 |
Title |
| Twin Best: Jiro
Sugita · Jiro's |
| International Title |
| [Misc.] |
| Music By:
Jiro Sugita |
| Record Label:
Toshiba EMI |
| |
|
| Running Time: 58:54/60:11 |
Discs: 2 |
| Release: October 1996 |
CD Number: TOCT-9649/50 |
|
| Comments |
 |
Anthony
Romero |
 |
|
|
First,
thanks goes to Robert Storch for sending these discs
in for review!
This disc, also commonly referred to as "Twin
Best: Jiro Sugita & Jiro's", is a two disc
compilation of songs by musical artist Jiro Sugita
and the band Jiro's. Jiro's was a group that was formed
back in 1967, facing a rough period in 1968 that lead
to them disbanding. The musician worked his way briefly
into Norihiko Hashida's Shoebelts, before Sugita reformed
Jiro's in 1970, this time with artist Jiro Morishita.
It is the music created during this period, during
the second phase of the group, that is present on
this release (coming largely from the For the Love
& You album). Sadly, Jiro's disbanded for
good in 1972 after being together for two years. This
led to Jiro Sugita's long running solo career afterwards,
to which Toho fans will be familiar with for his work
on both Horror
of the Wolf (1973) and Bye-Bye
Jupiter (1984), the songs for the latter of
which are included with this set. This particular
release covers the "best" of Sugita's work
from the time his band formed up until 1987, after
which he changed record labels.
This release has a lot of content across its two discs,
with each clocking in at around 60 minutes in length.
Across the 30 songs present, the set has its ups and
downs. To start with the first disc, the ups include
songs like "For the Love & You", which
has a great soothing beat and makes good use of the
band present. "Only You", another song from
the band, is a great tune as well, utilizing a bigger
orchestra to really make the track stand out. "Children
Don't Know War" is a great track with a nice
big band like flavor as trumpets and other instruments
are included into the mix. "Anak", probably
the standout solo performance by Sugita on the first
disc, is another exemplary track. It has a great,
soothing tempo to it that really lets the deep and
wonderfully distinct vocal work of the musician come
through to the listener. On the downside, though,
there are tracks like "My Heart", an adaptation
of a song back from Sugita's days in the first Jiro's
and the Shoebelts group, which is nice but falters
on its English lyrics which sound like "lonely
handbag". "Building Blocks" is also
kind of a miss, starting off interesting with a more
stereotypical oriental beat before diving into a more
dated musical style. In fact, the last few tracks
from the first disc are all a little lacking, due
to the more modern techniques and styles they utilize,
which does not hold up as well.
For the second disc, it leaps right into a very dated
theme in the form of "(Youth) Like a Movie".
This song is strange in that the background beat,
although very much a product of its decade, is very
lively and energetic to hear... but sadly clashes
with the lyrics resulting in a odd mesh of the two.
The disc drifts into some more work from Jiro's in
the form of "From the Sunlit Sky", which
is a stellar song with a great duo vocal performance.
The work here then gets more diverse with the guitar
heavy "A Song for Children", which sounds
odd amongst the often acoustic guitar work that other
tracks have. This is followed up by the very odd "A
Heart of Courage", which has an almost southern-like
twist to it mixed with a more Spanish tempo. All of
which, sadly, sounds a little at odds with Sugita's
voice, but when the more classical instruments swell
it works. "Small One" is a nice change of
pace from the others, as it gives Sugita's lyrics
room to breath with a more subdued piano background
at the start that allows his voice to take center
stage as it should. It's a wonderful song, and one
of the better entries on the second disc. The real
star here, though, is the magnificent "Bye-Bye
Jupiter" song, from the movie of the same name.
It has a epic quality, helped by the huge orchestra
that Sugita has at his disposal which works perfectly
in tempo with his lyrics rather than against as some
of the other work found on this disc. The second CD
ends with "In the Mirror", a final track
with the Jiro's, which is a nice track to end on although
sounds a little rough, either because the best source
was not available or due to the recording techniques
utilized at the time.
Overall, despite some complaints, this is a pretty
solid collection of Sugita's work. It's at its strongest
when Sugita plays to his strength, which is his wonderful
folk themes and ones that utilize a more classic orchestra.
The ones that attempt to add a more contemporary flavor,
like the previously mentioned "Building Blocks"
and the awkwardly western-like "The Evening Gray
Clock", tend to be a bit more of a miss. Regardless,
though, the two disc set is pretty enjoyable and those
who enjoy the musician's work, or folk music in general,
should get a kick out of this release.
Rating:  |
|
| Tracks |
Disc 1
- Children Don't Know War
By: Jiro's
- Between Men
- Anak
- Ballad of Human Powered Flight
- Only You
By: Jiro's
- A Tear for Tomorrow
By: Jiro's
- For the Love & You
By: Jiro's
- The Dividing Road of Youth
By: Jiro's
- My Heart
- Title Less Love
- Building Blocks
- Life in the City
- The Evening Gray Clock
- Sunshine in the Rain
- My Ark
Disc 2
- (Youth) Like a Movie
- Yatsugatake
- From the Sunlit Sky
By: Jiro's
- Children
By: Jiro's
- Memories of Autumn
- A Song for Children
- A Heart of Courage
- Small One
- A Lonely Spring
- The Opened Door
- The Unturned Trojan
- Domannaka of the Earth
- Bye-Bye Jupiter
- The Four Seasons of Earth
- In the Mirror
By: Jiro's
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