The Bridge (2003, Heads Up Records)

Track List:
1. Eternal Phoenix+
2. Caravan of Love*
3. Shaka Phonk
4. Believe*
5. Revelation
6. Another Wish
7. I Just Wanna Hang Around You*
8. Manzanar+
9. Viven
10. Sanju [三十]
11. Seven Rivers*+

* = Vocal Track
+ = Personal Favorite

Notes:

• This was the first of several albums produced and released on Heads Up Records (the first not released on a major record label).
• The "bridge" in question is the First Street bridge over the Los Angeles River, just east of Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles.
• "Another Wish" is a follow-up, thematically, to "One Wish" from the album Another Place.
• Sanju (properly, Sanjuu) is a "30^th anniversary" song for (to) the band itself; it translates to the number "30." This refers to the band's formation (going back to 1974, making 2003 the 30^th year of the band being together).
• Manzanar is the name of one of the most well-known Japanese-American internment camps. Located in central California, it is the destination for yearly pilgrimages by Japanese-Americans. Through various means, the condition of the camp is maintained [close] to its WWII condition, similar to the 原爆ドーム (Gembaku Dome) in Hiroshima, Japan.
• The "Seven Rivers" in question are the seven original rivers that flowed through the City of Hiroshima, Japan. Just before WWII, two of the rivers were merged, leaving only six rivers in the current geographical layout. Originally, band leader Dan Kuramoto knew of seven rivers (but maps only show six, currently), so he decided that the "seventh" would refer to a "mystical" river, a metaphorical river representing several things. It wasn't until a short time later that someone showed Dan an old map of the city, revealing the true seventh river.
  

  1930	1993