is the ninth studio album by Japanese musician, producer, and composer Masayoshi Takanaka, released by Kitty Records on 10 March 1981.
Inspired by the picture book of the same name by Italian artist Ul de Rico, Takanaka set out to create a fully realized concept album. Influenced by progressive rock bands like King Crimson and Pink Floyd, he blended his signature guitar work with layered arrangements and vivid soundscapes to match the bookâÂÂs visual and narrative depth. The result is one of his most ambitious and imaginative works.
The Rainbow Goblins tells the story of seven goblins who each survive by stealing the colors of rainbows. We follow them as they journey through valleys, forests, and mountains in search of the legendary Valley of Rainbows. As they close in on their goal, nature turns against them. In the end, the rainbow pulls its colors away, and the goblins are defeated, ending with the powerful final track, "You Can Never Come to This Place", featuring a guitar solo from Takanaka.
The album creates a rich musical journey that follows the arc of the original picture book, capturing its eerie illustrations and poetic tone. Each track reflects a stage in the story, and short spoken narrations between songs help tell the tale.
On release day, 10 March 1981, the album was performed live in full at Nippon Budokan and released on video. Several songs, however, were cut from the final footage.
In recent years, The Rainbow Goblins has gained new recognition as interest in city pop and jazz fusion has grown.
The album has been described as an "iconic" "touchstone". The creator of "Takanaka Vibes" was inspired by the video.
Credits and personnel adapted from liner notes
The album Niji Densetsu reached number 4 on the Music Labo albums chart, having debuted at number 7. The album reached number 2 on the Cash Box LPs chart, and number 3 on the Oricon chart.
The album won a planning award (ä¼Âç»è³Â) at the 23rd Japan Record Awards.