문주란 / Moon Joo-Ran / Mun Juran Moon Ju-Lan
Jigu 문주란 / Moon Joo-Ran/Mun Ju-Ran/Moon Ju-Lan : 문주란 골든 2005 2CD
CD 1 01. 동숙의 노래 / Dong Sook Song
02. 돌지 않는 풍차 / Windmills That Won't Turn
03. 타인들 / Others
04. 꼭 필요합니다 / It is necessary
05. 공항의이별 / Farewell at the airport
06. 낙조 / Fallout
07. 공항에 부는 바 / At the airport
08. 내 몫까지 살아줘 / Live my share
09. 너와 나 / You and me
10. 별이 빛나는 밤의 블루스 / Starry Night Blues
11. 파란 종이의 편지 / Letters of blue paper
12. 남과 북 / South and North
13. 젊은 초원 / Young Meadow
14. 언덕위의 수선화 / Narcissus on the hill
15. 애수 / Sorrow
16. 태양과 나 / The sun and me
17. 초우 / Chow
18. 마지막 편지 / The Last Letter
19. 안개 낀 고속도로 / Misty Highway
Tracks with * I consider essential listens or classics from a western point of view of listening, as tracks to check out for sure because they seem to stand out as such. This makes them also very suitable for western radio show airplay. Tracks that are only underlined can be considered fine tracks you might better check out as well, but I am not sure how essential they really are.
The first 10 songs are trot related popular music, so I can stand them but prefer not to say much about them. For most western collectors I would say: mostly this era truly is to avoid.
A few highlights I would still like to lift out, like the slower song "South and North" (CD1-12), which gives a different feel and fits more with the late 60s/70s ballroom songs from other singers I appreciate. The more up tempo "Young meadow" after that fits with that new era, with a fine style of a pop/rock association. "Sorrow" is in between this era and darker trot.
CD 2 01. 웨딩드레스 / Wedding Dress
02. 울고 싶어 혼났어요 / I'm crying from excitement
03. 당신이 있으니까 / Because you are
04. 남중 / Namjung
05. 산 넘어 바다 건너 / Cross the sea beyond the mountains
06. 빗속으로 사라지다 / Gone in the rain
* 07. 검은 상처의 블루스 / Blues of Black Wounds
08. 잊을 수 없는 연인 / Unforgettable Lovers
09. 석류의 계절 / Pomegranate Season
10. 여로 / The Way
11. 울어라 열풍아 / Cry fever
12. 사람나고 돈났지 / I was occupied
13. 꽃님 / Flower
14. 망각 / Oblivion
* 15. 수탉같은 여자 / Cocky Woman
16. 꽃피는 십리포구 / Blooming Siripogu
17. 젊은 가슴 젊은 노래 / Youngsters Song
18. 그날 / That day
19. 추풍령 / Churyeongryeong
20. 사랑했기에 / Because I Loved You
On the second CD we first have more trot-related songs. "Gone in the Rain" and "Blues of Black Wounds" are slightly more night club-alike songs. This slight more serious melancholy can be felt in the song of "Pomegreate Season" too. "The Way" and "Cry Fever" I can still take very serious too despite its trot character. After that, all other trot songs sound already more easy consumed and acceptable. "Cocky Woman" is more poppy in a 60s way, with organ accents. The sad pop song "That Day" makes it somewhat different too. "Because I loved you" has small tango accents and lush orchestrations.
You can also find some tracks on the following compilations:
가요(歌謠) 박물관 220 Best Kayo Museum CD box
CD7-11 별빛 속의 연가 / Sonata in the Starlight (1969)
CD7-15 주란꽃 / Juran flowers (1969)
"Sonata in the Starlight" is a fine nostalgic pop song with orchestrations and some electric picking guitar. "Juran Flowers" is a fine sad song with orchestrations, double bass, ... and some organ.
Master Builder Series - 김인배 작곡집 / Inbae Kim 2CD
CD2-3 비에 울던 4월 / April Rain
CD2-9 이슬비처럼 / Like a drizzle
This is a fine lush pop song with attractive latin-like rhythm and bigger orchestrations. The trot-like and nostalgic "Like a Drizzle" is orchestrated in the intro with a more brass.
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CONCLUSION:
Moon Too Ran often is singing in the trot dominated popular music scene and therefore should be approached with some caution. But like most Korean popular singers, she still has a good voice, which leans itself to more serious let's say night club related kind of songs, which suit her very well too.
