Well, we're into another work week and things are bitterly cold out there. But all it takes in my neck of the woods is just layer up as much as you can, and things are much more bearable outside. I'm currently awaiting a couple of textbooks for my student so I may have to rush out to greet the Amazon guy.
It's been almost a couple of years since I put up a Meiko Kaji（梶芽衣子）number, and my impression of her has been that of a tough-as-nails woman done wrong in the big city thanks to her movies and music. Par exemple, here is her September 1975 single "Meinichi" (The Anniversary of Your Death). The title pretty much says it all, but although the music by Toshiaki Arai（新井利昌）is far from upbeat and bouncy, it's still lighter than the Jun Asaki（浅木じゅん）lyrics of a lady who had promised her lover's parents that she would take care of him, only for her to mourn his untimely passing some years later. The feeling is that she's totally on her own now, wracked with guilt since she feels that she abandoned him to his fate.
There is a folksy touch to "Meinichi", probably thanks to that piano that makes it stand out since I've usually thought of Kaji as more in the Mood Kayo vein. However, another standout is her vocals which sound as clear as the sake that's probably been swallowed to numb the pain of the lady's loss.
Hello, Brian. Oh, I think a 6-degree high and a -4-degree low in Toronto at this time would mean folks getting in their T-shirts and flip-flops. Today we woke up to -20 degrees.
ReplyDeleteKaji can be very easy listening when it comes to the introspective stuff. Something for coffee-drinking while reading a book.