Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Dig the early new wave music, but the singers nasally voice bugs the hell out of me. And my ex loved this band, so I’ll admit to a bias there
Its like Duran Duran, before there was Duran Duran ... bonus star for being Richard Barbieri's first band. Probably the closest I will get to Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson on this list.
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.
Generally, I don’t mess with this genre. But really enjoyed this playing in the background of my morning routine. 3.5
First song was good, rest was eh
album #16 I saw one reviewer saying this album is like Duran Duran on downers and I haven't stopped laughing. It's true, though! I do enjoy that you can see/hear where a lot of 80s synth got it's inspiration, and I rate them for that! However, a lot of the album falls a little flat to me, either sounding indistinguishable from the last or just a bit too forgettable. I'm giving a 2/5 because I liked a couple of the tracks and I like the influence the album had on the following decade, but it's lack of memorability means it loses out on a 3. average track rating: 2.6 favourite track(s): fall in love with me, foreign place least favourite track(s): all tomorrow's parties album rating: 2/5 number of albums left to review: 1,073 number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 8 (+1 Quiet Life) albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 3 albums from the list I won't include on my list: 13
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
Wanted to like this as I've heard a few tracks that I've enjoyed beforehand. A lot of it all fell flat.
No. 141 Not really my kind of music but the album was easy to listen to, although nothing really stood out as great.
This wasn’t a good album. I’m not sure what was so good about it. Vocals were bad but the beats were ok
Origins of synth pop In vogue
Surprisingly good.
Quite interesting
Ooh loving the smoothness
Set aside the Roxy Music comparisons and enjoy this album in its own right. Great to hear again after such a long time.
Listened to this twice and I’m still not sure. It’s a transition album for me.
Japan sounded like nobody else. And nobody sounds like them. Not sure I'd have picked out this album as their best. But nevertheless it's 4*
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.
Just not good.
Roligt att upptäcka!
2.5
I enjoyed Halloween but I was pretty ambivalent towards the rest of this
Perfect new wave. But sadly I don’t like new wave.
Boring
Bored pretty quickly
To quote Patrick Bateman, this was a “little too, ‘new wave’ for my taste”. This one wasn’t for me, not a fan of the vocals and it just didn’t do anything interesting for me, was happy for it to be over.
chill listen.
No private session used for Spotify. Kudos to Japan for nailing that 80's synth heavy pop sound a year early. I don't like that 80's synth heavy pop sound. This album reminds me of early Duran Duran, but without the talented bassist and guitarist...also with a worse singer.
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.
einschläfernd
This is fucking great. It makes me think that Duran Duran co-opted their sound. I would totally buy a physical copy of this. Way better than The Black Album.
Interesting early UK new wave. Faves were "Quiet Life" "Fall In Love With Me" "Alien" and "A Foreign Place" If I had one critique it'd be that it felt very samey after a while.
lovely record, hadn't heard this before!
I liked the 2nd song. Everything else an absolute drag. Japan is a great country though
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.
Oh, another early New Wave album that no one remembers anymore! At least on “Quiet Life,” Japan sounds like (almost) every other New Wave band. That's why I won't go into further detail and will give it two stars this time as well. The emergence of New Wave must have been very important to the authors. Have I mentioned that there are too many of these albums on the list?
Meh
A not as good Bowie, but still good.
Lekkere baslijntjes! En een 80's sound vlak voordat het decennium was begonnen.
That was a fun experience. I took a four mile hike through New Zealand (on an elliptical at a hotel in Jersey City) while listening to Japan. Not familiar with Japan or any of their music. If memory serves, Quiet Life seems well ahead of the curve musically for a 1979 release. Enjoyed the synth-pop energy! (4.2*s) Kinda wish I had heard of these guys back in the eighties, and kudos once again to the 1001 Must Hear List for the exposure.
A British band singing in French, pretending to be Japanese. Despite the identity crisis, these guys put out some alright 80s synth-pop. Half the album was good with "Halloween," 'Quiet Life," and "All Tomorrow's Parties" leading the charge. A few slow, dull tracks that had me nodding off. Not sure the significance in music history with this one and why it lands a spot on the list so 2.18 stars.
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
Unexpectedly such a vibe. Really enjoyed the instrumentals as much as the soothing vocals.
A classic electronic masterpiece
This is almost a 4, but falls apart a bit after halfway through.
Not outwardly repulsive but it just slides off my brain. I don't feel anything listening to this. The vanilla oatmeal of British music.
I'd heard some Japan before and didn't love it, so I was surprised how much I enjoyed this album. It hits a sweet spot between pop, post punk, new wave, glam, and goth that I'm a sucker for (also like Gary Numan and early Human League). It's a vibe and I will definitely be giving it a re-listen.
Not a perfect album but lots of cool stuff, particularly for 1979 - shades of Roxy Music and pre-empting Duran Duran
No comment
One of the things that always set Japan apart was their musicianship and there’s evidence of that here. I’ve not listened to this album all the way through for a long time and I found it pleasantly rewarding.
suffers from being one of the firsts to influence too much. this is like watching the star wars trilogy then reading dune and thinking old news
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
Certainly an early example of the kind of synth pop music that would be one of the staple sounds coming from the UK through the mid-80s. It was not a sound I particularly liked, and this album just seems to go on and on. I didn't feel like my ears were bleeding as I listened to it, so it's got that going for it, I guess. But in the two years surrounding THIS album's release, Warren Zevon put out Excitable Boy and Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School, neither of which made the 1001 albums list. Something really doesn't add up there, does it?
Very Duran Duranish. Could do without
Pros: - Beautiful vocals - Great production - Really good for a movie soundtrack Cons: - The vocals sometimes don't match the production as well as it's supposed to Rating (out of 10): 8.5/10
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.
Hermoso!
Eh, not feeling this, but it’s not terrible.
cool. I like a fucked up bass line.
Imagine every positive review of this one says the same thing, which is that it’s bonkers that this came out in 1979. I think it’s close the upper tier of new wave and new wave adjacent albums on the list! Good stuff, I liked the majority of the songs quite a lot.
Not my favorite. A bit pretentious (which isn't always a deal breaker) and too much casio keyboard. I know it came out in the early days of new wave, but it doesn't hold up well. Japan walked to Depeche Mode could run
Surprising good album
sometimes it's off-brand duran duran, sometimes it's toned down david bowie
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Despair Pretty boring. Music from the 80s - the new wave genre - continues to enforce my dislike of... the genre. I chose despair for the standout track because it was probably the most interesting track (and instrumental) on the album and because it best represented my approach to this album, knowing I was in for yet-another-new-wave-album-from-the-80s.
Wow, this is really excellent. I've heard the band name before but never listened. Mick Karn's bass playing on this is kick ass and I feel like I've been missing out. Really top notch fretless. The 2 slower piano driven tunes were just ok for me but everything else was great. I'll be diving into the rest of their catalog. Really, really impressed with this album.
Rv
A little apprehensive from the first track but this album won me over by the end. Sounds like they really nailed the whole "big in Japan" cliche, so much so they named their album after it. No shade though, I enjoyed this, it was subtle but complex enough to capture my attention. I'll probably check this out again in the future.
I wasn’t expecting to like this at all, but was pleasantly surprised. Synth pop and new wave seems to be very hit or miss for me, but this one is definitely a hit.
This was pretty good, pretty chill. I’d never heard of this band, nor had I heard any of these songs before. What a good experience. If I ever made an album, I’d hope it’d turn out something like this.
Didn't get all the way through it, but I was liking what I heard. Will try to finish it up today.
80s music in the late 70s. Visionary and influential, you can definitely hear where Duran Duran got their inspiration. Great album.
aight
bangers
kind of creepy which I like. there is some sort of quiet despondency about this general 80s goth/glam rocky kind of music
When I saw this my album for the day I resigned myself to hating it. How wrong I was. This is brilliant. Hugely ahead of its time for an album released in 1979. Quite camp, very dramatic, but wearing its ambition and sincerity proudly on its chest. The bass is particularly great across this album. I guess I shouldn’t judge an album by its massively cringey cover, as I’d have skipped over this seeing that, but yeah this is great.
I thought this album was very reminiscent of an intellectual Duran Duran. I had heard of the band because I like the material David Sylvian did with Robert Fripp. Honestly given my personal taste, I'm a little surprised that I haven't heard this record before now.
What a fantastic surprise. I knew some of their stuff but have never listened to an album all the way through as it’s not my genre. Really entertaining though. Will be giving it another play or 2.
Blimey, this is Japan? I didn't think I knew anything about this lot, but I knew the title track. After listening I thought to myself, the vocals sounded like Duran Duran's Le Bon circa 1981 onwards and the instrumentals sounded like, among others, Simple Minds circa 1981. And then you look at the year this came out - 1979. Then there are references to being a Roxy Music clone? Naa, this was great!
Outside of the Velvet Underground cover, this album just wasn't my speed. I didn't hate it, but I didn't get into it.
Such an important album for me. I fell in love with Japan watching them perform Quiet Life, the single, on its re-release in 1981, and I promptly acquired all their albums, starting with Tin Drum and working backwards. 45 years later, I've never stopped loving Japan, and this has gradually established itself as my favourite of theirs (although, I have to say, Gentlemen Take Polaroids and Tin Drum are only the smallest smidge behind). I love it when you can hear a band progress from one incarnation to another, note by note, and if I had to identify a moment when Japan were audibly mid-transition from the glam sleaze of their first two albums to the artful synth pop of their later output, that moment would be the song Halloween. The transition, anyway, happens on this album. Most of the songs, imo, lie on the later side of the divide, fitting into the fabulous world of the 80s and the Blitz club. But there are still nods to the 70s, David Sylvian even singing in French because he liked Roxy's Song For Europe, complete with squeaky Roxy-style sax. My favourite tracks are Quiet Life, In Vogue and - of course - the incredibly beautiful Other Side of Life; I *will* die in a ditch defending this album. Brilliant. Edgy. Cool. Smooth. Moving. Heavenly. All of these guys (apart from sadly-departed bass genius Mick Karn) continue to write and record; they're true artists, and this is some of their finest collaboration. PS thank you Spotify for the "switch to video" option on the 7" version of QL - happy, happy memories.
I feel proud of 14 year old me and my friends for listening to music like this at the time. Still feels as fresh and as it ever did. Annoyed i didn’t start learning to play the bass guitar though. Maybe by now I’d be nowhere near as good as Mick Karn RIP
Did not enjoy. I don’t mind rock but didn’t enjoy this band.
A schizophrenic album. One I don’t like.
It wasn't bad but honestly not that memorable.
This was a great surprise.
feeling a 3.75 but we're rounding up today I love new wave
i liked this one! especially enjoyed the interlude-y instrumental nature of "despair." i think we should bring back albums that are 45+ minutes long despite only having like eight tracks
8/10 early influence for new wave and i’m a big 80s pop person so :)
Never heard of this band before ,I really liked quiet life and despair the most .
Some cool stuff, but mostly forgettable. Wish we could get half stars. 2 feels too punitive, 3 feels too much. Oh well
Kind of a slow burn for me. Definitely just felt very 80s pop at first, then realized it was very much the original of that sound gave me some appreciation. All in all just sorta grew on me. Super solid.
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.
Hmmm
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.
The sleek synths and gliding basslines feel like a moodier, more art-school cousin to early Duran Duran — less flirt, more stare.
Je me suis ennuyé. C'est terrible. Il y a eu plein d'albums que j'aimais pas trop et même des albums que je trouvais assez médiocre, mais je crois que c'est la première fois que je m'ennuie vraiment. C'est de la synthpop, peut-être un peu avant-gardiste, puisqu'on est en 1979 ? Mais franchement, je ne comprends pas l'intérêt de cet album. C'est terrible, mais je crois que ça sera mon premier 1. Parce que même ceux que j'ai notés 2 jusque-là (et il y en a peu), je me suis pas totalement ennuyé, j'ai toujours trouvé un petit quelque chose de pas inintéressant. Ici ? Rien. Donc bah ça sera mon premier 1. Il m'aura fallu 58 albums pour en donner un. J'espère que demain, ça sera mieux.
Some of the best new wave music I've heard (besides Duran Duran).
Звучит уникально для 78го года! В целом альбом интересный, так что 5/5
Listened on a run, not really running music. Favourite song: All Tomorrow’s Parties
I’m starting to hate the people who made this list. This is not a ‘must listen’ in any sense of the phrase. To be positive: I have heard worse and ‘A Foreign Place’ was pretty good if I had to choose a song. It’s cool that it inspired a lot of bands to do this sound much better and in more interesting ways than this. Very forgettable.
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
I liked this quite a bit, cool creative synthy art pop that seemed a bit ahead of it's time. I would be interested in exploring later in their catalogue because I feel like this was edging towards having some bangers but wasn't quite there yet.
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
2.5
Sort of feels like the lost album where joy division transforms into New Order For such a synth lead album the base does a lot of heavy lifting. Quite life is such a banger and a great way to open any album . After that the pace drops and becomes introspective bordering on somber A moody post punk album that sounds like 80s pop in places
Why is there so much second rate British crap on this list? The UK Music scene deserves whatever accolades anyone wants to shower on it for its ground breaking bands of the 60s and 70s, but can we just be honest that everything past that is just “okay” at best, and frequently down right bad. This album is uninspiring, repetitive and downright boring. It’s typical of the bad music of the 1980s without even the label of a one hit wonder to fall back on.
Very groovy. Starts stronger than it finishes
Like it's not a bad album, I just couldn't care for it.
This album sounds like an identity crisis, and not one that's fun to listen to. Some good ideas, neat elements, moments that I thought to myself "gee, maybe I should like this," but ultimately, it never gels into anything. It's deeply frustrating to listen to and yet completely forgettable once it's over.
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.
80/100. It’s a record that balances style and substance nicely, catchy on the surface but with enough depth to keep you interested. It's a really strong new wave and art pop record.
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.
The people of Japan are owed an apology. 2/5.
Dark and brooding, but ultimately forgettable. I'm kind of tired of New Wave here and I think it's massively over represented on this list.
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
I don't understand. It feels like a good album, nice music, but not enough in general. I think because it's a very transitional album. I feel like it's influential, somewhere between one decade's sound and the next. Like the transition from glam rock in Bowie's style plus rock, but it's already a kind of synth-pop sound, but not really a synth-pop. "You can't have your cake and eat it too" It's really good technically and etc, but...Do I want to listen to it? Probably no. If it occurs on a radio, I'll be jovial to hear a Quiet Life or Fall In Love With Me, or Alien. It's all good music, I respect a try of mixing all of this, but I don't want it in my playlist. 2/5 —————————————— No liked songs
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
Not really a synth pop fan. While I'm sure it was an influential album like everyone keeps saying, I don't like what it influenced. That or people saying they were inspired by Roxy Music- another band I'm not a fan of. Favourite song: All Tomorrows Parties Least: In Vogue
I can practically see the neon...
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.
Great album. In the vein of Roxy Music, but slicker and with some east Asian influences.
Lame...
This is pretty painful. Just the worst example of 80s British pop and nothing I want to listen again. 3/10 (1.5/5)
Quite good 3.9
Found this to be underwhelming
357/1089 - Depeche Duran. Cool instrument and synth combinations throughout. The song-forms were a bit repetitive sometimes and the voice lethargic but overall still a solid listen.
weird
Really liked the vibe of the album. Flowed well. Started off strong then seemed to fall off a bit. Just fine for now.
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
Interesting in parts but a very dated album. Electronic music lacks a certain soul at times and this is no exception. The vocals are a bit annoying too. As a souvenir to the times I guess this is worthy
No idea who this is. Never heard of it. Right away I’m intrigued. It’s almost like early industrial mixed with the best parts of Disco. Track 3 “Despair” is great. I love that this album is from 1979 and does not sound dated at all. I seriously feel like could have seen this band in the 90s. They feel like the synth industrial scene. I need to look up the bass player. Love these lines. “Halloween”. Captured me from the first note. I really like this album. Ok, “Alien” is such a great bass line. It sounds like something Les Claypool would have written and played. Love this song. Mick Karns is the bassist. Passed away in 2011. I need to look up his solo stuff. He’s amazing.
This is dope. I like it a lot
This was okay. I like the genre, I like the aspects but it did feel a tiny bit like someone doing roxy music
Really not the pop giants they hoped to be. Did not piss me off, but won’t go here again.
Great album. Maybe the first of the great New Wave albums, cool songs, super moody and fantastic vocals.
Cool album with an 80’s vibe even though it came out in 79. Seemed to foretell where pop music was going from there.
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.
9/10
Atmospheric but insipid for the most part.
I'm not mad at this. It was cure-y in places and Bowie-ish in others. But less good.
TEMU Duran Duran
Ahead of its time, stylish blend of dance and new wave. Really strong record.
Total snooze, early synth + dark, not quite there
This seems like any other forgettable glam band
Hard to hear
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 album is why I'm going through this list. A surprise and quite enjoyable.
It’s definitely a new wave album, but not really much of a good one. At some point I forgot it was playing and clicked another song on Spotify, and never went back.
Japan is one of those bands I’ve always been aware of but never took the time to explore their music. While it features a few upbeat tracks, the overall vibe is more laid-back and atmospheric. The standout element for me was the bass guitar, particularly in the second track, “Fall In Love With Me.” The bass in this track had a playful and quirky feel, adding a unique texture to the music.
Fairly OK.
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
Surprisingly good album. It's essentially an above-average '80s new wave album released before the decade even started. Can hear a lot of the '80s sound on this album. Nothing like groundbreaking or breathtaking, but still a strong album.
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
Nothing really stuck out to me 2/5
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.
Kinda boring, don’t really know when I would want to listen to this. Give it 2 because nothing was great on it but I guess it didn’t make me physically ill.
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.
A 60min new wave album? What could go wrong? Why do 80s artists sing in such an annoying way? It maybe sounded cool back then, but it aged so poorly. You can sort of hear it in Tears for Fears, Bowie, etc. It irks me to a similar level as country singers adding that extra twang in their voice.
Okay I listened while doing Christmas shopping and can't remember details. This was just the right blend of electronic and uh, other stuff. Loved it.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Going in without knowing what it was or about Japan, I didn't expect it to presage so much of the sound of the 1980s. And even then, I didn't expect it to have such a good representation of what new wave sounds like since I generally assume that the early versions of a genre haven't had time to perfect it. But here's this thing. It's by no means a perfect 5-star album, but it's good enough to justify four stars.
This intrigued me throughout. Enjoyed the ambience of it
1+ Stars (3/15)
fun vibe but a little forgettable love the fun instrumental tracks to break up album
Not sure what this is..
It takes some effort to make 80’s synth-pop sound boring. It wasn’t a hate-listen, like my 1-stars tend to be, but not for me, in a genre I typically find very much for me.
Actually enjoyed bits of this, but the long slow numbers lost me. That, and I think I hate the All Tomorrow’s Parties cover in a reeeeaaaallllyyy close to liking it kinda way
Not really my taste
didnt really listen
It's alright but it goes a bit too far for my taste
good listen, felt like a background noise more than an eye catching album, still great vibes: best one other side of life
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.
I'm honestly really surprised at how much i liked Quiet Life. It is part of the earlier wave (no pun intended) of the genre of new wave and i can really see how this album influenced a lot of 80s, especially Duran Duran. I still was going into this expecting this album to be just alright but then the title track hit me with all those synths and let me know that i was gonna be in for a good time. I also really think the bass and vocals are great here too as they are in a lot of new wave albums. There are a few songs here that do suffer from same face syndrome but since there is only 8, it never got to me too much. This was quite a nice surprise. Best Song: Quiet Life Worst Song: Alien
I had to double check that I wasn't playing Duran Duran at first.
Unremarkable
Pretty futuristic sound for 1979. Good compositions
?? 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
New-to-me artist that I really liked. Sonic bridge between Velvet Underground and Duran Duran that I didn't know I was looking for.
Aight
I love new wave music in general but it is amazing how many new wave bands I wasn't really aware of pop up in this list. Also, they all seem to be, according to their Spotify bios, "groundbreaking" and "redefined the genre." I kind of love the way Spotify bios are written... clearly by the band themselves or their representatives and how blustery and braggadocios and hyperbolic they are. It's a funny little corner of the internet.
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
A classic
Oh, we love an album that flows well, so much to the point that it is very satisfying. A new wave album like Quiet Life being released in 1979 makes a lot of sense, and I can hear how Japan must have influenced later new wave acts like Duran Duran. Their instrumental parts are powerful--and could even pass for a movie score. The vibe was hitting today, is all I can say.
Usually, I really enjoy synth pop and new wave type sounds. This, however, just didn't really hit with me. With this kind of 80s sound coming out of the late 70s, I can see why this may have been influential, but I'm not really hearing the required listening aspect of it.
Quiet life, is a brilliant combination of glam rock, new romanticism, and, electro pop, and still sounds excellent today.
I'm no longer a weeb *sees 日本語* *strikes with katana* 口 木 三五 口 爪 口口 *turns back to the camera* *sheathes the blade* *looks at the crimson sky* *credits roll*
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.
I was feeling a light 3 until I hit that cover of All Tomorrow's Parties, man that one is rough.
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.
Not bad, and a little ahead of its time. Sounds like an inspiration for Naked Eyes, but this band's original songs are better.
Its alright
Why did they have the same song on here three times
Can you give an extra star for superb fretless bass? With added harmonics? Well, yes I can.
Overall: 7/10 At first this seemed like it was gonna be a mediocre slog, but the closer I listened the more I realized how cool and influential this album really is. This is basically 80s synth pop in a nutshell, but it came out in 79! Good stuff. Love the fretless bass, it's such a unique and cool sound. Fav Song: Alien
It was really interesting and varied
After the previous day's Heaven 17, this album from Japan felt very much cut from the same cloth. It was less funky and groovy though
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.
2/5
Never heard of this at all before. Was actually pretty nice, I liked a lot of the sounds, sounded newer than 79.
No
Kinda jazzy but was hard to get into
It isn't a 3, it's more like a 2.65.
Enjoyable! Its better than their debut
I literally had Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) back to back with this new wave record. I've literally never heard of this band and it seems like they were a bit of a one hit wonder. Once you get past the first song, this thing mellows right the fuck out to the point it's boring. This thing did NOT need to be an hour long.
I love Duran Duran, I love Spandau Ballet. If I didn’t love this, there would be something wrong with me, no? Ahead of its time and tastefully haunting, I am an absolute sucker for synth and this has it in spades. I was surprised to see this came out in 1979, it’s quite ahead of it’s time and you can see the influence here from Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy especially on a track like Despair. A really prominent and powerful bassline throughout this album. Despite being nearly fifty years old this sounds very futuristic, or at least someone’s vision of the future that sounds way cooler than what we actually got. Supremely sleek and listenable, this rocked. The vocalist of Japan considers this to be the band’s peak, and after listening to it I wouldn’t be surprised. Also this was apparently the first foreign record to chart in Japan. Highlights: Fall in Love with Me, In Vogue, Alien
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.
Owes a massive debt to Roxy Music, but it’s a wonderful album all the same. Managed to sound dark, broody and futuristic all at once when it came out. Stands up all these years later. Signposted the 80s rather well really. Prefer some of their later albums, but this is still a good one. 4
not really my thing but okay.
No se si el nombre se ideo por tener un integrante asiatico en el grupo, pero bueno, el album no me ha gustado.
This felt like an off brand Duran Duran
What a boring pile of shit.
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.
Ahead of its time.
It was alright pretty ground breaking for the time. I love new wave and disco so it was nice to see it intertwine like this. They walked so Duran Duran could run.(...ran?)
Liked this.
meandering eight minute ballad ain't for me dawg. and why is an english band naming itself "japan"
No conocía a Japan, la portada del disco la verdad no me provocaba mucho interés, y qué tremenda sorpresa fue este álbum. Por eso no pienso perderme un disco de esta lista, porque aunque hay elecciones tremendamente extrañas o de plano espantosas, también hay joyas de la música a las que creo que nunca hubiera llegado de no ser por esta selección. Japan me pareció que es un álbum lleno de hits, con mucha referencia a varias etapas de Bowie, y con unos arreglos increíbles. Amé el disco y me deja con ganas de seguir escuchando más de Japan.
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
No. Just no.
Fønki
Reminds me of duran duran and other 80s acts, decent
1.5 A flock of pigeons.
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
Japan has been on my radar for a while now (the country too, what are they up to over there in the ocean) and now finally listening I was surprised to learn this was not the 80s. And it’s good!!!
01) Quiet Life - 10,0 02) Fall in Love with Me - 8,0 03) Despair - 8,0 04) In Vogue - 8,0 05) Halloween - 7,5 06) All Tomorrow's Parties - 7,5 07) Alien - 7,0 08) The Other Side of Life - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,88 (79/100) Current ranking: 245/734
2,5
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.
Proof (more proof) that 1001 is just too many…
Was fully prepared to hate this and I was merely indifferent.
Good, not great. I'm not finding much here beyond the synth-pop of its time, kind of in the vein of Bowie's Berlin era. It's not bad, but I'm not seeing why this warrants a spot on the list. Frankly it's another instance where the British bias comes through, and the spot could have been better served by an album from another world artist.
Influential than, musically only just o.k. now. And the vocals really aren't my favour.
Ok. Felt like jus another synth pop album
# **In-Depth Review of *Quiet Life* by Japan** Released in 1979, *Quiet Life* is the third studio album by British art-rock band **Japan**. Often regarded as a transitional masterpiece, the album marks the band’s shift from glam-punk roots to a more sophisticated, atmospheric sound that prefigured the new romantic movement. Below is a detailed exploration of its **lyrics, music, production, themes, influence**, along with a balanced list of **pros and cons**. --- ## 🎵 **Music & Sound** Musically, *Quiet Life* is a **lush, synth-driven** album that blends **art rock, new wave, and ambient pop**. It’s a significant departure from their earlier guitar-heavy sound. The album leans heavily on **synthesizers, fretless bass, and atmospheric textures**, creating a moody, cinematic soundscape. - The title track, *Quiet Life*, is a standout with its **melancholic synth lines** and **driving rhythm**, capturing a sense of urban alienation. - *Fall in Love with Me* and *In Vogue* showcase the band’s growing **sophistication in arrangement**, with layered keyboards and smooth vocal delivery . --- ## ✍️ **Lyrics & Themes** Lyrically, *Quiet Life* explores **themes of alienation, identity, transformation, and emotional detachment**. David Sylvian’s vocal delivery is **detached yet emotionally resonant**, adding depth to the often abstract lyrics. - The title track reflects on **escaping societal expectations**, with lines that evoke a **quiet rebellion against conformity**. - Songs like *Despair* and *The Other Side of Life* delve into **existential angst**, while *In Vogue* critiques **superficiality and fashion culture** . --- ## 🎛️ **Production** Produced primarily by **John Punter**, the album is **sleek and polished**, with a **European sensibility** that sets it apart from many UK releases of the time. The production emphasizes **space and texture**, allowing the **synths and basslines to breathe**. - The use of **reverb and delay** gives the album a **dreamlike quality**, enhancing its emotional impact. - The **fretless bass**, played by Mick Karn, is a defining feature, giving the album a **jazzy, fluid low end** that became a signature of Japan’s later work . --- ## 🌐 **Influence & Legacy** *Quiet Life* is often cited as a **key influence** on the **new romantic and synthpop scenes** of the 1980s. Bands like **Duran Duran, Visage**, and even **Roxy Music** drew inspiration from its **androgynous aesthetic and sonic sophistication**. - The album’s **visual and musical style** helped define the **European art-rock** aesthetic. - It’s considered a **cult classic**, and while not a major commercial success upon release, it has grown in stature over the decades . --- ## ✅ **Pros** - **Innovative sound**: A seamless blend of synthpop, art rock, and ambient textures. - **Strong thematic cohesion**: The album feels like a **conceptual journey**. - **Production quality**: Ahead of its time, with a **clean, atmospheric mix**. - **Influence**: Helped shape the direction of **80s alternative pop**. --- ## ❌ **Cons** - **Lack of immediacy**: Some listeners may find the album **too subdued or emotionally distant**. - **Inconsistent pacing**: A few tracks, like *A Foreign Place*, feel **underdeveloped** compared to the standout cuts. - **Limited commercial appeal at the time**: Its **arty, non-mainstream approach** may have alienated casual listeners. --- ## 📝 Final Verdict *Quiet Life* is a **seminal album** that bridges the gap between **70s glam and 80s synthpop**, offering a **mature, introspective** take on modern life. It’s not an easy listen, but it’s a **rewarding** one for those willing to immerse themselves in its **atmospheric world**. > “A quietly revolutionary album that speaks volumes without raising its voice.”
meh
Somehow I made it 50+ years of life never knowing that Duran Duran actually formed and produced music in the late 1970s. I had to check multiple sources to confirm the vocalist was not Simon LeBon. Clearly the latter was influenced here? At any rate, the album is reasonably unremarkable. It's interesting to hear British new wave a few years sooner than I previously understood but without any standouts or unique vibe, I'm afraid I won't likely be back around for a listen. 2/5
This is basically the blueprint for Duran Duran, and new-wave in general. Surprisingly really good.
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
Loved the '80s synthness. Would def listen again.
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.
Good but I’m sick white guys doing the whole Japan thing
It's '80s, but boring. (I am generally an '80s fan) 2.5
this album did nothing for me, not overly into that experimental (if that’s what it is) type 70’s music
Nice
Knew of Japan but always steered well clear. Pleasantly surprised. Was not expecting much but enjoyed. Definite fore runner for synth heavy new wave of the early 80s, annd well Duran Duran sure owe them an hell of a lot for their success, and linking and bringing the Roxy Eno 70s sounds through. I used to be unable to listen to such synth heavy music but it has grown on me now that it’s “dated” maybe I am always seeking pointless nostalgia. Whatever I like this. 4 Star
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
This is by turns atmospheric and dull Mainly dull
Not really my thing. Though on a surface level it seems like the type of music i’d really vibe with and I bet this influenced artists I love, but man I just find this to be such a bore.
Some cool synthy stuff with decent vocals unlike a lot of albums in this genre so I think it gets a 4 stars
Did I accidentally turn on an album full of Duran Duran B-sides?
The Good: Land of the Rising Sun!!! The Bad: There isn’t a single reference to Ramen on the album... The Ugly: This was sooo quiet that most people didn’t even know the album existed… Holy crap… like listening Duran Duran and the Psychedelic Furs before they became themselves. Or any other New Wave band from the year 1982 onwards. Guess Japan has been a trendsetter not only regarding martial arts, or food, but also music! Kobuki theater anyone? It would get a 5* if the damn thing wasn’t so depressing at times… and not depressing in a nice way… more depressing with the blade slicing skin from elbow to wrist, like you’re supposed to do… 4* well deserved though!
Если только иногда для разнообразия. Местами интересное звучание, местами заунывно. 5,5 из 10.
En hård start
Technically an 80s album, well in the UK anyway, which is all that counts. I had maybe heard a couple of later hits by Japan back in the day, but I never realised how similar to Duran to Duran they used to sound. The first track is almost a blueprint for Rio, same synth effects, same drums in parts, it's like Duran Duran sampled it it's so close. The rest of the album is similar, slightly edgy new-wave/ synth-pop. I liked it, enough for four stars anyway.
I can see how this was influential on 80s new wave, but to be honest, I just didn't like it. I didn't enjoy the sound, it felt very whiney and self-indulgent.
Not interested in this one at all.
I couldn’t really getting into this. It was a little too soft for me. I would have probably liked it if I was born earlier.
I’ve never heard of this band or album before, but that album cover is really interesting. I tend to enjoy a lot of new wave music from this era, so I think there’s a good chance that I’m going to enjoy this album. This was a really tough album for me to rate. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the musical arrangements on this album. The fretless bass, the keyboard playing, and the synthesizers were all fantastic, and there were some truly beautiful melodies across this album’s eight tracks. I also loved being able to listen to something that influenced Duran Duran so heavily. But on the other hand, some of these songs felt like they went on for twice as long as their listen run times. For an album that had some great pop sensibilities, I felt that these songs lacked the hooks and punchiness of pop music. One of the things that makes Duran Duran so fun to me is that their songs are incredibly fun to sing along to, and I just didn’t care much about the lyrics on this album. The moodiness of Quiet Life was executed really well, but I think the longer songs just wore me down a bit. I still think this is a really good album, but I just had a hard time putting all of my thoughts about it into words. Some notes on individual songs: I loved the guitar and synthesizer playing on the title track. Those melodies together sounded so distinctly eighties, and it blew my mind that this album came out in 1979. The influence that this album had on Duran Duran can be felt immediately. I really loved the bridge of this song as well. I loved that whistling tone on “In Vogue.” The keyboard playing was really great too, and I thought the synthesized strings sounded awesome. Japan did a great job of using a variety of elements and methods to craft their moody sound, and “In Vogue” is a prime example of that particular skill. I loved those tones on “All Tomorrow’s Parties.” The futuristic beeps and boops at the beginning were really excellent, and I liked how the song shifted away from that into something more guitar driven. The keyboard and guitar work were great on this song. Quiet Life is a really good album, and while I enjoy music that’s more focused on catchy hooks and riffs, I thought this album was really beautiful musically. It’s not catchiness that would bring me back to this album, but a sense of intrigue to let the moodiness and weird sounds wash over me.
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.