Olive - First Album ( 1976 Japan Prog rock ) Full Album

The band Olive was active in the mid-’70s, releasing only a rare LP, “First Album” on Studio-3 Records in 1976, which has never been reissued. According to the sleeve notes the record was conceived as a duel between female vocalist Keiko Ohtsuka and guitarist Masamitsu Nakanowatari, with guest musicians recruited for the recordings. The album consists of 8 mainly lengthy tracks, with influences typical of the time, mixing Heavy Rock and Progressive with occasional elements of Space Rock. Instrumental jams are highlights, with traveling solos of guitar and organ, accompanied by consistent bass and drums bases. The great differential of the disc is Keiko‘s female vocal, with lyrics in the local language and following traditional style of Japanese opera and singing. A real Hidden Rarity, as this album was only released in its original 1976 version for Studio-3 Records, and strangely never reissued neither on vinyl nor on CD, making it almost impossible to find. Searching the various online record trading sites, including the famous Discogs, the album is nowhere to be found, just to understand what we’re talking about. A real pity that a pearl of made in Japan music like this delightful album has never been considered and made known to the general public and to lovers of the most refined and obscure Progressive sounds of the 70s. Tracks: 01. Pierrot (Masamitsu Nakanowatari / Keiko Otsuka) - 00:00 02. Densetsu (Legend) (Toshikazu Ishijima, Masamitsu Nakanowatari / Keiko Otsuka) - 05:32 03. Kuro no miwaku (Enchanted Black) (Toshikazu Ishijima / Tetsuo Watanabe) -13:21 04. Toki wa kaze no youni (Time Passes Like The Wind) (Toshikazu Ishijima, Keiko Otsuka) - 20:26 05. Masoukyoku (Music Played By The Devil) (Masamitsu Nakanowatari / Keiko Otsuka) - 24:32 06. Olive (Masamitsu Nakanowatari / Keiko Otsuka) - 31:52 07. Isho (Testament) (Masamitsu Nakanowatari / Toshikazu Ishijima, Keiko Otsuka) - 41:40 08. Shinkirou (Mirage) (Masamitsu Nakanowatari) - 46:27 Personnel: - Keiko Otsuka - lead female vocals - Masamitsu Nakanowatari - lead guitar, vocals + - Toshikazu Ishijima - guitar, vocals - Kiyoshi Hagono - bass - Kazumori Kawamura - drums - Ken Miyazawa - keyboards