12.26.2005

Live Izumiya



Shigeru Izumiya Live Izumiya 2LP (For Life, 1975)

Every record fiend has one thing he/she asks the universe for: Please, just give me one good song! You buy a record because the cover jumps out at you. You have no idea what it is, who the people are on it, sometimes you don't even know what the words on the jacket say, but you do know you want one good song. It doesn't matter if every other song on the record sucks, one good song will make it worth the money/effort/time. It is a modest request. Please, one good song.

I picked up this Shigeru Izumiya double album because the jacket said, "Buy Me." Other than the front cover, everything else is in Japanese. I have no idea what the songs are called or who plays on this. But I still bought it (hell, it was a couple bucks so what's the risk?). I brought it home and dropped needle and I heard folk rock. I went track by track. Folk, folk rock, boogie, blues jam, folk rock, etc. I finally get to side three and I find the one good song.

I have no idea what the song is called. I do know that there is a drum that sounds like a tabla and a guitar starts off sounding like a sitar (or a sitar winds up sounding like a slide guitar). The Indian influence doesn't tilt this into psych, but it does push the song into something a bit different than straight up folk rock. This wasn't immediate. It is a grower. The more I play it, the more I like it. Let it hang around awhile and give it some plays if it doesn't grab you at first.

From what I can figure out, there are two Shigeru Izumiyas. This one is a folk singer and activist. The other is an experimental musician and horror film maker. And there is my knowledge of this musician and his record.



# posted by Scott Soriano : 10:00
Comments:
Hey, why do you know Shigeru Izumiya? Where did you get his LP? That's really weird. I think he's not more famous than Loudness outside Japan. Yes, he's a very famous entertainer in Japan now. I often see him on those Japanese TV programs.
# posted by Blogger Toshi : 10:45
 
dear music provider...you can find a bit of info on this guy here > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigeru_Izumiya#Discography. You may want to add what you know to the encyclopedia. Is there any chance you could post a scan of the back of the album. I'm a student at Niagara College here in Southern Ontario. There are many Japanese students here, some of whom speak english. Anyhow, just thought I'd mention...Thanks pal,
jack.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 19:51
 
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