A Long Vacation

This article is about the Eiichi Ohtaki album. For the novel by Jules Verne, see Two Years' Vacation.
A Long Vacation
Studio album by Eiichi Ohtaki
Released March 21, 1981
Studio CBS/Sony Roppongi & Shinanomachi
Genre Pop, rock
Length 39:59
Label Niagara / CBS/Sony
Producer Eiichi Ohtaki
Eiichi Ohtaki chronology
Let's Ondo Again
(1978)		 A Long Vacation
(1981)		 Niagara Triangle Vol. 2
(1982)
Singles from A Long Vacation
  1. "Kimi wa Tennen Shoku"
    Released: March 21, 1981
  2. "Koisuru Karen"
    Released: June 21, 1981
  3. "Farewell Trans-Siberian Railway"
    Released: October 21, 1981
  4. "Ame no Wednesday"
    Released: May 21, 1982

A Long Vacation is an album by Japanese musician Eiichi Ohtaki, released on March 21, 1981. It was named "Best Album" at the 23rd Japan Record Awards,[1] and was certified double platinum by the RIAJ. It has been called one of the greatest Japanese rock albums of all time, including by Rolling Stone Japan

Background

All three of Ohtaki's Happy End band mates contributed to A Long Vacation; Takashi Matsumoto wrote the lyrics for every song except one, Shigeru Suzuki contributed guitar, and Haruomi Hosono played bass guitar.

Although having never been to the Canary Islands, Matsumoto wrote "Canary Islands Nite" based on how he imagined it to be and on the assumption that it was like Hawaii. When he finally did visit in 1999 for a Carlos Kleiber performance, he found it very different.[2]

"Farewell Trans-Siberian Railway" was first released as a single by Hiromi Ōta in November 1980.

The end of "Fun x 4" includes the line "Fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the t-bird away" from the Beach Boys' 1964 song "Fun, Fun, Fun".

Cover artwork

The album cover illustration was created by artist Hiroshi Nagai. Nagai said Ohtaki approached him to collaborate on a picture book, also titled A Long Vacation, which was published in 1979. He also claimed that the musician was inspired by his pieces when writing the songs that became the album. After the album's release, Nagai's life was never the same and he was flooded with requests for similar work. The artist provided the cover for several other albums by Ohtaki.[3]

Release history

A Long Vacation was released on vinyl and cassette on March 21, 1981. Four months later, the album Sing Along Vacation was released on July 21, 1981 limited to 10,000 copies. It is an instrumental version of A Long Vacation, excluding "Farewell Trans-Siberian Railway".

On October 1, 1982, A Long Vacation became one of the first albums to be issued on CD.[4] A remastered version was released on March 21, 1991, marking its tenth anniversary. Ten years later, a 20th anniversary edition was released that includes the instrumental material from Sing Along Vacation.[5] A two-disc 30th anniversary edition was released on March 21, 2011 with the instrumental material plus the single and "Original Basic Track" versions of "Kimi wa Tennen Shoku".[6]

Legacy

A Long Vacation reached number two on the Oricon album chart and was the eighth best-selling album of the 1980s in Japan.[7] The 1991 re-release reached number 26 on the Oricon, the 20th anniversary edition number 13, and the 30th anniversary edition peaked at number 19.[8]

In 2007, it was named the 7th greatest Japanese rock album of all time by Rolling Stone Japan.[9] In its September 2010 special issue, Record Collectors' Magazine named it first on their list of the Best 100 Japanese Rock Albums of the 1980s.[10] Ian Martin of The Japan Times referred to A Long Vacation as a masterpiece and one of the best Japanese albums of all time. "With sounds ranging from Brian Wilson-style harmonies to modern synths, it’s very much a producer’s album." He cited innovative moments such as "chirpy synth effects" on "Fun x 4" as the song switches styles and the male and female vocals on "Velvet Hotel" finishing each-others lines.[11]

Every song on the album was covered by different female singers for a 2009 album called A Long Vacation From Ladies, including Amii Ozaki, Miki Imai and Ayano Tsuji.[12]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Takashi Matsumoto, except track 4, written by Eiichi Ohtaki, all music composed by Eiichi Ohtaki.

Side A
No. Title Length
1. "Kimi wa Tennen Shoku" (君は天然色) 5:02
2. "Velvet Motel"   3:42
3. "Canary Islands Nite" (Kanaria Shotō Nite (カナリア諸島にて)) 3:58
4. "Pap-Pi-Doo-Bi-Doo-Ba Story" (Pap-Pi-Doo-Bi-Doo-Ba Monogatari (Pap-Pi-Doo-Bi-Doo-Ba物語（ストーリー）)) 3:14
5. "Waga Kokoro no Pinball" (我が心のピンボール) 4:24
Side B
No. Title Length
6. "Ame no Wednesday" (雨のウェンズデイ) 4:24
7. "Speech Balloon" (Supīchi Barūn (スピーチ・バルーン)) 3:55
8. "Koisuru Karen" (恋するカレン) 3:21
9. "Fun x 4" (FUN×4) 3:26
10. "Farewell Trans-Siberian Railway" (Saraba Shiberia Tetsudō (さらばシベリア鉄道)) 4:33

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "第２３回 日本レコード大賞". Japan Record Awards (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  2. ↑ "Canary Islands via Paris：松本隆（作詞家）". J-Wave (in Japanese). 2003-07-05. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  3. ↑ ""My heart is dedicated to soul music."". Kaput. 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  4. ↑ "大瀧詠一さん、ＣＤアルバム１６年ぶりチャートイン". Sponichi (in Japanese). 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  5. ↑ "A LONG VACATION 20th Anniversary Edition". cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  6. ↑ "A LONG VACATION 30th Anniversary Edition". cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  7. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  8. ↑ "大滝詠一のアルバム売上ランキング". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  9. ↑ "Finally! "The 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time" Listed". Exclaim!. 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  10. ↑ "日本のロック・アルバム・ベスト100（80年代篇）". レコード・コレクターズ (in Japanese). No. Special. Music Magazine. August 2010.
  11. ↑ "Piña coladas on the beach? Your soundtrack has already been written". The Japan Times. 2013-07-24. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  12. ↑ "大滝詠一の歴史的名盤『A LONG VACATION』、女性が歌って"秋サウンドに"". Oricon (in Japanese). 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
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