Search - Kazumasa Oda :: Looking Back 2

A great look back...

F. Tomicek | Austin, TX USA | 01/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Looking Back V.2" is the second volume of a collection of some of the best work of singer Oda Kazumasa extending from his days with the group "Off Course" and continuing as a solo artist. "V.2" features songs from 1974 until the most recent recording from 2001. Unlike typical retrospective collections however, all of the songs on "V.2" (and "V.1" for that matter) have been re-done in contemporary recording sessions. While this may disappoint some, I was pleasantly surprised to find this and it *does* fix the problem of uneven production values and recording technology usually found on compilations.In these sessions, Oda-san uses first-rate musicians (including U.S. studio meisters Nathan East and Luis Conte), and the arrangements showcase Oda-san's songwriting and vocals. This isn't gimmicky J-pop; Oda-san is a mature talent and his romantic's sensibilities and strong material have the ability to transcend the language barrier (the vocals are almost all in Japanese), making this a good introduction to his work....I was able to find it during a recent trip to Japan and if you like Oda's songs it's definitely worth trying to find as well. One disappointing note; I was hoping to find Oda-san's popular song "Love Story wa Totsuzen ni" from the 1991 TV Drama "Tokyo Love Story" on the compilation, but it wasn't included. What *is* there though is a lot of great music!"