KICS-1579: Miki Asakura Perfect Best

[SaintSquall]

A few words about this exceptional album, which deserves well the name "perfect". Miki Asakura has a magnificent, outstanding voice and she's one of the important Japanese idols of the 80s. She released 14 studio albums during the 80s, 17 in total, and without counting her many best albums. She's also the Japanese queen of covers of international hits of the time, especially songs from movies. For me she's the best female voice with MIO (MIQ) under the King Record company during the 80s.

I discovered her with the great song "Kodoku no Senshi (Lonely Hunter)" from the OAV "Justy", which we hear first of all in the image album of Justy (vinyl reference: K28G-7219). Justy's 2 wonderful albums have never been released on CD, but here is the opportunity to listen in digital this incredible song that is "Kodoku no Senshi" (track 14). Unfortunately Miki Asakura has not sung for other anime apart from the Ending Theme from movie "Lupine the Third: The Fuma Conspiracy".

Hiroya Watanabe is the composer and arranger of "Kodoku no Senshi", and we find him at the same role for this masterpiece of pop song that is "Tasogare Dancing" (track 08). It’s an incredible melody which leaves a lasting mark on the spirits, and besides it is about the biggest hit of Miki Asakura (the song was ranked 12th in the Oricon chart)! We can say that Hiroya Watanabe is truly a genius songwriter for songs! A pop song on the same level as "Dance With Romance" and "Dancin 'In The Rain" performed by the queen of rock Megumi Hayakawa, if you know! (I refer you to the exceptional album "Face To Face" (CD Reference: CA32-1245)). In fact just for "Tasogare Dancing", this CD is definitely worth it!

Another masterpiece of this best album is undoubtedly "Hero" (track 11), the cover of the song "Holding Out for a Hero" from the cult movie "Footloose", a cover again arranged by Hiroya Watanabe and where Miki Asakura shows us the extent of his talent. An incredible cover that surpasses from far the original by Bonnie Tyler in my opinion!

Another masterpiece on track 16 of the CD: a cover of the incredible ending theme "Mighty Wings" from the cult film "Top Gun"! I won't teach you anything by telling you that Top Gun's soundtrack is one of the best movie soundtracks of the 80s! Again this cover has nothing to envy to the original performed by Cheap Trick with the excellent interpretation of Miki Asakura and its superb instrumentation: it's a pretty damn good rock song!

I have already indicated my 4 favorite songs but honestly we could quote almost all the other songs on the album! So we also have covers of the song "Flashdance… What a Feeling" from the cult movie "Flashdance", "Runaway" originally performed by Bon Jovi and "Be My Life" originally performed by Cruisin' Gang: what to say except that they are excellent?

On tracks 09 & 10 we have 2 very good songs from the duo Takeshi Ike / Osamu Totsuka (Takeshi Ike credited to the composition and Osamu Totsuka to the arrangement): "Romance wa Atsui Uchi ni ~The City of Romance~" is really a catchy and dynamic song, when to "Remember Turn", it's an even better song, a magnificent ballad filled with emotion with superb chorus!

On track 12 we have also an excellent pop-rock song "Heartbreak Nakanaide" composed by Kisaburo Suzuki, with very good refrain and chorus again. In softer and jazzy songs the 2 songs composed and arranged by Yuji Kono are superb (tracks 01 & 07), as well as the very nice song "SNOWBIRD" composed by Masahiko Takase (track 04).
Well, like I said before, I could almost quote all the songs on the album actually!

In short, a CD that I absolutely recommend, if you like Japanese pop (pop-rock) from the 80s! Buy it, nostalgic for the 80s! (frankly, only 1886 Yen on CDJapan is a gift!)