Just read on the Mixi news feed that Akko, the lead vocalist for the band My Little Lover, got re-married to a non-celebrity, so my congratulations go out to the happy couple. And I'm going with the band's 6th single, "Yes ~ free flower" today on the blog.
I remember the music video which went with "Yes". It's too bad that it doesn't seem to exist on Youtube or elsewhere on the Net since I recall the excerpts of it which showed up on the commercial for the single. It looked pretty trippy and eclectic with Akko in heavy eye makeup and a huge fur coat squirming around while she creamily breathed out the words. There was something about the song that reminded me of Fleetwood Mac with that steady groovy rhythm. Also, the lyrics expressed the embrace of those feelings and sensations surrounding the end of a romance.
Released in December 1996, the words and music were by Akko's ex-husband and fellow bandmate, Takeshi Kobayashi（小林武史）. It hit No. 1 (My Little Lover's final No. 1 to date) and went Double Platinum. It is also a track on the band's 2nd album, "Presents" which came out in March 1998 and hit No. 2 on the album charts.
When my older brother returned after a year as an exchange student in Hiroshima in 1997, he brought back a Minidisc player, a box of VHS tapes, and a whole slew of CDs. This single might be my favorite of them. In so many things, Japan somehow achieves that Galapagos status, doing things so differently from everyone else, especially the west, and music is no different. But, this track always sounds right at home with mid-90s college rock, like it could have been slotted in-between The Sundays "Here's Where the Story Ends" and Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You". The fuzz on the guitar brings it to some sort of j-pop shoegaze tranquility that always makes me feel wistful.
ReplyDeleteHi again, Matthew.
DeleteAgreed with the fuzzy guitar, I think that instrument along with the synth or Fender Rhodes made the song stand out to me.