Wikipedia

Baka no Uta

Baka no Uta (ばかのうた, lit. "Stupid Songs") (Japanese pronunciation: [baꜜka no ɯtaꜜ]) is the debut studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Gen Hoshino. It was released on 16 June 2010 as a limited edition vinyl LP on Kakubarhythm, and on 23 June 2010 on CD on Haruomi Hosono's Daisyworld Discs, and Speedstar Records in Japan.

Baka no Uta
The album's cover art. It features Hoshino within a crude drawing, sitting at the doorway to a guitar-shaped house. The house is among mountains and above a road lined with trees. Stylized text reading "Hoshino Gen" and "Baka no Uta" buffer the mountains, and a yellow note with the same text is found in the bottom right.
Studio album by
Gen Hoshino
Released16 June 2010 (2010-06-16)
Studio
  • Freedom (Shibuya)
  • Thinksync Integral (Setagaya)
  • Sound DALI (Setagaya)
Genre
Length47:58
LanguageJapanese
Label
ProducerGen Hoshino
Gen Hoshino chronology
Baka no Uta
(2010) 		Episode
(2011)

Baka no Uta is the first solo release by Hoshino, who also leads Japanese instrumental band Sakerock.

Background edit

Though he grew up in a greengrocer home, Gen Hoshino's father played jazz piano as a hobby and his mother had previously aimed to be a jazz vocalist. He noted that the house was always "lined" with jazz records, and that music was constantly playing. While not a big fan of jazz, Hoshino would pick up his father's guitar in middle school as the instrument was popular among his classmates. In high school, his friends would ask him to compose music to lyrics they had wrote, which Hoshino found satisfying. He recorded himself singing the songs of high-pitched artists such as the band Unicorn but recalled feeling discouraged when listening to his recordings, believing the voice style did not fit him.[1]

In 2000, Hoshino formed the band Sakerock and served as the frontman, playing guitar and also marimba. Though Hoshino wanted to sing, he never expressed this and, as he had no friends who were singers either, the band became instrumental.[1][2] The band independently released their debut album Yuta in 2003,[3] before signing to indie label Kakubarhythm [ja] with their 2005 album Life Cycle.[4] Sakerock would break into the Oricon Albums Chart with Songs of Instrumental (2006), which peaked at number 40,[5] and the following Honyarara (2008) reached 32.[6] In addition to his activities with Sakerock, Hoshino worked as an actor and, musically, began composing songs for stage plays and held acoustic live peformances.[2] In 2005, he released a self-produced CD-R album titled Baka no Uta, his first solo release. Partnering with photographer Taro Hirano [ja], he released the CD and photo booklet Barabara in 2007, containing acoustic-peformed songs.[2][7]

Whilst finding peforming with Sakerock rewarding and fun, Hoshino never thought of a solo debut, finding it scary. Around the time he was to turn 30, Hoshino felt he couldn't ignore his wish to sing and would need to act while still within his 20s. Coincidentally, Hoshino was around the same time approached by the label Daisyworld – owned by Yellow Magic Orchestra's Haruomi Hosono – asking if he was interesting in making a debut. Hoshino accepted, beginning production of his debut solo studio album Baka no Uta, the same title as his 2005 CD-R album.[1]

Music and production edit

Hoshino wrote and produced all tracks on Baka no Uta himself and performed on vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, marimba, mandolin, banjo, glockenspiel, and toy piano. Sakerock drummer Daichi Ito, former band member, pianist, and organ player Takuji Nomura, and acoustic and electric bassist Suga Dairo provided instrumentation on the album, with Ren Takada featuring as a guest performer on pedal steel and resonator guitar. The album was recorded by Naoyuki Uchida at three locations in Tokyo: Freedom Studio, Thinksync Integral, and Sound DALI Studio. Mastering was handled by Mikazu Tanaka at Bernie Grundman Mastering.[8][9][10] The track listing of Baka no Uta contains 15 songs, including the two instrumentals "Daisy Omisoshiru" (デイジーお味噌汁, lit. "Daisy Miso Soup") and "Sayōnara no Umi" (さようならのうみ, lit. "Sea of Farwell"). Some tracks are taken from the 2005 CD-R of the same name and the 2007 CD booklet Barabara, and two are lyrical covers of Sakerock songs:[8] "Ana o Horu" (穴を掘る, lit. "Dig a Hole") and "Rōfūfu" (老夫婦, lit. "Old Couple"), originally included on the albums Life Cycle and Honyarara, respectively.[4][6] Hoshino described Baka no Uta as "only one-third old material", with everything else being new.[1]

 
"Hirameki"
Real Sound's Takanori Kuroda felt that the fourteenth track "Hirameki", recorded by Hoshino in a low voice and composed with base in the Japanese yonanuki  [ja] scale, had a homey atmosphere with similarities to nursery rhymes.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Baka no Uta covers themes of everyday life. Mayumi Tsuchida of Bounce magazine noted one song on the album as being about an old man who suddenly collapsed and died, and another as being about a child who was never born,[11] whereas Mio at Tower Records Japan wrote that the album contains tracks focusing on everyday topics such as departure, scatter, teacup sets, and kids growing up.[12] CDJournal categorizes the album as Japanese rock and pop.[13] Musically, Tsuchida described the album as performed in a "nostalgic-like band sound" and an uncredited staff member of Tower Records called the record "simple and fluffy".[11][14] Critics noted aging as a theme on the album, present in songs such as the second track "Goo" (グー, Gū), the fourth "Chawan" (茶碗, lit. "Teacup"), and the seventh "Rōfūfu".[15][16] "Tadaima" (ただいま, lit. "I'm Home"), the album's thirteenth track, was composed by Haruomi Hosono.[7] Hosono recorded a self-cover of the song for his album Hosonova (2011), on which Hoshino also co-wrote the lyrics for the song "Banana Oiwake".[17]

The album's opening track "Barabara" (ばらばら, lit. "Scatter"), the title track to Hoshino's 2007 booklet, was also the first song recorded for the album.[18] Written after Hoshino experienced heartbreak,[19] the song proposes that people cannot become one or fully united, and that this fact is what allows people to connect.[20] A new song for the album, the main promotional track "Kuse no Uta" (くせのうた, lit. "Habit Song") was described by Emi Sugiura of Rockin'On Japan as "envoking a sense of loneliness", giving the impression it was born from Hoshino "facing music alone at night".[20] Real Sound's Natsuna Murakami interpreted the lyrics as discussing love in a roundabout manner and found the track representative of Hoshino's early music, prior to dance tracks such as "Sun" (2015) and "Koi" (2016).[21] Hoshino recorded "Hirameki" (ひらめき, lit. "Flash") in a low voice to avoid waking up his landlord, who lived on the floor below him. Describing the song as like a homey nursery rhyme, music critic Takanori Kuroda – also writing for Real Sound – noted musical elements that would become characteristic of Hoshino's music within the track. Composed with E-flat and based in the Japanese yonanuki  [ja] scale, in which F and C notes are excluded, the song is built on diatonic chords, with an expection of Am7-5 as the transitional.[22]

Promotion and release edit

 
To promote Baka no Uta, Hoshino performed at Club Quattro venues in Shibuya, Tokyo, and Shinsaibashi, Osaka (Shibuya location pictured).

On 26 March 2010, it was announced that Hoshino was in the process of recording an untitled lyrical debut solo album, with a band consisting of Daichi Ito on on drums, Takuji Nomura on keyboard, and Suga Dairo on bass. In late April, he was set to unveil select songs from the album as a guest performer on the Tokyo and Osaka shows of the concert Springfields '10.[23] A month after the announcement, details and the full track listing was unveiled alongside the album's title, Baka no Uta.[8] A documentary to the album's production was uploaded to YouTube in May, directed by "Ichiro Yamada"–the name of an art unit consisting of Hoshino, director Santa Yamagishi [ja], and designer Daijirō Ōhara [ja].[24] A music video for the song "Kuse no Uta", also directed by the unit, was released on 11 June. The song was used as the album's sole promotional single, released as a ringtone the same day as the music video and for digital download on 14 July.[25][26] Baka no Uta was first issued as a limited edition LP record on 16 June 2010 via Kakubarhythm, a week ahead of the proper release.[24][27] The CD album was released on 23 June 2010, jointly issued by Victor Entertainment's Speedstar Records and Daisyworld's Labels United.[13][28]

To promote the release, Hoshino announced that he would perform and host autograph shows at Tower Records stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Miyagi, and Hokkaido throughout July, distributing tickets via copies of the album bought from Tower Records.[29][30] From 12 July to 13, Hoshino toured for Baka no Uta with two shows at the Club Quattro venues in Shibuya, Tokyo, and Shinsaibashi, Osaka. The Tokyo show opened with the acoustic performances of Sakerock's "Instrumental Band no Uta" and Hoshino's new song "Uta o Utau Toki wa", before moving into songs from Baka no Uta. During the encore, Hoshino sang "Taiyaki" – a song co-written with Hisashi Yosono of Eastern Youth – and the Yūki Himura birthday song "Yūki Himura's 38th Birthday Song", which he also performed in celebration of an audience member named Natsumi, who had earlier exclaimed that it was their birthday. He then sang the Sakerock song "Senshu" before ending with the album's title track, "Baka no Uta". The tour featured Ito on drums, Nomura on keyboard, and Dairo on bass, with Takada also guest starring on the performances of "Rōfūfu", "Ana o Horu", "Kyōdai" (兄弟, lit. "Siblings"), and "Tadaima".[31] In September 2010, Hoshino performed with several Baka no Uta songs during his Aisatsu Mawari tour, visiting Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, and Miyagi.[29][32] In July 2020, Hoshino celebrated the tenth anniversary of Baka no Uta's release by revisiting the Shibuya Club Quattro venue to perform the online concert Gen Hoshino's 10th Anniversary Concert: Gratitude, featuring "Rōfūfu" as the only Baka no Uta song on the setlist.[33]

Personnel edit

Credits adapted from the CD album liner notes and Daisyworld.[9][10]

  • Gen Hoshino – songwriter, producer, vocals, acoustic guitar, marimba, mandolin, banjo, glockenspiel, toy piano, handclapping; all instruments (#5, #11)
  • Haruomi Hosono – composer (#13)
  • Gen Hoshino to Minna (星野源とみんな, "Gen Hoshino and Everyone") – arrangement
  • Daichi Ito – drums, handclapping
  • Suga Dairo – acoustic bass, electric bass, handclapping
  • Takuji Nomura – piano, organ, handclapping
  • Ren Takada – pedal steel guitar, resonator guitar
  • Santa Yamagishi – handclapping
  • Azusa Akahori – handclapping
  • Eiichi Higashi – handclapping, record manufacturing director[34]
  • Naoyuki Uchida – recording
  • Mikazu Tanaka – mastering

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by Gen Hoshino, except where otherwise noted

CD album
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."Barabara"ばらばら ("Scatter")3:22
2."Goo"グー (Gū)3:34
3."Kitchen"キッチン (Kicchin)4:16
4."Chawan"茶碗 ("Teacup")3:53
5."Daisy Omisoshiru" (Instrumental)デイジーお味噌汁 ("Daisy Miso Soup")1:31
6."Yonaka Uta"夜中唄 ("Night Song")3:51
7."Rōfūfu"老夫婦 ("Old Couple")2:01
8."Kuse no Uta"くせのうた ("Habit Song")4:44
9."Kyōdai"兄妹 ("Siblings")2:49
10."Kodomo"子供 ("Kid")3:32
11."Sayōnara no Umi" (Instrumental)さようならのうみ ("Sea of Farewell")2:21
12."Ana o Horu"穴を掘る ("Dig a Hole")2:48
13."Tadaima" (co-written with Haruomi Hosono)ただいま ("I'm Home")3:25
14."Hirameki"ひらめき ("Flash")2:42
15."Baka no Uta"ばかのうた ("Stupid Song")3:25
Total length:47:58
LP album – side A
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."Barabara"ばらばら ("Scatter")3:22
2."Goo"グー (Gū)3:34
3."Kitchen"キッチン (Kicchin)4:16
4."Chawan"茶碗 ("Teacup")3:53
5."Daisy Omisoshiru" (Instrumental)デイジーお味噌汁 ("Daisy Miso Soup")1:31
6."Yonaka Uta"夜中唄 ("Night Song")3:51
7."Rōfūfu"老夫婦 ("Old Couple")2:01
8."Kuse no Uta"くせのうた ("Habit Song")4:44
LP album – side B
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
9."Kyōdai"兄妹 ("Siblings")2:49
10."Kodomo"子供 ("Kid")3:32
11."Sayōnara no Umi" (Instrumental)さようならのうみ ("Sea of Farewell")2:21
12."Ana o Horu"穴を掘る ("Dig a Hole")2:48
13."Tadaima" (co-written with Hosono)ただいま ("I'm Home")3:25
14."Hirameki"ひらめき ("Flash")2:42
15."Baka no Uta"ばかのうた ("Stupid Song")3:25
Total length:47:58

Charts edit

Weekly chart performance for Baka no Uta (2010–13)
Chart (2010–13) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[34] 36
Japanese Top Albums Sales (Billboard Japan)[35] 38
Weekly chart performance for Baka no Uta (2015–17)
Chart (2015–17) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[34] 62
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[36] 42
Taiwanese J-Pop Albums (G-Music)[37] 4

Release history edit

Release history for Baka no Uta
Region Date Format Label Catalogue code Ref.
Japan 16 June 2010 LP record Kakubarhythm KAKU-042 [27]
23 June 2010 CD
VICL-63626 [10]
12 July 2010 rental CD Victor Entertainment VICL-63626R [38]
South Korea 31 May 2011 Digital download J-Box Entertainment — [39]
Taiwan 3 June 2011 CD Rock Records GUT2349 [40]
Japan 5 February 2014 Vinyl (reprint) Speedstar Records VIJL-60130 [41]
Various 23 June 2015 Digital download — [42]
30 August 2019 Streaming — [43]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Hoshino, Gen (25 June 2010). "『ばかのうた』星野 源 インタビュー" [Gen Hoshino Baka no Uta Interview]. Cinra [ja] (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Tanaka, Hiroshi. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "星野源" [Gen Hoshino]. ListenJapan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Sakerock / Yuta" (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Life Cycle" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Songs of Instrumental" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b "ホニャララ" [Honyarara] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Sakerock星野源, 細野レーベルからソロアルバム6月発表" [Sakerock's Gen Hoshino Announces Solo Album, to Release in June via Haruomi Hosono's Label]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 26 March 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "星野源ソロ「ばかのうた」に細野コラボ、Sakerockカバー" [Gen Hoshino Collaborates with Haruomi Hosono and Covers Sakerock on Solo Album Baka no Uta]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 27 April 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  9. ^ a b Hoshino, Gen; Higashi, Eiichi (23 June 2010). ばかのうた [Baka no Uta] (Liner notes) (in Japanese). Speedstar Records.
  10. ^ a b c "ばかのうた / 星野 源" [Baka no Uta / Gen Hoshino]. Daisyworld Records. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  11. ^ a b Tsuchida, Mayumi (25 June 2010). "星野源 / ばかのうた" [Gen Hoshino / Baka no Uta]. Bounce (in Japanese). Vol. 322. Retrieved 2 May 2024 – via Tower Records Japan.
  12. ^ Mio. "ばかのうた" [Baka no Uta] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  13. ^ a b "星野 源 / ばかのうた" [Gen Hoshino / Baka no Uta]. CDJournal [ja] (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  14. ^ "星野源 / ばかのうた" [Gen Hoshino / Baka no Uta] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  15. ^ Hirokazu, Koike (4 July 2010). "星野源「ばかのうた」" [Gen Hoshino's Baka no Uta]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  16. ^ Osako, Maki (2011). "「ばかのうた」 星野 源" [Baka no Uta, Gen Hoshino] (in Japanese). Kagoshima, Japan: Tower Records Japan; CD Shop Awards. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Hosonova" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 3 March 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
  18. ^ Yamagishi, Santa; Hoshino, Gen; et al. (Ichiro Yamada) (30 May 2010). 星野 源『ばかのうた』をつくる - Part 1/4 初日編 [Creating Gen Hoshino's Baka no Uta - Part 1/4, First Day]. Retrieved 2 May 2024 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ "星野源、NHK-FM初収録で失恋エピソード赤裸々告白" [Gen Hoshino Confesses His Story of Heartbreak on First Broadcast of NHK-FM Program]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 1 April 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  20. ^ a b Sugiura, Emi (19 December 2018). "【10リスト】星野源、一生聴き続けられる名曲10はこれだ!" [The Top 10 Gen Hoshino Songs We Can Listen to Forever!]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  21. ^ Murakami, Natsuna (10 February 2017). "星野源が"歌"で表現する、日常にある幸せ 今夜『Mステ』披露の「くだらないの中に」への期待" [Gen Hoshino Visualizes the Happiness in the Everyday Through Music: Expectations for Tonight's Music Station Performance of "Kudaranai no Naka ni"]. Real Sound [ja] (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  22. ^ Kuroda, Takanori (14 January 2017). "星野源の音楽はなぜ"キャッチーでマニアック"なのか?「ひらめき」から「恋」まで楽曲分析" [Why Is Gen Hoshino's Music Catchy and Manic? Dissecting the Sound, from "Hirameki" to "Koi"]. Real Sound [ja] (in Japanese). p. 1. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Sakerock星野源、歌モノソロアルバムに挑戦" [Sakerock's Gen Hoshino Heads Towards Debut Vocal Album]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). 26 March 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  24. ^ a b "星野源「ばかのうた」アナログで先行発売&密着映像公開" [Gen Hoshino's Baka no Uta to Release Early in Analog + Documentary Video Released]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 31 May 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  25. ^ "星野源、あの"山田一郎"が手がけたソロ曲PVを公開" [Gen Hoshino Releases Music Video to Solo Song, Directed by That "Ichiro Yamada"]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 11 June 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  26. ^ "くせのうた - Single" [Kuse no Uta - Single]. iTunes Japan. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  27. ^ a b "星野源 / ばかのうた (LP)" [Gen Hoshino / Baka no Uta (LP)] (in Japanese). Kakubarhythm. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  28. ^ Murao, Yasuo (25 December 2010). "Labels Unitedとは何ぞや?" [What on Earth Is Labels United?]. Bounce (in Japanese). Vol. 328. Retrieved 6 May 2024 – via Tower Records Japan.
  29. ^ a b "星野源、全国で挨拶まわりツアー&インストア行脚" [Gen Hoshino Announces National Aisatsu Mawari Tour & In-Store Performances at Tower Records]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 22 June 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  30. ^ "星野源、タワー新宿店にて初のインストア・ライヴを敢行" [Gen Hoshino to Host First In-Store Performance at Tower Shinjuku] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  31. ^ "星野源ソロライブ東京公演でなつみさんの誕生日を祝福" [Gen Hoshino Celebrates the Birthday of Viewer Natsumi During Tokyo Show of Solo Tour]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 22 July 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  32. ^ "来年もよろしく! 星野源キネマ倶楽部で2010年総まとめ" [Gen Hoshino's 2010 at the Tokyo Kinema Club Summarized]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 6 December 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  33. ^ Ueda, Takuto (17 July 2020). "<ライブレポート> 星野源が配信ライブ【Gratitude】に込めた「音を奏でる喜び」と「再会の願い」" [(Live Report) Gen Hoshino's Joy Played in Music and Wish for Reunion in Online Concert Gratitude]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  34. ^ a b c "ばかのうた" [Baka no Uta] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
  35. ^ "Billboard Japan Top Albums Sales". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 30 June 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  36. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 11 January 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  37. ^ "G-Music Charts – Week of 23 December 2016 to 29 December 2016" (in Chinese). G-Music. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  38. ^ "星野源/ばかのうた（アルバム)" [Gen Hoshino / Baka no Uta (Album)] (in Japanese). DMM.com. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  39. ^ "ばかのうた (바보의 노래)" [Baka no Uta (Foolish Songs)] (in Korean). Bugs!. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  40. ^ "星野源 / 笨蛋之歌" [Gen Hoshino / Baka no Uta] (in Chinese). Books.com.tw. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  41. ^ "星野源/ばかのうた<完全生産限定盤>" [Gen Hoshino / Baka no Uta (Complete Limited Edition)] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  42. ^ "星野 源、最新シングル「Sun」など全楽曲を一斉配信" [Gen Hoshino Releases Entire Discography for Online Distribution, Including New Single "Sun"]. CDJournal [ja] (in Japanese). 23 June 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  43. ^ "星野源、最新アルバム『Pop Virus』含む全曲ストリーミング解禁" [Gen Hoshino Releases All Songs for Streaming, Including New Album Pop Virus]. Spincoaster (in Japanese). 30 August 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2024.

External links edit

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