Published: 3 Sep 2024
Last updated: 15 Sep 2024
Casiopea (Self-titled)
- Release date: 1979
- Genres: Jazz Fusion
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Originally written: ~4th March 2023
A great slab of jazz rock fusion that threads the needle of both being an incredible display of technical ability whilst also producing extremely catchy and funky rhythms, segueing between pure, upbeat fun and cute, evocative ballads.
Best tracks: Time Limit, Tears of the Star, Midnight Rendezvous, Swallow, Black Joke
Super Flight
- Release date: 1979
- Genres: Jazz Fusion, Smooth Jazz
- Rating: 4/5
- Originally written: 15th July 2024
A very solid follow up to Casiopea’s amazing debut, and almost as good. Does a lot of what the debut did right, with a great blend of upbeat fun and some chiller and laid-back tracks. It does drop some of the rock influence for disco, leading to the bass and keyboard to take a much more prominent role in the instrumentation, extra synths and even some brass appearing in Mighty Mouse - the highs match the highs of the debut but there are some more dated elements, mainly the vocoder sections (it makes I Love New York far too cheesy for its own good). Another worthwhile listen regardless, and there’s more to Casiopea than their debut.
Best tracks: Take Me, Flying, Asayake, Magic Ray, Mighty Mouse
Make Up City
- Release date: 1980
- Genres: Jazz Fusion
- Rating: 3.5/5
A 3rd helping of Casiopea’s luxurious jazz fusion, and at this point you know what you’re getting - a skilful mix of rock-oriented upbeat tracks with a few “loungier” tracks mixed-in, all with a smooth jazzy sheen and performed with aplomb, the guitarist Issei Noro frequently steals the show throughout.
The production is definitely distinctly 80’s, a lot more bombastic and overall fuller and richer. The more rock-oriented songs definitely benefit from this pomp, but find it turns the quieter tracks to be unnecessarily schmaltz-y. Even so, Casiopea have yet to lose the magic touch.
Best tracks: Gypsy Wind, Eyes of Mind, Ripple Dance, Twinkle Ring
