THE MUSIC

SIDE A Awakening: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ You're My Baby: ⭐⭐⭐ Blue And Moody Music: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Only A Love Affair:⭐⭐⭐ Love And Peace:⭐⭐⭐⭐

SIDE B From Me To You:⭐⭐⭐ I Can't Wait:⭐⭐⭐⭐ It Isn't Easy:⭐⭐⭐ Awakening: ⭐⭐⭐ Say Goodbye: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Blue & Moody Music (Wendy Mathews): ⭐⭐⭐



The 1st half of the album sets us up with a very melancholy vibe, straddling the fence between Gino Vannelli and Bobby Caldwell. The titular instrumental intro sends your imagination to a wonderful beach with a lone piano backed by the soft crashing of waves. We're then led by some atmospheric synthesizers into the 1st duet, You're My Baby, gives us an image of Venus-like girl rising from the sea. Then we transition into my favorite track on the album, Blue And Moody Music. A very personal song where Sato croons about staying up in the wee small hours, ridding himself of his sorrows through his passion for music. Only A Love Affair is another decent duet followed by the last instrumental on Side A, Love & Peace, a resort pop piece that creates the perfect vibe for being alone at the bar.





I Can't Wait, Single Version

Side B kicks the tempo & mood up a few notches with a soon to be staple of Hiroshi Sato albums; British Pop covers! This time in the form of From Me To You by The Beatles, redone to a 80's Boogie beat. We then get possibly my favorite duet on the album, I Can't Wait, which does the best job as showcasing Wendy and Hiroshi's vocal compatibility. It Isn't Easy is Wendy's 1st solo track, on the album, with her voice standing pretty well on it's own against a AOR melody that leans more on the oriental side than Westcoast. The last 3 songs, beginning with a reprise of Awakening, cap off the album on a synth-boogie/disco note. The Awakening reprise, being the weakest, it's not bad but it feels like an over-extended prologue to the real star star of the show, Say Good Bye, one of Sato's most iconic songs, a catchy breakup song that combines Sato's excellent synth work with Tatsuro Yamashita's catchy guitar riffs. However the true final track is yet another "reprise" of Blue & Moody Music, this time sung by Wendy Mathews.









THE REVIEW