Ryuichi Sakamoto & Yasuyuki Okamura -- Tokai（都会）

Of all the photos I took back in my last trip to Japan, the above is one of my favourites. It's of the Daimon area, and with that sun hitting the buildings just so, I thought it was one of the nicest shots to show off Tokyo, one heck of a city.

I think I've come across one of the nicest covers of a Taeko Ohnuki（大貫妙子）song through a 2013 album titled "Tribute to Taeko Ohnuki"（大貫妙子トリビュート・アルバム）. This is "Tokai" (The City) by Ohnuki's collaborator from the 70s and 80s, Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龍一）, and J-funkster Yasuyuki Okamura（岡村靖幸）.

Originally from Ohnuki's 1977 album "Sunshower", as I mentioned in the "Kayo Kyoku Plus" article for it, the arrangement for "Tokai" was inspired by Stevie Wonder while the singer took a pot shot against city life. If anything, though, "Tokai" had me swooning over city life, especially life in Tokyo that I knew so well for so many years. And the new version by Sakamoto and Okamura gets even closer to Wonder...so much so that I wonder (no pun intended) whether the legend was actively taking part in the recording session. Still, the cover doesn't reconstruct or deconstruct from the original; it's truly a tribute and Sakamoto even brings back the meowing synth instrumental.

I will have to listen to the samples presented up at Amazon.jp but perhaps "Tribute to Taeko Ohnuki" will be my next purchase.

Speaking of Tokyo, in a couple of days, I will be taking off for my old stompin' grounds for the first time in a little over 3 years. I'm certainly looking forward to my 2-week vacation...meeting up with old friends, eating my favourite foods (karaage, hambaagu, kaiten sushi...we meet again!) and seeing the old haunts. As such, KKP will be a little quiet for the first half of November.