Various
Even A Tree Can Shed Tears (2lp)
'JAPANESE FOLK & ROCK 1969-1973' - This DOUBLE-LP compilation presents a wide range of artists that were influential in the Japanese rock and folk underground during the years 1969-1973, but are virtually unknown in the rest of the world. Included are among others Hachimitsu Pie with its The Band-like ragged Americana, Tetsuo Saito with his spacey folk, and the Happy End, a band that successfully combined American West Coast-vibes with Japanese lyrics. Also featured are tracks from more political oriented artists s.a. Takashi Nishioka and his progressive folk collective Itsutsu No Akai Fuusen, the "Japanese Joni Mitchell" Sachiko Kanenobu, and The Dylan II. And to top things off you may expect the bluesy avant-garde stylings of Maki Asakawa, future Sadistic Mika Band founder Kazuhiko Kato with his fuzzy, progressive psychedelia, the beatnik acid folk of Masato Minami, and the intimate living room folk of Kenji Endo.