Blue Blood / X JAPAN
The Origin of Visual Kei Rock

Date：03, Mar, 2014
Investigated and Written by Misaka Youhei
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Visual Kei means people who make themselves up and play music in various ways. They look sort of Kabuki, and play many kinds of music like rock, pops and so on. Do you know where the word comes from?

X JAPAN is a Japanese band that made debut in 1989 and their debut album is Blue Blood which includes 12 songs. Now, the great album tells us the true beginning of Visual Kei, you know.

They are not the first musicians with make-up. Before X JAPAN appeared publicly, we already had David Bowie, Kiss, and Seikima-II, speaking of the bands with a make-up.

So what is special on the album? Please click the picture and enlarge it for your steady gaze. You could see it says Psychedelic Violence / Crime of Visual Shock which was their advertising slogan at the time. It is said somebody named them Visual Kei from the copy words. It means Blue Blood is the origin of Visual Kei.

If it was only a ridiculous album, nobody would have developed such a new phrase. Blue Blood carried a big surprise in 1989.

X JAPAN had originally been perceived as a usual heavy metal band. Surely, “Orgasm” and “Kurenai” would tell you so. But “Endless Rain” and “Unfinished” are fine ballad songs with beautiful melodies. Common heavy metal bands had not written those songs that are going to invite your tears. “Celebration” is a simple rock song written by HIDE.

At the time, they would see ability beyond a new figure on the variation and the quality. No doubt Blue Blood is a great rock album. So it is a monument of Visual Kei, and meanwhile the great work of rock.

・Yoshiki Official Homepage