If you are a good, decent person, you will not laugh at a Japanese guy sincerely trying to sing American country hits. The Dalai Lama (or Adam Yauch, were he alive) would probably comment that, hey, can YOU sing in Japanese? Could YOU come over from a country with a radically different culture than the US and master a foreign music style? Could you, like, learn to play the koto or some shit?
Well, obviously, I am not a good, decent person - I LOL-ed out loud upon hearing poor Mr Tabuchi sing "make loom in your heart for a flend." And you probably will, too, ya sick bastards. The debut album of this collection of country (and a couple easy-listening) hits by a Japanese fiddle player/singer does, at least, feature slick backing by Nashville pros to maintain some semblance of musical quality.
The night I was ripping this from vinyl I was musing aloud to the missus about how could this album have been released, by a major label, no less (ABC/Dot), and she suggested that it might have been a deliberate ploy, like the tax scam in "The Producers." Which reminded me of record biz sleaze-bag Morris Levy. Otherwise, I have no explanation for the existence of this album. But, hey, Tabuchi is having the last laugh on us - he's had a long-running show in that Vegas for old folks, Branson, MO.
Shoji Tabuchi: "Country Music My Way"
This has been another wonderful Windy contribution.
