We Are by Off Course - 1980

Off-Course was a Japanese folk and rock group led by singer-songwriter Kazumasa Oda (小田和正). In 1964, Oda teamed up with his high school friend Yasuhiro Suzuki(鈴木康博) to form a Simon & Garfunkel-inspired flok duo. Oda primarily played keyboards and Suzuki played guitars, with the two sharing songwriting and vocals. The band would grow and continue to play at small venues and music competitions until, in 1969, they made it to the finals of the LMC Nationwide Grand Prix Competition. Even though they ended up in second place, they earned a recording contract with Toshiba EMI. The group debuted in 1970 with the single, In The Crowd(群衆の中で), followed by their debut album My Gift( 僕の贈りもの). After a decade of cycling through band members, and 7 albums with a gradual shift from folk to soft rock/AOR, they had their first chart-topping release with their 8th album, We Are, in 1980.

At the time of recording, the current lineup for Off Course was Kazumasa Oda on keyboards, Yasuhiro Suzuki on guitar, Hitoshi Shimizu(清水仁) on electric bass, Hitose "Jiro" Oma(大間仁世) on drums, and Kazuhiko Matsuo on Guitar & harmonica. The duties of writing and composing were split between all five members. Looking to achieve a sound inspired by the American AOR classic, Middle Man by Boz Scaggs, the band sought help from an internationally-renowned sound engineer, Bill Schnee, who had worked on Middle Man and other award-winning albums like Steely Dan's Aja and The Pointer Sisters So Excited! . The album also features the musical talents of Yoshihisa Tamano (玉野嘉久) & his string ensemble, who's provided orchestral arrangments for Mariya Takeuchi, Bread & Butter, and Southern Allstars, American saxophonist Gary Herbig who's backed artists like Donna Summer, The Jacksons & George Duke, and Steel guitarist Doug Livington, who's backed artists like Olivia Newton-John and George Straits.

THE MUSIC

Sometimes love (時に愛は)⭐⭐⭐⭐ Our Time (僕等の時代) ⭐⭐⭐ You Are Alone (おまえもひとり) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What Is More Important Than You (.あなたより大切なこと) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Under the Stars (いくつもの星の下で) ⭐⭐⭐ Beyond 100 Million Nights (一億の夜を越えて) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I'm sorry (せつなくて)⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yes-No ⭐⭐⭐⭐ My Wish (私の願い) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kikasete (きかせて) ⭐⭐⭐ THE VERDICT  We Are features Off Course going for a sound that much is closer to Toto's pop-rock sound, with very clean and smooth production featuring rhythmical guitar riffs, crips Fender Rhodes, and smooth basslines. While the album lacks the stylistic variety that would normally be present in a Toto album or even Off Course's previous records, Oda's signature warm & rich vocal harmonies paired with Suzuki's groovy guitar solos really carry the album and give it a consistently mellow & relaxing tone. Standout tracks include the smooth post-disco rock jam You Are Alone, and What's More Important to You, which has a new wave vibe reminiscent of The Police. Epic power ballads like Yes-No and Beyond 100 Million Lights would fit right in with an 80's training montage. Songs like Under The Stars and My Wish are lovely ballads that highlight the strength of the band's vocal performance and are very reminiscent of Off Course's early folk days. On the front cover, We Are promised to offer "mellow & fantastic sensitivity", and I would say they definitely succeeded. Off Course definitely made a smooth transition into the 80s, with an extremely well-executed pop-rock/ AOR sound.