Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Favorite Track: Loving You / We'll Celebrate Tonight / Love Is Serious Business
Music history is something very strange. Thanks to the internet, digital preservation of different forms of media is something that has allowed our current generation to have access to countless projects that would have otherwise faded into the depths of never-ending media. On the same vein, and over the years, the rise of internet forums, internet archives, and pages/blogs that have a passion for documenting the history of bands and artists has got people to a place where the access to information about any given topic is incredibly overwhelming, with the main limitation usually being a language barrier (but even then having rough tools that aid in that regard). Both a piece of media and their respective contexts can be found online, regardless of how extensive or limited the information or the quality of the content might be, it is still something that welcomes those who are interested to dive and learn further about those worlds. However, it is not always the case that these two aspects coincide together. Sometimes, we have access to information (interviews, blog entries, official pages, internet databases and even minor things like forum comments) about a certain piece of media, but not to the project itself. In that case, we know that it exists somewhere out there, that someone has it be it on physical or digital form, but it just simply hasn't been shared with the world, entering the odd world of lost media, where evidence might exist, but certainty about what is real or what is not thriving at every giving moment. However, and as it was mentioned before, this can go both ways. Sometimes we have access to the project itself, but the context and information surrounding it ends up being covered in mystery, sometimes being very limited, and others just being non-existent. And that is the case with the Japanese pop trio Pao.
As mentioned before, not much is known about Pao in general, but at the same time not much is known about any of its main members. Reportedly founded in 1978, the trio consisted of fashion model and singer Sabine Kaneko, composer/animator/manager Yoshikazu Miura, and City Pop's beloved mystery girl Takako Mamiya (which is the main reason for which some express their interest towards the band, being the only known link directly related to Mamiya in any shape or form). However, contrary to popular belief, Mamiya's involvement with the band would be relatively short, lasting only a few months before leaving the band, with the only noticeable legacy of her involvement being the 1978 single "Say Yes", a tropical pop song where Mamiya's voice is clearly the spotlight, being carried out in a very simple, yet effective way, and being in the same spirit as for what the group would expand later on without Takako's involvement. The reasons for her departure are, as one might expect for everything surrounding her, unknown, and the reason to why she took four years to reappear on the music scene or what she might have been involved in during that time, are also something of which people just don't know anything about. But, regardless of all that, Pao continued moving forward with the project. Indeed, after this point, the trio would incorporate female singer Fumiko Miyazaki in order to fill up the newly found empty space, with the project pushing forward with a couple of singles before releasing their only studio album.
In 1979, Pao would release their following single, one that seemed to have the objective of presenting the new main cast, but also promoting 1979's George Roy Hill's film "A Little Romance" to local audiences, with the group recording "A Sunset Kiss", the main song from the movie, in Japanese. After this point it can be inferred that the group gained some sort of notoriety, with them being ready to move one step further and signing a contract with Japan's label "Invitation" in order to record their one and only studio album. One single came to be in order to promote this new project, taking the form of the split "Love Is Serious Business / Silence", two songs that pretty much encapsulated most aspects of what the group had to offer, with one side showing upbeat tune that used its different production values on a very great way while the other offered contrast with something much more calm in the atmosphere, but also touching the theme of love, just on a more relaxed and somewhat mellow way. Either way, this would all slowly lead to the release of "You", usually called "Vol. 1" as well, Pao's first, and last, full studio effort.
All that we know about the band is related to the official releases and the information provided in the album itself. There is no information about the album's success, if it had any success to begin with, its reception, a news article, any sort of interview, if there were any form of live performances or concerts in promotion of the material on public or on Japanese media, or even what happened to Pao and its members, with the band simply ceasing any form of studio related projects and activities after the release of You. But what we do know turns out to be incredibly intriguing. According to the liner notes, the recording for the songs of this first album included the participation of more than twenty musicians, a very surprising number specially considering the fact that the album doesn't really flesh out or try to do anything out of the norm on the instrumentation to begin with, but what is more than that is the fact that among these names stand some recognizable figures from that time, at least when it came to studio sessions. But why surprising to begin with? Well, it all comes back to the label itself. Invitation is more known for the fact that artists like Geinoh Yamashirogumi released and promoted their material under that brand, and while it formed in 1972, it really wasn't a very big household name during the 70's and 80's, at least outside of the big names like Geinoh, so having the possibility to connect with musicians that were working with big labels like RVC/RCA and big artists like Taeko Ohnuki and Tatsuro Yamashita certainly end up coming as a surprise.
It is a very intriguing and mixed bag to say the least, and just looking at the credits for the people that were involved explains why the arrangements and performances end up being one of the main strengths of the release regardless of their simple spirit (that ends up suiting very well with the atmosphere, the vocal performances, and the lyrical themes because of that aspect). Indeed, the lineup for this record is something very peculiar, presenting names that are somewhat odd to see paired within one project, specially considering the time. However, and with the fact that the popularity of the band is something unknown, it can all make sense, but it is still something covered on uncertainty. To be clear, we might infer what role did the members played on the album, but it is still hard to pinpoint on what track did they collaborate respectively. Just looking at the main arrangers is enough to get surprised, with Satoshi Nakamura (keyboardist who up to that point had worked with Kazumasa Akiyama and the Guitar Workshop Ensemble as a saxophonist and that would end up working with big names like Ryuichi Sakamoto, Akina Nakamori, Taeko Ohnuki and Tatsuro Yamashita) and Shigeru Suzuki (iconic musician of Happy End and Tin Pan Alley fame, that had also helped Haruomi Hosono, Akiko Yano, Tatsuro Yamashita, and Taeko Ohnuki on a multitude of records and that also provided some guitar work on the album) helping Miura on those aspects of the album.
After that point, it is mostly an interesting parade, a mix of well known and lesser known figures from that time. Michio Nagaoka (from Miki Matsubara and Shogun), one of the four bass players, stands out because of his work along side Hideo Yamaki (once again from Miki Matsubara, Shogun, and Mariah fame) one of the three drummers. Names like Yutaka Uehara (ex Sugar Babe and guest musician for a bunch of projects from Eiichi Otaki, Taeko, and Tatsuro, and that would also come to appear in the credits of Takako Mamiya's mysterious Love Trip) on drums and Kenji Omura (talented artist who appeared on a multitude of records from Akiko, Taeko, Tatsuro, and Sakamoto, but that would also end up providing an unfairly overlooked prolific discography) as a guest guitarist catch the glimpse of those who are aware of the Japanese music scene from the 70s-80s. Guitar work from Masaki Matsuraba (part of recording sessions for Moonglow and Mignonne, as well as being part of the short lived group Parachute), keyboard work from Hiroyuki Namba (who would end up being part of Tatsuro's iconic 80's live-studio lineup), and even odd names like Daisaku Kume (who had a handful of collaborations at that point, but that would end up breaking new ground with his appearance on Flipper's Guitar and Cornelius's solo work) pop up on the credits. People like Nobu Saito, Pecker, Shunzo Sunahara, Mariah's Yasuaki Shimizu, and Shigeharu Mukai are some of the names from people who had at least a noticeable reputation on the music scene at the time. But even then, there are also credits from people who just appear on even less projects, people like Fumihisa Suzuki, Joe Strings (Takashi Kato), Ryuchiro Seno, or Martin Willweber, artists that have as much information about them as the main figures of the record.
And even if this might have come out as chattery, it still helps to have a somewhat closer understanding to what was going on behind the production and elaboration of the album. But what does Pao have to offer with You? It was very clear that the inclusion of so many artists lead to a dynamic experience, different styles of performances and tones that make up for unique deliveries that stay in the same vein thanks to the atmosphere and the tone, and even the clash between the main arrangers helps understand the evident variety found within this project. The way the songs are positioned on the tracklist maintains a balance and a continuous contrast that makes up for a very consistent and engaging experience. The chemistry between Kaneko, Miura, and Miyazaki is a very pleasing one, with the female vocalists being the center of the experience, while Miura's collaborations stand mostly for very concrete tracks, almost serving as dynamic breaks from the main focus of the album. The result is a sweet record, with themes of love being the main dominant feature, staying on a calm and upbeat spirit for the most part, but recurring to mellow and emotional elements only on certain moments. It is far from being perfect, but considering what it was, it definitely stands on a very pleasant spot.
The first two tracks end up showing the dynamic of the album on a very good way. Only Gloom shows the tropical and calm Suzuki influence on the arrangements, being somewhat reminiscent of what could have been found on his collaboration in 1978's Pacific, a suiting opening that uses an acoustic guitar to settle the mood, while elements such as the trumpets and the strings collide with the drums, the energetic electric guitar, and the subtle bass bringing a catchy and captivating melody. On the contrast, something like Morning Rain brings light into the gloomy parts of the record, with Ryuichiro Seno's harmonica taking the spotlight along side a piano and the rest of instruments slowly being integrated, while the vocals get intonated on an emotional way. This dynamic goes on for the rest of the record, with each song playing on the resources and arrangements on a specific ways, with spaces for some very unique moments that offer a nice break even if they don't end up working all that well (with tracks like Gin Lime, Old Timer, and 262 Affair being a great example of this, this last one being a track that re-uses some of the elements from the opener in order but using them in a different context while offering a sense of full circle), with even the possibility of separating each track based on their influence being something fun to do.
It may sound repetitive, and in a way it kind of is, but the tracklist balances it all out to the point where every song feels fresh and every contrast feels pleasant, and that increases more due to the variety in the performances. There are songs that definitely could have used some work (mostly those who try to tackle the mellow aspects of the songwriting and performances, with tracks like Morning Rain, and specially Silence being good efforts, but definitely being something that could have been fleshed out to an even bigger extent), or that don't end up feeling completely in place within the album (like Gin Lime or Old Timer). But still, the main strength of the record are the full upbeat moments, those explosions of bonanza, joy and love that just steal the show in the best way possible. Love Is Serious Business, the main single, encapsulates all the strengths in a very good way, but other tracks in the album definitely flesh out the capabilities with the keyboards, the string arrangements, the calm drums, and the groovy guitars. We'll Celebrate Tonight blends the upbeat elements with the mellow tone on a very balanced and outstanding way, lead by the two vocalists complementing each other on the best way possible, and showing the full potential of the engaging and charming percussion. On the other hand, Loving You is the big track that pushes most of the positive aspects forward, a great song that has a lot to offer, starting with a very energetic intro and unveiling with every passing second, until reaching a very upbeat climax with the vocals and the instrumentals at the very end of the song, just to then transition into Silence with the use of strings on a great and smooth way.
You is very special for what it is. It is not perfect whatsoever, nor does it seem like wanting to achieve that status. If anything, it is a peculiar and somewhat odd mixed-bag of an album that has a lot to offer, something that stands out thanks to the incredibly unexpected lineup of musicians that took a part in the recording of the material, something that was already seen on detail previously on this review. A collection of different small experiments that make up for a varied, dynamic, and captivating release, that doesn't really hit the mark with most of its proposals for the most part, but that slowly earns a place in the ears and the hearts of the listeners with every revisit. Some tracks don't work all that well, others simply offer a break that comes up as unexpected and kind of out of place, but the tracks that really work show the potential of a group that could have been so much more if given the opportunity, small bullets of passion, emotion, and love that hits the ears of everyone witnessing with the help of the catchy melodies and joyful deliveries. Every vocalist here definitely has something unique to offer, with a sweet and lovely chemistry where they show their charming and captivating range, being complemented by a diverse instrumentation that keeps things fresh with every twist and turn. While it isn't necessarily the peak of Japanese pop, it all makes up for a lovely and captivating experience, making those who are aware wonder what could have been with more volumes being produced.
Regardless if Takako ended up leaving the group, it is very evident that Pao managed to push forward despite that barrier. But, and as everything surrounding the band outside of the physical release, after this point the band seems to have dissolved, and information about what happened to the three main vocalists after this point is close to non-existent. Almost nothing is known about Miyazaki, while Sabine Kaneko continued her career as a model (with images from her different shoots appearing if her name is searched online), and Miura ending up carrying what seemed like a varied career as an animator and even a musician (with small collaborations like the one with Chikako Ueno in 1983 being rare, but existent, proofs that he remained in the music business after the Pao's separation). It is not known if You ended up having some form of success in the charts or with audiences (with the uncertainty and mystery growing more and more due to the unexpected 2015 reissue of the record), or even if Pao had any form of onstage presentations in promotion of the material; but one just can't help but wonder what would have happened if they were given the chance or simply decided to record a follow up. But anyways, we still have this legacy that was thankfully preserved thanks to the internet so that we could at least get delighted with the calm and joyful landscapes that it has to offer.
It is just a sweet and peculiar record covered in love from a band covered in mystery. Captivating to say the least.
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