ZARD Album Review: "Toki no Tsubasa"

Marking a decade after "Good-bye My Loneliness" is ZARD's ninth album and two years after "Eien."
By any measure ZARD is now an established and legendary artist, after a decade does Sakai break new ground or give us more of the same? That is the question I ask myself as listen to "Toki no Tsubasa" front to back.

This was the final album to top the Oricon charts but also the first since "Mō Sagasanai" to sell significantly under a million albums. Likewise the five singles that partially formed the album also were down in sales. This was the start of a trend for ZARD as she enters the back third of her shortened carreer.

For several reasons I made the decision to review the 30th anniversary re-release instead of the original album. First being the production of the original "Toki no Tsubasa" was rough for a ZARD album, it sounded off. Secondly if I have the opportunity to eliminate re-mixes, I'll do it. Lastly it was not just remastered for the ZARD's 30th anniversary it was rearranged. I am not 100% sure if new recordings were made or they dove back into the cabinets of masters. This effort gives "Toki no Tsubasa" another chance to be in its (hopefully) best form.

Track 1: "Get U're Dream"

Izumi Sakai / Aika Ohno / Takeshi Hayama
Vocals: 2.75 Music: 2 Production: 2

A very synthy open, then Sakai's vocals come in and I think they're a little too back. There is a dated sound to this happy love song. Sakai's vocals are fine, but Aika's music misses the mark. The production is not especially good. Sakai probably saves this track, but not by much. It's not a song I would throw on a playlist and strong odds I would hit next if it came up on rotation. I get this is probably contentious.

Track 2: "Kono Namida Hoshi ni Nare" (この涙 星になれ)
Izumi Sakai / Yuuichirou Iwai / Hirohito Furui
Vocals: 3.25 Music: 3.25 Production: 3

A pretty aggressive opening but it settles down and again the song feels a little dated but not in a bad way more like a retro future. It's a break up song, Sakai vocals emote a very matter of fact recollection and she's really on point. Music is pretty good. Production is not bad and though there is dated sound it works. The end evokes a cyberpunk feel for me.

Track 3: "Promised You~with P-edition~"
Izumi Sakai / Seiichiro Kuribayashi / Cybersound
Vocals: 3.25 Music: 3 Production: 3

...and the album slows down into a ballad tinged with a little power. This feels like a paint by numbers ZARD song, given I very much like ZARD that's just fine. If it came up on rotation, I'd let it play though. Sakai's vocals are nice and clean. Music is nothing special. Production is a bit forced and music tracks could stand to be pushed back a little.

Track 4: "Itai Kurai Kimi ga Afureteiru yo" (痛いくらい君があふれているよ)
Izumi Sakai / 4D-JAM / 4D-JAM
Vocals: 2.0 Music: 1.75 Production: 2.25

Slowing down a little more "Itai Kurai Kimi ga Afureteiru yo" also has Sakai rapping a little. Objectively it's not bad, but also it doesn't work. I seem to recall this being a thing around this time frame, but I could be wrong. Music is pretty simple maybe a little too much. Production is not bad, but given the song structure it did not require a lot. The song does not work well at any level.

Track 5: "Mado no Soto wa Monochrome" (窓の外はモノクローム)
Izumi Sakai / Yuuichirou Iwai / Yoshinobu Ohga
Vocals: 3.25 Music: 3 Production: 3.25

A very interesting open to the track. A love gone sideways song, Sakai's vocals are nice here and feel personal. Music has a lot going on, though the synth percussions feel like their fighting the song a little. Production is solid, Sakai's vocals are at the front albeit barely.

Track 6: "Omohide" (お・も・ひ・で)
Izumi Sakai / Hiroshi Terao Furui and Akihito Tokunaga
Vocals: 3.5 Music: 3.25 Production: 3

A pretty song that has the open feeling of Mt. Omuro. Feels like love fondly remembered. Everything generally works on this track and what one would expect from a ZARD song.

Track 7: "Ashita Moshi Kimi ga Kowaretemo" (明日もし君が壊れても
Izumi Sakai / Aika Ohno / Akihito Tokunaga
Vocals: 3.25 Music: 3.25 Production: 3.5

I could tell this was an Aika Ono song without looking at track info. Feels like another past love song. Overall this track is good and very on brand, but also not distinctive. Also I think the production is a little better than the music and vocals.

Track 8: "Sekai wa Kitto Mirai no Naka〜another style 21〜" (世界はきっと未来の中)
Izumi Sakai / Yuuichirou Iwai / Akihito Tokunaga & Yoshinobu Ohga
Vocals: 4.5 Music: 4.5 Production: 4.5

The album jumps into a fast peppier love song. Absolutely everything works and it should have been the album's opening track and not languishing near the end. A couple spots Akasi is definately flexing her vocals skills and that's great. She is the star.

Track 9: "Hero"
Izumi Sakai / Aika Ohno / Yoshinobu Ohga
Vocals: 4.75 Music: 4 Production: 4

Shifting gears into a ballad, "Hero" shows off Sakai's vocals very well and I'd argue it might be her best performance on "Toki no Tsubasa." Music is good and Ono has a lot of sneaky synth parts in the back. Production is very solid and everything is arranged in a balanced way. I like this song maybe a little more than I though I would when it started.

Track 10: "Toki no Tsubasa" (時間の翼)
Izumi Sakai / Aika Ohno / Akihito Tokunaga
Vocals: 4.25 Music: 4.25 Production: 4.25

Feels like "Toki no Tsubasa" might have been a leftover from "Eien." Certainly the lyrics touch on the concept of forever. Its a nice song and Ono and Tokunaga pair well here.

The rearranged "Toki no Tsubasa" is a better version of the original album, which I thought suffered in the production process. Aika Ono generally pairs well and that gives me hope that she, as a much younger woman than Sakai, provides a different energy and hopefully more cohesiveness. That is where I think "Toki no Tsubasa" suffers, I do not think the album has much of an identity to itself. It is a very paint-by-numbers ZARD album. No track it outright bad on this album, but "Itai Kurai Kimi ga Afureteiru yo" and "Get U're Dream" are right on the line.

I would say that Sakai's vocals are as good if not better than they have been. An upside to this album is we can hear the quality of her vocals which is reflective in my scores. Conversely, I feel like third time was not a charm for Sakai as producer and it feels like turning a corner into a new ZARD. After a few listens, I am unsure if that is for the better.

End result is "Toki no Tsubasa" is an decent album and nothing more than that. It is an album that fans (like myself) will think well enough of. It is also and album I could not see it attracting new fans then or now. Of all her albums to this point this is the one i would suggest people exploring her music avoid. These comments might explain why sales dropped significantly and why it say in a fugue state for years, if I recall it was out of print for a period.

Overall:

Vocals: 3.55 Music: 3.35 Production: 3.33

Overall Score: 3.3

Adjusted Score: 3.3

No adjustment, there is nothing that warrants a shift either way. ZARD met expectations here.

ZARD Album Review: Eien

"Eien" is a word that comes up with Izumi Sakai, maybe because of this album as it does mark the end

of a musical chapter.  Perhaps the enormity of her as a person and artist.  It is also the word inscribed on her grave at Yokohama Midori no Sato (which I made a trip to in 2023, I have things to write about that...).  This is a hard album for me emotionally as so much of who Sakai was is captured on "Eien."  Yet this album gives me joy, which I felt after that visit to her grave. I felt my grief for her evaporate and that is what I feel about this album.  

I'll note this is the last album in what I would call ZARD's prime, as it does mark the end of her million selling albums. Combined her next three studio albums will not sell as much as "Eien."  This is no reflection on those albums as I have not listened to them with a critical ear and I endeavor to treat each album individually.     

Did something happen with "Eien" that triggered the downturn of her album sales?  I do not think so, but what I would say is perhaps Sakai's strenuous avoidance of media appearances combined with encroaching health issues were more of contributing factors.  That said, I wound up enjoying "Eien" considerably and would say it is one of her best albums because it is so consistent. 

End result is seven singles were generated from the album which marks the most from (or to as Japanese labels released singles before albums) but also these spanned about a year and a half which is also by far the longest period for a single album of ZARD's.  Like "Today Is Another Day" Sakai is the producer, which likely at the time a female artist producing her own work was more rare. I will also say this album in particular feels personal, which I ascribe to her expanded role on the album as the producer. 

Track 1: "Eien"

Izumi Sakai / Akihito Tokunaga / Akihito Tokunaga

Vocals: 5 Music: 4.5 Production: 5 

"Between you and me I wonder if we could see forever" is such an amazing phrase and this song starts of at a slow clip but comes up to speed.  Sakai's vocals are very much at the forefront but the arrangement and music is not overwhelmed by her. There is a depth of sound as well that is really nice. It is hard not to say this is Sakai at her best.

Track 2: "My Baby Grand ~Nukumori ga Hoshikute~"

Izumi Sakai / Tetsurō Oda / Daisuke Ikeda

Vocals: 4.25 Music: 4 Production: 3.75 

I'll be honest "My Baby Grand" is a song I have had many feelings about over the years.  But end of the day this love song won me over and I think it is a good bridge song back to ZARD's earlier songs, but with very solid production.  The piano work is definitely a signature of Oda and his music is complementary of Sakai's delivery.  Maybe the only thing on this track is the music is just a touch too forward, not to the point of fighting with Sakai but it is close. 

Track 3: "Wake Up Make The Morning Last ~Wasure Gataki Hito he~'

Izumi Sakai / Hiroya Fukuyama/ Hirohito Furui

Vocals: 3.25  Music: 3 Production: 2.75 

There is a bit of a 70s throwback to the track and that's not bad, but the horns are a little too much.  Backing vocals don't work great for me, but I think Sakai is doign her own backing in parts which is uncommon.  Kind of a melancholy song to me, but just kind of average.  

Track 4: "Brand New Love"

Izumi Sakai / Masaaki Wanatuki /Akihito Tokunaga

Vocals: 5 Music: 5 Production: 4.75

The lyrics on "Brand New Love" are voluminous and structured.  Sakai's vocals are absolutely top notch and she hits some notes really well that maybe she could not have before.  The music is dialed up with a Japanese metal feel, but counterbalanced with Sakai's vocals.  Backing vocals are really good. Its definitely a song with a lot of emotions, but even anger comes off differently with Sakai. 

 

Track 5: "Unmei no Roulette Mawashite"  

Izumi Sakai / Seiichiro Kuribayashi / Daisuke Ikeda

Vocals: 3.5 Music: 3.25 Production: 3.25

There is a musically deep opening to the song, then it jumps to Sakai almost alone.  It figures itself out but it is an odd song musically. I do not mean that negatively, it just hits the ears differently.  Sakai's vocals have a couple of spots that maybe she should not have tried for that high note.  It is a probably more interesting than great, but I would not mind it if it came up on rotation.

Track 6: "Tooi Hoshi wo Kazoete"

Izumi Sakai / Masato Kitano / Hirohito Furui

Vocals: 4.25 Music: 3 Production: 3 

A slow love song.  Sakai's vocals are really great, backing vocals are not great in parts.  Musically it is pretty simple, very piano and synth focused. Production is on point, but maybe backing vocals should have been push back a little at points. This is a song I score fairly well, but not a song I'd seek out, but might not skip if it came up in rotation either.

Track 7: "Atarashii Door ~Fuyu no Himawari~"

Izumi Sakai / Masato Kitano / Hirohito Furui

Vocals: 4.25  Music: 3.75 Production: 3.25  

Opens and end with a poppy fun sound, then the middle shifts into a more serious tone.  The back minute of the track feels like a bit of padding, the song would not have suffered being removed. This kind feels at odds. I think its a song about a love that was and going on alone.  Sakai's vocals are really good here, I wonder if this is one of her personal songs versus something a friend experienced?  Music is good and is assertive or more passive as it needs to be but if Sakai is singing it definitely gets pushed back.  Production is good though like the music there is a slight dated feel to the overall song. 

Track 8: "Good Day"

Izumi Sakai / Masaaki Watanuki / Daisuke Ikeda

Vocals: 4.5 Music: 2.75 Production: 3.75 

I am not sure this is a good day... feels like a one night stand and walk away.  Musically this is very 80s/90s rock in sound and a little overwrought. Sakai shows a lot of range on this track though.  Arrangement and production is great, everything is well balanced against Sakai. For me, this track is a little bit of a guilty pleasure, I like it a little more than my numbers would suggest. A bit of padding in the back minute of the song, the album is hefty there is not a lot of air. 

Track 9: "I Feel Fine, Yeah!"

Izumi Sakai / Makoto Miyoshi / Hirohito Furui

Vocals: 4.75 Music: 4.5 Production: 4.25 

A happy, peppy throwback love song.  I'll be honest this song is so different from the tracks on the "Eien" and what Sakai has sung in the past that it is a perfect choice.  Everything is dialed in very well, though Sakai's vocals could have been brought up a quarter notch.  There is also a couple bits that backup vocals get a little echo-y.  Too bad this did not make the 35th anniversary collection, it is distinctive and a significant re-master would have been amazing.  For me this is the surprise track on "Eien." 

Track 10: "Shoujo no Koro ni Modotta Mitai ni" 

Izumi Sakai /  Aika Ohno / Daisuke Ikeda

Vocals: 4.75  Music: 4.25 Production: 4  

Opens with a chirpy piano, then more serious.  Befitting a love song for sure.  There is an odd sound in the music, I know it is deliberate but comes off sounding like a hiss.  Sakai's vocals are very good here.  Given the piano focus, pretty easy to tell it is an an Aika Ohno song, which is great as Ohno has always felt a little under celebrated (note she's the only B-Gram talent that was on the orchestral memorial concert).  Ikeda's arrangement is good, though the guitars don't feel completely right. 

Track 11: "Iki mo Dekinai" 

Izumi Sakai / Tetsuro Oda / Takeshi Hayama

Vocals: 5 Music: 5 Production: 5 

This is a perfect song and absolutely everyone delivers this power pop masterpiece.  The song structure is something else, to me is is chorus leading into another chorus and it is very different than what Oda had done before with Zard. Sakai's vocals are powerful and tinged with sweetness, but I guess love is complicated.  If I had to pick the most distilled Zard song "Iki mo Deinai" would be a contender.  My favorite track on the album and I would be hard pressed to name a song I love more. 

Track 12: "Kaze ga Toori Nukeru Machi he"

Izumi Sakai / Tetsuro Oda / Daisuke Ikeda

Vocals: 3.75 Music: 3 Production: 3 

A very busy opening with some talking in the background.  This is definitely a throwback song with modern production.  Sakai's delivery is a tiny bit off, mostly issues with her high notes, when she goes a little deeper with her unique delivery its nice.  A few parts feel like music is fighting with her vocals.  They could throw the flute bit into Tokyo Bay and not miss it... A track to fill out the album and its hard to stand next to "Iki mo Dekinai," which is a ridiculously great track. No real issues with the song its fine and I would not hit next.  

Track 13: "Photograph"  

Izumi Sakai / Akihito Tokunaga / Akihito Tokunaga

Vocals: 4.5 Music: 4 Production: 4 

A touching love song and I think the perfect track to end "Eien."  Sakai's vocals are really strong and objectively this is one of her best.  A shame this did not make the 35th re-master, its a great song.  Tokunaga helming music and arrangement does a really nice job here.  

My opinion of "Eien" might be different than others.  I am listening to ZARD's album sequentially and can only compare against what I have heard thus far as part of the exercise.  Even without my spin, "Eien" is arguably her best overall album, every track earns a place on the album and none are fillers.  This is ZARD (really Sakai) at her best and most refined. Likewise there are enough tracks that sound different that I would suggest she was still discovering herself musically, which after eight albums is remarkable.  The shift to her being producer of her albums shows.  I can comfortably give this album nearly a half point bump as an adjustment, everything works and is better than the sum of its parts. 

Overall:

Vocals: 4.36  Music: 3.84  Production: 3.82

Overall Score: 4.01

Adjusted Score: 4.5

Cross Posted on Reddit: here...