Naoki Watanabe -- Saigo no Coin（最後のコイン）

 

Just a little over a year ago, I wrote about bassist Naoki Watanabe（渡辺直樹）, who has worked with the bands Spectrum and AB's, and his solo album "She" from 1987 via the laidback track "Veranda no Carib"（ベランダのカリブ）.

Later that year, Watanabe cut another album called "Star Child" and the launching song here is "Saigo no Coin" (The Last Coin). Composed by Watanabe and written by his old bandmate from AB's, Yoshihiko Ando（安藤芳彦）, I've read in a YouTube comment that the person was hooked within the first several seconds. It took me about the same length of time as well to get with the program on "Saigo no Coin", and the Japanese-language "Music Avenue" has also praised the opening acapella chorus and how Watanabe shows off more of that falsetto of his. Not sure whether he had a lot of opportunities to show off his vocals when he was with AB's and Spectrum, but I think he certainly has the chops for the mike.

Image-wise, I think of that dreamy sunset walk along the beach when I listen to "Saigo no Coin". I don't quite know what Ando's lyrics are alluding to, although the title might hint at a rather sad but perhaps necessary final phone call to a soon-to-be ex-paramour. If that is indeed the case, I will take my image over that.