Ongaku Cafe (The ’70s – 2010s): Matsutoya Yumi – Yumin Kara no, Koi no Uta – 45th Anniversary Album (2018)

For those who want to listen to Yuming’s popular songs, songs which were released as singles and yes, the “Ghibli” anime songs, then you want to purchase the 40th anniversary album.  Otherwise, these songs selected by Matsutoya Yumi for her 45th anniversary are wonderful, many songs which I have heard before and it’s a solid collection of music spanning 45 years from one of Japan’s most respected performers. Matsutoya Yumi’s “Yumin Kara no, Koi no Uta”, her 45th anniversary album is recommended.

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ARTIST: Matsutoya Yumi (松任谷由実)

ALBUM: ユーミンからの、恋のうた (Yumin Kara no, Koi no Uta)

LABEL: Universal Music

ASIN: B079FCNR99

DURATION: DISC 1 (1 hour, 7 minutes), DISC 2 (1 hour, 5 minutes), DISC 3 (1 hour, 10 minutes) + DVD

RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2018

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Disc: 1
1. 瞳を閉じて
2. ジャコビニ彗星の日
3. スラバヤ通りの妹へ
4. 雨の街を
5. 緑の町に舞い降りて
6. セシルの週末
7. September Blue Moon
8. まずはどこへ行こう
9. ただわけもなく
10. 海に来て
11. Summer Junction
12. きっと言える
13. Midnight Scarecrow
14. Autumn Park
15. 雪だより

Disc: 2
1. ふってあげる
2. 思い出に間にあいたくて
3. ひとつの恋が終るとき
4. もう愛は始まらない
5. TUXEDO RAIN
6. 心ほどいて
7. 街角のペシミスト
8. NIGHT WALKER
9. Nobody Else
10. 夕涼み
11. 雨のステイション
12. 幸せはあなたへの復讐
13. Cowgirl Blues
14. オールマイティー
15. フォーカス

Disc: 3
1. 満月のフォーチュン
2. 破れた恋の繕し方教えます
3. 砂の惑星
4. 朝陽の中で微笑んで
5. 輪舞曲
6. ツバメのように
7. シャンソン
8. 霧の中の影
9. AVALON
10. BABYLON
11. きみなき世界
12. Man In the Moon
13. SATURDAY NIGHT ZOMBIES
14. 無限の中の一度
15. July

Disc: 4
1. 満月のフォーチュン (from YUMING SURF&SNOW in Zushi Marina Vol.16)
2. Nobody Else (from YUMING SPECTACLE SHANGRILA II ~氷の惑星~)
3. BABYLON (from YUMING SPECTACLE SHANGRILA III ~ドルフィンの夢~ )
4. 朝陽の中で微笑んで (from YUMING SPECTACLE SHANGRILA III ~ドルフィンの夢~)
5. 雨のステイション (from Yumi Arai The Concert with Old Friends)
6. TUXEDO RAIN (from CONCERT TOUR 2011 Road Show)
7. 無限の中の一度 (from CONCERT TOUR POP CLASSICO 2013-2014)
8. 砂の惑星 (from THE DANCING SUN TOUR 1994-1995)
9. 雪だより (from SURF&SNOW in Naeba Vol.38)
10. September Blue Moon (from SURF&SNOW in Naeba Vol.38)
11. ただわけもなく (from THE LAST WEDNESDAY TOUR 2006 ~HERE COMES THE WAVE~)

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In Japan, there has been one female artist who has performed since the early ’70s and has been belting out hits up to the present.

Very few artists in Japan have had manage to have success for multiple decades but Matsutoya Yumi a.k.a. “Yuming” is one of those rare artists.

Debuting as a composer in 1971 and debuting in 1972 as Arai Yumi, she would change her name to Matsutoya Yumi after marrying her arranger Matsutoya Masataka in 1975.

With a long career of music it’s not easy to release an affordable best hits album, that is why she has a total of 38 albums and for bes albums, there are a total of eight, with the last two, from 2012 and 2018 being my favorite.

In 2012, “Nihon no Koi to, Yumin to” was a best album planned to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Yuming’s debut.  That best album featured 46 songs but were not selected by Matsutoya Yumi but chosen by staff and employees of the record company.  Yumin did say, “From my point of view, all the songs all were equally shining and it was hard too choose”.

In 2018, for her 45 anniversary album “Yumin Kara no, Koi no Uta” (Love Songs from Yumin) which includes 45 songs which Yuming chose herself that she wanted people to listen to in this modern era.

In regards to the album, Matsutoya wrote the following message:

“There is a chain of hatred come from a distant country everyday.  An affair without love that I hear everyday from a neighboring town.  Though yesterday may seem uncertain, today it isn’t.  People say that human beings will be slaves to AI in the near future and that it will be difficult to live in the world.  Without hope, the power to live will start to decrease.”

“In the morning, I thought about delivering an album.  From the 600 songs that I made in 45 years, I chose 45 songs that I want you to listen to now.  These songs are “hymns” of beauty and what is good in humanity, what is most precious and transient in the world.”

“Whatever world we may have in the future, I believe people will continue to live.”

“Do not throw away purity.  Live for you.  Do not stop traveling.”

“While listening to songs, there are times when you miss the old days.  But memories are not for closing our eyes to the future.  It is to live for tomorrow.  In order to take one step to tomorrow, we reach out to a memory.”

“I am glad that my songs will be released”.

The album is a 45th Anniversary release will have three different limited versions. A, B and a regular edition.  Included are liner notes, the Blu-ray will in version A and DVD for version B.

When I purchased the album in Japan, I couldn’t find the Blu-ray version, so I went for the DVD version (version B).

Each CD has a theme:

DISC 1: Pure Eyes

DISC 2: Urban Cowgirl

DISC 3: Mystic Journey

DISC 4: Miru Best YUMING SUPER PERFORMANCE 2 (DVD/Blu-Ray)

Featuring selected performances from the past to “CONCERT TOUR POP CLASSICO 2013-2014”.

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While it’s not necessary to discuss every song, I will say that each disc pulls songs from various albums in Matsutoya’s oeuvre.  So, you literally get a mix bag of musical styles from ballads, to ’80s synth pop and more.

While the 40th anniversary album will probably resonate with people more, as it contains the primary and popular CD singles which Matsutoya is known for, the 45th anniversary album is still a solid best album with songs that were not singles (but one) but were popular songs from her albums.

In fact, the only single featured is “Rondo”, her 27th single from 1995 which was used on the drama “Tatakau Bridesama”.

While songs that were featured on singles on CD 1 is “Hitomi wo Tojite”, the CW song for her fourth single “12-gatsu no Ame” (1974) and “SATURDAY NIGHT ZOMBIES” which was the c/w song for her 22nd single “SWEET DREAMS” (1987).

For the rest of the album, songs were pulled from many of her albums such as “Ame no machi o” from her first album “Hikoki Gumo” (1973), one of the few albums when she was known as Arai Yumi.

I think for many people, these songs selected by Matsutoya Yumi are probably going to be fresh songs, unless you were a dedicated fan and own all her albums.

I think for some people the booklet which comes with the album with comments by Matsutoya Yumi maybe surprising and why she chose these songs for this album.  Especially in relation to how things were in the past and how life is today.

While the fourth disc is a collection of live performances from various years.

So, my feeling is that for those who love Matsutoya’s music, this is a wonderful 45th anniversary album.  These are music selected by Matsutoya Yumi and songs which she wanted people to listen today and for people to discover for the very first time.  From the booklet, you get to know from Yuming of her thoughts and there is no doubt that the troubles reflected in today’s society is part of the reason why she chose the following songs.  If anything, these songs are to provide comfort, inspiration and hope.

For those who want to listen to Yuming’s popular songs, songs which were released as singles and yes, the “Ghibli” anime songs, then you want to purchase the 40th anniversary album.

Otherwise, these songs selected by Matsutoya Yumi for her 45th anniversary are wonderful, many songs which I have heard before and it’s a solid collection of music spanning 45 years from one of Japan’s most respected performers.

Matsutoya Yumi’s “Yumin Kara no, Koi no Uta”, her 45th anniversary album is recommended.

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