パールカラーにゆれて - PEARL COLOR ni yurete

Release:  12/5/1976
Rank:  6th (Oricon)
Singles:  「パールカラーにゆれて」 A & B sides; 「赤い衝撃」 A & B sides
Obi:  ゆれる百恵 青春の真ん中で・・・・・・・・・  (Wavering Momoe/In the middle of youth...)
Notes:  The title can mean "Flickering in Pearl Color".
Opinion:  I think this was the last in a series of "transition" albums for Momoe, from a childish-sounding idol to a true singing star.  She still is singing mostly standard idol fare, actually quite depressing ballads.  But you can hear in her lead single the makings of a classic, and the maturation of her lyrics.  Love the disco-ish Track 3,7 and 10, and the bossa nova-ish Track 6.


1.  パールカラーにゆれて (PEARL COLOR ni yurete) [Flickering In Pearl Color]
2.  ある1ページ (aru ichi PAGE) [One Page]
3.  嘆きのサブウェイ (nageki no SUBWAY) [Subway of Sorrow]
4.  君に涙のくちづけを (kimi ni namida no kuchizuke wo) [Tearful Kiss for You]
5.  雨に願いを (ame ni negai wo) [Wishing On Rain]
6.  モノトーンの肖像画 (MONOTONE no shouzouga) [Monotone Portrait]
7.  赤い衝撃 (akai shougeki) [Red Shock]
8.  愁いノート (urei NOTE) [Sad Note]
9.  青春の翳り (seishun no kageri) [Shade of Youth]
10. 涼やかなひと (suzuyakana hito) [Cool Person]
11. オレンジ・ブロッサム・ブルース (ORANGE BLOSSOM BLUES)
12. 走れ風と共に (hashire kaze to tomo ni) [With the Running Wind]


10th Album パールカラーにゆれて

百恵白書 - Momoe hakusho

Release:  5/21/1977
Rank:　　3rd (Oricon)
Singles:  None.
Obi:  このアルバムは、私の分身、この中に18歳の、そう制服をぬいだわたしのすべてが入っています 山口百恵  (This album is my self, my 18 year old self with the school uniform off, my everything is inside.  Yamaguchi Momoe.)
Notes:  This was her first concept album.  The title could mean "Momoe's Blank Page".
Opinion:  A very personal album touching on things like where she came from (Yokosuka), a typical "day" for her (Track 2), to a tribute to the 4 heroines she played in the "Red Series" dramas (a huge 9 minute Track 4).  Track 5 is a very cute spoken track.

1.  I CAME FROM 横須賀 (Yokosuka)
2.  鏡の中のある日 (kagami no naka no aru hi) [A Day in the Mirror]
3.  いた・せくすありす (ita sekusuarisu) [Vita Sexualis]
4.  赤のシリーズ・四人の少女に捧げる 約束 (aka no SERIES yonnin no shojyo ni sasageru Yakusoku) [Red Series: Dedicated to Four Girls: Promise]
5.  間奏曲 (kansoukyoku) [Interlude]
6.  二十歳前夜 (hatachi zenya) [Eve of 20 Years Old]
7.  お菓子職人 (okashi shokunin) [Candy Maker]
8.  ボーイッシュ・ベイビー (BOYISH BABY)
9.  ミス・ディオール (MISS DIOR)
10. 歌い継がれていく歌のように (utai-tsugareteiku uta no you ni) [Like a Song Passed Down Through the Ages]
11. 「スター誕生」AGAIN (STAR tanjou) [Birth of a Star Again]

11th Album 百恵白書 

GOLDEN FLIGHT

Release:  8/21/1977
Rank:  3rd (Oricon)
Singles:  None.
Obi:  ロックンロール・ガイズ&百恵 今、最高にホットな音が聞える!! 山口百恵・ロンドン録音盤 (ROCK 'N ROLL GUYS & Momoe/Now, the best hot sound can be heard!!  Yamaguchi Momoe LONDON recording)
Notes:  This was Momoe's first overseas recording.  Track 10 is a completely different recording of her single 「イミテイション・ゴールド」.
Opinion:  A groovy rock-inspired album.  I realized I liked a lot more tracks than I thought I did after listening to it over again.  This is one of those albums that you can just put on in the background, it's so mellow and cool to listen to.

1.  MADE IN U.F.O.
2.  BLACK CAB(ロンドン・タクシー) (LONDON TAXI)
3.  LIVERPOOL EXPRESS
4.  AIR MAIL
5.  CHECK OUT LOVE
6.  愛のTWILIGHT TIME (ai no...) [Love's Twilight Time]
7.  PORTBELLOの銀時計 (...no gin-dokei) [Portbello's Silver Clock]
8.  嵐ヶ丘 (arashi ga oka) [Wuthering Heights]
9.  SEINEより愛をこめて (SEINE yori ai wo komete) [From the Seine with Love]
10. IMITATION GOLD

12th Album GOLDEN FLIGHT

花ざかり - Hana-zakari

Release:  12/5/1977
Rank: 7th (Oricon)
Singles:  「イミテイション・ゴールド」 B-side; 「秋桜」 A & B sides
Obi:  花一輪、あなたに届けます(A flower, I give to you.)
Notes:  The title means "Flower in full bloom".  
Opinion:  A sentimental flower themed album, including one of her biggest singles, "Cosmos".  Most of the tracks are quite sad lyrically, but this album isn't a downer at all!  Released in winter, it speaks of coming spring.  It was a great theme album for Momoe to do.


1.  花筆文字 (hana fude moji) [Flower Calligraphy]
2.  陽のあたる坂道 (hi no ataru saka-michi) [Sunlit Hill]
3.  悲願花 (higan-bana) [Wish Flower]
4.  言わぬが花 (iwanu ga hana) [Silence is Golden]
5.  青い羊歯-アジアンタム- (aoi shida -ADIANTUM-) [Blue Fern Adiantum]
6.  飛騨の吊り橋 (Hida no tsuri-bashi) [Suspended Bridge of Hida]*
7.  秋桜 (aki-zakura) [Cosmos]
8.  あまりりす (amaririsu) [Amaryllis]
9.  ドライフラワー (DRY FLOWER)
10. 1 ²⁄<sub>3
11. 最後の頁(ぺージ) (saigo no PAGE) [Last Page]
12. 寒椿 (kan-tsubaki) [Frozen Camellia]

*Hida is the old name for Gifu Prefecture.

13th Album 花ざかり</sub> 

COSMOS (宇宙)

Release:  5/1/1978
Rank:  8th (Oricon)
Singles:  None.
Obi:  星の化身のように宇宙空間を漂う、百恵。  (Momoe, like embodying the stars, floats through space.)
Notes:  Space themed album.  Track 5 was Momoe's first written song, under her pen name Yokosuka Kei (横須賀　恵).  Track 9 is the album version of the single 「乙女座宮」.  Track 7 has a piano part reminiscent of the single 「秋桜」, which also means "Cosmos", but the flower.
Opinion:  This is a fun, upbeat flight through the stars, just like the obi-saying promises!  Very fun and enjoyable, and I'd recommend this to a beginner Momoe fan to sample some of her work.  Love her English in Track 1, and the groovy Track 8.  Track 5 is one of my all time favorite Momoe tracks.  Love the lyrics.

1.  OPENING (TAKE OFF)
2.  SPACE OPERA
3.  銀河カフェテラス (ginga CAFE TERRACE) [Galaxy Cafe Terrace]
4.  宇宙旅行のパンフレット (uchuu ryokou no PAMPHLET) [Space Travel Pamphlet]
5.  銀色のジプシー (gin-iro no GYPSY) [Silver Gypsy]
6.  ただよいの中で (tadayoi no naka de)　[Drifting in the Midst]
7.  COSMOS(宇宙) (uchuu) [Space]
8.  軌道修正 (kidoushuusei) [Orbit Adjustment]
9.  乙女座宮 (otomeza-kyuu) [Born Under Virgo]
10. ROCKET JACK
11. 時の扉 (toki no tobira) [Door of Time]
12. TIME TRAVEL

14th Album COSMOS 

ドラマチック - DRAMATIC

Release:  9/1/1978
Rank:  6th (Oricon)
Singles:  「プレイバックPart2」 A-side; 「絶対絶命」 A-side
Obi:  大胆に、そして繊細に奏でる百恵像。  (A bold and subtly played image of Momoe.)
Notes:  While on a music show Track 10 made her cry while she was singing.  Even her recording on the album sounds like she is tearing up.
Opinion:  Like the obi-saying goes, this is an enjoyable album of bold, power songs (like the 2 singles) with sultry, romantic ballads/mid-tempo songs, ever so slightly evoking exotica like the desert, Spain, Egypt, etc.  Very sexy!  Love the album cover.


1.  サンタマリアの熱い風 (SANTA MARIA no atsui kaze) [Hot Wind of Santa Maria]
2.  幻へようこそ (maboroshii e youkoso) [Welcome To The Vision]
3.  蜃気楼 (shinkirou) [Mirage]
4.  絶体絶命 (zettai zetsumei) [A Desperate Situation]
5.  水鏡 (mizu kagami) [Reflection]
6.  ヒ・ロ・イ・ン (HEROINE)
7.  空蝉 (utsusemi) [Shell of the Cicada]
8.  或る女・・・或る日 (aru onna...aru hi) [That Woman...That Day]
9.  霧雨楼 (kiri same-rou) [Misty Rain Tower]
10. ラスト・ソング (LAST SONG)
11. プレイバック part2 (PLAYBACK part2)


15th Album ドラマチック

曼珠沙華 - Manjyushaka

Release:  12/21/1978
Rank:  7th (Oricon)
Singles:  「いい日旅たち」 A-side
Obi:  あなたの前で女でありたい。私はもうはたち…　　(I ought to be a woman in front of you.  I'm already 20...)
Notes:  Track 6 would later be a B-side to the single 「美・サイレント」.  Track 3 would be released as a single in 1994 with a new arrangement.
Opinion:  The theme of being an "adult" was really pushed all over this album, since it commemorated her 20th birthday.  It kicks off with her biggest single, which is a ballad about a woman going off to get married the next day.  I think each track reflects shades of being a woman, from being a jealous lover (Track 4) to an innocent girl wanting to know what love is (Track 8), to being nostalgic for early adolescence (Track 10).


1.  いい日旅立ち (ii hi tabi-dachi) [A Good Day to Start a Journey]
2.  Shrewd Fellow
3.  惜春通り (sekishun douri) [The Way of Lamenting Spring's Passing]
4.  ジェラシー (JEALOUSY)
5.  夢のあとさき (yume no atosaki) [Consequences of Dreams]
6.  曼珠沙華 (Manjushaka) [Spider Lily]
7.  横須賀サンセット・サンライズ (Yokosuka SUNSET SUNRISE)
8.  Pretty Harlot
9.  ひとふさの葡萄 (hitofusa no budou) [A Bunch of Grapes]
10. 十五の頃 (紅梅集) (juu-go no koro - koubaishuu) [At 15 (Crimson Collection)]
11. ひといろ足りない虹のように (hito-iro tarinai niji no you ni) [Like a Rainbow Missing One Color]
12. 横須賀サンセット・サンライズ

16th Album 曼珠沙華