🎧 Dropping the Needle: Landscapes of Yesteryear Pt. 97 — The Future of Japanese Hard Rock Painted by Creation
This is "Foxtrot," a coffee shop where music lovers from the neighborhood naturally gather.
With Kazuhiko, the master who loves UK rock, Ami, an aspiring copperplate print artist, and Yukihiro, a music magazine writer and friend since middle school, stop by from time to time to engage in quiet yet passionate music discussions over records and coffee.
Creation, "Creation" (1975)
The "Western Music Breeze" Born in Japan
Ami "Master, this album 'Creation'—if it's from 1975, that's half a century ago, right? What kind of work is it?"
Kazuhiko "For the Japanese rock scene at the time, it was truly a shocking record. It's a symbol of the challenge of absorbing Western music elements and having Japanese people create 'rock that can genuinely compete on the world stage.'"
Yukihiro "Creation was a band formed around Kazuo Takeda. He was already a talented guitarist, and while he based his sound on the blues, there was a British rock flavor in his arrangements and production. This debut album, 'Creation,' walks the line between hard rock and blues rock."
Ami "Did Japanese bands really produce sounds that sounded that much like Western music?"
Kazuhiko "Yes. The sound itself is different. The guitar is thick, the drums are tight, and the bass really comes to the front. The center of gravity of the sound is high, making it sound like it was recorded overseas. Considering the recording technology in Japan in the 70s, it's a phenomenal level of perfection."
Yukihiro "The English lyrics are also impressive. Knowing the difficulty of expressing 'rock' in Japanese lyrics, they dared to challenge themselves with English. They were betting on the 'sound' rather than the meaning of the lyrics. That was very new for the time."
Ami "Indeed, I'm drawn in more by the momentum of the sound than the words."
Kazuhiko "Exactly. The sharpness of the riffs, the tempo structure, the way the rhythm is cut... the whole thing is filled with tension. In every song, you can feel the will of 'we are here.'"
Pride in the Name of "Creation"
Yukihiro "The interesting thing about this album is that it's faithful to the basics rather than flashy experiments. They are trying to master the royal road of rock. They aren't competing with eccentricity, but with the 'perfection of the royal road.'"
Kazuhiko "Yes, and that's what makes it so pure. A configuration that makes the most of the three-piece sound—guitar, bass, and drums. By eliminating unnecessary ornamentation, they let you hear the 'sound itself.' There were very few bands in 1970s Japan that could do this."
Ami "Singing in English, with a sound like overseas... but I can still feel something Japanese about it."
Yukihiro "That's in the flow of the melody and the emotion. Within the power of hard rock, there is a humid lyricism. It's not a complete imitation; the Japanese sensibility naturally seeps through. That is Creation's uniqueness."
Kazuhiko "And above all, there is honesty in the sound. At the time, they weren't motivated by selling records or following trends, but by the belief of 'playing real rock.' That shows in the recording. When you listen to it on vinyl, the guitar distortion and the bass growl are so raw, you can even feel the atmosphere of the studio."
Ami "That's the warmth unique to analog."
Kazuhiko "Yes. Because it's not overly polished like today's music, the sound is breathing. The performance is rough, but that's exactly why it has humanity. That's where the charm of 70s rock is packed."
Yukihiro "After this, they teamed up with Felix Pappalardi to make 'Pure Electric Soul,' but the foundation for that overseas ambition was already completed with this debut. It's a dignified sound that breaks through the limits of domestic rock."
Ami "The name 'Creation' really fits perfectly."
Kazuhiko "Exactly. They had the conviction to shape things themselves rather than imitating someone else. It's a miracle in itself that they released such a perfected work before Japanese rock had even taken root as a 'culture.'"
Yukihiro "You could say they were ahead of their time. But that earliness is exactly where the value lies. This album is like a 'map' for the rock generations that followed."
Ami "I see... so that's why the title says they 'painted the future.'"
Kazuhiko "Yes. In an era when Japanese rock was just a 'dream,' this was the sound that made it a reality. That is 'Creation.'"
Next time...
The Kinks, "Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One" (1970)
■ Characters
Kazuhiko: 52 years old. Owner of the coffee shop "Foxtrot." Knowledgeable about UK rock and a record collector.
Ami: 26 years old. Waitress and budding copperplate print artist. A fine arts graduate whose dream is to hold a solo exhibition. She began taking an interest in music under the master's influence.
Yukihiro: 52 years old. A music magazine writer and Kazuhiko's best friend since junior high school. He drops by the shop occasionally to drink black coffee.
*The name of the coffee shop "Foxtrot" is derived from the Genesis album of the same name.