Sold Date: January 6, 2021
Start Date: December 31, 2020
Final Price: $120.00 (USD)
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TAEKO OHNUKI SUNSHOWER NEW 12" inch LP Vinyl Record City Pop Japanese City Pop

'Sunshower' by Japanese artist Taeko Ohnuki.  Released in 1977, 'Sunshower' is an early example of city pop, a Japan-specific genre from the late 70's and early 80's that's characterized by a fushion of pop, jazz, and funk music.

Condition
Vinyl Record: NEW (Excellent)
JACKET: NEW (Excellent)
Comments: 3rd press.
Product number: CRJ1011 (analog record)

TAEKO OHNUKI  SUNSHOWER 
Side A "Summer Connection" – The opening number, "energetic and uplifting."The lyrics were written in the image of summer. "Kusuri wo Takusan" (くすりをたくさん; literally: "A Lot of Medicine") – A song criticized over-prescription of medicine. Rolling Stone's Jon Blistein wrote, "the funkiest song you'll ever hear about neurotic patients and the doctors all too happy to feed their angst with lots and lots of prescription drugs." "Nani mo Iranai" (何もいらない; literally: "I don't need anything") – Back then, Ohnuki was negative about the society and the surrounding environment, and she felt like washing away the whole world like rain and starting over from the beginning. "Tokai" (都会; literally: "City") – Yannick Gölz of  laut.de wrote that the groove on this number "is alive, and the play of piano, drums and brass sounds dynamic, but the vocals of Ohnuki carry a formless melancholy in itself." According to Ohnuki, she has lived in Tokyo for a long time, been always particular about the city and the town, has sung such songs, and though it's often said that the loneliness, still she likes the city. However here, denies and criticizes the bright lights in the city. This is a her favorite song, and she said, "'Tokai' has a good arrangement, [...] . It's a bit like Stevie Wonder." "Karappo no Isu" (からっぽの椅子; literally: "Empty Chair") – A song about the loneliness in living alone, which was sung at Sugar Babe's last concert, too. It was made with the image of slow numbers in jazz, but Ohnuki didn't mean to make it completely jazz. Side B "Law Of Nature" – It was composed in the image of Todd Rundgren's Utopia which Ohnuki liked. She said that it too, is a song which is critical, or raises a question and that it focuses on the desire to be natural. "Dare no Tame ni" (誰のために; literally: "For Whom") – According to Ohnuki, it's exactly a feeling of "a cry from the weak"—an appeal to the fact that you can't be recognized without a status or an honor and describes how much you can stick to your belief. "Silent Screamer" – This song is about the desire to escape, too and it's strong that a image of driving a car at a breakneck speed. According to Ohnuki, back then, the energy was quite full and at least in the music, she wanted to run wild. "Sargasso Sea" – A song sang on the theme of the Sargasso Sea, known for the legend of the ships being stranded and entangled with algae. Gölz said that it is a highlight of the second half and created some of the record's most fascinating musical textures: "Through fast, shrill synthesizer tremolos and from conspicuous high tones, the song creates a lost, nautical ambient atmosphere, short piano melodies create a sense of secluded wanderlust [...] —a striking contrast to the hitherto urban ambience." "Furiko no Yagi" (振子の山羊; literally: "Goat of the Pendulum") – The music was composed by Sakamoto and has the intro part by symphonic orchestra. It is symbolically described that things like end-time of humankind and the reincarnation.
Artwork Regarding the cover artwork based on white, Japanese studies scholar Laurence Green of SOAS University of London described that there's something about the cover art that presents a quiet, comfortable confidence, resting pretty in a chic, distinctly Japanese minimalism of white, and its unadorned style has utterly modernist in outlook, and yet somehow also avante-garde, primitive in its simplicity.
Will be shipped with great care. Free international returns after 30days. Japan Post no longer issues tracking numbers due to the current climate.
It will be shipped with Japan Post with their International ePacket Light service.  Delivery time is approximately 2-3 weeks.
Thanks,
Arts&Mugs