Artist: The Sadistic Mika Band (Kazuhiko Katou (vo, g, syn), Mika (vo), Masayoshi Takanaka (g, syn, mellotron, voice), Ray Ohara (b, marimba, vo), Yukihiro Takahashi (d, perc, voice)) Historical Overview. The Sadistic Mika Band was formed by Kazuhiko Katou (ex Folk Crusaders & Solo) in 1972 and recorded on his newly formed Donuts label. Original members were Kazuhiko Katou, his wife Mika, Masayoshi Takanaka, Ray Ohara, and Tsunoda Hiro (who was quickly replaced by Yukihiro Takahashi). They gained a following in England, receiving good reviews in the music press, playing concert tours, and recorded several albums with Chris Thomas. (CT had previously worked with bands such as the Beatles and Roxy Music). Unfortuantely, England was also to prove part of their downfall, as rumour would have it Mika had at least one affair with someone in a recording studio. Since disbanding in 1975 (Mika remained in England) most of the members have been very active in JPOP, either as solo musicians (Katou, Takanaka, Hiroshi Imai (who joined on keys), Takahashi), producers, session musicians. The band did continue as "The Sadistics" for a while without Katou or Mika. Ray Ohara has been the member of one well known USA band (I think it was the Fatback, or Bump band, or something like that), but now seems to have returned to Japan. SMB has reconvened at least twice. Once, in 1985, with Yumi Matsutoya replacing Mika, they played as the Sadistic Yuming Band, and in 1989 they were VERY active, releasing a new album, touring Japan, and releasing live and best-of albums with previously unknown (?) Karen Kirishima providing the female vocals. Their music will be described on an album by album basis as it changed considerably. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Kazuhiko Katou and the Sadistic Mika Band (Kazuhiko Katou (vo, g, syn), Mika (vo), Masayoshi Takanaka (g, syn, mellotron, voice), Ray Ohara (b, marimba, vo), Yukihiro Takahashi (d, perc, voice)) Title: Sadistic Mika Band Production Co: Toushiba EMI Cat#: CA30-1495 Release: LP 1973, CD 1987 Price: 3000yen Length: 11 tracks Track Data: 1 DANSU WA SUNDA 3'15" 2 KAIKETSU SHIRUVAA CHAIRUDO 3'19" 3 UCHUU TOKEI (UCHUUDOKEI?) 4'02" 4 SHITORON GAARU ...... 3'38" 5 KAGE'EGOYA 5'00" 6 SORA NO HATE NI KOSHI KAKETE3'14" 7 GINGA RESSHA 4'05" 8 ARIENU KYOUWAKOKU 4'12" 9 KOI NO MIRUKII UEI 3'27" 10 PIKUNIKKU BUGI 3'49" 11 SAIKURINGU BUGI 2'20" Comments: This album contains good, solid, but early 70's music. Note that the last two songs are "boogies", and are very tongue in cheek. The music is difficult to classify but is fairly funky in the way that Carlos Santana used to be considered funky. A lot of guitar work in the Cream/Santana style. Some of the songs are rockers (ARIENU KYOUWAKOKU), while some are ballads (SHITIRON GAARU). Kazuhiko Katou's vocals predominate, with some vocals by Mika, and possibly one by Ohara. Quality of songs is quite good, but albums does sound a little bit dated. (Ross Clement: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Sadistic Mika Band (Kazuhiko Katou (vo, g), Mika (vo), Masayoshi Takanaka (g), Ray Ohara (b, vo, perc), Yukihiro Takahashi (d, perc), Hiroshi Imai (k, sax)) Title: Kurofune Production Co: Toushiba EMI Cat#: CA30-1410 Release: LP 1975, CD 1983 (acc. label) 1985 (acc. discography) Price: 3000yen Length: 12 tracks Track Data: 1 SUMIE NO KUNI E 4'56" 2 NANI KA GA UMI WO YATTE KURU4'14" 3 TAIMU MASHIN NI ONEGAI 4'13" 4 KUROFUNE - KAEI (??) 6NEN 6GATSU 2NICHI 0'50" 5 KUROFUNE - KAEI (??) 6NEN 6GATSU 3NICHI 2'56" 6 KUROFUNE - KAEI (??) 6NEN 6GATSU 4NICHI 2'41" 7 YOROSHIKU DOUZO 0'53" 8 DONTAKU 3'52" 9 SHIKI SHOU(?)KA 5'43" 10 KUTSU MADE HITOTTOBI 3'36" 11 TAIHUU UTA (TAIFUU KA?) 3'56" 12 SAYONARA 4'38" Comments: This is a mid-70's concept album of very good quality. Better all round than the first album. The music can be compared in many ways to a non-synthesiser Pink Floyd (e.g. the Obscured by Clouds album), though many parts are funky perhaps similar to speeded by 70's Stevie Wonder music with guitars. The concept (The Black Ship) is not (as far as I can see) maintained through all songs. The opener (SUMIE NO KUNI E) is a gorgeous song, with Katou's (I assume) vocal following spoken renditions of his line, with excellent electric piano work from Imai. Some songs hark back to the first album (TAIMU MACHINE, TAIHUU UTA), but in general this is of much higher quality. IMHO it rates as a classic 70's album. Produced by Chris Thomas, and recorded in the UK. (Ross Clement: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Sadistic Mika Band (Kazuhiko Katou (vo, g), Mika (vo), Masayoshi Takanaka (g), Tsugutoshi Goto (b), Yukihiro Takahashi (d), Hiroshi Imai (k)) Title: HOT! MENU Production Co: Toushiba EMI Cat#: CA30-1496 Release: LP 1975, CD ???? Price: 3000yen Length: 9 tracks Track Data: 1 WA-KAH! CHICO 3'58" 2 MIRAAJU 4'50" 3 BURUU 4'02" 4 MADA MADA SAMBA 3'46" 5 HEI GOKEN HA IKAGA 6'21" 6 OKINAWA BOOGALOO 3'02" 7 SORE IKE! TOUMASU 3'05" 8 FANKII MAHJANG 4'41" 9 TEKIIRA SANRAIZU 4'37" Comments: The followup album (5 months later) to Kurofune. Basically it just seems to be a collection of songs. Nothing wrong with the quality of the songs, more humour creeping in, but it doesn't match up to Kurofune. Katou is now much less in evidence in the songwriting credits than originally with Takahashi, & Imai possibly equaling his contribution, and Goto and Takanaka also writing more. The band would soon split up, but the core of musicians (minus Katou and Mika) would continue on as The Sadistics for three albums or so. (Ross Clement: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Sadistic Mika Band (Kazuhiko Katou (vo, g), Mika (vo), Masayoshi Takanaka (g), Tsugutoshi Goto (b), Yukihiro Takahashi (d), Hiroshi Imai (k), Ray Ohara (b), Tsunoda Hiro (d)) Title: 20 Songs to 21st Century Production Co: Toushiba EMI Cat#: CA30-1496 Release: 1988 Price: ??????? Length: 20 tracks (Best of selection) Track Data: 1 SAIKURINGU BUGI 2'21" 2 OORORA GAARU 3'14" 3 DANSU WA SUNDA 3'14" 4 KAIKETSU SHIRUVAA CHAIRUDO 3'19" 5 SHITORON GAARU ...... 3'38" 6 ARIENU KYOUWAKOKU 4'11" 7 PIKUNIKKU BUGI 3'49" 8 HAI BEIBII 3'54" 9 SUMIE NO KUNI E 4'55" 10 TAIMU MASHIN NI ONEGAI 4'13" 11 YOROSHIKU DOUZO 0'53" 12 DONTAKU 3'51" 13 KUTSU MADE HITOTTOBI 3'36" 14 TAIHUU UTA (TAIFUU KA?) 3'56" 15 OHANAMI BUGI 2'21" 16 WA-KAH! CHICO 3'58" 17 MADA MADA SAMBA 3'46" 18 HEI GOKEN HA IKAGA 6'21" 19 SORE IKE! TOUMASU 3'06" 20 FANKII MAHJANG 4'41" Comments: Best of album. This covers most of the good songs in their career, and gives a good view of what the band was like. Although their music changed (and was soon to change much more), as individual albums had a lot of variety, this sounds just like another album. A few songs not on the standard albums make it a must for completists (I bought the best of first, the others were mainly ex-rental ones I bought just before leaving Japan). (Ross Clement: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Sadistic Mica Band (Kazuhiko Katou (vo, g, k), Karen Kirishima (vo), Masayoshi Takanaka (g), Ray Ohara (vo, b, k), Yukihiro Takahashi (vo, d, k). Additional musicians include Ryuuichi Sakamoto (k) Title: Appare! Production Co: Toushiba EMI Cat#: CT32-5432 Release: 1989 Price: 3008 (CHIKUSHOU NA SHOUHIZEI!) Length: 10 Tracks Track Data: 1 Boys & Girls 4'34" 2 NOU NI FAIYAA! Brain's on Fire 4'42" 3 BARA WA PURAZUMA 4'30" 4 NIGIYAKA NA KODOKU 4'57" 5 KORERU OMOI 4'34" 6 42"C NO PIKUNIKKU 4'51" 7 DASHIIRU HAMETTO & POPPUKOUN 4'16" 8 UN COCO LOCO 5'45" 9 AI TO KAIRAKUSHUGISHA 4'59" 10 7 days, at last! 5'51" Goodies: I got some goodies for buying this album on the release date. Can't remember what was included, but there was a book of some sort, and maybe a sticker. Comments: 1989 Reunion album. Sounds very little like the original band, though it might do so if you stripped off all the high technology they are using. Vocalwise it seems like Takahashi's voice is most in evidence, and he did not do many vocals in the original band. The sound of this album is definately JPOP! Especially the single Boys & Girls. What follows is a collection of generall good songs. Brain's on Fire is a fairly rocky Ohara song with lots of Hammond organ, BARA WA PURAZUMA is a typical (but better than average) Takahashi single which is a Kirishima duet. 42"C NO PIKKUNIKU, DASHIIRU HAMETTO, UN COCO LOCO, etc do sound a bit like the original SMB, but are FAR more polished, and the technology used is state of the art (digital recording and all that). DASHIIRU HAMETTO is a fast pop song, but seems to be dripping with Jazz influence, if that's possible (Katou has been recording Jazz influenced music for some time). The last song is more progressive song, though I can't think what to describe it as. In all a very professional album with a good number of well-crafted, enjoyable songs. (Ross Clement: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------