 It's not every band that can count their third album as their studio debut. Well, that's not technically
true: after recording their first album at a festival gig, their
second, "Gedo In Sounds Of Hawaii Studios," was as the title says,
although the recording reveals that it was simply a live show held in a
studio, audience and all. So perhaps it's more accurate to say
that "Just Gedo" introduces the band to the concept of overdubs and
other studio wizardry (recorded in, it should be noted, the same
Hawaiian studio,) allowing them to expand their sound beyond the
undeniably powerful three piece racket that made them the darlings of
motorcycle gangs all across Japan.
Predictably enough, there's a dip in sheer sonic mayhem, but that's not
the only shift. The new environment allows them to explore their sonic
palate, often times creating an atmosphere that's very much at odds
with their ass kicking, festival concert image (it's not just the
music: while the band always dressed up, this time they hired Kishin Shinoyama, a photographer known for his female nudes, and camped it up for the album art.)
It's this shift away from dick waving, and towards spacier, more
theatrical concerns, that makes "Just Gedo" a turning point for the
band.
Which is not to say they've mellowed out...not exactly. "黒い影"
("Shadow") still bears unmistakable traces of the leaden riffage that
drove past efforts, but the soaring, multi tracked guitar solo is more
evocative of birds flying overhead than a Harley bearing down on your
ass. The last two tracks also retain the lunkheadedness, if not the
brutality: "Crazy Boy" is all swagger and smartass, opening with a
hilariously mush mouthed doo-wop bit before jumping feet first into a
dirty, snotty 50s throwback. "悪魔のBaby" ("The Devil's Baby") continues
the retro attack, with full blown handclaps, surf riffs, and a sing
along finale that shows the party animals from the first two albums are
alive and well.
No, the move from buzz bomb aggression does not mean they've gone soft,
but rather gone into a confident, less sonically brutal headspace,
more akin to vintage Lynyrd Skynyrd than the soft folk that dominated
the Japanese mainstream at the time. "天国への道" ("The Road To Heaven") is
like a (more) depressive "Cry For The Bad Man," with the same mournful
tone and swirling guitar. "夕陽のかけら" ("The Sun Sets Overhead") goes
further into the darkness, with ghostly, multi tracked vocals and
weeping riffs. "赤目のアロハ" ("Aloha Eye,") like the title, shows the
influence of their surroundings, evoking a sun drenched bliss out much
like Pink Floyd's "San Tropez," at least until the huge, transcendent
chorus kicks in, like a church choir popping up out of the sand.
All the stylistic diversity can make the album feel unfocused at times,
although it's difficult to find fault with any specific track. The
"Tequila" rewrite "何?" ("What?") is enjoyable enough on its own, but
not right after the gorgeous downer of "The Road To Heaven." The
Kinks-esque "何かをつかむだけ" ("Just Go For It") is a bright little shuffle
that feels like it came in from a different planet than the tracks
which surround it, and while it's good to see the band's court jester
tendencies surface in the sneaky "気をつけろ" ("Heads Up,") the out of
nowhere goofiness that pops up in the middle of the track just feels
out of place.
After dipping their toe in the less visceral waters of the studio, the
band would release one final live album before suddenly calling it
quits the following year, in 1976 (although archival live recordings
would continue to surface.) They reunited and returned to the studio
setting for 1981's "Power Cut," a very 80s hard rock album that, while
somewhat hampered by dated production, showed a much more complete
fusion of the group's power trio attack with the more streamlined sound
studios afford. That said, "Just Gedo" is still the one to recommend, a
cornucopia of ideas that may not hold together completely, but still
affords a fascinating ride.
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Available through Amazon Japan
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