Overall Rating: 9/10
Favorite Tracks: 新・東京ラプソディー / 踊ろよ、フィッシュ / マーマレイド・グッドバイ -Marmalade Goodbye-
The transition from analog to digital equipment used in the process of recording, producing, and mixing music was something very difficult for the career of Tatsuro Yamashita. Up to 1984, the man was one of the few artists fighting against the times, displaying a clear disliking and rejection of the new technologies due to a desire to keep the human factor on the music recordings. Why blame him? Ever since the recording sessions for Sugar Babe's "Songs" Tatsuro had been getting used to the analog equipment's capabilities, offering for some interesting dynamics that were explored in different ways across his different projects. Even during the Big Wave sessions Yamashita showed resistance to these new tools, buying every piece of analog equipment available in the market and keeping it in order to try to preserve the legacy of those things that had helped him to make the music he loved. But there came a time to admit defeat, the digital gear was overtaking the market, being much more prominent thanks to the rising fame of some genres like Hip Hop and the presence of more and more pop artists using said technology to record and mix their music. Due to all those reasons in 1985 both Yamashita and Moon Records finally gave in, and the artist was provided with computers and multitrack Sony recorders that were started being used right away in order to produce the man's new studio project, resulting on the release of 1986's Pocket Music.
After ending his long contract with RVC/RCA Yamashita ended up signing in to Moon Records, entering a stage of pure creative freedom that was not intended to be successful or incredibly popular in any shape or form. Instead, it was seen as an opportunity for the artist to tackle as many styles and influences as he pleased, without the need to come up with a refined or consistent album. That particular easy-going mindset lead to the surprise for the unexpected success of Melodies, as well as the soundtrack for the Big Wave documentary, records that were not consistent whatsoever, but that were full of his best material, ending up in some of Tatsuro's most popular material, as well as bringing the conception of his most iconic single, leading him to have even more freedom when it came to his inventiveness in studio. At the same time, it was necessary to implement the new technologies, something that started challenging the artist's mindset, leading to a new desire to adapt his craft and try to polish it as much as possible using the new tools to their full potential. In that sense, Pocket Music returned to a mindset of crafting something coherent from beginning to end, but that also presented a big variety of musical styles and atmospheres.
The recording process for the new album was long, tedious, challenging, and incredibly time consuming. The record itself was programmed to be released on 1985, but Yamashita and his team had a lot of problems getting used to producing and mixing with the new computers, with some tracks taking weeks to mix properly, ending up with multiple versions until getting those that seemed to satisfy Tatsuro's needs at that point. In many ways, the recording process and elaboration of Pocket Music was perhaps one of Yamashita's most experimental moments in his entire career, being heavily dictated by a principal of "trial and error", having the chance to try ideas that wouldn't have been possible with the use of analog equipment, trying to deliver the best results. The arrangements themselves were very simple, with every instrument having a melody or harmony of its own, but everything synchronizing in order to make up for one unified melody, resulting on an impressive amount of layers and details for almost every song. Aside from that, Yamashita's role within the recordings was much bigger, for he was taking on the duties of main electric/acoustic guitarist, as well as playing a variety of other instruments, while also working as main songwriter, arranger, and producer. But his work was complemented by the help of a bunch of guest artists that aided where it was needed, as well as having the help of the majority of the iconic RCA/RVC lineup, but sadly being the record to see the departure of the talented Kazuo Shiina and the charming Minako Yoshida. Indeed, Pocket Music was somewhat of a return to form to the Spacy mindset, while also looking to expand new ideas as much as possible, showing the birth of a new era on Tatsuro Yamashita's career.
The album itself was definitely something promising, but it was certainly far from perfect in many different aspects. For starters, the album presented a big clash of styles, from upbeat and joyful to mellow and emotional, and the new technologies didn't seem to adapt all that well to what was being presented. There were brilliant moments that rejoiced in different styles from all across Yamashita's career, picking up old ideas or coming up with new ones, bringing them all to new light. Songs like the title track, Mermaid, or The War Song were polished, promising, and very much full of aspects that made them distinct from each other, but that still held coherence between them. But there were moments where the formula didn't work all that well, specially on the second half on a three song stretch, where the mellow style didn't seem to be executed all that well. It was much more consistent and surprisingly more polished than the first two Moon Records releases, but it was evident that there still was a lot of place for improvement. At the same time, the curious thing was that almost all of those flawed spaces in the overall experience had to do with the mixing and the production itself, showing the struggle to adapt to the new technologies on a clear way. The final result could have been much better in that aspect, and it seemed like Yamashita himself was aware of that, with different mixes of the album coming out with each new pressing (recommending specially the 1991 Remix version, which added the bonus track My Baby Queen, one of Tatsuro's finest gems from this era, recorded in the same sessions but left aside due to some creative conflict from his side).
Either way, the artist's success was still as consistent as ever, but his creative spirit was somewhat unsatisfied with the results of Pocket Music. But still, his Performance '86 Japan tour starting going at full speed, and his freedom started to show with a relatively calm state of mind. A few months later Tatsuro released a digitally remixed version of the original "On The Street Corner", which included some newly enhanced mixes as well as some re-recordings due to the deterioration of the original analog master tapes, which would not be an issue anymore due to the new technologies. The "Christmas Eve" single was re-released as well, this time as a digitally enhanced limited EP, and his biggest single went up the charts once again due to the time of year. A few weeks later, "On The Street Corner 2" would be released as a sequel to the 1980 original album, which in this case were more to be recorded as a premiere of songs that would start being used onstage during future performances. The album itself was pretty much in line with the harmless, for-fans-only, enjoyably non-essential experience that the first entry had offered six years before, but the recording itself was a chance for Yamashita to try to keep experimental with the digital tools that were at hand. It allowed for more fleshed out choruses, all still under the management of Tatsuro himself, and more trial and error factors with the ability to use as many layers as the artist saw fit, expanding and trying to refine concepts seen on both his previous acapella work as well as with the production of Pocket Music. However, the process itself was still tedious, mainly due to the fact that some important issues regarding the process of recording had not been sorted out even at that point. It was evident that those issues needed to be sorted out, but instead of battling the need to totally give into the new technologies, the solution was trying to solve the issues on a more personal way.
The creative spark from Yamashita was still alive after the release and subsequent tour of Pocket Music, so recording sessions started as soon as possible in order to try and bring a personalized improvement over what ended up being presented in 1986 regarding both music writing/arrangement as well as the technical production/mixing aspects. It was more of a need to respond to the change from analog to digital, a response to the problems that were not solved during the finalization of Pocket Music. Due to the fast increase in the quality of the recordings with the digital tools, the method to try and record on analog master tapes wouldn't work at all, with Tatsuro coming to the conclusion that it would be really hard to make music that he would end up being 100% satisfied with. The transition was hard, and even if it brought a lot of more possibilities it wasn't something that was able to offer as much precision to the things that Yamashita wanted to accomplish with the different recordings for his music. These issues would end up bringing a lot of uncertainty, even to the point where the idea of going back to analog equipment was very tempting, with the label and the artist bringing an analog 16 channel multi-track recorder to the studio in order to record some songs.
However, fighting against the times would be even harder, and the implementation of that sort of analog technology seemed to be incompatible with Yamashita's policy of producing contemporary music with the tools that were available/popular at the time, which meant that going back to a full analog setting was not a choice. At that point, the sound quality had improved a lot with the use of Sony equipment such as a new master recorder and a quality soundboard that allowed for the use of a huge amount of layers on the mixing and mastering process. Yamashita's need to fully adapt to the times moved forward, and a lot of the difficulties and issues regarding digital recordings would vanish a lot with the change of the Sony PCM-1610 master recorder to the PCM-1630, which meant that Yamashita could record music in an analog way but using digital equipment, which solved a lot of the uncertainty and allowed the artist to push forward. It all lead to the start of the recording sessions for a new project, something that not only showed the evolution of the technical aspects of Yamashita's studio productions, but that would also show a more mature musician/songwriter/arranger due to the new recordings having much more emotional and personal aspects to them.
And outside of the sound aspects, the production policies of the album were also influenced by the context on which the new music was being elaborated. Mariya Takeuchi's new album "Request" was released in 1987, being very much of singer-songwriter quality, with the writing and arrangement of it being something much more intimate and enjoyable for everyone involved, which was basically what Tatsuro was searching as a expansion for what was presented on Pocket Music. That last album was something that celebrated the styles and the musical identity of the artist on a sound that was much closer to the singer/songwriter aspects, showing a record that embraced both the mellow atmosphere and the upbeat/summer-like moods that had made the artist so popular in the first place on one cohesive and consistent sound that expanded throughout ten tracks. But, in many ways, that particular style of music was the result of a lot of influences and a slow evolution that had been happening ever since the Sugar Babe days, with the album being somewhat of an introspective look in order to finish ideas that were long overdue with the use of sessions that were very much experimental and that showed the birth of a new era for the artist's career.
In that particular spirit, and as it was natural for the Japanese master, a new step forward was in need, so in 1987 the new sessions resulted on a need to end up on a more concrete sound. It was an artist embracing his past, but at the same time polishing it as much as possible in order to end up on something that had a specific intention as well as a personality of its own. For that to be the case, subtle nuances were to be at hand in the creation of the different sounds, nuances that in theory would have been hard to produce with digital equipment, but that would end up on bringing more intimate and polished results with the new analog-digital interactions. It was a slow but very effective process, with Yamashita keeping on touring all over Japan as well as working with artists like Masayuki Suzuki as a guest producer and songwriter. 1988 would be the year to see the results of the new process that the man was satisfied with, with new singles and covers being released during the first half of the year, and the artist finally releasing his new album 僕の中の少年 in late October.
There is no doubt that 僕の中の少年 is Yamashita's most personal and introspective project. As it happened with Pocket Music, the title of the album was decided before the recording sessions took place, encapsulating the musical and creative mindset that would be tackled with everything surrounding this new project. While Pocket Music was looking to aim for something music that was simple and concise regarding its structure, "The Boy In Me" was something much more intimate and calm regarding its elaboration. The title was picked when Yamashita's first daughter was conceived, something that held a huge importance to his life in every single aspect, and that got him to think about the steps that he was taking with his own life. It was an opportunity for him to take a look at his trajectory throughout the years while also being grateful for the place he was in during that point. There were many different ways to tackle this particular idea in the form of a full studio project, but what Tatsuro ended up choosing was for 僕の中の少年 to be a singer/songwriter concept album. It took inspiration from Richard Harris' "A Tramp Shining" and The Moody Blues' "Days Of Future Passed", records that had captivated Tatsuro since he was young, but that were hardly found in any Japanese band during that time, ending up on the man adapting the idea to his own music. The idea ended up being executed on a very particular way, with the concept itself surrounding every aspect of the record but focusing more on the music and the atmosphere than on the lyrical content itself. 僕の中の少年 is a one of a kind album not only within Tatsuro's discography, but on Japanese pop as a whole. An album that wants to flesh out its ideas on the best way possible over the course of nine songs, offering a varied and dynamic experience that touches many different styles and moods while holding a consistent and engaging atmosphere, all of this while showing the creativity and maturity of Tatsuro Yamashita from beginning to end.
新・東京ラプソディー starts things off in a great way, presenting a song that came to be during the Pocket Music sessions but that wasn't able to be developed due to the difficulties with the digital equipment at the time. Inspired by Freddie Hubbard's music, Tatsuro wanted to make a song using a Flugelhorn while adding a Harmonica at the same time. The song itself ended up being used as a single along side an edit of The Girl In White as a promotion for the album. The lyrical content shows Yamashita reflecting about both the current state of the Tokyo he lived in while also comparing to its past self, eventually ending up on the artist doing the same thing with himself. The result is a very engaging and energetic opener, something that takes its time to flesh out, but that does so in a fantastic way, taking full advantage of the production and using it to its best capabilities in order to develop a calm and dynamic atmosphere. Hiroyuki Namba's synthesizer opens up the track setting up the main tempo on a very upbeat and cheerful way, while also being consistent throughout the entire song. The groovy bass steps in while getting complemented by the steady kick drum and Yamashita's energetic vocals. The harmonica serves as a bridge to the main part of the instrumental, with the drums having a very particular effect due to the mix, layering themselves with the rest of elements on the best way possible. The main vocal bridge uses the background vocals from Mariya Takeuchi and Tatsuro on a very subtle way, but it ends up having a fantastic in the long run, with the harmonica being one of the main elements to guide the listener throughout the song.
The Flugelhorn is introduced halfway through with a great solo that stays in line with the main melody, eventually going back to Tatsuro's vocals, with the implementation of the background vocals as a consistent part of the arrangement, ending up on Jun Aoyama providing a short drum solo as a bridge to the final part of the song. The main chorus steps in on all its glory, being repeated over and over while new elements keep being introduced and fleshed out, having an end with the Flugelhorn taking the spotlight along side Tatsuro's powerful and impressive vocal range manifesting itself one last time. The final horn solo marks the outro of the track, with the background vocals humming over the small percussion and the simple drums, while the initial synth melodies don't stop their part at any given moment. 新・東京ラプソディー is one incredible opener, a fantastic track that sets the mood on the best way possible, presenting the simple arrangements on each individual layer coming together for a rich and dynamic melody, keeping up the style of Pocket Music but fleshing it out even further with the use of a more unconventional and dynamic song structure. It all sets up the atmosphere and shows the newly improved production and mixing aspects on an incredible way, being an evident improvement over the digital recordings found on the last record, with more energy on every element and a more precise and effective mixing of the master recordings. It is definitely a much more precise sound, with every element having a reason to be and stepping in on the best way possible, fleshing out the musical ideas on a very special and unique style. It is a song full of life and joy, building up high expectations for what will come next. Without a doubt, one of Tatsuro's best openers, a masterpiece of pop that starts showing the creative maturity of the artist on its full splendor.
ゲット・バック・イン・ラヴ -Get Back In Love- follows right after, a song written for Masayuki Suzuki at first, but that ended up being used during these new sessions, and it would eventually become one of the artist's most popular tracks. The song itself ended up being a very captivating ballad, and the first proper mellow-like track that found its way on the top 10 for the first time since Ride On Time, mainly due to the fact that it was used as the main theme for a TBS show. The label itself didn't find the idea of promoting a ballad something good whatsoever, but Riuzo Kosugi ended up supporting Tatsuro to very good results. The song itself ended up being re-recorded for the album, and it offers a very interesting contrast to the opener on both the atmosphere and the structure itself. A glossy mellow track, with a very emotional piano taking the lead in the melody. It is much more focused on the 80's ballad-like backing vocals, with the main vocals staying calm and passionate all the way through. It all builds up slowly, with very few elements, making up for a sweet track that steps up the energy for the bridge and the chorus with the help of the background vocals and the drums. There is very little use of guitar, and it is very evident that the track is built to be a catchy mellow sing-along, with the main chorus being the specific focus of the song, something that repeats itself while building up more and more with the background vocals, but keeping things simple in the instrumentation, eventually fading out in a calm way right at the end. For it being very straight-forward, it ends up being incredibly engaging and memorable, regardless if it ends up being somewhat repetitive after the second half. If it were shorter it would definitely be much more effective on what it is trying to do. The sweet atmosphere carries on a nice way, being very captivating thanks to the fantastic production and mixing.
The Girl In White was built as a commercial jingle for Suntory White, and it definitely feels as such. It is extremely catchy from the very beginning, with a very upbeat melody carried on the drums and the percussion, being complemented by Tatsuro's energetic front/background vocals. The lyrics were all in English, written by Alan O'Day, and it was very much inspired by the Afro-American soul scene that was popular at the time, showing that influence clearly on the use of the background vocals. It is very much a contrast to the mellow atmosphere of the previous track, offering something much more dynamic and varied in the use of layers. It has many more elements in the mix, such as the bass, the wonderful trumpet with its very captivating solos, the synth, or the different percussion instruments; but it still manages to come together as one coherent and engaging melody. A simple, straight-forward, and insanely captivating track, a very nice jingle that just knows what to do at all times. This particular upbeat feeling gets contrasted yet again with 寒い夏, the second mellow ballad of the album, this time inspired by Jimmy Webb's compositions, but fleshed out enough to the point where it became a style of its own, with lyrics being written by Mariya on a very steady structure. It was very much a different focus compared to "Get Back In Love", with the main difference being the evident use of string arrangements as a key part of the song as a whole, almost replacing the duty of background vocals as a whole (even though they appear on some points). It is a very basic yet engaging rhythm, something that takes on a slow pace due to the tape's speed during the recording and the mixing.
So far the album had been able to show the evident contrasts that it has from song to song, all while still holding a consistent atmosphere due to the mixing and the production. Either way, it was all relatively unconventional at the time, even thought it still presented a very commercial spirit on the choruses and the instrumentation. It was very much experimental for Yamashita, and the elaboration of the album came along with a lot of different issues regarding its promotion, and 踊ろよ、フィッシュ, the closer of the first half of the record and one of the highlights of the album. Moon Records wanted to keep on embracing the beach side of Tatsuro, aiming for a new summer hit in the form of a CM that kept on increasing sales as much as possible. However, Tatsuro himself wasn't in the mood of elaborating something like that, instead delivering that particular upbeat track as a replacement in some way or another, ending up on one of the main single of the record. It wasn't Yamashita trying to mess with the label itself, but more of a way to continue with his creative freedom in order to develop something that fell right into his current mindset. The commercial jingle cut of the song itself wasn't promoted well, and it ended up on a song that barely saw radio and TV play, being somewhat unsuccessful at first but gaining some notoriety in the long run. The song itself received various versions, but the one used on the album is the final one, removing all sorts of echo and small details in order to flesh out the ideas as much as possible.
踊ろよ、フィッシュ is very much upbeat, and it finishes off the first half on a fantastic way, presenting a very upbeat melody where the percussion and the drums interact with each other in the best way possible. The structure of the song itself is very much unconventional, something that has its main focus within the verses, while the bridges just build up on momentum until the next repetition of the main lyrics (Fish!!!!!). It is something extremely upbeat while also being surprisingly dynamic and varied in how it plays itself out. The production allows for the many layers to merge together into one explosive and consistent rhythm that just fleshes out as much as possible throughout its duration, making up for a track that accomplishes a lot of things while also not being very convoluted in the way the arrangements are executed. Of course, considering this was planned to be a jingle at first it is no wonder why the final result ended up being as straight forward and captivating as it was. The wonderful use of the brass instruments just shines when put along side Tatsuro's vocals, setting up the atmosphere on a great way, while Aoyama's drums keep on a steady tempo that is never dropped, developing as much as possible until the final segment of the track. It is perhaps one of Tatsuro's more direct arrangements, something relatively simple in elements, but that end up making for a very rich sound when everything is placed together. The mixing allows for every single second to have something to offer, never staying still on one simple aspect, moving as much as possible throughout its length, making up for a very peculiar highlight that just captivates the listener with its catchy and charming spirit, closing the first side on a fantastic way.
In many aspects the album is divided on two distinct sides, with side A being very bright and engaging on its atmosphere while side B shows itself on a much more "grand" spirit in both musical arrangements as well as in the mixing and production itself. ルミネッセンス -Luminescence- serves incredibly well as an opener representing this particular style. A song inspired by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, aiming for a more midnight like atmosphere with the use of the synths and the programmed hi hats on the mix. It is a calm break and a very pleasant opener for the second half, offering a contrast yet again while also setting up the aspects that will be presented with the following songs. The piano, the programmed drums, the synth, the small use of an acoustic guitar, everything comes together shining as bright as Tatsuro's passionate vocals, introducing itself on a very nice way and fleshing as much as possible, but also closing up in a very similar way to how it started. A very nice song, one of Tatsuro's personal favorite, having abstract lyrics while also trying to resemble the night atmosphere on a very captivating way.
マーマレイド・グッドバイ -Marmalade Goodbye- follows right after, once again being an upbeat track written for a Honda commercial, being one of the highlights of the album while presenting an upbeat track with a very particular instrumental use. Tatsuro experiments with the use of a 16-time beat, while also keeping on experimenting with the lyrical content inspired by Jack Nicholson's "Five Easy Pieces", but taken on a very personal level. Somewhat of a "spiritually homeless" song, of a man walking across a non-existent road with a charming song on his heart, a heart that belongs to no place, that just keeps on walking from east to west. It was a very human song, of a heart that wants to wander around throughout life while learning a lot of things down the road, ending on a song that was one of Yamashita's most proudest works, a self-reflective work that serves as a sort of emotional and personal catharsis in the form of a very captivating track. The rhythm of the track itself is very diverse, surprisingly layered for the atmosphere that it presents. A prominent bassline complemented by the hi-hats, the percussion, and the synth opens up and builds up slow momentum along side Yamashita's powerful vocals. More and more elements keep being introduced, interacting between each other on a very intriguing way (with a very clear example being how the keyboard is implemented in the mix, being very subtle yet prominent as a key part in the harmony). The chorus blends in with the rest of the atmosphere, nothing steps up in volume aside of Yamashita's vocals, but the progression of the song, its very structure, is very natural and seamless, offering a fantastic interaction overall. Fuchino Shigeo's saxophone part come in prominent as ever, but becoming part of the bigger picture thanks to the mixing, being almost on the same level of the impactful drums. The song keeps on progressing on a constant pace, and it is very surprising to find out that the final saxophone solo leads to the end of the track instead of a reprise of the chorus, fading out on a very unexpected way, but still managing to be an understandable way to close off a track. Definitely something unique even within the album, very dynamic and memorable on its wonderful execution, and serving as a very clear highlight of the entire experience.
蒼氓 follows right after, contrasting yet again the atmosphere and tone on a very mellow way, presenting the longest song on the entire album. This is perhaps the most popular and recognizable song within the record, due to the fact that it was used as one of the main songs of the 2016 videogame Yakuza 6, seeing an unexpected spike in popularity across Japan and abroad. The track itself was an attempt from Yamashita to try and reenact the atmosphere and melody of a tune that he heard while being in Los Angeles but that he wasn't able to remember as a whole. 蒼氓 ends up being very intriguing in the long, being evidently the most gospel inspired track within the artist's entire catalog, with it being very heavy on the spiritual and emotional side (even to the point where it could be called his religious/Christian/Catholic song), specially regarding the use of the background vocals on the last stretch of the song. It was somewhat of a reflection of his current state of mind, a very intimate and personal side of his that hadn't really manifested on his music up to that point. Yamashita was a religious man, being very conscious about that aspect of his persona, with that particular side of him being embraced by his love for music and the power that it held as a form of expression. As with the rest of the album, the objective was for Yamashita to be able to express his ideology and personal beliefs (regardless of the fact that it wasn't necessarily a Japanese form of expression or something common at the time, but also being inspired by the free experimental spirit that groups such as YMO displayed at the time), trying out things that wouldn't have been possible to fit on any other project, and songs like 蒼氓 are a good evidence of that.
蒼氓 serves like a very powerful, personal, and intimate hymn, another ideological catharsis that shows a side of Yamashita on the best way possible, showing his beliefs on a very bright and grandiose way, specially with the progression and structure of the arrangements. Relatively simple in spirit, with some synths, keyboards, and drums leading the main melody while Yamashita sings on a very calm and passionate way, eventually introducing the humming background vocals on a subtle way at the same time as the wonderful basslines. It all progresses on a fantastic way, and it builds up towards the memorable and captivating final segment, where the background vocals come together with the help of guests into the "Lalala Unison Chorus", where Yamashita just shows his passionate vocal range while the acapella vocals just keep on fleshing out further and further, showing the evident religious gospel influences taking shape on a fantastic way. Of course, that particular final segment feels very much written as a sing-along live part in mind, and it very much is. The emotional and sentimental importance of the song is very evident, and from that point on the song would become a very special part of Yamashita's live performances, while also appearing on a number of important compilations and presentations throughout the years. A once in a lifetime masterpiece, a very particular mellow oddity within the artist discography that is just too captivating within its passionate melancholy, with an atmosphere and a progression that just flow on a very calm and engaging way. Just a fantastic song.
Finally, 僕の中の少年 the last song of the album, steps in, taking the spotlight and closing things on a very suiting and charming way. Of course, going on somewhat of a full circle, closing things with the self-titled track, which also happened to be written as a Honda CM at first. As with most songs on the album, this one is also a very cathartic and reflective song, talking about how the little boy inside of him is going to be passed to his own children. Lyrically and atmospherically, it is a very special and unexpected closer, even to the point where it can get to feel esoteric in some aspects, being something that ends up conveying somewhat of an eccentric feeling while being very symbolic as a whole. The arrangements are the evident highlight of the entire song, with the chord progressions having a very particular kick and mood thanks to the very specific production and mixing values found within them, making up for a very special track that was a product of its time. This happens mainly due to the drums, which are sampled in different layers of both analog and digital, ending up on a very particular punch to the ears that is really hard to try and replicate in all aspects. It is a very strange tone that fits the song incredibly well, specially during the very great chorus. The main samples all come together with the actual performances, blending into one coherent melody that guides the listener with the help of Tatsuro's vocals, offering a particular structure that ends on a very peculiar instrumental passage where every single elements presents itself before fading out completely on a subtle way. In many ways, the song is a great encapsulation of everything that has been presented on the record. The different harmonies and melodies coming together into one carefully crafted rhythm that works thanks to the mixing and the production, very personal and introspective lyrical content from Tatsuro, somewhat of an unconventional structure and progression that just flows naturally from beginning to end, and something that is definitely unique to this record. A Tatsuro Yamashita song that grabs from a lot of places, being influenced by a bunch of context, but that ends up sounding unique to the one and only talented Japanese master. A great closer for a great album.
僕の中の少年 is without a doubt Tatsuro Yamashita's most intimate and intriguing release. The album itself came to be during a transition point for the artist, a point where he realized that fighting against the times was useless, but that it was also possible to adapt on a way where he was able to fit comfortably within the new technologies. The solution of working with both analog and digital equipment brought with it a lot of more possibilities regarding the quality and experimentation of the recordings, being an extension of what was found on Pocket Music while also moving forward in order to explore new grounds. It was also a point where his own intimate life was something that was maturing and moving forward in many ways, making the man reflect upon his own self and how he could be able to express those thoughts with his music. His older daughter was born, an event of huge relevance in his private life, leading to him being much more mature and personal with his creative process, being grateful for his experiences and deciding to manifest a lot of his personal/intimate aspects in his multiple arrangements. It was not only an artist proudly embracing his past with the help of his music, but it was also a need to look for an evolution, the next step that would refine everything as much as possible within the new contexts that surrounded the artist, looking for something that ended up satisfying both the artist's inventive and personal needs. The solution was something very curious, creating a once in a lifetime project within his career in the form of a concept album, something that would be hard to replicate due to its experimental nature, which was allowed due to the use of the new technologies, taking things to an even bigger picture. It was a concept focused on both the music and lyrical themes, tackling the idea of Tatsuro Yamashita's identity, his personal search for it, and the experiences he had in both the past and the present.
Of course, taking into consideration this newly found spirit of creating something new, the old styles that the artist was known for show themselves as influences rather than taking the spotlight by offering a "summer-like/Christmas-like" song. 僕の中の少年 goes through Tatsuro's past, picking up some ideas and polishing others, but at the same time presenting something entirely different, unique, and full of personality; fleshing out every single aspect possible in order to end up on a sound that really belonged to Tatsuro Yamashita. From beginning to end there is a fantastic atmosphere that stays consistent due to the production and the mixing, but every single track is practically a world of its own, with their own individual focus, influences, lyrical topics, and structures. There is always an upbeat track being contrasted with a mellow ballad, offering a very coherent and engaging balance that is hard to predict, surprising the listener on every single turn, but that also manages to stay as accessible and captivating as ever. Very unconventional themes, but very accurate at reflecting the mindset of the artist that was determined to portray them. It is an album that talks about Tatsuro's heart wandering endlessly (but at the same time being calm, grateful, and ever-changing), talking about the artist projecting his innocent self on those who are basically his descendants, about intimate religious beliefs which end up being a key part of what pushes the man forward, about love, the past, the need to cry, and the search to mature as much as possible with every step that is taken.
More than it being a search for an exclusively consistent musical experience, 僕の中の少年 worked more as a sort of emotional, creative, and personal catharsis, showing that on a great way from beginning to end. Throughout the course of nine tracks Tatsuro Yamashita wanders across a variety of wonderfully intimate topics, being engaging and introspective in the way they are presented, never too open due to some of them being cryptic on their meaning, but still carrying a lot of passion in both the lyrics as well as in the music itself. And that is the thing, one doesn't have to understand Japanese in order to connect with the topics, if anything, the album doesn't depend exclusively on the lyrics, being able to express itself on a clear way with the dynamic and varied arrangements. The album itself is divided into two parts, with the first half being the bright side and the second half stepping in as the place where Yamashita expresses himself on a very grand manner. As a whole it all ends up on very unconventional ideas for what would be expected from a Yamashita album, further developing the singer/songwriter spirit of the last album but touching new ground thanks to the mix of analog-digital in the master tapes. Of course, this doesn't really mean that the album is perfect.
There was still somewhat of a struggle to adapt to the new conditions when recording and mastering the tracks, also taking into consideration the "out-of-the-comfort-zone" emotions that Yamashita was embracing with his arrangements, so it was very evident that some tracks would get executed on a better way than others. 新・東京ラプソディー, 踊ろよ、フィッシュ, マーマレイド・グッドバイ -Marmalade Goodbye-, 蒼氓, or the self-titled closer definitely stand out as evident masterpieces within Tatsuro's career, excellent tracks that are very much different from each other, but that end up holding a lot of coherence on their tracklist placement thanks to the atmosphere that surrounds all the tracks. From upbeat tunes that implement brass instruments or a harmonica as essential parts of their arrangements, to more mellow ballads that slowly unravel with their religious gospel influences; these tracks certainly stand out as the highlight of the experience, with each one giving a lot to talk about when touching their influences and their particular execution. However, the rest of the material, while still good, certainly could have taken some more time to be fleshed out to their full potential. But even then, every single song has something to offer, something that makes them their own isolated experience, showing the many moods and attitudes of the master in a great way. The amount of detail and care put on every single song is definitely admirable, and all that thoughtful process certainly shows itself in the form of a surprising, engaging, passionate, and unique record. From beginning to end, 僕の中の少年 is able to offer a very layered journey, something that would end up being really hard to replicate in a live and studio setting, showing an artist stripping himself to his very deep core, expressing all of that with the help of the wonderful songs that form the album.
The many covers/artwork included on the album and the singles (particularly the single cover and themes touched on 新・東京ラプソディー) display the identity of the project on a very suiting way, showing a man driving around in his bike while contemplating his surroundings, keeping a calm and plain mindset in order to admire and reflect about the moments that he is living in. It was very much something that required a lot of effort and preparation, and while the final product satisfied Tatsuro's personal and creative needs, it did come with a lot of issues. Most songs on the record had an impressive amount of layers and details, so much so that it was really hard to replicate or deconstruct on an efficient way for both a studio and live setting. The artist had gone against the wishes of Moon Records to revive the "sea/summer-style" that had made him very popular years ago, instead focusing on either mellow ballads or very unique upbeat tracks such as 踊ろよ、フィッシュ, with those being risky moves that ended up paying off in the long run. The man said it himself better than anyone, "music that is made just to be a success isn't good in the end". He just didn't feel like going back to what made him famous because he was no longer with that type of mindset. Instead, Tatsuro Yamashita decided to push forward with something new and unique, regardless of the technical, commercial, or health/personal difficulties, ending up on an album that he was satisfied with.
Yamashita took as much advantage as possible from the very particular analog-digital equipment that he had acquired, with every performance being captured on an effective and precise way, all in order to provide with some of the man's most rich instrumental arrangements. The "Performance 88'-89' tour" that followed the release of the album was tiresome, challenging, and somewhat of a disappointment for the artist himself. Tatsuro shared his intimate thoughts to big arenas, seeing a very positive and welcoming response, even if most of the new songs weren't able to be fully replicated with the limitations of a live concert, but the songs saw themselves being affected by these barriers. But even then, those particular performances would go down as some of his best. It was very much a grand and energetic tour that squeezed out the energy from everyone involved, but that saw an artist trying to express himself in the best way possible. It is not hard to empathize with the path Yamashita took after this point. 僕の中の少年 was very much a singer/songwriter album, but the arrangements and style of music was far away from simple in the bigger picture. However, after such a long process, a very intimate elaboration, and a tiresome tour; it was only natural that things would take a step back in the process, going to much more laid back and relaxed concepts and styles. Records like Artisan or Cozy don't really shine for their musical or artistic inventiveness, more for a chance for Yamashita to just take things as loose as possible and have fun with the process of making an album. But still, regardless of what would come in the future, 僕の中の少年 will always be present as something truly special. An album that shows the many emotional and creative conflicts/reflections that Tatsuro Yamashita was going through during that point of his life in the form of a diverse and varied experience that stands out even within the world of Japanese pop. Due to the reputation and popularity that he had been building for years, Tatsuro found the perfect time and place in order to execute a project such as this. It was a once in a lifetime achievement, something that came to be at the right time and the right place.
A very personal concept album that bleeds of passion and love, showing a lot of maturity when it came to expressing the inner struggles and reflections of a person that embraces the boy that is living inside of him, all in the form of nine beautiful songs. An emotional catharsis that really invites the listener to get lost within the charming, sweet, and calm atmospheres that it has to offer. It may not be as popular as For You or Ride On Time, but it still holds up as a wonderful gem within the man's career. Even if it is not completely perfect, every single track has something unique to show to the listener, managing to provide for an incredibly captivating journey that doesn't let down at any single moment. Just wonderful.
