Flower Travellin' Band

Make Up, the fourth album from pioneering Japanese rock outfit Flower Travellin’ Band, captures the group at a point of bold experimentation and artistic growth. Released in 1973, the record was conceived as a deliberate hybrid of live performance intensity and studio-crafted exploration, offering listeners an immersive portrait of a band expanding its sonic and creative horizons.

Following the band’s return from Canada, Flower Travellin’ Band set out to build an album that balanced raw concert power with the freedoms of the recording studio. From the outset the group planned a mix of live and studio material: acoustic pieces and compositions difficult to reproduce onstage were developed alongside full-bore live performances. The result is a textured, unpredictable record that showcases both the band’s tight chemistry and their willingness to push boundaries.

A number of tracks were captured live at Yokosuka Bunka Kaikan on September 16, 1972 — specifically tracks 1, 2, 5, 7 and 8 — transmitting the immediacy and force of the group’s stage presence. Track 9 is presented as a live studio recording, further blurring the line between concert spontaneity and studio craft. The album also highlights a deeper collaborative spirit: as the members matured musically and personally, individual contributions grew more prominent, giving Make Up a diverse palette of voices and ideas.