World Standard - Country Gazette (Full Album)

Country: Japan
Year: 1997

00:00 Introduction
01:15 Good Red Road
04:06 The Lonely Driver 1952
09:28 Country Sad Ballad Man
11:16 Loser's Lounge
14:35 Old Man Blues
18:11 Loving Spoonful
21:38 Billy Strange Country
28:17 My Low-Chuned Banjo
31:51 900 Miles From Home
34:12 Silent Homecoming
37:54 Hollyville Train
43:19 Montage: Lonesome Hobo-Land
52:01 Cowboys Don't Cry (Hank Williams Lost Lyrics)

World Standard is a long-running Japanese project run by Sôichirô Suzuki, produced and directed by Yellow Magic Orchestra founder Haruomi Hosono. In 1997 Suzuki started a series of ambient acoustic albums in tribute to the American Primitive spirit on the Daisyworld label (the first, Country Gazette was licensed to Asphodel in the US, the 2nd volume, Mountain Ballad was quickly deleted in Japan and is tough to find) - forcedexposure

Here's a wacko idea; techno-ambient-country-fusion, and what's really wacko about it is just how well it works. Banjo, samisen and sampled sounds collide effortlessly and with delightful results on this East-meets-West disc. Produced by Haruomi Hosono from Yellow Magic Orchestra (billed as "Harry Hosono"), World Standard creates a type of ethnic music much like The Penguin Cafe Orchestra did; belonging to no country and every country at once. While much of this disc is comprised of gentle, pastoral instrumentals (such as the irresistible, "Loving Spoonful") some of it is haunting and downright bizarre. On "Old Man Blues," a repetitive, minor key guitar figure is punctuated by a sample of a voice, harsh, hissing and unintelligible. Track 13 is essentially nine minutes of barely audible thunder, and as for track 14...well, if you've ever wanted to hear a droll reading of some Hank Williams lyrics in a Japanese accent, here it is. It's been said that no two cultures differ more from each other than those of Japan and America. World Standard reconciles them happily. Yellow Magic indeed - allmusic

Heavily reminiscent of Ry Cooder's Paris, Texas soundtrack, this latest release from World Standard gives Middle American folk music a subtle nudge toward the wonderful world of electronic music. Country Gazette, the long-time project of Sohichiro Suzuki (it began life back in 1983), kicks off with a short, happy banjo riff accompanied by various electronically produced sounds. But by the second track, acoustics are nowhere to be heard. Track 3 and they're back again, but this time the blend is seamless and continues that way for the duration. Production credits go to Haruomi Hosono (Yellow Magic Orchestra), who has managed to meld guitars and banjos fluently with high electronics, thereby creating a musical hybrid that may very well be truly unique - amazon

Country Gazette is just too damn lovely a record to be claimed solely by the chin-stroking brigade. Highlights? How about the lot? Holyville Train's Aerial M-style geetars gently strumming to the rumble of distant meteor storms; space-crickets chirruping in the distance as "Loving Spoonful" rocks gently on the porch; the Martin Denny exotica of "Billy Strange Country". All of it evoking a zillion and one images (like "High Plains Drifter" scored by Tortoise in stetsons) and all of it utterly sublime - New Musical Express

A fusion of music styles like none before it--picture Hank Williams driving through barren plains of tumbleweed with Brian Eno riding shotgun - URB

Welcome to the virtual country! This album no less reflects the inner space of a hobo easy rider than the outer space surrounding him. So it reminds me of a film by Monte Hellman, The Shooting, which is regarded as one of the strangest Western Movies in the late 60s. Like this film (endless Road Movie), Country Gazette will take us to nowhere on the banjo sound. We can hear various intoxicated ambient sounds of a banjo from this disc. This record owes a lot to Stereolab Series of Vanguard label and is especially inspired by John Faye. He composed many requiems (great collage sounds) for his familiar people. Country Gazette is also a requiem but for all kinds of the 20th popular music - Mikado Koyanagi