Lazy (band)

Lazy (Japanese: レイジー, Hepburn: Reijī, stylized as LAZY) is a Japanese rock band founded in 1973 by young classmates Hironobu Kageyama, Hiroyuki Tanaka and Akira Takasaki.

Lazy
OriginOsaka, Japan
Genres
Years active1973–1981, 1998–present
LabelsRCA (1977–1981)
Ayres (1998–1999)
Lantis (2000–present)
Associated actsNeverland, Loudness, JAM Project
MembersHironobu Kageyama
Akira Takasaki
Shunji Inoue
Past membersHiroyuki Tanaka
Munetaka Higuchi

History

The three founders soon recruited, from their own school, drummer Munetaka Higuchi and keyboard player Shunji Inoue to complete the line-up. The name Lazy was taken from Deep Purple's song of the same name and the music the new band wanted to play was orientated towards hard rock. Managers and producers instead envisioned the young musicians as ideal prototypes for pop icons and created, through the use of monikers, costumes and well-balanced singles, a successful "boy band" for the Japanese teenage market. In contrast with these decisions, the band members started writing and recording their own music, slowly changing the sound of the band from easy-listening pop rock to hard rock. A growing dissatisfaction for the direction the band had taken, and the need to express their musical ability, caused Lazy to split up in 1981.

Each member became known on their own, mainly in the soundtrack recording business, or formed other bands like Loudness. Lazy reformed in 1997 for a new album and a tour, and intermittently in the following years to do several projects together. In September 2006, bassist Tanaka died of heart failure. On November 30, 2008, drummer Higuchi died at the age of 49.[1] In 2009 they recorded a new single version of "Kanjite Knight" (感じてKnight), together with Kageyama's JAM Project, for the 2009 anime Shin Mazinger Shogeki! Z Hen, performed under the name "Ultimate Lazy for Mazinger". Their most recent project was the 2011 single "Reckless" for the second animated film in the Towa no Quon series.

Members
Former members
Other members
  • Tamio Okuda has participated in some Lazy projects since the deaths of Hiroyuki Tanaka and Munetaka Higuchi.
  • Kazuyoshi Saito has participated in some Lazy projects since the deaths of Hiroyuki Tanaka and Munetaka Higuchi.

Discography

Studio albums
  • This is the Lazy (1978/03/05)[2]
  • Dream a Dream (1978/12/05)
  • Rock Diamond (1979/09/05)
  • Lazy V (1980/04/05)
  • Earth Ark (宇宙船地球号, Uchuusen Chikyuugou, 1980/12/16)
  • Happy Time (1998/07/21)
  • Earth Ark II (宇宙船地球号II, Uchuusen Chikyuugou II, 2002/11/06)

EPs
  • Angelique: Eien no Yakusoku (2001/01/24)
  • Zone of the Enders (2001/05/23)

Live albums
  • Lazy wo Oikakero (1978/05/06)
  • Moetsukita Seishun (1981/04/05)
  • Happy Time Tour '98: Kuro Tokin no Nasu ga Mama (1998/04/21)

Compilation albums
  • Collection - Jounetsu no Seishun (1979/03/21)
  • Best Hit Lazy (1980/12/01)
  • Best (1981)
  • Best Collection 1977-1981 (1999/02/21)
  • Hit Collection (1999/11/20)
  • Golden Best (2004/12/22)

Singles
TitleRelease date
Hey! I Love You!July 25, 1977 (1977-07-25)
CamouflageOctober 25, 1977 (1977-10-25)
Akazukin Chan GoyoujinOctober 25, 1977 (1977-10-25)
Moeru Rock 'n' Roll FireMay 5, 1978 (1978-05-05)
Jigoku no TenshiJuly 25, 1978 (1978-07-25)
Hello Hello HelloOctober 25, 1978 (1978-10-25)
Ai ni wa Ai woMay 2, 1979 (1979-05-02)
Baby I Make a MotionJune 5, 1979 (1979-06-05)
Midnight BoxerJanuary 5, 1980 (1980-01-05)
Kanashimi wo ButtobaseMay 21, 1980 (1980-05-21)
Kanjite NightAugust 21, 1980 (1980-08-21)
Glass no HeartApril 5, 1981 (1981-04-05)
Ultra HighMarch 21, 1997 (1997-03-21)
PrayDecember 16, 1998 (1998-12-16)
Angelique ~Eien no Yakusoku~January 24, 2001 (2001-01-24)
Zone of the EndersMay 23, 2001 (2001-05-23)
Kanjite Knight (feat. Tamio Okuda, Saito Kazuyoshi & JAM Project)April 22, 2009 (2009-04-22)
RecklessJuly 13, 2011 (2011-07-13)
Slow and SteadyDecember 6, 2017 (2017-12-06)

Videography
  • Happy Time Tour '98 ~Kuro Tokin no Nasu ga Mama~ (1998/10/21)[3]
  • Lazy Live 2002 Uchuusen Chikyuugou II ~Regenerate of a Lasting Worth~ (2002/06/04)

References
  1. Blabbermouth.net, Los Angeles: Roadrunner Records, 2008, archived from the original on 2008-12-03, retrieved 2008-10-30
  2. "Lazy Discography". Lightning Strikes Loudly. 2007-05-27. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
  3. "Lazy Biografia" (in Portuguese). J-Metal. 2004. Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
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