Review: Osamu Okuno's first album Osamu Okuno, which was independently produced by Himico Record in 1972 in a limited edition of 100 copies, is now available on LP for the first time in 52 years, cut from 6mm open tapes owned by Mr. Okuno himself. Capturing the impact of alternative rock in Kyoto in the early 70s, Osamu Okuno was quickly hailed as a modern classic in the veins of psychedelic folk and rock music, though it nonetheless did not lead to any further career developments for Okuno until much later in 1980. Infused throughout with tape hiss and bare recordings, this is an honest and reflective album, received best in the form of a single listen-through; the highlight for us has to be the penultimate ballad 'B?3????', whose arresting four chords and quivering playing and delivery, are gripping.
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