Reward a passionate friend
Julian Cope writes about Japanese rock.
I was wondering about this book. There was D, a photographer/art director friend from NYC in town last week and when we went out, bumped into a friend of mine, N. N plays in a cult status Japanese band. N doesn't speak a lot of English and I'm pretty hands off about that stuff (use yer brain) so naturally, 2 people having communication issues turn to mutual subjects, music (and a bit of old tv programmes). They started talking about rock, then psyche rock, which N plays and D likes, so they start throwing names around. The MC5, followed by Julian Cope was one of them. D has worked with Julian, my Japanese friend is part of a band that Julian likes and they've exchanged email. Small world. It turns out, Julian and N have similar hobbies.
Anyway, so I was checking my email. I tend to ignore the ones I get weekly for a couple of days, and there it was, included in the weekly email blast I get from Other Music in New York. Hmm, me wonders, so I took a lookie at Amazon, where the following review comes from.
In the book, Julian Cope mentions bands from generations quite a bit older than I am, like the Flower Travellin' Band, Les Rallizes Denudes (Hadaka No Rallizes) etc.
FACT: The recordings of these bands are quite rare, though some of them have reissues now. But do you know what has been happening since the turn of the century? People in America and Europe have been bootlegging these recordings. A lof of known Western bands have been listening to them and appreciating them. The Long Tail before it was defined, dude. They've been on sale at various record shops in America. They probably still have sections for it at Other and Kim's in NYC.
Julian also mentions some people I've had the pleasure of knowing over the years. 3/3 is a band that precedes the legandary (at least to me) Friction, aka Reck. So 3/3, Reck goes to NYC, plays with the No New York bands (Contortions, Teenage Jerks), comes back, then forms Friction. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Reck is one of the first Japanese guys that started to go to NYC. No? Mr. B? Ms. H? Mr. B?
I mean, people like JO who used to be in a known band, knows more about Japanese stuff than most Japanese people. They do their research. It's not just musicians. There is H, who now resides in AL/USA, he does serious work for seriously famous magazines, but he's been a follower of Japanese music for decades. When I first hooked up with H via Buffalo Daughter in the 90's and went to his former apartment in the East Village, NYC, man, the guy has shit you would not believe. I kid you not. Original pressings of Japanese bands. You ask him where he got them from, and he goes "oh, I found it at a supermarket/flea market" and you just wonder what made him pursue them and he goes "oh, they're interesting". H's been talking about BD, Cornelius, etc, since before they were known, and this is before the internet. I'm sure H has sent a lot of money to Amazon Japan now.
When I came back as a 13 year old kid from England, I already had the rock/punk/whateveryouwanttocallit genes inside of me, I was abducted by aliens. So, I was thinking most Japanese bands were utter crap, lifeless smily shiny white teeth shit (which I unfortunately feel the same to this day, but then again, the quality of Western bands is getting bad as well, flattening effect, compressors in action!). Anyway, there were a few Japanese bands that made my high school days not so much a dread. Friction was one of them, and though I have yet to see the current formation of Friction (just drums and bass), I've enjoyed each show that I managed to see.
From what I've witnessed, there is an underlining thread between these guys. They don't care what the fuck you think of them, they do their music on their own terms. I could tell you stories, but I've no right to on the internet. In a nutshell, they're fucking real and sincere about what they do. Maybe that's what gets reflected into their sound and over time, crosses borders (a lot of them never played outside of Japan) and gets appreciated, re-interpreted, re-cycled. Food for thought.
A to Z
Man, just look at the names, Julian's definitely done his research. Video and other stuff.
Julian's not some amateur, he's had success as a pop star and he probably had enough of the bs, and just wants to do what he wants, in his own terms. He's selling stuff by other bands on his website, that is one way of doing it. Bands helping each other.
Yes, I did buy a copy of Reward, when was that, 80, 81? I saw this particular TOTP back in the day. All those trumpets, gives me the immense horn, that. Dexy's, Modern Romance, UB40, The English Beat (ok, sax)? For a 11, 12 year old kid, trumpets are trumpets. Then I saw Julian play around the World Shut Your Mouth period, 86, 87?
What am I saying here? Nothing much really, but other than someone will connect the dots.
Excellent, September 20, 2007
By zphage - See all my reviews
Follows up on Mr. Cope 1995's Krautrocksampler, which detailed Germany's (1st of 3 Axis powers) late 60's early 70's heavy pysch and experimental music scene.This book details Japan's (2nd of 3 Axis powers) late 60's early 70's heavy pysch and experimental music scene.
Beautifully written, enclosed in a hardbound, "trade paperback size" book. Divided into two books: Book One has four chapters that deal with Japan pre and post World War II, the impact of Western/American culture, rock'n'roll, (GS)Group Sounds emergence and decline, the confluence of the Japanese avant garde, jazz,and rock scenes with the youth culture explosion of the 60's.
Book Two has 8 chapters, which deal with specific bands as follows:
Come Together 1969
Flower Travellin Band
Les Rallizes Denudes
Speed, Shinki, and Glue
Taj Mahal Travellers and Takehisa Kosugi
J.A. Caesar and the Radical Theatre Music of Japan
Masahiko Satoh and the Free Thinkers' Union
Far East Family BandA Top 50 round up follows with a short list of albums to avoid.
A truly great treat for the open minded and curious listener, this book promises to be the groundswell moment just as Krautrocksampler was.
(Mr. Cope is there a book on the 3rd Axis power, Italy, due? Pejoratively titled " Woprocksampler"?)