Akiyoshi Imanari -- Hikaru Sabaru~Omoide no Naka no~（光る砂漠～思い出の中の～）

Folk singer Akiyoshi Imanari（いまなりあきよし）has been here on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" once before, although it was as the songwriter for the jazzy "New York 1961 Fuyu"（ニューヨーク 1961 冬）as recorded by Yoko Oda（小田陽子）in 1982.

While I was listening to the aforementioned Oda single, I noticed on the right side of YouTube a song that was actually performed by him. Titled "Hikaru Sabaku~Omoide no Naka no~" (A Shining Desert~Within My Memories~), once I finished with "New York 1961 Fuyu", I gave the former a spin.

It is definitely different. Imanari's final single to date was released sometime in 1976, and it's quite the despair-laden story. I actually couldn't find the lyrics online but from what I could glean from his lyrics, the protagonist seems to be at his wits' end on that long pitfall-and-pleasure laden road known as life. "Hikaru Sabaku" is a folk-rock hybrid with plenty of drama through Imanari's vocals, the electric guitar and some timpani. There's something about it that also reminds me of the 1970s Kenji Sawada（沢田研二）.

Imanari hails from Niigata Prefecture and got his start as a singer and songwriter from the early 1970s. He's released 3 albums and 6 singles.