Kozo Murashita -- Renga Douri （レンガ通り）

I've always loved that cover on Kozo Murashita's（村下孝蔵）"Utabito ~ Song Collection"（歌人〜ソングコレクション〜......Poet)...so very innocent and Japanese.

From that first BEST compilation (1984) by the late singer-songwriter, I came across the lovely "Renga Douri" (Brick Road). He can tenderize any ballad about lost love into a musical filet mignon. At first, I had thought that the song was about some poor fellow pining for some unrequited love, but then the lyrics revealed that it was more of a past love that he was feeling miserable about. The woman in question lived on that old apartment he used to know intimately on that brick road.

Originally released as a track of Murashita's debut album, "Kiteki ga Kikoeru Machi"（汽笛が聞こえる街...The Town Where I Can Hear The Steam Whistle） in July 1980, the ballad is beautiful but probably not the thing to hear just after a breakup. And perhaps a more upbeat tune would have been more apropos for a Friday night, but it's been a good long while since I put up one of his songs, and it's very relaxing to hear some of his old tunes. I also have to say that the video above is really well done and I hope it stays up a good long time (sorry, but it didn't).