I've been a fan of Japanese popular music for 40 years, and have managed to collect a lot of material during that time. So I decided I wanted to talk about Showa Era music with like-minded fans. My particular era is the 70s and 80s (thus the "kayo kyoku"). The plus part includes a number of songs and artists from the last 30 years and also the early kayo. So, let's talk about New Music, aidoru, City Pop and enka.
Credits
I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.
One remarkable thing about this blog aside from the fact that we've been able to keep it going for nearly a dozen years is that there are still always going to be surprises to the writers themselves. So, I've just gotten my mind blown once more.
It's just a week sky of eleven years since I first posted Yuki Katsuragi's（葛城ユキ）"Bohemian" in December 2012 on the pages of KKP. "Bohemian" has been one of the touchstones of my kayo kyoku memories because I heard it for the first time on an episode of CHIN-FM's"Sounds of Japan", and it's certainly one of the first J-Rock tunes that I ever encountered. I noted in that article that one surprise I got there was that the song had been written by Ryo Aska（飛鳥涼）of Chage & Aska.
Well, another bombshell has landed in December 2023 regarding this song. Katsuragi wasn't the first to sing it. That honour actually goes to singer Yuuko Ohtomo（大友裕子）when she recorded it as her 9th and final single in September 1982, only a few months before Katsuragi's version was put onto the shelves. The original "Bohemian" is fascinating since it's not quite as growly in terms of the arrangement by Daisuke Inoue（井上大輔）who also arranged the Katsuragi cover or the vocals by Ohtomo which seem more plaintive. In fact, I'd say that there is a City Pop groove underneath the wailing guitar.
The B-side to "Bohemian" is "Maruseru Bashi"（マルセル橋...Marseilles Bridge） which begins with a lonely piano riff very reminiscent of the intro for Billy Joel's "The Stranger". However, the torch song doesn't feel like New York City as the title signifies and the setting is far more Gallic with the music taking things into the realm of Fashion Music. As with "Bohemian", Aska and Inoue took care of words and music respectively with Takayuki Hirano（平野孝幸）handling the arrangement.
Ohtomo was born and raised in Miyagi Prefecture, and her entry into the music profession began in 1978 as a university freshman, when she entered the Yamaha Popular Song Contest's Tohoku competition.Her debut single, "Shoushin"（傷心...Love-Torn Heart）, was released that December. In addition to those nine singles, there were also a couple of albums in 1979 and 1980. Soon after "Bohemian" had been released, Ohtomo got married and she ended her singing career.
Well, yesterday's meteorological maelstrom is happily yesterday's matter. It's nice and sunny today although I would still be hard-pressed to call it spring. Still, maybe we can still bring some smiles here.
Or perhaps we can bring one hundred million of them. Yup, I've got Noriko Sakai's（酒井法子）bouncy 6th single, "Ichi Oku no Smile" (One Hundred Million Smiles) from May 1988. Nori-P always had a gleaming and attractive grin so I can say that she possessed a one hundred million-watt smile of her own, and the song itself rather reflects a very happy frame of mind. Lyrics were by Hiromi Mori（森浩美）with arrangements by Motoki Funayama（船山基紀）. ASKA of Chage & Aska fame was responsible for this very cheery melody which doesn't sound the type of music that he would come up with, and indeed, it's a very aidoru tune.
The song rang a bell with me and since I don't have any Nori-P albums...just a couple of singles from the 1990s...I think that I probably heard "Ichi Oku no Smile" on one of the old music ranking programs. What surprised me was that this was her biggest-selling single by reaching No. 2 on the Oricon weeklies, so none of her singles ever hit the top spot. "Ichi Oku no Smile" was also used for a Ban deodorant commercial (probably starring Sakai) and it first appeared on an album via her "LOVELY TIMES / NORIKO Part III" which was released in August 1988; it hit No. 8 on the charts.
I gotta admit that I was immediately drawn in by that album cover.
Well, the name also grabbed my attention. The Alpha! Sounds like some super secret organization like the Freemasons in a sci-fi show. But the above you see is the first of their three original albums "Sensation" from December 1985.
The Alpha first formed in 1982 with vocalist/guitarist Keisuke Murakami（村上啓介）, synthesizer operator Tatsunari Yakabe（矢賀部竜成）, bassist Teruo Takahama（高浜輝夫）and drummer Kunihiro Sato（佐藤邦治）under the name ALPHA. The band then teamed up with vocalist/pianist Ikumi Goto（後藤郁美）and musician Minoru Komorita（小森田実）on the latter's project album "Doki Doki Talking"（ドキドキTalking）which earned them an award at the Yamaha Popular Song Contest (PopCon). In 1983, Goto formally joined the band and then ALPHA and Komorita worked together once more to win the Grand Prize with the song "Foreigner"（フォリナー）which became their first single. Guitarist Goro Tameyama（為山五朗）would join later as a support member. The officially-named Minoru Komorita & ALPHA would release one more single that year titled "Moonlight Dance".
However in 1984, ALPHA and Komorita parted ways with the band providing support to pop duo Chage & Aska. Then in November 1985, ALPHA decided to add that definite article to become The Alpha to release their first single under that new name "Yume Jikake Romance" (Dreaming Romance). Listening to some of the tracks on "Sensation" which contains that first single, it seems like The Alpha enjoyed dabbling in New Wave, urban pop/rock, synthpop, and even a bit of Kazuhiro Nishimatsu-like（西松一博）spacy jazz for one track at least.
But with the 2nd track, "Yume Jikake Romance", it's all about the New Wave and rock meshed together. I suddenly got all sorts of memories of the UK band The Fixx on this one, and maybe even a bit of TM Network. I don't know if there are any YouTube videos showing The Alpha on a concert stage but I could imagine vocalist Murakami, who composed the music to this one, strutting all around and sounding a little like Kenji Sawada（沢田研二）. Aska himself provided the lyrics to "Yume Jikake Romance".
Along with those three albums, The Alpha managed to release two more singles until they finally broke up in 1989. The members went onto other projects including Murakami who pursued a solo career.
Beyond Hikaru Genji's（光GENJI）"Paradise Ginga"（パラダイス銀河）, my memory gets rather hazy when it comes to this Johnny's Jimusho band of the late 1980s.
So it was quite the revelation on hearing Hikaru Genji's 8th single"Kouya no Megalopolis"(Megalopolis of the Wilderness) from February 1990. Written and composed by Ryo Aska（飛鳥涼）, right from the intro, I thought that the melody sounded fairly Electric Light Orchestra with some of that sonic thunder and lightning. My suspicions were confirmed when Kazumi Moroboshi（諸星和己）and company went into their refrain, and I felt like it was the second coming of Olivia Newton-John's"Xanadu" from over a decade prior, which was a collaboration with ELO.
Therefore, "Kouya no Megalopolis" is a heroic and optimistic-sounding tune which pretty much demands that teenage boys have to roller skate all over the floor as it's playing. Aska's lyrics certainly relate the story of a fantasy-like super-city out in the badlands...Las Vegas? Anyways, "Kouya no Megalopolis" hit the top spot on Oricon and ended up as the 39th-ranked single of the year. One more little trivia tidbit from the J-Wiki description of the song is that it was also the 400th No. 1 hit in Oricon's history. Not sure if Johnny got some award to commemorate that, though.
Oooh! It's been a few years since Yoko Minamino（南野陽子）has graced the pages of "Kayo Kyoku Plus". Not that Nanno was the only one with that image, but I've always seen this latter-half-of-the-1980s aidoru as more of the princess-y type than as the girl-next-door. Although I can't say that I've heard every bit of her discography, the songs that I do know by her and her sweet and high voice gave me that regal and innocent image.
One case in point is Nanno's 16th single from November 1989, "Film no Mukougawa" (Beyond the Film). Ryo Aska（飛鳥涼）of Chage & Aska fame was the composer and lyricist for this song which has the atmosphere of fantasy castle life, thanks to Jun Sato's（佐藤準）arrangement. If I've read the lyrics correctly, it seems as if a princess from a fairy tale world has gotten rather curious beyond the veil or film and perhaps romance may be coming for her.
Looking at the settings for the two TV performances and considering the release date of the single, I'm wondering if the record company were seeing "Film no Mukougawa" as an Xmas tune of sorts. It's kinda got that jingly feeling. Although I didn't hear it on the TV versions, according to the J-Wiki article on the song, the outro for the recorded version adopts a bit of Pachelbel's"Kanon". In any case, Minamino's number hit No. 1 on Oricon and was the 100th-ranked song on the yearly charts for 1990. In fact, this would be her final No. 1 hit to date.
Taking a little turn down memory lane, I recall there was nothing more I ever wanted than ASKA'sSCENE II (and to a lesser extent, SCENE) album for it contained some of my favourite songs. But ironically, while I was able to get most of his albums, the former was the one and only one that was completely out of my reach as what was available were only exorbitantly-priced, used antiques on Amazon. I was never able to get it and I got to say that that stung. Eventually, I did more or less... okay, mostly forget about this gripe when the aforementioned fellows popped up. And then the remix versions of SCENE II and SCENE, came out late this year. ASKA, my dear sir, I waited 7 years for this.
It went without saying that I got both the moment I heard the summaries of the albums on YouTube. Unlike what I had initially thought and much to my relief, these remixes weren't complete make-overs of these classics but are instead modern face-lifts. My perennial favourites like "Kaze no Sumu Machi" (風の住む町) and "Soshu Yakyoku" (蘇州夜曲) sounded fantastic with fuller arrangements, and those new to me like "Yume Haruka" (夢はるか) were just as atmospheric. But the one that struck a chord in me was "Hajimari wa Itsumo Ame". (J-Canuck had written a piece on this tune way back in 2013, so you can check out his views on it here too.)
Man, I used to love this video so much.
Just like "On Your Mark", this rainy ballad ASKA is most known for was one of the earliest foundations in my love for Japanese music and the singer-songwriter himself. And it always brings back a bittersweet memory: On my first trip to Japan when I was 7, I was ill and the cold of late autumn/early winter made me miserable. But before things went downhill completely, I was able to enjoy the sea of red maple leaves from the Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto. This scene became synonymous with "Hajimari wa Itsumo Ame" as I heard it while looking back at pictures of Kiyomizu after the trip. As usual, I had no idea what I was listening to, but I liked it. Reminiscing about it now, I find that the warmth and softness of ASKA's voice and the strings fit the brilliant red and orange of the maple trees to a T in spite of the lack of rain.
Since this tune is strongly associated with a fond childhood memory and its significance in my taste in music, hearing how much more rich and smooth its arrangement became in this SCENE II remix was quite something. It made me feel that the wait was worth it.
Well, anyway, I know it's been 12 days into 2019 already, but I would like to wish all you readers and contributors a Happy New Year! I hope this year goes by smoother than 2018 did.
Yesterday was Akina Nakamori (中森明菜)'s birthday and attending to J-Canuck's invitation, I'm leaving my own article to celebrate.
Yokan (予感) is a song originally included in the álbum Bitter and Sweet from 1985, which means it was already covered in the blog, but still, I think it's relevant enough to have an article of its own. Not only is one of my absolute favorite Akina songs, it's also one that while not being very popular with the general public, is a staple of her career. In one of the first albums I ever listened from her, the Best Collection from 1998, it was the only song that received a rearrangement and hadn't been an A-side in one of Akina's singles.
Penned and composed by ASKA (I only looked it up now, but it does sound like something he'd release), the song has some meaningful lyrics. "If you're going to hate me anyway, I would rather hate you with all my heart" is the initial phrase that sticks in my ear whenever I think about the song. It's one of those that only gets more melancholic over the years as Akina's own life got more tragic and she herself matured.
So, it's basically a tearjerker, but something about it makes it pleasant to hear. The distinct sounds of the original arrangement place it clearly in the decade it was released, but also make the song somewhat eerie. It's hard to put into words, but I like it very much.
I've been delving very much into the darkest side of modern idols and sometimes I consider Akina the darkest of Showa era mainstream idols. Not only for the recurrent sad/tragic tunes, but also for her alternative stance (Fushigi says hi). She may not have liked the sad songs, but she definitely couldn't help but insert some melancholy even in self-produced releases.
I'm reminded of her several times because when I started listening to her, it was kind of a challenge to my own boundaries. It wasn't the kind of music I was used to listen, it was a bit more heavy - but I loved it. And it has happened again as I discovered WACK (BiS and company) and other recent alternative idols. I'm even listening to EDM and punk rock, genres I thought I didn't like until some time ago. Seeing Akina experimenting with several genres of music made me want to listen to diferent stuff as well, and I'm very grateful for that.
Once again, happy birthday, Akina-chan. I hope she's doing fine, wherever she is right now.
Before I begin this article, I read a couple of nights ago that Mr YOUNG MAN Hideki Saijo (西城秀樹) had passed away just a few days ago. I am not a big fan of Saijo but he was one of the singers who ushered me into the world of kayo early on. As such, it was a big shock to read that he's gone so soon. J-Canuck has done a nice little tribute to him which you can check out here. I'm happy that I had the chance to see this icon of the 70's a couple of times on TV. Rest in peace, Mr Saijo.
Well, let's continue on a brighter note, shall we? (Shoo, onion ninjas! Shoo!)
For a couple of weeks between the end of April and early May, I was back in Japan for what may be my last visit to the land of the rising sun for a while - I'll be heading off to university soon so I wanted to take care of some outstanding items on my list before I get shipped off. I did accomplish the goals I set out for this trip (at the cost of my bank account) around a fragment of Tohoku, a bit of Hokuriku, and of course, Tokyo, and I had an incredible time travelling with Mom for most of the time, and hanging around, as J-Canuck calls it, The Big Sushi, on my own for a few days. As with my previous trips, I would like to share with you guys the highlights. To start, I'd like to talk about my return to Mukashi no Uta no Mise, a karaoke joint somewhere in the middle of Sugamo'sJizodori.
I recorded down my first visit to this quaint joint a couple of years ago, so you can check that out here. This sequel will be a long one as it encompasses my third and fourth visit, so sit back and get comfy. Alright, let's begin.
My acceptance gift.
I was at Mukashi no Uta no Mise last December for my second visit, but with it being a weekday, there was hardly anyone there so I took it as some sort of a practice round to try out some songs I had been meaning to sing. This time around, however, was a whole different ball game. This third visit (and first of this recent trip) was during the middle of Golden Week, more specifically Children's Day Saturday, and I was on my own. I was a little worried as to whether there'd be anyone there as I thought that the oldies would be spending that day with their grand kids (if they had any). But I was dead wrong as an hour into opening time and the "party" was already in full swing. The Mama-san was happily surprised that I showed up again, and one of the folks, this uncle I'll call Y-san, recognized me from two years back.
With a rowdy audience of 6 (at that moment) and hyped on coffee, I went in over my head and picked my opening song, Ikuzo Yoshi's (吉幾三) "Hokugen Kaikyo" (北限海峡). I'd never sung it before (karaoke style) but I love it, so what could go wrong? - Oh, things went wrong. It was a bad idea to start with an unfamiliar song and the key was wrong and I couldn't quite get it either. I could feel the disappointment from the crowd too, especially since one of them even mentioned, "Oh, this looks promising," at the start. I stabilized a little, but I thought it was a travesty. I am so sorry, Yoshi.
"Omae...", the sweetest bit, but the hardest to sing, in my opinion.
With my senses slapped back into me, I switched to my original plan, which was opening with Hideo Murata's (村田英雄) "Meoto Shunju" (夫婦春秋). I thought it was decent - after tweaking the key a bit, though a little rough on the lowest notes than I'd hoped, I felt like I was redeemed in the eyes of the regulars, most of whom had honed their skills to a fine point. "All the oji-sans would shed happy tears when they hear you sing this," was my favourite comment. I was given a seal of approval and offered sushi (the first of many, many other snacks) that the group had brought along. By that time, the most rowdy member of the club had arrived - a flamboyant purple haired oji-san in a kimono whom I shall call Y-chan. He fanned the flames of an already noisy bunch to new heights with oolong highballs - much to the chagrin of this old lady beside me, though.
I followed it up with Hachiro Kasuga's (春日八郎) "Ore wa Nora Inu" (俺は野良犬), a song which I have decided to make my Juu-hachi ban. It was definitely a blast from the past for the audience with its nostalgic sound. Personally, I felt that this was my best song for that day.
By then, the handful of folks became two handfuls, and passionate cheers of encouragement like "Mattemashita!" (I waited for this!) were constantly thrown out to everyone. It also became apparent to the oldies that I knew a lot of enka - frankly, it's more because they picked many I so happened to know - so it became almost like a game to see if I could recognize or even sing whatever they sang. It was amusing... or they thought I was amusing.
En-ya-saaaa-to mawashiteeeeee...
Next was Haruo Minami's (三波春夫) "Funakata-san yo" (船方さんよ), which was personally the hardest to sing, not because I had problems with the song itself, but because the oldies were at peak levels of excitement while screaming out their kakegoe to go along with the song and Y-chan kept singing with me (it's one of his favourites), so I had a hard time listening to myself... I need more karaoke experience (this was only my third time ever). Overall, I thought it was OK in spite of the distractions.
After dwelling in the oldies, I decided to go with something more modern. By that I mean Kiyoshi Hikawa (氷川きよし) and "Choito Kimagure Wataridori" (ちょいと気まぐれ渡り鳥), and after, "Omokage no Miyako" (面影の都). The former I felt was better than the latter, plus it was a lot more fun to sing. It made me realize, however, that the Sugamo bunch couldn't be very much bothered about the Prince of Enka, so that made the serifu portion a little dull, though I did get a "Hai, ojou-san!" from the lovely Grandma K. The video above, which first also shows "Otone Nagare Tsuki" (大利根ながれ月), a song I sang at a later date, will give you an idea of how fans react to the whimsical "Choito Kimagure Wataridori".
My 8th choice and the last for that whole afternoon session, was Michiya Mihashi's (三橋美智也) "Yuyake no Tonbi" (夕焼けとんび), thus completing the Yonin Shu set. I also thought it'd be a good idea since it didn't require as much vocal gymnastics, and it was evening (around 5 pm) by then. Again, I had to tinker with the key, but it was a satisfactory end to Saturday. This being another of Y-chan's favourites, he actually gave me some notes for improvement, of which I felt honored for having received advice from one of the day's best singers.
There were handshakes here and there, and I even managed to arrange another meeting with some of them on the following Monday - I planned to go for another round anyways, so all the better with a few more folks. 'twas then when I finally introduced myself. Suddenly, I didn't feel so lonely anymore.
Monday came soon enough and I was back in Sugamo. As expected, it was pretty quiet and there was only a crowd of 3 strangers, and later the 2 folks from Saturday who promised to show up, Grandma K and this sweet lady called K-chan, much to my joy. I took it as another opportunity to try out more songs, which indeed I did - I (unwittingly) sang a total of 13 songs! Takoyaki was brought by grandma to the karaoke to share, which was enough for all present, though both ladies insisted I had theirs, so I ended up with 3. I was glad and relieved that the red ginger taste was very mild.
The first of three.
This session was partially me retrying a few numbers from my 2016 round, beginning with Hikawa's "Hakone Hachiri no Hanjiro" (箱根八里の半次郎), which I can always rely on for a warm-up, Minami's "Yuki no Wataridori" (雪の渡り鳥), Muchi's "Osho" (王将), and Michi's "Hoshikuzu no Machi" (星屑の町). The later three attempts I would consider "meh" - was in too mellow a mood to "feel" the them.
Oh boy, do I miss them...
New tunes were attempted too, and some of my best that day, I felt, were Duke Aces' "Onna Hitori" (女ひとり), and Haruo Oka's "Akogare no Hawaii Koro" (憧れのハワイ航路). I was nervous over their keys as well, but it all worked out in the end. For once I could agree with audiences' "Umai!" and "Jouzu!", and not see it as common courtesy .
To mix things up a little, I picked some daring stuff too, like Hikawa's version of "Benten Kozo" (弁天小僧), which was a real crowd-pleaser the moment I did it in his expressive manner - a deliberate decision. And also his recent single, "Shoubu no Hanamichi" (勝負の花道).
HA!
It goes without saying that I did another Hachi number, this time being "An' Tokya Doshaburi" (あん時ゃどしゃ降り), and the MV showcased the movie he was in from 1957. They knew I love Hachi, so I think they yelled out something on the line of "There's your Hacchan!" when he appeared. Yes, grandmas, myHacchan...
0:49-0:57 though... ma heart...
Duets were quite commonplace that day, with a couple of the uncles wanting to sing something with Grandma K - she was pretty good for someone over 80. Eventually, she even invited me to sing 2 songs with her! Her choices were "Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi" (きよしのズンドコ節), followed by Dick Mine's "Tabi Sugata Sannin Otoko" (旅姿三人男), the latter chosen with the knowledge that I love matatabi enka. From the former, I noted that I had problems singing duets as I couldn't concentrate on my own key when my mind goes off listening to my partner's. The latter was better, though after that was when I truly felt exhausted from forcing out the low notes (my nemesis).
As the session came to a close, I wondered what song would be a meaningful end (for now, at least) to my fun-filled days at Mukashi no Uta no Mise. Frankly, I thought of saving the encouraging "Shoubu no Hanamichi" for this, but having already sung it earlier, I needed a replacement. And then a light bulb appeared - why not return to my Japanese music roots?
I chose "Hajimari wa Itsumo Ame" (はじまりはいつも雨) by Aska. The folks knew I'm all enka, but I wanted to show them what came first. Frankly, while I felt that it was a good attempt and better than a good half of my enka choices, the reception was lukewarm - except for K-chan, who was perpetually excited for anything. Grandma K and this other grandpa had no clue of the song's existance, and I have a bad feeling that the Mama-san did not approve of my choice, considering Aska's tarnished record - it's been 5 years, though...
Anyway, at the end of everything, I was pleasantly surprised albeit quite tentative to recieve some parting gifts from the folks. After all, I had only known them for two days. But they insisted, so I agreed to a pair of geta from K-chan, and a dinner treat from Grandma K. It was an awkward sushi dinner - not because I had problems communicating with the old lady, but because I had problems interacting with the sushi chef. Geez, he must have been wondering what this grandma was doing with this young foreigner who could barely speak Japanese...
I am very grateful to have met such wonderful people and experience their hospitality on this trip, and saying goodbye wasn't the easiest thing to do, to be honest. But I hope to see them again soon - now I'm aware that I have to appear on Saturdays or Sundays for most of the Sugamo bunch to be in attendance. Until then, I intend to fully learn Grandma K's favourite song, "Kantaro Tsukiyo Uta" (勘太郎月夜唄).
With that, we've come to the end of this article. It's been a long article - thank you for sticking through and I hope you enjoyed reading it!
Left: Conch; Right: Salmon
Far right: A gross pile of ginger
P.S. During one interview, Kohei Fukuda (福田こうへい) saidthat if you sing any one of the Yonin Shu's (Hachi, Michi, Muchi, Minami) songs, the oldies will go wild. I can strongly attest to that.
Hello there, how's everyone doing today? Good, I hope. :)
Recently I had been revisiting my ASKA playlist fairly often and, finally being adventurous enough, sampled some of the tracks I hadn't bothered to listen to when I got the albums... 5 years ago. Better late than never, I suppose. One such song was "HELLO".
From the medleys I had seen on YouTube, I was very aware that "HELLO" is one of the most well-liked songs in ASKA's3rd album "NEVER END" from 1995, and in a fan-favourite poll ASKA held in 2017, it even managed to emerge as one of the top 20 out of all his solo works. But strangely, I couldn't get its appeal and was quite averse to listening to it for the longest time and would always skip it without much hesitation. However, this time round, while stuck in traffic in Hong Kong a few weeks back and thinking that enka didn't fit the environment all that much, I decided to give it a second chance and let it run its course after listening to my personal favourite, "Senten wo Homeru nara Yugure wo Mate" (晴天を誉めるなら夕暮れを待て). And by golly, the thought of, "Hey..., this song is actually great!" felt like a hard flick to the forehead.
(50:55)
Besides its chorus, "HELLO" has got the tropes I like most from ASKA's songs: A melody with a nice light rhythm, church bells clanging away, and synths that are reminiscent of horns and strings that create a western flavour - this sound is most notable in the "NEVER END" album. Upon hindsight, I think the only reason that kept me away from "HELLO" was that I did not like its intro. With rolling drums and crashing cymbals, I found it way too loud and overly dramatic, and I couldn't get over that. Right now, can't say that I've fallen in love with it in the same way as the rest of the song, but I'm getting used to it. Actually, with a more positive look at the opening and the constant "Hello-s", the first thing that came to mind was the image of parents introducing their little kid to a whole new world and its wide array of characters.
Moving on, in terms of what the lyrics in "HELLO" are all about, I don't exactly know, but my guess is that it could be about how the titular greeting is the first step to getting to know someone and that it can be quite a daunting task to do just that in the beginning. As a victim of social awkwardness myself, I can attest to that.
Well, as I continue to (slowly) sift through the portion of ASKA's discography I've yet to touch, I wonder what other songs will turn out to be the same case as "HELLO" - I have a feeling that there are many more to come.
It's already been four years.... Imagine that being said in the low, husky voice of Ryoko Kinomiya (来宮良子).
Okay, it may be a tad dramatic to want to have sentence read by the late "Enka no Hanamichi" narrator, but that was what came to mind the moment I saw that ASKA was making a comeback after said period of time.
Actually, I was a lot more subdued than I thought I'd be at first, considering the fact that I used to be nuts over this half of the popular duo. Remember some of those nutso Mae-Kiyo or Hiroshi Tachi/Itsuki articles I wrote? Yeah, it was pretty much on the same caliber. But I guess with me shifting most of my attention to other artistes and falling down the enka-yo watering hole, it's probably no wonder my reaction to the singer-songwriter's anticipated return was more on par with encountering and then greeting a long lost acquaintance with a little smile, albeit a happily surprised one. I wonder if it's also due in part to that slight underlying paranoia I have that history might repeat itself and he'd end up in even more trouble than what had happened 4 years back. I really, really hope that he's turned over a new leaf, and will remain more stable now.
That, however, didn't stop my excitement levels from going through the roof when I finally retrieved "Too many people", as well as a Haruo Minami (三波春夫) twin-pack, from the post office after my vacation in June.
Here's the track list for "Too many people":
1. FUKUOKA 2. Be Free 3. Rehearsal (リハーサル) 4. Tokyo (東京) 5. X1 6. Sore de Iin da Ima wa (それでいいんだ今は) 7. Too many people 8. To, Iu Hanashi sa (と，いう話さ) 9. Genki ka Jibun (元気か自分) 10. Toori Ame (通り雨) 11. Shinjiru Koto ga Raku sa (信じることが楽さ) 12. Mirai no Kunsho (未来の勲章) 13. Shabon (しゃぼん)
On a whole, I find that the tracks in "Too many people"very listenable and a whole lot more exciting than those in his previous original album,"SCRAMBLE", as they incorporate more of ASKA's different musical styles over his career rather than just being too 'one note', if you know what I mean. I've also noticed that the lyrics he penned for most of the songs seem to highlight his road to recovery and possibly giving reassurance to fans that he's fine now.
Moving on to the notable tracks, the first tune I'd like to talk about is track no.7, "To, Iu Hanashi sa".
"To, Iu Hanashi sa" was the first of ASKA's recent works I came across a few months ago after what seemed like an eternity. Admittedly, there was a hint of trepidation mixed into the eagerness when I saw the unfamiliar thumbnail and title, probably because of what I mentioned at the start of the article, but that disappeared as I watched the MV. Cool would be the word I'd use to describe "To, Iu Hanashi sa" and its monochrome MV featuring the guitar-wielding ASKA and his band. I don't know what's being sung, but I do love the way how each verse is being growled out with the boisterous beat of the drums. The piano in the back during the intense electric and acoustic guitar-filled instrumental portions is also a great addition, as it provides a mellowness to a very brash-sounding tune. That bit reminds me of the arrangement of his self-cover of C&A's past hit, "Meguriai" (めぐり逢い). Overall, this was a pretty good way to bring ASKA back into my radar - yeah, he kinda fell out for a while...
It's been a while since I've seen him so jolly.
After "To, Iu Hanashi sa", I discovered more of the other tracks in "Too many people" through other MVs and a medley of the album, and the one I came to like the most was "Tokyo".
This one is ASKA's ode to the metropolis that is Tokyo. It's melody is bright and catchy, but the cherry on the cake here is the tolling of the bells, which are reminiscent of "YAH YAH YAH" or "Senten wo Homeru nara Yugure wo Mate (晴天を誉めるなら夕暮れを待て), and gives an airiness that are in most songs I easily gravitate to. This makes it quite the contrast to its album counterpart, "FUKUOKA", a soft and heartfelt ballad. I'm guessing it's because the latter is directed at his home prefecture, hence the nostalgia and sentimentality, whereas the former is where there were new experiences and when things kicked into high gear for him (maybe too high... Sorry, no pun intended...), hence the fun atmosphere.
Another song that's grown to be one of my favourites is "Mirai no Kunsho". I'm not able to find the original at the moment, so I've put up a pretty solid cover instead. My reason for liking it is similar to that of "Tokyo" in that it's jaunty and easy on the ears, plus there's this hint of hopefulness in it. I don't watch much anime, but I can imagine "Mirai no Kunsho" being an opening theme for one like "Natsume Yuujincho" (夏目友人帳).
Up to this point, I've largely been talking about the uptempo tunes, so I'd like to shine the spotlight on the slower paced pieces, starting with "Toori Ame", which sounds like it came right out from his 1998 album, "kicks". "Toori Ame" is a laid back and feel-good ballad with a nice acoustic guitar solo that's got a certain coziness to it, like when watching the downpour from the warmth and safety of your home.
Next is "X1" (pronounced as cross-one). I wouldn't consider this R&B-inspired song a favourite of mine, but I thought the title was interesting. Initially, I had no idea what a name like "X1" had got to do with anything, but considering how the lyrics have got to do with a friend (s) helping one through a rough patch (again with ASKA's own experience) and how the "X1" is incorporated into it, I have an inkling that "X1" is sort of a homophone for "close one". If my hypothesis is right, objectively speaking, that's an ingenious play on words... or sounds.
Finally, out of all the the works in "Too many people", the one that I found the strangest and the one where ASKA sounded the most... distant, for want of a better word, was the one the album was named after. I don't exactly know what's going on in "Too many people", the song, either, somehow I feel that it lacks the warmth the other tracks have... Eh, maybe it's just me. You can sample the first bit of it in the medley above, and the rest of it pretty much sounds the same, just more fleshed out with the drums and bass joining the piano. It is pretty amusing to hear ASKA spitting out a whole string of words as fast as Minami in "Jan Naito Jan" though.
To round things up, here's some information about ASKA's 8th original album: It was released early this year on 22nd February 2017, and did well on the Oricon charts, peaking at 7th place on the Weeklies and selling around 22 000 copies within the first week it came out. If I recall correctly, there was an article on the Oricon site that mentioned ASKA planning to do an Asian tour, with Singapore included on the list. Oh geez, I hope that happens in the near future. Tom Jones and Rimi Natsukawa (夏川りみ) were great, but I'd like to see an artiste I love on stage here.
Well, I'll leave things off here for now. I might talk about the songs individually some other time, or maybe not, depending on whether I have the time.
In spite of that uneasy feeling, I'm still glad he's finally back.
It's been a couple of weeks since my internship at AVA has ended, and while I'm definitely glad that I don't have to do anymore live fish experiments - the fishes' fate was usually grim, so I didn't enjoy it - I can't help but miss some of the people from there. There's this chatty middle-aged gentleman whose hobby seems to be treating everyone and anyone to (especially) food; there's the elderly, Sudoku-loving lady who tried to help me in every way she could experiment-wise... And then there's this nutso Nishikigoi maniac who loves harassing me at any given point of the working day. For easy reference I shall call him Mr. J.
Indulgence Part I: Birthday cake. It's
corn flavoured. Weird, but it was good.
The latter sounds like quite a nightmare compared to the first two, and believe me, he kinda did drive me up the wall during the first couple of weeks. However, after settling in and getting used to Mr. J's lighthearted brand of madness/chaos, I got to see the softer and caring side of him. I think we hit it off well as he was willing to share stuff regarding his passion for Koi fish and dogs, and in turn it made me comfortable enough to share about my interest in enka and my "Japanese old men", something I don't really like to do outside this blog. When I hit a wall in my experiments or admin work, Mr. J would usually be the one to help me work around it; and when I got stuck in a pit of misery (partially self-dug) after getting harassed (this one's in a bad way) by the ever absent supervisor, he'd be the one to haul me out. To top it off he's got an indulgent streak that often brought unexpected but delightful surprises. He was able to bring out my happy side, which is by no means an easy feat.
With all that he had done, I knew halfway through the attachment that I was going to do an article on KKP to dedicate something to Mr. J as one way of thanks. But the thing was figuring out what song or what bit of a song should best summarize what I had been wanting to convey. Eventually, I picked Chage and Aska's "LOVE SONG". Now, let me make it clear that although "LOVE SONG" is easily one of C&A's romantic ballads, that's definitely not what I mean. So why did I pick it? Well, firstly, I'd think he'd find this mellow J-pop piece fronted by the familiar vocals of Aska to be easy on the ears, as compared to the Mood Kayo that was my other choice. Secondly, a few lines written by Aska (he did the melody too) resonated with me, the first of which being:
Kimi ni deai honoka ni koi wo shite
Nagai aida uchiakerarezuni
Those are the classic tropes of a romantic movie: The protagonist falls in love with this special one when they meet for the first time, but is unable to confess. It's only after a long period of time when he plucks up the courage to profess his feelings for her. Good story material right there. In my case, it was more of being surprised at how easily I could converse with Mr. J at the start. Then, as time went by and aforementioned the events happened (post chaos), the urge to tell him how much I appreciated his efforts was strong but I kept saving it till the last few weeks because... it would've been awkward otherwise... ...
Anyway, the other line that caught my attention was the one that ultimately decided which tune I was to choose. It also happens to be my favourite line from "LOVE SONG":
Kimi ga omou yorimo boku wa kimi ga suki
I am really bad at expressing my feelings in the real world so I tend to come across as rather aloof or shake things off easily even though I feel the opposite. This line, which means "I like you more than you think I do", aptly represents that. I very much enjoyed Mr. J's wacky company and the horribly funny inside jokes we had. Dang, he really is the uncle I wished I had.
Okay, that's enough sentimentality to last my entire lifetime - let's move on to the stats for "LOVE SONG". It originally came out in 21st June 1989 as C&A's 24th single. At that time, it fared respectably on the Oricon charts by placing 20th on the weeklies. A few years later on 25th March 1992, during the band's heyday, it was re-released with another late-blooming hit, "WALK", and their best selling album to date, "SUPER BEST II", where both songs were included. It was then when "LOVE SONG" managed to peak at 1st place on the weeklies, became a certified Platinum Record, and was one of the works that allowed the duo to win "Artist of the Year" for the second time in 1993.
Another thing I read on the J-Wiki was that the working title for "LOVE SONG" was "SOUL". The latter sounds more interesting, but perhaps it wasn't as direct/simple as the former and as a result may not have been as attractive, hence the change?
Aska's new version.
Aska himself did a self-cover of "LOVE SONG" in 2010 and is a track in his album "12", where he covered twelve C&A songs. His new rendition has got a more upbeat and modern rock vibe to it which I find quite refreshing.
"LOVE SONG" is at the 1:06 mark.
As for other covers, one that I was surprised but glad to find was by Naoya Urata (浦田直也), the leader of the song-dance unit AAA. Released in his cover album "UNCHANGED" from 2013, his version is smooth with a R&B vein, his falsetto almost sounds like Aska's own delivery at times. I think he did a pretty good job with "LOVE SONG".
Indulgence Part II: Arnie the mastiff. My best
friend from a dragon fish farm.
"You are horribly (that and/or other exaggerated adjectives) spoiled rotten..."
This ballad by Ryo Aska（飛鳥涼）rang a bell with me when I heard it on YouTube and it turns out that it is on my purchase of his June 1991 album"Scene II". It was also the coupling song for his mammoth hit single "Hajimari wa Itsumo Ame"（はじまりはいつも雨）which had been released earlier in March that year.
Written and composed by the singer-songwriter, "Kimi ga Ai wo Katare" (Express Your Love) starts off with some pretty piano to relate the story of some fellow who finally got the message that he was loved despite his own doubts about the relationship. I think the diagnosis here was that although he had been hearing, he really hadn't been listening. Well, it looks like that has been resolved happily and he has given standing orders to his significant other to let him know that specific reassurance whenever he falters.
Of course, being an Aska ballad, there will always be that sense of epicness (forgive me, I realize that it isn't a real word) infused in the arrangement, and sure enough, the second half sounds like the clouds parting to let the rays of sunshiny wisdom and joy filter into the guy's brain. I would say that there is even some passing resemblance to The Beatles'"Hey Jude" near the end. Break out the swaying glow sticks!
Gotta include the concert performance of "Kimi ga Ai wo Katare" with an orchestra although I think the original recorded version still takes the gold medal in terms of glory.
Now the whole reason that I've put this ballad up in the first place was that I was actually looking for any Saburo Tokito（時任三郎）songs featured online. Up to this point, I was able to profile a couple of songs by the actor/singer, his bluesy and romantic "Kawa no Nagare wo Daite Nemuritai"（川の流れを抱いて眠りたい）from 1981 and his comic hit, "Yuuki no Shirushi"（勇気のしるし）which was the jingle for all those Regain power drink commercials a decade later. And those songs were profiled way back in 2012.
Unfortunately, Tokito will probably only be known for his skills as a kakkoii thespian since I really wasn't able to find anything except videos representing the above two songs. However, I found out that he covered Aska's "Kimi ga Ai wo Katare" in June 1992 as his 16th single for which the above video is a cover.
Going back to Aska, I know about his personal problems from last year and I hope he gets better.
From this week's "Uta Con" is another article. Besides "Hoshikage no Komichi" (星影の小径) that had been covered by J-Canuck earlier in the week - that one shocked me with the fact that it was a Minoru Obata (小畑実) song - there was also "Saraba Koibito". Come to think of it, I'm not very sure why it's in an episode featuring love songs when it's about a bloke leaving his lover with just a written note while she's asleep (ouch!), but I can't complain as I ended up liking it a lot.
Originally by Masaaki Sakai (堺正章), whom I see as comedic TV personality, "Saraba Koibito" was sung by Kiyoshi Hikawa (氷川きよし) that night, and what drew me to it was its music that began dramatically with the banging of the drums which was then joined by the blare of the trumpets. It very vaguely reminded me of some tune I enjoyed somewhere along the way, but for the life of me I can't put my finger on it... Hmm... My gut is pointing to Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour", but I'm not entirely sure whether to trust it or not.
Well, gut feelings aside, when I heard and watched Sakai's take on "Saraba Koibito" later on, while he still sounded pretty good then, similar to what J-Canuck had said in his article on this very song, I had a hard time associating his reedy, slightly husky voice and rather derpy exterior with the character in the song. And then again, with the fellow bothering to leave a letter and Kyohei Tsutsumi's (筒美京平) rather forlorn melody, our character could possibly be more of the nerdy sort rather your typical irresponsible and somewhat shady guy, and for his own personal reasons he has to abandon his lady (with a heavy heart) but is too afraid to tell it to her thinking that she might convince him to stay, and so he did what he did.
Seeing "Saraba Koibito" on "Uta Kon" I thought the title looked familiar, and lo and behold it was in ASKA's cover album "Boku ni Dekiru Koto" (僕にできること) from 2013 and I had been scrolling past it countless times when in the mood to listen to his other renditions of popular kayo from back in the day. With the addition of the acoustic guitar in his version, "Saraba Koibito" got sort of a folk edge to it which I'm not a fan of that and prefer the original, but that's not to say that it doesn't sound good. I couldn't find ASKA's version online, but I managed to find its cover by Tomi-san, who actually did a good job; kinda sounds like the man himself too. Haha, it's a cover of a cover.
One thing's for sure, I am NOT a morning person. I am not a fan of having to wake up early, by that I mean waking up before the sun is out, and my alertness and general productivity usually increase the higher the sun is up in the sky with the help of a cup of Joe or when it disappears below the horizon. However, I have to admit that there are some things that make me thankful for mornings. A prime example is breakfast - breakfast food appeals to me. Depending on the time of year, it can be much cooler than afternoons, and on some rare days, I would be able to write well.
So that brings me to the song I'm writing about today, ASKA's "Asa wo Arigato" (Thank you for the morning). Although I'm able to comprehend its title, most of the singer-songwriter's lyrics are still quite arcane to me as usual - too poetic, perhaps, and for one who hasn't yet learnt the language good and proper, it's difficult to decipher - but I think the main idea of it is to always be thankful for mornings as it's the start to a new day.
The melody to "Asa wo Arigato" is a jaunty one with what I think is a bit of techno mixed into it, making it very appropriate for groggy mornings - I know from experience. What I enjoy most from it is the piano refrain, which at the start of the song I liken it to the sun rising and our main character getting out of bed, and then setting when hearing it when the song comes to a close.
"Asa wo Arigato" was released as a track in ASKA's latest album, "SCRAMBLE", from 2012. The album itself did well on the Oricon charts, peaking at 4th place. There's a picture book included too, and some of the photos show the guy in the midst of filming MVs for a couple of tunes that are in the album. The one that you see at the top of the article is one from the making of the MV of "Asa wo Arigato"... I suppose if you're lucky to have the view of the sun rising over the metropolitan cityscape as seen in the video, it wouldn't make waking up early that much of a chore.
About a few months back when the much anticipated remake of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire was released, I decided to not be lazy and come out of my shell a little to join some of my Poke-fan classmates on their mission to go purchase the 3DS game, which would then be followed by travelling to this electronics mall in the middle of town that held a Pokemon "convention" to purchase some plushies and cards, and then take photos with the franchise mascot, Pikachu... well, someone in a Pikachu suit. Frankly, it wasn't really a convention as it had been advertised, it was more like a simple gathering of Poke-fans in the gaming and collectors floor in the mall. Not what I, or for that matter my classmates, had been expecting.
So being thoroughly bored and tired (we went after class) I left relatively early - before Pikachu could make his anticipated appearance - with the game and a Tyrunt plushie in hand to face the dreaded after-work rush hour commute. While on board, I decided to listen to something new, and that happened to be "Aoi Hoshikuzu" (Blue Stardust) from ASKA's cover album "Boku ni Dekiru Koto (Ima Utau Series)" (僕にできること（いま歌うシリーズ）) from 2013. I usually listen to the singer-songwriter's renditions of well-known kayokyoku from this album like Akira Fuse's "Kimi wa Bara yorimo Utsukushii" (君は薔薇よりも美しい) and Kyu Sakamoto's (坂本九) "Ue wo Muite Arukou" (上を向いて歩こう), but the characters from "Aoi Hoshikuzu" had always intrigued me - the character "Ao" resembles the Chinese character for "Pale"... Wow, I'm surprised I actually remembered that - and so I finally satisfied my curiosity right there, well, most of it. I still didn't know who the original artist.
(karaoke version)
Upon hearing ASKA's version of "Aoi Hoshikuzu", I thought that it sounds like a combination of Pop and folk with its easy pace and the constant strumming of the acoustic guitar, which is something I've associated ASKA's current songs with.
Eventually I got myself to look up the song online, and when I did, it led me to discover that it is in fact Yuzo Kayama's (加山雄三) 7th single, released in 1966. The original is one snappy song that has the Wakadaisho singing at breakneck speed and picking at his red electric guitar, which unlike the Pokemon "convention", amused me... It's pretty hard to top an old man at his age playing such an instrument. "Aoi Hoshikuzu" really reminds me of one of those cool retro beach/surfer dude songs with all that electric guitar, and the strings in the background gives some elegance to the song. I personally prefer the original as I enjoy its brisk pace, but I do listen to ASKA's rendition from time to time.
"Aoi Hoshikuzu" was written by Tokiko Iwatani (岩谷時子) and composed by Kayama himself under his pen name, Kosaku Dan (弾厚作). Although there wasn't any information about how well it did, I'm guessing that "Aoi Hoshikuzu" was quite popular since it's a staple in Kayama's recent medleys - I've seen 2 on NHK, and both featured this song.
A sofa sitting in a field, or sitting on a sofa in a field. Well now, isn't that an odd name for a song. The lyrics to "Sogen ni Sofa wo Oite" are equally as cryptic as the the title itself, so I have no clear idea as to what this song is really about. But I'm guessing that I'm just missing out on the implied meaning to it... hopefully. Be as it may, I still enjoy this mostly calming song. It starts of somewhat slow and soft like most ASKA songs I know of, but then pace picks up speed in the couple of lines just ahead of the chorus where it actually sounds pretty angsty, as if the our main protagonist stirred up some unwanted emotions while pondering about stuff as he reclines on the sofa after a rough day, before returning to a comfortable pace.
Whenever I listen to this song, I always envision myself lying on the grass of some quiet grassy hillside on a clear day with a nice view of a prairie dotted with cows or a gurgling river or both down below, the wind billowing away and making the leaves on the trees rustle. Ah, that shall be the ultimate lazy dream for me. No, I don't think I would be lazing on an abandoned sofa on that hill, if I can find one in the first place. Even if I did achieve that feat, it'd probably have some repelling quality that would prevent me from lying on it anyway.
Moving on, "Sogen ni Sofa wo Oite" was released on 12th March1997 in ASKA's 4th album "ONE", which peaked at 4th position on the Oricon weeklies before settling at 78th by the end of the year. Another song from "ONE" that gives me the similar vibe as "Sogen ni Sofa wo Oite" is the album's first track, "Kaze no Inryoku" (風の引力). That one sounds more relaxing though, its summery music accompanying ASKA's breezy delivery. This album's lyric booklet has got a few pictures of the fella in Vietnam, since he was there all those years ago to shoot the MV for "ID", the album's last track. Oh, and there was the English translation to one of his poem's in the lyric booklet as well, so that's a plus.
While in Vietnam, many locals had apparently mistook him for the popular Chinese action star, Jackie Chan! Huh, wonder how that turned out?
Now this one's a song I haven't listened to in a while... probably unwittingly ignored it for a good two years if not more when Aska was (still kinda is) the center of my attention. If I remember correctly, 'Imademo...' was one of the first few songs by the singer-songwriter I had uncovered on my own through YouTube. Listening to it again recently - wanted to take a short break from Enka - made me wonder why I had left it in the dark corner for such a long time.
That song also introduced me to the woman whom Mom had brought up from time to time when there was mention of Chinese/Taiwanese-Japanese singers. And that lady happened to be Teresa Teng. I'd always heard that she was extremely popular in both the Japanese and Mandarin/Cantonese music industries before she passed away in 1995, but I never got what the big deal was about her - I didn't bother to listen to her songs at that time.
Anyway, it turns out she had her own rendition of 'Imademo...' too. As I was of a simpler mind back then, I assumed that she was doing a cover of Aska's song since I listened to his version first and also because he wrote and composed it. It was only about a year later when reading through the list of songs he had written (lyrics, music or both) for various artistes did I realise that it was the other way around. The song was supposed to be for Teng, and Aska was the one doing the self-cover!
I couldn't find much on the song, all I know is that it was released in 1985 according to Chage & Aska's website, 2 years before Aska began his solo career. There wasn't any write up on the song, let alone mention of the song in Teng's discography on the J-Wiki... or on any Wikipedia page or website on her, so I don't suppose it was a popular song. I think its underrated, if you ask me. As for Aska's version, it was released as a track in his first solo album in 1988, SCENE with a different arrangement.
(cover version)
Now that I have listened to both versions, I can't say that I have a clear favorite since both are good in their own way... ... Yeah, and now I understand why Teng was so popular. She had a nice, sweet voice that complimented her innocent-young-thing image. I actually first heard her sing while listening to her rendition of the Enka song 'Naniwabushi dayo jinsei wa' (浪花節だよ人生は) not too long ago, and that immediately changed my mind about Teng being a tad overrated.
