Kazemachi Roman

Infobox Album
Name = Kazemachi Roman
Type = album
Artist = Happy End


Caption = Kazemachi Roman cover, (clockwise from top left) Matsumoto, Suzuki, Hosono and Otaki, Illustration by Kazuhiko Miyaya
Released = Start date|1971|11|20
Recorded = May 11, 1971 – September 12, 1971 at Mori Studio and King Studio in Tokyo, Japan
Genre = Folk rock
Length = 37:14
Label = URC Records
Producer = Happy End
Reviews =
Last album = "Happy End
(1970)
This album = "Kazemachi Roman"
(1971)
Next album = "Happy End"
(1973)

nihongo|Kazemachi Roman|風街ろまん|Kazemachi Roman translated literally as Wind City Romance, is the second album by Japanese folk rock band, Happy End, released in 1971 in Japan on URC Records. In this concept album, Happy End attempted to paint a musical picture of Tokyo before the 1964 Summer Olympics, through which sweeping changes transformed the city forever.

nihongo|Bannai Tarao|多羅尾伴内|Tarao Bannai, a fictional Japanese detective, who has appeared in many Japanese crime thrillers, is credited on several of the album's songs. In addition, the singer on "Haikara Hakuch", even opens the song by saying, in English, "Hi, this is Bannai Tarao. Haikara (lit. "High-collar [http://jisho.org/words?j
] " or "fashionable") is... Beautiful."

In September 2007, "Rolling Stone Japan" rated Kazemachi Roman #1 on the list of the 100 greatest Japanese rock albums of all time. [ [http://neojaponisme.com/2007/11/09/100-greatest-japanese-rock-albums/ Neojaponisme blog's English translation and summary of the "Rolling Stone Japan" article.] Accessed February 9, 2008]

Track listing

ide one: "Wind"

#nihongo|Dakishimetai|抱きしめたい|lit. "I Want to Hug" - 3:35
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki, Produced by Eiichi Ohtaki
#nihongo|Sorairo no Crayon|空色のくれよん|lit. "Sky-colored Crayon" - 4:09
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki, Produced by Eiichi Ohtaki
#nihongo|Kaze wo Atsumete|風をあつめて|lit. "Gather The Wind" - 4:06
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Haruomi Hosono, Produced by Haruomi Hosono
#*This song was featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 film "Lost in Translation".
#nihongo|Kurayamizaka Musasabi Henka|暗闇坂むささび変化|lit. "The Flying Squirrel Transformation at Kuriyamizaka Hill" - 1:57
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Haruomi Hosono, Produced by Haruomi Hosono
#*Originally this song was called "Momonga" (lit. "Flying Squirrel"). Kurayamizaka is located in the Azabu district of Tokyo, and Matsumoto clearly shows his nostalgia for this area of the city in this song.
#nihongo|Haikara Hakuchi|はいからはくち|lit. "Westernized Idiot" - 3:37
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki, Produced by Eiichi Ohtaki
#*This was a B-side to Happy End's single "Jyunigatsu no ame no hi" (lit. "December's rainy day") off their first album. This LP's version is different from the single version, however.
#nihongo|Haikara Beautiful|はいからびゅーちふる|lit. "Westernized, Beautiful" - 0:33
#*Lyrics, music, and production: Tarao Bannai (this is a fictional Japanese detective)

ide two: "City"

#nihongo|Natsu nandesu|夏なんです|lit. "'Tis the Summer" - 3:16
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki, Produced by Eiichi Ohtaki
#*This was the B-Side on the "Hanaichimonme" single.
#nihongo|Hanaichimonme|花いちもんめ|lit. "Hana Ichi Monme" (a children's game) - 3:56
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Shigeru Suzuki　Production: Shigeru Suzuki and Tatsuo Rin
#*Matsumoto thought this was a representative song of Happy End, and it was released as a single.
#nihongo|Ashita Tenki ni Naare|あしたてんきになあれ|lit. "We hope that tomorrow is clear" - 2:13
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Haruomi Hosono, Produced by Haruomi Hosono and Shigeru Suzuki
#nihongo|Taifuu|颱風|lit. "Typhoon" - 6:30
#*Lyrics: Eiichi Ohtaki, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki, Produced by Tarao Bannai (fictional Japanese detective)
#nihongo|Haru Ranman|春らんまん|lit. "Spring, in full swing" - 2:55
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki, Produced by Eiichi Ohtaki
#nihongo|Aiueo|愛餓を|lit. "Love-Hunger", or "ABC" (word play) - 0:33
#*Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto, Music: Eiichi Ohtaki, Produced by Tarao Bannai (fictional Japanese detective)

Personnel

*nihongo|Haruomi Hosono|細野晴臣 - bass, vocals, keyboards
*nihongo|Takashi Matsumoto|松本隆 - drums
*nihongo|Eiichi Ohtaki|大瀧詠一 - guitar, vocals
*nihongo|Shigeru Suzuki|鈴木茂 - guitar

External links

* [http://parlophone.fc2web.com/kami/HE/he.html Pictures of the book art accompanying Kazemachi Roman]
* [http://chinmusicpress.com/blog/archives/2005/09/happy_end.html Review at "Chin Music Press"]

Notes