ALBUM REVIEW: Variety by Mariya Takeuchi - 1984

At the time of my writing this review (March 20, 2020), City Pop fans all over the globe celebrate the birthday of the Queen of City Pop herself, Mariya Takeuchi. Mariya Takeuchi (竹内まりや) is a Japanese singer-songwriter with a musical career that spans several decades, with her most recent album being the 40th-anniversary commemoration, Turntables. There was a time when she was relatively unknown outside of Japan, but thanks to the internet, people from all over the world discovered her musical talents thanks to a particular single that fans have now codified as the national anthem of City Pop, Plastic Love. 6th album, Variety.

THE HISTORY

Variety was an important milestone in Mariya's career. It was her first album since coming back from a 3-year hiatus to start a family with Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎). It was also her first one in which she handled both writing and composing chores for all of the songs, as opposed to previous works in which she performed songs written for her by other people.

Tatsuro Yamashita was in charge of the overall production, which means he had the members of his own band as session musicians, including Jun Aoyama (Drums), Koki Ito (Bass), Hiroyuki Nanba (Piano), and Kazuo Shiina (Horn Arrangement). There are a number of other noteworthy musicians like Hiroshi Sato on piano, Ryuichi Sakamoto on synthesizers, Yutaka Hosoi & Tokuo Nakano from rock band Sentimental City Romance, and American jazz saxophonist Ernie Watts, who was a featured soloist on many of Marvin Gaye's albums during the 1970s. There are also a lot of famous voices featured as backup vocals, some Japanese voices you might recognize include Ginji Ito, Masamichi Sugi, Kazuhito Murata, & Taeko Onuki. However there's also some American vocalists as well, Jim Haas, Stan Farber, & Jon Joyce, who have all sung on Mariya's previous albums, Joyce in particular had also sung with former Beach Boy, Brian Wilson, and is a perfect fit for this album aesthetic.

 Variety came out in April 1984. It became a number one hit, outselling her previous release and debuting at the top of the domestic charts, it also happens to be Mariya’s favorite album that she worked on, and for good reason. 

THE MUSIC

1. もう一度 | Once Again: A stellar opening track about a woman longing for a second chance at love. Mariya's ethereal voice and Yamashita's signature doo-wop harmonies make it sound like it's Connie Francis meets the Four Seasons. On top of the stellar Wall of Sound production make this a perfect homage to American standards of the 50s & 60s. 
2. Plastic Love: The most iconic song on the album. We skip a few generations for a more contemporary disco boogie. Easily the most "City Pop" track on the album, it has all the essential elements; a strong bass line, a tight brass section, some Steely Dan style guitar noodling, and lyrics about a hopeless romantic trying to fill the gap in her heart in a neon-lit metropolis.  
3. Let's Get Married: We head back in time again with this song. Complete with saccharine lyrics about becoming the ideal couple in a big house with a dog in the backyard this sugary homage to 50's style romantic ballads, not without its more contemporary touches, particularly the sax solo by the legendary Ernie Watts.
4. One Night Stand: A pretty standard but well-done Country Pop ballad about a lonely drifter who rides from town to town in pursuit of a fling, with only his fellow blue jean-clad buddies keeping him company. 
5. Broken Heart: Keeping the theme of tragic love going, we wave an R&B ballad with some serious late 70's vibes, with Mariya's soulful crooning about losing the man she loves to another woman.  
6. Amphitheater Night: Mariya takes us all to the sock-hop with a lively rockabilly style number. Complete with tight horns, a honky-tonk piano, and a classic 50's rock & roll guitar solo.
7. とどかぬ想い | Irresistible Feeling: A soft rock ballad reminiscent of The Walker Brothers. The soft backing vocals & gentle trumpet that play throughout the song really set the mood.
8. マージービートで唄わせて | Let Me Sing In Merseybeat:  An ode to the British invasion that takes us on a trip through Liverpool. 
9. 水とあなたと太陽と: A bossa nova influenced lounge number about a lovely couple getting cozy during an island getaway. 
10. ふたりはステディ| They're Going Steady: Mariya & Tat's take a page from album Pet Sounds for this jaunty track about a young & blissful relationship. 
11. シェットランドに頬をうずめて | Burying My Cheeks in The Shetland: For the finale of the album, Mariya treats us with a Carpenters style ballad about a couple's life retiring from the city and moving into the countryside. The beautiful, dramatic string arrangements really compliment Mariya's voice as she sings about knitting a comfy sweater for her loved one by the fireplace. 

THE REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

True to its name, Mariya Takeuchi covers a lot of ground, from the bar-counter country and Rock & Roll to lounge jazz and bossa nova, there's even an ode to British pop to make things interesting. And of course, the most well-known song on the album, Plastic Love; a hypnotizing urban melody that conceals bittersweet lyrics. While generally everyone likes that song, I've heard mixed things about Variety as a whole. Many people have told me that while Plastic Love is great, none of the other songs hold up as well.

While certain songs come off as a bit too pastiche, Merseybeat & Amphitheater Night being the biggest offenders, most of the other songs are pretty awesome on their own merits and worth the second listen. I especially enjoy carrying this overarching theme of love and how it tries to mend itself over time, starting with Once Again, despite how upbeat it is, it's telling us lonely the main character is. Plastic Love and One Night Stand give us examples of unhealthy coping mechanisms surrounding love, the former being more about filling a void materialistically and the latter through meaningless flings. Of course, the album doesn't deny us examples of healthy relationships blooming in songs like They're Going Steady, and  Burying My Cheeks in The Shetland. Honestly, my favorite song from the album is actually Broken Heart, as it's probably one of the only times we hear Mariya tackle more contemporary sounding R&B and this track has the making for the perfect slow jam. That and it's one of the only 2 80's sounding tracks on the album, besides Plastic Love. 

Despite the overall abundance of oldies' revival, Variety manages to crossover from imitation to authenticity quite well, thanks to Mariya's great composition & writing and Yamashita's superb production skills. I also feel this is an album that will satisfy multiple levels of nostalgia whether you grew up in the 60s', 70s', or 80s', there's something here for everybody. If you fell in love with Plastic Love, you're gonna enjoy the entire package for sure. Let me know what you guys think of Mariya's Magnum Opus in the comments below.

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