Super Generation - 1974 ALBUM REVIEW

It's always fascinating when different generations of artists team up to create music. The Beach Boys & The Fat Boys collaborated to cover Wipe Out in 1987, which paired Big Buff's beatboxing skills with the Wilson Bros signature doo-wop harmonies. One of my favorite rap songs, The Dreamer, is a collaboration between Common and Maya Angelou. In 1996, funk pioneer George Clinton released an album with remixes starring various rappers who were influenced by him, including Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, and Digital Underground. All of these multigenerational collaborations give us a perspective on how much musicianship has evolved over the years, while at the same time highlighting what these artists have in common. One of my favorite 70s' albums that accomplishes this is 1974's Super Generation, an album that encapsulates three generations of music through the legacy of 3 Legendary musical acts:

The late & great Ryoichi Hattori ( 服部良一), is one of Japan's most renowned composers, who was responsible for bringing jazz back to Japans' mainstream after World War II. Born in Osaka in1907, Hattori grew up under the influence of a family who loved the performing arts and folk music and demonstrated his own musical talent as early as elementary school. Hattori went on to join the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra in 1926, where he would study under the tutelage of Ukrainian-Russian conductor, Emmanuel Metter. In 1936, Ryoichi would become an exclusive composer for Columbia, which is where he would compose many of his most famous songs, including national hit Tokyo Boogie Woogie, originally sung by Shizuko Kasagi (笠置シヅ子), which became the unofficial anthem of postwar Japan. After his passing in 1993, Ryoichi Hattori received the National Honor Award from the Prime Minister of Japan for his contributions to music. 

Izumi Yukimura ( 雪村いづみ ) one of the most iconic superstars of the '50s and was known as one of the "Three Daughters" (San-nin Musume / 三人娘) of Japan alongside popular starlets Hibari Misora (美空ひばり) and Chieni Eri（江利チエミ). Born Tomoko Asahina, Izumi always grew up in a musical household, with her father being a part of a Hawaiian Band on top of his regular job at a news agency. Unfortunately, after her father had committed suicide when she was only 9, on top of that, her mother's company went bankrupt, which forced Yukimura to drop out of junior high school and set out to support her family herself. Thanks to her father's influence, she showed a desire to become a singer and found her start at a dance hall in Shimbashi called Florida in 1952. Later that year in May, she got a role at the Nichigeki Music Hall in a play as a cigarette girl and then made her professional debut as a singer for which she received her accolades. She made her debut in 1953 with her cover of "Till I Waltz Again with You" by Sid Prosen, which received high praise and sold an amazing 200,000 records. Another famous song by her is the theme song to the Japanese release of Disney's Alice In Wonderland.  Yukimura's fame grew rapidly in the '50s, so much so that she was even called "The Cinderella of the Century". 

After the breakup of the rock band Happy End, bassist Haruomi Hosono (細野晴臣) & guitarist Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木茂) formed a new band called Caramel Mama, alongside drummer Tatsuo Hayashi (林立夫), & keyboard player Masataka Matsutoya (松任谷正隆) from the folk band Four Joe Half. The Band eventually was renamed Tin Pan Alley in homage to the collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City who dominated the popular music of the United States. They became incredibly influential, eventually evolving into the Japanese equivalent of The Wrecking Crew, backing a majority of the biggest New Music acts of the '70s. Their mastery of American-style production brought Japanese music into the modern era.

Super Generation serves as an homage to the works of the legendary composer, Ryoichi Hattori with the combined efforts of Yukimura's beautiful voice & Caramel Mama's unparalleled musicianship. This album also features Ryoichi's son, Katsuhisa Hattori（服部克久), a renowned compose in his own right, handling orchestral arrangements.

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THE MUSIC

1. Overture <Hong Kong Nocturne> [序曲<香港夜曲>]: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Old You [昔のあなた]: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Hey Hey Boogie [ヘイヘイブギー]: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Rumba of Roses [バラのルムバ]: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Ginza Can-Can Woman [銀座カンカン娘]: ⭐⭐⭐
6. Tokyo Boogie-Woogie [東京ブギウギ]: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Chest Pendulum [胸の振り子]: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. From A Cup of Coffee [一杯のコーヒーから] ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Suzhou Nocturne [蘇州夜曲] ⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Under The Roof of Tokyo [東京の屋根の下] ⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Super Generation is an album that masterfully combines everything that made the songs from a bygone era so good while adding that signature "Yellow Magic" that Tin Pan Alley is famous for. Turning typical 40's & 50s swing & jazz arrangements and adding a layer of modern Funk, Soul, and R&B, breathing a whole new life into it. Tokyo Boogie-Woogie exemplifies this philosophy the most, subverting your expectations with a piano intro filtered through the 50s' vinyl effect, only to surprise you with a funky ragtime experience, ending it off with a clever homage to classic American pop. The Overture does an excellent job of setting up your expectations, starting off with a beautiful string arrangement that goes into a funky lounge session.

Izumi Yukimura Circa' 1978

Hey Hey, Boogie is pure ragtime goodness backed up by a jazzy brass section, and Chest Pendulum is a soulful track with a  very early Motown quality to it. Yukimura's voice also holds up remarkably well compared to how she sounded in the 50s, with a brassy voice that has gotten more sophisticated with age.

Super Generation is a celebration of the evolution of Japanese pop music over the decades. Much like Akira Terao's Reflections, the record benefits from having uniquely Japanese compositions that have been updated thanks to Tin Pan Alley's mastery of Western arrangement and production. Whether you're someone who grew up with these songs or someone who wants to explore vintage Showa-pop beyond City Pop, this album is something that will please everybody.