the Shiina Ringo thread

http://www.thetokyoincidents.com/archives/2006/01/adult_impressio.html

almost woke this thread up last night -- I bought that bootlegged Hibari Misora DVD of her NHK special from Barbara's Enka site. Misora's really something, and the original version of "Kurumaya-san" is mindblowing. Planning to transfer the audio from the disc, I'll post an mp3 when I get back.

Enka's very interesting stuff; coming right out of WWII, the instrumentation is straight up big band & western derived, but all the vocal styles sung on top are still pure pentatonic classic japanese vocal lines, dramatic recitationals w/ beautifully ornamented melodies, much more of a striking hybrid than what j-pop has become for the last 15 years or so.

Enka is song of resignation. Resignation must be sweet so that it is endurable.

note symmetrical min:sec values of album length

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a6/Sprad/KZK.png

I would have to agree that "Torikoshi Gurou" is a weak point, although I like "Okonomi de" (which frankly reminds me of one of those 70s Todd Rundgren hits--not exactly, of course).

anyway here's the hisari mibora version of 'kurumaya-san', transferred from that TV special -- I doubt the studio version is this dramatic: http://www.sendspace.com/file/d66t45

http://seitekihealing3.tripod.com/1/PDVD_042.JPG

might as well just link the whole site, it's a bizarre html simulation of the 'seiteki healing 3' DVD menu w/ screen captures

http://seitekihealing3.tripod.com/

Hisari Mibora's "Kurumaya-san" is great. Any idea when the TV special was recorded? How long did it take for them to get such a workable fusion of western big band music and traditional Japanese music, after WWII? (Was it maybe already in the works, despite the war?)

There's a lot of orientalist clap trap in this thread . . .

Like?

the earliest Misora on the NHK special seems to date from late 40's/early 50's (all the captions / voiceovers are in japanese). the 'kurumaya-san' segment seems to date from late 60's/early 70's? to set the scene, the song's first verse is staged with her being dropped off by a rickshaw driver outside her house, she pays him; he leaves and she begins the first vocal solo; then instead of going inside she wanders off into her garden and sings the 2nd verse, then she approaches the camera and sings the 2nd solo.

the whole special is good, I can recommend Barbara's Enka site.

I think you will get your wish eventually. I believe this thread's Google rank is rising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR0rjMO7JE4&search=tokyo%20jihen

http://www.jpopmusic.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=54414&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

The service providers that have refused to disclose personal information on their clients say disclosure would require a court order as it involves matters of individual privacy.

In a similar suit, the court ruled in June last year that Internet service providers must disclose the names and addresses of individuals who posted singer Ringo Shiina's songs on the Internet.

that french site that's had KZK up for about three years has prompted more album sales than anything the record label's bothered to pursue. I've bought six albums, five DVDs and six singles, all at import prices -- add up that revenue, you executive idiots -- all because of one mp3 of 'stem' posted to said the gramophone & that KZK site. those people are doing your work for you, you stupid suits.

those idiots don't even have her stuff up on itunes yet.

x-post

An advertisement for KZK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOqGPdaJlwg&search=shiina%20ringo

she's unusually saccharine on the chorus, but it's worth it for the Sachiko M jam at the end

don, I have to hook you up with a copy of that song Milton posted a while back. I think you'd like it. It's a shame you don't have a high-speed connection (most of the time anyway?) because you could check out a lot of this stuff on youtube.

granted she's not even being distributed by her label in the west, and professionals can't review something more than a few months old, or vote for last year's album. you'd think that they'd have been ready by adult, though. I've zero investment in seeing my tastes reflected, I'm only frustrated without that press intrest, a group of that stature can't afford to tour. And then I see things like Souretsu on youtube and I just want to scream (I honestly did consider flying out to tokyo for that show).

on the other hand, the media isn't needed. look at the number of views of any of her youtube videos. I hope her management is, anyway. the Japanese audience is slimming into a hardcore cult fanbase for her, but I bet you anything the Western audience is ready.

If Tokyo Jihen did end up being able to tour the US, they would probably have to scale it down at first. It would be awesome to see them in a small venue, but they'd have to sacrifice the elaborate stage show like the one in that video.

I wonder what it would take to start getting their music distributed over here. I actually did see Adult for sale at Uwajimaya's in Seattle earlier this month (for $35), but I'm guessing that's one of the very few places you'd be able to find it.