Miho Nakayama -- Miho's Select

I've already featured songs by Miho Nakayama（中山美穂）that already got onto this BEST album of hers, but I think it was time to just put this out there. "Miho's Select" is her 4th album of best hits which was released on Xmas Eve 1991 but it's not the usual throw-in of her most successful singles but as the title says, it's a selection of popular tunes that were slightly remixed or given new arrangements. I still think the results kinda varied.

amazon.jp

Back in Toronto for a few months since returning from my JET stint, I picked this one up through the ancient process of "Eye-Ai" mail order and bank draft. There were some songs that I had already recognized but there were also some new ones and I have to admit that seeing the distinctive cover helped in making my decision. Anyways, here is the lineup:

1. Rosa
2. '91 You're My Only Shinin' Star
3. SWITCH ON
4. I Know
5. Toi Machi no Dokoka de（遠い街のどこかで）
6. Kabin（花瓶）
7. COCKATOO
8. Dare ka ga Ai ni...（誰かが愛に…）
9. Long Distance To The Heaven
10. Honki demo（本気でも）

Knowing that it has already been given its own article, "I Know" by Rui Serizawa（芹沢類）and Cindy is still my favourite song from "Miho's Select" and therefore it is the one that I've associated the most with this album.

"Heart no Switch wo Oshite" (ハートのスイッチを押して...Press My Heart Switch) was originally the B-side to Miporin's 8th single "Waku Waku Sasete"（WAKU WAKU させて）from 1986, and the above video has the original splashy version, but under its new guise of "SWITCH ON", it has a more urban contemporary feeling. Still kinda split over which version I like better but you can check the link to the samples for "Miho's Select" at Tower Records at the bottom of the article. Takashi Matsumoto and Kyohei Tsutsumi（松本隆・筒美京平）were responsible for its creation.

As soon as I heard "Kabin" (Flower Vase), I knew this was a Toshiki Kadomatsu（角松敏生）creation. The chorus and strings give it that sweep that I've often connected with a Kadomatsu ballad whether it be with Nakayama or Anri（杏里）. The song deals with the aftermath of a downed relationship as the titular piece of pottery symbolizes that relationship as the flowers start drying up and frittering away. For a song about a doomed romance, it is atypically uplifting especially from the 4:30 point. Perhaps the lass has moved on. "Kabin" was the final track on Miporin's 6th album, "Catch The Nite" from 1988.

(4:30)

To be honest, "Long Distance to the Heaven" is borderline elegiac/creepy with that keyboard intro. Didn't take a deep look at the lyrics by Nakayama under one of her pen names, Mizuho Kitayama（北山瑞穂）, but it sounds almost like a woman's final comments to her former lovers after she had died. Yeah, not one of my favourites. Nakayama also composed the song. I don't think the version in "Miho's Select" has changed.

There was also "COCKATOO" which I couldn't find online outside of the Tower Records excerpt. This was another track that I wasn't too thrilled with since I think it's a little leaden now with too many of those dance music sound effects from that time. Like "Long Distance to the Heaven", I don't think "COCKATOO" underwent much if any change at all from its original album "Dé eaya" (March 1991).

"Miho's Select" did hit No. 1 on Oricon. For me, it was an OK album but rather a mixed bag.

http://tower.jp/item/3951883/MIHO'S-SELECT