Live Fire!! Fire Bomber

LIVE FIRE!! FIRE BOMBER
Copyright © Big West/Macross 7 Project
VICL-2158
23 Aug 1995
¥2,000

—by Roderick "Agitator" Lee

1. Totsugeki Love Heart 5:22

Love Heart Assult

2. Remember 16 4:49

3. My Friends 4:17

4. Sweet Fantasy 3:32

5. Planet Dance 4:57

6. Light the Light 6:43

As the idea of seiyuu singing their own series vocals goes from trend setting to commonplace, it should come as no surprise that a series whose central characters are members of a band should take the next step and produce an actual live album. Thus, we have LIVE FIRE!! FIRE BOMBER, a six track concert EP of the MACROSS 7 act.
The "concert" opens with a spirited version of "Totsugeki Love Heart," which is over a minute longer than the original. This is the kind of song that deserves a live version, and Fire Bomber does not disappoint. And how fitting that a song featuring the lyrics "Listen to my song!" would open a concert. In fact, this disc was recorded during a real live concert—the recording happened at the Fire Bomber First Live concert in Tokyo. As the song closes, Mylene first and then Basara begin to whip the crowd into a frenzy before Basara introduces the next song, "Remember 16."
"Remember 16" is a slower song, and the arrangers made sure to keep the slow songs apart. This reviewer has unfortunately not heard the original version, but it seems that the concert version is livelier. Mylene closes out this song with some more concert banter before introducing "My Friends."
"My Friends" is wonderful live, but it is also disappointing because the live version actually clocks in less than the original, over half a minute shorter. But what is there is good. Mylene's raw voice, unedited and unfiltered through a cold, emotionless studio, carries the song, and the crowd, on an emotional wave that energizes the effect of the backing instruments, particularly the drums and bass. On the other hand, Mylene's (Sakurai Tomo) idea of filling the musical interludes is to yell "Hey! Hey! Hey!" continuously, and this does get tiring. She does this throughout the entire concert, but it is most prevalent during all three of the early hits. That is, "Totsugeki Love Heart," "My Friends," and "Planet Dance."
"Sweet Fantasy" is a medium paced song, again with Mylene as lead vocal. She carries another live version well, but it is nothing extraordinary. Then, some more annoying "Hey! Hey!"s as she leads Basara into "Planet Dance." Sure, there is greater energy, but the version in the first episode of the series is better, mostly because Mylene really overdoes it on the "Hey! Hey!"s in this song. Take those out, and the live version sounds infinitely better.
Following "Planet Dance," Fire Bomber exits the stage as the crowd first applauds loudly, then begins to chant "Encore! Encore!" There is a brief lull, then Fire Bomber (joined by surprise guests Furukawa and Kajiura Chie, the regular album singer counterparts) quietly begins "Light the Light," the ideal song to end a concert. Listeners can almost see a crowd of lights waving in time to this slow anthem.
The hits and misses about even out on this disc. Unfortunately, the misses are all over this disc (in the form of Mylene's "Hey! Hey!"s). Cute at first, they soon become repetitive, and detract from the entire disc. Still these live versions are worth a listen, and avid MACROSS 7 fans will probably want to give this a try.