Golden Picnics

If “Lady Violetta” had not arrived, Yonin Bayashi might never have found a place in a collection like this. The track moves ahead of its time toward a slow, supple fusion feel, with Masakatsu Morizono's guitar doing the persuading. It is a surprise from a group better known for bringing hard rock into Japanese progressive music.

The force of Isshoku Sokuhatsu may be the band's calling card, but Golden Picnics has a completeness and quality of playing all its own. This was the one album made with both Morizono on guitar and vocals and Masahide Sakuma on bass; their contrasting talents give its arrangements a distinctive tension. Start with “Lady Violetta,” then stay for the breadth around it.