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One of the most influential LPs from the king of city pop himself. Yamashita might have played a major role in the revival of City Pop, but he also played a major role in its creation. One of the first groups to explore this sound in the mid 70s was a band called Sugar Babe, whose sole album, 1975’s Songs, became one of the blueprints for the genre. This group, led by none other than Tatsuro Yamashita himself, never achieved popularity in a musical landscape still dominated by the folk-rock and hard rock of the early 1970s, breaking up one year later in 1976. Sugar Babe’s jazzy, Steely Dan-inspired, melodic soft-rock seemed to be just a hair too ahead of domestic tastes. However, RCA records apparently saw something in the young Yamashita, signing him to a multi-album deal as a solo artist.

Yamashita would go on to record six studio albums for RCA, with his 5th album Ride on Time becoming the runaway smash hit of 1980, topping the charts and saving a musical career he reportedly almost abandoned. Because of this success, Tatsuro had almost complete freedom of time and budget when stepping into the studio to record the follow-up (and subject of this review), 1982’s For You. For You is a statement piece of Yamashita’s diverse tastes and talents, featuring upbeat funk and disco alongside melodic ballads, Brian Wilson-esq vocal harmonies, new wave inspired electronics, and even gospel on tracks like “Futari”. For this album, Tatsuro assembled an incredible array of talented musicians, including a full consort of brass and saxophone players, strings, numerous backing vocalists including soul artist Minako Yoshida, and contributions by popular keyboardist Hiroshi Sato. This leads to arrangements that are incredibly lush and textured. Part of what further makes For You and iconic release is the memorable album art by famed pop-art illustrator Eizin Suzuki, featuring an highly saturated image of a beachside tv/radio shop, set against colorful whisps of wind and fantastically tall palms. For You was successful when it came out, but in the City Pop revival it has become known as a landmark album, with full-album uploads of this getting millions of views before their inevitable copyright takedown. This has led prices of all original Tatsuro Yamashita albums, but in particular this album, to soar on the secondary market. — (via Tracking Angle)

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Label: Air Records, Ariola
Series: Tatsuro Yamashita RCA / Air Years Vinyl Collection
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 180g
Reissued: 2023 / Original Release: 1982
Genre: Jazz, Rock, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Ballad, City Pop, Funk, Soft Rock, Soul

File under: Japanese Pop
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