"Za Za Za" was a Japanese synth-pop LP from 1984 by Takeo Miyate which I had made my own digitally-restored vinyl rip of back in the not-so-distant past of 2022. Unfortunately, the upload I had put up for this album didn't quite make it big as much as I had hoped for (which is a shame, cause it's a really neat album), but regardless, I still hold some appreciation for this album and I have recently demonstrated that by commissioning an English translation of the liner notes included on this album, written by music critic Yasufumi Amatatsu.
I found this to be a pretty interesting read. If what the notes say are to be believed, Takeo had been good friends with Yuji Toriyama (the arranger for this album) for a while now, and their relationship appears to have been what led to Toriyama's involvement on this album. Both the subjects of these tracks and the lyrics are simple, and Miyate specifically recommended this album for junior high schoolers for those reasons alone—regretfully, I cannot comment on this any further as I don't have translations for the songs at all 😅 but reading these liner notes convinced me to go and give it a shot someday.
Anyways, the liner notes can be ready below. Thanks to "justj22" for translating this.
(Unrelated note, but if you'd like to check the album, you can do so here)
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Imagine, an afternoon in September. You're walking through the crowd on Shibuya's Koen-dori in a hurry. You're supposed to meet your friend, and yet you're already late. But as you pass a lady bearing the faint smell of autumn, you begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe, your friend would forgive you for stopping. To savor the lingering aftertaste, to take a breath, just a little deeper than usual.
That is what Takeo Miyate's debut album, Za Za Za, feels like. A record that evokes familiar yet strikingly vibrant encounters around the town. It slips effortlessly into the city landscape, yet never quite becomes one with it, as it brings with it a stubborn breeze blowing in from a new horizon. Whether that comes from Takeo being the man that he is, or from something that has taken shape within his songs, I'm still not sure.
This may be his first album, but if you ask the circle around Bread & Butter, his debut was always something long overdue. Before his debut, one of his songs was previously introduced in the omnibus record Summer Breeze, which eventually became the title track of this album. Born and raised in Shonan in February 1957, his journey began when he started singing and playing the guitar in junior high. His musical encounters during his high school days eventually defined his path as a professional artist. From Bob Dylan at the center, all the way to The Band, PP&M and The Ventures. On the Japanese side, he said he was drawn to Kansai folk artists, represented by Nobuyasu Okabayashi. However, as he himself recalls, "I did listen to all kind of music to broaden my horizon, but there was never any particular artist I became obsessed with". When it came to his folk songs, he also never liked expressing direct anti-war sentiments.
For his debut album, Fuyumi Iwasawa of Bread & Butter himself provided his full support as producer. The arrangements were handled by Yuji Toriyama. The two have been friends since they first began working within the Bread & Butter circle, and they had apparently been talking about working together since then. "For my first album, I wanted to introduce a new sound to my music. I wanted something not limited to a certain audience, but something with broader appeal. I'm the type of person that would be content just playing acoustic guitars and I know that might not be a good thing. That's why I wanted to work with Toriyama, because he's always interested in trying out novel ideas" Personally, I'd say the combination was a success, giving his songs a youthful feeling of contemporary life, complementing the simple yet already powerful music of his.
Of the ten songs in this album, you could argue that half are songs he wrote entirely himself, while the other half are songs he originally wrote, but later entrusted others to refine. The youthful momentum and bold arrangements of "Seaside Highway" and the dynamic funky rhtyhms of "Sayonara Lady no Tame ni". The tropical mood created by the percussion in "Ai no Adlib", or the exotic atmosphere of "Za Za Za". The creeping sorrow of "Hoshizora no TAO" and a glimpse of something massive in "Maria". And so many more.
There is nothing new or experimental about the arrangements themselves. The subjects he chooses to sing about are also very mundane, everyday concepts. Sketches of what he saw in his daily life in his hometown of Shonan. It might be a song he conceived while walking alone along the shoreline, or a song created from moments of drinking together with dear friends. Memories of summer taken away by the waves, yet brought back by the winds of autumn. This feeling of a refreshing breeze is what I felt as I found myself enjoying "Shiokaze", "Gogo no Kishibe", and other songs in the album.
For some, his songs might blend effortlessly into their lives. It is undeniable that his songs have a certain simplicity to it. Yet for others, there is also defined purpose, a firm stubbornness that refuses to be absorbed into the modern landscape. I would think that this is born from his strong relationship with music, one nurtured through his experiences ever since he immersed himself in folk music. In this album, that relationship takes form into a delicate expression, fit for a new age. To me, his musical sensibilities show that the new currents emerging in the world of pop over the past year or so definitely has their merits, and in it his tenacious voice with charming mid-range is most certainly his strength.
When asked if he has something to say, he answered, with an embarrassed smile, "I'd be happy if junior high schoolers listened to it. I know the lyrics are quite simple and may lack the impact they wanted. But junior high school age is when we are most receptive to new ideas, and personally, my experience from back then still form the basis for how I perceive things today."
-Yasufumi Amatatsu (July 1984)
