Letter to the Editor – May 11, 2024

Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter to encourage everyone to listen to Fishmans. They are a Japanese Dream Pop band formed in 1987 by Shinji Sato. Their music is very influential to me and can be influential to anyone who listens to them. 

In their early years, Fishmans began as reggae-influenced. Gradually, they changed their sound to Dream Pop while still keeping some reggae influence. Their music style wouldn’t fit any other band. Shinji Sato’s falsetto vocals are unmatched. Kin-Ichi Motegi’s drumming and Yuzuru Kashiwabara’s rocksteady basslines are also very good. I think they are the most talented music group of all time. 

One of their albums is rated as the number-one live album of all time. It is titled 98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare. It is a 14-song album that was supposed to be a farewell concert to Kashiwabara, who was leaving the band. Every song in this album is incredible. What Fishmans did on December 28, 1998, cannot be explained with words, only listening to the album itself. 

Track 14, titled Long Season, is, in my opinion, the greatest piece of recorded media ever. No song even comes close to what this song is. This song is 41 minutes long. It is a live version of their album titled Long Season, released in 1996. It is worth listening to every minute of it. 

In their live performance, the last 10 minutes of Long Season are incredible. No other piece of audio compares to this transcendental work of art. Sato’s vocals on Long Season are Impeccable. About 11 minutes into Long Season, Sato breaks out into a guitar solo, spoken via an amplifier in place of words that do not exist. This song has everything you can imagine, from the guitar solo to a violin and accordion solo. I have listened to this album hundreds of times and never get tired of it. I think anyone reading this also would enjoy this album. 

They also have many other albums which are all very good, but 98.12.28 is something that everyone needs to hear. It’s simply too good to ignore. So, if you are still reading this, please go and listen to Long Season; I promise it is worth the 41 minutes. 

Sincerely,

Johnathan Hodges