Takanaka Masayoshi – Super Selection (Translucent Red Vinyl, RSD BF 2026)

Masayoshi Takanaka's Super Selection returns to vinyl 45 years after its original 1981 release, gathering highlights from his Victor years at a moment when Japanese fusion was finding its open, melodic identity. Rather than functioning as a simple best-of, it sketches an important stretch of Takanaka's development, including work connected to Sadistics and centering the bright, instantly recognisable guitar style that helped define his place in the scene.

The selection balances originals with characterful adaptations, showing how comfortably Takanaka moved between smooth melodic writing, rhythmic precision and funkier grooves. Tracks such as "Samba Pati," "Blue Curacao" and "Ready To Fly" point to that range without overexplaining it: lyrical when it needs to be, but always driven by touch, tone and movement. For newcomers, it is a compact way into a formative era; for longtime fans, it pulls together a particularly well-chosen snapshot of the period.

This 2026 Record Store Day Black Friday edition also carries some real archival appeal. Issued as an independent-store exclusive by Victor Entertainment Japan, it brings Super Selection back to LP in a limited translucent red pressing, giving a long-gap compilation from Takanaka's catalogue a timely physical return.