Listen To My Guitar! / Tatsuro Yamashita - Moonglow (1979) Album Review

 

Tatsuro Yamashita's professional music career had been faced with some very rough barriers since it officially started in 1974. From Songs to Spacy, and even with the wonderful double album live experience of "It's A Poppin Time" in early 1978, Yamashita had been practically staying ahead of its time within the Japanese pop scene. Songs can, and it usually is, credited as the birth of City Pop and the new wave of Japanese pop that was prominent during the 80s, starting a trend of drifting towards and occidental approach of pop and soft rock, giving it a personality of its own, as well as fleshing out instrumental ideas to their fullest extent with the talent, the charm, and the energy of all the people involved in the performances. Songs had a huge importance in the way things would evolve from that point onward, with most artists involved with the record managing to get involved in other groundbreaking and important projects years later. Tatsuro's career drifted to his solo aspect, as well as starting to get recognized as a talented arranger and guest musician working with other artists and labels. By the time 1976 came in, Circus Town presented a significant challenge for him, and despite the somewhat mixed recording experience, proceeded to introduce him to a new technical style of writing music by partiture, as well as expanding his tastes to jazz, funk, and rock. 

While his first debut showed an artist with a lot of potential, but a lot of space for improvement, Spacy offered a much more complete, polished, and well crafted view at what Tatsuro was able to do with his music in 1977. He had wasted no time applying all the things he learned on the US, and proceeded to gather a fantastic range of talented musicians and artists that would help him to fulfill his artistic vision, delivering a consistent and coherent experience that invited the listener to a lot of re-visiting in order to truly dive in to the layers of detail provided on his work. The sad thing relied on the fact that reception towards these two albums were not notable, ending up in poor sales that barely made up for the budget invested in such a recording, with Yamashita relying on his live shows to make up for that part of the income and try to move forward (with the idea of releasing a live album being presented to him, ending up on Its A Poppin Time, a beautiful and masterful live archive that truly showed the range of influences, talent, and onstage dominance that Tatsuro and his band carried in order to make up for great performances that tried to flesh out ideas to their fullest and loosest extent). All his musical efforts and collaborations up to that point had been worthwhile, unique, and very well made; but it simply wasn't enough to get over the rough times that Yamashita was facing with his solo career.

Rough criticism, poor reception from the mainstream, and a label that was pressuring him to get a hit incoming simply took a toll on Yamashita's mindset and the attitude towards his work. The main issue relied on both the reception from the mainstream, as well as the fact that the man didn't really do much when it came to promoting his music and try to generate a reputation outside of a small, yet very impressive, circle. His underground fanbase was loyal and slowly moving forward, but most of it was condensed in Tokyo, as well as Yamashita having a considerable reputation among professional and big music artists at the time, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Eiichi Otaki being the most notable ones (with projects like Pacific, a collaboration with Hosono and Suzuki, in 1978 being the thing that kept a glimpse of hope in both Tatsuro and the label that he would eventually rise in popularity, letting him record more albums), being the ones that recognized him as an artist with a lot of potential, and whose music had a lot to deliver if given the opportunity to get immersed on it. But that doesn't sell records, it doesn't let the man or the label get much income, and it certainly isn't enough to keep a career floating, specially with the rough criticism and almost non-existent attention from the mainstream, leading to anyone getting frustrated about the direction of their solo career.

Yamashita took a pessimistic attitude by 1978, and was completely certain that his third solo album would be the last, with him already determined to continue as an anonymous producer and songwriter for other artists, taking the liberties to simply try things out without getting them to make sense in the context of a full album, ending up in the release of Go Ahead! later that year. And that frustration transcribes very well to the album, offering a very unfocused record, that dived into a considerable range of genres, approaches to songwriting, tones, and even different production and mixing styles between tracks, making up for an inconsistent experience in the whole scheme of things, with some of his most forgettable material up to that point. However, Tatsuro is Tatsuro, and while the album could have been much better, it still provided with fantastic songs that stole the spotlight and served as proof that the man was still able to craft pop masterpieces whenever he wanted.  And even then, Go Ahead! turned out to be a turning point for Yamashita's career as a whole. Since he decided to experiment a little with different genres, songs like Paper Doll and Let's Dance Baby had a big appeal in a groovy and upbeat style of pop and soft rock, being practically "single material". In fact, Let's Dance Baby was decided to be used as a single a few months later, but the B side of the single, also a song from the album, would be the start of Yamashita's rise in popularity during that period. Bomber was simply a perfect and unique pop track for the Japanese mainstream scene at that time, becoming a considerable hit on dance clubs at the time, leading to the mainstream starting to get familiar with Tatsuro Yamashita as a prominent artist that had a discography, and that was able to offer catchy and engaging songs such as that one within his catalog.  

If it wasn't for Bomber, a one of a kind attempt at making a polyrhythmic funk song, Tatsuro's career would have been completely different. The funk and loose, but still technical approach, the songwriting, arrangement, solos from the talented members involved, the catchy melodies, the slapping bass, and the memorable vocal performance from Tatsuro made for a perfect pop song, an essential track from the artist, that would be the spark to reignite the passion of the artist, who wasted no time and started drifting towards that style of music for his next solo album. A second single was released a couple of months later, with Let's Kiss The Sun taking over and being a considerable hit, with The Whispering Sea serving as the B side, promoting both his upcoming and previous albums. Glimpses at the style of the new project were starting to be displayed on his live shows, ones that were starting to expand outside of Tokyo (even getting to his first national show), taking members from the Go Ahead sessions along and making up for some popular performances in Osaka (where he got the assurance that his music could captivate audiences outside of his local underground fanbase, receiving some fantastic reception and changing his pessimistic attitude), that inspired Yamashita to take a more upbeat tone and musical style that resonated more with the atmosphere of those times. Yamashita's manager, and only person who supported his decisions within the label, Riuzo Kosugi started AIR, his own independent label inside of RVC/RCA, as a place where artists could develop freely and without pressure, and he took Tatsuro as the first artist to be allied with that part of RVC, leading to the release of Moonglow, his fourth studio album, in 1979. 

Moonglow was simply the payoff of all the sour and rough buildup that Yamashita's career had experienced up to that point of his live. While his previous albums had some loose intentions, lead more with a spirit to try new things with his songwriting, Moonglow seemed like a refinement of a formula, of many formulas in fact, of various elements used in previous albums, used on a much more appropriate way. A project carried with a clear mindset, intention, tone, and attitude in mind, offering a good range of styles that varied between songs in order to not feel repetitive. All the tracks that were part of the album were structured to have coherence with one another in order to make an engaging, memorable, straight forward, and well crafted listening experience. The all star cast of guest musicians is brought back once again, and it is all done with much more specific parts in mind. It was more conscious of the tempos, the arrangements, and the elements used for each song, applying ideas from previous albums and adapting them to a more upbeat and polished focus of being captivating and able to be reproduced and fleshed out on a live setting (being the first album where all the songs would appear live at one point), doing it all with a similar length and a similar amount of songs as his previous efforts, and having a worthwhile experience front to back. 

夜の翼 (Nightwing), the first track of the album has a lot in common with the Overture from the previous record, almost as if it were an extension of the ideas presented there, but its use and flow towards the next track is executed on a much better way. A sweet, calming, and well performed solo acapella-dowoop track that sets up a very specific mood, being a blend between something mellow and upbeat, where Yamashita just keeps slowly fleshing out his interest on this style of song with a charming track to open up the album. The proper opener of the album comes right after in the former of 永遠のFull Moon, the track that would be used as the first single under the AIR label. It is a very simple song in spirit, tone, and execution, but it simply is a fantastic and sweet opener for such an experience. It is very reminiscent of the mellow songs on Spacy, with the string arrangements, the minor percussion instruments almost at the end, and even a saxophone solo midway through. It builds upon simple rhythms stablished from the interaction between the guitar, bass, and the drums, with the keyboards making an apparition along side the backing vocals for the chorus, adding small details with the progression of the song. The main thing carrying the track are Yamashita's passionate vocals, already contrasting most of the attitude and approach seen on the previous album, and it all blends together really well within the simple structure for each individual element being used. It is simply a charming, beautiful and engaging opener, reinforcing the tone and atmosphere stablished with the overture, being very sweet in spirit and definitely making itself be one of the highlights of the album.

That particular atmosphere and tone is slightly changed and adapted to Rainy Walk (a track that would be more recognized for being the B side to the wonderful Ride On Time single a year later), conveying a similar sensation regarding the simplicity of the track overall, and it is understandable why this is the case. All elements that appeared on the previous track appear once again, with the only exception of this being the saxophone, but having the trumpets to fill up the space instead, but the rhythm is much focused on a soul and almost technical style (Haruomi Hosono, Hiroshi Sato, Yukihiro Takahashi, and Masaki Matsuraba are the reason of why this is the case, following Yamashita's arrangement taking a different perspective of the tone and song structure seen on the Full Moon). It is a very captivating track, where Tatsuro himself takes upon the role of background vocalist, reinforcing the mood conveyed by his vocals and carrying the track on a very good way. After this, the tone is finally contrasted with the mellow and unfairly overlooked Storm, once again being a expansion from ideas on previous albums, this time being what it looks like a Monday Blue executed right (with even the same exact members involved in the creation of that track appearing here once again). It is a heavily emotional track influenced by Chicago's soul scene, with the way every instrument gets handled having the intention of coming off in the smoothest way possible. Everything is where it has to be, the subtle bass lines, the simple guitar, the simple yet effective drum beat, Yamashita's mellow and calm vocals, with the string arrangement being complemented by a harp. It all builds up towards the wonderful solo section for string, sax, and guitar, just to then return to the main motive, reinforcing the atmosphere with the wind recordings, slowly carrying itself towards an ending that fades out in the distance, repeating that calm, but yet hard hitting, chorus. Certainly a memorable and engaging experience, and one of Tatsuro Yamashita's finest pieces, a true masterpieces that takes its time to flesh out as much as possible and present a wonderful and easy going climax that calms the soul and startles the emotions.

All of a sudden, the tone is heavily contrasted with Funky Flushin', the last track from the first side of the album. This is, without a doubt, another great highlight from this project, mainly due to the fact that it serves as a sort of spiritual successor of Bomber, embracing and diving into the upbeat, technical, and energetic style of funk that brought Yamashita's career to better days. Tatsuro was well aware that replicating what Bomber did was next to impossible, so he simply decided to drift the focus into making a track that carried the original spirit on it's own particular way, focusing more on the rhythm and melody structure and arrangement, inclined towards a more easy going pop style, rather than on building a polyrhythm approach to only a handful of elements on the track. The bass is still a prominent element on the track, with a thick bass line that carries the melody, but the mixing allows for the guitar, drums, and trumpets to complement it on a fantastic way, with the upbeat vocals (both from Tatsuro as well as Minako on the background) carrying things on a very energetic way. Whereas the bass took the spotlight in Bomber, here the guitar takes equal attention, specially for it being the instrument to get granted the fantastic solo section. And even regarding the song structure it is something dynamic and engaging, with a tropical like percussion section that leads into the last part of the songs, where Minako's vocals set the main melody, slowly getting complemented by the rest of instruments, building up an incredibly catchy and groovy bit that closes up with Tatsuro's vocals getting incorporated in the mix in order to finally fade out completely. All the elements that form part of Funky Flushin' simply make up for a song that bleeds of joy and a high spirit, closing up the first side on a fantastic way. This A side of the album is arguably the most balanced, polished, and consistent collection of songs found on any Tatsuro studio album, and maybe any of the albums on his discography, up to that point. The tracks flow right into each other very smoothly, they all have their particular approach in tone and musical style, offering five tracks that are dynamic in their execution, as well as offering a sense of variety that doesn't feel disjointed at any point. It serves as both a proof and a statement from Yamashita about how he wanted to keep moving forward with his music, providing his own view point on certain styles, approaching his influences with his own personality, building up great songs that had a focus and a reason to use the elements they placed on the mix, knowing what artists to use and how to use them. The second side might not be as well executed(while still providing with incredible pop masterpieces), but this first side is an achievement on its own, and a more than perfect reason to check the album on full.

The second side wastes no time in continuing the funky tone and approach with a slight twist in the form of Hot Shot. It still is a funk driven track, very much in the spirit of Bomber and Funky Flushin', but with the difference of the guitar being the dominant instrument that leads the rhythm and the melody throughout the entire song. It was a song inspired by a style seen on the US mainstream rock scene at the time, with bands like Eyesley Brothers being the main source of influence for the way the song ended up being structured, being a combination of various grooves and rhythms in order to create something that was a highlight of its own. It is a very upbeat song, where the guitar compositions certainly stand out, but mainly due to their interaction with the bass, drums, and specially Tatsuro's energetic and adequate vocals. It is by far the most simple song instrumentally in the album, and in most of Yamashita's career, but that barebones use of few elements to make a straight forward, energetic, and engaging track certainly works to its favor, with a killer and catchy rhythm that simply captures the attention of the listener through all its duration, making up for another highlight of the album and a great way to open the second side. After that point, the album seems to drift towards a couple of more conventional tracks for Yamashita, but they are still executed on a nice way, and still carry coherence and consistency within the album. The tone is contrasted with Touch Me Lightly, also being an extension of some ideas presented on Go Ahead! (being another song written for the The King Tones, just like "Let's Dance Baby" turned out to be, but having a bigger focus on expanding and condensing the tone present on Monday Blue), but executed on a much more focused and direct way, ending on a very calm and mellow track, with the keyboard and the bass taking up the spotlight once more. The title gives away the focus and atmosphere of the track, its something passionate, emotional, one of the man's most romantic songs up to this point of his career, certainly serving as a nice contrast in almost every aspect to the energetic and groovy Hot Shot. It is not particularly outstanding or all that well executed, but it is still a very enjoyable song within the tracklist, certainly a nice change of pace, and something sweet that just captivated throughout all its length. 

Sunshine−愛の金色− follows right after, carrying on the calm and relaxed style in the atmosphere and instrumentation, but building up on a more upbeat spirit, with a more work and focus put onto the rhythm and tempo. This is embraced with the keyboards and the simple bass lines being the most notable and important elements on the instrumentals, ending on a track that conveys a groovier feeling in both melody and song structure (with things like the background vocals and the minor percussion elements adding to this atmosphere, making for a more complete experience that complements Tatsuro's vocals on a great way). It is not something particularly outstanding, but it is a nice simple track, that achieves all that it sets out to accomplish, being well executed on a lot of aspects, being a composition that would benefit more from a live setting than anything else. The funk aspects are brought back once again with Yellow Cab, which can be pointed as the most unconventional and intriguing track of the entire album. Based on an experience from Yamahita regarding a small accident on a taxi while he was recording Circus Town in New York, this track conveys a very fun spirit, groovy, loose, and free on the way its executed, taking many liberties in order to add to the fun aspect of the track. The guitar, with its respective solo, bass, keyboard, and drums all complement each other in order to achieve a particular feeling and tone, which ends up being charming to say the least, with a very particular vocal performance from Yamashita. It doesn't aim to be a masterpiece, taking many liberties, specially right at the end with the vocals being modulated as a sort of outro (or in the live performances, where members exchanged their instruments in order to come up as a very good time having fun onstage), but even then it doesn't feel out of place and it does feel like a nice addition to the album.

Finally, the last song comes in changing the pace and picking up a more focused spirit overall in the form of the masterful 愛を描いて -Let's Kiss the Sun-. This is, without a doubt, the definitive highlight of the album, a fantastic closer that serves as a culmination of everything that Yamashita had presented so far in this project. A somewhat mellow spirit in the atmosphere and tone stablished by the main keyboard, but complemented and contrasted at the same time with a more funk driven instrumentation, with a powerful bass line that presents the second part of the melody, while Yamashita's vocals just shine all around, with a wonderful and catchy chorus as the cherry on top, where all the elements come together as a sort of passionate musical and sentimental celebration. It is a beautiful track, where all the pieces simply fall in the right place, ending up in something that has to be heard in order to be fully understood, inviting the listener each time in order to get lost in the layers of carefully pieced details that make up for a fantastic experience. A musical statement from an artist that looked to move forward with his passion, looking to end up achieving all the things that lurked on his mind, pushing through many barriers and finally having positive results going his way. One of Tatsuro's best songs, a song as perfect, charming, captivating, and powerful as the name that represents it, serving as the culmination of a rough journey, paying off as the wonderful conclusion to an already great album. A sunshine of melodies that just engage anyone willing to get lost on its calming and memorable soundscapes. 

Moonglow is a fantastic album. It presents Tatsuro Yamashita on a new era of looking to accomplish any of his musical ideas in a much more focused and polished way, where all his ambitions and influences culminated on something of his own, pushing through with iconic songs that formed part of wonderfully crafted albums. Contrary to most of his previous solo work, this would be a much more consistent, coherent, and fleshed out project, with a particular tone and approach in mind, represented beautifully by the title of the album. Without a doubt, it is a drastic jump from something as unfocused and inconsistent as Go Ahead!, and it presents an artist that wants to achieve something much bigger, ending up in some of Tatsuro's most unique and incredibly captivating masterpieces. Somewhat mellow, emotional, and calm in atmosphere but still glowing on a lively way with the help of some upbeat, carefully crafted, and engaging instrumentals; it all makes up for a varied, dynamic, and absolutely engaging album. 

A collection of ten tracks that were structured on a way where the flow just feels natural, with every one of them being polished in their own individual aspects making up for an experience that just engages the listener from beginning to end, providing Tatsuro's most consistent solo work up to that point. Without a doubt, Moonglow has some of Tatsuro's best material up to that point, and some of his masterpieces in general, while also setting up the tone and approach that would be taken for much bigger efforts in the future. It is the proper start of his golden era, one of his best achievements in composition, songwriting, arrangements and overall performances; all tied together with a beautiful and balanced production and mixing that is as dynamic as it is suiting depending on the tone. A mix of funk, disco, soul, and rock spread throughout all its tracks, with every song having its own personality and way of being executed, while still holding a coherence with one another. 

It is not a perfect album, since it takes some liberties on tracks where the main spirit is simply having fun or polishing an already known formula, but the first stretch of songs, from Nighwing to Funky Flushin', is simply perfect. The A side of the album is, without a doubt, some of the best and most memorable pop material to come out of the 70s in general, a fantastic and captivating collection of pop masterpieces that just have all their elements in the right place, with each one taking a slightly different musical and atmospheric approach, that is made possible due to the delightful performances of everyone involved. But even then, the rest of the album still has a lot to offer, with the definitive highlight being the energetic, passionate, and amazing closer that is Let's Kiss The Sun. From the mellow and engaging opening of Nightwing transitioning to the charismatic, optimistic and lovely Full Moon; the hypnotizing, patient, calm, and etherial masterpiece that is Storm, the explosion of joy on the infectious rhythm on Funky Flushin' and Hot Shot, to even the fun, charming and peculiar Yellow Cab. The record presents a collection of highly enjoyable and polished material that only a master like Yamashita was able to provide. The album is just a trilling experience that is varied but consistent in mood, serving as a statement that Tatsuro did have the energy and the potential to move forward with his career regardless of the relatively poor sales of his work up to 1978, starting a new era of prosperity and self improvement, where his music was finally starting to be appreciated as the fantastic art that it truly was. 

A burst of talent, and passion; as bright as the sun and as emotional as the moon. 

Overall Rating: 9/10

Favorite Track: 愛を描いて -Let's Kiss the Sun / Storm / 永遠のFull Moon / Funky Flushin'

Your Stars Will Shine In Heaven / Tatsuro Yamashita - Go Ahead! (1978) Album Review

Yamashita was a pioneer at implementing trends that would become staples of the new wave of pop that would take over Japan in the 80s, being already ahead of its time with his first two solo albums in the 70's, and even with his work with Sugar Babe and Niagara Triangle, but throughout all that early period, the reception towards his work was very rough. Songs, in 1975, can be considered as the first City Pop album, presenting a unique blend of pop with soft rock, coming up with a very polished and layered album where Tatsuro found his love for arrangements and music production, but even with a single released, the band wouldn't be able to be properly recognized at the time. He then followed in 1976 with his solo debut, Circus Town, where he challenged himself musically by recording the album in the US, where he learned how to be selective with the musicians he picked for his music, expanding his musical influences to jazz, funk, and rock; but more importantly, learning a new, more professional, way of writing music with partitures. Circus Town was a mixed bag, a first try at some new ideas, as well as presenting wonderful tunes that represented his slow evolution on a great way, but he would look to refine all those aspects with his future records, wasting no time in implementing his new knowledge into his next solo project, leading to the release of Spacy in 1977. 

Circus Town received poor sales and harsh criticism, leading to a rough relationship with both critics and the label, but the only thing that pushed him forward was his desire to work on his solo music. For his second album, he gathered an all-star cast that was up to his standards, and proceeded to record the album that for many would be the proper start of his career. It was something much more technical and methodical in the instrumental approach, with a big jazz and funk influence, but it was still catchy, easy going, and memorable, with Yamashita's vocals being the soul of the performances on a very dynamic, varied, and polished production where giants like Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto worked on more than willing to make up for a great experience. Spacy was not perfect, it was essentially built to show its true colors on a live setting, but it would be the proper start of Yamashita's career, setting up ideas and approaches to songwriting that would find themselves expanded on future releases. But despite having this cast, the sales were not as expected, barely making up for the big budget that went with recording the album the way Tatsuro wanted, and even then the money would come mostly from the concerts that were given on small venues in promotion of the album (these were highly regarded and respected by those who attended, and they lead to the idea of recording two of these gigs in order to make a live album and try to recover some budget, leading to the fascinating and wonderful double album of "It's A Poppin Time" in 1978, showing Tatsuro with a high charisma accompanied by talented performers, including a young Ryuichi Sakamoto on keyboards, and expanding ideas from his solo albums, as well as showcasing new material). But even then, it wasn't enough.

Tatsuro Yamashita seemed to have reached the lowest point of his entire solo career by 1978, and it appeared as if his solo career was almost coming to an end. It is not like he was doing bad financially, mainly due to the fact that working with big names in the Japanese music industry at the time, while also being recognized as someone extremely talented by those names as well, led to him being a very popular and respected musicians who worked without giving out his name as a producer and songwriter with other artists and labels. The main issue relied on the solo aspects of his professional music career, where sales were poor and mostly restricted to Tokyo for both of his studio albums, and specially his double live record, leading to problems and restrictions with RVC/RCA at that time. The music that Tatsuro was working on had a big range of influences, coming from almost exclusively occidental sources, and it was mainly focused on a particular and varied pop aesthetic that had both incredible and polished instrumental arrangements that were complemented by Yamashita's memorable and impressive vocal performances. However, this was not popular in the mainstream, being mostly attacked by critics at the time, and its positive reception was only restricted to a very loyal underground fanbase, as well as all the professional artists he worked with, but that, as well as the fact that he had not released any single in promotion of his work, was not enough to get a career floating. 

There were still minor glimpses of hope that still made the label stick with Tatsuro, with them knowing very well the quality of his music, as well as looking at related projects where he participated doing well on sales and slowly building up his status as a widely recognized artist (with the 1978 Pacific project, an instrumental collaboration made with Shigeru Suzuki and Haruomi Hosono being one of the main things that lead to Tatsuro still being hold as an artist with a huge potential). Despite all that, Tatsuro started to feel as if the rock and folk world in Japan was changing abruptly, entering to a new age that seemed like it had no reception for artists with a love for pop music such as him, thinking that he would had to quit playing his solo music in both live and studio settings. That way of thinking, plus being well aware of the poor reception that the music he worked really hard on had, led to him getting a pessimistic mindset that his third studio album would be his last one. His way of thinking, stablished in Spacy, started to get affected (plus having a variety of rough times with him trying to stablish his own office), with him deciding to work loosely on concepts to finish this third album, thinking that he would quit his music and venture on becoming a full time producer and composer for other artists, there simply was no high spirit or will to finish an album properly, and it all culminated on the release of Go Ahead! in late 1978. Due to that, recording sessions and songwriting for his new project were unfocused and all over the place, unlike the ones for Spacy, leading tracks that dived into different genres and approached different styles that Yamashita simply felt like trying out, and that is the simple factor that lead to this being a mixed bag of an album, having some great and hard hitting tracks, while others could evidently need to be properly fleshed out to achieve their full potential.

It all starts with Overture, a small acapella introduction that was slowly expanding Yamashita's desire to dive deep into these kinds of recordings (with a first proper try with the recording of Marie for the live album). It mostly starts developing Yamashita's trend of developing multiple choruses and segments just using his vocals, and it does serve the purpose of opening up the experience on a short, charming, and sweet way, setting up the tone and atmosphere of the album. This is followed by Love Celebration, the first track of the album, starting with a simple drumbeat to then give place to the groovy main rhythm lead by the bass. Songs for the album were dragged from many places, and this one was no exception, being a scrap from an abandoned project for Linda Carriere produced by Haruomi Hosono, aimed to be a mix between the musical styles of Chicago and Miami, making up for rhythm and blues segments, as something much funkier and disco driven. Instrumentally wise it all flows really well, being a wonderful track that is engaging with the main rhythm, leaving space for small solos and the implementation of string, trumpet, and background vocals that complement the track's atmosphere, fleshing out throughout the track. The main step back are Yamashita's English vocals, they are not horrible, they still hold the charm and passion of his work, but it certainly doesn't end up mixing all that well in the final product. It is a good opener, a nice track to follow up in setting up the mood of the record, but it could have been polished to an even further extent.

Let's Dance Baby takes over, being one of the early highlights of the album, and also being an important track in Yamashita's discography. Along side Bomber, this would be released as the first single in Yamashita's solo career, in promotion of Yamashita's fourth album "Moonglow" months after the release of "Go Ahead!", and while Bomber would be the first main hit, this would also receive an equal amount of attention, leading audiences to slowly take notice of Tatsuro's previous projects and slowly leading to the jump in popularity that he would experience in 1979 and 1980. It was originally written as part of three songs composed for The King Tones, with only two of those being used and Yamashita using this remaining one for his own solo project. It is a very captivating, catchy, and sweet track that really serves well as a memorable and catchy single, with a calm instrumental that engages due to the way its presented, with the keyboard being the main element that makes everything work upon the cowbell beat set in the beginning. Tatsuro's vocal performance, along side the wonderful background vocals, all integrate really well with the instrumental and make up for a great song that does know how to set the tone throughout all its length. Just another lovely masterpiece by the master himself. 

However, this short and sweet song is immediately contrasted with the rather lengthy and mellow Monday Blue, a long ballad that tries to flesh out its ideas, but ends up feeling as lasting more than it should. The main melody is carried by a wonderful interaction between Yamashita, Shuichi Murakami on the drums, Akira Okazawa on bass, Hiroshi Sato on keyboards, and Tsunehide Matsuki on guitar; creating a wonderful and lovely dynamic between all the members, ending up on a very mellow and well executed melody, supported by extra layers thanks to the inclusion of strings and similar elements, such as a harp, that just add to the atmosphere. Up to the four minute mark, with Sato's fantastic and calm solo, it all flows very well, but it feels as if lasting more than it should, fleshing out for another three extra minutes, when it could have perfectly faded out after the first solo, having stablished everything already, only to be repeated on the second half. Still, a beautiful melody that engages and certainly has a lot to offer to the listener. That melancholic tone is embraced even more with the mellow keyboards and vocals present on the beginning of ついておいで , misleading the listener into what seems like another mellow approach at songwriting, but suddenly, and wonderfully, shifting tone into something much more upbeat and funky, very reminiscent of songs on Spacy, with a killer bassline and a trumpet solo that just end up stealing the show. It was written to try and integrate a rhythm style popular on the US around that time, with both verse and instrumental parts having distinct melodies, but interacting very well between each other, complementing into something that really shines for being very unexpected and engaging. 

The second side opens with Bomber, a one of a kind song on Yamashita's career, being an experiment from the artist at trying to write a polyrhythmic funk song, while also trying to record a track with new artists (being written by Hiroshi Uehara and Akihiro Tanaka, and having Hiroyuki Naniwa and Kazuo Shiina as guest musicians), that would eventually become a part of the Moonglow recording sessions, ending up on a very unusual masterpiece that would be the key element for how both Yamashita's career and creative optimism would see hope in the future. This track is simply iconic at this point among both Japanese pop fans, and specially Yamashita fans, mainly due to Akihiro Tanaka's impressive, groovy, and explosive slapping bass that takes over the entire track.  It was released as the B side of the Let's Dance Baby single, but an inverted version of the release started to become popular among Osaka's disco establishments, mainly due to having a very danceable and catchy melody present throughout all its length. It is a very straight forward track on the song structure, but it is executed on an excellent way, with a mix where all the elements simply complement each other very well, leading to Tanaka's bass solo and both Riingo's guitar solo segments being the payoffs to what was already a rewarding build off, with Yamashita's wonderful vocals adding to the already powerful spirit found here. This track, although rather unique in approach and instrumental execution, would be the turning point of Tatsuro's career, with him inclining towards this style of funk on following projects, and being the spark to reignite his creative flame. There is simply nothing more to say, an essential pop track, insanely well performed and memorable, and the reason why Tatsuro's career kept providing excellent music throughout the years. A bombastic explosion of joy and talent, and a more than enough excuse to check this album all the way through.

潮騒 follows up shifting the upbeat mode to something much more mellow in spirit, trying to emulate the structure and chord progression of a Todd Langren song. In many ways, it would serve as a sudden contrast to something as engaging and explosive as Bomber, as well as being something that almost feels out of place within the record, even having classic waves crashing as the outro even when they don't really have a reason to be there. It is far from being a bad song, but it does fall more into the category of "the enjoyable mellow/ballad like B-side that works well for what it is, having no elements outside of the comfort field of the artist and that gives not much to talk about, but that simply contrasts the explosive main highlight of the A side of the single" (which in fact, would be the case, being used as the B-side to the masterful Let's Kiss The Sun a year later). The tone is once again contrasted with the second main highlight of the album, Paper Doll, and one of the odd decisions take by the label in regard of their moves with Yamashita's solo career. This was a song that was intended to be used as a single in the early part of 1978, but the label rejected it thinking that it would not have a warm or successful reception from the mainstream, therefore never being used in that form and being one of the reasons for Yamashita's pessimism during this time. It is somewhat understandable, considering that it is not as upbeat or engaging in dancing as Bomber, but it is still something catchy with the way the instruments are arranged and performed, with a calm Yamashita providing a soft and calm guitar solo and vocal performance. It was not released as a single, but it was popular on concerts, being able to be expanded with improvisation, specially in the solo segment, and it already made an official debut appearing as part of "It's A Poppin Time". A simple, groovy, catchy, and relaxing tune that simply lasts what it has to last, offering a very satisfying and engaging listen.

The last two songs found here are some of the most intriguing in approach, but they also stand out for being the weakest and least memorable songs on the record. This Could Be The Night shifts the mood once again, and even the production and mixing aspects, towards something almost radically different in tone, tempo, atmosphere, and arrangement. It is a cover from a Phil Specter song, with Yamashita doing almost all of the instrumental work, while he is joined by Ryuichi Sakamoto playing a Polymoog Synth giving out the main element that leads the tone and atmosphere of the track. The little bells being used, along side the synth and the production aspects of the song, certainly give off a simple and direct version of a Christmas track (also considering that the album was released on December), but it is really out of place compared to what was seen before, specially with the production aspects seen here (particularly on the vocals, even shifting in the mix for something much clear at one point at the end), something repetitive and of an almost odd quality, with the only particular things to remember being the use of the Polymoog and the simple instrumental performances provided by Yamashita. And finally, 2000トンの雨 comes as the closer of the entire album, being something that almost seems to follow along with the production aspects of the last song, but having more in common with previous songs on the album. Apparently, this track's lyrics would be re-written along side the instrumental arrangements into Space Crush, a live song featured on It's A Poppin Time, and one could certainly see some aspects being similar, but also concluding that the live track is simply the most engaging and well executed version. However, it is something sweet and passionate on its performing, but nothing particularly unique coming from Yamashita. Curiously, it would still become a sort of small classic among some fans of the artist, specially due to it being used on some love films as a main theme. A simple and short track that works very well on being sweet and calming, with some solo segments that do add to the atmosphere, and a very charismatic vocal performance, closing up the album on a nice way. 

Go Ahead! is a curious record. Curious in the sense that it is an important album for Yamashita, but it certainly has more value on it's significance to Tatsuro's career more than on being a carefully crafted or polished masterpiece of a project. On the one hand, it almost marked the end of Yamashita's solo career, with a frustrated artist finding himself pessimistic about the reception of his music, having the resources and the talent, but lacking the income to let him push his creative vision even further. On the other hand, it would be the spark to reignite his artistic mindset, with Bomber particularly (used along side Let's Dance Baby as the first singles of Yamashita's career just some months later in 1979 in promotion of his fourth album, and finding itself as the artist's first notable hit on his career), being the turning point that would lead him to record more funk driven, danceable, catchy, groovy, and technical tracks that just worked on composition, arrangement, and performance; culminating on the release of Moonglow and Ride On Time just some time later. But on second hand, it would be a mixed bag of some incredible tracks, some nice and engaging ideas, and some loose attempts that end up feeling almost completely out of place within a 10 song project. 

In many ways, Peter Sato's album cover depicts perfectly the main problems that this album has. It is a colorful and vibrant experience, just like any other Yamashita project is, but something just doesn't end up being completely right. Upon closer look there simply is a lot going on, with some random strokes and odd decisions being made on some aspects, becoming a little messy or even a little off putting in the final product (the reason why Yamashita is depicted smiling like that will always be a mystery to us mere mortals). Go Ahead!'s main issue is the inconsistency found within the album, but it certainly reflects the frustration and attitude of the artist during that point. The first side holds some sort of consistency and coherence, while the second side simply takes liberties and drifts away towards small little experiments of melodies, chord progressions, arrangements, and production aspects that Yamashita simply felt like wanting to try out; resulting on some of the best songs of his entire career, as well as some of his most forgettable and uninteresting material. It is not a horrible album, and it is not a mediocre experience either. There are a lot of things to take away from the album, with Bomber and Paper Doll being more than enough reasons to check this album on its entirety, and there are evident ideas that would be greatly expanded on future albums, finding its roots here, executed to a better or worse extent. It is still an enjoyable album, and certainly something that would give place to something much more worthwhile and well crafted in future projects. 

Despite Tatsuro being frustrated and pessimistic about it, the album still manages to push through with some masterpieces, and it really is worth it to go ahead and check this experience front to back. 

Overall Rating: 7/10

Favorite Track: Bomber / Paper Doll

On A Summer Day / Haruomi Hosono-Shigeru Suzuki-Tatsuro Yamashita - Pacific (1978) Album Review

 

The late 70's in Japan was starting to show some big changes shaping up to the particular scenes that would come to rise in the 80s. For once, those years were starting to bring with it a slow acceptance of what would become a dominant style of the new wave of pop, as well as an experimental approach to both rock and electronic music. But the main issue with the progress of this evolution relied on that key word: "slow". By the time 1978 came around, there were already a considerable amount of prominent and talented artists that had started to dive into their respective solo careers with what can only be fairly described as a mixed, and sometimes even unfair, reception at the time. This could be traced back to 1974 and 1975, with the separation of Happy End from the mainstream music scene, with their respective members looking to dive into other styles of music in their own individual way, and the creation of Sugar Babe, a band that practically cemented the start of City Pop in an underground scene, being almost completely overlooked by the mainstream, but with their music serving as a inspiration and starting point for many trends that would become the norm years after the release of their debut, and only, album, Songs. 

The separation of Sugar Babe itself lead to all the artists that formed part of the group to seek their own individual musical interests, but the one that seemed to be the most ambitious and busy on this aspect was no other than Tatsuro Yamashita, who would often, due to creative and economical needs, appear as a guest artist on other projects, as well as working on his own music, starting to build up a reputation among musicians at the time (something that would sadly take a long time to extend to the mainstream, making Tatsuro face quite a lot of barriers when it came to come forward with recording and publishing his music). In the early days of Sugar Babe, he would be introduced to Haruomi Hosono and the rest of the members of Happy End, due to the fact that the band started to work with Eiichi Otaki's label, even participating as backing vocalists in their last concert before debuting onstage themselves a few months later. After that point, Yamashita would start working on projects where Hosono appeared fairly regularly, starting with Niagara Triangle Vol, 1 in 1976 (where Hosono himself would become introduced with a young Ryuichi Sakamoto), and following in 1977, where Yamashita gathered an impressive lineup consisting of some of the most talented and respected musicians in Japan in order to record his sophomore album, Spacy. Not long after, both artists would get paired with Shigeru Suzuki (another ex-member of Happy End, who was also working at the time along side Hosono on the "Tin Pan Alley" band) by the CBS/Sony label in Japan in order to release a compilation with exclusive works from each artist as part of the first entry on the "CBS/SONY SOUND IMAGE SERIES", which came out under the name of Pacific in 1978.  

But, what was really presented on Pacific?. For starters, this is not really an album, it is more of a compilation of individual works from each respective artist, with each one of them having three respective pieces that appear throughout the entire duration of the project (with another thing connecting the songs being the collaboration of a great amount of artists that were part of the recording sessions for the tracks, most notably with the inclusion of Ryuichi Sakamoto, who at that point had also been a part of the recording of Spacy as well as being part of Yamashita's live lineup in 1977, as well as the rest of future YMO members). However, these are not conventional songs either, but a collection of mostly instrumental compositions and arrangements that tackle a varied and surprising number of genres and styles, including some experimentation at certain segments, but sharing a "summer like" and upbeat between all of them, tying the tracks together and making up for a consistent and coherent project. However, the quality of tracks presented here is certainly surprising, where despite the fact that there are some definitive important highlights present on the experience, all tracks present here offer something unique and different, and it all makes up for a coherent release that flows incredibly well and feels shorter than what it actually is. Each artist takes a presence with their respective pieces, and this improved with the absolutely gorgeous stereo mixing courtesy of Yuichi Maejima. It all makes up for an incredibly enjoyable and remarkable in the qualities that it presents from beginning to end. 

It all starts with Hosono's first piece, 最後の楽園, opening the album and stablishing the main tone and focus of the entire project on a very pleasant way. With the use of the instruments emulating bird sounds, and with the synth being the obvious main element on the song, it is something that builds up a particular atmosphere very fast. There is an interesting dynamic between the way the guitar, piano, subtle drums, and bass, interact with the main synth that takes over most of the experience. It is all laid back and calm in spirit, and it all keeps building up on this idea of this particular dynamic between an almost atonal separate melody interacting with the rest of instruments being fleshed out throughout the track until eventually reaching an end. It is not something outside of the field of Hosono's work, but it is a rather more loose and different approach in the arrangement. Perhaps the main flaw is that it seems to last a bit more than it should, being a bit repetitive in that aspect, but overall it really flows incredibly well, setting up the main atmosphere (something tropical, relaxed, and inclined towards calm melodies) and tone that will be tackled in different ways throughout the album. Suzuki follows along with コーラル・リーフ, a more upbeat and conventional instrumental approach being much more reminiscent of a tropical atmosphere than the previous track, particularly with the main guitar melody being joyful and groovy, while also making great use of the percussion elements that complement the straight forward drumming part. Under my eyes, this is a definitive highlight of the album, mainly because it knows how long to develop as an idea, as well as the surprising amount of layers that simply add to the atmosphere on fantastic ways. The use of the string arrangements being complemented with the subtle and soft background vocals make up for a very complete track in the arrangements due to the wonderful production and mixing that achieve a fulfilling and well balanced atmospheric sound. 

As it was mentioned before, every artist had a space for three tracks, but Yamashita ends up being credited in two. That simply happens due to the fact that two separate arrangements, taken as individual parts, get packed into the almost ten minute long ノスタルジア・オブ・アイランド.  This would not be the first time Yamashita was to be involved in an almost completely instrumental track that took a tropical tone and motive on its core, since he was already involved in such an "experiment" in the recording and production of Niagara Triangle Vol. 1, but it was the first time he tried to do it completely alone. Considering that, both segments of the track are fairly enjoyable on their own particular way, and they take different approaches even in the instruments leading the melodies. バード・ウインド, the first part, starts things off with the sound of waves leading into a sweet synth line, eventually transitioning into the main reverbed bass that will mark the tone and atmosphere of this first half. As expected from Yamashita, the way the rest of elements complement this main rhythm is intriguing to say the least, with a second bass, background synths, piano, and the calm drums adding to the relaxed and calm atmosphere that carried for around four minutes, leading again to the sound of waves marking a transition to ウォーキング・オン・ザ・ビーチ, the second part of the song. This segment has certainly a lot more going for it, starting out with the main guitar being slowly balanced with the rest of elements being added. creating a main surf-rock like rhythm that carries for some time. It all leads to the only vocal segment on the album, with a small reverbed cover of The Beach Boys' "Girls On The Beach", before going back to the main melody until it slowly fades out into the initial waves sound, marking the end of the track. For it being the first almost full instrumental pieces of Yamashita, they are really a treat to listen to. He had already dived into these aspects of his main pop influences, but never to this extent, and it is something that would come in full form with Big Wave years later. Not perfect, with the main element lacking are, well, Yamashita's iconic vocals, but still really enjoyable to listen to.

Hosono's スラック・キー・ルンバ follows right after to serve as the closer for the first side of the album. It is much more in line with what was seen on his previous solo work up to that point, with a big presence of acoustic guitar being again complemented by a range of subtle elements being used, from a marimba to minor elements looking to provide the mark the main beat. Easily the simplest, shortest, and straight forward track on the album, but still very calming and enjoyable to listen to. The second side of the record opens up with the remaining to Suzuki tracks. It all starts off with パッション・フラワー, once again introducing the main ideas and approaches to songwriting seen on Suzuki's first appearance on the album. The balance between the many elements being used, with the string arrangements in the background, along side background vocals to complete some melody sections, to the lively percussion, where it almost seen as being very inclined towards samba. However, the track keeps building up on the idea, and even though it seems like it repeats some segments, it all serves to introduce new things in order to add some variety to the track, most notably a wonderful and satisfying flute solo at the final section of the track, fading out before ending completely. Suzuki's third and final offer comes in with ノアノア, and once again, it becomes a definitive highlight within the album. 

The idea that it presents at first reintroduces the acoustic guitar seen on Hosono's second song, but it uses it on a much more dynamic and engaging way. It is a very calming song, being one of the ones that heavily focus on building a main atmosphere rather than a main groovy or upbeat melody. The acoustic guitar is complemented with the synth and keyboard parts that simply end up shining on full splendor if using headphones, adding to a very pleasant melody that simply transitions beautifully into a much groovier rhythm twice within the song (the first time with the synth taking the spotlight, while the keyboard shines on the second iteration) is simply majestic to say the least, executed on such an engaging and almost seamless way. After that, the last Yamashita song takes the spotlight in the form of キスカ. This could have easily been released as an instrumental B-side or an outtake from Tatsuro's catalog, since it mostly follows along the more conventional style of songwriting seen on Spacy and Go Ahead!, with the main guitar line, as well as the saxophone and guitar solos (with the sax being one of the main focuses of the song), being guilty of this. Still, this is a charming track, with a joyful and relaxing rhythm carried by the instrumentals, but with the evident sensation that the vocals are missing in the equation (as well as feeling as lasting longer than it should, being the second longest track on the album). 

And finally, the cherry on top of the entire compilation comes in the form of Hosono's third and last song, the closer of the entire project, and what is mostly addressed as the undeniable highlight of the entire experience, and for very good reasons: コズミック・サーフィン, more known as Cosmic Surfin'. This would be more known as the early version of the track of the same name that would appear on YMO's debut a couple of years later. It is something almost completely separated from the themes, atmosphere, and overall genre approach compared to what was seen previously on the album, almost as if it had been a last minute bonus track, but it is still understandable considering the fact that the artists had the freedom to do whatever they saw fit with their instrumental pieces present here, so it might have been a way for Hosono to try and introduce this style of music to the public. However, the way the track comes right at the end, as well as the way the song itself is approached and despite it being an electronic synth driven track, it still somewhat resembles a main surf pop rhythm that manages to make it relate to previous songs on the album, still holding a consistency and coherence within the experience. The way the synths interact with each other, complementing their basic melodies in order to bring a unique atmosphere portrayed by a  layered melody is simply outstanding and incredibly remarkable. Of course, this mark the introduction of this new style of music from all the members of YMO (considering they all appeared on the album, specially on this track), but specially the dynamic between Hosono and Sakamoto, giving a minor taste at the huge amount of masterpieces that would come years later with entire albums focused around this main concept. Significant for the music of the artist, and quite unique and memorable closer within this project. Certainly wonderful.

Pacific is a very interesting project. The choice of the artists that would come to form part of the compilation is certainly something intriguing and fairly respectable coming from CBS Sony (to be more specific, from Shinichi Hashimoto, the producer for the label who planned the entire series from 1978 to 1983). First of all, counting with the presence of two well cemented and recognized artists at the time, two ex members of Happy End, who was already considered one of the most important bands in the history of Japanese music at the time, to be more precise, and who had already started with an active and well received solo career (with Hosono releasing Hosono House, Tropical Dandy, and Bon Voyage Co from 1973 to 1976, and Shigeru having Band Wagon and Lagoon in 1975 and 1976; and with both of them being founding members of Tin Pan Alley at that point). 

On the other hand, there was the inclusion of a young and ambitious Tatsuro Yamashita, whose solo career had been nothing but criticized and almost completely overlooked by the mainstream, only having a respectable reputation among musicians at the time, as well as his small, but loyal, underground fanbase. He had released two studio albums, as well as a fantastic double live record, at that point, but with the lack of singles or good sales, his career and contract with RCA seemed to be hanging by a thin thread. But the thing that kept the label hooked to the artist was that reputation with big musical names at the time, and being included on a collaborative effort such as this, where he participated with those big names, served as a light of hope that shined upon something that would slowly, but effectively, get the overall recognition it deserved (something that would come in the form of his first official single in 1979). As for Hosono himself, this would mark the start of the ideas that would lead to the creation of YMO, with all members of the group forming part of the recording sessions for this album, with Sakamoto's brilliant keyboards shining whenever they are present. 

Pacific is a very unique, charming, and incredibly enjoyable project. A compilation of tracks where the three artist involved have their own respective space on which approach a particular theme and atmosphere, with some being much more experimental than others, but still managing to offer a beautiful and relaxing experience that is a joy to listen to. Sure. some tracks work much better than others, and it is obvious that the main dish on the album is Hosono's third track, being an early version of YMO's Cosmic Surfin', but every single track here has something to offer, specially on Suzuki's contributions. From acoustic instrumental arrangements using percussion and strings to create an immersive and captivating atmosphere, groovier tracks that have a very notable and well structured melody and rhythm, to even small portions where a cover of The Beach boys is introduced; Pacific has many things to dissect, but more than that, it has many things to simply admire. The wonderful production and mixing aspects are simply superb, and they all make the musical abilities of all three artists involved shine on many ways, and the songs themselves, while not identical to each other, make up for a consistent and coherent experience that flows really well, and that is highly enjoyable as a full forty minute release that doesn't deserve to get overlooked by many.

It is simply a calming experience that will always be recommended for those who want to get lost in the sea of beautiful soundscapes that it has to offer.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Favorite Track: ノアノア / コズミック・サーフィン

Yes It's Good To You / Tatsuro Yamashita - It's A Poppin' Time (1978) Album Review

 

By 1978, Tatsuro Yamashita's musical career seemed to be on a constant evolution of a creative and musical formula, but it was also one of the roughest times on his entire life as a whole regarding the overall reception of his music as well as the constant economical problems that constantly got on his way. It is not to say that Yamashita was talentless, or that his music felt amateur in some way, it was the complete opposite of that. The man's music, from the moment it officially started to develop professionally with Sugar Babe in 1974, had been more than a breath of fresh air for Japanese pop music at the time. His way of structuring music seemed simple, straight forward, packed with a huge amount of catchy melodies to display on his catalog with pride, but upon closer inspection it was a mix between musical knowledge, charismatic and energetic performances, a knack for coming up with the melodies, and a talent when it came to the musical arrangement in order to make all these elements work on an efficient and memorable way, bringing up consistent projects where every single track had something to offer one way or another. Indeed, the problem wasn't any of his musical abilities, but it was the fact that the brand of music that Sugar Babe and his solo career brought along were unconventional and ahead of their time for Japanese trends at the time, as well at still being quite an amateur with the way he promoted his music. 

Even though his music would eventually be recognized and respected, along side him becoming a big sensation in his home country, the early years of Yamashita's career relied mostly on the underground following that he was gathering. It was like that since the days of Sugar Babe, with Songs being a fantastic album that blended a good range of pop and soft rock influences into one consistent and impressive full album experience, leaning more towards an occidental style of sound adapted to Japanese pop, but that was criticized and almost entirely overlooked when it came out. The thing that pushed the band forward was the recognized underground status they had due to their energetic and engaging live performances, where it was evident that they had more material to offer outside of what was seen on their debut. The disbandment of Sugar Babe was only natural, with each individual part seeking a different direction, even though there still was a lot of hesitation for what it meant to dive deep into a full solo career. Ideas that came up to be during Sugar Babe's run would eventually be recycled and improved in the solo careers and side projects of the members involved (starting with Niagara Triangle, the trio between Tatsuro, Ginji Ito, and Eiichi Otaki, in 1975), although the rough reception and following of what would become a new wave of Japanese pop was still suffering from the rough reception at the time. And even if Tatsuro wasn't recognized by the mainstream, his reputation as a talented producer and songwriter started to become more and more widespread on the music industry, with him appearing as a guest collaborator on a considerable amount of projects.

Eventually, Tatsuro decided to challenge his confidence as a musician by recording his first solo project abroad, something that he was lucky enough to do due to the support of RVC/RCA at the time, releasing Circus Town in 1976. Although the reception towards the album wasn't as warm, and the music being something that showed a lot of potential for what would come in the future, the experience gathered while recording the album would be the stepping stone in what Tatsuro's musical and artistic ambitions would be with future albums. The album had a glimpse at ideas that could still flesh out even more under the proper preparation and experience, with tracks like Windy Lady, Circus Town, and City Way being incredibly enjoyable and engaging, but still showing an artist that had a lot of space grow to the best of his abilities. Going to the US, despite it being a pressuring and intimidating experience, brought him a big appreciation for new branches of music, most notably Jazz and Rock/Funk, as well as getting introduced to a much more methodical, precise, and effective way of writing and arranging music (due to having someone as recognized as Charles Calello as an arranger for his music, who would let him take the partitures with him, something that he quickly fell in love with). Tatsuro wasted no time, and he decided to apply these new elements to his music as soon as possible, leading to the release of Spacy in 1977. 

Spacy is taken as many as the proper start of Tatsuro's career. It would introduce many different new aspects that would become essential to his music, mainly regarding vocal performance and instrumental arrangements, as well as presenting an artist being much more confident in the way he structured his music by using all his influences, both new and old, to the very best of his abilities. The experience recording Circus Town made him realize many positive things, but it also made him realize that, if he wanted his true vision to come to light, he would need to gather musicians with specific qualities that satisfied his needs in performance, leading to the cast that appeared in Spacy being a gathering of some of the most talented artists in Japan at the time, with the likes of giants such as Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Hiroshi Sato, among many others depending on what was required for every track (even implementing artists that had stared to build their own musical career due to the help of Tatsuro on their own albums, with Minako Yoshida appearing as the background vocalist this time around). The way the music was structured this time around was similar to what was seen on Circus Town in spirit, but it was something much more sweet and calm in atmosphere, as well as it being surprisingly technical at times regarding the instrumentation, giving a lot of space for tracks that seemed to be built with a live setting in mind, where they could expand as much as they wanted with the talent of the members (offering some of Yamashita's best songs to ever appear on studio form, with Love Space and Solid Slider being the definitive highlights, but with the rest of the album still having a lot to offer with each song on the tracklist). Spacy was not a perfect album, but the range of unique and varied ideas that were presented, along side their particular energetic and brilliant execution, made up for a timeless, consistent, and incredibly enjoyable project that would proof that Yamashita had a passion, dedication, and love for his music, only building up expectations for what could possibly come next on his career. 

However, despite Spacy cementing Tatsuro's musical career and ambitions as something of quality and full of potential, sales on the album were not particularly good. At that point, it had been a year and a half since Tatsuro started with his solo career, and even though he released two consistent and polished albums, his reputation with critics wasn't very good. The main issue relied on the fact that no singles had been released in promotion of his albums, and without that it was evident that media wouldn't be interested in what he had to offer, being an exclusive album artist. This would be something he wouldn't resolve until 1979, after the release of Go Ahead!, in promotion of his new album Moonglow. What was even more concerning was the fact that the rock scene seemed to be taking over in the late 70s, which meant that the labels had even more pressure over Yamashita in general. The main issue with Tatsuro in general was the fact that he was no longer part of Sugar Babe, part of a group that understood him and his expectations, and maintaining a full star cast of musicians, like the one seen on spacy, for his live performances just wasn't entirely possible due to budgetary reasons (this, mixed with the fact that the fanbase of Yamashita was still limited to something underground, also meant that big gigs were still not possible). However, after the release of Spacy, in late 1977, Yamashita managed to get himself a more than impressive lineup for his live shows, consisting mostly of members that participated on the recording sessions. The artists included Shuichi Murakami on drums, Akira Okazawa on bass, Tsunehide Matsuki on guitar, Hidefumi Toki on saxophone, Kayo Ishu, Michiko Ogata and Minako Yoshida as background vocalists, and most notably Ryuichi Sakamoto himself on keyboards. 

This lineup, along side Tatsuro himself on vocals and guitar, despite not having access to big venues, they were still able to fill gigs with 200-300 attendees due to the quality of the performances that were provided. Based on these facts, Riuzo Kosugi (who had also signed up Tatsuro to RVC/RCA based on the Sugar Babe live performances he attended to) suggested to Tatsuro the idea of making a live album based on both a preservation of his art, and as a sort of next logical step to try to recover from the financial struggles he seemed to be facing. Based on this, Yamashita decided to record two shows, which took place on March 8 and 9 of 1978 on the "Pit In" house (a venue mostly dedicated to jazz and fusion, but where Tatsuro was recognized as a talented artist worthy of performing there), a place that he considered as optimat to truly capture the live energy on good quality. Due to his influences and the way songs were structured, the songs were being performed mostly with an improvisational spirit in mind, which lead to plenty of material being recorded, enough to make a double album (something that the label considered as risky, but still pushed forward with the idea, and even then, space was missing for two extra songs that were implemented later on with the reissues), with Yamashita himself writing the credits and details on the package due to problems with the printing of his first two albums, leading to the release of "It's A Poppin Time" in May 1978. 

This would come to be known as the first of two live albums that Yamashita would put out throughout his career, and in many ways it would serve as a musical, personal, and creative statement, much like Joy would be on it's own way a decade later. It didn't really had a reason to be released, since it came during a rough time for the artist, where he was far from being as popular as he could come to be just a couple of years later. He wasn't an unknown or completely overlooked artist, since his fandom mainly relied on the Japanese underground pop scene that would end up taking over, with enough fans to fill up small venues in order to support the live shows, but he didn't really had a big enough audience to assure sales of a double live album consisting of a music that was inclined towards an occidental style of songwriting and arranging, showing something that was a blend between pop, soft rock, soft jazz, and funk. However, the performances that were given by Tatsuro and his supporting band at that point were certainly a statement from an artist that only looked to move forward, regardless of the barriers or criticisms, displaying a setlist that compiled both old and new songs from his catalog, as well as covers molded to his own particular style of performing music (making them songs of his own), and looked to expand them under his vision at the time, showing an evident passion and love for what the artist was doing, with a lively, energetic, and charismatic spirit that is really not that common in general. It would be fleshing out the ideas from what was stablished on Spacy, ideas that were documented over the course of two nights, and that would make up for an incredibly beautiful, engaging, and wonderful live album that only bled of quality from beginning to end.

It's A Poppin Time has a very particular sound to it, and it can be attributed to the conditions where it was recorded at. As it was stablished, the "Pit In" was a small venue that focused a lot on jazz and fusion performances, so the structure of the venue seemed to be focused on encaging the sound on a very nice way, and with help of Yasushi Yoshida, the audio engineer at the time, along side the fact that Yamashita had picked a group of musicians that molded to his expectations, the sound that ended up appearing all over the album conveyed a feeling of being clean session recordings, good studio recordings, and polished live tracks with some pristine performances; and it is something that can be heard from the very first track. Space Crush was one of the songs written for the live shows at the time, and it would make his first and only official appearance on this album. It is certainly one of Yamashita's most groovy, funk influenced, and engaging melodies from that time, and it serves as a very impressive opener for such an experience. The way everything is arranged and structured works extremely well, and the sound from the venue makes every single element pop up in the final mix, with nothing being prioritized, making up for a clean and highly enjoyable track that has a lot to offer. The track kicks off with an atmospheric intro by Ryuichi Sakamoto leading to the main thick and powerful bass melody from Tsunehide laying out the main rhythm for the track, being complemented by the keyboard and the drums. Tatsuro's vocal performance is something confident and professional, with no bad intonations or fuzzy notes, everything is clear and polished, and it is even more effective with the wonderful background vocals that make up for an engaging melody. Midway through, Toki's saxophone takes over in a very natural way, presenting a solo that transitions once again into that atmospheric intro, leading once again to the main part of the song, but with one notable difference, a subtle and groovy guitar being implemented in the mix, with the main rhythm and chorus carrying out before fading out completely. It is a wonderful example of impressive songwriting and arrangement from Yamashita, a layered track that is very dynamic in spirit, and that certainly works the way it does due to the wonderful performances that complement it. A fantastic opener, and a first example of the unique sound, energy, and engagement that would only end up setting ideas that would be expanded in the following songs of the album.

After that, 雨の女王 takes over, being the second song written exclusively for these live performances, and that would also makes its one and only experience on this live album. Its main focus is certainly the rhythm section that shines all throughout the track, something sweet and almost mellow in tone, set primarily by Sakamoto's keyboard and Toki's saxophone, being an evident example of a track that works at its best on a live setting. It all flows on a very coherent way, with minor guitar riffs complementing the rhythm along side Murakami's drums, with space for solo improvisations, where the saxophone shines very well. Tatsuro's powerful vocals are reinforced by the wonderful background vocals, and all the elements on the track flow seamlessly and on a very balanced way. Right after that, the first cover song of the album comes in with a cover from Bread and Butter's Pink Shadow, which was one of Tatsuro's favorite song at the time. Tatsuro does what any cover song should aim to achieve, transform the original intention of the song and molding it into the style of the artist, appropriating the identity of the track itself, while still keeping the original spirit present, making the cover a unique and separate experience that has a value of its own. The original song is something much more calm and relaxed in arrangement and tone, so Tatsuro arranged the track to something much more upbeat, speeding up the original tempo and adding it a much funkier spirit. The way the song is executed with the instrumentals keeping calm during most of the song, just getting louder in order to get to the level of Tatsuro's explosive and impressive vocals on an energetic chorus (with the background vocals being very efficient at adding to the atmosphere). The saxophone, the keyboard and synth pieces, with a groovy bassline, it all has a reason to be, and it's simply wonderful. It is a very dynamic and engaging track, that knows when to place elements and when to explode in a joyful manner, and it certainly is a highlight of the entire experience. Something that must be heard in order to be fully understood.

Following that, 時よ, the second cover on the album comes in, although this would have qualified more as early version of a track that would appear on a future album. This was a track written by Minako Yoshida for her following album, and it was arranged and composed by Yamashita, with it debuting on any setting in the style of a cover courtesy of the man himself. An almost nine minute melancholic trip, ranging from a multitude of emotions, but having a passionate and powerful chorus, with the keyboards and guitar being the main element of focus on the track. It's an instrumental bonanza that maintains a main melody and idea, carrying it throughout the entirety of the track, but still managing to be one of the definitive highlights of the entire album. A passionate, highly emotional performance that has a lot to offer in every single aspect, with some of Tatsuro's most memorable and hard hitting vocal performances on any type of song reminiscent of this tone. Minako's studio version would be considerably different, but her live versions would stay in line with what was seen on this performance, and even then, they don't really get to the level of efficiency and execution that was seen during this period of Tatusuro's career. Definitely, a proof that his live performances could manage to be technical on the instrumental aspects, while still being efficient in the way the emotion and tone was conveyed with the atmosphere and execution of the tracks. Finally, シルエット comes closing the first side, also being a Minako track, but written with Tatsuro exclusively for live performances. It is highly focused on the instrumental aspects, in the unconventional way that the instruments are written and arranged, using the band members to the best of their abilities, and for very good reasons. It is a track that wouldn't work without the level of coordination that goes into executing it, with many segments that could be used as examples for this point (more notably the way the drums go along Yamashita's inflections on the chorus), but it all makes up for a charming, relaxed, captivating, and impressive track that keeps showing the potential of Tatsuro in many different aspects of elaborating his music. 

The second side opens with a new version of Windy Lady, one of the tracks written during the Sugar Babe era, that was part of Circus Town. The version found on this album certainly molds the original song to the performance and writing style found on Spacy, a more jazzy, calm, and technical version that is smooth in the way all the elements are balanced, with a laid back vocal performance, and a wonderful saxophone solo that ends up tying everything to make up for a much more engaging experience. Definitely one of the more interesting versions of an essential track on Tatsuro's solo catalog, but at the same time being one of the best performances that can be found of the song in general. Incredibly charming, and an example of how much Tatsuro's musical and songwriting influences were changing, evolving into something much more structured, while still carrying the original spirit forward. The ending of Windy Lady transitions directly into 素敵な午後は, wasting no time whatsoever, and maintaining an impressive flow, keeping the laid back spirit while changing the tone at the same time. It is a close rendition to the track that appeared on Spacy, but it is a little bit slowed down on the tempo, with some minor elements added due to the band that appeared on the live lineup. Sweet, calm, and undoubtedly wonderful in spirit and execution; just a great rendition that improves many aspects from the original version just by slightly changing the tone on the performance, with everything falling into place more efficiently. 

Paper Doll makes its first official appearance in the form of a live rendition following right after. This would be one of the most important tracks in Tatsuro's discography, mainly because it would be part of his first ever single to be released. It was supposed to come out before the release of the live album (which at the same time preceded Yamashita's third studio album, Go Ahead!, of which Paper Doll was a part of), but the label discarded it due to thinking that "it wouldn't sell". Eventually, it would be the start of Tatsuro's rise in popularity, and its first official iteration can be found on this excellent live version. The rendition is very close to the final studio version (one of his most engaging and catchy melodies, with all the instruments having a vital role on how the rhythm ends up coming out like), and it is definitely important to acknowledge its existence, also serving as proof that Tatsuro had plenty of material written and arranged, appearing on live performances before ending on their studio counterparts. Finally, to close the second side, Candy changes the tone and mood to something much more mellow and sweet in spirit. The version here is close to the one on Spacy, with the main difference being Matsuki's guitar segments that end up adding some extra layers of detail to the song that make it work in a more efficient way, closing up the second side on a very sentimental and charming performance. 

The third side of the album opens up with the thirteen minute version of Escape, another song exclusively written for live setting, making its one and only official appearance on this album. This is the sort of Yamashita deep cuts that make this live album work in such a fascinating and fantastic way, with all the members giving some impressive performances. The main bass rhythm carries the song through its entirety, while improvisational segments come in between Tatsuro's remarkable vocal segments. It feels as if it was more of an outtake from the Spacy sessions, being very related to the spirit conveyed on those tracks, but having much more freedom on its execution, evidently focused on the improvisation aspects present with a big instrumental section that serves as a sort of climax for the entire track. The main groove is incredibly engaging throughout all the track, with the guitar solos following along the main tone and managing to be very dynamic and authentic on its performance. Ryuichi starts experimenting with the atmospheric keyboard/synth parts, something that would be much more present on YMO some years later, but leading to a wonderful and powerful keyboard solo in the same spirit as Matsuki's guitar, that just keeps building up over and over, adding more and more energy to what is going on, being entirely beautiful and fitting for the experience, eventually leading to a dual solo segment with the guitar, offering one of the most impressive, beautiful, and unfairly overlooked moments of Yamashita's entire career, carrying on an incredible spirit until the very end. If there was one track that could encapsulate the slow refinement and musical evolution of Tatsuro's career at this point, it would certainly be this one, finding an artist on his natural state, where he is free to flesh out his ideas on impressive and effective ways. Truly outstanding.  

A cover of Hey There Lonely Girl, a song from Ruby & The Romantics, comes in to change the tone and attitude from Escape and close the third side of the album on a much more upbeat, mellow, and sweet way, contrasting the technical aspects with something that is much more relaxed, embracing the main influences that lead Tatsuro to start with his music career. Singing this style of tracks, while still arranging the instrumentals on his own way, was a good style to make Tatsuro pop up from most male performers at the time, giving him more of a distinct personality. It is by far the weakest song on the album, but it is still charming and passionate in execution, a very nice way to close the third side in order to pick up the pace again with the final side of the album. This is done by introducing a rendition of Solid Slider, that certainly fulfills what was left to be fleshed out from the studio version released on Spacy. It is a track with a heavy focus on improvisational aspects, being written for a live setting more than anything, but that was limited on the studio recording, but the live version certainly lets one see the full potential of what was restrained at first. Any member had the possibility to take the lead with his respective instruments, and that happens at random points throughout the track, with guitar, saxophone, and keyboard solos, leading back to the main lyrical section of the song and closing it up on a great way. 

Finally, Circus Town comes as the last official live recording left on the album, the closer of one of the two shows seen on the Pin It back in 1978. Once again, part of Tatsuro's debut album, and adapted to the new style of arranging and performance that Tatsuro was establishing. It is not quite a dramatic change as what happened with Windy Lady, it is closer to the original version, but it has the technical aspects seen on the recent lineup that he incorporated. The main difference relies on the implementation of improvisation halfway through, lead by Tatsuro's wonderful vocals being complemented by Toki's sax and Sakamoto's dynamic and upbeat keyboards. The jamming parts and the way Tasturo closes up the track are simply perfect, full of charisma and passion, and every single element used makes up for a close to eight minute rendition of the original track, improving and fleshing out the different ideas that seemed limited on the original studio version, and providing a lively, joyful, and energetic closer; a more than impressive and captivating farewell to what can be assumed as a fantastic show. And finally, the original closer of this double album comes up in the form of Marie, an original track that feels like a huge love letter to The Beach Boys, being a fully acapella song that closes up the project on a very charming, unexpected, and lovely way. It would present an evolution on the acapella segment seen on Spacy, slowly showcasing the love from Tatsuro towards this style of song (that would come on full form with the On The Corner albums a few years later), and it works surprisingly well for what it is, certainly a nice way to end such a fascinating experience. 

However, the complete "It's A Poppin Time" experience doesn't end with Marie. Due to the fact that Tatsuro recorded two shows, he wasn't able to implement all the material he wanted onto the double album release, leaving some recordings aside. In 2002, many of the RCA albums were reissued, and one of them was this first live album, including two bonus tracks from the original recordings of the concert. In the opinion of many, including myself, these are two of the most essential and impressive bonus tracks that can be found on what is available of Tatsuro's live recordings, and they complement the album on a very impressive and outstanding way. The first of these two bonus tracks is the live rendition of Love Space, which was the original opener for both shows performed on the Pit In, but that wasn't able to be included due to the technical restrains of the original release. This is, undoubtedly, a beautiful and flawless version of what was already one of the best tracks on Yamashita's entire studio catalog. As with many songs on Spacy, this was written with a live setting in mind, and this version proves why on an incredible way. Tatsuro's vocals are as dynamic as ever, and he uses the track to slowly introduce the members of the band as they jam with their respective instruements. It all starts with a brief sax solo from Toki, leading back into the powerful vocal segments, with some great drum fills by Murakami, leading to another, more extended and dynamic, sax solo, that seamlessly flows into Ryuichi's keyboard being introduced, performing a beautiful one minute solo segment that simply bleeds of joy and talent. After this, the main melody is introduced once again, but it all follows an instrumental outro, carrying the impressive technical aspects with the unmatched live spirit showcased on this performance, eventually dying down and showing a glimpse of the transition to Windy Lady. 

Finally, the last bonus track, and the final closer to the special reissue of "It's A Poppin Time, comes in the form of You Better Run, a nineteen minute behemoth, and one of Tatsuro's most intriguing and captivating deep cuts. This is another cover, this time of the original two minutes song from THe Rascals, being extended with improvisational segments, and being molded with the original Tatsuro spirit and sound that was thriving at that point. It shows both the slow influence of rock/blues music on his music, as well as an unconventional way to cover such a track, instead inclining towards a jazz/funk style, much more groovy and technical than the original song. After the original two minute lyrical segments, every instrument comes in to have its respective solo segment, and this can be considered as the musical peak of the lineup used during this era, with a display of talent and coordination that certainly shines for how natural and easy-going it feels, despite evidently having a lot going on behind the initial impressions it conveys. Starting with a funky Toki solo, it transitions into Ryuichi's dynamic keyboards being complemented by the guitar, bass, and drum fills that carry the main rhythm forward, making everything flow on a very impressive and engaging way. Matsuki's guitar follows right after, in the same spirit as Sakamoto's segment, fleshing out to the best of its abilities before going back to the main rhythm and giving part to the main highlights of the track. Okazawa's bass and Murakami's drum solos certainly impose themselves in the way they are able to stand out by themselves, and it is something that carries out on a very natural way before returning to the main segment of the actual song, with Yamashita's vocals coming back once again, closing up the experience on a smooth way. Definitely, a track that must be heard on full in order to be impressed by the way the band has to carry a twenty minute piece in a way where it doesn't really feel that long, but still managing to showcase their great instrumental abilities on a fantastic way, closing up such a wonderful live album.

It's A Poppin Time is an anomaly within Tatsuro Yamashita's catalog, something that shouldn't really exist because it didn't really had a reason or need to come out outside of what Riuzo Kusogi thought as convenient for Tatsuro's budgetary limitations at the time. Even though his work at that point had only gathered him respect in an underground scene, as well as being respected by other major musicians at the time, sales for both Circus Town and Spacy were not that good, and Yamashita seemed to be pressured by the label in order to find an eventual success, or to simply leave the label for good, mainly because his musical ambitions were starting to be more expensive than what he could really allow himself to expend. It is something that made even less sense, and surely appeared as a risky and bold move, considering the fact that it was decided for it to be a double live album from an artist that wasn't really well received at the time. However, and despite all the complications that the artist was facing at the time, what was presented on the double album was a collection of wonderful, memorable, and fascinating live performances that showcased an artist that was passionate about the music he created.

Despite it not necessarily having the complete all-star cast that was present on the recording sessions for Spacy, the lineup that Yamashita gathered for these live performances is still as great and full of talent and charisma as ever, with a young and energetic Ryuichi Sakamoto playing on the keyboards just to name an example, while the rest of instruments and backing vocals live up to the technical level that Tatsuro was looking for, managing to offer some outstanding performances. The songs selected for these concerts also hold a lot of significance, showing a collection of  both old and new tracks, some of them adapted to the new style of songwriting that he had been developing since his return from the US, and also including exclusive songs that would only be officially available on this recording. From original new arrangements, to great and unique covers from different musical influences that become a wonderful part of Tatsuro's catalog, to even a bonus and charming acapella track. "It's A Poppin Time" bleeds of passion, liveliness, joy, and love; a love for music that simply keeps the listener engaged on a technical and emotional bonanza transmitted by some incredibly enjoyable songs.

It may be that this album has appeared multiples times at multiple points in my life, but I just can't recommended it more even from a detached and critical point of view. It does almost everything it aims to achieve on a perfect way, and the version of multiple tracks found here are simply the ultimate way to experience them, with a good number of exclusive songs and covers that honestly, despite the fact that they stand as deep cuts, are among some of Tatsuro's best compositions and tracks in general (I highly encourage people to get their hands on the 2002 reissue, with the bonus live track of Love Space and the cover for You Better Run). It is just full of highlights and memorable renditions, It might not be as flashy or grand as the monumental Joy live album that came almost a decade later, but it encapsulates perfectly all that Tatsuro Yamashita was at that point: a humble artist that only aimed to move forward in life due to the love he had to his passion of creating music, despite all the barriers and complications in his way, he still managed to provide shows full of joy and dedication in all aspects, even if he wasn't performing for giant venues. It is something that, not only is possible to resonate with, but that conveys a positive spirit, a feeling of happiness and a desire to keep living in order to appreciate beautiful things such as these, that is simply uncommon and unique in music in general. Tatsuro would eventually keep moving forward, and he would manage to gather the recognition he deserved, but this period was still a stepping stone where he still had the respect of important musicians and friends that helped him fulfill his vision. And it is simply amazing that the dedication to that passion, even on that rough point of his life, was managed to be archived on such a great way.

It is a creative, musical, and personal statement in the form of an incredible double album, and I really couldn't recommend it more. It simply is pure joy and talent encapsulated on a bombshell of delightful soundscapes. 

Overall Rating: 10/10

Favorite Track: Pink Shadow / Escape / Love Space / You Better Run