Happy Monday! It's been about a month since I put up a Ruiko Kurahashi（倉橋ルイ子）song and that was the rare rocker by her, "Out on a Limb", the title track from her 1991 album. It was quite the revelation when I bought it. The above, by the way, is the back of the CD for her debut album in 1981, "Without Sugar", and it's noteworthy for the fact that she is actually smiling like a lottery winner. Kurahashi doesn't usually put up a happy face for the camera, so it's always nice when she does.
Anyways, we're going back to Ruiko's earlier days when her fans (including myself) knew and loved her for the languid light pop tunes. From her December 1983 album "Thanks", I offer "Melancholy Harbour". It has a little of everything for a light and mellow pop piece: some underlying bossa nova over here, a bit of AOR over there and some of that refined Fashion Music that first brought her to my attention. It was no surprise to realize that it was Etsuko and Takao Kisugi（来生えつこ・来生たかお） behind lyrics and music respectively since they were the experts back then to concoct the rich and sophisticated chocolate of kayo kyoku. But then we also have to thank arranger Kei Wakakusa（若草恵）.
In any case, this is a very typically Kurahashi song and if anyone asked about what her type of music is, I would definitely show this one. "Thanks" is also one of the very few albums of hers that I don't possess. Wouldn't it be nice to get this one at this late stage in the game?
You are right! I don't think I have ever seen Ruiko Kurahashi seen smiling on any of her album artwork covers!
ReplyDeleteY'know...I think that back cover for "Without Sugar" may be the only example of her ever smiling broadly on an album.
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