ALL OF ME

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Released in 1979, ALL OF ME is Masayoshi Takanaka’s first best-of album, but it has developed an identity far beyond that functional description. Spread across two LPs, it draws from his early solo period and collects tracks such as “OH! TENGO SUERTE,” “TROPIC BIRDS,” “BRASILIAN SKIES,” “STAR WARS SAMBA,” “SEXY DANCE,” “MALIBU,” and “READY TO FLY.” Heard in sequence, the compilation makes Takanaka’s musical world unusually clear: Latin rhythm, Brazilian influence, funk, jazz-fusion, rock guitar, and tropical imagery are all treated with the same playful lightness. His guitar tone is technically polished but rarely aggressive; even fast passages tend to feel buoyant rather than heavy. That accessibility is a major reason ALL OF ME has become such a useful entry point for later listeners discovering Japanese fusion. The record also works surprisingly well as a continuous album because its selections share a strong sense of color and motion. Rather than presenting Takanaka as a virtuoso in isolation, ALL OF ME emphasizes the atmosphere around the playing—sun, travel, rhythm, and the almost cartoonishly vivid optimism that became central to his visual and musical identity.