Solid State Revisited

It is a bit of a family joke that if I am pushed to answer a question about when something happened or was supposed to have happened I always say “1979”. 

Statistically there will be some accuracy in this pure guess. 

It was actually quite a momentous year for things going on around the world. 

Close to home Maggie Thatcher was elected as Britain's first woman Prime Minister. Idi Amin was deposed in Uganda. Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq. Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile to Tehran and a siege of the US Embassy began. The USSR invaded Afghanistan but at the same time signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) with the United States. There was a nuclear incident at the Three Mile Island Reactor, it snowed in the Sahara Desert for 30 minutes, Sid Viscious died and China implemented a one-child policy. 

I must have been a bit of a geek at that time, aged 16, as most of these events made their way into my pocket diary with a few lines of immature comment. I seem to recall that I was fearful of an end to the world at that age, although that sense of mortality is all part of growing up as a teenager, as I am now (aged 54) informed by Psychologists. 

It was a busy year for me personally with schooling, a developing interest in serious cycling and some cash in my pocket from a few weeks of hard toil working on a local farm in the summer holidays. 

That new found affluence should have been put to use in a savings account in anticipation of college and beyond but no, I blew most of it down the record shop. 

It was closing down and I could not resist regular browsings ,when in town, through the clearance racks. Up until that time my collection of vinyl was pitiful and this was an unrivalled opportunity to boost credibility amongst my peer group, in a very short burst of purchases and at knock down prices. 

One such acquisition, in fact just released in the September of 1979, has now assumed the status of a pioneering album being regarded as a trailblazer in synthpop and the foundation of techno music. 

I cannot really say why I paid a couple of quid for that album. The cover was interesting in a lurid lime green tone with 5 seated figures of which three looked to camera and were human, the others being mannequins with one female in a sheer and see through electric blue dress. Dressed in red one of the figures wore a military forage cap with a Communist Red Star. This was exciting to me at a time of the Iron Curtain and the emergence of China onto the world stage. 

Across the top of the front cover of the album was the band name. I had not heard of them before - Yellow Magic Orchestra. The album title was similarly intriguing in a sort of retro-fashion. Solid State Survivor. Perhaps it was that terminology that helped in the purchase as the words “Solid State” were firmly lodged in my subconscious from contemporary electronic appliances around the family home. 

The album was the bands’ second release and in 1979 it won the top accolade in the Japan Record Awards. In all some 2 million were sold worldwide although surprisingly it was not released in the huge US market. 

On my first play of the 8 tracks I was a bit confused. It was certainly a new high energy sound which would become known as new wave synth rock. I had dabbled a bit with the likes of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream but this was revolutionary stuff and so far detached from the rather ponderous electro offerings in vinyl with which I had spent many moody teenage moments. 

It was happy and joyous. You could dance to it but of course I was not to know that this was techno in its infancy and so just had to hop around from leg to leg. 

Solid State Survivor, the album is under 34 minutes duration but packed with great sounds and in a deep and rich mix with a real depth in production. The opening track, Technopolis starts off with a computerised voice before erupting into a thumping melody. It is a good track to drive at night to. There may be some loss in translation from Japanese to English in the track titles but Absolute Ego Dance just gets you going mindlessly. The third track Rydeen has become one of YMO’s most widely covered and sampled by other artists and faetures in the soundtracks of many video games. Castalia, the fourth track is lyrical and mysterious giving time for a breather from the fast paced music. 

Perhaps the best known track, Behind the Mask, was covered by Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Brian Eno and The Human League amongst others. Originally written by band member Ryuichi Sakamoto and English lyricist Chris Mosdell for a Seiko Watch advert it is a joy to listen to. Jackson made a funk dance version and Clapton a rock anthem out of it. 

Track 6 is the Beatles’ Day Tripper as an homage to that songwriting duo before the albums finishes on Insomnia and the title track. 

The three piece YMO also included Haruomi Hosono and a name that will be familiar to music fans, Yukihiro Takahashi. 

Hosono                Sakamoto-            Takahasi

Sakamoto appeared in the movie Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence with David Bowie as well as being co-writer of the iconic "Forbidden Colours" with David Sylvian.  He most recently scored the soundtrack for The Revenant. 

I have been playing Solid State Survivor on my travels this week and have been excited all over again by its fresh and unique sound. If asked by family what was in my opinion one of the best years for music I would have no hesitation in answering- 1979.