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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Favorite Tracks: Love Space / Solid Slider

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 7/10

Favorite Track: Windy Lady