Nice. (U.S. Version)

As Puffy AmiYumi
2nd U.S. Album / Stereo

Bar None BRN-CD-142

Released August 12, 2003 (U.S.)
August 19, 2003 (Canada)

Produced by Andy Sturmer

Obviously, this is the U.S. version of Puffy's Nice. album, once again released through Bar None Records. This version boasts a few new tracks in comparison to the Japanese release - most notably Teen Titans Theme, Puffy's theme to the Cartoon Network animated series that was just starting around this time. The other differences are "Planet Tokyo" (the English langauge version of "Akai Buranko") - which had been released on the Akai Bruanko single in Japan - and "Urei", a hard-rocking song that was released in Japan on a single several months later.

This disc is still listed as being available through Amazon.com, and if you're lucky you might still find a copy or two in a record store here and there.

Track Listing

1. Planet Tokyo (words & music: Andy Sturmer) (3:49)
2. Tokyo Nights (words: Pierre Taki/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:55)
3. Angel of Love (words: Shoko Suzuki/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:14)
4. Sayonara (words: YO-KING/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:19)
5. Invisible Tomorrow (words: Puffy AmiYumi/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:57)
6. Thank You (words: Yumi Yoshimura/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:55)
7. Long Beach Nightmare (words: Ami Onuki/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:16)
8. Your Love Is a Drug (words & music: Andy Sturmer) (3:33)
9. K2G (words: Puffy AmiYumi/music: Andy Sturmer) (4:37)
10. Shiawase (Happiness) (words: Tamio Okuda/music: Andy Sturmer) (4:23)
11. Urei (words: Puffy AmiYumi/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:56)
12. Teen Titans Theme (words & music: Andy Sturmer) (3:08)
13. Red Swing ("Akai Buranko") (words: Puffy AmiYumi/music: Andy Sturmer) (3:52)

Notes:

• Ami plays the guitar solo on "Invisible Tomorrow."
• The album photographs are (obviously) based on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Bed In" for peace, several of which were staged in 1969.
• "Planet Tokyo" and "Red Swing" are the same song with different sets of lyrics.
• Unlike the Japanese version of the album, the first two tracks do not crossfade into each other.
• "Tokyo Nights" is similar sounding to the Buggles song "Video Killed The Radio Star".
• The first Puffy album not to have Tamio Okuda present on any song (though he did write the lyrics for "Shiawase").
• The song "K2G" was used in the episode "Mad Mod" of the cartoon series Teen Titans.
• "Teen Titans Theme" is reminiscent of the theme song to the TV series "Secret Agent Man."
• The disc contains bonus Quicktime videos culled from the Rolling Debut Revue Canada USA Tour 2002 DVD: live performances of "Akai Buranko", "Your Love Is A Drug" and "Puffy no Rule" (sometimes interspliced with documentary footage from the tour); and the closing scenes of the DVD, set to the CD version of "Long Beach Nightmare".
• "Urei" and "Teen Titans Theme" both saw their first release on this disc. "Urei" wasn't released in Japan until the Sunrise CD single, and "Teen Titans Theme" was first released in Japan on 59.
• Presumably, "Atarashii Hibi" and "Tomodachi" - which are on the Japanese version of this album - were left off of the U.S. release due to the fact that both songs had been released in America 18 months prior, on the An Illustrated History CD (also released by Bar None Records).

Other

• Larger Image of Album Cover
• Image of CD
• Nice. [U.S. Version] at Amazon.com
• Nice. [U.S. Version] at Amazon.co.jp