Thursday, March 22, 2007

White Heaven-Out(1991)+Strange Bedfellow(1992),LPs,Japan


The roots of Japanese neo-psych legends White Heaven date back to 1980. Originally dubbed Living End, the group was shaped from a series of jam sessions helmed by singer/guitarist You Ishihara, its sprawling, ever-revolving lineup of musicians eventually crystallizing in 1984 around You, guitarist Tetsuya Sakamoto, bassist Takayuki Nakagoshi, and drummer Ken Ishihara. After a handful of gigs, Living End added guitarist Ken Matsutani, and in late 1985 the quintet adopted the name White Heaven. Matsutani exited in mid-1986 to form his own outfit, Marble Sheep & the Rundown Sun's Children, and after adding ex-ONNA guitarist Michio Kurihara, the group issued Electric Cool Acid, a self-released cassette documenting a live appearance in Tokyo. A series of lineup changes plagued White Heaven over the next few years, and when in the spring of 1991 the band finally issued its first official LP, the P.S.F. label release Out, the lineup consisted of You on vocals, Michio on guitar, Ken on drums, and Naohiro Yoshimoto on bass. Michio and Naohiro both exited soon after the sessions wrapped, with new guitarist Souchirou Nakamura and bassist Kouji Samura signing on for the second White Heaven LP, 1993's Strange Bedfellow. Michio returned to the roster in time for 1994's Next to Nothing, with bassist Koji Shimura replacing Kouji for the follow-up single, "Threshold of the Pain." After issuing an expanded Electric Cool Acid, White Heaven toured Europe. Upon returning to Japan, Kouji returned to the lineup, this time replacing Ken on drums, with Chiyo Kamekawa assuming bass duties for what would prove to be the group's final LP, 1997's Levitation. Following an Osaka performance later that year, White Heaven dissolved, with You mounting a solo project and Michio joining Ghost. In late 1999 You, Michio, and Chiyo reunited as the Stars, recruiting drummer Yasunobu Arakawa for their 2004 debut LP, Will. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Review for OUT LP
Originally released in an edition of 500 copies on vinyl back in 1991, this monster is already worth $300.00(!). White Heaven were a traditional psych band from Japan with an earth shaking motherfucker of a guitarist. The band sounds like Quicksilver on some serious PCP on the first(and best) cut, then the record mellows into later Quicksilver/Airplane territory. The guitars are just stunning, the tremelo never seems to stop. The cosmick ooze is burning through the magenta synapse, providing furry warmth as we journey through the rubber photon funnel, knowing finally that we have arrived....

Review for STRANGE BEDFELLOW LP
All time psych classic, White Heaven’s second LP released in an edition of 700 and bound to be never ever released on CD. By this time of the recording, Kurihara was out and Nakamura was in, giving you a change to get immersed in the greasy guitar riffage of him. Nakamura is a totally underrated player but is to these ears one of the greatest ever. More filthy garage and amphetamine drenched sounds as opposed to their acidic debut “Out”, “Strange Bedfellow” is possibly the best White Heaven album ever.
get them here and here

13 comments:

  1. These guys are fucking incredible in concert.

    I was lucky to see them three times as White Heaven and twice as the Stars. The Stars CDs don't do the live shows justice. Kurihara is a guitar god.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, these guys are great. It's probably worth mentioning that "Out" was reissued on CD and isn't too hard to find now, so hopefully people who like it will buy a copy to support the band!

    And yes, Kurihara is one of the best rock guitarists around right now.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've been listening to Out for years, it's long been one of my favourite albums, but never managed to get a copy of Strange Bedfellow. It's fucking stone cold genius. Nice work.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I only saw Kurihara with boris but he is a guitargod indeed, Out has been one of my favourite psychedelic rock cd's ever!

    ReplyDelete
  5. thank you
    I love it
    "fallin' stars end" is my favoraite song!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. thank you
    I love it
    "fallin' stars end" is my favoraite song

    ReplyDelete
  7. listening to 'strange bedfellows' now - you wouldn't think for a second it was recorded in '92. At times they are Jefferson Airplane or Mops-esque (with less broken english, cracked maybe!), with some great rockers.No doubt julian cope has rambled about them. I have been on the lookout for a decent Japanese psych rarities comp and this GS thing is the closest I could find: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gs-Love-You-Vol-2-Japanese/dp/B00002M86M/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=ID9D0SWY0GHOD&colid=2Q9NRLUSV19A8
    h

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey, what is the name of the last two tracks on Strange Bedfellows (here)? I looked up on a site it only had 8 tracks not 10? Thanks : )

    ReplyDelete
  9. don't know who did the "strange bedfellow" vinyl tp mp3 conversion but is missing a channel...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi, I've tried getting 'Out' loads of times, but it won't work... Any chance of a re-up of that one?
    Did

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mizutani, I don't see this answered elsewhere, but tracks 9 and 10 on the Strange Bedfellow burn are "Threshold of the Pain" and "4Hours" from a 1994 single (with both Kurihara and Nakamura on guitars).

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is me looking for their albums in 2013!
    can the links be revitalized somehow?

    ReplyDelete