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| Just in: All SIX original Yukiko Okada LPs! |
Winter is when I usually schedule my yearly Yukiko Okada listening (mostly because her music fits the Holiday season and I love listening to the albums while I window shop at the malls), like a lot of other albums I cherish, I try to hold off over-playing them so I can really savor them when I do get them out!
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WELL, in the past few weeks I've been listening to all my Yukiko Okada as i browse the Malls, and I have to tell you- the songs just BLEW ME AWAY ALL OVER AGAIN! Giving time between listens REALLY sweetens the experience, and SO overwhelmed was I by these incredible songs that I got choked up a few times- a real sight in a crowd of winter shoppers, I tell you!
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| It's "Yukiko" Season! |
Cinderella, Fairy, Jyugatsu no Ningyo, and Venus Tanjyou, I lovingly breezed through them, all By the time it got to Okurimono II's “Believe In You”, I was in OBSESSIVE Yukiko mode, and it occurred to me that though I owned all her original releases in CD format, I didn’t own ANY of Yukiko’s original albums on Vinyl! With my current state of manic Yukiko mania upon me, I REALLY wanted to own at least SOME of what she'd released....
That evening, doing a little sleuthing around on the auction sites, I found someone selling not only both Okurimono albums, but Venus Tanjou as well! Just as I was about to make the bid, a new seller JUST uploaded a new listing, only this time, they were auctioning ALL SIX of Yukiko Okada’s LP releases and for a (relatively) decent price, at that!!!
You know I didn’t waste too much more time before closing THAT auction with my final bid (SLAMMED the "Buy It Now" Option faster than you could blink!), and just this week, my original vinyl Album releases came in...and HOLY HECK THEY ARE GORGEOUS!!!
Below: Cinderella, Fairy, Jyugatsu no Ningyo, Venus Tanjyou, Okurimono and Okurimono II
...and the beautiful back covers:
Not only were these covers and back covers stunning, but all four original releases included gatefolds with more Yukiko goodness.
Cinderella jacket, record and photo inserts:
Besides Yukiko’s 4 stellar Album releases, Pony Canyon also released two single compilations from Yukiko, titled, respectively, Okurimono and Okurimono II. In particular I'm thrilled to own these in vinyl as these albums have a huge sentimental attachment for me... Allow me to explain why!
Like Victor Records "CD FILE" Series, or the Beatles "PAST MASTERS" releases, the Okurimono LPs were made to showcase Yukiko's singles, both A and B sides, as well as non-album tracks.
Okurimono
Okurimono includes Singles:
First Date/Soyokaze no Peppermint
Little Princess/Koi No Doubles
Dreaming Girl~ Koi Hajimemashite/Kimagure Teenage Love
plus non-album track
Believe In You
Okurimono II
Okurimono II included singles:
Futari Dake no Ceremony/ PRIVATE RED
Summer Beach/ Hoshi to Yoru to Koibitotachi
Kanashii Yokan/ Koibitotachi no Calendar
Love Fair/ Futari no Blue Train
plus non-album track
Kohitsuji NOTE
These were both terrific comps, but when it came time to put it on my ipod, I eliminated the 4 tracks already represented on prior albums (First Date, Little Princess, Futari Dake no Ceremony and Kanashii Yokan), which left 12 tracks to make ONE solid, single album, which I arranged as such:
01. Soyokaze no Peppermint
02. Summer Beach
03. Dreaming Girl~ Koi Hajimemashite
04. Kimagure Teenage love
05. Koi No Doubles
06. I Believe In You
07. Love Fair
08. PRIVATE RED
09. Hoshi to Yoru to Koibitotachi
10. Koibitotachi no Calendar
11. Futari no Blue Train
12, Kohitsuji NOTE
Now, as you know, I had already been a big fan of Yukiko before this, but I must say that it is with THIS new Okurimono compilation that she went from love to OBSESSION in my book. I cannot overemphasize how much I ADORED this album- not only did I listen to it over and over and OVER again, but those tracks would go on to become among my ALL TIME fave songs from her! Soyokaze no Peppermint, Summer Beach, Kimagure Teenage Love, Koi No Doubles, Believe in You, Love Fair, etc, etc, If I made a top tops today, they would all surely be within the list's upper echelon!
Okurimono” means “Present” in Japanese, and in fact, when Pony Canyon released all Yukko’s albums in UHQCD format, they made a similar single-album compilation of the two Okurimono albums (though some were delegated to bonus tracks on the earlier releases), and THIS new compilation they called “PRESENT”! Coincidentally, I justified the big purchase of the 6 albums by calling it my "Christmas Present" to myself, and that’s truly what it’s become! A PRESENT indeed!!!
Such an AWESOME addition to my humble (but growing) collection! I now have all Yukiko's albums in Vinyl, CD and UHQCD (as well as four singles, and hoping to get more!
Whenever I listen to Yukiko's wonderful songs, of course it it a bittersweet experience knowing she has regretfully left us (and in such a saddening way). But luckily she has left behind an enduring legacy of music that continues to brighten our lives, and for that we must be thankful!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
