In Japan! in Bloomington, MN

Long one of the finer efforts in the
Buck Owens
album catalog and also one of the finest live
country
records of all time,
In Japan!
shines in its compact disc reissue. Originally released by
Capitol
in 1967, this finds
Buck Owens & His Buckaroos
in the prime of their chart-topping existence and playing like a well-oiled machine, firing exquisitely on all cylinders. The opening and closing remarks and between-song translating banter to the audience from MC
Tetsuo Otsuka
make for wonderful ambience throughout, and
Owens
' good-natured master-of-ceremonies turns work hand in glove with him. Musically,
the Buckaroos
, led by
Don Rich
, are at the top of their game, and the live versions here of
"Open Up Your Heart,"
"Roll Out the Red Carpet,"
and
"Where Does the Good Times Go"
sometimes eclipse their better-known hit studio versions. Although his
Live at Carnegie Hall
album is considered by most fans as definitive, here's another one that shouldn't be dismissed for a second. ~ Cub Koda