Friday, April 23, 2004
Gifts of frankincense and verbs for the Corkscrew King
Whoops...this posting may be in the process of being make redundant even as we speak over on click opera, but since I've gotten a few requests for a translation of the recent Yahoo! Japan review of Nick's recent ditty/hommage a Shimura Ken, I'll just go ahead and throw it up here for the time being. Sorry for the sloppy job (spelling errors, terrible punctuation, etc., etc.)!
-----
2004.04.21 (Wed.)
Momus releases a song inspired by Shimura Ken! (CD Journal)
Musicians who are so-called "connoisseurs of Japan" are legion, but there is probably no one who loves Japan as much as the Japanophile musician "Momus". Momus, who's been spending more time in Japan recently, is even on familiar terms with likes of "Mizudo Suibashi Hakase" from "Asakusa Kid" [the comedy duo]; This man's knowledge is enough to make one think that he just might know Japan better than most Japanese. I'm not exactly sure what Momus had in his head, but it looks like he's gone and written a new tune inspired by "Shimura Ken" [a member of the Drifters], and put it up on his blog!
The refrain to the song, which is titled "Corkscrew King" goes like this:
"[He's] the Corkscrew King, a monster, a kooky ol' geezer. [He's] a hard working, sexually harassing, kooky ol' geezer."
Momus, singing these lyrics himself in Japanese in the style of a traditional Japanese festival song, makes for a very "Momusian", eccentric tune. By taking the trouble to introduce on the same page the "Corkscrew King" character as "a Lord who flagrantly frolics with naked women" and the "kooky ol' geezer" as "a old perv who knows no shame" it appears that Momus was somehow really inspired by Shimura Ken's perversion; even the lyrics to the song have been tied together by ribaldry. But that's just where Momus throws us a curveball; by also offering the explanation that the song, "mixes Shimura Ken, Frankenstein, and W.B. Yeats" average listeners are bound to be left scratching their heads. Anyway, setting that one aside for a second...this is one that will be interesting for Japanese people, so definately give a listen; you should check it out too! If possible, this is something that I also want Shimura Ken to give a listen to!
[CD Journal 2004.04.21]
-----
2004.04.21 (Wed.)
Momus releases a song inspired by Shimura Ken! (CD Journal)
Musicians who are so-called "connoisseurs of Japan" are legion, but there is probably no one who loves Japan as much as the Japanophile musician "Momus". Momus, who's been spending more time in Japan recently, is even on familiar terms with likes of "Mizudo Suibashi Hakase" from "Asakusa Kid" [the comedy duo]; This man's knowledge is enough to make one think that he just might know Japan better than most Japanese. I'm not exactly sure what Momus had in his head, but it looks like he's gone and written a new tune inspired by "Shimura Ken" [a member of the Drifters], and put it up on his blog!
The refrain to the song, which is titled "Corkscrew King" goes like this:
"[He's] the Corkscrew King, a monster, a kooky ol' geezer. [He's] a hard working, sexually harassing, kooky ol' geezer."
Momus, singing these lyrics himself in Japanese in the style of a traditional Japanese festival song, makes for a very "Momusian", eccentric tune. By taking the trouble to introduce on the same page the "Corkscrew King" character as "a Lord who flagrantly frolics with naked women" and the "kooky ol' geezer" as "a old perv who knows no shame" it appears that Momus was somehow really inspired by Shimura Ken's perversion; even the lyrics to the song have been tied together by ribaldry. But that's just where Momus throws us a curveball; by also offering the explanation that the song, "mixes Shimura Ken, Frankenstein, and W.B. Yeats" average listeners are bound to be left scratching their heads. Anyway, setting that one aside for a second...this is one that will be interesting for Japanese people, so definately give a listen; you should check it out too! If possible, this is something that I also want Shimura Ken to give a listen to!
[CD Journal 2004.04.21]
