野路由紀子 - 北信濃絶唱

野路由紀子 was an enka singer from the 1970s. enka is forever a genre that i will find to be particularly spooky. something about it just sends chills up and down my spine, particularly when it's done well (like on this record). it's hard to say there are really any standout tracks on this album, but overall the album is really fantastic. perhaps the standout for me, if i had to pick one, would be track eight. there's something really weird about it that i love the shit out of. it might be the creepy saxophone, and something about the filter on her voice is just really strange to me. 1.北信濃絶唱 2.北国慕情 3.ふるさとは遠いけど 4.小っちゃな恋の思い出 5.初恋は京都のひと 6.さざんかの花咲く頃 7.下町育ち 8.他人船 9.北上夜曲 10.長崎の夜はむらさき 11.北帰行 12.由紀子のふるさと日記 ENJOY

美輪明宏 - 全曲集

美輪明宏 is an enka and cabaret singer of the highest order. she is everything a drag queen enka/cabaret (they went hand-in-hand in the 1960s) singer should be; luxurious, dramatic, fabulous, and most importantly: long suffering. she was even romantically involved with the late, great 三島由紀夫 (Mishima Yukio) at one point. Mishima was very proud of his lady-boyfriend (lol wordplay), too, to the point that he insisted that she was a must for the titular role of the film adaptation of his play Black Lizard (which is a great movie, by the way. if you haven't seen it then you should really make a point to do so at once). they were apparently involved for quite some time, too (although, of course, Mishima's family denies any and all allegations about his homosexuality)(also, i've always found it odd that they were so involved, considering Mishima always emphasized the beauty of masculinity in his writings).

ANYWAYS, concerning the music here, it is very sensuous and incredibly ridiculous. at some points she will trail off from singing and go into long, dramatic, pained spoken-word rants. they are very intense monologues, and very convincing, too (which i guess is why Miyazaki Hayao has cast her in at least two of his films). the mood of the music can fluctuate very quickly, too. it's really thrilling.

i think my favorite track presented in this collection would have to be the final track. she really displays just how powerful her voice (and acting) is here. my favorite part, actually, is the monologue. she whispers and and grumbles at first, but then her voice rises to a scream of anguish and frustration near the end of the monologue.


1. 愛の讃歌
2. メケ・メケ
3. 人の気も知らないで
4. 水に流して
5. 毛皮のマリー
6. ヨイトマケの唄
7. ボン・ボヤージュ
8. 人生は過ぎ行く
9. ふるさとの空の下で
10. 黒蜥蜴の唄
11. ラストダンスは私と
12. ラ・ボエーム
13. 愛のボレロ
14. 喫茶店の片隅で
15. 花(すべての人の心に花を)
16. 老女優は去りゆく


ENJOY

美川憲一 - 人生はシネマのように / La vie, c'est comme un film

美川憲一 was a popular enka singer in the 1960s. his career went into decline for a while, but later received a boost in popularity after a dramatic image change. this album is one of his more recent albums. the songs here are absolutely lovely.

the music fluctuates between tango and enka, which is always a very strange transition (from upbeat and sexy, to somber/melodramatic), but it works very well. i think my personal favorite track would have to be "貴婦人 / Drouot" or "サンジャンの私の恋人 / Mon amant de Saint-Jean".

he has had quite a successful (i assume) career as a celebrity. he appears on talk-shows every now and then, but i fear they might only invite him because he's a comical homosexual. yes, that's right; glorious nippon is just as bigoted towards homosexuals in their media as america is. he is there as comic relief at worst, or an exotic bird at best. he may very well be aware of this.

regardless, the music is great.

1. Ouverture～人生はシネマのように～ / La vie, c'est comme un film
2. サンジャンの私の恋人 / Mon amant de Saint-Jean
3. 黒い鷲 / L'aigle noir dedie a laurence
4. 貴婦人 / Drouot
5. 愛遥かに / Da troppo tempo
6. インシャラー / Inch'allah
7. 時は過ぎてゆく / Il est trop tard
8. モンパルナス / Montparnasse
9. 三日月よ私とワルツを踊れ
10. 水に流して / Non, je ne regrette rien
11. 明日(あした)への橋 / Le pont


ENJOY