''Long Season'' (subtitled ''...we are not four seasons'') is the sixth studio album by Japanese band

Fishmans are a Japanese band formed in Minato, Tokyo in 1987. They were founded by vocalist Shinji Sato, guitarist Kensuke Ojima, and drummer Kin-Ichi Motegi. Bassist Yuzuru Kashiwabara joined the band in 1988, followed by keyboardist Hakase-Sun in 19 ...

, released on October 25, 1996 in Japan through

Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

. Regarded as a landmark of

Japanese rock , sometimes abbreviated to , is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called group sounds, with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy End ...

music, it consists of a single 35-minute composition based on the band's earlier single "Season". The album initially achieved modest success within the Japanese alternative scene but remained relatively obscure internationally until the 2010s. It has received acclaim from critics and online music circles since then, with ''

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...

'' ranking it as the seventh-greatest album of all time in 2024. Notably, Fishmans performed the entire Long Season album as one piece during their final live shows in December 1998. A recording of one of these performances was later included on the album "98.12.28 男達の別れ" (" 98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare"), further cementing the album's legacy.

Background

The concept for ''Long Season'' originated during the Young, Yet with History tour in 1996. While chatting among themselves, someone suggested, "Wouldn't it be fun to make a song that never ends?" This idea led to multiple recording sessions from July to August 1996, during which the band developed the album's singular composition, "Long Season". They built upon their earlier work, "Season", which was released in September 1996. Fishmans, along with support musicians collaborated in sessions to create the track, and the demo that Sato initially brought to the group was "Backbeat ni Nokkate". Collaborating with co-producer ZAK at their studio, Waikiki Beach, Fishmans meticulously refined their ideas, with ZAK occasionally experiencing eye strain due to prolonged screen time, humorously referred to as "shedding blood from his eyes". Fishmans collaborated with several guest musicians for the recording of ''Long Season''. Notably, support member Honzi contributed keyboards and violin to the album.

J-pop J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...

singer MariMari, who maintained a continued association with Fishmans in subsequent years, also lent her talents to the project. ''Long Season'' marked the debut of Michio "Darts" Sekiguchi as a guest guitarist, a role he fulfilled until the band's final concert. Singer UA enriched the album with her vocals, adding depth to its musical landscape. Additionally, Asa-Chang contributed an extended improvised

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

passage, accompanied by various percussive elements, further enhancing the album's sonic texture.

Track listing

The album comprises a single 35-minute composition, which has been divided into five parts across multiple releases.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. *

– production, arrangement *Shinji Sato – vocal, guitar, lyrics, composition *Yuzuru Kashiwabara – bass *Kin-ichi Motegi – drums *Honzi – keyboards, violin, accordion, Organette20, chorus *Michio "Darts" Sekiguchi – guitar, chorus * Asa-Chang – percussion *Taito Sato – guitar * UA – chorus *MariMari – chorus *Masaki Morimoto – whistle *Butchy – chorus *Naoko Ohmiya – chorus *Yoshiko Ohmiya – chorus *ZAK – production, programming, recording, mixing *TAK – recording *Yuka Koizumi – mastering *Ichiro Asatsuma – executive producer *Yoshiyuki Okuda – executive producer *Tadataka Watanabe – executive producer *Phonic (Mooog & Mariko Yamamoto) – art direction, design *Ayako Mogi – photography *Crion Yamamoto – photography *Junko Ishiwata – styling

Charts

References

{{Authority control Fishmans albums 1996 albums 1990s Japanese-language albums Polydor Records albums