Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Fujimal Yoshino -- August


'Tis November 2018 now. One would expect that with the Halloween hijinks all done, the Christmas decorations would already be up in shopping malls. Not quite yet at my local mall; the Halloween stuff is still up there. However, much to my chagrin, Frank Sinatra singing Yuletide tunes has already filtered through the mall speakers. I suddenly felt very exhausted.


Well, it's three months past due, but it's nice to hear "August", a track from Fujimal Yoshino's(芳野藤丸) 2nd album "Romantic Guys" from 1983. It's got all of the City Pop tropes in there: nice plump bass, mellow guitar solo and good noodling on the Fender Rhodes accompanying Yoshino's bluesy vocals (fine harmonies, by the way). I would say that the song doesn't just belong to any August sunset but to even a November sunset. The important thing is that the sun can be slowing sinking below the horizon as one is talking a walk outside while this is playing.

I have to check whether "Romantic Guys" is available at places like Tower Records, but Amazon Japan is selling one copy at a nosebleed price. As I've mentioned, Xmas is just around the corner although I would be thoroughly shocked and delighted if "August" were to play on my mall speakers.

2 comments:

  1. Hello J-Canuck,

    Yep. This definitely hits all the check boxes!

    But yikes!

    The prices!

    From Discogs to Amazon JP the prices for the LP are astronomically high! They can be anywhere from $80 to $250 dollars?!

    However, since I do not own a record player these prices are a moot point.

    But I did check Amazon (US) and the Tower Records (JP) and the re-issued 2012 CD release can go as low as $25 to $30 dollars (US) or Amazon (CA) for $35 dollars.

    I know what I’ll be getting when I start buying music next year.

    I have to buy my purchases in bulk since I’m forced to shop online. Obviously, what I like cannot be bought locally.

    Since the entire album is posted on YouTube, I’ll listen and see if has anymore nuggets of pure goodness like this song.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Chasing Showa.

      Indeed...the prices. As long as the CD version is available, though, I will always go for that. Glad to see that "Romantic Guys" can be bought on disc.

      I have started to buy my end-of-year batch from Tower for my enjoyment, and also to see how that Canada Post rotating strike is having an effect. May need to get things quite a bit earlier since the backlog is beginning to build up.

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