Ongaku Cafe (The 2020s): Yamashita Tatsuro - Softly (Limited Edition) (2022)

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No matter what year and how much time has passed, Yamashita continues to create endearing music that is upbeat, delightful and captivating and these songs will continue to live on. He is one of the rare music legends in this world and “SOFTLY” is another strong album as part of his oeuvre that will be beloved and cherished by generations.Recommended!

Purchase Yamashita Tatsuro’s “SOFTLY” from Amazon

ARTIST: Yamashita Tatsuro (山下達郎)

ALBUM: Softly (First Limited Edition) (SOFTLY -初回限定版- )

DURATION: Disc 1 (15 Songs, 1 Hr., 5 Minutes), Disc 2 (7 Songs, 34 Minutes)

RELEASE DATE: June 22, 2022

Disc 1:
01. フェニックス [2021 Version]　～NHK・SDGsキャンペーン「未来へ17アクション」テーマソング～
02. LOVE’S ON FIRE
03. ミライのテーマ　～映画「未来のミライ」オープニングテーマ～
04. RECIPE (レシピ)　～TBS日曜劇場「グランメゾン東京」主題歌～
05. CHEER UP! THE SUMMER　～フジテレビ系木曜22時連続ドラマ「営業部長吉良奈津子」主題歌～
06. 人力飛行機
07. うたのきしゃ　～映画「未来のミライ」エンディングテーマ～
08. SHINING FROM THE INパレード (live 2021.12.03. Tokyo FM Hall, 半蔵門)SIDE　～エステティックTBC/ソシエエステティック TV-CMソング～
09. LEHUA, MY LOVE　～「JAL HAWAII Style yourself」篇CMソング～
10. OPPRESSION BLUES（弾圧のブルース）
11. コンポジション　～NHKドラマ10「第二楽章」主題歌～
12. YOU (ユー)
13. ANGEL OF THE LIGHT　～Nikon企業CM曲～
14. 光と君へのレクイエム　～映画「陽だまりの彼女」主題歌～
15. REBORN (リボーン)　～映画「ナミヤ雑貨店の奇蹟」主題歌～

Disc 2: 「The Latest Acoustic Live」
～Recorded Live, 2021/12/03 at Tokyo FM Hall, Tokyo～

1. ターナーの汽罐車 -Turner’s Steamroller- (live 2021.12.03. Tokyo FM Hall, 半蔵門)
2. ポケット・ミュージック (live 2021.12.03. Tokyo FM Hall, 半蔵門)
3. あまく危険な香り (live 2021.12.03. Tokyo FM Hall, 半蔵門)
4. PAPER DOLL (live 2021.12.03. Tokyo FM Hall, 半蔵門)
5. パレード (live 2021.12.03. Tokyo FM Hall, 半蔵門)
6. Bella Notte (live 2021.12.03. Tokyo FM Hall, 半蔵門)
7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (live 2021.12.03. Tokyo FM Hall, 半蔵門)

Yamashita Tatsuro, the Japanese music legend known for is catchy and addictive “City Pop” songs and rock music for decades, from the ’70s to today, is back with his 14th studio album, “SOFTLY”.

For those not familiar with Yamashita, his work has achieved No. 1 status since the ’70s and one can say he has the “Midus Touch” because his music is popular among listeners and aside from singing, he is also a well-known musician, composer and producer.

“SOFTLY” marks his first original studio album to be released in eleven years since his 2011 album, “Ray of Hope”.

The title “SOFTLY” was Yamashita’s decision, as he wanted a word to gently and softly wrap up this turbulent era with music.

Yamashita would say about his album comeback, “As long as I have the will to face and overcome various issues, I think I can continue to perform actively”.

And for those who have been waiting for an album, many of his singles and those featured on television and commercials are included in this album. And also there will be two versions of this album.

The first being the normal studio edition with the 15 tracks, while a second release is only available for the first limited edition release which included a second disc with a live performance from Tokyo FM Radio Hall recorded back in December 3, 2021 is included (and is in a slipcase).

The album features a painted image of Yamashita by manga artist Yamazaki Mari who is best known for her manga “Therma Romae”.

And because of the interest in Yamashita’s work, promotions actually focused on attracting everyone not just Japanese.

Prior to the album’s release, a lyric music video for the song “OPPRESSION BLUES” was released on YouTube with subtitles in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese and then a music video was released months later for “LOVE’S ON FIRE”.

The song would take the No. 1 spot on the Oricon Weekly Album Charts becoming Yamashita’s 12th #1 album on the Oricon Weekly Album Charts. And also becoming the fourth person to achieve a No. 1 album in the Showa, Heisei and Reiwa eras.

In addition, because Yamashita was 69 years old and 5 months when the album was released, he would become the second oldest person to achieve a No. 1 ranking for an album. Yamashita become the first person in Japanese music history to achieve a No. 1 album in his 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.

And there is no signs of Yamashita’s career waning. He is more popular than ever, as many people worldwide have become more interested in “City Pop”.

As for his album “SOFTLY”, the first track on the album is “Phoenix [2021 version]” and was the theme song for NHK SDG’s campaign.

This version is a short introductory song and not the full song which was featured on his 38th single “2000 Ton no Ame” and featured on his album “SONORITE”. If anything, the album kicking off with a new version of “Phoenix” showcases Yamashita’s trademark harmony style.

The second track “LOVE’S ON FIRE” features a new track that features an upbeat track and a more dance-driven song. And the song received a music video directed by Kodama Yuichi and staring Kawai Yuumi and ENDo that was released on YouTube to promote the album.

The third track is “Mirai no Theme”, which was one of the AA songs for Yamashita’s 51st single released back in 2018. The song was used as the opening song for the 2018 animated film “Mirai no Mirai” (Mirai of the Future) directed by Hosoda Mamoru. A film that was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award in the US and the winner of “Best Animated Feature Film” at the Japanese Academy Award.

The song’s uplifting message and bright up-tempo sound would lead the song to be used on morning TV news shows.

While a music video for “Mirai no Theme” was released, the 3D music video was only available for those

The fourth track is Yamashita’s 52nd single “RECIPE” (Nov. 2019), the theme song to the Kimura Takuya drama “GRAND MAISON TOKYO”.

The last time a Yamashita Tatsuro song appeared on a KimuTaku drama was back in 2003 with Yamashita’s “RIDE ON TIME” used as the ending theme for the Sunday theater drama “GOOD LUCK!!”.

“RECIPE” is a synth and guitar-driven track driven by Yamashita Tatsuro’s vocals. The song features lyrics “Let’s make a happiness recipe”, boil the mischievous and madness, make the thoughts of one another become one. Throw a little spice into a pot of smiles, no shapes will remain, make a happiness recipe.

It’s a simple, happy and delightful song written and features instruments played by Yamashita. A song that makes you want to sing to it!

The fifth track is Yamashita’s 49th single “CHEER UP! THE SUMMER” (Sept. 2016). This is another cheerful and also addicting song which was often played on Japanese morning news shows. But it is best known for being used on the 2016 Fuji TV drama “Sales Manager Kira Natsuoko” (Eigyo Bucho Kira Natsuko) starring Matsushima Nanako.

A short version music video was released on YouTube but would only be up for 30 days. The video is about the captain of a baseball team who lost the last game of his high school life and the leader of the cheerleading squad who supported him. And thus the “CHEER UP! SUMMER” positive uplifting lyrics come to play.

The sixth track is “Jinri Kyoki” which means “Huamn-powered Aircraft” is a new track on the album. A bass and guitar driven track that makes you want to dance immediately after listening to it.

The seventh track is the second AA song (alongside “Mirai no Theme”), and was in the 51st single release by Yamashita and was used as the ending theme for the 2018 animated film “Mirai no Mirai” (Mirai of the Future). Featuring a bright melody to go along with the happy uptempo “Mirai no Theme”.

The eight track is “SHINING FROM THE INSIDE” and you have to have a harmonic doo-wop track which Yamashita has been known for, especially with this “ON THE STREET CORNER” album releases. The all English track was used for the “Socie Esthetic TV” commercial and a TBC featuring model, Rola.

If there is one thing that Yamashita’s music has been utilized for, it’s travel. And the ninth track is “LEHUA, MY LOVE” and was used for the “JAL HAWAII Style Yourself” commercial. Yamashita has a strong connection to Hawaii (since his 1980 “COME ALONG” and his 1984 album “BIG WAVE”) and it continues on with this song. The song was also used in the second trailer for “SOFTLY”.

The tenth track on the album is “OPPRESSION BLUES”, a song that was used to promote the album to audiences worldwide. The lyrics were translated in many languages and posted on YouTube. The song is questioning the situations that are happening in the world, asking “why?” and “Can’t we do anything?”.

The eleventh track is the ballad “Composition” which was the B-side for his 48th single “Hikari to Kimi e no Requeiem” (Oct. 2013). The song was used by NHK to promote their “Drama 10” time slot and a song which Yamashita wanted to put a high emphasis on “purity” and “delicacy”.

The 12th track on the album is “YOU” and is an upbeat rock track used for Asahi Life Insurance, while the 13th track is an all piano and all English track titled “ANGEL OF THE LIGHT” and words by Alan O’Day and was used for Nikon Corporation.

The 13th track is “Hikari to Kimi e no Requiem”, Yamashita’ 48th single released back in October 2013. The single was highly anticipated at the time because it was his first single in 2 years and 7 months and was used for the movie, “Hidamari no Kanojo” (the film is known as “Girl in the Sunny Place”). A film about two people (Kosuke and Mao) who were each other’s first love in junior high school and there relationship ended when Kosuke transferred. And the two meet again ten years later, fall in love again until an “incident” happens.

The final 15th track is “REBORN”, Yamashita Tatsuro’s 50th single released in Sept. 2017. The ballad was used for the film “Namiya Zakkaten no Kiseki” (The Miracle of Namiya General Store). Yamashita composed this song in a request from the movie staff to embody the word “Rebirth”. And Yamashita would say that while he has wrote many songs for many films, this was one of the most difficult.

Director Hiroki Ryuichi would say of the song, “I thought it was a quiet, powerful, and gentle masterpiece that captured the theme of the movie”.

And for those wondering if the Limited Edition version is worth purchasing, my feeling that any album, may it be super deluxe, deluxe or limited editions are worth getting if you get more music. Especially music that you haven’t heard before. And for Yamashita Tatsuro, these live tracks are definitely worth owning.

What you usually hear on an album and the person who performs live, you can always hear that Yamashita’s vocals rarely need tweaking. What you hear from his albums is his vocal style when he performs live.

And the second disc would feature Yamashita’s live performance from December 3, 2021 at Tokyo FM Hall.

The first track is “Turner no Kakansha – Turrner’s Steamroller-“, Yamashita’s 22ned single from August 1991. Yamashita wrote this song when he saw a long-haired girl in a black dress sobbing in the shadow of a long corridor leading to the bathroom. So, he wanted to write a song about a man and woman in a period of boredom, sitting across each other in a table without saying anything.

The second track “Pocket Music” is from Yamashita’s eighth studio album of the same title released back in April 1986. Yamashita created a song using synth and a drum machine and wanted to create a song that would tie with the album’s title. This version is live with keyboard, piano and bass.

The third track is “Amakukiken nakaori” (Sweet and Dangerous Scent), his ninth single released back in April 1982 and was the theme song for the TBS drama of the same name.

The fourth track is Yamashita’s classic song “PAPER DOLL” from Yamashita’s 1978 album “Go Ahead!”.

The fifth track is Yamashita’s 26th single “Parade” from January 1994. The song was actually released in 1974 for Sugarbabe and was included in “NIAGARA TRIANGLE Vol. 1” and was used in the Fuji TV series “Super Kids Zone Ponckikies”.

Yamashita’s last two songs are English covers. The sixth track is “Bella Notte” from the 1955 Walt Disney animated film “Lady and the Tramp” and ends with the seventh track, a symphony version of “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas” and a magnificent performance by Yamashita.

The limited edition version of “SOFTLY” comes with a lyric book and a fold-out sheet with lyrics for the second disc. Album also comes with a slipcase box.

Overall, Yamashita Tatsuro’s “SOFTLY” is a wonderful collection of music which he released after 2010 but also songs which many people in Japan are probably used to hearing as it was used in many of the Japanese news/variety morning shows and were used in many popular films.

But if anything, no matter what year and how much time has passed, Yamashita continues to create endearing music that is upbeat, delightful and captivating and these songs will continue to live on. He is one of the rare music legends in this world and “SOFTLY” is another strong album as part of his oeuvre that will be beloved and cherished by generations.

Ongaku Cafe (The 2020s): Yamashita Tatsuro – Softly (Limited Edition) (2022)

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