Product Details

* Audio CD (May 11, 1999)
* Original Release Date: April 20, 1999
* Number of Discs: 1
* Label: World Music Network
* Catalog Number: 1031
* ASIN: B00000IJQM
* Other Editions: Audio Cassette
* Average Customer Review: based on 7 reviews. (Write a review.)
* Amazon.com Sales Rank: #74,760 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #65,930 in Music

Listen to Samples
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1. Makura - Takeharu Kunimoto Listen Listen
2. Kakin Ondo - Kawachiya Kikusuimaru Listen Listen
3. Fukko Bushi - Soul Flower Mononoke Summit Listen Listen
4. Nikata Bushi - Michihiro Sato Listen Listen
5. Takio's Soran Bushi - Takio Ito & Takio Band Listen Listen
6. Amagoi Bushi - Yasuba Jun & An-Chang Project Listen
7. Mangetsu No Yube - Takashi Hirayasu Listen
8. Hiyami Kachi Bushi - Ayame Band Listen
9. Moji Banana No Tatakiuri - Tadayoshi Ikawa Listen
10. Utuwaskarap - Oki Listen
11. Nyorai Shizune - Shozan Tanabe Listen
12. Ubue - Yukihiro Goto Listen
13. Asadoya Yunta - Tetsuhiro Daiku Listen
14. James Bond Theme - The Surf Champlers Listen
15. Haisai Ojisan - Makoto Kubota & The Sunset Gang Listen
16. Agari Jo - Yasuko Yoshida Listen
17. Ho Na Mi (Excerpt) - Koto Vortex Listen
18. Utage (Excerpt) - Eitetsu Hayashi Listen
19. Shi Chome - Cicala Mvta Listen
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The inimitable travel mavens at Rough Guides are not offering your average travel fare, and their counterparts in music are also looking for the unusual and the undercovered. This guide to Japanese music sidesteps the obvious shakuachis, kodo drums, and No theater music in favor of taiko-rap, ondo-funk, Okinawa-pop, and some forms yet to be hyphenated, let alone explained. It runs the gamut, from the mediocre pop of Kawachiya Kikusuimaru (toss-off synths and drum machines) to the brilliant avant-garde biwa (lute) and accordion of Yukihiro Goto and the minimalist koto quartet Koto Vortex. Humor abounds in the Surf Champlers' weird Tokyo take on the James Bond movies' theme. Fuzzy electric blues meets Okinawa in the music of An-Chang Project, fronted by the emotive vocals of Yasuba Jun. The set has it all, great, good, bad, and awful in pretty equal amounts, but for the good and great alone it's worth the price, and the bad and awful are certainly enlightening and entertaining. --Louis Gibson
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Customer Reviews
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there is so much more to Japan, January 3, 2006
Reviewer: soundsmith (seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
If this is representative of what is popular in Japan, there you have it, but I think it's missing so much and gives a false (small) impression of the amazing diversity and complexity in the Japanese music scene. Alternating between Taiko drums, cute westernized pop songs, a little shamisen and shakuhachi I find it lacks anything from the explosion of new innovative music from the Tokyo scene or even any Kabuki or Koto music. A little disapointing because I have come to expact great things from this series. Kudos and 1/2 star for the fun liner notes!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
why no gagaku? , November 28, 2005
Reviewer: Peter Heddon - See all my reviews
This collection is seemingly all embracing but actually it only scratches the surface.The highly distinctive and alluring 'Gagaku'(ancient Japanese court and dance music)is oddly absent.....i can't begin to imagine why.This music (violent yet poised) is quite unlike anything i've encountered and ought to have been represented.However,this warts and all portrait of Japanese music is full of surprises and there's plenty to enjoy.

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just great, September 20, 2005
Reviewer: Ikkyu Sojun "doku-shin" (Neuss, Germany) - See all my reviews
as a fan of japan brings this music back a lot of memories and feelings at my time in japan. i think this compelation is something for people which want to become behind the clichees of japan and see what japan really is
its like walking all over the country from okinawa to hokkaido, everything is there.
the best for beginners who interrested in people, land and music.
it blows your mind, when you open hearted. ( )