NIHONJIN

All roads lead to Rome. And almost all Japanese progressive rock outfits lead to FAR OUT - FAR EAST FAMILY BAND. Yup actually this phrase may be what we (I?) overestimate FAR OUT, but we Japanese cannot avoid appreciating their influence upon younger Japanese progressive rock outfits ... they should be a great pioneer for us.

Anyway, how magnified and exaggerated their style should be ... around 1973 Japan was terribly infested with poppy cheesy songs or childish bands (and we Japanese assumed them much trendy ... what a laugh!) and a bit luckily The British Progressive Rock Scene, especially Pink Floyd, could be approved by some Japanese "professional" musicians. In such a situation, their musical style with much psychedelic essence, songs at full length, heavy riffs and fantastic technique into both sides of LP, might be terribly (in another sense) boring for most of childish-pop-polluted Japanese. On the contrary, for us progressive rock fans (especially for me a Japanese psychedelic freak :-P) they can present some competent comfort in spite of such long tracks. First, Too Many People - in the former and the last part Fumio MIYASH'TA's acoustic guitar solo sounds plaintive and depressive, with his limber voices ... a bit faltering English though ... by the way, I always wonder why he should sing in Japanese (maybe because of his strong intention for getting worldwide) and am sure he could have sung more flexible. Against the former one, in the middle part passionate but terrifically dry guitar riffs are broadened all around our brain through our ears. This part, despite of its persistence, cannot let us feel bored but relaxed. What a enthusiastic guitar solo Fumio can play. The next track Nihonjin is more aggressively Oriental ... except the lyrics. They can remind us some Japanese inner mind - Wa No Kokoro, Buddhism, and so on - his voices can get more and more free & easy particularly on the last stage, with obscure Sanskrit? Sitar, Wabue, Dora ... Japanese-tasty instruments come and attack to listeners.

Trust me my above-mentioned phrase "almost all Japanese ... " you can surely understand, can't you? Highly recommended as a Japanese!