{"product_id":"tbv-0097","title":"MENTANPIN (LP)","description":"\u003ch3\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe origin of 70's Japanese rock!\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n \u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMentanpin's shocking debut album is being reissued on vinyl for the first time with a newly remastered sound.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Mentanpin is a legendary band that was also known as the \"Japanese Grateful Dead.\"\u003cbr\u003e Formed in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture in 1972, the band attracted attention from rock fans across the country after performing at the One Step Festival in 1974.\u003cbr\u003e Three original albums that chart their trajectory - their debut \"MENTANPIN,\" the evolved \"MENTANPIN II,\" and the LA-recorded \"Country Breakfast\" - will be newly remastered and released on vinyl over three consecutive months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThis is Mentanpin's memorable first album. It features a low-key groove and sharp guitar playing that is strongly influenced by American West Coast and Southern rock. It's a masterpiece that includes the debut single \"Concert Tour,\" as well as popular live tracks \"Lumberjack's Song\" and \"Mexican Mountain.\"\u003cbr\u003e The sound produced by the band's sturdy members, whose average height is over 176cm, evokes the earthy feel of Japanese rock at the time, while sounding wild and fresh to modern ears.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e ● Comes with liner notes included with the original edition\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*Customers who pre-order any of the three albums at the TUFF BEATS ONLINE STORE will receive one of three randomly selected postcards featuring unreleased photos as a special bonus.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e --------------------\u003cbr\u003e [Comments about the analog reissue]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eAfter finishing recording the bass track at a studio in Tokyo, we arrived at Ito Port in the middle of the night. The ocean breeze was refreshing. Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart got out of his car and let the wind wash over his entire body.\u003cbr\u003e \"Shodaan (me), the wind is saying something. Can you hear the sound of the wind? The wind will always tell you something, wherever you are.\"\u003cbr\u003e Mickey was very strict when recording the vocals: \"Shodaan, don't shout! Just be a storyteller!\"\u003cbr\u003e He carefully taught us the Dead's way of doing things: \"I learned harmonies from Crosby. I want you to learn that way.\" \u003cbr\u003eHow to take the rhythm. How to write lyrics for the chorus. How to write music. He was truly a missionary. Mickey played the newly completed sound for Jerry Garcia over the phone. \"Garcia said Mentampin sounds like Dire Straits.\" I was so happy I jumped for joy. Garcia was the best musician to me.\u003cbr\u003e February 1974. Toru Shibata and I were at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Growing up in the countryside, the Grateful Dead was my first experience with a foreign band. The concert lasted five hours. The wall behind the band was covered with countless speakers. We heard the best sound in the world. At that time, the concept for \"Mentanpin\" was almost complete. \u003cbr\u003eMy hometown is Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, the birthplace of the Komatsu bulldozer. My classmates at Komatsu High School were Yoichiro Ikeda, Saburo Ishizaki, and Toru Shibata, along with Kohei Okimura, who was a year younger than me, Kazuo Tobita, who was at Meiji University Nakano, and Mitsugu Terai, who joined us a little later.\u003cbr\u003e We didn't belong to any band and walked our own path. We loaded our PA system into a 4-ton truck and toured all over Japan. A few years later, the band consisted of just me, Tobita, and Ishizaki. Then we met Mickey, and he invited us to come to the US, but we called it quits. I think we were mentally exhausted.\u003cbr\u003e However, I decided to gather in Komatsu with the original members to mark the occasion of the record reissue. I wanted to continue the story that had been left unfinished.\u003cbr\u003e I want to create an ending to the story of \"Mentanpin.\" This will probably be our final journey. We will do what we love to the end. Because we are a rock band from the Hokuriku region. See you in Komatsu in December. \u003cbr\u003eThank you for your support.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e September 2025 Tadahira Sasaki――――――――――\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e ■Track list:\u003cbr\u003e Side A\u003cbr\u003e 1. Concert Tour\u003cbr\u003e 2. The Lumberjack's Song\u003cbr\u003e 3. Spring\u003cbr\u003e 4. Lonely Night\u003cbr\u003e 5. Sweet Angel\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Side B\u003cbr\u003e 1. A glass of gin\u003cbr\u003e 2. New Ocean\u003cbr\u003e 3. Mr. Parent Cry\u003cbr\u003e 4. Blind Blues\u003cbr\u003e 5. Mexican Mountains: DEALER'S BRUES\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Artist: Mentanpin\u003cbr\u003e Title: MENTANPIN\u003cbr\u003e Label: Tokuma Japan Communications\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Distribution: TUFF BEATS\u003cbr\u003e Format: LP\u003cbr\u003e CatNo.: TBV-0097 (TJJA-10071)\u003cbr\u003e Barcode: 4580187181601\u003cbr\u003e Price: 5,000 yen + tax Release date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TUFF BEATS ONLINE STORE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44861189980204,"sku":"TBV-0097","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0669\/4800\/5932\/files\/TBV-0097_fe8d627b-a3c9-4e17-bc4a-2409b5eeac31.jpg?v=1760586409","url":"https:\/\/tuff-beats.com\/en\/products\/tbv-0097","provider":"TUFF BEATS ONLINE STORE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}