Atarashii Ai no Uta

11th Album

Warner Music Japan WPC6-10050

Released 12.10.1999

Track listing

1. Kono Ai wo (This love) (words & music: Shoko Suzuki)
2. Kuyakusho ni Ikou (Let's go to the city office) (words: Shoko Suzuki/music: Shoko Suzuki & Yoshiyuki Sahashi)
3. Mou Ichido (Hi, hello) (words & music: Shoko Suzuki)
4. Itsuka mata Au Hi made (I'll be seeing you) (words & music: Shoko Suzuki)
5. Ai wa Amakunai (Love is tough) (words & music: Shoko Suzuki)
6. Kodomo no Jikan (I was a child) (words: Shoko Suzuki/music: Shoko Suzuki & Yoshiyuki Sahashi)
7. 25sai no On'na wa (25) (words: Shoko Suzuki/music: Shoko Suzuki & Yoshiyuki Sahashi)
8. Hakyoku (Breakin' up) (words & music: Shoko Suzuki)
9. Minami ni Drive-shite (Drive) (words: Shoko Suzuki/music: Shoko Suzuki & Yoshiyuki Sahashi)
10. Rinji Yatoi no Fitzgerald (Blues in G) (words & music: Shoko Suzuki)
11. Kikyou (Fisherman's wife) (words & music: Shoko Suzuki)
12. Atarashii Ai no Uta (Brand new love song) (words & music: Shoko Suzuki)

For this album, Shoko once again collaborated with Yoshiyuki Sahashi, who was responsible for much of Shoko's work up through RadioGenic. Thus, in a way, this record is sort of like an updated take on Shoko's earlier records (though "Mou Ichido" -- probably the hardest rocking song on the record -- wouldn't sound out of place on Viridian or RadioGenic). Shoko limits herself to drums on a few songs, and piano on one; otherwise session musicians (including many whom Shoko had previously worked with on Shoko Suzuki Sings Bacharach and David) play most of the instruments. About half of the record has a vaguely '80s arena rock feel, with crunching power chords and solid drum beats; the rest of the record is devoted to gorgeous pop ballads like "Kono Ai wo" and "Atarashii Ai no Uta." "Kikyou" is another wonderful piano ballad, while "25sai no On'na wa" is a pretty funky song with a good groove. Shoko even tosses in a blues song ("Rinji Yatoi no Fitzgerald") that transforms into a near-1920s jazz-style number midway through, proving that Shoko was still willing to stretch herself creatively. Another wonderful album.

This album is currently out of print.

Favorite songs:
Kono Ai wo
Mou Ichido
Ai wa Amakunai
25sai no On'na wa
Kikyou
Atarashii Ai no Uta

Credits:
Shoko Suzuki: vocals, background vocals, piano, drums, tambourine, glockenspiel, celesta, percussion
Yoshiyuki Sahashi: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, J-50, background vocals
Kyon: upright piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ
Greg Leisz: pedal steel guitar
Yuta Saito: piano, synth bass, synth pad
Bill Payne: Fender Rhodes, synth solo
Toshibumi Shibata: piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3, Jupiter-8, harpsichord, Vox organ
Tomio Inoue: bass
Leland Sklar: bass
Hideaki Kanazawa: upright bass
Yutaka Odawara: drums
Russ Kunkel: drums
Tetsuo Ishikawa: programming
Nobutaka Tsugei: percussion, background vocals
Kouichi Matsuda: percussion, harp
Lenny Castro: percussion
Takuo Yamamoto: tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet, soprano sax, background vocals, horn arrangment, background vocal arrangment
Toshio Araki: flugelhorn, trumpet
Yoichi Murata: trombone
Jon C. Clarke: English horn, alto flute
Joel Derouin: violin
Peter Kent: violin
Michele Richards: violin
John Wittenberg: violin
Denyse Buffum: viola
Suzie Katayama: cello
Larry Corbett: cello
Valerie Carter: background vocals
Arnold McCuller: background vocals
Bill Cantos: background vocals
David Campbell: strings arrangment, woodwinds arrangement, conductor

Produced by Yoshiyuki Sahashi
Arranged by Yoshiyuki Sahashi (M-1-9, 11, 12)
KYON (M-10)