MARIYA TAKEUCHI fanlover

Grief, despair, isolation: that's what I feel when I listen to "と•び•ま•す" (1975) by Hako Yamasaki (山崎ハコ). The little instrumentation and the acoustic vibe of the songs, along with the tearing voice of Yamasaki, make this whole album an unforgettable one.

The album starts with "望郷", a sad track as many of this album. The internal and metaphorical tears of the song penetrate into your heart and makes you feel like there is no way out to the boundless suffering. "さすらい" is another beautiful moment on this record, where Yamasaki feels like a wanderer, looking for a meaning to this hard life. Not many songs make you feel so uprooted as "かざぐるま", another heartbreaking track. The artist manages to bristle the skin and, ambivalently, through sadness, improves your day considerably "竹とんぼ" and "影を見えない" are other beautiful songs, but "気分を変えて" is the never-to-be-forgotten classic of this record, in which Yamasaki empowers and shows her most belligerent side. The last track I would like to mention is "飛びます", which is different from the rest of the album, more hopeful and so enjoyable. After all the grief the album conveys we need songs like this.

"Prologue〈序幕〉" (1982) is the debut album by Akina Nakamori (中森明菜), an introduction of her incredible musical career. It feels like a very nostalgic album, where Akina shows her early youth, which if filled of energy, with a lot of desire to fall in love and where she also leaves room for beautiful ballads that reach the depths of the heart. With just 10 tracks, it feels more complete than any subsequent album. Also, Akina's voice is one of the most powerful voices on the city pop sphere.

The thrilling "あなたのポートレート" stands out thanks to its beautiful and nostalgic melody; it's followed by "Bon Voyage", a more placid song that feels like a car trip along the shoreline of a beach. "条件反射" is powerful and blunty, a song that reveals all of Akina's saved fury. It delves right to the point of existence. Other iconic tracks from the album are "Tシャツ・サンセット", "A型メランコリー" and "ダウンタウンすと〜り〜", but it's the debut single "スローモーション" the one that makes the album complete: simple, but it works perfectly within the album. It brings us the classic structures of the Japanese ballads from the 80s.

"Welcome Back" (1989) by Akiko Yano (矢野顕子) is an incredible body of work, a piano-accompained masterpiece. This record isn't strictly city pop genre, following contemporary jazz sounds. Let's take a listen, shall we?

The intro and the ending tracks (""It's for You"" and "Little Girl, Giant Heart") aren't very special. Just Akiko with the piano, without lyrics, welcoming us to the world of this work and saying goodbye, they lack interest for me. Not my favourite ones, but they are okay and have a typical oriental vibe which is pretty nice. The artwork begins with "しんぱいなうんどうかい", an essential. The main topic of the track is the school sports day. A very fun and friendly theme. "みのりのあきですよ" has a very autumnal atmosphere. It's one of the best songs on the album, very different from any other song. Akiko takes us into a forest and paints a beautiful painting of ocher and brown colors. "悩む人" has a similar sound to the previous track, but introduces some inconspicuous electronic sounds after the chorus. The outro of it is just spectacular. Both are minimalist songs that I would listen to over and over again. "ほんとだね。" and "Watching You" are two jazz-influenced tracks; nothing special but pleasing and enjoyable. Next track, "かぜのひきかた" is calm, straightforward, and doesn't need a lot of tools to show off. Also, Akiko's voice sounds precious this time. It relaxes me to the point of needing this song in all my piano/chilling out playlists. The record also includes a cover of the popular "Hard Times, Come Again No More" by Stephen Foster, which fits perfectly in this album.

I have not published any review for a long time. Today I am eager to talk about "Ride on Time" (1980) by Tatsuro Yamashita (山下 達郎), a very summery album in my opinion.

The opening track "いつか (Someday)" it's my personal favourite. It's a hopeful and emotional song where Tatsuro sings, "One day I'll stop being alone". It makes me meditate profusely about loneliness and gives me the strength to face the hard times in life. "Daydream" it's another magical track, in which Tatsuro's voice stands out over the sweet melody. The wind instruments and the rest of the instrumentation give it a very fresh jazzy touch. "Silent Screamer" (a song that has nothing to do with the Taeko Ohnuki's track with the same title) has rock style and it's sprightlier, becoming raw at some moments. However, it seems too long and repetitive. The title song, "Ride on Time", is the core of the album. He sings about enjoying the trip, focusing on the process and not so much on the results that come after. The melody has a soulful and joyful vibe which does not leave no one indifferent. Subsequently, it forces you to move your body to the rhythm of the percussion. Side B of the album it's not as powerful as the first side. We have gentle and relaxing songs like "My Sugar Babe", a beautiful ballad dedicated to the beloved one; and summery tracks like "夏への扉", laid-back and blithe. And it's important to mention the magnificent ending track: "おやすみ (Kissing Goodnight)". It's concise but a great success for Tatsuro's discography. It closes the record leaving the listener with a feeling of tenderness and uncertainty, saying good night... so warm.

"Love" (1991) by Yuki Saito (斉藤 由貴). Rated as one of the best Japanese albums of the 90s, Yuki's Love tells us a story whose main argument is love. Let's review it.

The album introduction is the close-to-experimental "いつか", an acoustic piece filled with an ornamentistic melody. Saito thanks the people who have helped her heal, it's an ode to the wound that have dissapeared. "ホントのキモチ" has a tropical sound that is carried along with a nostalgic vibe. In this song Yuki sings from the bottom of her heart about longing for true love. It's a very special track and one of the best of her career. The third track, the bittersweet "Yours", is the gem of this record. The lyrics reminds me a bit of Tatsuro Yamashita's songs and the sound has a Sade inspiration. It is one of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard. The lyrics gives goosegumps. Yuki sings about giving herself up to the love of her life, unafraid of feeling vulnerable. 《I me my... but yous》, just heartmelting. Also her voice is so delicate in this song, as a rose petal. In "朝の風景", sophisticatedly, Yuki paints us a beautiful morning landscape. This ballad is beautiful and breezy because of its simplicity and it isn't a skip. Other downtempo-influenced track is "誰のせいでもない", one of my favourite songs on this record. Yuki's ability to convey feelings is relentless and this song is pure poetry. In this track she knows that she won't meet that person again and that even so the feelings won't disappear, but she admits that the best for both of them is not blaming anyone, because hatred is unbereable. At the end of the day, love is ephemeral. "このまま" and "MOON WALTZ〜月の輪舞〜" are two spectral and night-scented songs. Both wrap you up in another atmosphere and makes you feel like levitating. Specifically, the second track is a very curious slow waltz, mysterious and magical. In "LETTER" Yuki longs to get together with his beloved. This song is beauteous because is written following a letter's formula. "Julia" is a bossa nova track that separates us a little from the main thread. It's not a bad song, but it doesn't follow the theme of the rest of the album. However, I highlight the lovely whispers of the bridge. "意味" ends the album in the best way possible. Just Yuki and a piano, singing a oriental-influenced melody. It works nicely and it's a gorgeous way to close this full piece of work.

"幸STORY" (1987) by Miyuki Sugiura (杉浦幸) is a compilation album which has 10 great tracks from this artist. This record portraits adolescence and discovering love in Miyuki's own way, leaving innocence behind. Let's review it.

"悲しいな", her first single, is a a sweet track that fits perfectly with Miyuki's essence. It's a song of relief, of despair, filled with adolescent pain. The melody is absolutely remarkable and sure it has accompanied her on many sad nights. Next track is "2年目のジンクス". It has a good melody and Miyuki's voice is on point. The instrumentation (with the charming saxophone) is also immaculate, becoming a nice track that I wouldn't skip. "六本木十時軍" is a song with a tune that predicted the sounds of the earlies 90's in Japan. Miyuki sings anxiously and the song follows the trail of the previous song. "18のSecret" is an innocent piece where Miyuki sings about the teenage passion and yearning for the beloved. It's beauteous and one of the most beautiful songs about innocence ever written, Miyuki is full of talent. Next track "Naive" is fun and catchy, well placed in the album. It makes me feel like jumping. "花のように" is one of my favourite tracks; the flower and love metaphor is very sweet and her voice is delicate as petals. It has a straighforward melody, but describes perfectly the love overflow: a gem. "午前0時のI NEED YOU" is also incredible. Falling in love at midnight, longing for the beloved's cuddle, that's this song. The hook is one of the best on this record and, I have to say, I get excited whenever I hear it again. "ー45ー" is a gentle ballad, like a cloud, like a dream, like a wave. In this track Miyuki's voice is tender to the core and it's impossible to not love it. "4月列車" has become swiftly one of my favourite city pop tracks. It's intro is heartrending and overall is emotional, nostalgic. Listening to it live must make goose bumps. Last track of this album is "せつなさのPosion", that finishes the compilation in a merry and enjoyable way. Not her best song but is enjoyable and cohesive with the rest of the tracks.

And here we are with the unbelievable "Mignonne" (1978) by Taeko Ohnuki (大貫妙子). This is a very special record for me because it was my first introduction ever to the city pop genre, so do not expect an objective review. Let's comment this jewel!

The record starts with the amazing and personal favourite "じゃじゃ馬娘". To be honest, this song has grown a lot on me with time. The amazing guitar, Taeko's voice, the sweet instrumentation and the dreamy melody: all together creates one of the best songs I've ever hear. I'll never get tired of it. Next brilliant track is "横顔", one of that pieces that relax you, that reminds you of the day-to-day and that makes you smile. Sometimes the simple is twice as good, and this song is the prove. "黄昏れ" is the emotional ballad of the record. It touches every string of my heart in a heartbreaking way. The night atmosphere and the sad vibe pierce your soul. "空をとべたら" is for me the perfect jazz piece. If I ever wanted to compose in this genre, I would have this song as a reference. It's also simple (in a good way), but beautiful. The album includes other fun songs as "言いだせなくて" and "海と少年", which I also love. The last one has a summer beat that I enjoy to the fullest. I can't remember clearly, but I think that "4:00 A.M." was the first song I've ever heard. It was the reason why I started to fancy into world. I've never heard anything like this. That chorus, that background voices, that lyrics... Beyond belief. I also can't think about a more iconic title. It's length may be too long, but I guess that is one feature that gives it a special value. "突然の贈りもの" and "あこがれ" are other two lovely ballads, the last one mentioned closing with the album in the best charming way. When I listen to it it's like fireworks explode. It's a record with very few songs but none feels dull.

"Tadaima." (1981) by Akiko Yano (矢野顕子). I was hesitating to review it on this blog because it is not strictly just city pop, but it even borders on j-pop and becomes experimental. But in the end I have chosen to do it because most of its sounds are related to city pop and because it's very difficult to classify a record in an established music genre. First of all, we must talk about Akiko's voice, always compared to Kate Bush's vocal range; we are not going to be fooled: her way of singing is incredibly peculiar. She reaches many high tones. Now, let's review some tracks.

The song that starts the album is the title of it, "ただいま。", a fun piece mixes with a lot synthetizers. It reminds me of the opening of a children's anime. "いつか王子様が" is my personal favourite; it isn't an ambitious song, its rhythm is calm and the background voices make it an insurmountable song. It catches perfeclty the core of the record, although as we will see later, it will be lost through the songs. "Vet" is a dirty and heavily loaded song. I like that Akiko has introduced a bit of rock sounds into this album, it makes it different from others. The next song is called "Ashkenazy Who?", that retrieves a little bit of the sounds from the beginning of the record and adds dramatic violin sounds. It's a very enjoyable song and, like the album as a whole, very carefree, in the good way. Then it comes the disenchanted "いらないもん", almost an acapella song, which can easily be one of the weirdest song of city pop sphere. Despite that, its lyrics are cute. However, we still find more strange songs like "たいようのおなら / おとうさん / おとうさん / ぼくがおとなになったら / せんせい / おかあさんのおひげ / もし一億円あったら / いぬ / ぼくはなきみそ", a medley of Japanese songs sung by Akiko Yano, accompanied by her piano and not much more. It's an interesting track but too long and without much interest. Anyway, I like this kind of different songs. "I Sing" has a very innocent English lyrics and a very eighties instrumentation. I really like the purity of this track and it helps me to encourage myself in order to face the day in a happy way. And its outro is simply charming. The album ends with "ROSE GARDEN", a song in which Akiko plays with the rhythm changes and modifying her voice. The way Akiko perfomes this one sounds like traditional Japanese folk songs.

Cologne (1986) by Kaoru Akimoto (秋元薫) is a timeless body of work. Every song has an unrepeatable fragance that makes them original in its own way. I feel unable to put into words what this record can make you feel, so let's discover this magical and magnetic album track by track.

The beginning of the album is "Beginning", a short piece that, despite not having an original title, it leaves you wanting more. A beautiful introduction. Next track, "Narcissist", is catchy from beginning to end. The background voices that accompany the track and the repetitive chorus make it one of the highlights of the record. But without a doubt, the gem of this album is the well-known "Dress Down". Simply a classic. As I mentioned before, it's a magic song that makes you feel like in a cloud, it lets you fall slowly, gently, and once you listen to it you will never forget it. It's sexy and innocent at the same time. We need more songs as charming as "Dress Down". "嘆きのPuzzle" has a dark tone in its instrumentation and a visual kei vibe, it reminds me of Japanese vampire series, where when night falls everything turns mournful; an interesting one. "我がままなハイヒール" gets that fun and carefree vibe back, impossible not to dance. I like to listen to it while I'm walking through the city streets. In addition, Kaoru's voice feels free and young, which I appreciate that. "Love Letter" is the reason why the latest songs of an album can become the best of it. I fell in love with it the first moment I heard it, it was love at first sight. It is one of those pieces that make me feel in love with life; very enjoyable and nostalgic, as I love. The last track of the album is "月夜", which despite being a good song, doesn't have much cohesion with the other songs. But don't get me wrong: it's melodramatic, sad, hopeless, and its outro is just marvelous.

This is the cover of "Tasogare" (1980) by Mai Yamane (山根麻衣). Feels like it has been a long time after listening to this wonderful album. It's one of those records that surrounds you into a dark aura and doesn't let you return to reality. Let's comment it track by track.

The first song is the relatively acclaimed "たそがれ", a gloomy track defined by its instrumentation. Besides, it's the song that introduces us to the heartbreaking voice of Mai Yamane. The twilight on which she sings wraps us in a towering melody. "Heart for Sale" has nothing to do with the previous track, which is a semi-acoustic track accompained by a sweet harmonica. "Get Away" is very reminescent regarding to city pop genre. Mai's voice here sounds hostile and raw, making a great pop/rock track that fuses a soft piano with the guitar riffs. An extraordinary song. The pleasing "City Drive" sounds like a typical city pop piece (which I appreciate) that takes us into a driving night scene and makes us enjoy the trip calmly. Something similar is achieved with "Wave", a more jazzy and elegant piece, very gentle. Without a doubt, my favourite song on the album is "Fooling Myself", an Eric Carmen's song cover: I had never heard such a heartbreaking song. This melting song pierces hard inside my heart. I couldn't describe in words how beautiful it is. I don't know if it's so emotional due to its instruments, the lyrics or her voice, but the whole makes this song a very difficult one to hear in sad moments. A deserved applause to Mai Yamane and his producers.

"Shampoo" (1983) by Yuko Tomita (富田裕子) is one of that albums that are less (or not) known in the city pop sphere. Filled with a solid 80s pop sound, you can listen to it today to admire its quality and enjoy the mostly dance instrumentation. Also, the album cover is highly original.

The albums starts with "Dance Dance Dance", which captures the essence of the album, an incredible dance song, but not for that reason simple; it's full of complexity, although it has a typical production of its time. It reminds me of some Tomoko Aran's tracks. The second track "Shampoo" is a masterpiece. I would describe it as a relaxing and sexy song, it makes you feel like floating inside a shampoo bubble. "うけとめてダーリン!" is a polemical one because its great similarity to 70s band New Musik's "Sanctuary". It's a good piece, but they really plagiarize New Musik's song. Ignoring this, we find very emotional tracks on the record, like "New York Heroine" (where her voice sounds more naked than ever) and "何故•••", highly recommended. "Auto Ban" is my favourite song on this album, standing out because its real aggressiveness, its relentless rhythm and its exciting production. I love everything that this track has to offer and I fully enjoy it. After "Auto Ban" comes "ガラスの翼", the most moving song in the record (in my opinion), comparable to the best ballads of Madonna's "True Blue" era. It makes my hair stand on end. The album has several more songs to offer, most of them filled with a sad and inconspicuous vibe, although these that I mentioned are the most notable.

"Pocket Park" (1980) by Miki Matsubara (松原みき) is one of that unforgettable albums. Personally, it left a mark on me. I'm always talking about nostalgia when I refer to city pop records, but in this case it's different: the nostalgic feeling is so strong that it's even painful. Like the other albums, I have edited the art cover to give more quality to it. I hope you enjoy it. Let's introduce you the main tracks.

The record starts with "真夜中のドア/Stay With Me", one of the most famous city pop songs along with "Plastic Love" by Mariya Takeuchi, "Magic Ways" by Tatsuro Yamashita or "4:00 AM" by Taeko Ohnuki. An indispensable song in the discography of my life and fundamental to understand this genre. It has magical verses, an unbelievable chorus and a neat instrumentation. Such an emotional song. Also, Miki's vocal range reaches distant notes, impossible for any human being. She is an angel and this song is the prove. Although it lasts about 5 minutes, I wish it was longer. She still surprises us with tracks like "It's so Creamy", "Cryin'" or "Manhattan Wind", which bring some very chic tunes; but my favourite one is "愛はエネルギー", a song that has an incredible love energy (like its title). It's catchy, innocent and fresh, filled with devotion. Without a doubt, it has become another song that made me love city pop. It's been a long time and I still can't get it out of my mind. Production-wise, it isn't bad. "His Woman" and "Trouble Maker" are two raw song, where Miki's voice gets hard and torn. Instead, "そうして私が" is more relaxed, feeling like a lullaby. Miki has an incredible ability to adjust her voice to the different tones of the songs. The last song I would like to comment on is "Mind Game", a casual song that invites us to dance. It has a very fun chorus and a similar energy as "愛はエネルギ". Also, the Japanese mixed with English gives the piece a very nice tone.

"VARIETY" (1986) by Mariya Takeuchi (竹内まりや) is one of the most representative albums in the city pop sphere. It also includes the most famous song of this genre. Let's talk about it.

VARIETY, as the name implies, it's a song compilation, whose theme in common is love; however, they work very well together, making an armonious cohesiveness. The record starts with "もう一度", a lovely fun song dedicated (like many of the tracks) to Tatsuro Yamashita. It has a happy summer vibe and it's really enjoyable, she could't have chosen a better song to start the album. The next track is "Plastic Love", that it isn't only her most acclaimed song, but the most popular one in the genre, popularized a posteriori. The lyrical content it's about materialism and superficial love (a kind of Japanese Madonna, if comparasons were allowed). This song is just magical, it has something in each of its verses that makes you stay hooked to it. It invokes an unknown nostalgia located in a nighty Tokyo of the 80's. We could write an entire book about this song, but let's move on. "本気でオンリーユー (Let's Get Married)" is one of my favourite songs on the album; in this track Mariya sings using a perfect English. It feels like you want to fall in love at the moment it begins. She is in love with love, literally. In contrast we find "Broken Heart", another song in English, now about a painful breakup, where Mariya explains how it feels to be alone after a relationship. "アンフィシアターの夜" is a fun one, a rock and dance track, although it doesn't fit very well in the aesthetics of the album. There are other many good songs in this record, but "ふたりはステディ" stands out for its purity and for its intrinsic joy. Mariya sings about her and her (current) husband being ready for real love. It has an enthusiasm and freshness that I love, it's like a new way to interprete romance. Last track on the album, "シェットランドに頬をうずめて", isn't just a song, but a declaration of eternal love («I say I love you, and I always will, my dear...»). What a lovely and noble love song!

"Tokyo Special" (1977) by Kimiko Kasai (笠井紀美子), a record that took me its time to enjoy. Kimiko's modern look will accompany the entire record, providing an elegant vibe which gives its seventies grace to the album.

The record starts with "Love Celebration", a jazz song with a repetitive melody that can eventually become a little dull; nevertheless, thanks to the wind instruments, you can enjoy it to the fullest. The next track, "やりかけの人生", is nice and relaxing, but in the end it feels like it's too long. This song talks about the awareness of having an unfinished life; it conveys feelings of sadness and reluctance. Fortunately, the third song is "夏の初めのイメージ", the best song in the album in my opinion. When I listen to this song it comes to my mind a beautiful morning of the beginning of summer, happiness without worries; an easy track, as if it were a leisurely ride. "Very Special Moment" is a fun piece full of wind instruments, again, and with an amazing percussion; feels like an exquisite party. In this case, the song ends too soon, leaving us wanting for more. The title song, "Tokyo Special", is a strange one, very funky and wild. The chorus of this track are just a bit simplistic, but they combine so good with the aesthetics of the album. "木もれ陽", a song filled with emotional landscapes, makes me feel like if I were lost in a sequoia forest. In this track, Kimiko's voice shines brighter than ever, feeling pure and clean.

This is "浮遊空間" (1983), transcribed as Fuyü-Kükan, by Tomoko Aran (亜蘭知子). What an energetic record! This music makes you feel really free, it's impossible to stay calm while listening to this album. I would describe it as anxious J-electronic/dance-pop. Let's introduce ourselves to it.

The first track, "Body to Body", is an electropop piece where Tomoko sings about unbridled love, an incredible catchy track. Another groovy song is "ひと夏のタペストリー", a very fun track with a total '80s sound. I would recommend it like a good song to start with Tomoko Aran's discography. Her most acclaimed song is "Midnight Pretenders", a beautiful piece that captures that city pop vibe, more calmed down and amorous; it seems like if Tomoko was singing to us from an intimate place. Unfortunately, we find tracks like "Lonely Night" or "ジ•レ•ン•マ" that don't transmit anything and that I always skip. The exception is "しゃくな", a song that I think it has a very Japanese style; it's simple, like a daily life-track, it could work perfectly as an elevator song. The last song on the album is the beautiful "Baby, Don't You Cry Anymore", an emotional piano ballad that I will never get tired of, the jewel of the record. Just Tomoko's voice and, the piano, it will move you to tears.

"Love Trip" (1982) is the first and only record by Takako Mamiya (間宮貴子). This is one of the city pop classics, a masterpiece, a jazz-style album without any song that doesn't fit perfectly. Takako's voice embraces you and your soul and doesn't let you escape from this music gem. Also, we have to mention the album cover art, which is 10/10. Sad is the fact that after this album she disappeared from the world of singing. She never released any album after this record.

The first song, "Love Trip", is relaxing and syncopated, a perfect introduction for this love trip, which also includes lovely lyrics. "Chinese Restaurant" it's very similar in terms of sound, introducing us into a love acquaintance, a bittersweet nostalgia scene. One of the best vocal perfomances in the city pop history is "真夜中のジョーク" (translated to "Midnight Joke"), a soft track where the night melts and which has a mysterious but beautiful and solid atmosphere, matching with the sweetest melody; after a few listens, it is impossible to get it out of your head. "One More Night" and "Morning Flight" are two of my favourite songs from this record, tracks with a groovy bass and a gorgeous arrangement that don't leave you with indifference; they always put you me in a good mood. "たそがれは銀箔の…" is a niece piece, filled with cool tones and nice rhythm changes. Takako's singing "たそがれ" is one of the dreamiest moments of the album. The last track, "What a Broken Heart Can Do", recovers the first song's instrumental, but changing the lyrics and where Takako is singing in perfect English. Without a doubt, the decision of including this song is quite weird, but not annoying.