Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Things would get even more interesting (and completely out there in Sylvia's solo career) but this is a landmark of New Romantic / Synth. Captivating, dark yet lush and hyper-stylised music.
This album was pretty good. I'm glad it's on here, because I've wanted to listen to it. I wish some of the songs were a bit shorter or that they'd change up a little more, but it was still nice. I'm surprised this album has such a low rating. My favourite songs were Quiet Life, Halloween, and A Foreign Place.
I had never heard about "Japan" (the band, not the country, of course, 🤣 (I'm so funny)), and when it started, I thought it was some 70/80's standard pop easy to listen to and forgettable. However, from song to song, I noted some lovely rock influences and even some very interesting jazzy mixed with the pop style. It's not perfect and deserves three stars, but I'll rate it with four just because of the surprise.
Lotsa bops, album is disorganized on Spotify. Oh well.
Pretty good album, though not all songs work for me. The opening title track is great, but I do not like the Velvet Underground cover, for example. As far as I remember, I found Gentlemen Take Polaroids much more impressive.
Highlights: A Foreign Place, Alien
I thought this was a very good showing within its genre and era. Reading old reviews it seems like it got slagged a bit for being derivative of more recognized new wave heroes, but I feel like it innovates beyond its influences. It lags in places and the vocals have that 80s synth-guy affect that isn’t my favorite thing, but overall I liked it a lot.
Kicking myself for not giving this album a chance sooner, because it was fantastic. With strong roots in Bowie and especially Roxy Music, Japan is part of that first wave of New Romantic and synth pop that would be everywhere within 3 or 4 years of when it came out in 1979. The sound is slick and stylish, but also subtly soulful and musically without any real flaws. In fact, as much as it's influenced by Roxy Music, in some ways Quiet Life is a tighter, better-executed album than a lot of Roxy's later stuff. I also feel like this is the album Duran Duran probably wish they made. The whole band is a tight machine here, but Mick Karn deserves extra props for some splendid work on bass and sax. If I have a critique, it's that the album loses a little steam on the back half. But I had a lot of fun with this one and will definitely come back to it. Fave Songs: Quiet Life, Despair, Fall in Love with Me, Alien, The Other Side of Life
Rating: 6.6 Best Track: Despair
I bought this when it was first released and it has more than stood the test of time.
excellent, la voix la compo, c'est expérimental et dingue je kiffe bcp
Pretty good British art pop / synth pop.
It was good.
Alright. Different,
I would give this 3 stars (good), but I'm giving it an extra star because I have such deep respect for the musicians involved. David Sylvian would go on to make some of the most transcendent music as a solo artist. Richard Barbieri will later be a part of Porcupine Tree.
It's the most relaxed of new romantic. Honestly it's very nice and cool.
Despair je banger
Generous 4. Moody music which I wasn't expecting with the synth style but could see myself listening to this a few times.
7/10 F.t.: In Vogue
If Japan stole some from Roxy Music, then Duran Duran stole most [maybe all] from Japan. I don’t know whether this is more New Wave or New Romantic, but it feels ahead of its time for ‘79 and a big advance from glam which had got awfully tired. Certainly, this sounds like the '80s looked. Way underrated.
Some great tracks on here. Ahead of their time and way better than their rock beginnings.
Good
Really enjoyed this! Very groovy, very 80s.
Really good and unexpectedly substantive . The sax steals the show on several cuts and this one’s easily my fave version of “All Tomorrow’s Parties.”
This was... pretty decent for 80s synth pop that i'd never heard of.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the member of Duran Duran listened to this a lot before recording their first album. In fact, a few of the songs I would have sworn were Duran Duran had I not known. I liked this album much more than Duran Duran though, but that could be because these songs are fresh to my ears. Can definitely hear some Roxy Music influence on a few songs. I guess Japan is the missing link between Roxy Music and Duran Duran. 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
Very good, very different from the other Japan stuff I’ve heard. A lot of influence/ sound connections between 80s pop rock like Duran Duran- but darker. Really cool listen, will look out for more Japan!
op een of andere manier heb ik dit album 2x geluisterd. Het was erg lekker, relaxed en toch ook intrigerend. Japan was wel echt een band waar een vriend (John) van mij fan van was, wellicht telde dat wel mee.
Nice album. It is straight 80's goodness.
This really had moments where it felt like a synth forward Talking Heads band. I liked it more and more as the album progressed.
Неожиданный альбом на 4- (7 по 10-ти балльной шкале). Не знал ничего о группе, не слышал их песен, поэтому получился вполне приятный сюрприз
pretty good i think maybe
The missing link between glam and New Romantics. Clearly heavily influenced by Lou Red, VU, New York Dolls, and Berlin-era Bowie, but leaning into a softer, more spacious sound that they became known for in the early 80s. Funny to hear how much Sylvian changed his vocal style from the first two albums. Love Mick Karn's bass playing; it is weird and distinctive and strangely funky, and always adds a fresh surprise.
4/5. The 80s are back baby 😎
I'm really enjoying early synthpop as I learn more about it. This album seems really really well formed for the time it was made. The production of the album is excellent. Giorgio Moroder's influence on the album seems like it adds a lot, though I haven't heard the bands earlier works to compare it to. Super fun pop album that has a lot of elements of synth music that will come to prominence in the decades to follow. This album also features what might be my favorite Velvet Underground cover in All Tomorrow's Parties 4/5
Never had heard of this group but I really enjoyed the music.
Japan instantly brought to my mind Duran Duran to me as their sound seemed very similar. But I see that this was released several years before Duran Duran, so I can assume Japan were one of the early creators of this 80s sound. I started out a little ambivalent about this album. It was hard not to compare the infectious hooks present in the best songs from Duran Duran, The Human League, A Flock Of Seagulls, Spandau Ballet, ABC and the like. On my first listen of this nothing stood out like the best of those bands... But every time I listen to this I discover new great moments. It seems I had to listen a little harder to discover these moments, but they are emerging. Maybe it is just a matter of time until Japan becomes one of my staples of the synth-pop sound. I keep adding to the list of favorite songs at the bottom of these notes and it has become nearly a list of all of the tracks… My favorite songs: Quiet Life, Fall In Love With Me, Despair, In Vogue, Halloween, All Tomorrow's Parties
Pretty good! I was surprised! Remember these from being a kid but never really knew much of the their music but I enjoyed it. Like a cross between Duran Duran, Depeche Mode and the Cure
Enjoyed it. Very 80's
Super enjoyed this proto new wave album
Wasn’t familiar with this but it was an enjoyable listen!
New to me! Really interesting listen. I enjoyed it and will return to it in the future
Contrairement à mon rival eltrapeze, j'ai globalement apprécié la proposition musicale de cet album. J'écris d'ailleurs en ce moment même cette critique en pleine heure de cours avec ma classe de sixième au sein de mon collège situé en Basse-Saxe (vous savez déjà que j'exerce comme professeur assistant). Voici comment j'ai obtenu le droit de me comporter ainsi en toute liberté. Hier s'est en effet tenue dans mon école une longue réunion entre syndicats de professeurs et syndicats de directeurs dont l'objet était une renégociation des conditions de travail et la conclusion d'un accord de branche applicable à l'ensemble des écoles du Land de Niedersachsen. Bien qu'étant nouveau et n'ayant aucun mandat, j'ai réussi à localiser la salle dans laquelle se tenait cette réunion, ai ouvert discrètement la porte et me suis assis à la table des négociations parmi les syndicalistes sans que personne ne remarque ma présence. La discussion portait au moment de mon arrivée sur le nombre de jours de congés à attribuer en période de maternité. Pendant que les négociations se poursuivaient, je lançai lentement le fil d'une canne à pêche miniature de ma propre conception vers le papier sur lequel les points d'accord étaient rédigés et, une fois celui-ci accroché, le tira furtivement vers moi en enroulant le fil de la bobine. Une fois à portée de main, j'y annotai mes quelques revendications et le refis glisser vers sa place d'origine avant de repartir par la même porte que celle par laquelle j'étais rentré plus tôt. L'accord de branche négocié a été publié ce matin au Journal Officiel allemand, je vous joins l'extrait qui nous intéresse : « ... Das ist also der Grund, warum Frauen, die Babys machen, sich ruhig ein paar Tage ausruhen können. Sagen wir grob zehn Tage. § 14 Et donc comme je disais les profs, parmi lesquels Robfourmilière, pourront écouter les albums fournis par Robert et les critiquer pendant les heures de cours sans qu'on vienne les emmerder. § 15 Eltrapeze est interdit de séjour en Basse-Saxe. § 16 Die Jungs, die Babys herstellen, dürfen auch ein paar Tage frei haben, aber nur vier. So einfach ist das. » J'ai donc maintenant la possibilité d'exercer mon activité principale sur mon lieu de travail en toute légalité.
Znam i dobri su
Dobar je ovaj Japan, kao država! Sviđa mi se album. Fall in Love With Me i Alien su mi najdraži sa albuma, a iskreno po mojoj definiciji covera, treba biti kao što je on napravio za All Tomorrow's Parties (inače izvorno od Velvet Undergrounda gdje je Nico na vokalu). Despair je takva pjesma koja paše u noć, definitivno ima taj štih, dok In Vogue dosta podsjeća na stari The Cure. Sve u svemu, album nije overstajo svoju dobrodošlicu.
this was surprising good, with combinations of folk and jazz. smooth easy complexity.
Good early new wave, but didn't really hook me on any of their songs.
I enjoyed this album quite a bit. It sits on the border of New Wave and Glam Rock and anticipates Goth Rock. Some of the songs were a little too drawn out but it was an easy listen. The album wasn’t overly reliant on synth and had a good balance with a strong backbeat
Excellent
Muy buen disco. Tuve que escucharlo más de 1 vez para sentir su potencial.
A cool, moody, Duran Duran-esque new wave record. A lot of really good songs and the album flows really well. Loved the singer’s voice, and the bass was AWESOME.
goodo
Strange mish mash of synthpop and dark sombre songs. However, even though it doesn't work the best as an album, there are some incredible songs on here. Despair, The Other Side of Life, and the cover of All Tomorrow's Parties were excellent. And I still can't get over this is from the 70s; very ahead of it's time.
Всё же хороший альбом. Грамотно выстроенные композиции, оригинальный подбор инструментов, продуманные партии. Последние особенно в уши бросаются, когда в наушниках на фоне слышишь что-то действительно интересное. Среди треков могу выделить Despair с её сильной атмосферой. В целом, не могу сказать, что узнаю треки, если где-то услышу. Что внутренне намекает, что субъект - просто приятный проходняк. При фоновом переслушивании пытался выцепить треки, что резали бы ухо или казались явно лишними. Но не удавалось, впечатления были скорее положительными. Так что снова конформистская оценка.
Muy ochentas, new wave y así pero siento que un poco más dark, corríjanme sí me equivoco
Dromerige New Wave muziek met een sterk pop-kantje. Ik vond dit wel een aangenaam album
Really good, enjoyed this much more than I thought i would
Sí me gustó, está darketón. Tiene sus toques hipnóticos, que su pop, que su rock, que su post-punk, sobre todo el sonido del bajo es lo que más disfruté a lo largo del disco. Canción que más me gustó: Halloween. Mood: zombificado.
Me gustó, no tenía idea de qué esperar, pero ya que escuché sabía que es algo que disfruto. Una combinación de sintetizadores con las cuerdas y la batería y ya está ese sonido característico de los ochenta. Me sonó a lo que luego lueguito estaría haciendo Tears for Fears. Realmente no tuve skips (no escuché la versión delux), aunque mis favs quizá fueron "In Vogue" y "Halloween". Pero todo bien, a gusto. 9/10
Japan, the good old band. 😌 Lovely music as always.
Sehr stark
I liked it. I has the good parts of 80's without the excessive synths and drums. 4.5
Super fun, 80s pop sound.
A surprising listen, With some synth-pop sounds I rather enjoyed. "Quiet Life" is definitely a stand-out track, and "Despair" sound great even if not a shuffle-worthy song.
Just thinking of him as an off brand Bowie isn’t entirely fair. What a voice.
A bit of a letdown. Definitely has moments but the whole drags a bit. Maybe a second listen will change my mind though
This was actually pretty good… but fell apart a little bit for me later in the record.
Didn't gel with this as much as I was expecting. It was good but I think I'll need to do some re-listening to fully appreciate it. Perhaps it doesn't work as a summer album either. Always been a fan of Japan's individual songs. They're a great arty, late night band. 'Quiet life' I've heard many times, I prefer the single version to album version. Fall in love with me, alien and Halloween were highlights. Overall, it was interesting experience but I can't say I love it (yet). Meek 3 stars for now.
Better than expected but nothing special
I bet these guys can do some mean Duran Duran covers. Its okay, nothing spectacular, really. Another British Pop album for the heap I guess.
Fine? Only on here because of where the author is from. Definitely not essential
It ended up blending into background noise but it wasn't unpleasant. I should give it another chance.
Started great then tailed off. Enough to make it worth another listen.
The piano riff in Despair was the best part of this album for me. The rest kind of missed the mark. I suppose if I was in a sad emo mood - and wanted to be depressed this would be a great album. but I want to be happy so I was just bored.
It was alright like
*1979. *Along the lines of The Cure, Depeche Mode, etc. *Definitely dug the sound, although there's nothing memorable here. (The same song was on the Spotify album 3 times, and I didn't notice until the 3rd time...) *Would definitely listen to this again as background music. RATING - 7.5/10
Moody. I liked it well enough, but I don’t think it’s one I’ll revisit.
I was skeptical at first but this grew on me. Not the best thing out there but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Its some kind of synth heavy mix. Wheather thats rock or pop or some kinda wave. Im not too sure. The standout stuff for me is the bass. There are some damn near claypoolian links here. Maybe not as solidly flashy like primus but there are flashes of that tone at the very least. And the synths are pretty good too. Im less into the rest of the formula but its passable at least. The moodiness is nice ill give it that. But thats about what I got for Japan. Other than i was wondering if this is Asia just more specific. Anyway its good and better than I expected. Solid record.
Album #191 Japan: Quiet Life As an avid enjoyer of all things new wave and synthpop, I am familiar with Japan and David Sylvian and have checked out some of their later work, but somehow I had never listened to any of their first few albums. My impression of them after listening to an album like Tin Drum was that they were a very talented and influential band, but one that perhaps suffered from a lack of identity: they were trying to be pretentious and avant-garde in a genre which is inherently accessible. However, there was enough to their sound to convince me of their merit, so I was definitely expecting good things from this album, and I was not disappointed. Japan were one of the first bands to really embrace this sound of gloomy pop, as Quiet Life sounds like it could have come out in the mid 80s, similar to something by Duran Duran or Depeche Mode; however, this release actually came out amidst the embers of the punk movement and the blossoming of post-punk. The electronic sound and synths on display would only become more prevalent in the coming decade, so Japan were certainly forward-thinking as far as bands outside of Germany go. That does seem to be Sylvian’s style, always looking for ways to expand the conventions of music; whether or not it becomes transcendent or boring is the problem. Quiet Life seems like the perfect mix between a more accessible style that Japan started with, and the more experimental sound that they would discover. I think as far as new wave inclusions on this list, this one is definitely valid, albeit not a personal favourite. Always love a Velvet Underground cover too. Best Songs: Quiet Life, All Tomorrow’s Parties, In Vogue Worst Song: Despair Score out of 10: 7.5
Duran Duran had to be influenced by this band. They sound so much alike. Three stars.
I groaned when I read about this and played the first track but I actually Enjoyed some of the music itself (excluding the singing). Did I need it in my life before I die? Maybe not, but has some intriguing sounds on it
"Quiet Life" is definitely a transitional album for pop music of the 70s and 80s. It goes from Glam to New Wave, Bowie to Duran Duran.
Very early New Romantic stuff here, Duran Duran definitely took a leaf here
Fine. I think i liked it. Was a few days ago and nothing stood out but had good ambience
Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Quiet Life and The Other Side of Life Date listened: 20/06/26 Listen when: 80s themed drive with Dad Use of instruments makes this, the sax in Despair and strings in The Other Side of Life. Just not a genre that attracts me in general but did genuinely enjoy songs. Nothing that really excited me though.
3.5 New Wave
I think I have heard of this band don't think I have listened to much of their stuff. Sound a little the Police-ish. Cool stuff.
This record grew on me a bit, Japan not being the progenitors of synth pop-rock but still a bit ahead of the curve in 1980. Where the songs sweep dramatically I find them to be the most interesting, but some cuts lack a foothold of emotion. Anyone working with Giorgio Morodor has some taste, of course. The bonus remixes on the deluxe edition are cool, but the Live at Budokan stuff is only for die-hards...quality recording was lacking.
New Wave before the New Wave mainstream. I appreciate it. I'm fighting some sort of sinus or tonsil infection and feeling like crap, and thus a little impatient and having a bit of listening fatigue less than halfway through. Not the best mood to be in for an album review. At least three stars though
Cool atmospheric sound, but not so much catchy.
3.5 suenan muy 80 e inspiradores pero falta el fine tunning
Good off to a good start then drifted.
One of those albums where I can totally see why it's great but it's just bit really my thing
Liked the higher tempo stuff, did not like some of the slower more experimental tracks as much, with the exception of “All Tommorow’s Parties”. That track was cool, and a bit more psychedelic in nature. “Despair” was the low point of the record for me. “Halloween” was the highlight. Feeling a 3/5 on this one.
I let out an initial groan when I heard that archetypical 80's pop vibe until I realised this is a 70's record and thus impressively inventive in context. Especially given this is a pretty downbeat take on it. This lead me to go down a mental rabbit hole about influential bands which ended up with my thinking about The Velvet Underground immediately before the cover of All Tomorrow's Parties on this record - which I didn't know was there - started playing. Which was weird. Anyway, inventive or not, unfortunately for Japan that archetypical 80's pop vibe has not aged well.
Neat album, nothing really much to remark about it. Favorite Track: Quiet Life
Enjoyable, but I won't put it in my regular rotation. The best track was a Velvet Underground cover.
Note to self: never make a band named to something that is really hard to search for online. The album is off to a good start with 'Quiet Life', which has a really cool synth arp. Overall I found the album good sounding with some interesting tunes of varying energy. Very 80s synth pop sounding, but in a good way! I liked the overall tone of the album, but it lacked some hit songs to get a higher rating. Strong 3 for now!
Me gusta ese estilo de música, pero, tampoco hay tantas canciones épicas para destacar.
Menetteli. 2,5/5.
You can definitely see where the sound they would expand on started here, but it's not quite great yet Fav tracks: In Vogue, Halloween, Quiet Life
Interesting to hear that sounds like mid-80s New Wave a few years earlier. As with many styles, the originators aren’t always the most well known. This was competent, but without the nostalgia factor I give it 3⭐️.
Well put together early electro rock, but the songs are mostly pretty drab. Singing is a bit whiny too. Otherwise not bad, and I'm sure influential at the time
Something evocative about this
Could be a grower
Not bad but not something I would listen to again. I like the atmosphere but the all tommorows parties cover isnt very good 6/10 Favourite: Quiet Life Least Favourite: All Tommorows Parties
A bit too Bowie sound-alike for my taste. Good tracks and production overall, but I prefer their later records
Quiet Life ist das dritte Studioalbum der englischen Band Japan und markiert einen entscheidenden Stilwandel in deren Karriere. Aufgenommen in den AIR Studios und den DJM Studios in London unter der Regie von John Punter und Simon Napier-Bell, verlässt die Band auf diesem Album weitgehend den Glam-Rock ihrer Anfangsjahre und wendet sich einem kühlen, synthetisch grundierten Sound zu, der Hansa Records zwar noch als Heimatlabel hatte, aber bereits auf die Ästhetik der folgenden Virgin-Phase vorausweist. Die Produktion ist dicht und sorgfältig geschichtet, ohne je in Überladenheit zu kippen. David Sylvians Stimme, nun deutlich tiefer und kontrollierter als noch auf den Vorgängeralben, trägt maßgeblich zur hypnotischen Wirkung des Werks bei. Der Titeltrack „Quiet Life" destilliert den Albumgeist auf knappstem Raum – verhalten, melancholisch, mit einem Groove, der sich nie ganz auflöst. Die Coverversionen von „I Second That Emotion" (Smokey Robinson) und Lou Reeds „All Tomorrow's Parties" sind keine bloßen Referenzübungen, sondern eigenständige Neuinterpretationen, die Japan vollständig für sich beansprucht. Mick Karns Fretless-Bass verleiht dem Gesamtklang eine organische Unruhe, die das Album vor Kälte bewahrt. Quiet Life war zunächst kein kommerzieller Erfolg – erst mit dem Wiederaufgreifen des Titelstücks als Single Ende 1981 und im Windschatten von Tin Drum erreichte das Album Gold-Status in Großbritannien. Die Nachwirkung auf die britische Synthpop-Szene der frühen Achtziger ist kaum zu überschätzen; Bands wie Depeche Mode oder Talk Talk schöpften aus demselben Reservoir, das Japan hier erstmals in dieser Reinheit zapfte. Quiet Life ist eines jener seltenen Übergangsalben, das rückblickend vollständiger wirkt als in dem Moment, in dem es erschien.
Very easy to see that Duran, Duran stole a lot of ideas from these guys! If you didn’t know any better you’d think it was them. Not a bad album
Synth-y atmosphere mixed with some old school British rock that almost demands a fog machine and neon lights. When the instruments come together it has such a strong presence that is helped by the somber vocal style. There are long stretches between these in the songs where I can see the oomph is lost but I think they made an album that all works with itself.
It was ahh
I like this. It's like a bridge between Roxy Music and Duran Duran.
Album #90: Quiet Life - Japan Genre (W): Synth-pop, art pop, pop rock, new wave, post-punk Singles: Quiet Life I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: The production is great but overall I found the lyrics and tone boring. I wonder if other albums by Japan would enthrall me more than this one did. Favorite songs: Quiet Life, Fell in Love with Me, In Vogue, All Tomorrow’s Parties, The Other Side of Life
Not my jam in particular, but it seems like every 80s hair band stole at least some element of their sound from Japan.
Смитс с синтезаторами и саксофоном. Вообще говоря, неплохой такой нью-вейв, довольно атмосферный, с классическим восьмидесятошным звучанием, интересными синтезаторными партиями и даже необычными гитарными звуками (не только аккорды с хорусом). Короче, норм
Average, but not bad. I can see how a new wave album released in 1979 is extremely influential.
I first came to Japan via David Sylvian's chilling vocals on Ryuichi Sakamoto's theme song for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. Stunned, I sought more. Quiet Life is more New Romantic rock/post-punky than I would have thought, but I'm here for it. The electronic rhythms drive the songs nicely. It's moody, yet danceable music, which is becoming a new favorite musical quality for me. Sylvian's voice continues to mesmerize. Not to mention there's a cover of "All Tomorrow's Parties". For all the things I enjoyed about Quiet Life, I kept waiting for the song that would truly put Japan over for me, but it never came. A truly great effort. So close to a 4! If you're a fan of Roxy Music or Duran Duran, you'll love this.
The funny thing to me about this one is that this sounds a lot like several other groups that would follow in Japan's wake (Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Duran Duran, a touch of really early Depeche Mode), and yet they were doing all of this before the decade turned over. Impressive in that regard, but not exactly the most intriguing synthpop I've ever listened to. I always preferred Sylvian once he made the jump to sophisti-pop.
Overall Rating - 3.06/5 (6.11/10). This has all of the hallmarks of late 70s/early 80s British New Wave. It's fun, but nothing necessarily great.
Ok
This kind of blew my mind. I didn't realize that Duran Duran followed a VERY specific blueprint to the point of completely copying this band. It makes me like them less. This is definitely ahead of schedule in 1979.
3/5 - Now I know where Duran Duran came from.
Kinda new wave space mode
Really cool, haunting, dreamy vibe. It's like The Smiths crossed with David Bowie. Had never heard of this record before and I'm surprised it's late 70s because it sounds like late 80s. This was a surprise of a record but I really enjoyed all of it. Think I'll listen to this one again.
I agree with everyone in these comments saying this was a little too derivative sounding of other 80s bands, but the thing is… it literally isn’t! It’s from 1979! One of the hardest parts of this challenge is trying to put an album in its own authentic context. This sounds like a copy because we’ve heard the music that it inspired (and yes, in some cases, did this style better) but these guys did it first. That has to bump this up a few levels. Some really great, weird, and totally surprising moments here. Also, this band had GREAT hair. Wish people still looked like that
5/10 Best songs: Quiet Life Kind of new wave meets electronica meets goth. Gives Depeche Mode vibes at various points. Each song is its own individual package, not flowing particularly well into the next, which makes this a fairly unsuccessful album in my book. Also, these songs are waaay too long. But it is listenable and I like what the album is trying to achieve (although it's never quite successful), so it gets credit for that.
boring af
Very 80s. It was okay I guess.
I have similar feelings to Japan as to Duran Duran. Both are standard 3-star artists that act as cornerstones of a fairly mediocre genre. New wave is not something to get excited about. What Japan does right is adding some wacky and unexpected musical ideas to completely flip the new wave script. The first instance of something genuinely impressive, in this regard, appears in Fall In Love With Me. Great guitar line and subtly aggressive horn notes in the background. Quiet Life didn't exactly give me hope, having perhaps the most archetypal new wave atmosphere of all time, but this second track... Well, I can get behind it. The song Despair doesn't necessarily wow me, but it surprises me. A cold, almost sterile piano ballad-instrumental was not on my bingo card for this genre of music. Halloween is rock-solid, particularly after the weak In Vogue. And the cover of the Velvet Underground's All Tomorrow's Parties stands out immensely. A great up-tempo version of the original, featuring an entertaining deadpan delivery (even more deadpan than Nico's). It has no right to be as good as it is. Certainly, Japan at this point in the record sounds like a completely different band than the mediocre-to-passable antics of the lead single, Quiet Life. And the quality keeps going up: Alien injects still more grandiosity into the tracklist, featuring a few sections with contrasting energy to make those huge moments hit even harder. And that final track (on the main record), Other Side Of Life... you can't get much more cinematic than soaring strings and a relative lack of horrific 80s production. Another reviewer wrote it pretty well: "At times, completely forgettable early synth pop. At other times, really compelling well crafted music." Maybe a little harsh, but a high 3 stars is what this deserves. 3/5 Key tracks: Halloween, All Tomorrow's Parties, Alien
Despite these guys beating Depeche Mode to it by a few years, they still manage to sound like a bootleg version of Depeche. Just goes to show that being first don't make you the best. Despite that, still a decent, dark-ish new wave album.
It was alright
I’m glad to see others making the Duran Duran comparisons so I don’t have to. Not a bad album, but mostly forgettable.
Duran Duran did it better
Not glam rock and not full on 80's synth pop that I found myself strangely drawn, almost hypnotically, into this album. May have caught me on a good day but hey, I've listened to 932 of these things and with the finish line in sight, I could be hallucinating. If so, it's not the worst trip I've ever taken.
Didn't love it but I can see how influential it was.
Feel like vibe coding. You don’t do much and don’t even know what’s going on. If you look at the quality it’s just barely passable.
The album was fine and forgettable. Nothing to write home about, but a good sounds.
6/10 - don't know what Japan has got to do with their music but was pleasant, more modern than 1979 for sure
i habe only neutral feelings towards this
bien
It’s actually alright, despite being such a massive influence on synth-pop
Shimmering synths and lovely subtle sounds, but the quality of the songs tails off from a strong start.
I could see how it's influential due to its 1979 release. It sounded ahead of it's time for pop/electronic, but that doesn't make it musically appealing by default.
It was ok
Kind of cool because it sounds like it’s from the mid-80’s.
Japan are an ok band, some songs are cool, and they were a major musical influence on the new wave movement, third only to David Bowie and Roxy Music. Problem is, Duran Duran are miles better, and the style is very similar, as they clearly took lots of inspiration from Japan, only with better musicianship and songwriting skills. The singer of Japan (Sylvian) is a one octave range, monotone and erratic kind of affair, very boring to listen to after a couple of songs, and sometimes you wonder if he's singing in microtones or if he's just plainly out of tune. The band also experiments a lot, starting from this album. Some experiments land, others don't. So yeah, an essential band only if you really love New Wave, if not I would steer clear.
This way fine, nothing to write home about but I enjoyed the light touch approach to the glam rock form. EZ listenin'. Listned to: at 5MW. Favorite tracks: Despair, Alien
Japan is cool, they influenced a lot of people but once they broke up and Sylvan went on his own, no thanks. His stuff is waaaaay too stark and depressing - heard in the slower tracks on this record. If they are palying hard, it 's alright but that's all
This is an 80s amuse bouche. An array of canapé-like treats that nod towards the flood of food headed your way.
Got to give them some credit - they cover a lot of sonic terrain that hadn't yet happened. They do a killer Duran Duran before DD even enter the chat. You can hear soon to be Cure in here as well. That this is late 70s...a tip of the hat. But then what?
Duran Duran wannabes.
I liked the first half of the album, the second not so much.
This was just so much better than I expected from a New Wave / New Romantic / Electro-synth-pop thing. Good musicality, well done.
New wave from late 70s that sounds an early to mid 80s album. Well produced and crafted, at times not interesting enough. The cover of All Tomorrow Parties, which is a song I love is okay, expected a bit more. It's an okay album, but probably won't relisten.
Groupe inconnu. Par contre j'ai déjà entendu Richard Barbieri dans le groupe Porcupine Tree, que j'apprécie beaucoup. Que dire de 'Quiet Life' ? J'ai apprécié le son de basse fretless, les interventions de sax, les quelque solos de guitare, l'ambiance dans quelques morceaux ('Despair' +++). Mais d'autres morceaux sont moins intéressants ('All Tomorrow's Parties' -, je n'aime vraiment pas VU). Donc une découverte intéressante que je vais probablement écouter de nouveau et qui m'a donné envie d'entendre d'autres albums du groupe, mais qui ne rejoindra pas ma collection. =>3/5
Not sure how I feel about this one. Some really good songs and others I couldn’t place whether I liked it or not
No. 141 Not really my kind of music but the album was easy to listen to, although nothing really stood out as great.
Origins of synth pop In vogue
Ooh loving the smoothness
Listened to this twice and I’m still not sure. It’s a transition album for me.
I was almost gonna shit on this for sounding too generic 80's synth pop. But this the generic 80's sound. It's almost impressive how stereotypical this sounds.
2.5
el montaje magistral que te podes armar con cualquier canción de este album dejan a cualquier personaje en el chart de coolness.
This exceeded my expectations. The title track is great and very danceable. Despair gives me some NIN vibes and is quite haunting. Really enjoyed the VU cover. If the vocals weren't so stereotypically new wave this might go from a strong 3 to a lowest key 4.
lovely record, hadn't heard this before!
It was… not as bad as I thought it would be.
I loved the bass playing and much preferred the eerie songs on this album. The rest of it was some fairly standard new wave stuff that didn't really jump out at me. A high 3.
Was hoping that I would be lead down the same path as the prior new wave entry from Haircut 100 a couple albums back. Unfortunately Japan's Quiet Life didn't grab me nearly the same way. It was a bit of a different style with some darker synth sounds and less of a pop approach. A couple of the longer jams were pretty lackluster. Most of the album was relatively mediocre. Not bad but not really good either so just a middle of the pack entry. While it may be kinda nitpicky, it's hard for me to take seriously a band that names itself something so generic like "Japan". You spend your youth learning instruments and writing music only to finally align the stars with an album deal and the best you can come up with is just Japan? It makes it so much easier to just gloss over an act when their name does absolutely nothing to engage or even show that they are a band. I could see a review/article or hear about this band in conversation and just think its about Japan the country. 2.56 stars
This is almost a 4, but falls apart a bit after halfway through.
I understand why this has it's place on this list, but I can't stop thinking about how this British band just named themselves Japan
It’s good (I think?) but I just can’t bring myself to care. Like celebrity or danish pastry
A three but a strong and interesting three - going to listen to more Japan for sure
Very Duran Duranish. Could do without
Favorite Tracks: Quiet Life / Halloween / Rating: 2.9 I listened to the Deluxe Edition on Spotify with the 2020 remaster. A little surprised to see this was released in 1980, sounds full on 80's new-wave. This was apparently an influential album and I can hear why. Or maybe they were just knocking off Bowie in turn? I dunno. Well-crafted, hooky, kind of eerie synth-pop. Some sick fretless bass lines. It's a bit TOO 80's for my personal taste, and it drug on a bit through the middle. But a cool album overall.
sometimes it's off-brand duran duran, sometimes it's toned down david bowie
Rv
Didn't get all the way through it, but I was liking what I heard. Will try to finish it up today.
aight
bangers
Precursor to Duran Duran. Not sure if better but interesting to hear the origins of the sound a few years before it broke out for other bands. Probably deserves a 3.5. Some songs move towards a 4. Some to a 2.
This is alright some nice moments but no real bangers in it
It sounds like classic 80s pop albeit released in '79. The 'classic 80s voice' on show, but at least there is some variety in the tracklist. The basslines stand out. Decent enough but probably won't put it on again.
Listened on a run, not really running music. Favourite song: All Tomorrow’s Parties
This is Duran Duran before them. Great album even the vocals and style are stolen from Simon LeBon. So similar if you cant distinguish the songs you cant tell the bands apart. Solid album but Duran apparently were more marketable and attractive for the era and rolled over them.
If you ever wondered where the New Romantics stole their look and sound, look no further. The sound has the style and that specific late 70s art-pop weirdness. The moody vibes are fantastic. It’s a pretty cool find for context. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Quiet Life - Fall In Love With Me - Other Side Of Life
Another in the more important than great category
3.5
Kinda new wavey stuff here. Not much to say about it's just some solid new wave album with some cool songs like the title track
This album was all over the place. Fretless bass is always cool, though. 2 stars but an extra for the bass and bass lines.
Never heard anything from this band before. Sounds like Duran Duran. It's alright. Fretless is always nice. Alien is the track I like best, bass and drum parts in particular.
From the off you can hear the influence on other bands. Placebo, Faith No More, Duran Duran (obviously). Interesting listen, well crafted, I like it. I don't think I'll visit it time and again though.
Seems like an unknown Duran Duran. I liked “a foreign place” with its feigned Asian influence. The synth and beats are good here.
80er Synthiepop
This was pleasant and evoked an era without being particularly spectacular. Better pop albums of this era exist, but i didnt mind it. A pure three.
3.2 First two songs were excellent. Love a bit of slightly dramatic early new wave. But then they went too dramatic/dark/gothic and completely lost my interest. Two great hooks followed by 6 songs of questionable worth, nothing really pulled me in from them. The cover was unnecessary
Fun 80s album
Not really my thing. There were times I found it interesting but by the end I was pretty bored of it. Might be okay in the background, or in small doses but I wouldn’t listen to the full album again. Fav song: Despair Least fav: All Tomorrow’s Parties
Was released in the 70s but feels aggressively 80s. Really didn’t have an effect on me at all. Could have died without listening to this and reckon my life would have been the same Specific rating - 3.0 Fav song - Quiet life Least fav- Despair
Favorite Track: A Foreign Place
At the time I always regarded Japan as a fey and foppish group. I still think they were a bit fey and foppish, but this album isn't too bad.
Pretty cool sounding album, not sure if I’d revisit it a lot but still cool. 3.5/5
love me some synth pop
Enjoyable but not mind blowing
This was okay. I like the genre, I like the aspects but it did feel a tiny bit like someone doing roxy music
I've generally been quite agnostic about Japan, even though I loved Mick Karn's playing and David Sylvian's voice could be very effective at times. So I was a bit agnostic about listening to this album, and hence I enjoyed it more than I expected. Could definitely give this a spin in future.
I'm not mad at this. It was cure-y in places and Bowie-ish in others. But less good.
Interesting listen. I think the lyrics were lacking. The grooves and vibes are pretty great though. I think It could’ve pushed it’s gothic sound a little harder but I can see why this was a significant release at the time.
As proto-Duran Duran, Sylvian and company largely invented dance-pop new wave. But others, including them on later albums, would do it better. More a historic curio than a great record.
This came out in the late 70s, but is unapologetically 80s. The vocals are a little monotone, but this is a vibe overall. Actual...3.5 Liked Songs: "Quiet Life" , "Fall in Love With Me" , "In Vogue" , "Halloween" , "Alien" , "The Other Side of Life", "Life in Tokyo"
3.5
It was ok.
quiet confidence
Grew on me a bit. Funny how I thought it sounded similar to Duran Duran and I'm not the only one
Imagine my disappointment learning it's actually from Britain. Not bad by any means, but essential?? Hardly.
It's okay, not very big fan of that but it was ok 3/5
Its okay, very dated and doesn't do much to catch my ear, but a fine listen
Ugh 80's music just might not be for me.
I was nodding my head along to some of it but nothing really grabbed me. Solid 3.
First song on the album was the start of the letdown. Even with my penchant for poppy New Wave, both the single and the album as a whole wasn't quite the right mix of dark synthwave for me to feel like this was going to be spectacular. I did like some of the haunting synths on Despair. The All Tomorrow's Parties cover was ok in general, but I love the original so much that this was also more of a letdown. Overall the production value sounds nice, but nothing stands out too much on a single listen.
This intrigued me throughout. Enjoyed the ambience of it
fun vibe but a little forgettable love the fun instrumental tracks to break up album
Kind of some 80's style pop that came out in the late 70's. I think there is a little synth mixed in, it's pretty good if you like synth pop. It's pretty light on the synth though. Seems pretty catchy and easy to listen to. I am move familiar with their later work but this is a good album and I'm glad I listened to it.
Quiet lil new wave album.
Unremarkable
?? not bad but not my jam. Like the All Tomorrow's Parties cover alright Reading others' reviews made me appreciate this a little more as being from 1979 and thus quite new and influential. But I won't seek this out again. 2.8/5
Aight
Interesting dark New Wave vibes to this but I listened at work, need to get a second one if I really want to sink my teeth into it. 6/10
British music: 🤮 British music, Japan: 🙂
Really quite good. Almost a four but not quite, but this is a 3 plus. Loved the emption in this..also some dancey bangers.
I like it. Almost a 4. May well revisit.
Japan sound like a point where post-punk and krautrock (via David Bowie) started to morph into new wave and synth pop. You can hear elements of Bowie's "Low" but more than that, is the blueprint for early 80s synth pop bands like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. The album wasn't that successful (apart from sales in Canada and Japan) and truthfully it's not as great anything that came before or after. You could even argue that Gary Numan bridged the gap better than Japan could. But "Quiet Life" is an important step in the development of the 80s sounds, as a key part of the short lived New Romantics movement. It absolutely deserves a place on this list and I enjoyed listening. Even a poor imitation of Bowie is often pretty good.
Its alright
This was an alright album, it was actually pretty decent, given that it came out quite a long time ago. Turns out that Japan is a British band, which would not be very intuitive, when simply looking at the name.
Never heard of this at all before. Was actually pretty nice, I liked a lot of the sounds, sounded newer than 79.
Enjoyable! Its better than their debut
Man I am reviewing this about a week after the fact and damned if I remember much. Serviceable proto new wave? Can't be missing much.
Pues es un disco que se hace largo porque combina canciones bastante buenas con bodrios. No es gran cosa vocalmente, pero tiene sus momentos de magia.
Liked this.
More going on than I expected. I had assumed that this would be something of a Duran Duran clone, but it turned out to be more than just that.
Not wholly uninteresting, just not something I see myself revisiting
Like Duran Duran but without the immediately catchy tunes. May be a grower
Starts off strong but dwindles away a bit
It was ok. Enjoyed the first song and in particular the last song.
I wish this had been a while album of Quiet Life
Brilliant album… just not as good as Tin Drum.
The bass is fun on this one. 2.5/5
Very 80's. Favourite track: Quiet Life or Life in Tokyo
Twink album cover to lure one in was a clever move. Some interesting stuff happening in here obscured by the rest of the album. 2.5/5
Sort of cool in that it sounds so ahead of its time. But hey is there no Yellow Magic Orchestra on here? Or any Japanese music for that matter? Hmmm
Fønki
Reminds me of duran duran and other 80s acts, decent
I'm kind of struggling with figuring out how I feel for this one. Based on the Wiki for this record, it really wasn't that significant when it was released and sounds to my ears like a lot of the rest of new wave that was on the radio back in the day. It has it's moments that really grab my attention, but then it just fades into background noise again. Some tracks are bloated and over stay their welcome, some of the vocals are tiresome, but there's some really interesting arrangements and instrumentation all over. All in all, I don't think this one will really stick around for me, but it was an interesting listen, so I'm giving it a soft 3
Sounds like depeche mode
This new wave album glides on sleek basslines, shimmering synths, and clean, carefully measured guitar work. Sylvian’s smooth, detached vocals hover above the mix, reinforcing themes of identity, distance, and emotional reserve. Like strolling through a neon-lit gallery at midnight, it’s elegant and beautifully composed, yet its polished surface keeps the listener at a deliberate distance.
meh
Their third album. New Wave / Pop. To say this album was influential might be a bit of an understatement in a way. Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet didn't just take influence, in places they outright copied it. Not a huge fan of the vocals on this one, decent album though.
eh
Sounds like Duran Duran but before Duran Duran. I bet Duran Duran listened to this album a lot.
Well now! I love surprises like this fun little album. "Fall in Love With Me"(and then practically every other track) gives Duran Duran vibes, while "Despair" and its sax solo reminds me of Tears For Fears' "The Working Hour" with vocals sounding very much like Martin Gore of Depeche Mode. Enjoyable and clear that although I may not have listened to "Quiet Life" when it was out, some up-and-coming new wave and alternative bands certainly did.
Nice
Pretty fun listen, pop isn't usually my favorite but I liked a few of the tracks
I feel like this band could make the hottest menu music
Если только иногда для разнообразия. Местами интересное звучание, местами заунывно. 5,5 из 10.
Have heard of Japan but never listened or knew any of their songs, but see where the spooky-post punk/art rock (?) sound comes from. Some great bass playing/sounds on this record, subtle but doing masterful work. Makes it a little funkier and offsets the moodiness of the organs and synths a bit. Definitely hear where Duran Duran got some inspiration from on tracks like Halloween. See the relationship between contemporaries such as Roxy Music and Depeche Mode. Quiet Life, Halloween, Alien all stand out tracks. I appreciate what's going on here.
Goth new wave with saxophones! Actually pretty interesting considering it came out in 1979. I like the synths and the production overall.
Being released in 1979, I assume this is a precursor to what became the 80s synth pop and you can see the foundations of that genre in this album. It just starts to drag after while and I kinda lost interest. It’s fine
Fun 80s sounding vibe. Enjoyed the saxophone in Despair.
Main song is good, rest is decent. Not a bad listen.
This started really well, but then the sound got pretty tiring pretty quickly. It is easy to hear where artists like Duran Duran & Spandau Ballet took their inspiration from. It's good and it's inspirational in terms of the direction music would take but it's not for me
Pleasantly surprised, not usually my thing.
Not my thing but I did enjoy it.
It’s really interesting when you hear a band for the first time and think they sound like a more popular band only to find out they came first and were an inspiration for the more popular band. At the outset, I thought Japan sounded like Duran Duran. Come to find out, they inspired Duran Duran. This was a decent 80s feel album. I really liked the lead singer’s voice. It was soothing yet interesting. The album got a bit tedious about halfway through. I don’t know if I wanted to hear different sounds or maybe a touch of something different vocally, but something was needed to shake it up a bit to enliven the remainder. Overall, it was enjoyable, but likely forgettable.
Some good 80's pop
6,5/10
Different
Moody, atmospheric, arty - w a touch of 70s TV show theme music thrown in
tbh I expected more
Solid psychedelic funk.
Duran Duran, Roxy, Depeche... They all wish they had a bassist like Mick Karn!
Feels like a distilled version of 70s and 80s synthpop but without the bombasity of similar bands that hit bigger.
I thought this was oddly great to be honest, a real insight into early art music and what went on to be a fantastic genre including some of the greats IE Roxy Music, I think this album was obviously pivotal for art rock but I also think greater stuff came later on and this was the catalyst, still an important album clearly
I think this was an interesting listen. Won’t go into too much detail as I can’t say I have too much to say about it, but I think it probably deserves its spot within the creation of new wave, and you can see the inspiration it had on others to come
New to me, but very familiar with the bands that apparently followed in their footsteps. Starts strong and loses steam in the last few songs, but the best tracks here are synth pop at its finest
Not my favorite.
I really wanted to give this two stars due to the songs not being all that compelling. After my third listen I will acknowledge this album’s place - influencing other 80’s bands and albums that I do really like. OK, one extra star for being influential.
Woozy fun.
Very Duran Duran, which could be okay, but I found this to be monotonous.
Nothing unpleasant here but nothing to remember either.
A nice album overall, cool fretless bass and some catchy tunes.
It seemed to alternate between new wave and pop, but a good album I was unfamiliar with. Would listen again.
Early new wave. Great use of synths with post-punk basslines and hooks. Even some avant-garde sounds in there. It's pretty good! XTC vibes from 2nd track (Fall In Love With Me) Hooks do seem to get losf halfway... in favour of vibey tracks Did not listen beyond track 8 (original album tracklist) Fall In Love With Me also has a Nirvana feel in the bridge? Best track (other than Quiet Life) - Fall In Love With Me, Alien 3 stars - wanted to like it more (almost 4)
Sounds ahead of their time for 1980
Not at all surprised to see the Roxy Music producer worked on this - the similarities are clear in those lush, textured soundscapes. While I don’t think any of the songs are particularly great the music *is* easy on the ear, if that makes sense. Those repeated instrumental patterns become quite hypnotic. Still, I’m hopeful my first experience of Japan (the country) next month will be a little more memorable than my first experience of Japan (the band).
Perfectly fine but unremarkable new wave album. Cover of All Tomorrow's Parties was interesting.
I love Japan. There are a couple of bangers on this but other tracks not as good.
• 3/5 • Not great, but a fun throwback to the early new wave, syth-pop sound • I don't think I'd heard Japan before, but clearly Duran Duran had . . .
-surely Japan is the last new wave band I hadn’t heard before this. because there are So Many -i thought this was decent… started off quite strong with the first two tracks but frankly lost my interest after that. it’s a little corny but the aesthetic has a certain charm to it, and it’s definitely better than some of the other synth pop i’ve heard from here -Favorites are Quiet Life and Fall in Love With Me
It was fine. 3/5
I have the sneaking suspicion that this guy isn’t actually Japanese
Kind of atmospheric rock