– Jake OrrallĮach member of Happy End went on to have a prolific career of their own, and Ohtaki carved out a successful solo career with a series of idiosyncratic releases on his own Niagara label before achieving pop perfection with his hit album A Long Vacation in 1981. It was not the same bar though, theirs was in Osaka.
The bartender was surprised to learn I was a fan of the band and promptly put their debut album on the turntable while we sat and drank ice cold beer from tiny glasses, amazed at our discovery. I wondered “could it be?” and rushed up the stairs to find beat up copies of their records hanging on the walls and wood siding that very well could have been 50 years old. When I was in Kyoto in May my companions and I stumbled upon a tiny 4th floor bar called The Dylan II, and I instantly remembered a story that the band themselves used to run a folk cafe of the same name in the ’60s. ‘Kimi No Mado Kara’ from Kinou No Omoide Ni Wakare Wo Tsugerundamono The title translates to “Things That Are Cool Are Somehow So Uncool.” Hayakawa went on to be the producer/director of URC for about two years before retiring from music and opening a book shop. ‘Salvia No Hana’ from Kakkoii Koto Wa Nante Kakkowaruinndarouīest known for his hipper than hip and highly influential ’60s band Jacks (often called the “Japanese Velvet Underground”), Hayakawa’s debut solo album from ’69 is largely performed on the piano. Known for his angry delivery and tortured poetic vociferation, Mikami was immensely popular in the Japanese folk underground from album one, and continues to be a highly influential figure in Japanese music and art. This album (the title loosely translates to “There Are Dreams, Etc.”) sums up his folk/blues/enka sound while showcasing his unusual singing/shouting style. ‘Hibike Denki Gama!’ from Hiraku Yume Nado Aru Janaishi Very folky in structure but with gorgeous swirling keyboards, buidling harmonies and bizarre arrangements. The second album in a conceptual series of two albums (the other being New Sky) by this influential folk ensemble led by Takashi Nishioka. Their only album is heavily influenced by The Band and James Taylor, its got that fantastic sad nostalgic feeling, I highly recommend. Most of the members went on to form The Moonriders, who made albums up through the ’00s. The picks come from Jake Orrall of Jeff the Brotherhood, whose initial idea for the compilation became reality through a collaboration with Light in the Attic, and Yosuke Kitazawa, one of the producers of the compilation.įeaturing the incredible cover art of a police officer passed out drunk in an alley (musician Morio Agata in costume), Hachimitsu Pie, or “Honey Pie”, started as Agata’s backing band.
So below is a list of 10 songs that did not make it onto the compilation tracklist, but still essential to telling the story of the angura scene. As is the case with these types projects, there were so many great songs that weren’t included for one reason or another. Putting together the compilation was no easy task, as dealing with Japanese labels who own the rights can be notoriously difficult. It’s beyond exciting that after almost half a century, these artists, many of whom were initially influenced by Western artists, will finally see their work introduced to the land of their heroes. Happy End, Haruomi Hosono and Maki Asakawa may be recognizable names to some, but the other equally worthy artists on the compilation remain unknown to most but the die hard fans. Light in the Attic Records’ upcoming release Even A Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973 collects a number of essential folk and rock songs from the angura, or underground, movement of late ‘60s-early ‘70s Japan. A guide to the majestic sound of the Japanese underground.
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