Golden Sunflower Lion

About the SHELTER VANGUARD Series
7th Album, Side Story

The working title during pre-production for The Lady Shelters' 7th album, Golden Sunflower Lion, was
SHELTER VANGUARD.

The first time I encountered that title was during a single oden gathering with the four members. It started when Tokusho-san began the conversation: "Once I get a phonograph, I'd really like to listen to Alfred Cortot first."

"Come to think of it, records by the Casals Trio or the Capet String Quartet... it's unthinkable for a piece to just fade out at the end, right?"
"Yeah, that's true. With classical and jazz..."
"Come to think of it, our CDs don't fade out much either. Coincidence?"

Then the conversation shifted to the differences between stages in each genre...

"But with classical or jazz, if there's a power outage, would the performers keep playing if the audience lit up the sheet music and their hands with their phone flashlights?"

"Originally, back in Schubert's time 200 years ago, lighting was lamps and candles, and the sound was obviously live, right?"
"Tough and raw genres, huh?"
"But what about old blues, country, Japanese folk, or shamisen and singing? Wouldn't they be the same?"

"Huh! But wait, couldn't we do it too...?"
"That's the vibe of our second single. A tiny underground club, Electric Lady Shelter Vanguard! We'd use chargers or dry batteries, though."
"Since the whole city's blacked out, an underground live house would literally be a shelter."
"Acoustic Shelter Vanguard!"
"Nah, we'd still need a small amp and vocal mic at least, right?"
"Until the power goes out, yeah."
"If it's summer and the AC isn't working, we can't do it, right?"
"Nah, we're just talking about the image and the spirit of it."
"The latest shelters are obviously partly electric, of course!"
"Well,"vanguard" means avant-garde or pioneer, you know."
"You're looking it up on your phone!"

Pop, pop, the conversation flew back and forth.

Although I was quite drunk, the scene of just the four of us, without the help of dazzling lighting or a line array PA system, sitting alone on a simple stage in the basement of a long-established jazz club, facing the audience with the music at the center, certainly spread in my mind (with a touch of romanticism).

"But wouldn't it be no good unless the songs were really good?"
"Oh, I see. Then maybe we should start when we're around 50."
"Ah, but wouldn't it be okay to mix in some cover songs? Even the Bill Evans Trio only plays about half their own songs, right?"................



After that, another theme for the 7th album, "dance music," came up, and the album title was changed. I heard about it later on the phone.

So, once the mastering is done, how about the five of us get together for a white offal stew party?
When I asked, he declined, saying he was extremely busy remixing the live album Shell Mokambo from scratch.

(I was a little disappointed, thinking he didn't need to say "extremely.")

That live CD is apparently scheduled for release around spring next year (2026).

Once again, I didn't get to write the liner notes for the crucial 7th album itself, but it should be available on streaming services starting October 25th.
(Absolutely no prior knowledge needed whatsoever)
It's an extremely masterpiece.


August 2025

Rock 'n' Roll Enthusiast
White Force Junior