Hide

JA Zoo is the final album recorded by Hide and his solo band, Spread Beaver before Hide sadly passed away in May 1998. This album was released shortly after his death and out of his 3 solo albums, this is the best one in my opinion.After X-Japan disbanded at the end of 1997, Hide recorded 2 albums, this one and one with his newly formed American Industrial band, Zilch.This is without a doubt Hide's finest work as a solo artist.The 2 biggest stand out tracks, Rocket Dive and Pink Spider are still played and covered by various bands in Japan. Even 18 years after his death, Hide's legacy is still as strong as ever in Japan and this album is a perfect example of why he is still adored by millions.The albums lyrics are primarily Japanese with the odd English phrase and as someone who can't speak or understand Japanese at all, I still find this really enjoyable.It is without a doubt better than a lot of music released in the West and X-Japan are without a doubt the greatest band you've never heard of.Even if you're English speaking like me, if you like rock music then go check out X-Japan and Hide's 3 solo albums