo" as called for in the lyrics though at another point that is in Japanese, he sings "machi" instead of "Tokyo". It remains one of the very few songs that mentions a prefecture, though technically Tokyo is a metropolis.

When Buck-Tick went to London to record the album, Hisashi forgot to bring a demo tape and had to re-write "Silent Night". He claims the version he wrote in London is much better than the original demo.

The interlude melody from "Taboo" is credited to Lecuona Margarita, however one would have more success researching this composer by switching the names to Margarita Lecuona. (I suppose since the album was pressed in Japan, they listed the name in Japanese order.) Margarita was a Cuban composer and the original song is "Tabú" but has also been spelled "Taboo" and "Tabuo". She also wrote "Malagueña" (a standard of all guitarists) and "Babalu" (if you're American, think Ricky Ricardo). See lyrics for Lecuona's Tabú.

The limited edition first press of the CD was in a clear case. The disc itself had printed on it an image taken from the liner notes artwork. Subsequent pressings had a white jewel case tray with red text on the disc and an image of Atsushi's eye (the one used for the cover).

The vinyl version is a gatefold two record set compromising of a regular black vinyl and a picture disc. The picture disc with Atsushi on one side and the rest of the members on the other side is completely blank. Personally, I think it's a waste. It would have been beautiful if the picture disc contained an interview on it or extra tracks. Incidentally, this is the last Buck-Tick vinyl ever made as Japan stopped making vinyl in, I believe, 1989.

Buck-Tick re-recorded the tracks "Iconoclasm", "Just One More Kiss", and "Taboo" for the album Koroshi No Shirabe ~ This is NOT Greatest Hits.

Buck-Tick re-recorded "Angelic Conversation" for the b-side of the single "M A D".

Booklet Images

group

Atsushi

Hisashi

Hide

U-ta

Toll

back of booklet

Vinyl Images

front, including sticker only on vinyl

label, Side A

label, Side B

picture disc, Side A

picture disc, Side B