Ryoko Shinohara -- Ryoko from Tokyo Performance Doll

Before Ryoko Shinohara (篠原涼子) hit the big stage in 1994 with “Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to” (恋しさと せつなさと 心強さと), she was a member of the big dance-oriented aidoru group “Tokyo Performance Doll” (東京パフォーマンスドール). And like many other members of the group, Shinohara had the opportunity to release a solo album, which happened to be my chosen album for today, “Ryoko from Tokyo Performance Doll”. The album, released in January 1993, consists of ten solid songs, but I ended up highlighting six of them in this article.

“Ima no Mama no Futari de” (今のままのふたりで) is an upbeat and disco-ish pop song featuring lots of horns, synths, and a prominent bassline. It’s very classy, which, like some other songs from this album, contributes to a "night" feeling. The following song, “Ikoku ~TOKYO IN THE NIGHT” (異国 ～Tokyo in the Night), is also a song that combines well with the night. I can totally sense a jazz vibe in it, which makes me imagine a luxurious party in some fancy place wit well dressed high society people enjoying an enormous variety of different drinks. Well, Shinohara’s performance induces the viewer to imagine these things. Check it below.

"Ikoku~TOKYO IN THE NIGHT" starts at the 4:50 mark.

Click here to hear excerpts from the album.

Contrasting with the aforementioned songs, “Kono Akumame!!” (この悪魔め!!) is a sexy and full of attitude dance song featuring a catchy chorus. It’s surely one of the album main highlights. As for the video, it’s a sexy performance from Shinohara’s 95’ Lady Generation Summer Tour.

Our next song, "Hohoemi ni good-bye" (微笑みにgood-bye), starts right after the 4:10 mark.

“Hohoemi ni good-bye” is your typical aidoru pop song with a happy vibe. I like it a lot too. In the video, Shinohara is performing in one of her last "Tokyo Performance Doll" concerts as a member of the group. The clothes are also very different from the sexy and modern looks of her solo career.

And we have come to my favorite songs of this album, the R&B-ish “Watashi no Kokoro ni KISS wo Shite” (私の心にKISSをして) and the synthpop Latin song “Bara ga Nemureru Made” (薔薇が眠れるまで). The first, which is featured above, is a mid-tempo song with some nice violins-wannabe synthesizers. It has a very melancholic melody that combines well with the overall sound of the song. I like it a lot, especially between the 3:33 and 3:52 marks, where she sings "itsumademo kono omoi itsumademo dakishimete futari ni ha dekiru koto sekaijuu afureteru", or something like that (even though I don't know what it means). As for “Bara ga Nemureru Made” (which has already been covered by J-Canuck here), its exotique synthpop arrangement introduces a very mysterious feel that closes the album with a golden key. Also, the guitar solo that fades with the Latin arrangement always remembers me of some classic Santana songs. Listen to "Bara ga Nemureru Made" below.

Maybe that’s just a personal feeling, but I really enjoy this album at night. It’s probably because I listened to the CD for the first time at night, which made me feel comfortable at the time. But the overall nostalgic vibe coupled with a good portion of mid-tempo songs also contributes to this feeling as well. All in all, “Ryoko from Tokyo Performance Doll” is my favorite Shinohara album. It means a lot to me because I received this CD at the most difficult time of my life, just four days before my dear grandmother passed away, which also happened to be last Christmas. Even though the memories aren’t good at all, I never let this fact ruin my overall listening experience of this album, although I always remember fondly of my grandmother when I listen to it, especially during “Watashi no Kokoro ni KISS wo Shite” and “Bara ga Nemureru Made”. In the end, I also find it a much underestimated album, which is a pity.

“Ryoko from Tokyo Performance Doll” reached #63 on the Oricon charts.

“Ima no Mama no Futari de” and “Hohoemi ni good-bye” were composed and arranged by Hideya Nakazaki (中崎英也). The lyrics for both songs were written by Yoshiko Miura (三浦徳子). As for “Ikoku ~TOKYO IN THE NIGHT”, "Kono Akumame!!", “Watashi no Kokoro ni KISS wo Shite” and “Bara ga Nemureru Made”, they were composed and arranged by Ichiro Haneda (羽田一郎). The lyrics were written by Goro Matsui (松井五郎).

To finish, here are some photos of the album.