I Can Hear The Music, This Sentimental Music / Tatsuro Yamashita - Pocket Music (1986) Album Review

Overall Rating: 8/10

Favorite Tracks: マイ・ベイビー・クイーン / Mermaid / The War Song

By 1984, both Yamashita's personal life as well as his musical career seemed to be on their most stable point. Before that point Tatsuro had finally managed to get out of a period of hesitation, pessimism, and a relatively small underground fame while working with the RCA/RVC label. From his days with Sugar Babe in 1974 to the release of Go Ahead! in 1978 the artist did not receive the appreciation he truly deserved, with his albums and projects having unsuccessful sales, and only pushing forward thanks to the small following he gathered thanks to working with recognized names in Japanese music at the time as well as for his small gigs that were full of energy and talent. Indeed, with the release of Moonglow, the compilations that came along in the road, the main single and album from the culmination of the mellow style and emotion that was Ride On Time, and specially the summer like musical parade of For You, as well as his never ending touring across all of Japan; Tatsuro had finally cemented himself as one of the most respectable and iconic names in Japanese pop back in the 80's. His personal life was going well as well, with him being able to slowly start building up an office of his own, where he would be able to produce music the way he wanted and with whoever he wanted, as well as finally getting married with Mariya Takeuchi by 1982. 

However, by that time the view on Tatsuro's career itself started to get affected by the odd preconceptions from the music industry at the time. Both the label, as well as the artist himself, started seeing him as someone who was getting older than the expected age of successful artists in Japan, with him getting close to turning thirty years old by 1983, and with both parties finally having found success on his music, Yamashita decided to part ways along side his long time supporter/manager/producer Ryuzo Kosugi in order to get signed into Moon Records, putting an end to the contract with the label that had carried him up to that point. The artist saw this as a chance to finally go back to the Sugar Babe approach to writing music, tackling as many genres and styles as he would see fit without the concern of having to craft a masterpiece or a necessarily consistent album from beginning to end, having no sort of restriction whatsoever (with RCA he had some chances of doing this, particularly with a full Doo-Woop record that would mark the beginning of the On The Corner series, but there were still limitations regarding what he was allowed to make). The main idea was to dedicate himself to this style of process for a few years, just to then take a full time role as a producer, sound engineer, songwriter, and composer within Moon Records itself (having no hope to surpass his previous success, living from his record sales, his radio plays, and his multiple concerts across the country, just looking to go back to  a place where he fully enjoyed the process of making music just for the sake of making music). 

Of course, this mentality would make the success of 1983's album Melodies the more surprising for everyone involved, managing to deliver Tatsuro's best selling record at that point, as well as what would end up becoming his most iconic single up to that point. The album itself had a lot in common with Go Ahead!, returning to the old mellow tone in his tracks instead of further embracing the summer-like sound found in For You, as well as tackling multiple ideas with no sort of goal to achieve consistency whatsoever, but this time done in a much positive and prosper state of mind. Sure, the album wasn't entirely consistent on atmosphere or approach to songwriting, and there was material that seemed to be out of place, but there were also wonderful tracks such as メリー・ゴー・ラウンド and 高気圧ガール that stood out within the man's catalog. New fans were surprised at first, but it still received a great reception from all parts, showing Tatsuro that he could keep up with this style as long as he wanted. Surprises kept coming with the arrival of the Big Wave soundtrack in 1984, a record that not only returned to the summer sound, but that fully embraced it from beginning to end. The album itself was a very clear love letter to the surf rock music that became a hit in the early Beach Boys records, of course considering that the music from Brian Wilson was the thing that made Tatsuro dedicate himself to the world of music to begin with, so this turned out to be a highly personal project for him in many ways. Of course, considering this was a soundtrack, the structure of this particular record wasn't really focused on showing something 100% original or innovative. The record was divided in two very distinct parts, with one being Tatsuro's original material and the second one being covers of music related to Wilson one way or another. A considerable amount of material could be found on previous albums from him, but the first stretch of tracks, from The Main Theme (which was used as a single) to Magic Ways, certainly stood out as masterpieces that only Yamashita could be able to provide, but the album as a whole certainly left a lot to be desired as a full experience. 

But still, the reception for both of these first Moon Record albums was great for the artist, and even more fantastic for the company, leaving both the label and the fans wondering about what the next musical step on the man's career would be. In any case, a step sure was needed, and it would eventually come for better or for worse, but not regarding the technical abilities or the musical talent of Yamashita, but more about the way his music was being recorded. The 80's in general were a big transition in many different areas, and in the realm of musical recording/production it was no different. It was a period of transition from analog to digital due to the fact that the recording environment during the mid 80s was an ever-changing one, going from the traditional analog MTR tape recorder of twenty four tracks to one that used a multitrack digital recorder, allowing for recording sessions to be much more open to trial and error, as well as making everything much more convenient and quick for artists. Aside from that, the sequencers had evolved until becoming capable to execute an automatic polyphonic interpretation under low sync MIDI controls with SMPTE time stamps, with those becoming very common in the field of production for commercial music. However, since the recording of Ride On Time and For You, Yamashita didn't feel like that style of musical production was valid, seeing it as something that lacked true soul in some ways, not transitioning to digital equipment and conserving the analog gear that was still available in the market. The problem relied on the fact that the music scene had begun to fully adapt to that integral digital style, with Tatsuro himself deciding to stop fighting against the times and finally transfer to digital equipment for the production of his new projects. 

Therefore, Yamashita was introduced to multitrack digital Sony equipment, with the main mindset being to take as much advantage as possible form the dynamic range of the new digital recordings, resulting on low sound pressure and a sound that required far more refinement in the mixing, but it also required a slow adjustment to the difficulties that these new tools presented at the time due to them being something relatively new within the industry. Of course, the main genres that used this style of production to its full potential were the early stages of Hip Hop music, pushing the sounds of elements like the synths to the front while also having the help of samples, making the sound something much more concise. But even then, pop music had begun evolving and adapting to this, with more and more artist relying on sampling, but others simply taking advantage of the new possibilities that could be found when it came to the mixing. It was still music, with a very similar result to analog in the long run, but the process itself was far more different than what Yamashita was used to until that point. Of course, the new record that would come out using this new style would end up being the first attempt at something in this spirit within Tatsuro's discography. 

The new digital equipment sure was something that faced difficulties in some technical aspects, but it sure allowed for more freedom in the approach to the music itself. In those circumstances, the new project was produced with a big experimental spirit, even within the man's catalog, being something very similar in spirit to what the man had found within sessions for Circus Town and Spacy (where he implemented things like a new form of writing music by sheet ending up in new styles of arrangement, as well as being more conscious of the musicians he used for his music) with Yamashita himself pointing to the new material as "a prototype". This new project was initially scheduled to be released in 1985, but the transition to digital equipment was something that took even longer than what was expected at first, requiring a huge amount of "trial and error" before ending up on results that Yamashita was satisfied with. The new Sony/PC system used in the production of the new album did provide for a lot of new possibilities when it came to experimentation in many different aspects of the music, but there were a different number of technical difficulties as well. The system itself didn't provide enough precision when it came to the synchronization of the sound, with Yamashita not feeling the initial results as something that was made by humans, something that lead to the date for the release, as well as the expected tour in promotion of the new project, to be delayed in order to end up with a satisfying final product. But it all ended up paying up in the end with the release of 1986's Pocket Music. 

Pocket Music would be Yamashita's first full original album since 1983's Melodies and his first full studio release since 1984's Big Wave. The release itself would be very significant for Yamashita's career as a whole, mainly due to the fact that it marked the beginning of a new era in Yamashita's music, bringing many different changes outside of the way the production was handled. Tatsuro's role within the recordings themselves would be even more significant (with him taking the role of multi-instrumentalist by tackling multiple main elements such as the background vocals or the electric/acoustic guitars; outside of working as the main producer, songwriter, and composer) leading to something that was very reminiscent of the sessions for his first albums, taking multiple musicians in order to add more variety to the style of performances for the different songs (including the presence of Hiroshi Sato in some piano parts, Yutaka Uehara for some drum segments, Mariya Takeuchi on some vocal parts, or the inclusion of Kenji Omura on the electric guitar). The iconic RVC/RCA live/studio lineup would still remain alive for the most part, but the album would mark the departure of Kazuo Shiina and Minako Yoshida, as well as Tatsuro keeping a mindset of "musicians have to continue their careers, and they do work with others, so if they want to be part of the project they sure are welcome at all times". In many ways, Pocket Music started showing Tatsuro implementing everything that had formed part of his career and pushing through with new ideas (bringing in help from people like O'Day to help with some English tracks for example), as well as still working with Ryuzo Kosugi in management and budget. 

All of these things resulted on a dynamic and varied recording process full of experimentation for both the music itself as well as for the production aspects, being very reminiscent of the process on Spacy, still conserving the creative freedom that Moon allowed him to take, but focusing once again on bringing up something polished and consistent for the most part, contrary to the two previous studio releases that had come out under the label until to that point. Indeed, Pocket Music ended up being a very dynamic record, almost as if it were mixing the mellow and summer atmospheres that Tatsuro was known for into one very engaging and consistent experience. Over the course of ten tracks, Tatsuro managed to offer a glimpse on a new formula that he was refining with the passing of time, offering a very dynamic record that looked to use every single element in the best way possible. The production itself is somewhat different to the previous projects from the master, of course considering the new equipment that was used, being something much more layered and impactful in different aspects, but still making up for a distinct sound that makes a lot of the ideas work in great ways. 

Pocket Music is able to show a lot of the things that make it intriguing from the very beginning, with 土曜日の恋人 opening up the album on a very upbeat and captivating way, and showing a lot of the new aspects that make the record something very peculiar within Yamashita's catalog. In a way, it was one of the first ideas that Tatsuro had since 1982 that he was able to try out due to the help of the digital equipment, being possible for him to make somewhat of an anachronic track that tried a lot of different dynamics with the arrangements, but that took a lot of time to accomplish due to the incorporation of the new tools. The main thing is the sound itself, with the production and the mixing the drums, the keyboard, and the piano at the very start of the song have much more attention and balance to them, with a structure where there are clearly different volumes being used individually, but that make up for something very coherent once put together. The melody itself is very comparable to the upbeat elements of Yamashita's summer-like works, but the atmosphere is as if it holds much more relationship with the man's more mellow material, being a very interesting dynamic that makes up for a very distinct sound that will be fleshed out even further with the rest of songs in the album. Yamashita's vocals have somewhat of an echo to it (and perhaps a little bit of reverb in the mix, but the track also stands out for the absence of guitar when it came to developing the melody), but it does serve to the particular aesthetic of the atmosphere itself, as well as going along incredibly well with the subtle and impactful bassline that drives the harmonies of the song. Of course, the final result is something that sounds very odd at first, feeling as if it could have used more work in some aspects, but for a first attempt at these new styles of production it is a very pleasant track (in fact, it was such a first attempt that Yamashita himself worked in different versions of the same song, some longer and some with a different mix, in order to present something that he was much more comfortable with). The song itself is a very nice track, but it certainly doesn't stand out all that much compared to previous Tatsuro openers, but it does fulfill the role of presenting different aspects of the album on a great way. 

Following right after, we are introduced to ポケット・ミュージック, known better as the title track of the album, something that immediately shows an improvement over the use of this new style of mixing and production with a tighter and more polished sound that balances out all the elements being presented while also holding consistency with the opener. The song was built after the title of the album had been decided, and it was an attempt at creating a more fleshed out synchronic musical pattern, with an unusual use of the drums, only using the kick drum and the hi hat in order to mark the main rhythm pattern for the most part, while complementing it with the bass and the main acoustic guitar. The use of different layers of acoustic guitar drive the harmonies and the progression of the song, making this take on a much more emotional and simple approach to arrangements, but fleshing out with every new segment, always presenting new elements that complement each other while also making use of a repetitive aspect, making up for a very outstanding instrumental, something that is incredibly polished and effective despite its initial simplicity. The sweet acoustic guitar complemented by the rest of instruments, Yamashita's soft and captivating vocals, as well as the delightful background vocals done by the artist himself, all colliding on the wonderful humming on the bridge, it all keeps building up slowly, ending up on a very satisfying and soft chorus. Only in the end is where the snare drums are introduced on a very subtle way along side a fantastic trumpet, while main line of the lyrics keeps being repeated by Yamashita's multi-layered vocals. Definitely a fantastic track that starts showing the potential of the new technologies, setting up the quality bar higher and higher. 

Mermaid serves as a great contrast in tone, going from the slow build up with acoustic guitars into a somewhat of a mellow melody to a more upbeat summer-like tone. How not to, reportedly, this track was written during the For You sessions, but it was discarded because it was a very unusual bass pattern that was hard to capture with analog equipment, something that the new digital equipment finally allowed to be accomplished in full detail. As if it were something planned for the Big Wave sessions, Alan O'Day helped to write the lyrics in English, ending up on a very peculiar and charming love story that is incredibly effective due to the strong and wonderful chorus that it presents. Yamashita's pronunciation certainly adds a lot to the experience, but the main arrangements certainly provide for engaging dynamics that capture the attention at all times due to the catchiness of the melody. The tropical-like atmosphere due to the percussion and the guitar make Mermaid something that stands out on its own from within the album, being one of the clear highlights of the experience. 十字路 presents a contrast once again, reintroducing the emotional and mellow atmosphere with the guitar, it is not necessarily unique or very out of the box, but it does execute its main ideas on a good way. A minor guest contribution from Mariya Takeuchi's vocals on some bridge segments (initially planned for Taeko Ohnuki, but this was not possible due to time constraints), ending up on a very particular progression through somewhat of an unusual structure, fading out in the end while Yamashita's vocals get complemented by his own backing vocals in the reprise of the chorus. It could have definitely taken a much more interesting and polished route creatively, but the execution is certainly pleasant and very well done, leading up to メロディー，君の為に, the final song on the first side. 

The song itself was recorded for a soundtrack, but it ended up not being used, so Tatsuro himself decided to reuse the instrumentals in order to make it into this new album. As a main theme for a film or a commercial it would most definitely fulfill the job on a great way, a very catchy melody that fleshes out over the progression of the track. Instrumentally it is very much in line with the rest of songs on the album, with each instrument having a different part to the rest but relying on the synchrony in order to make up for one cohesive melody, but introducing the main backbone of the entire arrangements right at the beginning (this time around being the groovy bass), reusing elements such as Yamashita himself on backing vocals, the trumpet solo to add more dynamism, and the final reprise of the chorus while building up with the vocals on a very sweet way. It is something very charming and engaging due to its atmosphere, executed on a great way, but not really fleshing out to its full potential, closing the first side of the album on a very nice note. The second side opens with The War Song, the track that is perhaps the most popular or most recognizable from the record, and for very good reasons, since it is a definitive stand out song. The interaction between the synth (which ends up acting as the backbone of the entire melody, being complemented by a subtle bass and a very prominent guitar), the dynamic found with the minimalist use of the acoustic guitar, the simple and impactful drums, as well as the different percussion elements that offer more and more layers to an already rich experience. It all makes up for a very captivating dynamic that fleshes out more and more throughout the progression of the song, until climaxing on the brief but incredibly memorable final section where Yamashita's vocals collide with a wonderful guitar solo from Kenji Omura and the rest of instrumentals. It is a very prominent and engaging sound that surrounds the listener at all times, that keeps developing to its full potential with every new element that is introduced, making up for something peaceful and very captivating, truly living up to the name that it takes.

シャンプー comes right after showing a very big contract with the atmosphere of the previous track, yet still capturing the same style of mixing in the vocals (something with echo perhaps due to the use of some minor amount of reverb). It is a calm track, almost childish on its relaxed spirit, but also conveying that particular tone thanks to the keyboard itself, as well as the sweet saxophone that carries itself with different solo segments, while also complementing Tatsuro's vocals when needed. Certainly a nice break within the pacing of the record, but something that doesn't end up working all that well due to the production values. It could certainly be inferred that this was one of the first tracks made with the new sound equipment, so they might as well could have kept on struggling to capture this pure mellow sound to its best possibilities, something that had almost no problem on analog, but these statements can be said with 100% of confidence about ムーンライト. This song was one of the first to be mixed and produced on the new computer software that was being used during the sessions, taking almost a month to be completed due to the different variations that it had. Another attempt at approaching the mellow tone to its best extent, but having some elements not collide well with others as a whole. Might have been the production, the arrangements, the vocals, or everything together, but the song doesn't work as well as it could have. That is not to say that there aren't elements to take away from the track. with the backing vocals and the main vocals being the main standout of the entire song, going along well with the drum dynamics that are provided, but as a whole it is still something that could have been better in the long run. And really a similar thing can be repeated for Lady Blue, another mellow track with very emotive and powerful Tatsuro vocals, as well as being one of the few tracks on the album that had backing vocals from New York gospel singers (but that still ended up being complemented by Tatsuro's own background vocals in the end), but that doesn't end up working all that well on this very particular style.

Of course, all of this may imply that Tatsuro still had a long way to go with recording more mellow-spirited tracks on the new equipment that was being used, ending up on a three song stretch that leaves a lot to be desired compared to previous songs on the album, but 風の回廊 definitely serves as proof of the contrary. The closer of the entire album is definitely one of the songs that manages to capture the mellow atmosphere while also blending it with the more upbeat background vocals ending on a very interesting dynamic between tones, but it was also the first digital recording from Yamashita within his discography. It was written as first as commercial music for Honda (and a shortened jingle version can be found within his multiple works, particularly on the second CM compilation), so the main focus of the track was creating a very catchy and straight forward melody, something which was accomplished on a great way. Of course, the song stands out due to it being one of the first uses of a drum machine within Yamashita's catalog, but the song does have a lot to take away (in particular the incredible layers on the repetitive background vocals, managing to be catchy while also complementing the main vocals, which have their own power and presence within the mix). The percussion, the guitar, the bass, the keyboards, the wonderful sax solo; it all makes for a quality closer, something that shines due to its creativity when implementing all the elements on a very synchronic and cohesive melody. An outstanding track, serving as a nice way to show the true potential of the new equipment, something that could certainly be refined to its best results with enough patience and attention.

Of course, the main 1986 version of the album ends on that very pleasant note, but the album as a whole is something that could definitely improve in the long run. But that was the thing, the new digital equipment allowed for the master recordings to be improved over time, and a number of tracks within the album received multiple versions with slightly different mixing. But if something is to be said about Yamashita's catalog is that he is one of the few artists where all of the main album remasters and remixes are worth listening. In many ways, these bring new life to the recordings, tightening up some lose ends in the mix, and sometimes implementing some slightly different versions in order to make up for a best experience, offering the best way to listen to the album. Aside from that, these usually come with a number of bonus tracks that add more depth to the content within the album, but that are clearly for those who are big fans of the man's work, including demos, alternative mixes, snippets of different kinds, and rarely some truly bonus tracks never heard before. Normally, I don't pay much attention to bonus tracks on reissues unless they bring something relevant to the main experience (such is the thing with the reissue and remaster of "It's A Poppin Time" for example, adding the live versions of Love Space and You Better Run, making up for the definitive experience of that live recording, or the bonus material on the "Greatest Hits of" compilation, making up for a more complete look at the masterpieces of the man's catalog), but Pocket Music is one of the few exceptions of this.

Not only is the 1991 remix of the album much more polished as a full studio project, but it also included a new closer for the entire experience. The inclusion of マイ・ベイビー・クイーン/My Baby Queen, a bonus track recorded during the 1985 sessions of the album, certainly make this album even more special. The track itself was discarded from the initial tracklist due to the fact that Yamashita didn't know how to implement Japanese lyrics to what was a very western way of building the arrangements, which would have worked well enough with some English lyrics. However, the man persisted with his vision, and he was finally able to implement the track as the closer that it was meant to be at first. To put it on an understandable way, My Baby Queen is a personal favorite Tatsuro Yamashita song, a masterpiece of pop music that shines on every possible way and that shows polish on every possible aspect of its songwriting, its production, its arrangements, and its performances. Every element found across Pocket Music finds its way here, polished and refined on every single level, making up for a love song that just needs to be heard in order to be fully understood. In many ways, it is more comparable to the songs found on 僕の中の少年 more than the ones on Pocket Music, and maybe it is due to the time that the man had to refine the mixing by getting more used to that technology, but this particular version is the definitive culmination of everything found within Pocket Music as a whole. 

Pocket Music is a very interesting record In many ways, it can be pointed as it being a very important transitional point in Yamashita's career. By that time, Tatsuro had been shifting from analog recording equipment to digital gear, something that expanded the possibilities of what he could do with his music, but that presented a lot of difficulties when it came to adapting to the new technologies. The result was a very long recording and production process that, on Yamashita's own words, would serve as a prototype that would be polished in following releases. The experimental freedom that the artist had thanks to signing up to Moon Records would see itself being used for the best. Contrary to the loose and easy going spirit that was found during the recording of Melodies and Big Wave, this album looked for more consistency, for experimentation with every element that was available in order to make up for polished and tight results that would be consistent and coherent with each other in both atmosphere and technical aspects. The wonderful RVC/RCA lineup would see the loss of Kazuo Shiina on guitar and Minako Yoshida on backing vocals, but it would compensate with a return to the formula of Circus Town and Spacy, where more artists were brought in order to meet up Tatsuro's expectations, fulfilling his different ideas in the best way possible. Of course, Tatsuro himself would tackle an impressive amount of roles within the recordings, with most of the tracks having him as the only background vocalist doing the multiple parts on his own, but the inclusion of guests like Kenji Omura on guitar, Hiroshi Sato on piano, as well as counting on essential parts of the remaining members of the RVC lineup would end up on very dynamic and engaging results.

The album itself would end up being one of Yamashita's most experimental projects, but not because he would go overboard with his compositions, but because he would tackle ideas that wouldn't have been all that reliable with the use of analog tools. All of the tracks on the album present synchronic melodies, with every element having a rhythm of its own but complementing each other once put together (very reminiscent of the Sugar Babe and Spacy sessions, but finding themselves expanded further with the amount of layers that were able to be used thanks to the multitrack recorders). In the end, it would all make up for highly intriguing tracks that shined due to their own personality. Songs like the summer-like joyful bliss that is "Mermaid", the prominent power in the sound and emotion on "The War Song". or the wonderful dynamics found on the arrangements of the title track showed Yamashita's attempt at tackling different ideas from across his career in order to flesh them out properly with the new equipment, resulting on outstanding material that was full of charm and talent on every aspect (I highly encourage anyone to get the 1991 Remix version of the album, for it is definitely is the best way to listen to every single track, making the highlights stand out even more due to an improvement in the mixing, as well as including the masterpiece that is My Baby Queen, one of the more overlooked diamonds within the man's catalog, being the definitive standout from the album and the sessions that formed part of it, for it was the song that was meant to be the original closer of the record, but that ended up being cut due to creative limitations at the time). 

On the other hand, Pocket Music is not a perfect release. It was the first attempt at using the new tools that were available which meant that there was a lot of trial and error involved in the recording of the material, something that kept being a thing even years later, with multiple songs on the tracklist finding themselves with different versions that expanded or reinterpreted different aspects as a whole. Sure, there was a consistency on the atmosphere thanks to the production and the mixing, but those aspects worked for better or for worse depending on the tone of a particular song. The three song stretch from シャンプー to Lady Blue shows that there was still a lot of field to be polished when it came to implementing these new elements to the more mellow aspects of Yamashita's music, and even songs on the first half, such as 土曜日の恋人 or メロディー or 君の為に, show rough edges as final products, things that could have been polished further if more attention had been put into them. But even with all those aspects, Pocket Music is certainly a great project within Tatsuro's catalog. 

Pocket Music would definitely set the ground for what 僕の中の少年 would expand and refine on its own way a couple of years later, but on its own the album is definitely a very pleasant and engaging experience from beginning to end. It is the growth of an artist that was adapting himself to the new times to the best of his abilities, but that did so in a way where he was still able to showcase his incredible passion and talent on songs that stood out due to the personality, emotion, and charisma that formed part of them. There might be masterpieces that shine more than other tracks, but every single song has something to offer in the long run. 

An album full of love, joy, melancholy, and determination. Music to be heard on the run, as well as to get lost in when the moment allows to. Far from perfect, but a pleasant and engaging experience that is definitely worth a listen in the end.