Time for a down-and-dirty 1970s City Pop/New Music song so there's nothing like a good Kentaro Shimizu（清水健太郎）tune. "Kaeranai" (Not Coming Home) was actor/singer Shimizu's 2nd single following his hit debut of "Shitsuren Resutoran" (失恋レストラン）and this was released in April 1977.
The story of a romance gone rancid, I really like the funky arrangement by Koji Makaino（馬飼野康二）of R&B singer Hiro Tsunoda's（つのだひろ）melody. It does sound like good ol' Tokyo of the 1970s and maybe this could have belonged as a theme to some cop show although the lyrics of a breakup wouldn't have fit the program. Tsunoda was also responsible for those lyrics that make it sound like both parties didn't particularly mind things ending the way they did and perhaps they are now much more relieved. Regardless, romantic self-destruction seldom sounds this cool.
"Kaeranai" won Shimizu a Best New Artist prize at the All-Japan Cable Broadcast Awards for that year, and it was the singer's 2nd consecutive No. 1 hit following "Shitsuren Resutoran". It's been noted that Shimizu was the first singer in Oricon history to have his first two singles become No. 1 hits. For 1977, "Kaeranai" was the 12th-ranked single.
I agree with the following sentiment "romantic self-destruction seldom sounds this cool". "Kaeranai" despite the situation described in the song it is a lot of fun to listen to and it very catchy.
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