Welcome to episode 52 of Holly Jolly X’masu! In this episode, I’ll be discussing Naozumi Yamamoto’s 1973 album, “Xmas Home Party.”

Over the past two years, I’ve bought a few albums that didn’t live up to my expectations. Most of them were still thoroughly enjoyable albums. In each case, though, an overzealous, ill-informed, or even dishonest review or blog post led to me expecting something other than what I received. In the case of the blogger who sung Yamamoto’s praises and gave the impression that everything he did sounded like “Branded to Kill,” I suspect he didn’t listen to anything other than that score. The scores I listened to sounded wildly different from one another, ranging from the sort of Jazz you find in “Branded to Kill,” to Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western-esque soundtracks, traditional Japanese music, and more standard orchestral scores, similar to what you’d hear in Hollywood dramas and melodramas of the same era. He was a remarkably talented composer and conductor, so at the end of the day, I’m just happy he produced a Christmas album so that I was able to enjoy it and learn more about him.

I hope you’ve enjoyed Naozumi Yamamoto and his music as much as I do, all expectations aside. I also hope at least a few of you make an effort to check out some of Seijun Suzuki’s movies, particularly “Branded to Kill.” It’s a wild, challenging film. It might not be for everyone, but if it sounds like the sort of thing you enjoy, you’ll

Join me back here on the 25th for Naomi Sagara’s 1975 album, “White Christmas.” Contrary to Naozumi Yamamoto, it’s one that really exceeded my expectations. You don’t want to miss it.

As always, any feedback on this episode would be appreciated. If have any suggestions, or if you’d like to recommend a song or album for a future episode, drop me a line and let me know.

Remember, I’ve added a button to my Ko-fi page. If you’d like to support me one cup of coffee at a time, a donation is only $3. I’ve also opened a Redbubble store. I only have a couple designs up, but keep an eye on it as I’ll be trying to add more. Half of any proceeds or donations received will be donated to support the people of Ukraine, while the rest will be used to purchase new Japanese Christmas music to review for future episodes. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And if you get a chance, leave me a review on iTunes. Thanks!