Until We Become One With This City Night Sky / Tatsuro Yamashita - Spacy (1977) Album Review

By the time 1976 was coming to an end, Tatsuro Yamashita could firmly and confidently state that he was more than inspired and prepared to dive deep into the risks and challenges that came with emerging and moving forward as a musician with a solo career. The road he had been involved with up to that point had been one of uncertainly, rough receptions/criticisms, and a need of assuring his confidence on the way he wrote and composed his music, but he was also slowly starting to be more and more recognized for the talented and dynamic songs and collaborations he was involved in. Sugar Babe's debut album, Songs, the place where he started with his professional musical career, was at first overlooked by many, but it was slowly starting to pick up popularity thanks to the rise of City Pop as a style of music that was slowly becoming relevant within the Japanese pop music scene at the time, and Songs was starting to be recognized as the place where it all had started. Even then, Yamashita's financial situation still wasn't the best one, but he was still getting involved on a surprising variety of projects in order to carry his own interests forward. At that point, he had already collaborated with artists like Yumi Arai, Mayumi Kuroki, and Minako Yoshida as both songwriter, producer. and guest artist; as well as getting involved with big names like Eiichi Otaki and Ginji Ito (and at the same time getting to meet giants like Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto), but he was still hesitant about diving into the idea of a solo career. 

This hesitation came from a multitude of places, but it mainly happened due to the dissolution of Sugar Babe as a group, something that took place mainly due to the fact that the different members were starting to build different personal goals for the direction of their music. Tatsuro was thinking of himself as a "dictator" within the group, he was the one gathering all the musical ideas and deciding how to arrange them, while also getting involved with the production aspects along side Eiichi Otaki, but building up towards a more refined formula, ending on a great album where all the songs felt carefully crafted and timeless due to the blending of the different influences within a balanced, passionate, engaging, and incredibly memorable recording. But still, this lead to Tatsuro being doubtful about his musical abilities, and then create a firm thought that if he were to record his first solo album, it should be done abroad, and with the arrangements being handled by other, more professional and experienced, musicians. Due to the fact that his run with Sugar Babe hadn't been successful, labels were hesitant on getting him signed in, much less about getting involved with such a relatively expensive project such as the one Yamashita had in mind, but he was eventually signed in with RVC/RCA records, and given the chance to record his first debut album on the US, leading to the release of Circus Town on 1976.

The debut album was a nice start to what would becoming a consistent and productive career, offering an album that, despite not being perfect or completely polished, still managed to show an incredible amount of potential on his talent, represented mainly on some of his best material from that point, with songs like Windy Lady and City Way being proof that he had a lot to offer. But more than it being one of his best works, Circus Town was definitely one of the most important landmarks on Tatsuro's entire career. The experience was a tough challenge for both his moral/ethical thoughts, as well as a confrontation with his musical identity. He was pushed into a cultural clash that struck him hard, being faced with the relevant racial and economical difficulties, as well as dealing with problems regarding the recording of his debut solo album. Due to budgetary reasons outside of his control, the then twenty three year old artist recorded the album in both New York and Los Angeles, with both of these places giving him mixed experiences (with the Los Angeles side almost lead to him cancelling the project completely, due to the fact that the musicians involved at first didn't seem to be to excited to collaborate with the plan, but eventually pushing forward as it was planed). However, the New York sessions seemed to be the ones that were mostly beneficial for him, and that would be an important stepping stone in the way how the man both wrote and thought about his music in general. 

Despite him being nervous about this new experience, some of the professional musicians involved with the project gave him enough confidence for him to push forward with his performances, as well as giving him a feeling of security about the fact that his pop influences were certainly something excellent and well applied to his own compositions; but it also got him introduced to both rock and jazz music, which would become new brands of musical influences that would mark a before and after on his songwriting. Regarding production values and musical arrangement, he was faced with Charles Calello, who showed, explained, and allowed Tatsuro to take his partitures with him, allowing Yamashita to examine them carefully back in Japan, getting impressed and immersed on a style of composition and musical theory that was completely new to him; to the point where there was no way that he wouldn't try to use it on his future projects. Back in his home country, he was having some rough experiences in general, facing some issues with the label and some music critics that seemed to be too rude towards his music; but he had already set his mind on his musical confidence, and decided to put all those new experiences to the test.

Knowing well that at that point he had to choose carefully those who would form part of the recording sessions for this new project (this mainly due to the bitter experience he had faced back in Los Angeles), and having formed some very impressive connections to some reliable and talented artists at the time, he gathered a truly amazing team that lived up to his expectations. It truly felt like the perfect union of talent and passion within one recording, where artists were changed depending on what Yamashita required at any given moment: Shuichi Murakami (who would collaborate with both Tatsuro, Taeko, and other artists involved in this project in future albums) and Hiroshi Uehara (one of Sugar Babe's drummers, who would also be part of the recording of Niagara Triangle Vol. 1) on drums, Happy End's Haruomi Hosono and Akihiro Tanaka on bass, Tsunehide Matsuki on supporting electric guitar parts, upcoming legend Ryuichi Sakamoto on keyboard and vibraphone, upcoming Seaside Lovers' Hiroshi Sato on keyboards, as well as many other guests on orchestral and percussion duties; everything carefully managed and controlled by Tatsuro, who took upon the role of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger in order to come out with a work that satisfied his creative ambitions at that point. This would all lead to the release of Spacy in 1977, marking for many, myself included, the proper start of his prolific solo career. 

The ten tracks presented on Spacy are truly of pure quality, where all the elements that are being used are never wasted on something pointless, making up for engaging and layered songs that form a hypnotizing album. The opener is enough proof of an artist taking a major and considerable step in most aspects compared to his previous effort, with Love Space being one of the best and most memorable openers, and tracks, not only on Yamashita's career, but on that entire era of Japanese pop in general. Love Space was the first song recorded for Spacy, and it is simply a flawless, engaging, memorable, and incredibly balanced masterpiece of pop music. It was mainly written as a song to be performed on a live setting, in order to be improved with jamming sections, and one can tell why. It has a free spirit, and it is the first example of Yamashita evolving his songwriting into something much smoother and polished than what was seen on Circus Town. There is simply an explosion of beautiful sounds thrown at the listener from the very beginning, and all the members participating on this are simply outstanding on their respective instruments. Hiroshi Sato's keyboard playing is simply superb, very dynamic and essential at providing the base upon which the entirety of the song would be built upon, while Hosono's impressive and engaging bass playing complements with a very marked rhythm that adapts very well to all the changes happening at different points across the songs, with the guitar and drum parts serving as the cherry on top of the main instrumental section. The production and mixing on the track is simply superb, and the introduction of a string arrangement to the background as an extra layer only reinforces the way the studio rendition works, with a phenomenal saxophone solo that just adds another level of perfection to an already incredible track. But the main thing that makes this such an effective and powerful opener are Yamashita's vocals, achieving a higher and more ominous range than ever before, being very well balanced with the instrumentals, and bleeding of passion and dedication from a man devoted to his music. This presentation card to the new stage of Tatsuro's career is certainly one of the main peaks of the album, but the album still continues to deliver in the following tracks.  

翼に乗せて follows right after, being somewhat shorter than the opener, but still serving as a showcase of the way the instrumentals are composed. It gives off this basic and catchy melody, but on a closer look it definitely is something difficult for such an easy going track (with this aspect being reinforced with Yamashita's vocal performance, following along that laid back and calm spirit, and just building up on his range right at the end), specially with the coordination going between keyboards, drums, and bass. It is not an uncommon time signature, but it is something layered and a little bit messy with the tempo, even more reinforced with the big band influenced trumpet solo midway through. It is a nice, calm, and sweet tune that works surprisingly well all the way through, coming out as simple and straightforward while also being one of the more interesting tracks regarding the musical arrangement within the album. The calm and laid back tone is enhanced and even more relevant in 素敵な午後は, a track written as something to "convey the soul of Chicago". The different segments on the track were written along side Murakami, Hosono, Matsuki, and Sato, with every single one of the artists giving Tatsuro's partitures their own spin, while still carrying the main melody. As a result, there is an interesting track in the way the instruments interact with each other, this being much more noticeable with the guitar parts, with each of them following an almost separate rhythm on each audio channel, while trumpet and string parts become part of the background, managing to work well on the final result, conveying a smooth jazz/soul-like feeling that, despite not being as fleshed out as the previous tracks, still manages to be very engaging and relaxing. 

Candy follows right after, being a very sweet (who would have thought) and lovely ballad, very calm and passionate in spirit. One very subtle, but still relevant, element present in the album is the inclusion of Minako Yoshida as a background vocalist this time around, with her presence starting to be much more important from this point onward, and specially with tones like the ones present on Candy, where she shines for the soft and calm melodies that is able to provide, supporting Tatsuro's already relaxed and sentimental vocal performance. Instrumentally, it is built upon an interest for chord progressions, and the ones that go around here are certainly smooth and very subtle (with the production enhancing this by placing certain elements, like the keyboard, in the background, with the soft guitar melodies taking the spotlight, and even following such a mellow tone in the solo), falling right in place with the main mood conveyed on the song. A very sentimental track, both instrumentally and vocally, serving as a nice break in style compared to what was seen before. This tone is immediately contrasted with the closer of the first side, taking the form of Dancer, a more funk inspired song that lives up to its name while still following a calm and smooth tone, just breaking it on the animated chorus. After each chorus, more and more elements are added to the main formula, including percussion, minor string arrangements, and even some trumpet solos; but it all follows the main melody stablished by the bass, keyboard, and specially the drums (with the track notably being built around the main tempo stablished here). Its another one of the tracks that might have been structured with a live setting in mind, giving a lot of opportunity for expanding the ideas with the opportunities for improvisation given on the main rhythm and structure of the song (with the live recording available of the track proving this up to some extent). 

アンブレラ, or Umbrella, as it is more known as, opens up the second side of the album carrying the smooth, calm, and paused structure that varies in the bridges and chorus sections, but instead of being funk inspired, it falls in line within a more soul/jazzy and pop atmosphere. A song written with Minako Yoshida, focusing on a very particular chord progression, which can be found on the surprising inclusion of an acoustic guitar on the final instrumental. It is something that builds up with each passing segment, leading to a keyboard solo that follows the main chord progression, eventually fading out. It is an easy going track, and a nice way to start the second side. This is followed with 言えなかった言葉を, a track more inspired on Calello's partitures than anything else, aiming to be a New York Shuffle swing beat more than anything on the way the backing instrumentals are used. The piano is the main lead instrument here (accompanied by a calm and groovy bass), with a calm melody that has elements added throughout the song, including a harmonica solo courtesy of Yamashita himself, like the backing Minako vocals (having some mesmerizing interactions on the different ear channels, interacting on a great way with Tatsuro's laid back vocal performance) and the trumpet, that almost seems to replace the electric guitar.  

After that, 朝の様な夕暮れ, the shortest song on the album, takes the spotlight, presenting a rather unconventional track that has two distinct, almost separate, segments. The first half of the track is a simple piano ballad, with Tatsuro's vocals going along the mellow tone presented by the instrument, that has a minor peak before dying down and leaving place for the main important part of the song: a small acapella segment. This was Tatsuro's first try at making a completely acapella lead part in any of his music so far, being inspired on his early pop influences more than anything, and as such it definitely feels as something sweet and enjoyable, a first attempt at something he would expand with further releases, finding its peak on the On The Corner projects. As many of the things on the record, it is still a first try at something he would seem to refine later on, but compared to the rest of elements that at least seemed to be fleshed out in some ways, this segment is limited and amateur, but it still comes out as sweet and enjoyable as a whole. The weakest moment on the project, but even then it is something good nonetheless. But that 60's pop influence would be found once again on きぬずれ, a Beach Boys influenced track that has some nice use of the instrumentals in order to mark a unique tone in the album, leading to a piano driven piece that has some great use of vocal layers, mixing acapella elements with the main instrumental, and coming out as a rather odd song within the album, but still being pulled off incredibly well. 

Finally, Solid Slider comes in as the closer of the entire album, a seven minute funk/rock inspired piece that is built upon a main rhythm pattern, being elaborated with the idea of being expanded on a live setting with the improvisation of all members. Without a doubt, this highlight of the album is an absolutely crucial track in Tatsuro's discography, and it is an example of how he knew how to take advantage of the limited budget he had access to at the time, and how the main focus on an instrumental piece could lead to a mesmerizing and excellent experience. The main melody is never dropped, with the bass, drums, guitar, and keyboard appearing as repetitive for the entire seven minutes, when it mostly follows along with each solo segment, adapting to the variations provided there, starting with a smooth guitar solo (where the trumpets are introduced), followed by a saxophone piece (where even Tatsuro's vocals adapt to the main melody and reinforce the lyrical and vocal themes), and ending on a keyboard segment serving as an outro for the entire piece, but obviously implying that any of the elements present on the track had the ability to take the spotlight and lead the main melody with a solo of its own. Regardless if the solos were recorded on one take or not, this is a technical marvel for Yamashita's career, showing that he knew how to use some of the most talented musicians of Japan at the time to his own advantage, ending up on a masterpiece such as this, that does not waste a single moment of its runtime whatsoever. The production and mixing shine on this track for how polished, balanced, and precise they are in getting all the arrangements positioned on a particular way in order to make the main components stand out depending on the track, while still keeping a coherence with the rest of the instrumentals. Without a doubt, a masterpiece in production, instrumental arrangement, and overall performance; closing up the album on a fantastic way, and creating expectation for the future of the artist as a whole. 

For many fans, musicians, and even for Tatsuro himself, Spacy is one of the most important, enjoyable, and polished records that can be found on Tatsuro Yamashita's solo career. It is the record where the man first decided to dive deep into a careful and precise way of structuring music, writing most of the tracks with partitures of his own (something that was a much more professional way of songwriting for him), arranging every instrument carefully, aiming to give each element used purpose and intention that, once put together, would aim to match his final vision. This was mostly coming from both Calello's influence (which happened on the first half of the Circus Town sessions), as well as from a range of newly found musical inspirations that he acquired during his trip to the US (these coming mostly from jazz, rock, and funk), leading to a very consistent and engaging experience that doesn't let down on any of the ten tracks that are being presented. It was the first solo project where Tatsuro felt completely confident as a performer, songwriter, arranger, and producer; carefully gathering a range of talented and recognized musicians in order to structure a record the way he wanted, without any issues or creative differences within the recording sessions. As a result, Spacy turned out as an experimental and introspective project from him, presenting trends that would be further expanded and adapted in different ways across his entire career. And even if it didn't turn out successful at first, it would be ahead of its time presenting ideas that would become big selling points a few years later. 

This was Yamashita's first attempt at many things, from acapella compositions to full improvisation driven pieces, but even if that seemed to be the main issue with the record (in the sense that not everything is fleshed out to its full potential) it still provides with some of Tasuro's most balanced, memorable, and iconic songs. Love Space and Solid Slider are, of course, the main highlights, but the tracks in between all have something to offer to the listener. It is a very well crafted, consistent, and highly enjoyable experience, that doesn't waste a single moment of its runtime on something pointless, but instead looks to expand its horizons providing something calming, dynamic, engaging, and exciting all the way through. The all star cast that is present on the album is used on a fantastic way, with the main highlight of the entire album being the instrumental performances, that at the same time have the powerful and impressive Tatsuro vocals as the cherry on top. It might not be Tatsuro's most polished album, and to many, including myself, it might not be his best studio effort; but no one can deny the fact that it is a timeless release, full of powerful and engaging masterpieces that prove the potential that the man had in many different aspects of the music industry. It would mark the proper start of a wonderful career that would expand for decades to come, and it sure is something worth to go through just to be amazed by the beautiful soundscapes that it provides. 

Spacy is a sweet and passionate record, with songs that bleed of passion and love from a man that loves his music, and that aims to push forward with his career, knowing how to face the challenges that came along in his path while managing to express himself freely with his creativity. It is a smooth and lovely experience that takes the listener to other beautiful and peaceful worlds, where the soundtrack that goes along with it is as pleasing and lively as the tunes presented on the album, and I couldn't recommend it more.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Favorite Tracks: Love Space / Solid Slider

Blow The Sadness Towards Me / Tatsuro Yamashita - Circus Town (1976) Album Review

 

There is no doubt at this point that Tatsuro Yamashita is a staple in the world of classic Japanese pop music, and for very good reasons. The amount of classic tunes and hit songs that the man has been able to put out during all his career, while still maintaining a level of consistency a relevance to this very day, is nothing short of impressive. However, before he went to build that status with a considerable amount of iconic releases that are considered classics of Japanese music, Tatsuro had an intriguing, somewhat rough, but very productive start. Tatsuro left his university studies in order to pursue his musical career, at first being part of the "Add Some Music To Your Day" quartet, which lead to some years full of financial struggles. Breaking up with his first band, after one independent debut covers album that sold poorly, but that called the attention of Ginji Ito and Eiichi Otaki, he would join with other friends in order to form his first professional band, Sugar Babe, that would be taken under the wings of Ito and Otaki on their recently opened label Niagara, participating as background vocalists in the final Happy End concerts, and them opening their own concerts leading to the release of their debut, and only, album Songs in 1975. The style of music that Sugar Babe presented was something rather unconventional for Japanese pop music at the time, with a big influence from occidental music, and building up an entire personality upon that idea. 

Sugar Babe's album was an excellent collection of eleven tracks that felt timeless due to Otaki's production, with the band as a whole bleeding in talent and passion for their music, with the main prominent figures, Yamashita himself and a young Taeko Onuki, presenting ideas and strengths that would be expanded in their solo works. Songs wasn't very successful at first, being mostly recognized in the underground music scene at the time, but years later after its release, and due to the use of songs as part of some popular media, it would be recognized as one of the most important releases of modern Japanese music due to it being the proper landmark of Japanese pop trends that would be expanded years later, while also being the proper start of City Pop as a musical aesthetic that would be relevant for years.   

Despite the fact that the band was still recognized in the underground music scene as something special and full of potential, the sales of the album were certainly not as great as it was expected, with the album itself receiving some rough critiques at the time. This, paired with Yamashita's own financial struggles at the time, lead to him working as guest musician and songwriter for other artists, slowly getting recognized as a talented artist in both of those fields (most important parts of Sugar Babe itself were handled by Yamashita, with him taking the lead in handling the arrangements for the album, as well as adapting all the ideas of the members into one cohesive sound, ending up in great results and making him realize that he had a passion for those aspects of music production), working with artists such as Yumi Arai, Mayumi Koruki, and Minako Yoshida. Eventually, Sugar Babe broke up due to natural causes of the artists seeking to expand their solo career, even though they all admitted to be somewhat scared of diving into the world of music under that point of view. 

Yamashita saw himself on almost a "dictator" role on his time with the band, with him arranging most of the instrumentals and helping with the production (even taking that role on other collaborations with artists, such as what happened in Niagra Triangle's debut), but he decided to put his musical ability to the test and was determined to record his first solo album abroad, where he worked with professionals and where other people would be the ones to arrange his music. However, due to the fact that Sugar Babe didn't achieve the status of being a recognized or popular name at the time, Tatsuro found it hard to find a label willing to take him in order to fulfill this rather expensive request. Thankfully, RVC's Riuzo Kosugi trusted on Yamashita's talent after watching Sugar Babe's farewell concert, deciding to take him under his wing in order to release his first solo production, with Yamashita's conditions that it should be recorded in the United States. Yamashita got to the US for the first time in his life, and due to budgetary reasons, recorded his first solo album facing many complications in both New York and Los Angeles, finally releasing his solo debut album, Circus Town, that same year of 1976.  

The recording and production of Circus Town was a difficult challenge for Tatsuro, in many different aspects. Being only twenty three years old, it was his first time abroad, and his first time working in such a pressuring and professional environment, but it was also his first time clashing with the cultural differences, including the racial and economic issues that were very present at the time. It meant not only a challenge to his moral convictions, but it also played a big role with the way he handled his musical styles and how he expanded his musical influences and interests to an even broader spectrum (being assured that his pop influences were of top quality, but also being introduced to the rock scene and making him realize that he had many more possibilities in that aspect). He was very nervous, but he was able to push forward with the support of the drummer Alan Schwatzenberg (famous for being part of Mountain, as well as working with big names such as Frank Sinatra and Jimi Hendrix), and of engineer Joe Jorgensen on the New York sessions. The album was on the verge of being cancelled due to issues in the Los Angeles sessions, where the initial recording members didn't meet up Yamashita's standards, and replacing the guitarist and bassist in order to fulfill the recording, finishing the album and leading to a very enjoyable debut project.

Circus Town as a whole reflects the many things going through Tatsuro's life at that point. It is a varied album, gathering compositions that were meant for Sugar Babe, as well as adapting his frustration and uncertainty on something creative and worthwhile. The sound of the album is something up to a professional standard, with the orchestral arrangements, background vocals, and the rest of the instrumentation having a distinct polished and clean feeling, almost as if it was expanding the main basis found on Songs, even if the sound from the New York and Los Angeles sides end up having some differences. It is not a perfect album, since it lacks a complete focus that ties the entirety of the project together (mainly due to the fact that the sessions took place on different work atmospheres), but it does present a lot of ideas that Tatsuro would expand in the future of his career on different and interesting ways, being the initial seed that shows the potential that Tatsuro had as a talented performer and songwriter. Each side has its strengths and weaknesses, and it all makes up for a short eight track-thirty six minute experience that ends up being truly enjoyable, engaging, and even impressive all the way through.

Both sides seem to have their distinct execution, and the New York side simply gives a strong start to the entire album, with the self titled opening track. Circus Town, the self titled track written while being inspired by New York, is a good example of the production style, the performances, and the execution of the tracks present on the record. Using what is known as a very universal motive for a circus theme, the track leads a very upbeat, laid back, and well structured piece; with the wonderful and powerful Yamashita vocals being supported by the rest of instruments (with the drums being one of the highlights due to how precise they feel in the final mix), as well as the background vocals appearing throughout the track, being very charming in how they sound. The differences with the previous Yamashita related projects jump out to light from the very beginning. The orchestral arrangements give so much life to the track, and they feel very grand, well arranged, and clean in the final mix, with layers of detail at some sections, being complemented by the minor trumpet segments leading up to the introduction of the sax. Mixing and production have a certain way of being executed, with instruments subtly changing in volume, but making up for a very charming and enjoyable opener. It is not necessarily a brilliant track, but it does set the tone on a fantastic way, and shows the potential that Tatsuro would have if he were to arrange the instrumental on this spirit on future projects.

Right after this, the main highlight of the album takes the spotlight and shines due to how well executed it feels, being not only the best track on this record, but also one of the most intriguing, engaging, groovy, and memorable Tatsuro tracks from his early period. Initially meant to be part of Sugar Babe's studio catalog, having been played live in multiple occasions during their last concerts, Windy Lady was instead used as part of Tatsuro's debut album, mainly due to the fact that it had a lot in common with the "American inspired" topics presents on the songs. This track has a big inclination towards a Chicago rhythm and blues sound, with the big presence of the bass in order to lead to the inclusion of the wind instruments and the smooth orchestral arrangements. With six minutes of length, a wonderful sax interlude by Manhattan Jazz Quintet's George Young, the subtle and layered strings, Alan's precise drumming, and Yamashita's mellow and passionate vocals; Windy Lady does not drop the tone, mood, or quality for one second. It certainly is a gem in the way it is arranged, performed, written, structured, produced, and mixed; with all the right elements positioned in their respective place, with nothing needed to me removed or added into the final product. A Yamashita masterpiece, and a proof that his potential was still to be exploited in so many different ways, with him being able to tackle different styles of musical tones within the same album and still managing them to have a consistent and coherent interaction in the tracklist (with that being the main factor for his albums being very enjoyable listens front to back).

The tone is contrasted once again with Minnie, something that tries to go towards the jazz/big band spectrum, tackling a melancholic and saddening mood, with the piano taking a bigger importance in what is being presented, while the mix introduces a simple acoustic guitar on the opposite channel, building up the tone and structure from that point. More and more elements are introduced with the progression of the song, from an electric guitar, the string arrangements, the trumpet parts, and even a small flute in the background at one point. A mellow ballad that doesn't really stand out that much due to the time it takes to present all its themes, but that still manages to be calming and enjoyable, a nice contrast that adds to the pacing of the album. That same tone, style of arrangement, and overall execution of a track is present in the closer of this first side, 永遠に, a cover of a song that Yamashita wrote for a Minako Yoshida album. All elements present on Minnie, including the mellow tone although somewhat more melodic and almost bossa nova inspired with the different percussion elements, while also having nice details adding a more complete feeling to the track (such as a harp being used in some segments). As a whole, these last two tracks have their appeal, they have their focus and structure, but it is quite different to the opening tracks that preceded them. While not being quite as memorable, or as fleshed out as they could be, they still feel calm, engaging, and incredibly enjoyable, closing the first side on a sweet way.

The Los Angeles side starts off on a nice way with Last Step, once again a cover from another song Yamashita wrote for Minako Yoshida, this time going towards a Motown style of music. It is a nice track, but it doesn't really stand out all that much regarding the things it seems like wanting to achieve, but still carrying the professional feeling regarding the arrangements. Things like the boy's choir feel somewhat out of place, and it doesn't vary much from the initial melody throughout the length of the track. It would be later be covered on an electric guitar rendition on Yamashita's live album Joy, showing the true potential that the track could achieve under the right focus. Right after this, City Way and 迷い込んだ街と come in as the highlights of this second side. Two tracks with a very similar tone, execution, and instrumental ideas, but having enough differences for them to be able to stand on their own (most notably with City Way having a bigger electric guitar presence interacting with the main keyboard melody, having a solo right at the end, while 迷い込んだ街と focuses more on the interaction between two different keyboards, with a solo interlude that really stands out on this second side). They are both fun, upbeat, almost summer like oriented, well structured songs (once again being early examples of trends that would be rather common on City Pop and Japanese pop songs a few years later, and it really is something to be heard in order to understand why the formula works so well).

Finally, the closer of this second side, as well as of the entire album, comes in the form of 夏の陽, tackling a rather unconventional musical style for Tatsuro at that point. Tatsuro himself declared that this was something outside of his comfort zone, and it would be something different even to what would come in future releases. This is a track dedicated and inspired in what Tatsuro thought would be associated with Los Angeles (just like Circus Town was for New York as an opener to the entire project), with that mental image being expressed through the prominent piano playing of John Hobbs, being very in line instrumentally with what was seen on the last two tracks of the New York side, but being executed on a more positive and focused attitude. It certainly is nice for what it is, even if it ends up feeling a bit out of place compared to the rest of the album, but it still works as a sweet, almost mellow, closer, with Tatsuro showing his great vocal range while being complemented by the vocal choir that follows behind him.

Circus Town, and the story of how it came to be, might not stand among Tatsuro's most brightest, varied, or polished projects; but it is a landmark on his career, an important stepping stone that showed a man that was passionate about moving forward with his music, regardless of the difficulties that he seemed to be facing until that point. It was Tatsuro's first time working on an unknown, pressuring, and professional environment, where he faced difficulties while recording the songs, almost leading him to leave the project entirely, but still pushing forward with his vision, and gaining confidence on his songwriting, but more than that, gaining new influences, experiences, ideas, and ambitions that he would expand on future albums. Without that visit to the US, that opportunity given by the RVC and RCA label companies, he wouldn't have gotten an appreciation for rock or jazz, that would eventually lead to the releases of Spacy, Ride on Time, and many other classic records across his career. It all had its roots here, on this somewhat short album that shows a lot of potential and dedication rather than fleshing out ideas to their fullest extent. 

And despite it not being completely fleshed out or layered, it still offers a consistent and coherent experience, having some stylistic choices to offer some sort of variety, despite them not being pulled off all that well. The production aspects of this record are certainly its main strength, with Tatsuro offering some great vocal performances, and it is all mixed on a very balanced and gorgeous way, offering a refreshing and welcoming sound throughout all the album. It still has some of Tatsuro's best moments of his early career, most notably with Windy Lady being an iconic and essential song from his catalog, as well as offering a highly enjoyable and engaging experience, with both sides offering something to the listener in their own particular way. He would expand these ideas in the future, but it all had its origins here, and that is certainly something to appreciate in the long run. 

It is a very sweet, passionate, lively, and welcoming experience; and it certainly is worth a try for anyone looking for a colorful album. A circus of joyful and lovely experiences.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Favorite Track: Windy Lady

Dreaming / Niagara Triangle - Niagara Triangle Vol. 1 (1976) Album Review

All important or relevant things are not built or conceived out of thin air. That is a fact that is known by everyone who is aware about the sudden rollercoasters that life is able to provide at any given moment, with the knowledge that one has to work hard in order to earn their goals, in order to achieve their dreams. Examples of this can be found all over the world, and all across media. Some of the biggest and most talented musicians got to their status after dedicating themselves entirely to their music, after years of pursuing their goals and getting through a lot of different barriers, being at the right place, at the right time. It is something that can be found across history, regardless of the genre or scope of the artist, sometimes the right things happen at the right time and lead to a series of events that culminate in the long and prosper careers of those involved; and a good example of that is what happened with the members of Sugar Babe, Eiichi Otaki, and the creation of the Niagara label in 1975. Sugar Babe would be the result of a group of artists getting together in order to make music that fit their goals and influences, to create something that had a focus and execution that was unconventional for Japanese music at the time. All the members had things to offer, but the consistent highlights of the group were Tatsuro Yamashita, who would take upon the lead regarding the instrumental arrangements for all the songs, and Taeko Onuki, whose vocals provided a sweet and calm contrast that had a lot to offer in the overall scope of things. In 1975, they would release their first, and only, album under the title of Songs, something that would go almost completely overlooked by the mainstream, but that remained relevant in the underground. The style of music, accompanied by Eiichi's timeless and polished production, lead to the album slowly getting recognition years after its release, eventually being pinned down as the birth of City Pop, as well as presenting ideas that would be present through an entire generation of Japanese pop music, eventually being respected as one of the most important albums in Japanese music history. 

The band published their album through Eiichi Otaki's personal label, Niagara,  being the first band to be completely under Otaki's wing, with Otaki himself releasing his solo album, Niagara Moon, not long after. Niagara records got associated with Japan Columbia and Elec Records, who was on its last breath at the time, and instead of focusing exclusively on record releases, it would also focus on the distribution and divulgation of names in the music industry at the time. This would be done with Eiichi's radio show "Go Go Niagara", starting that same year in 1975, and having Ginji Ito and Tatsuro Yamashita as the two first important guests to join the show. Eiichi would create other companies, associating with Columbia Records, but Niagara would be with own space to do whatever he pleased regarding his personal music. Eventually, and during the radio shows, a project involving Eiichi, Ginji, and Tatsuro was proposed, and it would slowly came to fruition during 1975. This new "Project Triangle" started to craft the idea of a full studio album, but one that was structured on a somewhat unconventional way. And finally, in 1976, before the dissolution of Sugar Babe as a band, Niagara Triange Vol. 1 was released. 

Niagara Triangle is an odd release in many different ways. Its structure relies on the three artists involved having a number of songs where they take the spotlight, deciding the scope of both arrangements and production, and bringing in as many guests as they see fit, making up for what seems like a varied and unpredictable record at first, at least theoretically. The end result however, is sadly not that exciting. What this project lacks, it's main and most evident flaw, is the fact that it lacks focus, it lacks a motive, tone, or structure that ties all these different songs together. There are songs that share the same style, mostly because they were made by the same artist, but they end up feeling out of place when put together with all the rest of the tracks. They are all produced on a great way, and each artist take their own liberties to experiment with their formulas on a way they see fit, but it all leads to a very inconsistent and somewhat underwhelming experience for such a promising concept. Still, not everything is disappointing, mainly due to the fact that this might as well contain two of the best Tatsuro tracks from his early career, and even his career in general, as well as Eiichi and Ginji both having their own hidden gems, where the formula and ideas are executed on a charming way, making one wonder about what would happen if an entire album was built under the premise and style of those focused moments.

The album starts off immediately with the two main highlights, the most polished, well arranged, and well performed songs of the entire collection, courtesy of none other than a young nd flourishing Tatsuro Yamashita. The opener, ドリーミング・デイ, is enough of a reason to bother in checking the entire album, and no other track on the entire projects is able to reach this level of charisma in every single aspect possible. With lyrics by Taeko Onuki, this song was written and arranged exclusively for this album, with Yamashita trying to show respect to the influence that Otaki had on him for the three years they had been working together. The album has the gratitude of having some guest members appearing in all tracks, most notably the inclusion of members of Sugar Babe at that point (with Taeko on background vocals, and Muramatsu and Uehara on support instrumentals), but it had the performance of none other than Ryuchi Sakamoto, not taking over the instrumental section, but ending up adding flavor to the final result. The percussion, orchestral arrangements, the interaction between keyboards, and the subtle and minimalist use of the guitar to keep rhythm. The instrumental alone is creative, layered, and extremely engaging by itself, but Tatsuro's voice is just starting to develop into the high notes and climaxes that he would expand later on his career, and it comes out with one of the most beautiful and enjoyable performances he has ever given. The track keeps building on itself like a common song structure, but the chorus increases in details and emotion each time, and it makes up for one of the highlights of his entire career. Definitely beautiful and lively, as if it was pull directly from a perfect dream.

Right after that powerful opener, パレード, or Parade, takes the spotlight. This was a song conceived by Sugar Babe, and until that point it was a common part of their live shows (and it had been already recorded during the Songs sessions, planned on being a main single, but it ended up being discarded and released years later on its demo form with the first anniversary edition of the album). It has a lot in common with those early live and demo renditions, but the tempo is slight changed for something much calmer and layered with details. Little xylophone notes, the wind instruments, complementing the main arrangements that follow the old Sugar Babe formula of each instrument having its own simple rhythm, making up for a nice melody when put together; it is simply a very sweet and soft track. Tatsuro's vocals getting complemented by Taeko's backing choruses is never something to get tired off, and the vocal performance is much more laid back compared to the previous track, but still managing to be powerful and memorable. Without a doubt, a parade of joy and love being displayed for the listener to enjoy. So far, Tatsuro took the rails and showed two tracks that were entirely under his control, even regarding the production, resulting in two strong and lively openers that build up expectation for what is to come. However, after this point, the rails get distributed between tracks, and here is where the inconsistency starts to take place.

Right after Parade, 遅すぎた別れ comes in an offers an interesting change of focus and tone. This is nothing more than an interesting way of presenting Spoken Word and field recording segments being included within a conventional Tatsuro track. The lyrics were written by Ginji Ito, while the arrangement and performances ended up being in charge of Tatsuro himself. The arrangements are as beautiful as ever, with the piano taking a big presence, being the main focus of what is being presented, with powerful melodies that serve as a base for the entire track. The use of the guitar, the background vocals, and the bass, is all very subtle, and it does go incredibly well with the soft and calm tone that is trying to be transmitted through the entire track, getting dragged down a bit by the different volume that the field recording gives contrasting with the mixing and production found in the instrumentals. As for the vocal performance, it is certainly a mixed bag, but on a really positive way. Tatsuro's spoken word segments are calm and laid back, suddenly shifting to Tatsuro singing on his wonderful tone, being very passionate and offering a nice contrast. Overall, it is an interesting contrast to what was seen before, and even if it doesn't really end up working all that well, it ends up being one of those interesting deep cuts that any fan of Tatsuro should definitely seek out.日射病 breaks the streak of Tatsuro being the main focus of the song by introducing a song entirely written, composed, and arranged by Ginji Ito (apparently conceived at first for his previous project Coconut Bank), with the man himself taking the lead vocals. It is a very lively, upbeat, and summer like track, one of the most straight forward songs that can be found here. It doesn't really give much to talk about, since it feels more like a nice love letter to Ito's favorite music more than anything. The guitar playing could be taken as the highlight, with the rest of the arrangements working for what they are. A nice, but sadly forgettable, track, but that gets contrasted with one of the more experimental proposals from Ito's side.

ココナツ・ホリデイ’76, the closer of the first side, is one of the hidden gems here. This track was composed and played under the name of Paper Hikouki for the last Happy End concert, so hearing it here certainly feels like a proper farewell and love letter to the paths that took the artists involved until that point. It is far from a perfect track, but the members are having a lot of fun performance on this, with the arrangements coming up on a very tropical feeling (with me not being able to get out of my head the idea that it could almost like it could belong to a Donkey Kong or Mario level), and the synths and keyboards being the main highlight of the track (aside from the things the members sing, as if they were having a blast recording this). It doesn't end up working completely well, but it is really gets engaging more and more with each listen. It is something that should be heard in order to be understood, since it is one of those tracks that isn't everyone's cup of tea. Regarding the arrangements, it is something you just feel, and Ito himself felt it, re-recording it under "Coconatsu Holiday 2003" for Coconut Bank's first album. Something really nice to listen to, but that could have been executed on a much better way. However, as a closer, it certainly is a wonderful and odd delight for the ears.

幸せにさよなら and 新無頼横丁 open up the second side, once again being under the lead of Ginji, being really similar in spirit, structure, and arrangement to his first track on the album; but the main difference being the country influence being found here, something that takes the strong lead and marks the main characteristics of the tracks. Sadly, it has the same problem as the first effort, offering almost nothing to the listener, being fairly enjoyable, but sadly something forgettable due to their cliché nature in the overall scheme of things. Another track where Tatsuro takes the lead appears in the form of フライング・キッド, a Minako Yoshida cover, taking a very unconventional approach for both a cover and Tatsuro's style. The production is odd, and only a part of the original lyrics are present, with a very uncommon rhythm set for the base of the track, but having a blues influence almost right at the end, with the piano and sax performances building up to a fade out. It is an interesting and odd proposition, but the echo effect and the overall mixing don't end up doing much for the track. Intriguing, but it doesn't really do much in the end. 

Finally, to close up the album Eiichi Otaki takes the lead and is in charge of the last three tracks, with Fussa Strut Part-I being his presentation card. The idea would be similar to what Ito presented on his big experimental track, with the members involved having fun over a groovy and lively rhythm, but it is executed with different results. The song is an odd choice, and it can be pointed as the weakest song on the album in every way, where all the elements involved end up not working at all. The main instrumental leads are nice, but the concept of the track is stretched to an unnecessary degree. The second part of the track would appear on Otaki's solo album Niagara Moon a couple of months later, but the execution would be as underwhelming as the track presented here. Still, this is rumored to have been the first track where Hosono and Sakamoto crossed paths, leading to the creation of YMO, so it certainly stays as a nice novelty once one is aware of that fact. 夜明け前の浜辺, a track that was supposed to end up in Niagara Moon, comes in place, and it feels as a very rushed track in many ways. It is a surf rock style ballad, very soft, slow, and calm in every single aspect, with some vocal interactions over the sound of waves in the background while the mellow guitar tone leads the attention of the listener being the main interesting aspect of a song. Otaki reportedly wrote the lyrics of the song in a few minutes, and only took two vocal takes, ending up in the final product; and one can definitely tell. It is a nice track, but definitely easy to overlook.

ナイアガラ音頭 stands as the last Eiichi track as well as it being the closer of the entire album, and out of all the songs presented on the album, this is the one that certainly raises the eyebrow of many people (even of Yamashita himself when they were mixing the album). This is, at least as far as I'm concerned, Otaki's hidden gem. An odd idea, contrasting all the occidental influences and sounds with a final song that blended them with a much more traditional and folk inspired sound. Fumio Futani comes in as a guest vocalist, getting supported by some very charming background vocals by a female guest, offering a very fun and oddly enjoyable contrast that works up on a surprisingly nice way in the end. The folk instruments and arrangements blend with the sudden inclusion of a drum rhythm and a bass arrangement, ending up on a merge of styles that works really well for what it is, and that has a lot to offer due to the layer of details that it offers. It is something that grows more and more with each listen, and it definitely is a charming oddity to dive into. Fun, unexpected, and surprisingly well executed; definitely a nice way to end such an inconsistent album. 

Niagara Triangle Vol. 1 is a very odd project. In theory, the alliance of all these great and talented artist that came with the concept of making a collective effort where they explored their ideas on studio form is something intriguing, that could lead to a fantastic album being produced. Sadly, the result is quite different. The scope of the tracks is divided between the three different members, and each one has its own way to focus on the arrangements and the style of the song structures. It has some unconventional ideas, some uncommon propositions from each artist, ending up in great, intriguing, and odd result (from Tatsuro's spoken word track, Ito's tropical bonanza, or Eiichi's idea to blend occidental elements with a more traditional japanese folk sound, ending on something that works surprisingly well, with these tracks being the sort of "hidden gems" that can be found here), but also a big portion of generic, lazy, and forgettable material. There are no horrible or bad tracks found in the album, since they all have a nice production, as to be expected from the men inolved, and an enjoyable instrumental arrangement, but they don't really do anything for the listener as to offer something that had thought put into it.

Its main flaw is that inconsistency found in the tracklist, the thing that leads to this album being so underwhelming as a full experience, specially considering that the main highlights (the two fleshed out and passionate Tatsuro masterpieces, with the opener being easily one of his best songs from this early period) are pushed as the openers of the album, ending up being misleading towards something that doesn't reach that level of proficiency in songwriting in any of the nine remaining tracks. The Tatsuro tracks and the experimental deep cuts mentioned above are enough excuse for anyone to check the album, since this is a project that offered so much potential and that is still something enjoyable in the end, but it really could have been so much more if there had been a common idea or focus in place for the three main artists involved. Still, great things would come in the future following this release, and as most things Tatsuro is involved in, this is enjoyable and lively as hell. 

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Favorite Track: ドリーミング・デイ/ パレード

The Show That Started It All, The Show Must Go On / Sugar Babe - Songs (30th / 40th Anniversary Editions) (2005 - 2015) Album Review

Back when it came out in 1975, the music that Sugar Babe presented with Songs, and even before then with their live performances, was not received all that well by the mainstream and critics back when it came out. The members from Sugar Babe rejected the common aspects of popular Japanese music at the time, embracing a sound that was unconventional for Japanese audiences, more occidental driven music that grabbed influences from all places in order to create a cohesive and layered experience in the form of eleven pop songs that were different from each other, but that shared a tone in common, thanks to both the wonderful and polished production courtesy of Eiichi Otaki, as well as the passionate and upbeat performances from the band, creating a timeless and joyful sound, that would slowly be recognized as one of the landmarks of City Pop and Japanese pop at the time. Critics seemed to be very harsh with it due to them not being familiar with the blend if influences, and the mainstream was used to other style of music, leading to Songs getting almost completely overlooked at the time, having a big presence in the Japanese underground music scene at the time. It wouldn't be years later, until the explosion in popularity of City Pop and the new branch of J-pop, and also the rise of Tatsuro and Taeko of prominent figures in Japanese music, that Songs would be recognized as the place where it all started, gaining respect and popularity years after the break up of Sugar Babe. That is why, years later after its initial release, the album received different special editions showing an even closer look at the things that the album meant for the members involved, with both the 30th and 40th anniversary bundles having a lot of fantastic material for fans to dive into. 

30th Anniversary Edition

Released in 2005, Songs (30th Anniversary Edition) would be the first of two special editions released in honor of the album that Sugar Babe crafted back in 1975, presenting a fresh and timeless collection of songs that would inspire an entire generation of musicians, and would also signify the proper start of the musical career of all members involved with the album. This first special edition included an exclusive remastered version of the album by Eiichi Otaki, while still following the spirit of the original product. It doesn't indulge in digital aspects, mainly due to the petition of Yamashita and the other members to keep the original spirit of the album, it simply looks to adapt the master tapes to a CD quality, being something much more polished and clean on certain segments, but seeming to lose some of the initial quality that only vinyl is able to provide. Either way, the album is still as great as ever, very charming and full of life, being preserved in CD form with Otaki recognizing it as one of his favorite projects due to the love that is poured in the preservation of the quality. But the main thing of interest here are the nine bonus tracks that make up for almost forty minutes of highly enjoyable and intriguing material, ranging from exclusive demos, live tracks, alternative versions, and karaoke instrumentals.

The things that certainly stand out within the bonus material are, without a shadow of a doubt, the unpolished demos from Sugar Babe's studio career. It can only be assumed that these were all recorded during the Songs sessions, being that both the focus on tone, production, and performance are in the same spirit as of the tracks that would end up in the album. And perhaps they were recorded after the album was finished, but these were already part of Sugar Babe's live sets (something that would be further confirmed by the 2015 Anniversary Edition). 夏の終わりに, the first one of them, apparently retrieved from an 8 multitrack tape that didn't make it into the final cut of the album, is simply a joy to listen to. A very sweet, mellow, and calm track, following the method of giving each separate instrument a simple rhythm in order to create a cohesive and interesting melody when they are all put together, with the keyboard and guitars having some great and dynamic interactions with one another, while the bass and drums create a base rhythm where everything is built upon. Tatsuro's voice is definitely has one of his best moments of his early career, and the early production found on the rough demo quality doesn't do anything but highlight his passionate performance, as well as his own charming way of emphasizing some of the notes with his particular vocal range, coming out on a very particular tone, that with the help of the background vocal choir manages to carry the main parts of the song on a fantastic way, making it all work really well. Despite it being a demo, it feels more like a B-side or a finished outtake than anything (with the main difference being that the mixing is certainly different to the style of the songs present on the final album, with this having some elements being on a low volume, specially compared to the main vocals and the piano, with the guitars and the vocal choir being too much in the background, but still working for what it is), being one of the most sweet and charming Sugar Babe songs, but that sadly would not appear on any other related project from the members. 

Another highlight of the bonus tracks comes right after in the form of an early version of パレード, a song that would later appear on its proper studio version on Niagara Triangle's debut (a project where Tatsuro, Eiichi Otaki, and Ginji Ito would join forces as a musical trio, with an incredible number of guest artists appearing in different tracks, including members of Sugar Babe) in 1976, the year Sugar Babe disbanded. Compared to the final studio release, as well as the other demos in the bonus material, this has certainly a very rough demo/mixing like feeling. One can tell that it is still rough around the edges, with an incomplete feeling regarding the mixing, and all the elements being unbalanced as a whole. But even then, this version stands as something much more enjoyable compared to the one found on Niagara Triangle Vol 1. Its much more lively in the performance, and one can tell that it is a proper song conceived in Sugar Babe more than anything (being that this was part of their live concerts and performed on a very similar way to this demo version). Instrumentally, performance wise, and even resource wise (with the different percussion elements, as well as the background vocals and the tempo of the song), this might as well have been part of the final cut of Songs. These two first demos are enough for fan or either Songs or Tatsuro to get their hands on this edition, since these are two excellent songs that really have a lot to offer in their spirit, but the rest of extra material doesn't stay behind.

The demo version of SHOW is more in line with the final release, with the main and most notable differences being the vocal production and the overall mixing. But besides that, it is still the same great track that appeared as a great opener. Hearing the vocals on their natural state, with Tatsuro slowly figuring out how to focus on the song is certainly something special, with the instrumentals being really great, and Taeko's background vocals being much more noticeable and charming. 指切り is another track that would be a common part of their live shows (with some great performances, but sadly with most of the recordings available being in poor quality), and appearing on its only studio incarnation here. It happens the same as with the previous tracks. It might as well be a B-side or an outtake, but the production is still somewhat different to the style present on Songs. Comparing it to the available live recordings available, it certainly shows a lot of the effects that stand out in this becoming a very peculiar and unique track in the Sugar Babe catalog, with some performance choices and a very particular way to structure the tempo and the overall build up of the song. Still, a really good treat for fans of the band, and a sad fact knowing that it wouldn't be properly released in any official full project.

Following the demos, there are two live performances, both the early period of the band, before the recording of Songs, in 1974. These recordings have some incredibly clean quality, and it only makes one wonder what would have been if some full concerts would have been released in full polished live album style. Starting with 想い, a melancholic early track from the band, again not to appear on any other project from the band, being a cover from Yoshiro Nagato and Yasuyu Komiya, but having a rather sweet and calm execution, with Tatsuro's voice having the nice execution as ever, giving a good look at the way the vocals would evolve in the following months. The second live recording is from いつも通り, one of Taeko's tracks that appeared on Songs. The composition, instrumental arrangement, structure, and vocal performance is almost a carbon copy of what would appear on the album, with little to no differences outside of the sound quality. A sweet song that certainly stands out as a joy to anyone's ears. After that, two different mixes of ためいきばかり and Sugar take the spotlight, with them having little differences with the final versions found on the album (with Muramatsu's track having a less balanced mix due to the volume and production on the guitars, and Sugar being much less focused execution, something much more, well, "wild", without the balance and polish that the final version would have; still being really charming, but 50 seconds shorter and without the final impact that the final version would present). And finally, an instrumental karaoke version of Down Town closes up the bonus material on a very nice way, letting people appreciate in full detail the structure and arrangement of the instrumentals, carrying the spirit of the final version.

The 30th anniversary edition of Songs is a treat for anyone who fell in love with the original album. A bigger, closer, and more personal look at the potential and energy that the band provided, with tracks that might as well have been final releases on any Sugar Babe related project. The demos give great pop masterpieces, bundles of joy that explode in charisma and creativity, but they also give a comprehensible look at what would come in the future projects from the members involved in the band. The live tracks show the dedication that the band showed from their very first performances. And the alternative mixes show the careful attitude that was at hand when deciding how to structure the final cuts that would become part of their album (eventually being complemented by the 40th anniversary bonus tracks). The demos alone are worth the listen. It is just so enjoyable to dive into, and I couldn't recommend it more.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Favorite Track: 夏の終わりに (Demo) / パレード (Demo)

40th Anniversary Edition

The 40th Anniversary Edition is a very particular one. It was a big release, with 2 CD's containing a bundle of previously unreleased material from the band. Instead of being released by Eiichi Otaki's label, Niagara, it was released under the supervision of Tatsuro Yamashita on Warner Music Japan, mainly due to the fact that Otaki sadly passed away two years prior, in 2013. Yamashita supervised both the new remastered version of the album and the remix made for this special edition, mainly because he positioned himself in the Otaki mindset. Back in 2005, Yamashita and the rest of members were somewhat opposed to the idea of a digital remaster or remix or the album, considering that the original sound and quality could be improved without the need to implement those techniques. 10 years later, Yamashita admitted that times are changing, and that even if he prefers the old school methods, it was better for the preservation of the music to indulge in the new techniques that allowed a much higher digital quality. The remix version was the initial digital remaster that Otaki proposed in 1999 and 2005 to the band, but further improved by Tatsuro, making it a double CD release, and using the opportunity to include a good quantity of bonus materials for fans to enjoy. Both remaster and remix have their own particular improvements (most notably balancing even more the guitars and improving the delay transitions from one track to the next), and it is great to listen to the classic album on its full digital splendor. As for the bonus tracks, since it was more than 2 CD's worth of space, they filled each one with it's particular qualities, including live recordings from various points in the band's career, as well as new instrumental karaoke cuts of the songs, making up for over an hour of highly enjoyable bonus material.

Starting things off in the first CD, there are three bonus tracks recorded in the same concert in 1976, before their dissolution a couple of months after, in April 1st. The main issue with these tracks mostly relies on the volume of the keyboard, being too much in the background, but still providing for some great recordings. The first of these songs is the live recording of Parade (or パレード, which appeared on Niagara Triangle's debut in 1976, but that had also been shown to have been conceived during the Songs sessions, having a demo included in the 30th anniversary release), being very much in line with what was presented in the demo version, and showing that it was part of their usual sets for their live performances. The sound quality is clean, and it certainly is a joy to hear a clean source for one of these shows. Another track that never made it to a proper final studio release, but that ended up being part of their live performances, is こぬか雨. It follows in line with the previous track, and the quality certainly helps the execution of all the elements to be appreciated on a great way, specially with the interaction between Taeko and Tatsuro onstage (with the song making an appearance in Tatsuro's live release, Joy 1.5, in 1994). Finally, 雨は手のひらにいっぱい comes in as the last of these three tracks, being a nice and highly enjoyable rendition of the studio version.

After this point, the main issues with the rest of live material comes up to light. The following four tracks on this first CD come from a live performance where Eiichi joined the band onstage for these songs, and it comes from a cassette source. The main highlight here are Yamashita's parts, and it is very easy to tell why, with his precise, charming, and passionate performance. The sound source is far from being the best, and it certainly falls in line with "bootleg quality", just somewhat polished so it doesn't have a lot of deterioration, crowd noise, or white noise coming between the tapes. It's still audible, but certainly a sudden and abrupt change in quality, specially compared to the previous polished live recordings. The first of these tracks is Windy Lady, a track that would appear on Tatsuro's debut, Circus Town, that same year (proving that Sugar Babe would be the place where most ideas for band members would come to be, just to then flourish on other projects). The rendition is very nice, with some fantastic guitar playing from both guitarists involved. The rest of the instruments, most notably the keyboard, give some subtle layers to the song, and it certainly is a shame that these couldn't be further appreciated due to the sound quality. 

Down Town follows right after, and it certainly stands as a great rendition of the track, but once again the cassette quality drags down the experience. 愛は幻 (another track that would appear on a solo project, this time on Taeko's solo debut, Grey Skies), a sweet and upbeat ballad from Taeko changes the mood, but keeps the energetic performances, and stands out due to Onuki's vocal performance and the dynamic song structure that complements it. Finally, another track from the album, 今日はなんだか, comes to close the first side, being a very energetic rendition of the track, with Yamashita's vocals taking up the spotlight once again, showing his engaging and charismatic range. Sadly, the sound quality does drag the experience down, with a lot of elements getting lost due to it, such as Eiichi's performance, but it is still something highly enjoyable and remarkable. And despite the quality, it is still nice to know that these recordings exist.

Opening the second CD's bonus material is an alternative discarded version of 今日はなんだか, this time being piano driven more than anything. It is very similar to the final version, but the piano takes up a lot of presence on the mix, and it has a different feeling to the version present on Songs (with the other one being much more balanced overall, and working a lot better compared to this one).  Following that, a different live version of Down Town, this time recorded in 1974, comes in, with an ever more deteriorated sound quality compared to the one on the first cd. It really shows that early on they were shaping up their music with their energetic and charming attitude, interacting with the audience and offering a great rendition of the track, but the poor audio quality certainly takes a lot away from the experience (with the backup vocals, keyboard, and some elements not being too clear on the mix, getting almost faded in the background). Same thing, but on a different aspect, happens with the 1975 recording of 風の世界. The performance is very good, but the sound quality is very poor. It is not that the tape is deteriorated or has noise covering the performances, but the audio source is definitely something odd. The entire band is in the background, with some elements straight up getting lost in the recording, and it is another abrupt change even to what came in the previous track. And finally, the instrumental karaoke versions of five tracks from songs come in place. These are in different spirit than the karaoke version of the 2005 anniversary edition, since these are taken from the 2015 Yamashita remix of the album. The sound quality is pristine, and all instrument can be fully appreciated and enjoyed. Definitely a wonderful addition to the special edition, and the highlights of the bonus material.  

The 40th Anniversary Edition for Songs is certainly an odd one regarding the bonus material that was chosen to be included on the release. The live songs are great regarding the performances, but the audio sources range from clean and polished at first, to some poor bootleg quality tracks. Still, it is nice to have them as a document of a band that would mean a lot to the future of the artists. Perhaps the band had plans for a second album (all the demos and side material prove this, offering a lot of great tracks that didn't end up anywhere official under the Sugar Babe name), but all those ideas would spiral into other big projects that would kick off long and flourishing careers. Niagara Triangle, Circus Town, Grey Skies, all these solo and side projects had their roots in Sugar Babe, and the members of the band would still collaborate with each other years after the dissolution of the group. Without Sugar Babe, a lot of great music wouldn't have been released to the public, and if one thing is done right with the live bonuses found here, is the fact that this natural progression can be easily appreciated on a good way.  

The main purpose of the release was to "allow Songs to be at the reach of the new generations", and it is something truly wonderful that got executed on a beautiful way. It is still Songs, the great and fantastic album that shows life from beginning to end, and even if the bonus material isn't really the best, it still is a delight to go through. 

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Favorite Track: パレード(Live) / All Karaoke tracks

When I'm Tired Of Talking, Someone Starts Singing / Sugar Babe - Songs (1975) Album Review

 

Every single genre, regardless of the style or tone taken and expanded throughout its years of relevance in the music scene, has a starting point. An artist or group of artist that were in the right place at the right time, and that would go down as iconic landmarks of the music that they helped to mold into what it would become. This happens to a bigger or smaller extent depending on the place, the time, and the genre in question. Sometimes, some of these artists don't really get that much attention outside of their main scene, just to be discovered years later, with their efforts recognized and loved with new generations appreciating the ideas that were presented on the albums. Even a genre such as City Pop have those moments. That sweet and interesting history that would lead to the creation of timeless music, that would be rediscovered decades after its release, but that during the time of its conception, would mark the proper starting point of the career of different titans in the genre. And the group that would come up with the idea to blend all their different influences onto a unique sound that could catapult an entire generation of Japanese pop music would be none other than Sugar Babe. 

Sugar Babe would be born out of the ashes of the Add Some Music To Your Day quartet, that during its final stretch was conformed by Susumu Namiki, Shinichi Takekawa, Kikuo Ogawa, and Tatsuro Yamashita; all of them being friends and being between 19 and 20 years old. The band self-recorded and self-produced their only album with the help of other guest vocalists and musicians, and after the release of their self titled album, limited to only some private pressings, and the poor sales of it, the group decided to break up for different personal reasons. However, the album itself (that consisted of a collection of covers from different pop songs, going from conventional pop to surf rock, and taking a vocal choir approach to the renditions of the tracks. Far from being perfect, the album would show a sweet and notable passion for the music that was being played, with a young Tatsuro showing glimpses towards styles that he would expand in his future solo work) would start being shared among musicians and fans of pop music at the time. After the quartet decided to part ways, Tatsuro started to formulate the idea of making another music group, this time with him tackling the guitar parts. Teaming up with old bandmate Kikuo, who would take bass duties, and Kunio Muramatsu (one of the guest musicians on the "Add Some" record) on rhythm guitar. Later on, he would be introduced to Taeko Onuki and Akihiko Noguchi, two other independent musicians while performing on rock cafés, who would be incorporated to the band taking upon vocal-keyboards and drum duties respectively. And that is how the first and most iconic lineup of Sugar Babe would come to be born.

This first lineup of the band would start writing their music in 1973, being a collective effort where the clash of different influences would be merged into one coherent sound more inclined towards an occidental sound, relying on the use of seventh chord progressions and a soft rock approach to the music, something that was unusual for the popular Japanese pop music at the time. Despite Add Some's self-titled debut having some poor sales, it would end up calling the attention of guitarist Ginji ito, who would pass it down to now legendary Eiichi Otaki, who was then still a part of the popular Happy End. Eiichi, impressed with the vocal abilities of the members, would find out about the birth of Sugar Babe, and would be really interested in becoming the producer to their music. The chemistry between the band members and Eiichi was such, that Sugar Babe participated as background vocalists on Happy End's last concert, months before properly starting with their debut concert in late 1973.  Later on, most members of the band were caught on a tight spot, but the members, and the group itself, were starting to get recognized due to their gigs on small festivals and concert halls, with the members getting recognized due to their collaboration as background vocalists with other artists such as Yumi Arai (and also this being most evident on Tatsuro's side, who started to participate as background vocalist or guest musician/guitarist due to his economical problems). Not long after that, in 1974, they were the first band to be signed up to Otaki's label Niagara, that would also go down as the first musician handled label to go big in Japan, with Otaki himself trusting the talent of the band in order to represent the potential of the label. After some time reserved for rehearsal, recording duties took place for some months, with Sugar Babe's debut, and only, album, SONGS, along side the single Down Town, being released at the same time in 1975.

Sugar Babe was born out of many different factors that lead to a band creating a unique and unconventional sound for pop music in Japan at the time. All the members were at the right place, at the right time, and the group was pushed forward by both their needs to create music and the love for the many influences that had lead them up to that point. There was a clash of different instrumental styles and musical aspirations, with some members being more driven by Soft Rock of the likes of Ravin Spoonful, while others were more pop driven, with artists like The Beach Boys, resulting in moments of uncertainty regarding the way on which the songwriting would be approached. The mostly occidental influences would take a toll in how the music came out to be, with the group standing out in music cafés and other small gigs due to how different the music they offered would be from the popular artists at the time. The compositions, songwriting, and performances relied heavily on trial and error, with the entirety of their songs being a collective effort more than anything, not only limiting themselves with their influences, but with Yamashita being inspired by Otaki and Ginji and taking control of most important decisions in order to expand their horizons and use as much resources as possible to make a polished record. Every aspect of the record took unconventional and unexpected turns, but the end product was something rich and full of life, passion, and love for the music that was being presented by every single member. 

SONGS presents a collection of eleven songs, all taking different approaches in songwriting and instrumental performances, but keeping a consistent tone, ending up in a balance between the compositions and the production that offers quality track after quality track, from the very first moments to the last closing rhythms. Every song holds its significance, and they all present interesting ideas in how the rhythm is created across the track. The opener, Show, presents all of these elements in the beat way possible. This was the first song that Yamashita wrote and presented to the band in order to be completed and performed as the opener for their first shows. Every single instrument holds a simple pattern, but that when combined together, make up for a unique and cheerful rhythm. The opening notes are powerful, and call for the attention of the listener, transitioning right into the main upbeat rhythm. Taeko's marked keyboard (being delicate in the performance, but imposing itself as an important element of the song), Noguchi's simple and precise drums, and the fascinating coordination between the simple chord progressions of the bass and both guitars, courtesy of Kikuo, Kunio, and Tatsuro, with Tatsuro's charming and lively vocals being the cherry on top, almost as if it was another important instrument in the mix. All the band's influences can be found here one way or another, from the surf rock sustained notes, the soft rock driven solos, and the pop inspired vocal choirs. It is all incredibly balanced, offering a dynamic track, that knows when to switch between verses, chorus, and bridges, being a catchy pop song, but that has a lot of things going on in order to work the way it does.

Down Town, the single released the same day as the album, also being a song that came out between the interactions of Ginji Ito and Yamashita before the recording of the album, changes the mood to something much more melancholic in the performance, but still maintaining the initial tone. The main ideas follow the same spirit as the opener, being simple instrumental compositions that make up for a funky and passionate main rhythm, where Yamashita offers a very sweet vocal performance, with a catchy bridge and chorus that make this a really memorable song. The main concept, and the final sound of the track, appear to be easy in spirit, but taking one single instrument out of the mix would make this something completely different. Everything has its importance, and Eiichi's production really feels outside of its time in the sense that there is an uncanny balance found between all the elements used. The mood is shifted once again for the first track where Taeko takes the spotlight vocally and instrumentally, but also being a common favorite during live performances. Regarding the production, it is a rather subtle, but genius, change, where the mix makes both Taeko's vocals and keyboard be slightly higher in volume compared to the rest of the instruments. The main tone of the album is still present in the guitar, while the rest of instruments give in to the sentimental nature of Taeko's sweet and passionate performance (with this track also being one to hold a lot of emotional value for Taeko, later being re-recorded for her album Romantique). 風の世界 comes into place, where the sentimental and melancholic tone gets even more embraced with the chord progressions, and the small details that give the track a dynamic feeling from beginning to end (like the little mistake caused by Muramatsu, where Taeko's breath got delayed and recorded, but still fitting the track on a beautiful and charming way).

The first side of the album closes with ためいきばかり, a song that not only picks up the main upbeat feeling, contrasting the mellow mood seen on previous tracks, but that also shows something very important that not a lot of people take into consideration. Sure, Sugar Babe's main spotlight were Taeko and Tatsuro, specially considering the legacy that they would build up with their solo careers after the release of SONGS, but Sugar Babe was a band, a group of people who were passionate for their music, where they all had their respective parts, their importance in the way the songs would come to be in the final product. This track in particular shows Muramatsu's attempt at songwriting, with a very charming and spring like feeling, being very intriguing due to the use of different keyboards during the song (with Taeko tackling the main keyboard tone, and Tatsuro backing it up in the background), and the way the guitars interact with each other right at the end, creative a cohesive and immersive rhythm that captivates with all its charm. The second side of the album starts off with the third, and also final, Taeko track, いつも通り, following the main ideas presented by her previous contribution, but showing an important factor that would make the second side highly interesting: the implementation of different types of beautiful percussion and backing instrumentals. This track in particular uses some background strings, as well as leaving space for a brief saxophone solo, which immediately takes the spotlight, while also shifting the tone to something much more upbeat, interacting in fantastic ways with Tatsuro's guitar, making up for a song that not only stays as one of the most layered instrumentally, but also one of the calmest of the entire album (and also offering some insight to what Taeko would use for her first solo studio albums). The balance between the different emotions conveyed by the instruments, with each one of them having their own space in the final product, is certainly something truly special and wonderful considering both the status and experience of the band at the time. And these details, these passionate elements that are placed with care and thought put into them, just keep popping up in the rest of the tracks.

すてきなメロディー changes the tone once again to something much more upbeat, that manages to offer a lot despite its short length. Taeko and Tatsuro perform as a duet on vocals, with their voices having a particular echo due to the fact that Eiichi's studio was small and had only one microphone at the time, but this style fits surprisingly well with the style of the song. Instrumentally, this is one of the most dynamic songs in the album, shifting between different tones, and implementing small detail throughout the song (most notably the use of a trumpet following the bridge after the piano, guitar, and vocal choir solos), keeping things fresh and subtle with the use of every element that the band could implement. If a single song from this record is able to represent it as a whole, it certainly is this brief, joyful, and nice melody. A much more soft and easy going track is found in 今日はなんだか, a track reminiscent of Phil Spectre, where Tatsuro takes the vocal spotlight once again in order to present a contrast between different moods within the same song, building upon the formula of many simple rhythms (with a much more energetic keyboard and a guitar that uses the whammy effect to add layer to its performance) making up one cohesive melody by using different percussion and outside elements, with the trumpets that appear having their own solo right at the end, serving as a climax to the sweet and powerful song that Tatsuro presented with the help of his passionate vocals and the use of some string arrangements. Once again, the mood is contrasted with 過ぎ去りし日々, a piano driven track, this time with Tatsuro taking the spotlight in vocals, with the helps of an acoustic guitar, a marked bassline, and minor percussive elements for atmosphere. A very nostalgic song, with lyrics written by Ginji Ito looking to pay tribute to the 60's in the soft style that it tackled, being a reflective and sentimental song, and a treat to the ears in how sweet and calming it turns out to be. 

Finally, the climax of the album comes in a mostly instrumental track under the name of Sugar, the longest song on the album, and the one where all the members and elements presented up to that point come together for a musical bonanza, a passionate love letter where the performances make up for a very unique and fun track. Not only is it the conclusion of all things the band had been working on for more than a year, it is a love letter to their live performances (being that this song was planned as a big closer for their shows, and its easy to tell why), their influences, and the music that they were performing. With every major element extracted from their main inspiration being put on one big party track that celebrates the joy of being part of Sugar Babe. The structure is similar to what was already presented, but the band takes more liberties this time around. Simple rhythms that make up a catchy and fleshed out melody, but the structure shifts from time to time, keeping things fresh and in constant movement. The vocal interactions between all the members, with the random background noises, Tatsuro's joyful verse before the instrumental bonanza inspired by Nancy Sinatra, the fantastic guitars interacting with each other taking a latin inspired riff as the base for the whole song, with a marked bass, simple drums accompanied by percussion, and Taeko's rhythmic piano playing, with Eiichi's fantastic production adding a unique and timeless feeling by balancing all the different layers into one memorable experience. It all comes together on a dynamic, varied, charming, and fun track that just bleeds of unconditional love for the music that is being performed. It is a beautiful and fantastic way to end an already fantastic album.

Sugar Babe was many things, but most of all, it was the passion of all the members that formed the group being incarnated onto music that knows no age. This would be the proper start not only of the long and impressive career of two major artists, but of an entire style of Japanese pop at the time. They marked the birth of what would be known as City Pop (implementing both the musical style, approach to songwriting, and main themes that would be expanded and developed over the course of the next years by both members of the group as well as other artists that would find inspiration in what the band presented), as well as being ahead of their time with the elements used in their music, being almost completely overlooked at first, but eventually being recognized as one of the most important bands in the history of modern Japanese music. Eiichi Otaki's production style culminated on a unique and powerful sound, outside of what Japan had to offer at the time, being very polished but also having a garage quality, keeping the genuine factor, the passion and the heart of the performances, while seeking a clean and clear balance between all the elements that held the record together. It is an incredibly enjoyable project that hides too many interesting and charming details behind the layers that it presents. Consistent from front to back, never wasting a single moment, and showing the potential the members had regarding songwriting, performances, and musical arrangements. No instrument outshines the other, they all have their spotlight, their moments to show their talent, and all those moments are used in the best and most beautiful way possible. 

People take Sugar Babe as being only conformed by Tatsuro, Taeko, and Eiichi; when in fact it was a proper band composed of talented artists that had an equal love for the music that was being performed both live and on studio. Just looking at what this landmark meant for the artists involved is more than enough to see the presence that they all would carry in the future. Sugar Babe did not break up due to creative differences, it broke up because it was the natural step for the musical ambitions of all the artists involved. After the release of Songs, the band would change its initial lineup a couple of times, and it also held the performances of material that would belong in different solo projects for the members in 1976 (with Tatsuro's Windy Lady and Taeko's Wander Lust having their first live renditions during the last Sugar Babe concerts). Tatsuro would find that he had a love for arranging the music himself, so he would eventually move into his solo career, as well as appearing as a guest artist in other albums, including Taeko's, and collaborating with Eiichi Otaki and Ginji Ito in Niagara Triangle. Taeko would start her solo career as well, recording and releasing Grey Skies in 1976, and starting writing material for Sunshower that same year. Kunio Muramatsu would take a while before releasing his solo career, but in the meantime he would appear as guest musician in albums of Eiichi Otaki, Niagara Triangle, EPO, among many others. Akihiko Noguchi would also appear as guest musician in projects from Mariya Takeuchi, Tokiko Kato, Sachiko Suzuki, and many others. Each artist would have its collaboration in other iconic pop projects from the time, and many other artists would slowly become aware of the existence of Songs and take it as inspiration for their own material. It all started here, it all had its roots on a simple project that aimed to convey the love of the members towards their music. 

Both the music and the style on which the album is presented are the reasons why SONGS feels so timeless. It stablishes a marked personality that knew how to use all the things that the band was familiar with, expanding them, and fleshing them out with new elements in order to create something new, fresh, and full of heart; that felt joyful and full of life from beginning to end. It is a delicate, well crafted, and engaging project, that always invites the listener to fall in love again and again with the joyful tunes that it offers. City pop, and Japanese pop in general, perhaps wouldn't be the same without the influences that Sugar Babe brought to the table. It is one of the best pop albums that has come out of Japan (and dare I say one of the best pop albums in general), and it certainly deserves more recognition outside of the City Pop label attached to it. It simply has so many wonderful things to offer. Ahead of its time in many ways, and embracing an attitude that should be more common in music. It is no wonder why the artists involved still hold it as something truly special within their hearts even decades after the band ended (with Yamashita putting out songs like My Sugar Babe and performing concerts remembering the band that properly started his musical career) It is a sweet, charming, memorable, and highly enjoyable experience. 

A collection of passionate and wonderful songs that just look to add some sugar to your life. Simply beautiful.

Overall Rating: 10/10

Favorite Track: Sugar / Show / すてきなメロディー

But She Looks In My Eyes, And Makes Me Realize / Tatsuro Yamashita - Add Some Music To Your Day (1972) Album Review

Across the decades there have been a multitude of genres that were born due to some specific circumstances, taking upon a specific sound, attitude, and characteristics that would mold the particular style of music into a world of its own. These usually don't manage to last outside of their main time period, or at least not in the same light as they were hold in during their most popular days (genres like progressive rock or thrash metal are examples of this), or simply stayed condensed on a particular country, unable to reach abroad until decades later with the help of the ever rising internet music culture. The last one can be explained with one of the most iconic musical movements originated in Japan during the mid 70's, becoming a staple and key component in the way j-pop would shape itself in the future, with some of its landmark albums gathering attention decades after their release. Indeed, City Pop was a product of its time, a need for the Japan of that era to provide more upbeat music, contrasting the tone of the social issues that were going on around that time, being heavily influenced by surf pop acts such as The Beach Boys, as well as American and European pop styles that were rising during the 60's and mid 70's. 

During these decades of heavy psychedelia and big musical movements, Japan, as well as many other countries in the world, looked to adapt these big American and European movements in their own way, and City Pop is a good example of this. Rather than it being a unique style of pop music, it was more of a blend of various influences, leading to these early styles of popular Japanese pop music. The different artists that would pioneer the genre would do so trying to imitate the surf rock/pop, different branches of pop rock, and baroque pop movements, be it writing their own songs (with groups like Happy End or artists like Takeshi Terauchi) or covering the artists that captivated their attention. The roots of early City Pop originate from this. On the one hand, artists from japan who were already dipping their toes into these branches of pop music would be part of some big projects from early on in the genre, and on the other hand, artists would start at their young age, covering their favorite music on self-recorded and self-produced albums with the help of friends. And Tatsuro Yamashita, one of the biggest and most important artists to come out of the genre, had his early musical steps in this style. 

Born in a family that relied in small commercial and food related businesses, in the middle of an economical and political depression that started in the late 50's, Tatsuro would show interest in music due to the TV and Radio programs that his parents would watch and listen to, until getting into small music groups forming on his school, where he was introduced to The Ventures (which along side The Beatles and The Beach Boys is considered as one of the most influential groups for Japanese rock and pop), leading to a love for songwriting and pop music. When he was just 13 years old, he started his first band, a pop quartet where he played drums, with a style inclined to vocal choirs made up of all the members engaging in vocal duties, something unusual at the time. Due to many complications with his education, and slowly getting more inclined towards dedicating himself fully to his music, he leaves his university studies in 1972, having some rather difficult years before getting recognized with Sugar Babe. His first official musical steps, his first attempts at producing a full studio effort, take place during this time, right after he leaves university, with the independent release of Add Some Music To Your day that same year. 

This first musical effort would take place with the same band that he had started with friends when he was in school. Tatsuro had to leave the band due to changing schools, but he would come back to rejoin his old friend Susumu Namiki in 1969, slowly building up to a stable lineup in 1972, with most of the members being between 19 and 20 years of age, consisting of the inclusion of Shinichi Takekawa and Kikuo Ogawa, and taking the name of "Add Some Music To Your Day" (name that was taken from a song belonging to The Beach Boys' album Sunflower). With the help of a YES Machine (a multipurpose mixing board released by Yamaha during that time, which allowed groups to try and record their music on stereo recording quality, facilitating many things that were difficult for homemade independent recordings at the time). The band used a simple setup of guitar, bass, drums, and the electronic keyboard, changing roles depending on the song, but with an obvious heavy inclination towards vocal driven pop songs from abroad. Since they still found hard for a group to compose their own songs due to creative clashings, they were inclined to record a collection of different covers from their favorite artists. Recording of the album would take two months. Every member would record their respective parts almost separately, with Susumu focusing on the mixing and production, doing what they could while almost exceeding their budget in the printing of the private pressings that were made available at first (with the cover being kept in black and white due to these budget issues). 

Add Some Music To Your Day was a rather straight forward project, being a collection of different cover songs that shared a tone and an approach in common. The covers themselves give little to talk about, being somewhat close renditions to the original versions, but the reason of why this is taken more as a Tatsuro Yamashita project instead of a full quartet is due to the fact that the moments where the band would shine as a whole would be on the songs where Tatsuro's voice and production decisions would become the spotlight of the album. The first half was full of Beach Boys covers (something that Yamashita and Susumu were mostly inclined to), and the second half picked between a variety of songs from different artists (where it was all more a collection of favorite tracks from all the members), but that followed the same spirit of the vocal choir with the catchy instrumentals, aiming for a collection of pop songs that, despite not getting to the level of the original renditions, would present a lot of elements that Tatsuro would expand, or tackle on his own particular way, on his later solo projects in many different ways. It shows a young artist getting inspiration from his influences, showing particular ways, be it instrumentally or vocally,  to approach the songs, taking a personality that would be molded more and more with future releases. 

Some iconic elements from all Tatsuro albums can be found here. From the soft pop rock driven style of songs, found on Don't Worry Baby. The acapella driven track renditions, finding their roots in the versions of And Your Dreams Come True and Why Do Fools Fall In Love, where Tatsuro shows the range that he can accomplish in contrast to other songs on the project. The soft and sweet love ballads, where Tatsuro's vocals take the spotlight and shine due to his captivating vocals, having its first incarnation in the beautiful and great version of Your Summer Dream. Different versions of a song being implemented in the same track, taking different styles, such as both popular renditions of Love's Made A Fool Of You. It can all be found here. Different Ideas, songwriting styles, ways of arranging the instruments on the mix, the vocal approach on the final performances, most things that would be important for Yamashita's career would be found here. Moreover, these things would not only be related to the music, but also to the way things would evolve in the future. Aside from the main quartet, the band would get the help of many different musicians, friends from the main members, in order to get a much more complete studio experience by adding some extra vocal or instrumental performances. Among all these guest musicians, Kunio Muramatsu would be the one to get a better relationship with the members of the group. Along side Kikuo and Tatsuro, they would get to know other musicians, most notably Taeko Onuki and Akihiko Noguchi, in order to form Sugar Babe after the breakup of Add Some Music To Your Day, marking one of the first major steps in the molding of City Pop at the time. 

Add Some Music To Your Day is far from being a perfect or well polished project, but it does hold a huge importance in the way things would unravel in the career of Tatsuro Yamashita, and of City Pop as a whole. The sound quality is barely above poor standards, but one can tell that for a self-mixed/produced effort, it was done with pure passion and love for the music that was being performed. And even then, the sound quality works surprisingly well for most of the experience, adding to that homemade and passionate feeling that the renditions seem to convey for the most part. As is the case with most covers albums, most of these don't hold a candle to the original versions (except for Your Summer Dream, which can be taken as the highlight of the album, with even Tatsuro performing it live), but it is still a highly charming and enjoyable album as a whole. The English vocals don't end up suiting the band on the best ways, but one gets used to it and finds their appeal and their charm after listening to a couple of tracks. It is very straight forward, but even in that nature, it would present the roots of ideas that would flourish in such wonderful ways in future solo Tatsuro albums (and the importance is such, that the album was really demanded by fans, being reissued in 1992 for the official Tatsuro fan club). The sales for this album were poor, but the ones that bought it would be immediately captivated by some elements on it, with Ginji Ito discovering it and showing it to Eiichi Otaki, who was then part of Happy End, and who would get involved with Sugar Babe as a producer. Tatsuro's love for this style of music would certainly be the spark that would keep being present throughout his career, with albums like Big Wave or covering tracks like God Only Knows on his concerts, and it all had its roots on this project, made with good friends and a high spirit. 

It is an extremely sweet and lively experience, lead by a group of young boys who were aspiring to pay tribute to the artists that made them fall in love with music. And regardless if the renditions are not perfect, or if the sound quality isn't the best, it certainly deserves a listen, just to experience such a charming and captivating spirit being provided. All it asks you to do is to get immersed in the love that was put into it, and to just add some music to your day. 

Overall Rating: 6/10

Favorite Track: Your Summer Dream