First Light by Makoto Matsushita - 1981

City Pop, specifically Japanese AOR, is a genre of music that pulls from a number of different sources for inspiration, most notably the different genres that makeup 60's pop, including the Motown sound, the Phil Spector-influenced chamber pop, and the singer-songwriter adult contemporary music spearheaded by the likes of, The Righteous Brothers, Carol King, and The Carpenters. However, the most notable influence I hear people point to is the famous jazz-rock fusion band, Steely Dan. Consisting of the duo Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagan (keyboards, lead vocals), Steely Dan was famous for blending elements of rock, jazz, Latin music, R&B, & blues with sophisticated studio production and cryptic, ironic lyrics. There were plenty of artists and bands in Japan that were trying to capture the same style of production found in their music, however, the one musician that came the closest to matching the same quality was Makoto Matsushita (松下誠), with his 1981 solo debut album, First Light.

Makoto Matsushita, born November 16, 1955, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, and arranger who's mostly known within the J-AOR realm through his work as part of the band, The AB's. After dropping out of the Yamaha Nem Music Academy at the age of 19, he managed to start his career off as a session guitarist in 1974, playing for artists like Junko Yagami (八神純子), Seiko Matsuda(松田聖子), Mai Yamane (山根麻以), and Eiichi Ohtaki ( 大瀧詠一). Eventually, he started a band called Milky Way in 1979, with pianist Kazuo Nobuta (信田一男), who would eventually help him produce his debut album.

After enough experience as a session musician, Makoto would try his hand as a producer for his debut album. The band on this album consists predominantly of musicians that he has worked with on previous records, including Nobuta on piano and as part of the backing chorus, as well as bassist Yasuo Tomikura (富倉安生), and drummer Masahiro Miyazaki (宮崎正弘). Both would later rejoin Makoto as part of his prog-rock band, Paradigm Shift. New York singer-songwriter Judy Anton, who Makoto arranged music for on her album Smile, helped by providing English lyrics for the most famous song on the album, Love Was Really Gone. There's also the Joe Kato Group, which provides string arrangements for the latter half of the album. It should also be noted that the album also features percussionist Makoto Kimura (木村誠), who also worked with the 1st City Pop band, Sugar Babe, on their album Songs. First Light was released on September 21, 1981. It received two different album covers, the first featuring a stylized photograph of Hollywood Blvd, taken by photographer Kaoru Ijima (伊島薫), later printings received the illustration by Tsutomu Kizawa (木沢勉).

THE MUSIC

1) First Light: Within the first 30 seconds of the album we're treated with a beautiful, glamorous, and funky opening, leading into a funky and groovy AOR track. The groovy energetic guitar riffs combined with the smooth slab bass carry me through the song as Makoto and Nabuo's smooth harmonizing vocals take us on a 1st class plane ride "from the east to the west".

2) One Hot Love: Makoto decides to take us to the streets with this awesome smooth soft rock number that's perfect for a long drive at night. The kick-ass guitar solos and the smooth vocal harmonies in the chorus are the stars of this track.

3) Resort For Blue: Things calm down a bit for a short intermission track that goes for a jazzy resort pop feel. However as the calming guitar riffs make you want to relax by the pool, the rain starts to kick in towards the end, preparing us for the next song.

4) September Rain: The first true slow jam of the album. September Rain sets the mood as Matsushita sings about sudden memories of a lover in the middle of the night, much like the falling rain comes in to signal the end of summer. It also happens to be the only song sung in both English & Japanese.

5) Lazy Night.: The record picks up the pace as Matsushita goes full Steely Dan on this track (even calling them out by name), as the cool drum & bass provide a smooth groove that evokes chill nights in New York City.

6) This Is All I Have For You: Another smooth jazz fusion number accompanied by dreamy synths and a melodramatic orchestral string arrangement.

7) I Know...: As the album reaches its climax, A scene is set up for us with the final intermission track. It's 5 in the morning, as Matsushita confronts a lover about their struggling relationship, only accompanied by a melodramatic piano and a beautiful A Capella arrangement. However, by the end of the song, he decides it's time for them to part ways, which sets the scene for the next song.

8) Love Was Really Gone: Matsushita finds his inner Bobby Caldwell, to provide a classic R&B track. While Caldwell's famous tune, What You Won't Do For Love, is about everything a man will do to keep his relationship, Matsushita sings the aftermath; even after everything he's done to keep the love strong, their relationship was just not meant to be. All of this is accompanied by a smooth bassline, beautiful string arrangements, harmonious backing chorus, and a jazzy piano solo thrown in for good measure. And if that wasn't enough, it all leads up to a beautiful and emotional orchestral outro that evokes the loneliness of a broken heart.

9) Sunset: The final track throws you for a loop with an electronic-sounding intro that seems out of place, but then leads into a smooth track that's equal parts progressive pop and resort pop as Matsushita reminisces about his love as he looks into the sunset. The album closes us out as the wind begins to blow and we are greeted with yet another beautiful orchestral string finale.

THE VERDICT

It's made very clear that Makoto Matsushita's talents as a session musician did not go to waste as he was able to accomplish a feat that's almost impossible to do; create the perfect City Pop album on his first try. Every song feels unique enough while still maintaining the same Steely Dan quality of production throughout the whole thing, making it feel like the perfect anthology of everything great about American AOR and West-coast music. From the Doobie Brothers-inspired soft rock found in One Hot Love, the Donald Fagen style New York fusion evoked in Lazy Night, the Yacht Rock-inspired First Light, all to the Bobby Caldwell style crooning found in September Rain and Love Was Really Gone. We also get a taste of his prog-rock sensibilities in the final track Sunset, a style he would play around with more in his second album, Pressures & Pleasures.

Matsushita manages to arrange everything in a way that feels inspired, but still unique with its own emotions to convey. It really helps that he also had a solid team with him who's already had years of experience working together on other albums. Yasuo Tomikura's smooth bass compliments Matsushita's groovy guitar perfectly, and Nobuta's piano playing and vocal harmonies help give many of the tracks a dreamy relaxing feel. Normally, I find that a lot of City Pop records tend to be front-loaded, however, my favorite part of the record is actually found with the second half, specifically how the songs I Know & Love Was Really Gone set up an extremely cinematic musical experience creating a scene that would feel right at home in a romance movie. Love Was Really Gone is probably one of the best R&B songs, let alone the best example of City Pop, that I've personally ever heard. It has all the essential elements that make J-AOR so inspired while still adding its own unique elements that help it stand out, particularly with the finale. On that note, Matsushita does a really good job singing in both Japanese and English, while not anything fancy, his vocals remain smooth throughout, only really getting emotional towards the end. I was actually surprised at how well I was able to follow along with him on tracks like September Rain, to the point where I think the English version is actually superior to the Japanese version.

Honestly, I'd say First Light is up there with Ride On Time as the perfect City Pop album. While it may feel a bit short (two of its tracks only last between 1 & 2 minutes respectively), First Flight goes for quality over quantity as every track offers its own fulfilling experience and everything flows together nicely. It's an essential part of City Pop's evolution, going on to inspire another City Pop legend and fellow guitarist, Yoshino Fujimaru (芳野藤丸), as they would eventually come together to form The ABs the following year. If you're looking for something new that still fulfills your Yacht Rock needs, this is the perfect record to get. Matsushita summed up the album brilliantly in the first track with the line "From the east to the west", it's the perfect marriage of Japanese songwriting sensibilities and American AOR production.

First Flight is available now on Spotify, but if you want to buy a physical release, the latest reissue is by Warner Music Japan, which you can buy from Light In The Attic Records.