". . . Looking for something different from my previous albums, I secluded myself in the mountains to drive myself into intensive songwriting. Such efforts almost bore fruit when the best songs album was released and became a hit. Ironic, isn't it?"
The "such efforts almost bore fruit" part — that might be so in terms of financial return perhaps, but I believe that it's clearly an understatement by any measure of artistic quality~!
Releasing the Love Hotel album in 2003, Wakin had set off on a fresh adventure that was highly appealing and as near to actual perfection both creatively and technically as the outstanding Wakin Storyteller CD (1998). Sure, I winced when I first found out this album's English title* (being in the "love hotel heaven" of Japan), and OK, the demo track #9 was rather premature and didn't grab me much — and yes, I've always thought that You're My Bro would've been the better pick than Don't Be Silly as the final filler track — that was just like pairing a polka-dot bowtie with a Geoffrey Beene tuxedo! But those quibbles aside, I believe that this album has one of the finest, most listenable song sets — even and particularly for one like me who cannot understand most of the lyrics without a trip to the EWM — that has ever been compiled by any singer, Eastern or Western. Those key tracks on Love Hotel are a grand accomplishment of seasoned musicianship: Wakin's rich-toned, powerfully expressive vocals are better than ever, and they are artfully complemented by the creative and technical skills of his collaborators.
but their efforts DEFINITELY bore fruit!
Actually, for more than a year after it had been released in 2003, the album was working to Wakin's advantage in another key respect, according to the hit tracker of this website. Lusty couples who went to Google looking for a "love hotel" would end up with this Wakin Chau CD near the top of their search result — * HYA - HYA - HYA ! *
