Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100: Mariya Takeuchi -- Todokanu Omoi（とどかぬ想い）

 

Number: 054

Lyricist: Mariya Takeuchi

Composer: Mariya Takeuchi

Arranger: Tatsuro Yamashita

From Takeuchi's 1984 album: "Variety"

"Todokanu Omoi" (Unreachable Feelings) is the most urban track within "Variety" which reveals a variety of expressions song by song. On top of that, Mariya Takeuchi（竹内まりや）has established herself as someone who has made songs on adultery into everyday parlance, but this time around, the song isn't so mundane, so can it be enjoyed purely as a pop song? Chuck Findley's flugelhorn solo is exquisite which raises the level of urbanity here.

The above comes from "Disc Collection Japanese City Pop Revised" (2020).

Hello. J-Canuck here. Here I thought that I had completed taking care of the entirety of "Variety" over the years of KKP, but in actual fact, there are still a few remaining tracks that I haven't covered including this one, "Todokanu Omoi". But I've been in situations like this on Yutaka Kimura Speaks before so it's no real problem.

To be honest, I still think this track's fellow track mate, "Plastic Love", is the most urban tune. Maybe his referral to the fooling around in Mariya's lyrics gives "Todokanu Omoi" that city edge although I think affairs can absolutely exist out in the countryside. Regardless, the main rhythm in the song is something that I do remember and it feels unsurprisingly very Tatsuro（山下達郎）. There is a certain melancholy feeling imbued as a woman is called over to some place by a man who may be her paramour in sin. Perhaps the place is his apartment or even a remote stockroom in the company where they work. Will they carry out the affair or will both avert the potential cliff and return to their normal relationships?