{"product_id":"niningashi-heavy-way-original-press","title":"Niningashi – Heavy Way (Original Press)","description":"\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0; border: 1px solid #bbb; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 1.6; background-color: #fff;\"\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"background-color: #f2f2f2;\"\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px 12px; font-size: 15px; color: #333;\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e📀 Product Details\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; border-top: 1px solid #bbb; font-weight: bold; width: 30%; color: #222;\"\u003eYear\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; border-top: 1px solid #bbb;\"\u003e1974\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"background-color: #f9f9f9;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #222;\"\u003eCountry\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003eJapan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #222;\"\u003eLabel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eCBS SONY \/ YESC-7\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"background-color: #f9f9f9;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #222;\"\u003eMedia\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003eEX- (Plays Great!)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #222;\"\u003eSleeve\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003eEX (w\/Insert)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"background-color: #f9f9f9;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px; font-weight: bold; color: #222;\"\u003eObi\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px 12px;\"\u003eOriginally Not Obi\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: inline-block; padding: 4px 10px; border-radius: 6px; background: #efefef; border: 1px solid #dcdcdc; font-weight: bold; margin: 6px 0 10px;\"\u003eComments\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eJapan Original Pressing.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSPECIAL ARCHIVE PIECE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1974 Japan Original Private Pressing \/ Insert included.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginal 1974 pressing of \u003cem\u003eHeavy Way\u003c\/em\u003e, the only album by Niningashi, led by Kazuhisa Okubo before his later work with Neko and Kaze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOkubo came from the Hiroshima folk scene and was connected to the early Japanese singer-songwriter movement around Takuro Yoshida. Recorded privately around the time of his graduation, \u003cem\u003eHeavy Way\u003c\/em\u003e captures a young songwriter standing at a turning point, between rural memory, urban pressure, and the changing sound of Japanese folk rock in the early 1970s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the true Japanese acid folk \/ private press grails. It sits outside the usual city pop or fusion timeline, but carries the same deep 1970s Japanese atmosphere that RECORD MONSTER is built around: raw, melancholic, private, and quietly psychedelic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album is not a straight groove record, but it has a strange pull from start to finish. A1 “Ameagari” feels like Happy End covering \u003cem\u003eHarvest\u003c\/em\u003e-era Neil Young, with dry distorted guitar cutting through Okubo’s fragile vocal. Elsewhere, the record moves through West Coast-tinged folk rock, smoky acoustic textures, odd funky rhythm sections, and deeply intimate songwriting. The closing track B4 “Hitoribocchi” is a beautiful acid folk piece, full of rainy childhood memory and quiet sadness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eListed separately from our weekly new arrivals as part of the RECORD MONSTER Special Archive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA serious archive piece for collectors of Japanese private press, acid folk, psych, and deep 1970s singer-songwriter records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuestions about condition, shipping, or anything else are always welcome. Please feel free to DM or email us anytime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e⬇️YouTube link is provided for reference only.\u003cbr\u003ePlease note that the sound, presence, and experience of the original 1974 private pressing is something different from an online preview.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wnQdWpm7jsM?si=6_6ZznewAHFolg_L\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"RECORD MONSTER","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43150130086097,"sku":null,"price":1750.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0655\/9413\/0641\/files\/IMG_5542.jpg?v=1781531750","url":"https:\/\/www.recordmonster.net\/products\/niningashi-heavy-way-original-press","provider":"RECORD MONSTER","version":"1.0","type":"link"}