KOREAN PSYCH-ROCK & ACID FOLK/POP reissues : Choi An-Soon

Rhythm On Choi An Soon : Song Collection (KO,1972,re.2011)***°

chosen for airplay : track 2,4

Most of the album is folk songs with acoustic guitar, possibly more of the tracks are covers of popular Western song hits (like “Plaisir D’Amour” and Greensleeves”). The picking is good and the voice has a sort of strong quality of innocence I rarely heard in this amount outside Korea (such approach could easily balance between sensitive and mellow). For some tracks the singing makes a few strange turn, perhaps it was not always totally correct for each note or variety as an interpretation. One track has an annoyingly loud small arrangement of melodica. Another track is accompanied by piano. Some of the last few tracks (like 8,10) are with a rock band (Hammond organ, drums, electric guitar, drums), so we have a slightly rockier song too. The last track might either be a mistake, or is the track by the rock band which accompanied Choi An Soon. This is one of Phoenix's most psychedelic rock tracks with lots of fuzz guitars and some organ, with more raw screaming male vocals.

Korean info : http://www.maniadb.com/artist.asp?p=112055

Oasis Rec. Choi An Soon : : Original Hit Songs (KO,comp.1991)***

chosen for airplay : 3,4,6

This compilation is a bit more Korean styled. We hear a very gentle, (bitter)sweet, almost fragile, attractive high voice singing songs with the accompaniment of soft rhythmically strummed and picked guitars, lush orchestrations, some melodica arrangements here and there and relaxed and soft electric bass and percussion. Here and there are some flute arrangements. I also hear in one track some washboard percussion. A few tracks have some very special sound of a keyboard with crystal echoing notes (?), leading the melody nicely. Two tracks have an additional male voice singing. A few tracks are a bit more mellow, but in general the combination works very fine. This might not give easy highlights, but I pretty much appreciate the formula, possibly also because of the successful, beautiful voice.