YMMV / Solid State Survivor

• Covered Up: An odd case— Most Westerners heard the version of "Behind the Mask" rewritten by Michael Jackson, most famously performed by Eric Clapton (though Jackson first gave his version to Greg Philliganes). In a case of Approval of God, Sakamoto loved this version and recorded it with Bernard Fowler on vocals for his Live Album Media Bahn Live and then released a studio recording as a single. Nowadays, the Jackson version is most well-known on account of the heavy publicity surrounding its inclusion in his posthumous 2010 album Michael (Jackson having one of the biggest and most persistent cults of personality in the music world certainly helps).
• Even Better Sequel: While Yellow Magic Orchestra was already well-regarded for its catchy melodies and clever parodies of Orientalism, Solid State Survivor is generally seen as an even further step up, being marked as the point where YMO came into their own both musically and thematically.
• Growing the Beard: The album is generally regarded as the point where YMO really started finding their footing as a group, casting off the novelty-driven elements of their debut album in favor of carving their own, eclectic niche in the Synth-Pop scene.
• Signature Song: In Japan, "Rydeen" is the band's most iconic song, to the point where it was a regular inclusion in video games in the 80's and got a chart-topping re-recording from the band in 2007. "Behind the Mask" comes close in the west, but is better remembered for the various cover versions by western artists (most famously Michael Jackson) than for the YMO original.
• Tough Act to Follow: Critical consensus largely holds up Solid State Survivor as YMO's finest album, and it sold more than any of their other albums as well. Consequently, while their later work continues to see good critical marks and sold well in its own time, much of its recognition sits in the shadow of this album.

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