in our western opinion the japanese people are quite strange. for instance: their language is written in vertical sentences ánd they read it from right to left! so they go through a text the wrong way (as wé apt to see it). however, in the printing world they have the spine at the same side as we: to the right. or visually explained: they handle a book backwards....

with that weirdness it is no surprise that this 'lunar notes' from japan are tuned in an adapted way. as captain beefheart is quite famous over there - usually his local releases came / come with notes and lyrics in two languages! - the demand for a translation led to an unauthorized HARDCOVER version with a totally DIFFERENT LAY-OUT.

(p.s. with unauthorized i mean the fact that the writers of the book never were asked for permission or received money. but then the japanese company could have made a legal deal with the english publisher who forgot to forward the request and the bucks....)

THE OUTSIDE

it already starts with the design of the jackets, for which the unknown publisher (at least, i can't discover its name!) basically used the 'trout mask replica' picture. the front and back of the actual jacket are just silhouettes of it in white lines on a plain light-red background. the wrongly placed 'front' of the outer jacket is the album photo on heavy red, the back side some silhouette 'echoes' on the same bright-red background. and if we were talking about records, a funny fact is that the book even has the equivalent of an 'obi strip', made out of red characters on fluorescent green.

(there's something strange with that pic... - now i see: it's mirrored! do japanese humans also sée the other way round?)

paper jacket (without inner flaps) of the japanese replica

*

THE INSIDE

though it might (have) be(en) a more expensive get, personally i think that bill's memories are so wonderful they deserve(d) a similar 'hardcover treatment' like this foreign 'bootbook'. especially if a next reprint would contain improvements such as a better worked out information bonus than in this illegal copy. for, despite its good idea, it provides an eleven pages long additional captain beefheart discography (and memorabiliography) with ever small, and sometimes even primitive illustrations, unfortunately.

there are a few editorial remarks at the end, but for the rest the book looks relatively equal to the original (except for all those confusing and mysterious tiny drawings called japanese words). although, there is a minus point here: the manufacturer didn't mind to copy - that's the right expression - the not so sharp and mainly off-topic photos into even worse reproductions....

CONCLUSION: for japanese
ADVICE: learn japanese

index page of the lunar japanese notes

*

[updated 230304]

---

announced early 2001 !
BILL HARKLEROAD * LUNAR NOTES
zoot horn rollo's captain beefheart experience

in GERMAN
germany 200? book [publisher and isbn uncertain]
[lay-out and size unknown]

that same message at the ant-bee website (= co-writer billy james) which first mentioned the above issue, early 2001 also announced: Watch for the German version of this critically acclaimed book coming soon! remark for the initiated: ja, dass kann bills frau schiesslich ohne muehe uebersetzen!... and it brings money to bill's family, right?

in the mean time it has become three years later, and nothing has happened....

[020304]

*

click clack back to the library, return to the power station or search on

captain beefheart electricity
as felt by teejo

^