NEVERLAND message from island K28A-388

Island Messages in Rock: Neverland’s Early Album (K28A-388)

Let’s explore an early release from the Japanese band Neverland, focusing on their 1983 album, “Message From Island.” Issued on King Records with the catalog number K28A-388, this 12-inch vinyl LP captures the band during the formative years of the Japanese hard rock boom. This particular copy includes the original obi strip.

“Message From Island” showcases a blend of styles characteristic of the era, fusing energetic hard rock with accessible pop-rock elements. The album features heavier, driving tracks like “Outsider” and “24 Jikan Nemurasete” alongside more upbeat, catchy numbers such as “Festival Fantasy,” demonstrating the band’s versatility within the rock genre.

This album holds particular historical significance due to its lineup. It features bassist Hiroyuki Tanaka and keyboardist Shunji Inoue, both of whom were also members of the band Lazy during its crucial transition from pop idols towards a hard rock sound – the period just before Akira Takasaki and Munetaka Higuchi departed to form Loudness. This connection makes “Message From Island” an interesting piece for tracing the lineage of musicians within the influential 80s Japanese rock scene.

K28A-388 captures the early sound of Neverland, offering a mix of hard rock energy and pop sensibilities, and features key members linked to the Lazy/Loudness story. The included obi makes it a desirable item for collectors interested in this pivotal era of Japanese rock.