By the time Ride On Time was released in 1980, Tatsuro Yamashita's career seemed to have arrived to the end of an era that had been on a constant build up ever since he properly kicked his solo career with Circus Town in 1976. Throughout his first five solo projects, a double live album, and the many side collaborations he had, the artist had faced a very rough path towards the success he truly deserved from the very beginning on his early days as being part of Sugar Babe. Problems with critics, issues with the label ending up on his artistic visions being limited in many different aspect, off putting experiences while recording his music abroad, and even unsuccessful sales due to the lack of singles. His name was only being recognized on Tokyo's underground music scene, with the mainstream barely acknowledging his existence regardless of the fact that he had offered nothing but captivating projects throughout until that point. However, every barrier that he was faced with ended up bringing him a positive outcome in the long run, with most of the negative experiences being the reason of why Tatsuro's musical ambitions and attitude ended up being the way they were. The bad experiences with the recording of Circus Town lead to him constantly looking for musicians that met his expectations (even if it meant to risk things with the budget by working with giants like Haruomi Hosono), as well as being introduced to a variety of new influences that would shape his musical approach for years to come. The unsuccessful sales almost lead to the end of his career, with his solo ambitions being pessimistic and unmotivated, ending up on messy records like Go Ahead!. But even then he managed to deliver some pop masterpieces in the form of songs like Bomber, a funk influenced track that was used as part of his first official single, becoming his first notable success, and being the thing that reignited his passion for music and his hope for a better solo career.
Those years of stress went by along with a constant refinement of a formula, and a constant search for a unique identity and personality on the music that was being written. But everything started to come out on a better light, leading to the creation of Yamashita's main successful records under the RCA/RVC label. Moonglow in 1979, presenting the beginning of a streak of focused projects that had a lot to offer musically, with it putting what were previously loose ideas to better use, giving them a purpose within the context of an album, with a record that presented one unique atmosphere and tone throughout all its runtime (as well as marking the proper start for his career to find success with the singles that were being released). Ride On Time on 1980, being the culmination of the mellow atmosphere and the musical ambitions he had been showcased since 1976 on a record that simply catapulted his career and personal life to stardom, finally getting recognized by the mainstream as one of Japan's most talented and prolific musical artists. It practically symbolized the end of an era by celebrating the past on a lighthearted way, and presenting some of Tatsuro's most iconic songs on a mature and emotional project where he finally found a stable lineup that met his expectations both onstage and on studio.
The success of the record and the single brought the beginning of a new era where Tatsuro was finally free to handle the writing and recording of his records the way he saw fit, with constant touring where he was able to constantly write new material in order to try it on stage and then decide if it was to be recorded on studio, tack ling a much more upbeat and joyful atmosphere (mainly due to him inclining more towards a "summer like" feeling) while keeping the things that made him unique as present as ever, ending on the release of For You in 1982. Once again, Tatsuro had reinvented himself, but this time for the best, and with a mindset full of happiness and love, with his popularity only keeping on rising constantly with the release of different TV jingles, different singles, and constant touring all over Japan. Both his musical career and his personal life (more stable economically, and even with him getting married with Mariya Takeuchi that same year) shining brighter than ever. Tatsuro found his instrument of choice, with the Fender Telecaster finding its place on the new summer-like atmosphere that had taken over his music. It was not a perfect album, but just like Ride On Time, it became an undeniable classic of Japanese pop, with a considerable amount of successful tracks taking over its runtime, making up for an engaging and memorable experience that only Tatsuro was able to provide.
With one fairly successful release, two number one albums, a considerable amount of popular singles, a successful "Best Of" compilation, and even having his previous releases having a slow rise in sales; Tatsuro's career had a lot of expectation built around it, with fans and people waiting to see the things that would come up with in the future. 1982 was a year of important events in Yamashita's life, and not only because of his second #1 album. He got married with Mariya Takeuchi, he had achieved a positive and joyful attitude in most aspects of his life, he had finally found a stable lineup of talented musicians that gave their all on each concert and studio recording, but above all that, he finished his contract with RCA/RVC after six years of working together. By 1983, Yamashita would turn 30 years old, and due to the many tendencies of the mainstream pop music industry at the time, it was very unlikely that he would be able to keep delivering material and finding success at that point in his life, after the two incredibly popular breakthroughs of his career (with the label itself also thinking of not risking sinking in sales, which made Tatsuro's constant output of popular material the more impressive with each passing year that came along). In that sense, Riuzo Kosugi, the person responsible for Yamashita having the possibility to star his solo career to begin with, suggested that the best option for Tatsuro's future was to plan only a few months ahead, as well as changing to another label that was less strict than RCA in order to see how things would work out (with Kosugi himself following along, starting to expand his own name in the music business thanks to his independent Air label, affiliated to RCA).
Eventually, Tatsuro would start doing business with Alpha Moon records, but he was very clear about his ambitions and desires before signing any contract. Tatsuro had finally managed to get successful sales, but he had been limited to what he was able to do with each project, something that went against the artistic drive that he had presented early on his career. At that point, he wanted to go back to the Sugar Babe era of writing music, a place where he would be free to try as many different styles as he pleased, regardless if it ended up being commercial or not. Asking this to a label was a highly risky move from Tatsuro's part, but Alpha Moon had already seen what the man was able to accomplish, even with simple singles, so letting him have a knock at this style of crafting a record was the least they could do in exchange for what they thought as their next big sales, and these predictions would most certainly pay off rather quickly. Either way, with Tatsuro feeling nostalgic about his different ambitions and his desire to return to that old style of writing and recording process (but still having the support of most of the iconic stable lineup that had been part of the last two RCA records, only excepting Kazuo Shiina this time around, with the help of only a handful of guest artists like Mariya Takeuchi as a background vocalist, Tsunehide Matsuki on some electric guitar sections, or Hiroshi Sato on some piano roles), the production of his seventh studio release was lead by the slogan "Melodies and Memories", temporarily leaving the "summer like" sound behind in order to return to the mellow atmosphere that he had embraced on his early career, ending up on the release of Melodies in 1983.
In many ways, the final product would be something very similar to what was presented on Go Ahead! in 1978, but there were some evident differences. Melodies wasn't born out of frustration and a pessimistic attitude, it was instead carried with a positive and lighthearted view of life, a desire to simply explore the genres and musical styles that he wanted to dive into or pay tribute to in the best way possible. This sudden change in tone was certainly shocking for the new audiences that had gotten into Tatsuro 's music due to the sound on For You, being presented with a record that dived into different styles of music, without a clear focus in mind, which lead to the release having a somewhat rough reception by a portion of the critics and audiences. However, and contrary to what happened on Go Ahead!, the album was a big hit, becoming Tatsuro's third #1 charting record, and this was mainly due to the successful singles that were released both before and after the release of the album (with the later singles leading to Melodies becoming his best selling record up to that point). And even if Melodies didn't turn out to be as polished or focused as the projects that came before it, it stood out for being surprisingly consistent from beginning to end, presenting tracks that would go down as big classics from his catalog, as well as introducing ideas and concepts that would be further explored in future releases.
The very first track is enough proof of this. 悲しみのJody (She Was Crying) is, as to be expected at this point, a fantastic opener and an immediate highlight of the album, a track that stablishes the tone of the record on its own particular way. Of all the tracks found on the record, this is definitely the more inclined to the style found on For You. A very "summer like" inspired track, written in x/8 time signature to accentuate that aspect, although covered with a veil of melancholy on all its runtime. The instrumental is built in part as an extension of the theme song that Yamashita wrote for the "Sounds With Cork" TV show in 1982, but its also a love letter from Tatsuro to resort music. The six drum kicks catch the attention of the listener as they mark the beat on a very superb way, presenting the main rhythm where the rest of the arrangements would be built upon. It is all kept on a very simple manner, with a very precise bass, the use of a very laid back acoustic guitar, the calm and potent piano, the atmospheric and complementary background vocals, and Tatsuro's main vocals taking the spotlight with a sweet and passionate performance, certainly being one of the main reasons as to why the song works so well in the long run. It is not as explosive or as completely fleshed out as other Tatsuro openers, but it doesn't really have to be. It sets up the mood of the record, on that mellow tone found within a catchy and upbeat valley, while presenting the laid back and simple approach to songwriting and arranging that would be found in most of the tracks on the album while still managing to provide for a very iconic and memorable track that stands out in Tatsuro's catalog. The 60s pop atmosphere conveyed on the track is pulled off on a great way, so much so that it ended up being re-recorded with English vocals the next year for the Big Wave soundtrack, where it fitted on a much better way. Even then, the Japanese version found on Melodies is an essential Yamashita track, but the album still has a lot to offer after this point.
高気圧ガール follows up offering a nice contrast and bringing balance on the tone conveyed with the arrangements, being much more upbeat and joyful in the way everything is executed, which lead to it being used as the main single in promotion of the record. It follows along with Yamashita's desire to experiment and try new things with his music, providing a very interesting and engaging blend of styles, with the standout being the Acapella inspired background vocals courtesy of Tatsuro himself, giving the track a lot of personality thanks to that very unique and memorable melody. Mariya Takeuchi's background vocals, the saxophone taking presence on a very subtle way while sitting in the background, Ito's straight forward bassline, Aoyama's powerful and precise drums, the extra layers of detail thanks to the percussion, and Tatsuro's vocals having a very captivating tone while displaying an impressive range; it all makes up for another highlight of the album, a track with a tropical atmosphere that simply does everything it has to do on a very charming way. After this point, the melancholy is embraced on a very clear way with 夜翔 (Night Fly), a track written with a night-time Tokyo in mind, and that certainly shows on the entirety of the track. String arrangements are implemented along side some sweet trumpets (with a beautiful violin and a trumpet taking presence on different parts of the verses), while Tatsuro's vocals stay calm and passionate, with a steady bass and some simple drums to mark the rhythm. It is not a particularly brilliant or unique track, but it sets a tone and an atmosphere that are fleshed out on a great way, with everything being calm and inclined towards a mellow mood that accomplishes everything it sets out to do with the help of the simple instrumentals.
The next track breaks the pace presenting a cover of Glen Campbell's "Guess I'm Dumb", a track written and composed by Brian Wilson, and having a sweet rendition from Yamashita's part, following the tradition of covering Beach Boys/Brian Wilson songs as part of his catalog. Just like Jody, this track would be re-recorded and used as part of the Big Wave soundtrack, but contrary to the first track, this cover doesn't really do anything particularly unique in the long run. The main highlight are certainly the string and trumpet arrangements that appear in different parts of the song, but the rest of the track doesn't really end up doing something special. It is all executed on a correct way, and Tatsuro's english pronunciation is certainly charming to say the least, but it is not a track that feels more forgettable than anything else. Finally, the closer of the first side of the album comes in the form of ひととき, a song that continues with the mellow atmosphere of the previous tracks due to it being inspired by Tom Rush's style of writing music. The acoustic guitar is brought back, having a very suiting interaction with the electric guitar (both of these being played by Yamashita, as well as him having some acapella style background vocals), with minor percussion elements complementing the drums and the bass, with an atmospheric keyboard further reinforcing the atmosphere on a subtle way, with Tatsuro's vocals being the key element in settling the calm tone with a laid back performance. Far from being a bad track, but not particularly unique or memorable either. It works for what it is, but it certainly stands on the forgettable side of Tatsuro's catalog.
However, the somewhat underwhelming second half of the first side of the album is followed with another masterpiece from the man himself in the form of メリー・ゴー・ラウンド, the opener for the second half of the record. Following along Tatsuro's funk driven tracks, Merry Go Round tackles this aspect on its own particular way, being one of the less upbeat tracks on this style of music, instead choosing a calm and laid back tone for all its runtime. Ito's powerful bassline sets a simple and catchy main rhythm, complemented by Aoyama's drums, Namba's relaxed and atmospheric keyboard, and Yamashita's funky guitar. Unlike other Tatsuro funk tracks, this song lacks the presence of any type of solo, instead fleshing out the chorus and verses with the catchy melody while complementing that aspect with the help of different layers of small details present across the song, ending up on a song that feels shorter than what it actually is. Without a doubt, this stands out from the rest of tracks as a very peculiar masterpiece from Tatsuro's part, a highlight of the album that shows this type of atmosphere working on a wonderful way, even if it ends up coming out as a big contrast in tone to what was seen on For You (while also being a great song to expand live, something that would be proven right in JOY, the second live album from Tatsuro). After this point however, something very odd happens with the pacing of Melodies. Surprisingly, the tone and atmosphere stays very consistent with each passing track, but the quality of tracks, the way then end up being executed and performed, certainly feel as a step back from what was presented up to that point.
Blue Midnight (the only song written by Minako Yoshida on the album), あしおと, and 黙想 present three tracks that are not out of the ordinary from what has been seen on Tatsuro's catalog. Going from a somewhat generic mellow tone, an upbeat track that works for what it is due to the intriguing production and the sweet performances (being a track written along side Merry Go Round trying to give a twist to the formula found on For You), and what feels like a different take on what was seen on おやすみ, the closer to Ride On Time, although pulled off on a less engaging way, perhaps due to its placement on the album. These three songs are far from being mediocre, but they are also far from being perfect or well executed. They all have their own particular aspects where things could have been pulled off on a much better way, where the weaknesses somehow end up dragging the things that the songs do very well on their own right. They are different in musical style, tone, and songwriting aspects, being the parts where Tatsuro clearly felt like trying different approaches to one atmospheres, and pulling them off on good ways, but at the same time not providing something fleshed out or all that well written overall. However, all of the underwhelming result on the last three tracks is contrasted with クリスマス・イブ, the closer of the experience, as well as the second big single of the album and one of Tatsuro's biggest songs in general. On Go Ahead! there were minor hints at a track that tried to convey a Christmas emotion, but that failed due to the odd production choices on the vocals and the mixing in the instrumental. This time around, everything is pulled off on a much better way, surprising mainstream audiences with a different side of Tatsuro that was as memorable as his "summer like" reputation. The song would go down as one of his essential tracks, kicking off a Christmas classic that would let Tatsuro get his own season special on the radio every year, as well as further expanding his reputation as one of Japan's best pop artists at the time. It is a sweet closer, a song that simply bleeds of "Christmas", doing so on a great way, with calm and charming performances from everyone involved, closing up the album on a sweet note.
Melodies is a very interesting album. On one hand, it is very surprising to see such a contrast in atmosphere and tone to what was presented on For You (going from a "Summer Like" record to something that was more inclined towards a mostly mellow mood, taking audiences by surprise and being received on a mixed way at first). On the second hand, the collection of tracks that are found on Melodies is not as strong or as consistent as the ones seen on his last three major albums. The thing is, that there was no intention to create that sort of project in the first place. Tatsuro thought that this would be the beginning of the end for his professional solo career, considering himself "too old for the job" at the age of 30 and in the middle of a highly competitive music scene, deciding to keep writing and releasing records for a couple of years until getting a job as a production manager in the early 90s, at least according to his predictions. Of course, he would certainly end up accomplishing that job position, but for very different reasons, and would still keep on releasing music even to this very day to great extents (it is no secret that Tatsuro kept on delivering hits across the years, regardless if there were new records or not, with the recognition and reputation of his name only being more and more respected with each passing year). At that point, his contract his RCA had ended, but his musical ambitions were as big as ever, and now that he had accomplished success, as well as being on a much more positive mindset in general, he finally had the freedom to do whatever he wanted in studio.
If anything, Melodies would end up becoming the beginning of a new era for Yamashita, an era where he was finally free to be as loose and creative with his projects as he pleased, without feeling pressured to craft something that necessarily had to sell or appeal to mainstream audiences. The main slogan for the production and recording of this new album was that of "Melodies and Memories", serving as a way for Tatsuro to go back to the style he had developed for years before the release of For You, tackling it under a different mindset, while also going back to the Sugar Babe style of recording and writing music, trying out as many genres and styles as he wanted to (going from a nod as his main RCA mellow and passionate style, to even full records dedicated to his love for the Beach Boys and Vocal Surf). Even then, he still managed to deliver pop masterpieces on a very constant pace, crafting a lot of songs that would end up going down as undeniable classics of Japanese pop, and Japanese music in general (one just has to look at the singles for the record in order to see songs like クリスマス・イブ going down as a Christmas classic from Tatsuro). It wasn't about selling albums anymore, because his singles were popular enough already to make up for sales, it was that newly found freedom that he found regarding the way he wrote and arranged music.
Melodies was the first try at this new desire to write music that didn't have to please audiences, and in many ways it could be compared to Go Ahead!, where the variety found on the tracklist was born from being comfortable with life instead of being frustrated at his career. Contrary to Go Ahead!, Melodies holds a surprising consistency from beginning to end, presenting a main atmosphere and tone that are tackled in different ways with each passing track, being the reason why this album is engaging and captivating as a full project. On closer look however, Melodies ends up being a mixed bag regarding the musical aspects found throughout the record. The record is much more calm, laid back, and simple regarding the songwriting and arrangements (with Kazuo Shiina being left out in guitar duties, with Tatsuro fulfilling them on a good way). This means that some technical aspects that could be found in previous records are replaced with a much more straight forward and simple perspective in the way tracks are structured (with things like the background vocals or the different orchestral aspects also being simplified and applied on very particular ways), which ends up suiting the atmosphere and tone of the record on a much better way. There are a lot of ideas that end up being executed on a fantastic way, but there is also a lot of tracks that don't really flesh out their style to their full potential, leading to tracks that are far from being mediocre, but that simply end up being somewhat underwhelming in the long run. But still, Tatsuro is Tatsuro, and he is still able to deliver a collection of different pop masterpieces where every element is just in the right place. Tracks like Jody, 高気圧ガール, and Merry Go Round are fantastic highlights that make this album worth a full listen, even if the things that are placed in between don't end up being as engaging or fleshed out.
It is completely understandable why some fans turn towards this record as their favorite Yamashita release, because even in this new laid back atmosphere, it manages to offer a sweet and engaging release, full of memorable moments that stand out from Tatsuro's catalog in general. And even back then, with the initial mixed reception and some of the criticisms, this was Tatsuro's third #1 album, and it would eventually surpass For You in sales, making it his best selling album, going along one of his best selling singles. Personally, Melodies is far from being a perfect album, and even if the highlights overshadow most of the material found here, it is not enough to make up for what feels like a somewhat underwhelming project on his catalog. Of course, Tatsuro would only keep polishing this new way of crafting records, but Melodies was the proper start of this new golden era for his music.
A project where he wanted to go back to his old ambitions under a different, much more positive and passionate, mindset. A place where he found a liberating freedom that let him be happy making whatever he wanted to make. He was making his music thanks to the help of some good memories, eventually delivering some sweet and captivating melodies.
Overall Rating: 7/10
Favorite Track: 悲しみのJody (She Was Crying) / メリー・ゴー・ラウンド
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