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User
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Last Active 07-27-22 7:57 am
Joined 12-20-10
Review Comments 852
| Discovolante's Best of 1978-1979 (Japan Edition)
Skipped 1977 cuz there really wasn't much going on that year, apparently, in Japan lol. From the beginning of the year to the end, via the Sputnik release calendar. | | 1 |  | Miyuki Nakajima
Aishiteiru to Itte Kure
Debuting in 1975 at the age of 23, it would take Miyuki Nakajima three years to really start ceasing her potential as one of Japan's greatest songwriters. She released her fourth album "Aishiteiru to Itte Kure", which is one of the finest executed folk albums of the late 70s. Emotional and heartfelt, it finally helped set the stage for Nakajima for the long run. | | 2 |  | Haruomi Hosono
Paraiso
"Paraiso" is the fourth solo album release of music icon Haruomi Hosono. Unapologetically worldly in nature, "Paraiso" is one of his best solo efforts to date, only second to his magnum opus "Philharmony" which was released four years later. | | 3 |  | Momoe Yamaguchi
Dramatic
The idol of all idols, Momoe Yamaguchi, continues her onslaught of sensual 70s pop with the release of one of her finest albums "Dramatic", which has a dynamic, almost grandiose approach to most of the songs, starting off the album with the epica "Santa Maria no Atsui Kaze". It also contains some of her most engaging tracks as well, including the badass "Zettai Zetsumei". Probably the best early idol pop album in Japanese music. | | 4 |  | Tulip
Upside-Down
After a few mediocre releases, Tulip comes back to reclaim their crown as one of the best early Japanese rock bands with the release of their ninth album "Upside-Down". It's got a lot of the same somber, light sound that is essentially Tulip's key signature, and boasts the heartstring puller single "Yakusoku". Brilliantly done middle-of-the-road pop rock. | | 5 |  | Mariya Takeuchi
Beginning
Not many solo idol pop artists really hit it out the park on their first effort, but Mariya Takeuchi is something else entirely. Debuting at the age of 23, her 1978 debut, appropriately titled "Beginning", has a throwback style to it which harkens back to 50s pop, making many of the songs, including the album's sole single "Madotte Oide - Watashi no Jikan", have a lovingly warm and addictive charm to them. Definitely one of the most memorable albums of the time. | | 6 |  | Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
YMO's debut album is legendary, becoming one of the first albums by a Japanese band to be released across the world, alongside Sadistic Mika Band. Although unlike the albums released by Sadistic Mika Band, YMO actually achieved (albeit very slight) chart success overseas as well with this very album. The album that more-or-less added the addictive pop layer in electronic music. | | 7 |  | Lizard (JPN)
Lizard
Lizard's self-titled debut is not just a fantastic debut in of itself, but is also hands down one of the finest post-punk albums ever. It is sort of like if YMO was a post-punk band, featuring a lot of the same echoed, monotone vocal style. This is what peak early post-punk sounds like. | | 8 |  | T-Square
Make Me a Star
Active for about three years at this point and with two EP's already under their belt, Japanese jazz fusion legends T-Square finally struck gold with their third EP "Make Me a Star", which, while perhaps not as technically sound as their competitors, most notably Casiopea, still manages to thrive greatly as a fun album, with visions of bright Las Vegas nights flooding in as the songs play, specifically on the killer feelgood "Stiff Nails". | | 9 |  | Casiopea
Casiopea
Probably the best Japanese jazz fusion album ever. | | 10 |  | Momoe Yamaguchi
L.A. Blue
The ridiculously prolific Momoe Yamaguchi strikes again with another masterpiece, "L.A. Blue", which is possibly the closest she came to creating a babymaking album. Lots of quiet storm influences on this one with her plain 70s pop sound starting to die down a bit beginning with this album as she takes on newer and far fresher sounds. | | 11 |  | P-Model
In a Model Room
P-Model broke onto the new wave scene in a huge way with their debut album "In a Model Room", which, although they would release 10 more albums, is still regarded as their magnum opus. Very similar in the vein of Devo's debut album from 1978, "In a Model Room" is one of the most unrelentingly bizarre albums in early Japanese new wave along with Hikashu's debut album. | | 12 |  | Yellow Magic Orchestra
Solid State Survivor
Everything their debut was but far, far better. | | 13 |  | Moonriders
Modern Music
Moonriders are similar to the Talking Heads in how groundbreaking and far ahead they were in the Japanese new wave movement of the 1970s. Even though they have already released four albums at this point, Moonriders finally hit their stride with their fifth album "Modern Music", which has continuously been highly regarded in their home country since its release, even if it is pretty much unknown outside of Japan. Solid art pop a-la new wave. | | 14 |  | Yumi Matsutoya
Kanashii Hodou Tenki
Japanese pop songstress Yumi Matsutoya returns to the top of her game with the release of her eighth album "Kanashii Hodou Tenki", which offers some more buttery warm and stirring melodies and mesmerizing soundscapes. | |
GmemberKills
11.27.21 | Yo! This is the list i've been waiting for. honestly hope you go all the way through the 80s/early 90s with it.
I love 3, 5, 9, and 10. I haven't jammed much Moonriders, YMO, or Hosono, but I'm really familiar with the excellent writing they did for a lot of idols (i'm such a sucker for idols lol). Need to jam them asap, 1 & 14 look really interesting as well.
Also as far as other stuff goes from 77-79 goes I love Golden Flight by Momoe Yamaguchi (might be my fav from her), Taeko Ohnuki - Sunshower (77), & Mignonne (78). Anri put out 2 solid albums in that time frame too, but they are definitely overshadowed by what came after. | discovolante
11.27.21 | I'm planning on going till at least the early 2000s! And that's awesome you love 5, not much love for it on here! | GmemberKills
11.28.21 | Sweet! This will be good for me to get a lot of recs, and maybe put you on to something you haven't heard. Yeah it's a bit of a shame most people seem to only go as far as checking out 'Variety' which is understandable due to plastic love going viral. it's got it's highlights but i actually prefer some of Mariya's other albums. | discovolante
11.28.21 | Absolutely! And yeah man, "Beginning" is probably my personal favorite of hers. | SlothcoreSam
12.02.21 | I'm surprised you don't have Aunt Sally here.
The album is getting re-released this week, and it's now on Streaming services and bandcamp |
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