The 1997-2003 reissue of this compilation is a great way to introduce people to the wonderful music of Tatsuro Yamashita (only rivaled by the fantastic Come Along II). It is a collection of songs curated by Tatsuro himself, and it offers a great introspective look at his solo career until 1982 (his most popular and easily recognizable era), showing the different atmospheres, tones, and styles that he was able to offer ever since 1976 on a very comprehensible way (even if it doesn't end up being a perfect experience as a final product). It's just passion, talent, emotion, and joy from beginning to end.
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, and previous releases having a slow rise in sales; it was only a matter of time before an official "Best Of" compilation was released. The public technically had a taste of that in 1980 with the release of the wonderfully charming and captivating Come Along (one of the key factors in attracting new listeners towards Yamashita's old material), a release that had a very unique personality and flow for a compilation, with the aesthetic of it being a radio show introducing a good portion of the highlights from Tatsuro's catalog in order to engage audiences. However, this record was done without Yamashita's permission (which lead to him denying it as part of his main catalog until decades later), making the initial LP prints be available for record stores only and a limited cassette print was made available for the public. Taken that into consideration, a proper compilation from Tatsuro Yamashita hadn't been officially released to be widely available for all audiences to buy, leading to the eventual release of "Greatest Hits! Of Tatsuro Yamashita" in 1982.
It certainly was the proper time to release a record like this, following up the momentum of, not one, but two best selling and highly successful album, with Tatsuro being a national sensation with the jingles, singles, and concerts that promoted his image as well. It also would become the last release under the RCA/RVC contract after six years of working together, putting the final nail in the coffin to that early era of his career, and thinking more seriously about what to do in his future, with a relatively newly found success, a positive attitude, a new happy marriage, but with him nearing the age of 30, starting to enter the age range that was considered quite old in the music business at the time. A release on this spirit really came as a nice farewell to this relatively long era of his career, and he would certainly do his best to make this something worthwhile now that he finally had control over all his projects. Since he didn't really have enough material in singles to make a "Greatest Hits" project, Tatsuro simply decided to use the name as a joke and a nod to the occidental compilations that had fascinated him for years, with the final tracklist being a collection of songs that Tatsuro curated himself, picking what he thought as his best material up to that point. And while the original 1982 version of this compilation is fantastic on its own, the 1997-2003 RCA reissue includes a couple of tracks that simply give a much better and more complete experience for a compilation of this style (where the bonus tracks actually end up serving a purpose, while also giving one extra oddity that just charms fans, just most of these reissues did).
However, even if all these tracks were carefully picked by Tatsuro, it doesn't really end up being a perfect experience overall. The flow of the album is surprisingly great, and the tracks themselves do give a great look at his entire career in a completely engaging way, being a lively and passionate bonanza of joyful sounds front to back. The main issue certainly relies in the fact that some of the tracks don't really work as well as others (with Your Eyes, Let's Dance Baby, and 潮騒 being main examples of this), and some were changed or shortened on a way that doesn't really benefit them (with the main notable change being the re-recording of Funky Flushin', certainly conveying a slightly different atmosphere and execution than the original, but sadly not managing to outshine the wonderful and iconic version that was found on Moonglow, with some key aspects making up for a slightly weaker version of the track. But there were also choices like keeping the odd abridged version of Solid Slider found on Come Along here, losing part of what made the song so unique to begin with). On the other end, some inclusions and modifications were totally for the best, offering some extra material to look forward to and some versions that work better on the long run (like the slightly shortened version of Windy Lady, or the inclusion of the wonderful あまく危険な香り, a song that manages to work much better on this sort of format). And with the reissue one can even look at the odd, yet charming, 1982 promo "9 Minutes Of Tatsuro Yamashita", that despite the fact that it is nothing but a collection of Tatsuro's songs being thrown together on one big montage, it still manages to be captivating and memorable on its particular way of transitioning between segments.
But all of these details and changes are minor things that don't affect the main experience on a considerable way, delivering for a very special compilation that is just incredibly enjoyable from beginning to end. Tracks like Ride On Time, Bomber, Sparkle, Loveland, Let's Kiss The Sun, and Love Space are simply masterpieces that any respectable Tatsuro compilation should definitely include, and picks like 夏への扉, Windy Lady, and Funky Flushin' go perfectly along side the big classics. Just looking at the selection should be enough excuse to check this out:
Circus Town: Windy Lady
Spacy: Solid Slider / Love Space (On The Reissue)
Go Ahead!: Bomber / Let's Dance Baby / 潮騒
Moonglow: Let's Kiss The Sun / Funky Flushin'
Ride On Time: Ride On Time / 夏への扉
For You: Loveland, Island / Your Eyes / Sparkle (On The Reissue)
Single / Unique Track: あまく危険な香り / 9 Minutes Of Tatsuro Yamashita (On The Reissue)
Greatest Hits! was the best way for Tatsuro to say goodbye to an important period of his life. A retrospective look that goes through his entire discography in a passionate and emotive way, making up for a very coherent and engaging experience that knows how to fulfill its purpose providing some of the best songs in Japanese pop, and pop in general. The compilation did sell very well, and Tatsuro's name did nothing but grow with each passing month. It was time to move on, time for big changes, and there was a lot of time left to keep on delivering some fantastic music. But all of that wouldn't have been possible without the first six prolific years of Tatsuro's career, and this compilation does nothing but to stand proud of all that hard work. It is just an essential release for fans and newcomers alike, with a hypnotizing atmosphere and a collection of pop masterpieces that will do nothing but captivate the heart of the listener.
The greatest hits to make anyone fall in love with the talented, passionate, joyful, and charming soundscapes courtesy of the one and only, Tatsuro Yamashita.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Favorite Track: Ride On Time / Sparkle / Let's Kiss The Sun
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