First Impression -- Feel Like Heaven

 

Last night, I received a nice comment from Fabian who enjoyed the short-lived cool band First Impression's "Brand New Day" (and thanks again for that, Fabian!). I decided to give a listen again to not only that particular song but also "Taiyo ga Kureta Kisetsu"（太陽がくれた季節）, and was reminded of how amazing they were back in the 1990s.

There was that realization, though, that those two tracks had come from First Impression's second of two albums, "Supernatural" in 1996, and I had yet to put up anything from their first effort "What's New" which was released in 1995. It is time for me to rectify this.

And I couldn't have asked for a better introduction than the 2nd track "Feel Like Heaven" which, thanks to that chugging bass and sharp horn section, has that certain 70s funk beat. Vocalist Reiko Tanaka（田仲玲子）was behind the lyrics while First Impression drummer, the late Shigeo Miyata（宮田繁男）, took care of the music. To paraphrase one YouTube commenter, it would sound great accompanying a drive down a seaside road at dusk, but I think that at any time of the day or night would be fine for "Feel Like Heaven".

First Impression -- Taiyo ga Kureta Kisetsu（太陽がくれた季節）

August has come in like a very welcome lion. It's sunny and warm and it's a good start to what is a holiday weekend here in Toronto. Unfortunately, the remaining days look to be rather wet and cloudy so Saturday is gonna have to be the one to celebrate. Ironically, the National Hockey League has begun the playoffs after several months of COVID-induced shutdown.

Back in September 2016, I wrote about this very snappy and soulful band called First Impression that had a brief two-year run in the 1990s, led by the late drummer Shigeo Miyata（宮田繁男）. Well, my first impression (pun definitely intended) was a good one, so I'm feeling a bit sheepish that it has taken me nearly four years to write about a second song by Miyata, guitarist Takashi Murayama（村山孝志）and vocalist Reiko Tanaka（田仲玲子）.

My second impression of First Impression is that their track "Taiyo ga Kureta Kisetsu" (The Season The Sun Gave Us) from their 2nd of two albums, "Supernatural" (1996) is another cool winner with that sensation of updated 60s British soul horns via Shibuya-kei and some R&B wacka-wacka guitar. Written by Takami/Sorami Akiyama（秋山空実）and composed by Miyata is an appropriately weekend song to greet the final full month of summer. Kinda too bad that First Impression didn't last too long, although I think in a way, the band microstar got passed the baton.

First Impression -- Brand New Day

Welcome to another start to the weekend...with this one being the final one before summer leaves us for another year.

Earlier today, I was returning a comment to a fellow about how there are still many, many great singers or bands in Japan that I have yet to know about. Perhaps they never got onto the media radar but sometimes I don't think those artists and bands really needed the extra coverage. They are that good.

Found one of those bands last night. Once again, it was another random traipse into the wilds of YouTube when I discovered gold in the form of the short-lived band First Impression which merely lasted two years. According to one page, it was 1995-1997 but then on the J-Wiki article for one of the members, it was 1994-1996. In any case, it was brief.

A few years back, I wrote my first article on the wonderful Original Love, headed and then later solely represented by Takao Tajima（田島貴男）, in which I mentioned that a couple of the members left Tajima to his own devices. Well, those two were drummer Shigeo Miyata（宮田繁男）and guitarist Takashi Murayama（村山孝志）, and it didn't take too long for them to create a new unit by the name of First Impression with Reiko Tanaka（田仲玲子）who had become the vocalist of the group via an audition.

First Impression released two albums, "What's New" in 1995 and then "Supernatural" in 1996. "Brand New Day" is one of the tracks on the latter album and it's a winner. Murayama came up with the words and music, and with all of the Shibuya-kei that was booming at the time, I would classify the band's variety of what sounds like 80s British soul, Harajuku-kei or Omotesando-kei (my own names). Well, for those who know Harajuku pretty well, maybe that might be a stretch so I'll just cross Meiji-dori and go with Omotesando since that is the smoother neighbourhood. Perhaps, I can put Original Love and another band, Orange Pekoe in there as well. I just feel like that I can hear this in a stylish cafe in Omotesando and it would feel all right.

In any case, that's a really pleasant song to end a week on although the lyrics tell of how much someone is regretting the end of a romance although he/she knew it was coming up fast. It might be a brand new day but the old one is still clinging on like a bad habit apparently.

That J-Wiki article for one of First Impression's members was for drummer Miyata. Sadly I found out that he had passed away a couple of years ago due to illness at the age of 55.