Tr.10, "So Rit Che Pe Ga-Ceremony in the abandon hut " 4 min
Tr.11, "Chimchung's song-The wharf song(Korean traditional melody)" " 8 min 22
A movie that changed my life and made me open to Korea and its music. The soundtrack is partly (half Western) classical music mixed with Korean folk elements and a somewhat different ? folk version of the pansori singing style. Styllistically in the movie it reminded me of the gypsy travel and evolution where flamenco might come from, a very different perspective on something universal.
Pansori is a kind of folkopera style with long folkstories into poetry-music, simply accompanied by hand drum. In the movie and this soundtrack you hear the struggle of a perfectionist father and the grieve the music has as foundation. The soundtrack CD isn't as good to see separate from the movie, because you miss the context and story of the movie. The last track is where brother and sister (-blinded by her father after the brother's departure, also in attempt to make her back singing), who didn't see each other for years, instead of going for their recognition of each other, just only sang together, not to see their grieve of the whole story of their life.
The composer made except other movie soundtracks,
strangely enough also more mainstream poprock and folkpop music. So I asume the pansori is traditional, but the additional soundtrack music is Simkoochuls, which combines well here. There's also a strength of performance of singer / performers of the pansori.
"SOPYONJE is a Western Style soundtrack album, and marks the first time this approach was used in the Korean music industry. Prior to the So-pyon-je's release, Korean movie music was only a collection of songs and as such lost much of the connection to the movie. So-pyon-je tells the story of a Korean family of traveling musicians. It follows the main characters through childhood and into early adult life. Set around the time of the Korean Civil War, the story shows the characters's struggle to survive in a time of rapidly changing cultural values. There are happy times along with incidents of great loss and personal tragedy, all of which are complimented with this powerful and emotional soundtrack. Both the movie and the soundtrack won multiple awards both domestically and internationally. Awards included, "Best Picture"of the year at the 1994 Singapore International Film Festival! (was from his home page:http://www.kimsoochul.com/disco.htm)" Folkie Jin
folkie Jin comments: "This music director Kim Soo Chul was leader of Little giant which was great Korean psych band in early 80s. He was a genius about Rock music and guitarist but he tried to popularize the Korean traditional music after he talked with some foreigner. Someday, he played psych rock music on some stage and after it he meet a foreigner. He asked to Kim Soo Chul " Hey Mr.Kim now your plaing music is not you r country music and it is western music. Please listen to your country music."
Another only for one track (female vocals) a bit mellow, slightly melancholic acoustic folkpop ssw-album. In a very tempered way with powerful sad expressions. One can "feel" a kind of early Cohen-like expression, poetic and philosophical. Musically perhaps his best. 8th track is more like a Korean traditional, a bit gypsy-folk like to give an idea, very emotional.
"Jeong Tae Chun is unique activist. Before or after him, nobody couldn't use folk music as a tool of revolution. He debuted in 78 as traditional folk musician. His mood based on farmer nature. He was expacted singer-songwriter and got popularity but he felt what's wrong.
In 1988, the year 24th Olympic held on Seoul, JeongTae-Chun released his 4th LP "Mu Jin Sae No Rae" . The first album after he awakened about social participation. It was moderate album comporatively.
In Korea, Military Dictatorship censored music, movie, comic and soon. So many artist can't be free, but they don't have bravery to fight for their right.
But Jeong Tae Chun started alone. His 5th LP "Ah, Dae Han Min Kook" is very aggressive album against government. On this album, the story about depressed people, people who are dying in social ignorance, tragedy of war, people who lost hometown, people who died in struggle against the power, conceit of the rich and so on.
This album released in not censored state, so it was illegal album, and he was accused by prosecution and he accused the law violated the Constitution to the Supreme Court.
On the long and winding road to correct the law, he participated in assembly of laborer or in demonstration and sing his songs.
Laborers wept after listening his song, cause of it was their own story.
Also he releases 6th LP "92 Nyeon, JangMa, Jong Ro E Seo" also illegal album.
In 1996, censorship became illegal. He won the war. But he tolds he defeated. He told the fight about people vs. power.
He dreamed the revolution and Dae Dong Se Sang (The world all the people became the one.).
I respect cause of he act agrees with his mind"
Written by Jeung Chul
*Seung um Bang Eui-Kyung (KO,1973)**°
Tr.11, "title ?" 3 min
Quality of my recording isn't too well, so I prefered not to airplay much of it. Acoustic singersongwriter with acoustic guitar.
Folkie Jin comment: "This album is Ultra rare and the highest price record in Korean folk records. Normal price is over 2000 $!! Every Korean folk collectors wanting killer item!! It reason that Normal female SSW sound but it has very fragile and deep feeling female voice and it give to nostalgia in 70s to Korean old music fans."info in Korean here
* Seoul Lee Seung-Won : 2 : On the tree field(KO,1992)****
Tr.1, “See the world Su-Ya” 5 min
Tr.4, "Sang Ju rice-planting(Korean traditional song)" 5 min
Beautiful acoustic singer-songwriter album (acoustic guitar, voice, one track with some additional keyboards), slightly complaint-like. 4th track has Korean flavour. 6th track sounds like having some additional dulcimer ?. (Folkie Jin : "These are Korean traditional arrangements. it called "Kamumgo""). Very good ! Impossible to airplay less. 10th or last track is with band (electric guitar,drums,organ..).
* Oasis Ltd.Lee Jeong Sun : Best (KO,compilation1992)*°
Tr.9, "A river which never get across" 4 min
Tr.10, "Ships on the sea" 4 min 8
Nice professional acoustic guitar track (combination of blues with UK tradition) with singing. I need more time for total album. Also second track has fine acoustic guitars. Other tracks are lighter pop.
"Lee Seung Sun is more famous as an editor of Acoustic guitar guide book than Singer song writer by Korean people.
But We have to recognize his nice ability as a Singer song writer if you're a serious Korean folk fan. Welll he was not a genius but he tried to improve his music level and made a costant effort for it. What is important is that he lead the Korean folk scene boom in 70s and introduced Bluesy folk music for the first time in Korea. I think especially his string arrangement was the best in Korean folk scene and it was expressed on Folk harmony group "Sunflower" albums. Also he popularized Electric blues music to Korean music fans! Anyway So he is an important Singer song writer in Korean folk scene. His musis was chagned to bluesy folk more after his 3rd album (1977). He just said that
" Welll I played music for a long time, in a similar way but it is more complicated. Music has to be more easy and simple. Blues music has to leave space!" folkie Jin
Outro :
* Sea Ra Bul Rec.Kim Doo Soo : The road of Shiori / A cuckoo (S-KO,1986)°°°°’
Some of the songs on this album, like on all of his albums are a bit mellow. One track is with brass arrangement. These two chosen tracks are very very beautiful and pastoral folk guitar singer-songwriter style. A few more tracks on this album are somewhat similar.
Track titles :
1. The dream of little bird, 2. A cuckoo, 3. Post card, 4. The road of Shiori, 5. A journey 6. Aheeya Doong-Ki, Doong-Ki, 7. Flower grassland-Mother's grave (The road of shiori 2), 8. The lovestory in the rainy day, 9. Jung-A 's Rose, 10. Little boat and blue bird, 11. Can't make be love
* Sea Ra Bul Rec. Kim Doo Soo 2 The promised land (S-KO,1988)°°°’
Tr.7, "My soul is just a flower on the road" 6 min
Tr.8, "Twilight Part 1,2" 7 min 11
First chosen track is a very beautiful song with acoustic guitar and female backing vocals. This particular track sounds a bit like Leonard’s Cohen “Song from a Room”.
Track titles :
1. The promosed land, 2. Hey Butterfly, 3. Round back, 4. The green frog Su-Hee, 5. The flower grassland; Mother's grave -the road of Shiori 2, 6. A little bird on church spire, 7. My soul is just a flower on the road, 8. Twilight Part 1,2, 9. A song of mystic
* Sea Ra Bul Rec. Kim Doo Soo 3 : A bohemian (S-KO,1991)**°°’
Especially the complete B-side of this album is really beautiful folk singer-songwriting with international alure / flavour. Last track has a second slide guitar arrangement.
Track list :
1. A bohemian, 2. The people in the riverside village, 3. Free of my hearts, 4. The sun shines on the water(Ad lib for meditation), 5. The river, 6. At the distance, 7. The sceret of green barley field, 8. The shade of a tree
