What do people think?
Never really listened to them much before. Always liked 'Ghosts', which must be the strangest/unlikeliest top 5 hit ever.
Been hooked on this recently; great drumming, and I like the Belew-esque guitar part
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35trBS-LWok
I was in my early teens when Japan split up.
I absolutely loved them. The live album Oil on Canvas is still a big favourite of mine. The version of Gentlemen Take Polaroids on there is superb.
Once you've explored Japan, if you're still of a mind and like things a little jazzier then check out his solo album 'Secrets of the Beehive'. It's a top twenty album for me - beautiful.
yeah I heard Red Guitar years ago
and really liked it; Brilliant Trees is slowly, slowly downloading on p2p now.
Same age as me then!
And it's not far off the truth to say that David Sylvian has provided the soundtrack to my life since then.
And let's be honest, there has NEVER been a better rhythm section than Karn & Jansen. EVER. And I'll offer anyone outside who disagrees! ;)
Sylvian's voice has also matured so beautifully. He's by far a better singer now. One of the greats, right up there with Scott Walker and Tim Buckley in my book.
Huh, thaz the 1st time I've ever seen a Japan video
(Near-)great band. I've mentioned 'em several times over the years here...so there're a few of us who remember and like.
I always preferred their early
stuff like Suburban Berlin to the later, weirder stuff.
i <3 japan
skirting right along the ridiculous /sublime razor from the off
glam rock is it?
albums out how, like, cool China is?
dead bees on a cake?
riiiight?
I have huge love for all of their albums.
What a voice, though...
Assemblage is a wall to wall genius comp.
Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Quiet Life and Tin Drum stand up beautifully still.
Oil On Canvas is the only live album I like (apart from Stage, Live After Death and um..Beatles & Hollywood Bowl).
Nightporter on their sends shivers up my spine (is the bassline).
I kind of lost the faith a bit when Sylvian went solo but recently bought Brilliant Trees and it is surprisingly awesome.
Am about to go a little further toward the present.
Secrets Of the Beehine next, is it?
I like
Tin Drum the best.
Nine Horses
Better than all the solo stuff. Really.
In fact, best thing he's ever done. And that's quite a feat.
's funny
i would call that early stuff 'weird' and the later stuff 'normal'. I like both periods.
Japan are/were great
They were the only band both me and my sister loved back in 81/82 and possibly the only band we both still love. Recently bought the 'Everything and Nothing' compilation which is a compilation of Sylvian's work including a reworked Ghosts. Hadn't heard a lot of his solo stuff, but his voice has indeed got much stronger. Love 'Pop song.'
I spent
years 12-16 obsessed with Japan - lets put it this way, i've got over 20 bootleg vinyl albums of theirs.
Tin Drum is sounding really great again at the moment for me, really fucking odd and otherworldly, but pop too.
As a matter of interest for Japan fans, Peter Brewis from Field Music has got a new project The Week That Was, he's been quoted saying that he's blatantly ripping off Tin Drum era Japan, especially Steve Jansens (remarkable) drumming. www.myspace.com/theweekthatwas