Japanese singer Carmen Maki works here with Blues Creation – on a set that's headier and heavier than just about anything she ever recorded! The group themselves are amazing – searing with guitar work that rivals the best of the Anglo blues-inspired hard rock combos of the period – and when Carmen comes into the mix, she uses an equally soulful approach, turned towards freakier styles that might have made Christine Perfect run away in fear! The combination is fantastic – the kind of special set that makes this period of the Japanese scene such a standout for collectors of this sort of material – on titles that include "I Can't Live For Today", "Motherless Child", "Understand", "Empty Heart", and "Lord I Can't Be Going No More". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool record from the Japanese scene of the 70s – one that mixes traditional instrumentation with some high fidelity recording styles – then adds in just the right dash of contemporary elements too! The set's not as all-out funky as others like it from the time, but does rise up with some larger soundtrack-styled arrangements that are mighty nice – and there's a great balance of saxophone solos next to koto and shakuhachi, which makes for a warm style that moves between the acoustic aspects of the traditional instruments and some surprisingly jazzy moments too! This style really opens up on the second half of the record, which has the arrangements getting fuller and more uptempo – almost clubby at times, but with a great action soundtrack sort of vibe. LP, Vinyl record album