Chu Kosaka - Early Days (2001)

Anthology of remastered songs from Kosaka's first three solo albums, picked by the artist himself. The albums cover Kosaka's transformation from slow-life country rocker to smooth City Pop R'n'B boy. They are fairly rare and have only been re-released on CD as part of the expensive Chu's Garden box set - which makes this release a good opportunity to get to know this underrated artist better:

Arigatou (1971) / tracks 1-3
Kosaka's first album was produced in close cooperation with Happy End, which shows in everything, the lyrics, the West-Coast sound, the cool attitude... You might as well call this the lost fourth Happy End album. Hosono even sings on the title track. Track 3 is an early version of Kikansha from Hōrō.

Motto motto (1972)/ tracks 4-6
Live album with Kosaka's band Four Joe Half (which means 四畳半... slap yourself on the back if you got the joke). The Happy End influence continues to be felt with lyrics about waiting for spring inside a kotatsu set to lazy country rock. Four Joe Half, who have sadly never released a studio album, show off their remarkable skill. Its members (Tatsuo Hayashi, Masataka Matsutōya, Tsugutoshi Gotō, Hiroki Komazawa) would all go on to become great artists.

Hazukashisō ni (1973) / tracks 7-12
The sound of this album is closer to the Kosaka of Hōrō and Morning. Everything is smoother, with lush orchestration. The sometimes too sugary arrangements are saved by Kosaka's beautiful and utterly unpretentious voice, which has to be one of the best in 70's Japanese music. When he sings 風はさらさら / さらさら / まわり込んできて, you can feel the wind on your face.