Awakening by Hiroshi Sato - 1982

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Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博) may not be a famous musician, but he made a name for himself behind the scenes as one of the most prolific and respected pianist/keyboardists within Japan's music industry. Sato has appeared on a countless number of classic recordings as a session player in addition to the dozen-plus solo works he made over his four-decade career. He collaborated often with Haruomi Hosono and his Tin Pan Alley crew and was a member of Shigeru Suzuki’s short-lived band, Hucklebuck. Hell, Tatsuro Yamashita considered him Japan’s best pianist, in reference to the work Sato did on his seminal albums Spacy (1977) & For You (1982). However, Hiroshi Sato’s 4th album, 1982’s Awakening, would be the record that put him in the mainstream spotlight.

THE HISTORY

Hiroshi Sato in Tin Pan Alley 

During the late 70s', Hiroshi Sato was trying to break ground as a solo artist and was tired of only being recognized for his session work for others. The fact that his previous 3 solo albums weren't doing so well added to his frustration. 

After declining an offer from Harry Hosono to join Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sato moved to Los Angeles for a fresh start and began collaborating with West Coast heavy hitters like Maria Muldaur, Spencer Davis, and Randy Crawford. It's at this point that he met one of the most vital components to Awakening's identity; Canadian-Australian singer Wendy Matthews, who would later have several top-20 hits in Australia.

 After signing with Alfa Records, Sato convinced the label to purchase him a then-new Linn LM-1 drum machine, determined to use its innovative sampling capabilities to help reinvent his sound. After moving back to Japan in 1982, he began production of Awakening as practically a one-man band, handling all of the synthesizers and drum programming as well as various acoustic instruments, including the acoustic guitar and his trademark piano. Outside of Wendy on vocals, the only other session musicians were 3 guitarists; Tsunehide Matsuki, Yuji Toriyama, & Tatsuro Yamashita, who was recording For You around the same time.

THE MUSIC

SIDE A

1. Awakening: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. You're My Baby: ⭐⭐⭐
3. Blue And Moody Music: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Only A Love Affair:⭐⭐⭐
5. Love And Peace:⭐⭐⭐⭐

SIDE B

1. From Me To You:⭐⭐⭐
2. I Can't Wait:⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. It Isn't Easy:⭐⭐⭐
4. Awakening: ⭐⭐⭐
5. Say Goodbye: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Blue & Moody Music (Wendy Mathews): ⭐⭐⭐

The 1st half of the album sets us up with a very melancholy vibe, straddling the fence between Gino Vannelli and Bobby Caldwell. The titular instrumental intro sends your imagination to a wonderful beach with a lone piano backed by the soft crashing of waves. We're then led by some atmospheric synthesizers into the 1st duet, You're My Baby, which gives us an image of a Venus-like girl rising from the sea. Then we transition into my favorite track on the album, Blue And Moody Music. A very personal song where Sato croons about staying up in the wee small hours, ridding himself of his sorrows through his passion for music. Only A Love Affair is another decent duet followed by the last instrumental on Side A, Love & Peace, a resort pop piece that creates the perfect vibe for being alone at the bar. 

I Can't-Wait, Single Version

Side B kicks the tempo & mood up a few notches with a soon-to-be staple of Hiroshi Sato albums; British Pop covers! This time in the form of From Me To You by The Beatles, redone to an 80's Boogie beat. We then get possibly my favorite duet on the album, I Can't Wait, which does the best job of showcasing Wendy and Hiroshi's vocal compatibility. It Isn't Easy is Wendy's 1st solo track, on the album, with her voice standing pretty well on its own against an AOR melody that leans more on the oriental side than Westcoast. The last 3 songs, beginning with a reprise of Awakening, cap off the album on a synth-boogie/disco note. The Awakening reprise, being the weakest, it's not bad but it feels like an over-extended prologue to the real star of the show, Say Good-Bye, one of Sato's most iconic songs, a catchy breakup songs that combines Sato's excellent synth work with Tatsuro Yamashita's catchy guitar riffs. However, the true final track is yet another "reprise" of Blue & Moody Music, this time sung by Wendy Mathews. 

THE VERDICT

Hiroshi Sato & Wendy Mathews

Usually comparing anything to elevator music implies that it's boring, however in the case of Awakening, I'd say it's a compliment. Hiroshi Sato and Wendy Mathews' soothing voices complement each other so well, and it helps that Sato's English is virtually impeccable. Funny enough I almost mistook him for Howard Jones, a whole year before his debut! 

The most impressive part of the album is how well it balances out the electronic elements with the more acoustic flourishes. From the awesome guitar riffs paired with the hypnotizing vocoded singing in Say Goodbye to Sato's melodic piano solo in Blue & Moody Music, and the acoustic guitar in It Isn't Easy. It's a wonderful blend of easy listening & synth-pop all wrapped up within a West Coast-style production. Blue & Moody Music is my all-time favorite Hiroshi Sato song, as it gives me very strong Frank Sinatra vibes but in an 80's AOR setting. It's the perfect introspective song for restless nights. Although I'm not a huge Beatles fan, I was also impressed by the fact that he also managed to turn From Me To You, into a catchy disco number, despite it not being my favorite track on the album, I do prefer it over the original.

Sadly, Hiroshi Sato passed away in 2012 at the age of 65, but it's obvious that he left behind an awesome legacy, not just as a session musician, but also as a talented singer-songwriter. Legendary 80s producer Toshiki Kadomatsu cites Awakening as his favorite City Pop album and one of the key influences for his own production. If you're going to grab a copy, I'd recommend the remastered version from Light In The Attic Records, who's been doing an awesome job releasing City Pop vinyl in the States. For some reason it excludes Wendy Mathew's rendition of Blue & Moody, it's a great track but it's not a huge loss considering Sato's version is far superior. But if you really want it, most other re-releases have it, the 2014 re-release by GT Music being ideal since it also features some remixes and instrumental versions of the tracks.