Introduction to the Debut Album of the Group Country Musume
What now follows is a review of the Country Musume album called Country Musume Daizenshuu 1 and it is the group’s debut album. It was released on December 12, 2001. The opening song called “Hajimete no Happy Birthday!” is a kind of silly pop song with the repetition of the words Happy Birthday plus some clapping by the girls. For this first album the lineup is Rika ishikawa, Rinne Toda, and Asami Kimura. The group’s style of music is classified as Japanese pop and in some instances electro pop but I would say it is a mixture of pop music with country music influences.
“Country Musume Daizenshuu 1” Song Names
Note: as this review is being updated here is a list of all the songs with their English titles wherever it is possible to provide them.
- The First Happy Birthday
- Snowscape
- A Lover is the Heart’s Cheerleader
- Hokkaido Shalala
- A Girl’s Investigation Time
- The Season When Love is Wonderful
- A Couple’s Hokkaido
- Unrequited Love is Hot Milk
- From the Snow
- Which Way is Beautiful…
- Ah, Some Kind of Wonderful
What Follows the First Song from This Country Musume Album?
The next song is better and it is called “Yukigeshiki.” It is a country music influenced type of song. There is no contribution from idol singer Mai Satoda because she would join the group after the release of this album. The third track called A Lover is the Heart’s Cheerleader is an up-tempo dance song that you can clap to and dance at the same time. The album is not as good as a Morning Musume or an AKB48 album but it still makes for a good listen. By the end of that vibrant third song, don’t be surprised if you get a little emotional. Even for someone like me that doesn’t understand much Japanese, the album is an enjoyable listen.
Rika Ishikawa Provides Guest Vocals for Country Musume
One person that makes a contribution on this album is former Morning Musume member Rika Ishikawa. She sings guest vocals on the song called “A Girl’s Investigation Time.” The song is about a girl that is curious to find out all the details about her friend because her friend has a boyfriend and this one girl really wants to find out all the details of their romance. I wrote the English translation of the song to make it easier for those non-Japanese speakers. The song called A Couple’s Hokkaido in English which is song 7 contains some male rap style vocals which makes it silly in a way.
What Other Members Contribute On This Album?
A few other members making appearances on this album are original leader Rinne Toda and second leader Asami Kimura. This debut from Country Musume did not sell very well, selling only about 24,850 copies as of this writing. In spite of the low sales volume, the album is an enjoyable listen and can really lift your mood and spirits up if you are having a rough day.
Thoughts About the Album “Country Musume Daizenshuu 1” in 2020 and Beyond
Upon reviewing this album several years later, this album gets an 83 out of 100 points but it still is not as good as a Morning Musume album. Even so, in the history of Japanese pop music, the album is still enjoyable more than 22 years after its release. Country Musume Daizenshuu 1 in terms of its style is softer pop mixed with a limited amount of rap is how I would describe the album. The second song which is basically called Snowscape has that country influence in it if you listen closely enough. Upon closer analysis, Country Musume’s first album isn’t just pop music but in the 4th song there is a melody part that would have been used by the band Angra in their career, making the album a mishmash of various influences. “Hokkaido Shalala” is a song about a woman that says that the spring winds in Hokkaido have a fresh scent just like the person that she loves. Even though she is getting used to being alone, she knows that she would rather spend the time with her lover or romantic partner. The strongest songs in this album are several including song #8. “The Season Where Love is Wonderful” isn’t too bad either. This is a song that is about being able to experience love for the first time even if it is under the night sky. She says that for her this is the first time and she tells her darling that she is very happy. She spent time a bit longer than usual on Sunday so she decides to go a little farther away to spend time with the one that she loves.
Dedicated in loving memory of Hiromi Yanagihara R.I.P. (1979-1999)