Artist: Nakamori Akina Title: Cross My Palm Production Co: Warner-Pioneer Cat#: 32XL-192 Release: 1987, (8/25?) Price: 3200Y Length: <46'54"> (12) Track Data: <##> <time_length> (<add'l_comments/notes>) 1 Cross My Palm 3:42 good 2 Political Moves 4:28 good 3 Slave For Love 3:54 kinda dumb 4 Easy Rider 4:14 ok 5 Modern Woman 4:12 very good 6 The Look That Kills 3:39 very good 7 Soft Touch 3:34 ok 8 My Position 3:37 good 9 The Touch Of A Heartache 4:13 good 10 House Of Love 4:51 best song on album 11 No More 3:16 vapid 12 He's Just in Love With The Beat 3:12 vapid Goodies: none Comments: This album is 100% English, which is kind of a shame, 'cuz Akina's English is almost as bad as my Japanese. Aside from bad pronunciation though, her vocals are as strong as ever. I got my copy of this in Japan, but I've also seen copies of an American release as well. One of those copies was in a cut-out bin, so this cd may have been discontinued. If there's a Tower Records near you, check there first, otherwise, keep an eye on the cut-out bins. (Matthew B. Downer: hachiman@u.washington.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Nakamori Akina Title: CD '87 Production Co: Warner-Pioneer Cat#: WPCL-442 Release: 1987 Price: 2400 yen Length: <35'47"> (8 tracks) Track Data: <##> <title> <time_length> (<add'l_comments/notes>) 1 La Boheme 4:41 2 Saigo no Karumen 4:31 3 Tango Noir 4:09 4 Desire 4:25 Very famous. 5 Abunai Mon Amour 4:47 6 Milonguita 4:32 7 Jipushii Kuiin (Gypsy Queen) 4:18 *Really* good. 8 Fin 4:11 Best song on the album. Goodies: None. Comments: This is a collection of four singles and their b-sides. excellent pop music with a bit of a hard edge at times. One of Akina's best albums. (Matthew B. Downer: hachiman@u.washington.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Nakamori Akina Title : Uta Hime Production Co: MCA Victor, Inc. Cat# : MVCD-12 Release: Price : 3000 Yen Length: Track Data: 1. Dance Wa Umaku Adorenai 2. Ai Zen Bashi (originally by Yamaguchi Momoe) 3. Kata Omoi 4. Si SiuU Ki 5. Ai Dakute Ai Dakute 6. Siu Jaku(?) Eki (It means the final station.) 7. Mahoo No Kagami 8. Ikigai 9. Wadasi Wa Kaze Comments: If you ever listened to Ai Zen Bashi, then many songs in this album are of this kind of style, slow, touching, tender, but powerful and heart-shaking. Some other songs' style are a little easy, lazy, pub-like and Jazz-like music. You will feel touched by the former songs and fell ease with the latter kind of songs. Another characteristic of this album is that it uses many string instruments, like violin, piano, and others, unlike Akina's old albums which are mainly using electrical instruments. It's a perfect harmony when Akina's vocal is accompanied by violins. It will let you feel you are sitting in a big hall and listening to Akina's singing with a great orchestra. Of course, all the above comments are coming from a die-hard fan of Akina, so it's hard to be un-biased. But it's worth listening, and every song could be qualified as a single or at least very close to that. By the way, though all the songs were originally sung by other singers, I only know the No. 2 song. Could anyone please tell me who sang the other songs, O.K. ? The lyrics book is very good, but it contains nothing about the song writers and the original singers. (Kuo-Chun Su: kcsu@ccms.ntu.edu.tw) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Nakamori Akina Title : Kata Omoi, Ai Bu (?) Production Co: MCA Victor, Inc. Cat# : MVDD-10004 Release: 94/03/24 Price : 1000 Yen Length: Track Data: 1. Kata Omoi (the No. 3 song in Uta-Hime) 2. Ai Bu (the No. 2 song in Unbalance+Balance) 3. Kata Omoi, original Karaoke 4. Ai Bu, original Karaoke Comments: That this CD is sung by Akina is in fact the guarantee of quality. I don't know why these two songs are selected to be released as a single. In Uta-Hime, I like "Ai Zen Bashi" better, since it is originally sung by one of my favorite singer, Yamaguchi Momoe. But as I have said before, all songs in this album are very good. "Ai Bu" is also a very good song; you can sing the main theme just after listening to it once. But it's also strange that this song is selected to be other song in the single. I remember I have read an interview with Akina about releasing singles from Unbalance+Balance, but Akina said all the songs in that album forms an integrity, and it won't be presented very good if any song is selected to be a single. (Kuo-Chun Su: kcsu@ccms.ntu.edu.tw) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Nakamori Akina Title : Namida no kawarini ... Ballad Collection II (Ballad Collection I is "Lyricism) Production Co: Wea Japan Cat# : WPCL-815 Release: Price : 2900 Yen Length: Track Data: 1. LIAR 2. Standing In Blue 3. SOLITUDE 4. Pi A Su (I guess it's "Pierce") 5. Exotica 6. LITTLE PARTY 7. MODERN WOMAN 8. Venus Dan Jo 9. Natsu wa za ma 10. Mizuni Sashita Hana 11. Twilight 12. Hitokakera no Emerald 13. Arifureta Fuke (?) 14. Refrain 15. Catastrophe no Kasa ~ Ending Comments: If you like slow tender songs, then you can buy this CD. If you are an Akina fan, then you should buy all of them to show your neverending support and to complete your collection. Kuo-Chun Su: kcsu@ccms.ntu.edu.tw) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Nakamori Akina Title : Play with the Danger --- Rock Collection Production Co: Wea Japan Cat# : WPCL-816 Release: Price : 2900 Yen Length: Track Data: 1. FIRE STARTER 2. DESIRE --- Jo Retsu --- 3. STAR PILOT 4. So Mad 5. Kin Ku 6. Babylon (Remix long version) 7. NIGHTMARE 8. 1/2 no ??? (Legend, fairy tales) 9. October Storm 10. HE'S JUST IN LOVE WITH THE BEAT 11. No Ku Taan (?) 12. Jive 13. THE TOUCH OF A HEARTACHE 14. CRYSTAL HEAVEN 15. Ju Kai (1984) Comments: If you like more upbeats, then you can grab this CD. If you are an Akina fan, then you should buy all of them to show your neverending support and to complete your collection. Kuo-Chun Su: kcsu@ccms.ntu.edu.tw)