Hiroshima - East (1989)

Tracklist


1 Midtown Higashi 1:36
2 East 5:38
3 Tabo 4:42
4 Living In America 5:35
5 Daydreamer 5:28
6 The Golden Age 5:20
7 Streetcorner Paradise 3:48
8 Come To Me 5:24
9 You And Me 4:21
10 Thousand Cranes 6:06

personnel :

Alto Saxophone – Takeshi Itoh
Arranged By, Drum Programming, Flute, Keyboards, Producer, Programmed By, Saxophone, Synthesizer – Dan Kuramoto
Arranged By, Keyboards, Programmed By, Synthesizer – Derek Nakamoto
Backing Vocals – Augie Johnson, Dan Kuramoto, Dean Cortez, Jim Gilstrap, Lillian Tynes, Marva Barnes, Phil Perry (2), Phillip Ingram, T.J. Parker
Bass, Guitar, Vocals – Machun
Bass, Vocals – Dean Cortez
Guitar – David Williams, T.J. Parker
Lead Vocals – Augie Johnson, Charlotte Crossley, Dan Kuramoto, Jim Gilstrap, Jo Ann Harris, John Lehman, Phillip Ingram, Scherrie Payne, Stephen Peevy
Percussion – Luis Conte
Percussion, Drums [Taiko] – Johnny Mori
Arranged By, Programmed By, Synthesizer, Keyboards – Kimo Cornwell
Keyboards, Programmed By, Synthesizer – Skylark
Producer, Percussion [Cymbals], Drum Programming, Drums, Keyboards, Percussion, Programmed By, Synthesizer – Danny Yamamoto
Synthesizer [Synclavier] – Casey Young

At their best, Hiroshima have offered an adventurous and even visionary fusion of jazz, Japanese music, R&B, pop, and rock. But sadly, the L.A. band has, since the mid-'80s, failed to live up to its enormous potential and has made albums based on commercial considerations more than artistic ones. On East, Hiroshima focus on both Asian-influenced pop-jazz and lightweight R&B-pop, generally making commercial radio airplay their number one goal, taking few risks, and delivering one of their weakest, most boring albums ever. While the insistent "Midtown Higashi" packs a bit of a punch and demonstrates their strength as composers, most of the other new age-ish instrumentals are nothing more than bloodless, shallow elevator music. And the contrived "urban contemporary" tunes aren't much better.~ Alex Henderson