菊地成孔をして「天才なんだからしょうがない」と言わしめた、福岡のシンガーソングライターの新作。今回アレンジとプロデュースをtriolaの波多野敦子が担当。ストリングスを基底とした新境地だが、倉地の個性が寧ろ際立つあたりが見事だ。中でも、小田和正《ラブストーリーは突然に》のカヴァー! 波多野のストリングス、石橋英子らのコーラスに乗せて、倉地がストレートに歌っているだけなのだが、織田裕二と鈴木保奈美が抱き合っている光景から何万光年も遠い世界に吹き飛ばされる恐怖! 天才との出会いは常に恐怖と紙一重である。才能の格差社会に怯える人以外は体験していただきたい本当にすごいアルバムだ。
[English Translation]
Kumio Kurachi "Iie Tondemo Gozaimasen (meaning No, Not At All)"
The newest album from Fukuoka-residing singer-songwriter Kumio Kurachi, who impressively made that music wizard Naruyoshi Kikuchi (one of Japan's most famous jazz musicians,) speak of him, "well what to do, he's a genius". String player Atsuko Hatano of triola, the string instrument unit, serves as arranger and producer on this album. Even though this album brings Kurachi to a strings-based new frontier, his unique individuality stands out rather admirably. Above all, the cover of "Love Story wa Totsuzen Ni (meaning Suddenly A Love Story)" by Kazumasa Oda (famous music producer/singer-songwriter and former leader/vocalist of popular folk group Off Course) is absolutely stunning! A simple format of Kurachi laying his straightforward singing on top of the strings by Hatano and chorus by singer-songwriter Eiko Ishibashi, but it completely and so frighteningly blows away to a galaxy far, far away, the image of the drama that the song became so famous for! Indeed, there is a very fine line between the experience of meeting a genius and frightfulness. An incredible album to experience, recommended only to those who do not live with the fear of unequality of talents.
