The Captains | Profile In the last few years, more and more Japanese music fans have been rediscovering their country’s musical past. They realize that beyond all the idol dreck that Japanese record companies have been releasing over the years, there actually is some rather good music. One of the most fertile eras for homegrown Japanese pop music was the “Group Sounds” period of the mid-60s, when a plethora of bands such as The Tigers, The Spiders and The Golden Cups tried their best to become Japan’s answer to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones – or Gary Lewis and the Playboys, for that matter. The Captains are a rock band from Sendai dedicated to reviving the glories of the GS era. This five-man group has got the GS sound and visual style down pat. On their 2002 debut album, Shojosaku (First Effort), released on the independent Autobahn label, The Captains touched all the GS stylistic bases, including : there are raucous rave-ups like "Koi wa Sekido Choka (Love Is Like Below the Equator)," heartfelt ballads like "Okaasan (Mother)," and soulful, midtempo songs like "Atai Juhachisai (I'm 18)." The material is performed in authentic period style, with twangy electric guitar, cheesy organ, lots of echo and pleading, impassioned vocals. The most important ingredient in the Captains’ music, however, is the sheer sense of fun they radiate. They obviously love what they’re doing. The Captains aren’t a nostalgia band, recycling songs from the GS era; all their material is original, penned by Kizuhiko and guitarist Hizashi, whose round, black-rimmed glasses make him look like a rock ‘n’ roll version of writer Kenzaburo Oe. |
