Maki Asakawa LP “Hi Tomoshi Koro” – Express 1976
EX+/EX+
$35
Yukiji Asaoka LP “Love’s beginning & end” – CBS / Gatefold cover with poster
One of the last albums from the mid 70’s, some kayo songs and few covers such as “superstar” and John Lennon’s “Love”. Honestly this is not the best one but Yukiji Asaoka was a great singer and actress since the early 60’s, in the 70’s she was a true sensual singer ans still remains as one of the great voice . This album will make you looking after her previous albums, let’s say it can be a good starter/appetizer.
Cover is clean excepted a few various discret removed-off on the back / vinyl plays a nice VG++/EX , some surface noise and a few cracklings but nothing unacceptable.
$30
Junko Fuji LP “Tosei kobore Bana” – Minoruphon 1972
Gatefold cover with 4 pannels insert
Nice soundtrack with Junko Fuji, featuring the famous “Lady Yakuza” generic song with yakuzas stars like Nakakura…
The presiing wasn’t the best, many copies are in bad condition and the booklet is often missing
EX (Front cover is EX+, some stains inside and the booklet) / Vinyl plays a nice VG+ /EX
$40
Haruyo Matsuda LP “Kurenai Mugen” – Victor 1978
Fantastic and quite unknown album by a poetess who died prematurely, Haruyo Matsuda was linked to Shuji Terayama / Tenjo Sajiki and sadly she didn’t have enough time to make some other albums. It’s very hard to describe this album because it’s really a trip through a few styles of music, between folk, kabuki, rokyoku/naniwa bushi, like a modern shamanic procession with some extra japanese elements. Her voice is the key element here, she can brings you with some whispers and sometimes she can howl and laugh as she was possessed by some devils or some yokai . Some folk compositions with some shamisen interludes, talking, singing with sometimes some echo effects on the voice, some indian sitars opening on some brazilian rythms. This album is in my personnal top 10, it’s really an adventurous listening, it embraces some japanese traditions with a stunning personnal and modern and troubling aura. Almost unknown for most western ears she has a quite cult underground status and copies of this album are more than rare.
EX+ with insert /EX + WHITE PROMO LABELS
SOLD
Yoshida Minako LP “Fuyu no tobira” – Showboat / Tokuma 1996
Gatefold cover
Reissue of a 1970’s album with Caramel Mama / Haruomi Hosono and friends from Happy End, Yoshida has a lovely heavenly voice for some nice folk songs with some soft psych ornaments. A quite rare reissue if you’re not willing to pay $250 for the original issue.
EX+ (a very few stains inside) / EX to EX+
$30
Chikuzan Takahashi LP “Tsugaru Shamisen” – Crown 1973
Gatefold cover
Original release by a japanese legend who’s responsible for the tsugaru shamisen boom after the war, coming from Aomori he became blind when he was 2 and since his death in 1998, his heritage is still very present in Japan.
EX to EX+ ( Obi has a few marks) / vinyl plays EX-mostly EX+
$35
Chikuzan Takahashi LP “Tsugaru Shamisen 2” – CBS
Intense recording from the mid 70’s by the blind maestro.
EX+/EX to EX+
$25
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