Those songs I seem to forget until they come on, once in a blue moon. Instant relax and smile. This is one of my father's favorite 'cruising songs' and, by default, one of mine. I am instantly transported to traveling through the Mojave driving from LAX to Mammoth Lakes. My passenger princess days began very early and innocently enough. The smile growing on my face as the speed increased. Giggles usually break out once the speedometer hits 120 mph.
Steppin’ into Asia (Ryuichi Sakamoto) “Sakamoto Music”
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This song is inseparable from Japan's high economic growth. Back then, Japanese people had the will to expand into Asia, but now we can only think that Asian people are the ones who think let’s steppin' into Japan. Rather, Japan was cooped up by the USA and experienced the development and end of the bubble economy, but after all, the reason for Japan's defeat was that Japan believed that its strength at that time was its own strength. Well, it was Japan's second defeat after WW2. Ryuichi Sakamoto during the bubble period was also one of the Japanese.
Steppin’ into Asia(坂本龍一)「坂本ミュージック」
日本の高度経済成長と切り離せない曲。あの頃は、アジアに進出する気概が日本人にはあったが、今ではむしろアジアの人たちこそsteppin' into Japan と思っている、としか考えられない時代だ。日本は、むしろUSAに嵌められ、バブル経済の発展と終息を経験したのだが、なんといっても、あの頃の日本の勢いが自分たちの実力だと思いあがったところに、日本の敗因はあった。まあ、WW2に続く、日本第二の敗戦だった。バブル期の坂本龍一も、やはり日本人の一人だった。
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID BOWIE + SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO: “Fame / For The Love of Money / Steppin’ Stone” live in Florida.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4gyDxUZhfo “Fame” is a song-sermon on the epic follies of stardom, written by 2 men who knew the Frankensteinian parameters of fame: John Lennon and David Bowie—whose birthday is tomorrow. Here’s my acoustic cover of it in a medley with fitting songs by The Monkees and The O’Jays. I am joined by my cousin, violinist Larry Ziegenfuss. The soul of this performance outshines the technical limits of a blurry and noisy video.