5つ星のうち4.0An intriguing collection for a deeply odd band
2013年4月30日にアメリカ合衆国でレビュー済み
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Even in an arena of eccentrics, The Fishmans (yes, "Fishmans" and not "Fishmen") stand out as something special. Ostensibly a dub band, the Fishmans dabbled in forms both conventional and otherworldly, becoming more abstract and astral as their career progressed--and especially once they jumped ship from the indie Media Remoras label to Polydor in the 1990s. Tying the group together is the late Shinji Sato, whose vocal stylings are described by Wikipedia as "distinctive [and] androgynous." That's one way to put it; while I'm a fan of other musicians who could be described as "helium-voiced" (Air's Koji Kuramatani comes to mind), Sato's keening wail, punctuated by yelps, is something unique.
"Aloha Polydor," as its title should indicate, selects exclusively from the group's albums on Polydor (with one rarity thrown in), and by consequence focuses on the group's more languid and extended late-period tracks--think Can's "Future Days," as opposed to "Tago Mago." "Nightcruising," perhaps the band's best-known track in the West, is accounted for, and it sets the tone for the proceedings: lengthy, spacey productions, with Sato weaving in and around the groove. Unsurprisingly, "Aloha Polydor" contains nothing from the extended "Long Season," but perhaps as a concession it contains the original single version of "Season" itself. "Season," which can be found easily on Youtube, is an absolutely gorgeous thing, and it shows that the band was just as comfortable working within the confines of a more-standard experimental rock idiom.
Easily one of the most unique 1990s bands to be signed to a Japanese major label, the Fishmans deserve the accolades thrown their way. Those without a particular love of dub might need to be a bit more selective in their approach--and, to that end, the two recent Fishmans career-spanning hits/rarities collections are actually a better sampling of their oeuvre. But "Aloha Polydor," which can usually be found for quite cheap, isn't a bad place to start.