I was born in 1959, in the northernmost part of Honshu in Japan. This regional city had the highest production of apples in the country, and my windows were filled with apple orchards. Climbing onto the roof of my house, I could see the elementary school past a grassy field. I went to school by going through the field, ignoring the roads.
In a town about 100 kilometers from my home is the U.S. Air Base Misawa. The broadcasts from the U.S. Forces’ FEN (Far East Network) managed to reach the radio in my house, a little distance away. I think most of the programming was music requested by the American soldiers who were stationed in Japan. Of course, a child like me didn’t even understand the language, but I really loved the songs that played after the English introductions. The rhythm and the melody would get me excited, or even sentimental though I was just a kid.
So, it was around second grade that I started listening to FEN. My childhood overlapped with the Vietnam War era. All kinds of music were requested on FEN; everything from pop, country, soul, and rock. It's where I learned about psychedelic rock, hot blues, and even introspective folk music. If anyone taught me about music, it wasn’t my much older brother -- it was FEN.
I was practically a music critic by the time I was a teenager. I was always hanging out in the local record shop listening to albums, but the music-loving owner was nice and gave me a part-time job there. This music-obsessed high school student never even thought about pursuing a path towards art in his future. Even as I write this, I don’t really know how I’m here now as an artist. But anyway, this is just to say that before art, there was definitely music. My teenage years when my sensibilities were being shaped, were spent in the company of music.
All of the songs on this record are my favorites from back then. The B-side songs are selections I made from my record collection at the time. Ira and the others selected and covered the A-side songs, and there’s also one new song! Many thanks!
People often reference punk rock when discussing my work. However, if people sense the meditative, emotional layer in my work, painted deep beneath the surface, that’s something I gained from the music before I came across punk rock.
I think the music I listened to before I encountered punk at age 17 was not suited to my age at the time. Yet, listening to these songs again, I’ve come to realize clearly that this was the music that made me into the person I am today.
Side 1
1. Smile a Little Smile for Me (1969 Flying Machine)
2. Wasn’t Born to Follow (1968 The Byrds written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King)
3. Roll On Babe (1974 Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance)
4. It Takes a Lot to Laugh It Takes a Train to Cry (1965 Bob Dylan)
5. new YLT song
Side 2
-Bobby Charles / Street people (1972)
-Andwella / Saint Bartholomew (1971)
-Donovan / Universal Soldier (1965 written by Buffy Sainte-Marie)
-Larry McNeely / Mississippi Water (1971)
-Karen Dalton / Something on Your Mind (1971)
Translation by Chisato Uno