------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Artist: Saito Yuki Title: Garasu no kodou Production Co: Canyon Cat#: D32A0168 Release: 3/21/1986 Price: 3200 yen Length: 10 (tracks) Track Data: 1 Sen no kazeoto 4:34 2 Tsukinohara 3:21 3 Doyoubi no tamanegi 3:44 4 Hatsukoi 3:38 5 Jounetsu 4:59 6 Kosumosu tsuushin 4:58 7 Pajama no Shinderera 4:33 8 Ohikkoshi - wasuremono 4:45 9 Umi no ehagaki 4:18 10 Ima dake no hontou 3:48 Goodies: standard jewel box, fold-out lyrics sheet Comments: This is one of Yuki's more pop-oriented albums. Most of the songs are fairly mainstream pop, though there are hintings of the more poetic, artistic tendencies that become stronger in her later albums (probably as she takes more control of the production and starts producing albums that are more what she wants to do than what someone thinks will be commercial). The first track is an instrumental-only, almost classical track, with a poem Yuki wrote to go along with it. She also wrote the lyrics to three other tracks. The second track has a more serious musical feel to it, and the third is a capella. Tracks 4-8 are almost idol-style pop, and 9 and 10 are sad ballads. A good, solid album with no really weak spots. (David Luke: luke@boi.hp.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Artist: Saito Yuki Title: The Special Series Production Co: Canyon Cat#: D32A0154 Release: 12/21/85 Price: 3200 yen Length: 12 (tracks) Track Data: 1 Jounetsu 5:00 2 Fina-re no kaze 3:41 3 AXIA - kanashii kotori - 4:36 4 Yukiakari no machi 4:46 5 Shaboniro no natsu 4:14 6 Umi no ehagaki 4:17 7 Hatsukoi 3:40 8 Seishun 3:50 9 Te no kira no kikyuusen 4:43 10 Sotsugyou 4:45 11 Joukyuusei 4:38 12 Shiroi honoo 4:15 Goodies: Standard jewel box, fold-out lyric sheet. Comments: I'm not sure exactly what this album is or where all the songs come from. Several songs are from "Garasu no kodou" (tracks 1, 6, and 7), but I don't know where the rest of them are from, and I thought I knew about all of Yuki's albums. Maybe they were just released as singles? Maybe she had another early album that I don't know about yet? "Garasu no kodou" was her second album, so maybe some of the songs come from a first album that I have yet to encounter and the rest were singles? Not only that, but if I'm reading these dates right, this album was released _before_ "Garasu no kodou", so I'm not sure how songs from a later album got onto this collection. Maybe those songs were released as singles, put on this collection, and later included on "Garasu no kodou". I don't know. Anyway, this is a pretty good album, and is definitely worth a listen. (David Luke: luke@boi.hp.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Saito Yuki Title: Fuun Production Co: Pony Canyon Cat#: D32A0281 Release: 4/21/1987 Price: 3200 yen Length: 13 (tracks) Track Data: 1 ONE 2 Taiikukan wa odoru 3 Oyashirazu ga itanda hi 4 Side Seat 5 12gatsu no karenda- 6 Kioku 7 Himawari 8 Suna no shiro 9 MAY 10 Nemurihime 11 Machikado no sunappu 12 Kaze - yume - tenshi 13 Kazoku no shokutaku Goodies: Standard jewel box, lyrics booklet (with lots of pictures). Comments: In my opinion, this is probably Yuki's best album. There are good solid pop tunes, but lots of it is a little experimental as well as being good pop. Yuki wrote the lyrics for tracks 1, 2, 6, 10, 12, and 13. (Track 1 is all English.) It's more than your average pop musically -- the music for track 2 is all orchestral, 5 is only accompanied by acoustic guitar, 12 is accompanied only by pipe organ, and 13 is only acoustic guitar. There is also some lyrical experimentation -- 1 is all English, and 13 is a song about "the family dinner table" -- not a typical pop song subject, but a great song. "12gatsu no carenda-" is probably my all-time favorite Saito Yuki song, with tracks 9 and 13 pretty close. Tracks 2, 3, 8, and 12 are favorites as well. Highly recommended! (David Luke: luke@boi.hp.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Saito Yuki Title: Pant Production Co: Pony Canyon Cat#: D32A0352 Release: 3/21/1988 Price: 3200 yen (?) Length: 10 (tracks) Track Data: 1 Owari no kehai 5:46 2 Shoujo jidai 3:53 3 Buru- sabumarin 4:10 4 Kawaii atashi 2:34 5 Christmas night 4:50 6 morn -toumei na kabe- 4:06 7 furisode ni pi-su sain 4:26 8 3nenme 4:44 9 "sayonara" 4:41 10 Thanks! 4:10 Goodies: Standard jewel box, lyrics booklet with photos. Comments: One of Yuki's better albums. As with many of her albums, Yuki wrote the lyrics for a many of the songs (tracks 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10). This album is not as "experimental" or "artistic" as some of hers, but has a "less-produced-than-typical-jpop" feel to it. Track 3 is all acoustic (great upright bass!), and is also my all-time second favorite Saito Yuki song. Track 4 is built on the "Addam's Family" theme song theme, and 10 is a song of gratitude for all the people that help and support her. (David Luke: luke@boi.hp.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Saito Yuki Title: Chaimu Production Co: Pony Canyon Cat#: D32A0234 Release: 10/21/1986 Price: 3200 yen Length: 12 (tracks) Track Data: 1 Yubiwa monogatari 4:12 2 Yokan 4:59 3 Kanashimi yo konnichi wa 3:57 4 Sutoro-hatto no natsu omoi 4:15 5 Tsukenakatta uso 3:58 6 Ichigosui no gurasu 4:32 7 Aozora no kakera 3:48 8 Mizu no haru 4:01 9 Jitensha ni notte 2:42 10 Akuriruiro no hohoemi 4:46 11 SORAMIMI 3:37 12 Anata no koe wo kiita yoruI 3:57 Goodies: Standard jewel box, fold-out lyrics sheet. Comments: This is perhaps Yuki's second best album. Being one of her earlier albums, the focus is more on pop and commercial music than on the experimental music that shows up on later albums. Yuki wrote the lyrics to tracks 2, 6, 10, and 12 -- less of her own work than on later albums. This album has some good, strong pop songs on it -- 3, 7, and 11 are especially good. (David Luke: luke@boi.hp.com) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------