Flower Travellin’ Band “We Are Here” 2008 Japan Prog Rock
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In its hayday, Flower Travellin’ Band was Japan’s answer to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. With “We Are Here”, Flower Travellin’ Band has become Japan’s Maroon 5 Knockoff. Gone are the impressive, guitar-driven, acidic riffs and the heavy blues infusion. Hideki Ishima has shelved his near-hendrix virtuosity in favor of a more commericial, pop, backing-guitar sound and the rest of the band followed suit. We Are Here’s mundane, silly lyrics are a sterile substitute for those of Flower Travellin’ Band’s golden age. We Are Here is a sad disappointment for those fans who were expecting the glorious return of this legendary guitar-rock band. Flower Travellin Band’s style of hard rock has now devolved into a soft sponge. …….by The Cerebrator………
Originally envisioned as a female-fronted Japanese heavy rock cover act called the Flowers by entertainer and “entrepreneur” Yuya Uchida, the Flower Travellin’ Band would eventually chart their own course, becoming an underground influence on later metal acts, and counting one Julian Cope as a disciple. As the Flowers, (original) vocalist Remi Aso, guitarist Hideki Ishima, bassist Jun Kowzuki, and drummer Joji Wada released their debut, Challenge, in 1969. Consisting entirely of cover versions of Western pop/rock songs, the album got attention not necessarily from the music, but from the fact that the entire band was photographed in the nude on the cover. Uchida and Aso left after the first album, leaving the band to reorganize with new vocalist Joe Yamanaka, and allowing it to explore more original and experimental avenues. Their first album as the Flower Travellin’ Band, Anywhere, was released in 1970. The album featured five covers, including Muddy Waters’ “Louisiana Blues” and Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath.” Again, the bandmembers appeared nude on the cover; the difference this time was that they were on motorcycles. Their first wholly “original”-based full-length, Satori, was released in 1971. Made in Japan was released in 1972, and a double live and studio set, Make Up, came out in 1973, before the band would go on a hiatus lasting over three decades. By the end of this phase of their career, the Flower Travellin’ Band were opening for prominent acts such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Recordings made before the band issued Anywhere would be released in the mid-‘70s under the title Kirikyogen, and 1995 would see a bootleg release of early material under the title From Pussies to Death in 10,000 Years of Freakout. In 2007 the Flower Travellin’ Band reunited – without the involvement of Yuya Uchida and with the addition of keyboardist Nobuhiko Shinohara – and released the album We Are Here the following year. However, in March 2010 the group ceased its activities upon the announcement that vocalist Joe Yamanaka had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Yamanaka died from the disease on August 7, 2011; he was 64 years old. ~ Christopher True…
NO WAY!
Tracklist
1. What Will You Say
2. We Are Here
3. DYE-Jobe
4. Don’t Touch My Dreadlocks
5. Love Is…
6. Over & Over
7. The Sleeping Giant (Resurrection)
8. Will It
Discography
Yuya Uchida & the Flowers
Studio albums
Challenge! (1969) – Debut album.
Singles
“Last Chance” b/w “Flower Boy” (1969) – Single.
“Flower Boy” b/w “Last Chance” (1969) – Single.
“Fantastic Girl” b/w “Yogiri no Trumpet” (1969) – Single.
Appearances
Opera from the Works of Tadanori Yokoo (1969) – Multimedia compilation by Toshi Ichiyanagi and featuring various artists.
Rock 'n’ Roll Jam '70 (1970) – Live album featuring various artists. The Flowers perform “All Is Loneliness”, “Piece of My Heart”, “You Shook Me” and “Kozmic Blues”
Flower Travellin’ Band
Studio albums
Anywhere (1970) – First Flower Travellin’ Band album.
Satori (1971) – First original studio album.
Made in Japan (1972) – Second original studio album.
Make Up (1973) – Double album, consisting of both live and studio recordings. Featuring keyboardist Nobuhiko Shinohara.
We Are Here (2008) – First album after reuniting without Yuya Uchida.
Singles
“Crash” b/w “Dhoop” (1970) – Single with trumpeter Terumasa Hino and the first recording credited to the Flower Travellin’ Band.
“Map” b/w “Machine Gun Kelly” (1971) – Split single with American band Jo Mama.
“Satori Pt. 1” (1971) – Canada-only single.
Compilations
Satori (1971) – Canada-only compilation album.
The Times (1975) – A best-of album.
Videos
Resurrection (2008) – DVD.
Others
Kirikyogen (1970) – Album by Kuni Kawachi, sometimes co-credited to the Flower Travellin’ Band although only Yamanaka and Ishima took part.
Happenings Four +1 "The Long Trip" 1971 Japan Psych Rock
Rashomon (Kuni Kawachi The Happenings Four) “Our Constitutional Rights” 1971 羅生門 – 日本国憲法 平和 自由 愛 Japan Psych
watchThe Happenings Four "Magical Happenings Tour" 1968 Japan Psych Pop Rock,Beat,Baroque Pop second album
The Happenings Four アウトサイダ "の世界 "Outsider No Sekai - World Of The Outsiders"1970 Japan Psych Pop Rock third album
Kuni Kawachi and His Group “Love Suki Daikirai"1972 僕の声が聞こえるかい/クニ・河内の世界 (Happenings Four,Flower Travellin’ Band) Japan Psych Pop Rock
Kuni Kawachi & Flower Travellin’ Band “Kirikyōgen” 1970 Japan Heavy Psych
Flower Travellin’ Band “Anywhere” 1970 Japan Psych Rock debut album (Top 50 Japan Rock Albums by Julian Cope)
Flower Travellin’ Band “Made In Japan” 1972 Japan Psych Rock (Top 50 Japan Rock Albums by Julian Cope)
Flower Travellin Band “Satori” 1971 Japan Psychedelic masterpiece (100 greatest Japanese albums Rolling Stone) (Top 50 Japan Rock Albums by Julian Cope)
Yuya Uchida & The Flowers (Flower Travellin’ Band,) “Challenge!” 1969 Japan Psych Rock
Flower Travellin' Band "From Pussies To Death In 10.000 Years Of Freakout 1969-1970" 1997 Japan Psych Rock (bootleg)
Flower Travellin' Band "Music Composed Mainly By Humans" (Bootleg) recorded in 1970 and released in 2002 Japan Psych Rock
Hideki Ishima “One Day"1971 Japan Prog Psych (ex- Flower Travellin ‘Band) man solo album
The Beavers ザ・ビーバーズ "Viva! Beavers!" 1968 Japan Psych,Garage Rock (Hideki Ishima-Flower Travellin’ Band & Ken Narita)
Band Aide “Uchuu Junkan” 1978 Japan Space Prog Rock (with Nobuhiko Shinohara ex-Flower Travellin’ Band)
Kuni Kawachi クニ河内 "Utae Nakunaru Maeni" 歌えなくなる前に 1972 Japan Psych Rock first solo Lp
Joe Yamanaka & Flower Travellin Band "Times* 1975 Japan Psych Blues Rock LP Compilation
Joe Yamanaka (Flower Travellin Band - Kuni Kawachi And His Group )"Reggae Vibration II (My Reggae Music)" 1983 Japan Reggae (feat Tsutomu Ogawa by Too Much)
Joe Yamanaka “Live at Nippon Budokan” 1978 Japan Psych Blues Rock ((Flower Travellin Band - Kuni Kawachi And His Group )
Joe Yamanaka (Flower Travellin Band) "Joe" 1974 Japan Psych,Pop Rock,Soft Rock,Soul-excellent first solo album (feat Nobuhiko Shinohara,Takeru Muraoka,Kuni Kawachi...etc...)
Joe Yamanaka (Flower Travellin Band - Kuni Kawachi And His Group )"Reggae Vibration II (My Reggae Music)" 1983 Japan Reggae (feat Tsutomu Ogawa by Too Much)
Joe Yamanaka (Flower Travellin Band) ジョー山中 "To The New World" 1977 Japan Psych Funk Rock second solo album
Yuya Uchida 内田 裕也 “A Dog Runs ア･ドッグ・ランズ” 1978 Japan Psych Rock,Rock n Roll (special guest Shinki Chen) (The Flowers,Yuya Uchida & 1815 Super Rock 'N' Roll Band, Yuya Uchida & 183 Family Band,Flower Travellin' Band,The Tigers)
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Japan Underground,Prog,Psych,Jazz,Blues,Folk Rock Vol 1-50 with full albums playlist
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