Taeko Ohnuki -- A Slice of Life

When it comes to the Taeko Ohnuki（大貫妙子）collection, I've been able to get a couple of her BEST compilations including "History: 1978~1984" but as for her studio albums, it had been her early works ranging from 1976 to 1984. Basically then, I've mostly been acquainted with her New Music/City Pop era in the 1970s and her French-feeling and her technopop material of the early 1980s, that last category through her collaboration with Yellow Magic Orchestra's Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龍一）.

But recently, I bought her October 1987 12th album "A Slice of Life" which now represents the "latest" that I've gotten of her studio releases, although of course, that one other BEST collection has included her much later work such as "Happy-Go-Lucky" from 1997.

The above video by hadji junci provides all of the tracks so I will leave the times as I usually do in these cases. "A Slice of Life" is another fascinating Ohnuki release and the impression that I've been left with so far is that it brings together the past and the present (circa 1987). Furthermore, what is even more interesting is that the tracks hinting at her musical past, though they don't include any of her technopop stuff, do bring back that French-feeling arrangement courtesy of past collaborator Jean Musy and perhaps a "What If?" situation in the form of tracks that sound as if the singer-songwriter hadn't left those 1970s New Music roots and continued that path deep into the next decade. Of course, all tracks were written and composed by Ohnuki.

"Anata ni Nita Hito"（あなたに似た人...Someone Like You）, the first track, is the contemporary-feeling and probably the only out-and-out City Pop song on "A Slice of Life", and it's an immediate winner for me. In fact, it is the reason that I decided to go for the album via Tower Records in the first place. Ohnuki's distinctive vocals are right out in front, surrounded by a melody that comes across as if it had been meant as a theme song for a Tokyo-based detective series. Guitarist Kenji Omura（大村憲司）gives a Santana-esque solo performance which amps up the "cool dude" factor, and he's also the one behind the arrangement.

Speaking of Omura, he's not the only person behind arranging the tracks on this album. "A Slice of Life" also benefits from having a few other chefs in there as well. Keyboardist Hiroshi Sato（佐藤博）and saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu（清水靖晃）, who I mentioned here just a few days ago, along with the aforementioned Musy are also arrangers to ensure that the album reflects a few different shades here and there. Getting back to "Anata ni Nita Hito", Sato and Takeshi Kobayashi（小林武史）are involved on keyboards and YMO's Yukihiro Takahashi（高橋幸宏）is on the drums.

The second track at 4:17 is "Mou Ichido Twist"（もういちどトゥイスト...Twist Again）, once again arranged by Omura. This one really threw me for a loop because I feel that it was Ohnuki's take at an Eiichi Ohtaki（大滝詠一）tune in her own inimitable fashion...a 1950s sock-hop done through French impressions. Plus, it finishes up rather abruptly as if the stodgy old high school principal suddenly told all the kids to get off the dance floor.

The AOR "Ningyo to Suifu"（人魚と水夫...The Mermaid and The Sailor）at 7:19 is arranged by Sato and it sure sounds like it. If I were to throw in two words to describe it, they would be "Tropical Bouncy". The listener isn't in downtown Tokyo as in "Anata ni Nita Hito" or a high school gym as in "Mou Ichido Twist", but somewhere on the boardwalk of a particularly fashionable beachside resort in Bubble Era Japan. To throw in another name, EPO is helping out on background vocals as she is on that second track.

At 14:57, Track 5 is "Koibito-tachi no Jikoku"（恋人たちの時刻...Lovers' Time）, arranged by saxophonist Shimizu and indeed he's on the jazz tenor sax solo here. Also, Musy is on the piano and synthesizer and guess what? Not only is Takahashi back on drums but old YMO associate Haruomi Hosono（細野晴臣）is helping out on bass. "Koibito-tachi no Jikoku" is a lilting ballad that seems to hearken back to Ohnuki's French material from the early 1980s. After a few drinks, you may want to waltz to it! The song was also an Ohnuki single from February 1987 and the theme song for a Kadokawa movie of the same name that year.

One more song that I will leave you with is at 23:05, "Hymns" which was arranged by Musy. It's another beautiful slow classical song that will have you sighing at the flower garden. It's somewhat reminiscent of "Kuro no Clair"（黒のクレール）from her "Cliché" album. Plus, it also has the additional characteristic of her vocal effects that I've often heard her use in other songs and commercials. Fans of her sweeping French balladry shouldn't be disappointed here.

Obviously, there is another half of the album to think about, but I will let you folks sample the other goods yourselves so you can come up with your own impressions. I may do a follow-up someday or simply handle the tracks one-by-one. My knowledge on Ohnuki's career beyond 1984 is very hazy right now, but like her "Romantique", perhaps "A Slice of Life" may have also presaged another new turning point in her music. And just like that 1980 album, it's well worth exploring.