17才のテーマ - juu-nana sai no THEME

Release:  4/21/1976
Rank:  2nd (Oricon)
Singles:  「ささやかな欲望」 B Side; 「白い約束」 A & B Sides; 「愛に走って」 A & B Sides
Obi:  めくるめく世代の詩!  (Song of a sparkling generation!)
Notes:  Title is "Theme of 17".  Track 12 was included on the previous album.
Opinion:

1.  愛に走って (ai ni hashitte) [Run to Love]
2.  昨夜からの雨 (sakuya kara no ame) [Rain from Last Night]
3.  木洩れ日 (kimorebi) [Sun Filtered through the Trees]
4.  そして出逢い (soshite deai) [And We Meet]
5.  赤い運命 (akai unmei) [Red Fate]
6.  葡萄色の雨 (budou-iro no ame) [Wine-colored Rain] 
7.  白い約束 (shiroi yakosuku) [White Promise]
8.  碧色の瞳 (ao-iro no hitomi) [Emerald Eyes]
9.  土曜日の楽しみ (doyoubi no tanoshimi) [Can't Wait for Saturday]
10. 幸福の実感 (koufuku no jikkan) [Reality of Happiness]
11. 山鳩 (yamabato) [Turtledove]
12. ありがとうあなた (arigatou anata) [Thank You, Darling]


8th Album 17才のテーマ

横須賀ストーリー - Yokosuka STORY

Release:  8/1/1976
Rank:  3rd (Oricon)
Singles:  「愛に走って」 B side; 「横須賀ストーリー」 A & B sides
Obi:  傷つきやすく壊れやすい青春・・・・・・でも求めてゆきたい  (Hurtable, breakable youth... But still wanting to seek it.)
Notes:  Momoe spent her childhood in Yokosuka, up until the time of her debut.  Track 9 was included on the previous album.
Opinion:

1.  陽炎 (kagerou) [Heat Haze]
2.  GAME IS OVER
3.  横須賀ストーリー (Yokosuka STORY)
4.  自転車の上の彼 (jitensha no ue no kare) [Boyfriend on a Bike]
5.  クラブサンドウィッチはいかが? (CLUB SANDWICH ha ikaga?) [How About a Club Sandwich?]
6.  風たちの午後 (kaze-tachi no gogo) [Afternoon Winds]
7.  いま目覚めた子供のように (ima mezameta kodomo no you ni) [Like a Child Who Just Woke]
8.  ひとにぎりの砂 (hito-nigiri no suna) [Handful of Sand]
9.  赤い運命 (akai unmei) [Red Fate]
10. それでも明日が… (sore demo asu ga...) [Nevertheless, Tomorrow...]
11. 愛の暮色 (ai no boshoku) [Dusk of Love]
12. 甘い裏切り (amai uragiri) [Sweet Betrayal]

9th Album 横須賀ストーリー

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