Tatsuro Yamashita had proven to be a very talented songwriter, arranger, producer, and performer since his early days with Sugar Babe back in 1974. The 8 years he had been around were not totally easy for him as an artist, presenting a path full of rough moments and issues that almost lead to the end of his career as a solo artist, but it was all worth it in the long run. Every project that Tatsuro dedicated himself to, as well as the many artists that helped to shape his identity as an arranger, songwriter, producer, and performer, only helped to show a definitive build up towards him becoming strong figure both in the music world as well as in the mainstream. The man showed a lot of promise for what seemed like a prolific career, while also showing a lot of self awareness and space for growth both on studio as well as onstage. These were things that he would fulfill with each passing studio release, showing a slow, but rewarding, evolution and refinement of his entire passion. All his projects had something good to offer, and even when they were not totally polished it still held some importance in the way his mindset, style, and musical approach would change depending on the direction he took with each new project.
With Tatsuro, there was always a sense of something new being brought to the local music scene, and it was that same feeling the one that would be part of the almost non-existence success he had at first, as well as the reason why he would become such a revered artist, with all these new sounds becoming part of the mainstream years later. Tatsuro wasn't reinventing the wheel, these were simply very occidental ways of dealing with music that were made accessible and captivating with iconic songs that would become classics of Japanese pop. Sugar Babe's songs introduced a very interesting blend of soft rock with pop, marking the birth of city pop and the new wave of pop that would storm through the 80s on an album that might as well be described as one of the pinnacles of the genre very early on. This not only showcased the talent of all the members involved, but it also showed a young Tatsuro as a strong arranger, producer and songwriter, further reinforced with with collaboration with Ginji Ito and Eiichi Otaki on Niagara Triangle. Feeling that he had space to grow, he challenged himself traveling to the US while kicking his RCA/RVC era in order to record his first solo debut album Circus Town. The album would be the result of a messy experience, ending on an unfocused project that did show a lot of potential, but the unpleasant experiences recording the record would be for the better on the way his career would evolve. Yamashita learned the importance of picking artists that would mold to his standards, while also being introduced to both a new style of arrangement and songwriting by partiture as well as to new musical influences that would drift his style into new paths, with jazz, funk, and rock being the main elements to be applied to his music.
Tatsuro was started to get recognized among musicians and labels as a talented man, appearing as a guest artist/arranger/producer on multiple albums, and building a reputation that lead to him connecting with multiple artists. His musical ambitions grew stronger, and the need to apply the things he learned lead to the recording sessions for Spacy in 1977. Spacy gathered an all star cast of session players that included some of the most respected names in the music industry at the time, with Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto being just two of the multiple names to catch attention, where they all collaborated on a record that showed a slow evolution towards a unique style of music that was full of energy, passion, and personality from beginning to end. Spacy included a lot of masterpieces, with Love Space and Solid Slider being the main examples of such a case, and it held a strong musical focus where the songs were built with a live setting in mind (something that the fantastic It's A Poppin Time showed on its full splendor, being an early proof that the best way to experience Tatsuro's music was on a live setting), but it also turned out to be quite the issue for Yamashita's career. The album sales were not going well, mostly due to the decision of not releasing any singles up to that point, as well as Tatsuro having problems with critics and being limited with an audience that was condensed to only Tokyo's underground music scene (with other choices such as releasing a double live album not being all that helpful in the longrun).
Even if that underground fanbase and the music industry respected him and supported his decisions, those things didn't make up for all the budget invested on the big projects that Tatsuro had in mind, but projects like Pacific made the label stick with the artist in hopes for a better future. However, all this pressure and frustration lead to Yamashita getting a pessimistic mindset, treating the production and recording of his third solo album as the last one of his entire solo career, taking liberties trying different styles of music as well as other ideas that he simply felt like applying to a full record experience, coming up with the unfocused and messy Go Ahead! in 1978. But still, Tatsuro being Tatsuro, he managed to deliver some iconic songs, and just when he thought his career was over, a couple of those tracks were released as singles that proved to have some minor success, with Bomber being his first notable hit, as well as the song that would reignite his passion and save his entire career. No time was wasted, and this funky style found on Bomber, as well as other ideas that were made possible thanks to the flexibility given by the newly founded AIR label within RCA, were applied on 1979's Moonglow's, where a particular atmosphere and tone were being tackled in different styles, bringing a lot of highlights throughout the record, and presenting one of the most focused projects of his entire discography (with some moments left for the artist to have fun, with songs like Taxi Driver being the main example of this).
A lot of hits started to rise with the singles (with small releases like the first entry of the Come Along series dragging attention towards his early material), and the strong touring across Japan proved a big success, with Tatsuro's reputation slowly expanding to the mainstream, giving him more freedom to try things out and refine his craft towards something much more polished. Finally, the true climax of everything he had worked on until that point arrived in the form of the classic and successful hit that was the Ride On Time single, followed with the iconic Ride On Time Concert 80-81 tour, and culminating with the Ride On Time album in 1980, kicking him to the top of the charts, paying off for years of a rough path towards what he always deserved with his solo career. Everything had fallen into place, he had finally found a stable lineup that met his expectations, with some minor guests for some particular moments, as well as presenting a full album that was consistent and focused front to back, without any sort of loose songs that didn't fit within the main mellow and sweet atmosphere that was an extension of what Moonglow, and most of his projects, seem like wanting to achieve up to that point, finally pinpointing down the perfect balance for his vision at the time. This sudden explosion in popularity meant a lot of different things for Tatsuro. For the main part, he had freedom to do whatever he pleased on the studio (with projects like the Acapella/Doo-Woop "On The Street Corner" being a small whim that he had earned after years of being limited on what he wanted to do), but it also meant that he had a lot of touring scheduled for 1981.
This would be the first year where Tatsuro didn't step into a studio for a personal project (he would still collaborate with artists like Taeko Ohnuki, Minako Yoshida, and his partner Mariya Takeuchi on their respective solo projects), but that also meant that there was more time to work on his music. Due to finally finding a stable lineup, he felt the chemistry and the performances getting better and more cheerful with each concert, something that motivated Tatsuro to find a new particular focus and atmosphere for his next project. New written material that was prepared and already being performed live was abundant, and since he now achieved his dream of not worrying about budget or time restrains, he took his time choosing the songs that would end up on the follow up to Ride On Time. He also started to be more open about how he felt that his live shows were the definitive way to listen to his music, therefore, he started to use the new audio technologies to record his songs live in order to capture the particular energy that he and his band had built up during all that tour, without losing a studio quality on the sound. What Tatsuro searched for, that big balance between everything he had in mind, was achieved with no stress whatsoever, finally being confident about the sound that he built up after years of writing music. And all this hard work, all these years of barriers, influences, and accomplishments, ended up on Tatsuro Yamashita's sixth studio album For You, released in early 1982.
For You was a new way of looking at things. Tatsuro had built up a particular style of music around what was mostly a mellow atmosphere. Sure, songs like Funky Flushin, Bomber, Silent Screamer, or deep cuts like the Pink Shadow cover were upbeat and bleeding of energy, but they all kept in line with the main tone and mood that dominated his music. But all of this could probably be explained as a way of him expressing his state of mind at the time, pushing through the barriers, facing difficulties, and being nostalgic of the past, but all of that was over now. He had finally settled down where he deserved, and after all those years, he was finally ready to move on in 1982. It was a year for changes, for some "new beginnings", with big events like him ending his contract with RCA/RVC later that year and finally getting married to Mariya Takeuchi being some of the big ones. He was grateful for all that life had given him, and all of that lead to him being more positive about things, much more upbeat and joyful in every aspect. For You was an expression of that, his sixth solo album was very much "summer like", a celebration of everything he had accomplished, a perfect blend between new and old. The surf rock/pop aspects from artists like The Beach Boys were embraced more than ever here, and rightfully so, they fit right into the emotion, blending perfectly with the style of songwriting and arrangement he had at the time. It's not that the mellow atmosphere was ignored, that had become an important part of who he was, but it was all treated under a different light. For You was the perfect contrast to Ride On Time, while using most of the elements present on that record (the lineup, the songwriting style, the way the arrangements were presented, among many other things), but it also worked as a very appropriate extension of the ideas he had presented over the years, keeping the personality and identity of Tatsuro more alive than ever. It was just another consistent and completely engaging project front to back, a record full of masterpieces that would go down in Japanese pop and undeniable classics.
One doesn't really have to dive deep into the record in order to find these moments of beauty and perfection, with the opener alone being enough of an excuse to call this another musical accomplishment for Tatsuro Yamashita. Sparkle is just a pop masterpiece, and there is no other way to put it, there is no better way to put it. It is a statement of how a new era for an artist is just about to explode in a joyful and beautiful way, with every single element that is being used not going to waste, presenting a very iconic track that uses every single second of its runtime to its own advantage. Tatsuro started using his now iconic Fender Telecaster during the Ride On Time tour as a replacement for the gear that had damaged during the concerts, turning out with a very positive outcome, with him finding a guitar that suited his expectations in every setting possible. And the first taste of the unique sound that the guitar brought to studio can be felt on all its glory with the first riffs of Sparkle, a song written and arranged with this particular guitar in mind, as well as, just as it was to be expected, presenting itself as a song that is just meant to be played live. It is not a long song, but it really doesn't have to be, with a particular structure that just has everything on its right place. The production value followed the careful arrangement and balancing achieved on Ride On Time, but it was all focused under a much more grand and shiny perspective. From Yamshita's joyful guitar intro being complemented by the grand trumpet arrangements, further being embraces by Tatsuro's impressive and captivating vocals, Aoyama's explosive and simple drums, Ito's already iconic basslines, Shiina's rhythm guitar further embracing the main melody, Minako's fantastic background vocals, and even the wonderful saxophone tying it all together after its wonderful solo segment; it all makes up for a track that knows how to carry its own structure, being memorable and engaging from beginning to end. Everything has a reason to be, setting up the main tone and atmosphere on a fantastic way.
Music Book follows right after, being more in line with what could be seen on Ride On Time's first half, but still being notably much more lighthearted and joyful on its atmosphere due to the production and the performances. It is nothing but a great contrast to the explosion of happiness that was Sparkle, being much more calm on its main melody, with the trumpet arrangements being further reinforced (with a small solo segment only adding to this key element of the track), as well as being complemented with the introduction of the string segments. The main highlight, however, are the passionate vocal performances. Tatsuro's vocals are sweet and accurate for such an experience, nothing outside of what he presented on his previous projects, but they work on a very particular way under this new atmosphere, giving that already iconic vocal style a new light. The backing vocals are simply impressive, with Minako's arrangements being a highlight of the track, ending up in extra layers of texture that add more life to the performance. A great and highly engaging track, being used as one of the main singles in promotion of the record. After this, the first acapella interlude of the album is introduced, being very much in line with the overtures that were presented on Go Ahead! and Moonglow, but this time used to set the mood between tracks. The idea for such a thing came up during the recording of Ride On Time, and there were some interludes recorded and ready to be used there (being released years later with the reissue of the album), but Tatsuro held to that thought and applied it on something much more fitting on For You.
The interlude itself is very short, and it sets the tone for Morning Glory in a very nice way. Originally written Mariya Takeuchi's Miss M album taking on an AOR style, Tatsuro decided to change the focus of the song towards something more fitting for the new atmosphere that he had found, working out on a much better way. The track opens up on an engaging manner, with Namba's fantastic keyboard taking a bigger presence going along Tatsuro's suiting vocal melodies that know when to shift in tone from verse to chorus, presenting a particular tone and melody that is built and expanded throughout the song. It starts on a very calm way, and with the introduction of each new element, the backing vocals, the simple instrumentals, and the wonderful trumpets, it all builds up on the second half on a very nice way, still keeping the vocals and the keyboard melody as the main highlights of the mix. A very sweet, straight forward, and charming track that just stands out for how passionate it feels. The second interlude of the record steps in, being a reprise that is played on full, serving as the outro of both the track as well at that particular atmosphere, both of these being shifted on the final track of the first side of the album in the form of Futari. This track is just a very grand and somewhat mellow ballad that is performed with a lot of passion, being very in tone with the two previous Yamashita solo albums, but carrying a more positive energy in the way it is executed. Just like with these sort of tracks, Hiroshi Sato comes in as a guest artist on the soothing piano, with that aspect being the main reason why the instrumental works the way it does. Everything fleshed out in the right way, with Tatsuro's vocals being the main highlight of the track, displaying his range on a very impressive manner, specially right at the end with everything coming together for a great finale. It is simply an engaging track that gives a subtle and charming twist to a formula that Tatsuro had already refined, making up for a highlight of the album, and a great way to close an already fantastic first half.
The second half of the album wastes no time and kicks off with another lively upbeat anthem in the form of Loveland, Island. Originally written as a jingle for a commercial (this being more and more common for Tatsuro, with full compilations documenting these minor hits, with him already being part of many commercials and even starring in some of them), the samba inspired melody proved to be a surprising and unexpected success, with the demands for a complete single version being high from the public. Eventually, and in a smart business move, the full song was not released as a single, but instead part of the For You album, which increased the sales even more and got more people engaged to the music that the man had to offer. Just as to be expected from something born out of what was meant to be a memorable jingle, everything is on point with this track, with a more than engaging and iconic chorus being the main reason for why it works the way it does. Every part of the instrumentation, (specially the iconic sax adding layers of detail to an already textured track), the vocal performance, and the wonderful mixing make up for a balanced track that achieves a certain atmosphere that encapsulated passion and love on a very sweet way. A joyful song that knows what it is, what it wants, and how to accomplish all that in the best way possible. The third interlude of the album introduces a new acapella transition, leading right into the lush and bright Love Talkin' (Honey It's You), a song where the interaction between Ito's funky, yet simple, bass, Aoyama's minimalist and poweful drums, Shiina's complementary guitar, and Yamashita's guitar and vocals make up for a very marked and engaging rhythm. A track much like in the spirit of Funky Flushin and Silent Screamer, but taken on a much more simple, yet still functional, approach. That main focus on the rhythm (further embraced with the extra elements like the harp and the background vocals) is polished on a fantastic way thanks to the production aspects, with the mixing presenting a pristine balance between the vocals and the rest of elements, without anything getting overshadowed whatsoever, helping this to become another highlight of the album.
The pace and tone suddenly presents a really sudden shift with Hey Reporter! coming in as the deal-breaker of the experience. Surprising as it is, this turns out to be a personal track, being mainly a response to all the experiences with paparazzi that Tatsuro and Mariya had before their wedding, but the focus of the song was totally odd for Tatsuro's career in most aspects. The instrumentation is somewhat funky, and the vocal performance is laid back and charming for how odd it is, but the weird production and mixing choices make this a track that can almost feel like it shouldn't belong on the album. Even then, this was never written to be a masterpiece. It is very much in line with Moonglow's Taxi Driver, in both spirit and placement on the record, serving as a break from all the things that were shown until this point, an unexpected shift in tone that still carries the atmosphere and tone with a fun and charming instrumental. And just like Taxi Driver, this was made just for Tatsuro and the band to have fun on studio, and one can tell. Even if it doesn't really fall into place all that well within an album experience, it certainly is a nice and fun change of pace, and it works surprisingly well for what it is. After the reprise of the acapella interlude, the album picks up the pace again in the form of Your Eyes, closing up the experience on a very nice way. Even if the entire album would be somewhat of a foreshadowing of Tatsuro embracing the summer like music inspired by artists like The Beach Boys, Your Eyes would be the main track to be guilty of this, even being re-recorded for the 1984 Big Wave ost, where he would embrace the sunshine pop and vocal surf aspects to their full potential. Out of most of the tracks on the album, Your Eyes is probably one of the most straight forward in many aspects, once again being originally an unreleased Mariya Takeuchi song (thus why the lyrics are written in english, and also having a proper release by the artist 31 years after its main conception, with a very nice rendition from Takeuchi), but used for this record and becoming a classic from Tatsuro's catalog, appearing in most compilations and concerts throughout his career. It is not a perfect or incredibly layered track, but it does work incredibly well for what it is, being memorable due to how lovely and sweet it turns out to be as a farewell for what is simply just a classic album.
Most big artists with a considerable discography and career have that one album or song that marks a before and after on the way things would turn out in future projects. Tatsuro Yamashita is one of the exceptions where he constantly seemed to be reinventing himself with each new project, bringing new elements into the mix, and making up for engaging and lively album experiences. Every record brought new challenges and barriers that Tatsuro overcame in different ways, but always bringing a positive outcome in the end, even when things seemed like just not getting better at all. Hits like Bomber and Let's Kiss The Sun were the result of stressful times, with Ride On Time, both the single and the album, being the culmination of all that particular mellow and passionate atmosphere that had been built ever since Circus Town was released, bringing a mature project that was full of great tracks front to back, making up for a Japanese pop classic. It was the first major taste for success that Tatsuro savored after years of hard work, finally achieving everything he had been looking for, with a stable lineup, a style of songwriting and arranging that worked wonders for him, and concerts that made his name something easily recognizable all across Japan.
In many ways, Ride On Time could have been the end of his career, but his streak of masterpieces was not going to stop that easily, and, just as it was mentioned before, the next step that would mark a major change in his career finally started taking shape in the writing of his sixth solo studio album. However, Ride On Time really marked the end of an era, but its follow up marked the beginning of a new one. For You was born out of that more positive lifestyle and atmosphere that he found after all those years of struggling with critics, labels, and the public. So positive, that it reflected on the music on a great way, with that stable lineup finding a much notable and bigger chemistry, as well as finally having the liberties to take his time writing, recording, and producing his follow up. That positive energy, the lighthearted and lively emotions that were becoming iconic on his concerts and his personal life were transferred on a fantastic way to 1982's For You. It followed a similar style, attitude, and personality that was already seen on Tatsuro's previous material, but it was all shifted in tone and atmosphere to something much more joyful, almost entirely "summer like", full of love and happiness from beginning to end.
All of Tatsuro's influences, ideas (like the acapella interludes or the balance between different tones on all the tracks finding coherence within one full album), and musical ambitions were transferred perfectly to For You, a record that presented a collection of eight wonderful tracks that just stand out as being memorable in their own particular way, with each track having a personality and focus of it own while still sharing the main atmosphere and tone of the record. From the explosion of joy that Tatsuro's fender telecaster introduces on the first chords of Sparkle, the calming and passionate keyboard and instrumentation on Morning Glory, Hiroshi Sato's mellow piano being applied to a very sweet ballad on Futari, the jingle-driven structure with a samba melody that manifests itself in the form of the catchy and captivating Loveland, the Beach Boys inspired Your Eyes as a soft and calming closer, to even the odd and unique Hey Reporter! that adds more variety to the album; every track on For You has something to offer to the listener, and it makes up for a very enjoyable and engaging project. The mixing and production achieve a very special balance, with Tatsuro's wonderful vocals being the soul of the entire experience, while being complemented by the talent of everyone involved in the performances. The Ride On Time lineup comes back being impressive as ever once again, just shining under a different light, but still keeping the passion igniting as bright as ever.
People can call this "generic within the City Pop world", but by doing so they are completely ignorant of the fact that Tatsuro was one of the main pioneers of that particular wave of pop that took over the 80s in Japan. He was the one that brought most of what made that sound, that style of music with that unique aesthetic, a thing of its own, introducing songwriting tropes and influences that were just unknown in mainstream Japanese music at the time. Records like For You were the first of their kind, and even when compared to other City Pop acts, and even previous Yamashita albums, it stands out on its very own due to the personality, the talent, and the passion that is poured into the music. For anyone that truly dives on his discography, for anyone that is interested on looking at all the things that made him so respected in the business, it is clear that Tatsuro was never a one trick pony. The man had a love for music that lead to him borrowing inspiration from multiple places in order to create something that was unique. From soft rock to surf pop, from jazz to funk, from conventional 50-60s doo-woop and acapella to even blues and samba; everything clashed within one particularly recognizable sound and variety that what made every Tatsuro album the more exciting to listen to. And even then, when one looks at other artists that also stood out in City Pop around that time, like Taeko Ohnuki, Eiichi Otaki, or Hiroshi Sato, or even artists outside of that field like Akiko Yano and Ryuichi Sakamoto, one would always see Tatsuro Yamashita being involved in one way or another, being present in records that would end up becoming iconic in Japanese music. Tatsuro was by no means generic, and he certainly made sure to not come out as forgettable.
It is true that Tatsuro Yamashita's name wouldn't blow up in the occident until decades later, with people finding this particular album and falling in love with it, mainly thanks to the rise of the vaporwave scene on the internet, but Tatsuro already was, and still is, a giant on his local music scene, a legend of Japanese pop that built a name for himself with record like this one. For You is a classic album, and even if it can be argued that other albums on his catalog achieve the "absolute masterpiece" status, they do so on their own right, and this record is no exception. While something like Ride On Time presented Tatsuro's way of being proud of all his past by finally polishing all he had been working on throughout his career, For You was looking at everything under a different, more joyful and lively, point of view. It was a celebration of what he had finally accomplished, and the happiness he finally achieved in both his musical career and his personal life. 1982 would be an important year for Tatsuro, touring would certainly not be over, but he would end his contract with RCA/RVC after six years of working with the label, finally ready to more forward with the new ideas he had found on this new state of mind, and even things like his wedding with Mariya Takeuchi taking place that same year. It was a year for changes, changes for his best, and For You certainly symbolized that better than anything else in the best way possible. It presented a collection of song that just explode of bliss end genuine emotion; inviting anyone to get immersed on the lively, memorable, and heartwarming atmosphere that it provides, with Tatsuro sharing his heart with the entire world.
Songs written For Love, For Passion, For Happiness, but more importantly, songs written For You.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Favorite Track: Sparkle / Loveland, Island / Morning Glory
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