한영애 - Han Yeong-Ae / Han Young-Ae
Radio show comments : "The first album is a bit more mellow, "lighter", more acoustic, nice and sweet psychpop in the direction of let's say Melanie. First chosen track is my favourite song, very beautiful. Second chosen track has a spring kind of happiness. Also track 15 has a beautiful sing-a-long happiness. Second album has also a few rock'n roll tracks. There are really beautiful songs on this. I like a lot the track "Light up a Candle".
Folkie Jin : "Well her unknown debut album "Dream in the last night (1977)" was released only a few copies by test pressings. and it was never sell to costumers. So ultra very rare in these days but it is really worth to find it!! All songs and music was produced by Lee Jeung Son. But 2nd album was by Oh Sea Eun who was really koreanized blues folk SSW musician."
This extremely rare album is reissued and available mid-price in Korea. Most of the songs have some melancholic beauty in the songs. The singer there sounds a bit like Melanie at her most sensitive, with a slightly breathy voice. A few tracks stand out very much, like the opener or the ninth song of the album (which is an absolute classic). The accompaniment is electric bass and drums a soft rock band and a few sparse violins-based orchestrations mixed with some synthesiser, a few clarinet/oboe or flute arrangements accents. One of the lesser favourites, track 4, sounds slightly like “The Final Curtain” (in Korean) but it is not. The last song sounds a bit happier. A very nice album.
This later album of Han Young Ae is already mainstream pop/rock with here and there a blues reference, some softer songs with cheap 80s arrangements, or with heavier rockier MOR arrangements (with or without the blues), and in my opinion is not worth tracing for foreigners looking for creative expressions. It has nothing unusual, original or creative and is without deeper emotional consciousness. The ninth track also has some Morricone-like strings and piano. To avoid.
Homepage : http://hanyoungae.net
