ALBUM REVIEW: Timely!! by Anri - 1983

All the photography for this album was done in Hawaii 

A few days ago before the time I write this review, Spotify had just released the discography (between 78 and 97) of Japanese pop singer-songwriter Eiko Kawashima (川嶋 栄子), known by her stage name as Anri (杏里), to American audiences. At this point in time, Anri has released 40+ albums in her career, but the one that made her famous thanks to the internet is without a doubt her 1983 magnum opus, Timely!!

THE HISTORY

Timely!! is Anri's sixth original album released on December 5, 1983, by Four Life Records. It's a significant album for a few reasons, first and foremost, it features two of her most iconic singles. The 1st song Cat's Eye was used as the first opening theme for the eponymous 1983 anime series Cat's Eye. The original TV version is much different than the album version, going for the more generic synth-pop route. Anri actually didn't even like singing the song at first, understandably so, seeing how she felt being an adult contemporary artist, singing a theme to an anime, during a time when it was still considered "just for kids", was beneath her. But it ended up being a hit, debuting as #1 on Countdown Japan and holding the #1 spot on the Oricon chart for 4 weeks straight (think Billboard top 20). There's also her second single, 悲しみがとまらない (I Can't Stop the Loneliness), which while not surpassing Cat's Eye in popularity or sales, only making it to #4, became a standard hit for Anri nonetheless, becoming a popular song for live shows.

The 1983 Anime Cat's Eye

The album also features two of the most influential composers of the 80s, with Toshiki Kadomatsu (角松敏生) as the lead producer, with assistance from composer & arranger Tetsuji Hayashi (林哲司). The album also features other significant musicians like keyboardist Jun Sato (佐藤 準), fusion guitarist Masaki Matsubara (松原正樹), along with fellow female singers, Yurie Kokubu (国分友里恵) and the sister trio Eve (イヴ) on backing vocals. 

Timely!! ended up becoming Anri's first album to make it on the Oricon charts, earning her an appearance at the Red and White New Year's Music Special at the end of that same year.

THE MUSIC

1. Cat's Eye: First thing I should point out, is that comparing the Anime version of the song and the album version is like Night & Day. Toshiki goes full force on the big band disco arrangement, completely blowing the original out of the water! From the tight brass to the powerful slap bass. It even has a little bit of voice acting/role-play from the titular Cat's Eye thieves to give the song that "image" touch.
2. Windy Summer: One of the many iconic City Pop anthems, it's the perfect blend of Tatsuro Yamashita's summertime vibe, combined with Kadomatsu's signature cool/hip-pop sensibilities. 
3. Stay By Me: Another groovy beach-friendly dance tune, with the added dash of yacht rock with Masaki Matsubara's guitar solo near the end.
4. A Hope From Sad Street: Another funky uptempo number with some awesome Doo-Wop style vocals that feel right at home with EPO's style of music. Featuring dreamy synthesizer work by Keishi Urata(浦田恵司).
5. You Are Not Alone: An R&B ballad Written by Chinfa Kan（康珍化）and composed by Tetsuji Hayashi, which you can tell by his signature AOR flugelhorn arrangements.
6. 悲しみがとまらない - I Can't Stop the Loneliness: A sad song about a missed opportunity of love set to an upbeat disco arrangement that hearkens back to the '70s. Anri channels her inner idol with the way she approaches the vocals.
7. Shyness Boy: A groovy disco beat about falling in love with a bashful guy. Complete with a signature 80s sax solo.
8. Lost Love in The Rain: An interesting ballad that blends some Baroque/Chamber Pop style arrangements with a more contemporary AOR sound.
9. Driving My Love: What City Pop album is complete without a driving song? It's probably the most basic song in the LP, but groovy nonetheless.
10. Good Night For You: Starts off with a blues-inspired piano riff, and goes off into a soulful lullaby as Anri gets everyone in a dreamy mood.
11. Remember Summer Days: The true final ending if you have the 2011 remastered version of the album. While Windy Summer represents the beginning of summer, this song hits you with a dose of groovy melancholy, making you long for the summers that have passed. It's the perfect song to warm somebody up while they wait for next year's season in the sun.

THE VERDICT

Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vocals:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arrangement:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aesthetic:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Memorability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Composition:⭐⭐⭐⭐

I find it very ironic that they decided to release such a summer-tinged album in December, but that might have been the joke (that's probably what makes this album so timely 😉😉). Perhaps they wanted to give people something they can reminisce about.

Either way Timely!! is a damn fun listen, thanks to Anri's warm ethereal vocals, plus Toshiki Kadomatsu's top-notch production. The whole album is smothered with tight horns, funky bass-lines, and super dreamy back vocals that make it so fun to listen to. But the production is also what makes it so cliché.

This album is the result of when you take Tatsuro Yamashita's For You, and Kadomatsu's Offshore, put it in a blender, and then let Tetsuji Hayashi stick his finger in the mix. It takes tropes that were done by previous albums in the same vein before it without anything new. Case in point, before Toshiki put his magic touch on it, Cat's Eye was just another generic anime theme, and You Are Not Alone has almost the exact same arrangement as the aptly named Alone Again by Omega Tribe, another band produced by Hayashi. But that's not to say it's completely a bad thing, to be fair you can make the case for a lot of City Pop music being cliché, it's just a matter of how well you execute them. The best example being Windy Summer, a clear homage to Yamashita's Sparkle, even down to the guitar riffs, but Toshiki's added arrangements and Anri's lyrics are blended in the perfect way that makes the song feel familiar but fresh.

While not anything groundbreaking, the superb and addicting sound of this album makes Timely!! one of my favorite City Pop albums, and my all-time favorite Anri album. I'd say it's a must-have in anyone's collection, just make sure you get the 2011 reissue that includes the added single, Remember Summer Days, so you have the perfect soundtrack for your next summer beach party.