Fishmans (Japan) for Crossover?

That 'History of Fishmans' boxset looks like it's an absolute monster of a release! 3CDs + Blu-ray + 36 page booklet in an LP-sized package costing between 80 and 100 bucks depending on where you buy it from.

^ Amazing, Greg!

^ It's no problem (well, not for me, anyway). Thanks for taking the time to listen and evaluate the suggestion. I'll just mention it in their team thread. No hurry and I know this a rather-out-of-the-box selection, frankly those are the ones that excite me the most as those commonly involve the most thinking, relating, and talking out. I would have written Crossover or Psych in the subject line except that we (and I was part of agreeing to that but would like to see it changed) started requesting that people only use one suggested category in the topic line. This was when we started requiring bios in advance (I would rather amend that rule too) because teams were getting flooded with suggestions. I mention some of that background even though you know Cristi, I liked it as a team member when we get multiple team members talking it out in a suggestion thread and even battling it out to get thet band in their sub when it was really appreciated. Led to some fun discussion, more thoughts, and was very sociable. Of course the site is not as vibrant as it used to be, and one can't expect those levels of enthusiasm now.

I really appreciated the thought and discussion put in to this from looking at the Crossover thread. if more could see the care and consideration that goes into the evaluations behind the scenes I think the team volunteers would be appreciated all the more.

The most relevant to PA aspect to the music IS the Neo-Psych qualities, as well as having long-form music and a kind of almost kinds of Krautrocky repetition at times,

David (yamayam) associated it with The Flaming Lips and that is a good comparison. Of course The Flaming Lips is in Prog Related, and I took some flack for supporting it after it has been rejected before for some teams, and well I could not find the formal comments on it in the admin zone for Prog Related, if they exist, so I could not evaluate their evaluation. But I know they did not "accept it" before (maybe they officially rejected it, don't know, doesn't matter. COnditions can change, sites can expand parameters, more relvant material can come, bad cases can be made and then much better ones, there is human fallibility and subjectivity, the best materials may not have been considered... et.c etc. Even an archive should have some court of appeals). By the way, when Embryonic came out I supported the Flaming Lips for a Prog category, but that was not to be... Borderline case. This time around a much better case was presented for inclusion, the band had more releases, and a related act had been added to a Prog category, so was surprised that it would get a negative reaction. We don't evaluate in quite the same way that admin teams used to. Anyway, I regret not having a discussion with the complainant about it, instead I made joke as a poor attempt at lightening the mood thinking I would get the chance later. I am a great believer in talking things out, and considering that there are different perspectives and exploring those. Anyway, getting that off my chest. I thought my reasoning for the FL addition was fair.

A big difference between Flaming Lips and Fishmans is that while both have some similar prog related sound qualities (music that relates to music in PA), I have not found an act in a Prog category that contains a band meber of Fishmans (not that I have looked very hard). Sure Fishmans has been covered by at least one act.

Anyway, I ramble. I will bring it to the PSIKE team for their consideration. thanks to the Crossover team for their time with this.   

^ I love Air. Said to my wife during the closing ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics that I hoped they would play, and they did! I discovered Air sometime before 2004's Talkie Walkie album was set to came out with "Cherry Blossom Girl". 2001's 10 000 Hz Legend seems a very strangely underrated album to me at RYM. I have heard music from 1998's excellent Moon Safari (I prefer that to the Prog band) playing in cafes more than once here. Lovely to see another fave of mine mentioned. And that's very true about mining French music. As mentioned in the OP, Fishmans played Shibuya-kei, which is a kitschy Tokyo scene of music that involves Indie Pop, 1960s Pop and Easy Listening, Jazz, and Electronic styles. And that's what Air was doing. And they both took inspiration from old French music -- music I love,. I love the French influences in lots of Japanese music, and now wish to go eat at a restaurant which is Japanese-French fusion... Snail sushi, yum, yum. :) Stereolab, now in PA, is another mining those avenues, and like lots of Japanese music like Boredoms and Fishmans, there is a Krautrock/ Kosmische influence. SO you might get the repetitive and motorik qualities of Neu! and an influence of Can. They were taking on some primo sh*t, man, or should that be Fish, man.

Edited by Logan - January 06 2025 at 15:04

^ Interesting you should say that. Il y a des jours is a favourite album of mine, and I have especially adored the first track "Introduction végétarienne" While both have similarities, I've never considered comparing these two. I love both, and I very much like the way that the repetition is used. By the way, if you have not heard it, much as I like the studio album version of Long Season, I prefer the Long Season track from the December of 1998 concert album, which makes up for the last 41 or so minutes of the two hour and ten minute concert.

I know there was another track by another band that really reminded me of that Hellebore track, but I can't recall what it was now as I thought of it a long time ago and before I knew Fishmans. By the way, Long Season, especially live, in part reminds me of a favourite album of mine, Boredoms Vision Creation New Sun (Japan, 1999) and I think of some Geinoh Yamashirogumi.

Logan wrote: Anyway, I hope that makes some sense.    Another confused emoticon would kill me. Wherever it goes, or fails to go, I'm okay.    It's the music itself that matters most to me. And sharing and discussing it with people who also appreciate it.

Thanks Cristi for your prompt response, and sorry if there was some confusion. I wasn’t convinced between either Crossover or Psych, as I had hoped to indicate in the OP, but if you guys think Psych is clearly better, it matters naught to me where it goes. While Neo-Psych is a significant component, and I would say that it fits Long Season best, I thought there was a significant enough poppy or kind of mainstream component to the discography that it may overall suit Crossover better. Reggae is also significant to the band.

This is my favourite album from the band and to me it could fit either .
I do especially like the Long Season portion of that live album, which I posted in the OP. And I do think that is the most significant "piece" to consider, but it's not all that I personally would consider.

I guess it often depends on how much of the material you are familiar with, how much of the discography you have researched, and think worth considering. Sorry for any possible confusion with how I put together the suggestion. A bit rusty. Different teams works differently and some are more thorough in considering all of the albums (like Ivan before with Symph) and others hone straight in what is thought to be the most relevant releases and material. Psych is the most significant component to me of the most relevant to PA music, but I also think pop is a significant component to the band across albums.

Edited by Logan - January 06 2025 at 03:46

Thanks David. I did not know about the sad story when I first heard that live album, which was not that long ago. After I did I could not listen to it for a while (let alone watch the performance). Glad you are a fan, Ian.

Frets N Worries wrote: They're not in here already?

In a sense the closest to Fishmans, it might be said, is a man called Fish (aka the Fishman). ;)

https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=724

I'm a fan of Long Season, good stuff.

^ thanks. I too think that Fishmans is at least prog related, at least musically-speaking, which doesn't mean it's enough for that category since for that more than just the music is taken into account (personnel relations, influence...). Likely it has influenced Japanese prog musicians, and as said at least one band in PA paid tribute to it with a cover. Crossover and Psych are the Prog categories here it has most in common with, with some post-rock qualities, imo.

Long Season is where it's most at for this band. Both for the live performances and studio album. Much as I like the studio album for Long Season, I like the 1998 live the most. And that live albums is my favourite album by Fishmans, with it's Long Season as the biggest highlight.

I think had Shinji Sato lived, then Fishmans would be more obviously right for PA with kind of experimental post-rock sound.

I have been wondering whether or not to suggest Fishmans for quite a long time. Many of my other favourite acts ended up finding their way into PA without my help. :) Now if only they would get more forum discussion with more people...