Deadly Drive by Ginji Ito (1977)

Ginji Ito is probably one of the most underrated singer-songwriters in City Pop. He was a key figure for Eiichi Ohtaki's Niagara Records and was responsible for writing the lyrics for the band Sugar Babe's iconic single, Downtown. He even had his own band back in the early 70s called Coconut Bank, but unfortunately, they broke up around 1974, otherwise, they would have been Niagara's first band on their label. That didn't stop Ito from pursuing music, however. On top of joining Tatsuro Yamashita and Ohtaki with their collaborative album, Niagara Triangle, Ginji Ito also joined the Bye-bye Session Band, which was the backing band for the Japanese singer-songwriter, Lily. 

It wouldn't be until 1977 when he joined the Warner Pioneer's Asylum label that he would finally get a chance at his first solo album, Deadly Drive. Taeko Ohnuki provided backing vocals as well as lyrics for the song If You Can Be The Wind. Former Sugar Babe Guitarist Kunio Muramatsu provided the composition for the titular song, Deadly Drive. Country Rock band Sentimental City Romane provides backing vocals as well. Other great talents include prolific composer and keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto(坂本龍一), drummer and long-time collaborator with Ito, Yukata Uehara(上原裕), bassist Akihiro Tanaka (田中章弘) who's performed in bands like Sugeru Suzuki's Hucklebuck and folk band The Dylan, and percussionist Nobuo Saito(斉藤信男).

THE MUSIC

If You Can Be The Wind (風になれるなら) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm Telling You Now ⭐⭐⭐

Deadly Drive ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Konuka Rain (こぬか雨) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

King Kong⭐⭐⭐

Sucking At That Time (あの時はどしゃぶり)⭐⭐⭐

Sweet Daddy ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hobo's Lullaby ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT  

Overall Deadly Drive is a decent album, most of the songs are fine examples of their respective genres, but don't really do anything to set them apart as unique or outstanding. the best songs are the more light & mellow tracks which fit Ito's vocal style very well. Ginji Ito has very soft and comfy vocals, almost like Michel Franks if he didn’t sound bored half the time, and it pairs well with Taeko Ohnuki's backing vocals.

"If You Can Be The Wind" aims to recapture the magic of Sugar Babe, pretty well with much better production values on top of that. Out of all the jazz-fusion tracks the titular song, "Deadly Drive" has the most personality to it. It’s a high-speed Jeff Beck-style jazz-rock track with some great drum breakdowns, funky guitars, and an immersive driving ambiance that really makes you feel like you are in a car chase out of a scene from the Blues Brothers. "Konuka Ame" is a beautiful rainy-day soul ballad with a mesmerizing piano riff, beautiful orchestral backing, and hauntingly mesmerizing backing vocals thanks to Ohnuki. The 2nd half of the album doesn't leave as big of an impression but the songs are still good. the best one is "Sweet Daddy", a funky jazz number in the style of the Crusaders, complete with a groovy guitar & piano solo, a funky brass section, and some soulful backing vocals. "King Kong" is a mellow funky jazz-rock number with some neat use of the talk-box. "Sucking At That Time" is a pretty standard salsa dance number, and "Hobo's Lullaby" closes off the record with a bluesy country ballad with some soulful piano playing.

Deadly Drive isn't representative of Ginji's later career, but it's a good album to have if you are a Sugar Babe or Taeko Ohnuki fan. It has a more mellow approach to City Pop and is very reminiscent of Ohnuki's early albums, Grey Skies, and even Sunshower, which came out the same year.

The 14th Moon by Yumi Arai - 1976

The 14th Moon is the 4th album of singer-songwriter Yumi Arai(荒井由実), or as her fans call her, Yuming, and her final one before she got married to the producer of the album, Masataka Matsutoya (松任谷正隆). The title comes from a line from the Japanese movie Love and Farewell to Sri Lanka, although apparently she never saw the movie, rather she read it in a synopsis from the movie magazine about it.

Including Matsutoya, the album also features Tin Pan Alley members Haroumi Hosono(細野晴臣) and Shigeru Suzuki(鈴木茂). However, Hosono isn't on bass here and drummer Tatsuo Hayashi(林立夫) is absent. Thankfully, one of the session members,  Ryuske Seto(瀬戸龍介) on acoustic guitar & banjo, was able to use his connections  get two American session musicians to fill in. Leland Sklar, one of the top bass players from Hollywood who's played for artists like Diana Ross, Hall & Oates, and Phil Collins, and Mike Baird who's been a drummer for big rock bands like Ironhorse and Journey. We also get fusion guitarist Masaki Matsubara and percussionist Nobu Saito (斉藤信男). In the backing chorus, we have the vocal talents of Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎), Amii Ozaki (尾崎亜美), Minako Yoshida(吉田美奈子), Taeko Ohnuki (大貫妙子), and the jazz ensemble, Time Five.

Interestingly enough, Yuming was actually considering retiring after this album but soon changed her mind. It may have been in due part to the great receptions since the album reached #1 on the Oricon weekly charts and became the 4th-most successful album of 1977. Many of the songs were popular enough to be featured in various TV shows and movies. Chuo Freeway was featured in the TV drama, Rouge Message (ルージュの伝言), coincidentally named after another Yuming song from the previous year. Smile in the morning sun was used in the movie, Frozen Heart (凍河). In The Morning Light was used for the movie drama, Rip Van Winkle's Bride.

THE MUSIC

Ripples (さざ波) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The 14th Moon(14番目の月)⭐⭐⭐⭐ Where Does Loneliness Go? (さみしさのゆくえ )⭐⭐⭐ In The Morning Light (朝陽の中で微笑んで )⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chuo Freeway (中央フリーウェイ) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Like Nothing Ever Happened (何もなかったように) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sun Shower (天気雨) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Summer Place (避暑地の出来事)⭐⭐⭐ Good Luck And Goodbye⭐⭐⭐⭐ Late Summer (The Lonely Season)( 晩夏 ~ ひとりの季節)⭐⭐⭐⭐ THE VERDICT ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The 14th Moon veers away from the Tapestry-esque style of Hikoki Gumo and Muslim and has a brighter, Middle of the Road (MOR) sound. Many songs have added brass & string orchestration on top of the rich backing vocals that give it a sound closer to something from The 5th Dimension or The Carpenters. That being said Yuming's signature interpersonal songwriting is still at work here, covering everything from getting over breakups, to college students dealing with love affairs, even getting over your dog dying. Songs like the opening track, Sazanami, and Sunshower offer breezy sunshine pop sound akin to the works of Sugar Babe. The title track 14th Moon dives into some cool piano rock ala, Elton John or Billy Joel. Chuo Freeway is a funky jazz-pop track about driving on the real-life Chuo Expressway. In the Morning Light and Like Nothing Ever Happened have got all the tropes of a signature Yuming ballad. It has sad lyrics, beautiful melodic piano backed by an orchestration, and it's been covered to death by everyone else.  In the Morning Light is probably one of my favorite Yuming songs, especially the way the song progressively becomes a power ballad with the build up of the drums and orchestral arrangement.  A Summer Place takes a detour from Tokyo to Chigasaki, as we get a tropical samba dance number perfect for a beach party.  Overall, The 14th Moon was a great way to cap off Yumi Arai's bachelorette years. It's a pretty standard 70's Adult Contemporary album, most comparable to something like Now & Then by The Carpenters or Olivia Newton-John’s Don't Stop Believin'. Which feels appropriate considering both features a marriage between the producer and lead singer. Unlike those albums, The 14th Moon has the added benefit of Yuming's knack for composing & writing catchy, original, and relatable songs. The 14th Moon is a must-have if you want to experience Yumi Arai at her best.

Reflections by Akira Terao - 1981

Eichi Ohtaki's (大瀧 榮一) A Long Vacation is considered one of the most iconic J-Pop albums ever released. It made a big splash when it was released in 1981 as one of the first albums ever released on CD. On top of that, it's considered Ohtaki's greatest work and it influenced many artists that came after and worked under him. Yet somehow, in 1981 it beat out of the number one spot on the Oricon Charts by one particular record; Reflections by Akira Terao. Terao's first album under Toshiba EMI (now known as EMI Music Japan Inc.) was not only the top-selling album of that year but the entire decade in Japan, even beating out Michel Jackson's Thriller! What makes him so special?

        THE HISTORY

Well, Akira Terao (寺尾聰) happens to be a multitalented superstar with a long and varied career as a musician, actor, TV personality, and singer-songwriter.  He started as a bassist with the Group Sounds band, The Savage, in 1965. After group sounds transitioned out of popularity, Terao went solo and released his debut album in 1970 titled Futari no Fuusen ~ Koibito to Issho ni Kiite Kudasai (A Balloon For Two ~ Please Listen Together With A Lover). Later on, he became known for his work in television, most notably as the star detective in the police drama Seibu Keisatsu (西部警察/ "West Division Police") between 1979 and 1982. However, it wouldn't be until 1981 that he would return to the music scene for his second solo album.

For Reflections, all the composition was done by Terao himself while the arrangement was handled by Akira Inoue(井上鑑), who also played keyboards. Lyrics were handled by Masako Arikawa (有川 正沙子) and former Happy End drummer, Takashi Matsumoto (松本隆). Other notable musicians include fusion guitarist Masaki Matsubara (松原正樹), former Tin Pan Alley drummer Tatsuo Hayashi (林 立未), percussionist Nobu Saito(斉藤信男), and alto sax player Hidefumi Toki (土岐英史), who's known for his work on Tatsuro Yamashita's albums. The string arrangement was handled by the Joe Ensemble and the Tomato Strings Group.

During the production of the album, Akira Terao was still extremely busy shooting for Seibu Keisatsu. The photo for the album cover had to be taken in the middle of the studio corridor where he was filming. The word "Love" written with the cigarette lighter was captured using particular lighting and a camera trick that utilized timed closing of the shutters. 

Reflections was released under Toshiba EMI on became the No. 1 album of the year, selling 1.6 million copies. It occupied the No. 1 weekly position from April 13 to June 29. Three songs from the album ranked in the Top 100 Oricon charts. Ruby no Yubiwa was the number 1 single of 1981, garnered 3 prizes at the year-end Japan Record Awards, and earned Terao his invitation to perform at the annual NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red & White Singing Contest). It was also used in various TV commercials, most notably for Yokohama Tires. Shadow City was the second single to make the Oricon charts at number 19, and the 3rd, Sasurai, came at number 47.

THE MUSIC

• 
  Habana Express: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The opening number is a high-tempo, tropical disco track with some cool synths and funky guitars.
• 渚のカンパリ・ソーダ (Nagisa no Campari Soda) | Campari Soda on the Beach: ⭐⭐⭐
• A typical 60s surf rock-inspired track about hanging out with your girlfriend at the beach.
• 喜望峰 (Kibō-hō/Cape of Good Hope): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A mellow reggae-inspired groove sprinkled with smooth, yacht rock guitar riffs.
• 二季物語 (Niki Monogatari / Story of two Seasons): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The longest track on the album, but still one of the most memorable as the melody is tied to the theme of the song. Its starts off as a slow ballad, complete with somber violins and a trumpet solo. Then in the second half, the tempo shifts into an upbeat strut with some bluesy piano playing and smooth sax playing spread throughout.
• ルビーの指環 (Ruby no Yubiwa/ Ruby Ring): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A quintessential  AOR track with a very Japanese melody that tells the story of a broken relationship, with the man crying over his ex's ruby ring which she had returned to him. 
• Shadow City: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• An urban lullaby with a cool bossa nova-influenced melody, featuring a very relaxing acoustic guitar juxtaposed against more energetic electric guitar riffs. 
• 予期せぬ出来事 (Yokisenu Dekigoto / Unexpected Event): ⭐⭐⭐
• A much brighter sounding track on the record. Featuring a funky bassline and a jazzy female backing chorus.
• ダイヤルM (Dial M): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• An upbeat soft rock track with jazzy flutes and groovy synthesizers influenced by Latin dance rhythms.
• 北ウィング (Kita Wing): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
•  A bluesy rock ballad about a broken-hearted man watching as his former lover flys away from him at the airport.
• 出航 Sasurai (Shukkou-Sasurai / Leaving Port, Wandering): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Another bluesy ballad with more dreamy synths and a soothing string arrangement. 

THE VERDICT 

I remember reading an article written by kayokyoku expert, J-Cannuck, who had mentioned that Reflections is quite possibly the most Japanese-sounding City Pop album. I didn't quite understand the statement at first, considering, that most if not all City Pop are Japanese, to begin with. But coming back to this album after experiencing a vast amount of different Japanese music, I finally understand. While the arrangements are definitely very Westcoast AOR, there's plenty of melodic guitar riffs, smooth baselines, with the occasional sax solo. 

The actual compositions, with the exception of the 2nd track, are much more akin to the likes of Mood Kayo, which was the dominant form of popular music back in the 50s & 60s, and has roots in enka and Latin rhythms (bossa nova, samba, and salsa). I think that might be a big reason why Reflections was such a hit, it was able to appeal to a generation who grew up listening to artists like Frank Nagai, while still having a more modern, urban contemporary feel. As a result of its Mood-kayo influence, the album has an overall somber feel to it with every song either being about heartbreak or memories of past love. Terao's smooth deep voice really helps cement the melancholy and sophisticated feel of this album. 

City Pop and J-AOR is something that already benefits from the novelty of being wester style music sung in Japanese, but Reflections is unique in that it is a City Pop album that still retains a strong Japanese influence, which I think sets it apart from most of its contemporaries. I think City Pop fans who are looking for something drastically different from what they are used to will find Akira Terao's Reflections extremely satisfying to listen to.