Ja, Zoo

Ja, Zoo
Studio album by hide with Spread Beaver
Released	November 21, 1998
Genre	Alternative rock
Label	MCA Victor
hide with Spread Beaver chronology
Psyence (1996) Ja, Zoo (1998)
Singles from Ja, Zoo
"Rocket Dive" Released: January 28, 1998 "Pink Spider" Released: May 13, 1998 "Ever Free" Released: May 27, 1998 "Hurry Go Round" Released: October 21, 1998

Ja, Zoo is the third album by Japanese musician hide, released on November 21, 1998. It is also his last studio album as he died on May 2 while recording it, and the only one released under the name hide with Spread Beaver. Due to his death, there is controversy about his level of involvement in the completed record. Despite this, or rather because of this, it is his best-selling album, reaching number 2 on the Oricon chart and having sold over 1.4 million copies.^[1] It was also named "Rock Album of the Year" at the 13th Japan Gold Disc Awards, while its single "Pink Spider" was named "Song of the Year". The album was re-released on the Japan only format SHM-CD on December 3, 2008, which reached number 248 on the Oricon chart.^[1]

Summary

It is the only full-length record to be released under the hide with Spread Beaver name, hide had retitled his solo project to formally include his previous live band. It was completed without him, due to his death on May 2, 1998.

Although all songs are credited to hide, his ultimate level of involvement in the finished product is not clear. In June 1998, Zilch bassist Paul Raven said in an interview: "He was under a lot of pressure to finish his solo record. He had three songs completed the day before he died, and now mysteriously a full album is coming out nine days before ours."^[2] However, hide's brother and manager Hiroshi later claimed in his 2010 book Brothers: Recollections of hide that at the time of his death hide had six out of ten songs finished for Ja, Zoo,^[3] seemingly supported by the fact that I.N.A is credited with additional arrangement on four songs. The album's release was eventually postponed until November 21, 1998, with Zilch's debut album 3.2.1. released on July 23, 1998 and including the song "Inside the Pervert Mound" which is an English version of "Leather Face".

Reception

By the end of 1998, it sold 686,290 copies, becoming the 40th best-selling album of the year.^[4] It sold an additional 722,080 by the end of 1999, making it the 34th best-selling album of that year.^[5] With total sells over 1,408,270 copies, it was certified million by the RIAJ.^[6] Together with the sales of both singles and albums in 1998 hide sold over 3,820,720 copies, and if merged with 1999, over 4,542,800 in total. Ja, Zoo was one of the albums named "Rock Album of the Year" at the 13th Japan Gold Disc Awards and the single "Pink Spider" named "Song of the Year".^[7][8]

Track listing

Personnel

• hide – vocals, guitar (except track 9), surf guitar on track 1, bass on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6–8, 10
• Chirolyn – bass on tracks 3, 9, chorus on track 6
• Joe – drums on tracks 2, 4, 6–10, drum loops on track 1, chorus on track 6
• Kiyoshi – lead guitar on track 1, electric guitar on track 9
• KAZ – backing guitar on tracks 1, 6, chorus on track 6
• Pata – backing guitar on track 6, acoustic guitar on track 9
• D.I.E. – B-3 on track 1, piano on track 10, chorus on track 6
• I.N.A – additional arrangement on tracks 1, 6, 9, 10, chorus on track 6
• Eiki "Yana" Yanagita – drums on track 4
• Eric Westfall – piano on track 8
• Hide Fujiko – female voice on track 4
• Tetsu & friends – chorus on track 6
• Marron B – tambourine on track 7
• Gotchin – acoustic guitar on track 9
• Neko Saito Group – strings on track 9
• Hiroshi Matsumoto – reading on track 10

Personnel per the album's liner notes.^[9]

References