"Hoshi Kiko" (Star Travelogue) is the 4th and final album by Hiroko Yakushimaru(薬師丸ひろ子)from July 1987 that went along with the pattern of a three-kanji title before she would release "Sincerely Yours" in 1988. The one other album that I've talked about so far when it comes to her discography is "Yume Juuwa"(夢十話)from 1985.
As you can see above, I bought the actual LP from Wah Yueh. It wasn't because I wanted to follow the tradition of that three-kanji title that I got it, though. Nah, it was because of that cover with Yakushimaru looking pretty darn high...and beaming a smile! When I took a gander at that album, a few words came to mind such as "electric socket" and "marijuana" since usually my image of the singer-actress had been that of the demure young lady with the bob hairdo. Instead, for "Hoshi Kiko", it looked like she fully enjoyed a university kegger!
The melody by Tetsuya Tsujimata(辻畑鉄也)reminds me of all those kayo describing exotic climes that had their heyday in the late 1970s, something that is further confirmed by Shizuka Ijuin's(伊集院静)lyrics about the trials and tribulations of love somewhere in an arid country. I gather that from the get-go, Yakushimaru and her colleagues had wanted to release an album with some more oomph this time.
The second track, "Koufuku no Kishi e"(幸福の岸へ...To The Shore of Happiness)takes things back a bit to her cuter and softer roots. However, there is a bubblier and happier layer to this song that the title hints at. With Yasuhiro Mitani(三谷泰弘)providing the music this time, Ijuin once again wrote the lyrics which seemed to hint at Hiroko-chan happily running away from home to see her true love at a new place she's never been to. The above video is a short cover by sundaytube02 and I think she does a very nice job of singing it.
(excerpt only)
"Hoshi Kiko" peaked at No. 3 on Oricon selling a little over 20,000 albums.
Hi J-Canuck!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of her and I love this album, especially 幸福の岸へ
Her singing voice and the bass was just really cute.
Hi, Hiroki!
DeleteGlad to hear that you are also a big fan of Hiroko and hope that you have been enjoying her other albums from those days as well.