"PEPPER KEIBU"
Who knew that when Pepper Keibu was released way back in mid-1976, it would launch the careers of two of THE most legendary singers in the history of Japanese pop music, that from such humble beginnings, Pink Lady's debut album would be the impetus of that aforementioned legend. So I thought I'd bring you this review and my opinion on Mie and Kei's freshman studio effort.
We start off with the album's title song, “Pepper Keibu”, the fast paced, highly energetic pop number that instantly gets your feet tapping and grooving along with the girls as they belt it out to perfection and soon became one of the girls’ all-time standards which, of course was paired with the equally exciting dance routine that would become just as famous as the song itself. The second track, “Inspiration” does an immediate 180, mainly because it was a solo by Kei, a delightfully slow paced and mellow song that she did well and would be the stepping stone for her post-Pink Lady solo career of adult contemporary songs. After that, we get another 180 with the third track, “Your Toast Girl”, my favorite B-side, another song that's highly energetic and, well, frenetic as it grips you by the throat and doesn't let go, a perfect power pop tune. This slow down after that with “Pink Apple”, a relentlessly cute and peppy tune that makes a body smile. The fifth track, the curiously titled “Depressing Day” was a solo song by Mie and that was another soft and mellow song, quite different from her post-PL power pop offerings. The last track from the side A of the original vinyl was “SOS” which starts off with an organ beeping out S-O-S before the girls got busy singing what would be their first number hit.
Now we come to side B and the half dozen offerings that were covers of American pop songs from the 60's and 70's instead of original tunes, something I've always found to have been rather unusual, making me wonder why T & C didn't have a stable of composers crafting songs for the girls. Was it just the legendary songwriter Yu Aku who wrote EVERYTHING for Mie and Kei? I guess we'll never know. “I Only Want To Be With You” is done with a catchy and perky beat while “Keep On Dancing” sounds like a live recording, maybe the girls’ earliest performance in front of a crowd? “Money Honey” had cool and funky 60's pop edge and the best way to describe “Angel Baby” is relentlessly cute and charming. “Rock and Roll Love Letter” was my favorite of the covers as Mie and Kei put a lot of energy into that song, lastly, “Bye-Bye Baby” perfectly capped the album with its sugary harmony. For a first album, “Pepper Keibu” definitely delivered the goods and introduced Japanese music fans to the undeniable magic that was Pink Lady, and was a delightful harbinger of more wonder to come.
