The best punk album ever
I think Japanese punk music is far superior to its Western original and the album Meshi Kuuna! (メシ喰うな! ‘Don’t eat your meal!’) is a good example why. It’s noisy and energetic but the songs are intricately written, with twists and surprises. The band members master ther istruments and play actual notes. It’s real music.
The album didn’t do much at the time but is now considered a classic. I discovered it because it’s on Rolling Stone Japan’s list of best Japanese albums of all time. It is high on my own list of all time favorites.
Inu, which means ‘dog’, is one of many bands started by Machida Ko, at the time known as Machida Machizo. The band he started before Inu was Kusare Omeko, which means ‘rotten cunt’. Machida is now an acclaimed novelist, winning many literary prizes. His voice on Meshi Kuuna! is haunting, like a tormented soul in hell.
The song I posted here is, I think, the most accessible one on Meshi Kuuna!. It has a bit of The Police-vibe, don’t you think? The above is from a live registration from the early eighties, I assume. You can hear the studio version, nice and clean, here. You can listen to the entire album here. (PB)
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