Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Kind of atmospheric rock
Like this. They obviously love Bowie. Icey.
This must have been ahead of the curve. Sounds like bands that were popular closer to the mid eighties.
Very New Wave, before New Wave was a thing. The front half of the album felt very poppy and proto-Duran Duran, and the back half felt more like The Cure. I wouldn't go looking to play this again, but it's not bad. My Rating: 3/5
Good drums and interesting bassline in some parts.
Another album that's from my youth, although I don't really recall it. It wasn't terrible, I made it all the way through, but it never grabbed my attention. It's another 3 star effort for me.
I was delighted to see this album--and band--on the list because it seemed like a great chance to comtinue to test my oft-hailed theory that there has never been a good band named after an official place name. Europe.... Boston... Kansas... Chilliwack... Asia... Chicago... all these bands suck. Flo Rida.... ya. When I read their description and found it was yet another new wave band on this list, I was all but sure it would suck. Anyway, for new wave, it kind of starts of dark, and continues to have dark tinges to many of the songs. Maybe not so much as Depeche Mode or someone, but at least not totally goofy like much of new wave. There's still plenty of goof though. I don't know what's going on with Halloween, for example. Overall, it's not always unpleasant. Some songs have a weird kind of groove to them, and I can see why people into this kind of music would like it. But all of that doesn't do anything to stop my overarching theory about bands named after official place names sucking.
Super interesting start to the album, with two great and fun songs, but it starts to fall off from there for me into some things that aren't really my cup of tea.
It’s like taking good music and making it imperceptible
Not bad
Newest of new wave. I’d never heard of this band but it’s obvious some of my fave 80’s groups did, so much so that it feels familiar. Duran Duran may have copied their format. Cool listen.
Way better than I gave it credit for based on the album artwork alone. Moody and atmospheric. Solid 3. Not even close to a 4
Quite an interesting album, I am not so sure of my feeling about this one I like tho the song Quiet Life 3/5
Nice baritone vocals (reminiscent of some visual kei singers), with Duran Duran/Tobias Forge instrumentation. Top track: Quite Life / Fall In Love With Me
80's music in the 70s? Pretty wild. I was really into the first song then it really didn't go anywhere and the rest were about the same. I'm sure this was super influential on so many 80s bands, it just wasn't very influential to me.
Japan - I really love their style and sound, they have a unique dark vision and great songs but I didn't feel this album had any standout tracks. Not sure why Tin Drum isn't in the book but this one is. Far prefer that album.
Definitely forward thinking, electronic+rock is def a first time for me. Glam rock to a sleeker synth-pop and new wave
It's clearly an influential album, way ahead of it's time. I had a very hard time getting into it though.
Has some good moments
☀︎Quiet Life: 3/5 ☀︎Fall In Love With Me: 3/5 ☀︎Despair: I do feel the despair. 2/5 ☀︎In Vogue: 3/5 ☀︎Halloween: 3/5 mais kinda nice. genre maybe je pourrais la mettre dans ma playlist d’halloween. mais ça vaut pas un 4/5 ☀︎All Tomorrow’s Parties: 3/5 ☀︎Alien: 3/5 ☀︎Other Side Of Life: 2/5 trop lent ☀︎A Foreign Place: 4/5 solide ☀︎Life In Tokyo: 3/5 3/5
Interesting
Kinda of OK for that genre of electro dance pop but not my personal fav.
I'm a new wave fan, but this one just doesn't have a song that jumps out at me. It's all about 3.5 material for my taste.
Hadn’t heard much from Japan but solid also
In vogue kind of sounds like a dispicable me song, pretty groovy tho and i like the song Quiet life, very david bowie. Overall cute but not my sound 😛
It was fine. Atmospheric but not as substantial as I would like. A little disappointed in the All Tomorrow's Parties cover.
It did sound more modern. I didn’t realize it was from the 70s until another user mentioned that in their review.
The third best Japan album. Tin Drum or gtfo
With a name as interesting as Japan, I’m honestly a little surprised I’ve never heard of this band before. One of the reviews mentioned “Quiet Life” being in one of my favorite games (Metal Gear Solid V), but I don’t even remember it. That also about sums up my take on this album. None of it was bad, but none of it was particularly memorable either. I suppose my favorite song is “Halloween” here, as it’s the catchiest. Nothing terrible, and there is a lot to like here when you listen to it, I just won’t really remember it after a while. Little too samey and generic at parts, even though as a whole the background elements to a lot of these songs are incredibly catchy. The singers voice bugged me at first, but it grew on me very quickly, which has happened a lot for this challenge. Ultimately, I’d come back to this band again. It’s piqued my interest. This is another instant lock for a 3.
Wow, Duran Duran must have been fans!
a little hard to get through but enjoyable
duran duran's fathers
A rare pick where I've never even heard of the artist, but I'm sensing a British-centric trend here. Interesting. Of its time and place I suppose. I like the mix of disco and alternative rock but not particularly return-worthy.
Brittiläistä new wavea. Pitkiä ja maalailevia kappaleita, osittain vähän puuduttavaa mutta loppujen lopuks ihan ok. Tykkään basson soundista ja soittotyylistä, tosi jazzimainen. Parhaat: Alien, Halloween, The Other Side of Life
Duran Duran but a little darker
This album was alright - nothing mind-blowing. Pleasant to have in the background playing.
cool vibe
just a bit long highlights: Quiet Life, In Vogue
Okay but not as good as Duran Duran
Japan no es la típica banda de la escena de los New Romantics. Tienen un toque más “artístico” y glam que el resto de grupos adyacentes, y eso se nota mucho aquí. Posiblemente este es su disco más famoso, antesala de otros aún más experimentales como Tin Drum. 3'5/5
people in the early 80s were really obsessed with Japan (and Asia in general.) however this was actually released in 1979, so this is basically one of those albums that doesn't sound interesting or special because it originated a style that a bunch of people copied. while I recognize that, it still doesn't impress me and all these songs sound the same. favorite song: "in vogue" overall: 6/10
We're back in the Shit Factory, boys
Songs: All Tomorrow's Parties
The opening track is nu-wave distilled into 4:49 isn't it? Mysterious vocals, echoing synths, relentless beat from the drum machine............... Of course, if you can't stand nu-wave then this isn't going to do anything for you, but certainly one of the gateway albums to the explosion that happened a few years later.
Never heard of this band before. First impression? Sounds like the background track to every early 80's B action/buddy cop movie. Not a bad album, just... inoffensive. I did really enjoy In Vogue. Great tune! Also enjoyed "a foreign place."
Favorite Track: Quiet Life
Sounds A LOT like Duran Duran to me. Not really my type of "new wave". Is it just name or was Despair totally ripped off for the Westworld TV theme?
A couple of great tracks but the album itself drags a bit.
Good. Very Duran Duran like. 3.5
I feel like I've heard of Japan before, but since I imagined that they were in the spectrum of other one-word bands like Journey, Europe, Boston, Asia, etc., I suspect my memory of them is a bit suspect. Either way, they somehow met my already low expectations and yet *still* disappointed me. I think part of my disappointment was due to the video for their opening/title track, which seemed to be a studio "concert" performance of their song, with what appeared to be a whole cast of female zombies as the crowd (they weren't dressed or looked like zombies, mind you, they just literally didn't move at all, not even a little sway back and forth to the song), and the band seemed to have glam-rock-style clothing and hairdos, but everything just moved as if it were a (bad) dream underwater, with almost no affectation from anyone. And that low-low-low energy seemed to permeate the entire album, like they were dialing it in. (Although the opening part of "Despair", up until the French lyrics, sounds like a dead ringer for the opening music of the modern (Lisa Joy) "Westworld" TV series, which was kind of interesting; sadly, no Bjork-style videos for that song of milky bulls or robots or anything.) I didn't really have any favorites from this album, sadly, but the best of the lot seemed to be "In vogue" and maybe "Halloween" (just for its relative energy), with a nod to their cover of "All tomorrow's parties", which didn't do a lot for me but definitely wasn't as derivative as I'd feared it would be (but a bummer that they didn't replicate Nico's "potties" in the refrain). I'm not at all surprised that Japan had a hard time finding a particularly receptive audience in either North America or UK/Europe; it *does* surprise me that Japan (the country) embraced Japan (the band), perhaps simply for the name? I can also see why some compared this album's version of Japan to Roxy Music, but that didn't really occur to me until I read it in the Wikipedia and "1001 Albums" entries.
I bought a Japan album back in the day and wish it had been this one; I'd have liked it more. Their cover of All Tomorrow's Parties and the title track are the superstars here.
A really cool album that was a fun listen. I like the sleepy, dreamy vibe that they presented, but didn't love that it got so mumbled that I couldn't understand anything as the album went on. Favorite songs: Quiet Life Halloween
This sounded so much like Duran Duran, and turns out Japan was a big influence on them! Who knew? Not me. That's a pretty impressive mark on their resume. I thought the album was pretty good. They really experimented with a lot of cool sounds. I like how "synthy" it is, and then some of it feels very noir too, especially songs like Despair and Other Side of Life. I liked the first half better than the second. It might've been a 4 if it didn't start to bore me towards the end. Cool find though!
Quiet Life showcases a forward-thinking and remarkably polished sound—Japan were pioneering what would soon be known as New Wave, even before the term had entered the musical lexicon. Released in the late '70s, the album serves as a stylistic bridge between glam rock, the emerging New Romantic movement, and the sleek, synth-driven textures that would define much of '80s pop. It’s easy to see why this record is considered so influential. The lush synthesizer arrangements and punchy, melodic basslines feel ahead of their time, laying the groundwork for artists like Duran Duran, who clearly drew inspiration from Japan’s sonic blueprint. Favourite tracks: “Quiet Life” stands out as a synth-pop anthem bursting with style and sophistication, while “Fall in Love with Me” delivers a romantic, moody elegance that adds emotional depth to the album. Least favourite track: While the core of the album is strong, it does begin to feel repetitive at times. The cover of “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” in particular, feels like an unnecessary detour. Additionally, the bonus remixes included on the version I listened to didn’t add much and slightly diluted the overall impact. Album artwork: The cover is striking—stylish, enigmatic, and perfectly matched to the cool, modern aesthetic of the music. It captures the band’s distinctive visual identity and the forward-looking spirit of the album.
a pretty cool, but likely forgettable, kinda electronic pop album
Quality tunes on this! A new wave album released in the 70s must've been insane when it first came out
This sounded like a prototype Duran Duran album. All of the stylings and sounds, but none of the catchiness of their material. I didn't dislike this album, it just felt very bland.
Pretty decent pop synth album. Would listen to it again if bored.
Honestly not a fan
🎧Kind of sounds like Roxy Music
Cool album. Quiet life the song, is awesome.
Just found it a little, dare I say, boring! But I can see how much it would have influenced the bands of the early 80s like Duran Duran and Spandu Ballet etc
M'eh, very 80s (even though it's 1979) but a but lame really
the musical equivalent of the silence from doctor who
album that is like "yeah i can see why this album inspired people to make the stuff i enjoy lots but since it's in that groundworks stage it's a bit less good" but i loved the synths and the tracks without Nye were baller
I didn’t expect such a Duran Duran sounding album from the 80s from this but still it sounds exactly like them. For a defining moment in the progression of the New Wave genre it is awesome and set the era well following this, however in retrospect it doesn’t have the quality that later new wave albums pick up from this. Still, appreciate it significantly!
This one is for the heads, I think. It’s weird and wonky. I would say it splits the difference between Gary Numan and ABC. I find it oddly enjoyable here and there, but it’s not a great album, or a must-listen.
Definitely Duran Duran before Duran Duran was a thing.
Definitely the 80s synth sound. Not hard to listen to, but not likely to be remembered. I prefer Nico’s “All Tomorrow’s Promises.”
Proto-Duran Duran. Not bad, but doesn't catch me, either.
3.5/5
3.5
I like David Sylvian as a vocalist. Not the biggest fan of the style of music, but it is well-executed and grows on you. 3.5 stars
I thought this album was pretty cool. It's sort of a missing link between the 70s Art Rock of Roxy Music and David Bowie and the 80s New Romantic bands like Duran Duran. I didn't love the VU cover, but I think everything else is pretty good. I especially liked the first half of the album. High 3.5 stars that would probably grow on relisten.
Am a huge japanophile. Akira, Eva, Cowboy Bebop, Nintendo, Kagemusha, Geishas, Tentacle porn etc. Love it. Not a huge fan of this though. Store brand Roxy and Bowie.
Fun synth and great bass tone. This was pretty fun, though it could stand to be shorter. 3.5/5
I hate to say that it was a bit boring, but it's true. I was never a fan of Japan and this album just reassured me of that view.
You can hear how they influenced 80's New Wave. You can also hear how those later bands are more engaging. 2.5 rounded up.
Good voice, early entry in the genre, but ... a little bland. Doesn't quite have the magic of Depeche Mode or OMD.
Nothing special.
starts strong but loses steam
#575. It sounded promising at first, but honestly I found my interest waning as the album progressed. 3/5: not too bad.
very 80’s at ‘79, some hits, some misses, not too memorable tho
I did not expect how much I would enjoy this record. When it started off I was not feeling this at all, but from Despair (which sounded like it could be on Bowie's Low or Heroes) onward it really changed and it turned into a very chill and interesting album. While I am normally not really into synth pop, I like what they’ve done with this album and it also sounds pretty great. And seeing that this is from 1979, it appears very much ahead of its time. So props to that I guess.
For being a 79 album this seems ahead of it's time. I can see how this paved the way for all the 80s music that followed. 3 stars
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Ot reminded me a bit of Roxy Music but with a darker vibe. It loses steam on the last 3 tracks but overall this was a good album
Not the greatest New Wave band of the lot, not even their best album, but it's still quite a good catch of early 80s pop music.
Very fun, some absolutely ridiculous basslines in here.
It's quite nice, this. I like the production and general mood on it. There's some really atmospheric synths and soundscapes going on. This is a typical, 'not really my bag, but I quite enjoyed it' album.
Fun album but don’t see myself re-listening to this.
Decent record
It's 80s pop. Most of it is actually OK, considering I hate 80s pop. It's simultaneously Paint By Numbers 80s pop, yet for some reason it's way more catchy than irritating. I can't explain it, but I'm giving it 3 stars.
its oke
I liked this better than some actual new wave. Cool. 3/5
Not real inspiring music, boring. The sound seems muted, flat sounding.
Meh, a little too whiney for me
Fall In Love With Me //
Some of this album is outstanding while some is just plain boring
i vacillated between liking this a lot and having it grate on me. still an interesting album.
I started out really enjoying this (kind of a Kajagoogoo / Duran Duran joint) but the tempo drags and gets really monotonous toward the end.
Seems like a pretty good example of new wave music, but I just don't like this kind of thing.
I liked this when it came out and I still like it now. Saw them live and they sounded awesome if a bit boring to watch.
Somewhat pleasant, totally forgettable
I was mainly familiar with David Sylvian through his work with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Fennesz, so this was a delightful surprise. Definitely feels like a step towards an 80s synth pop sound, but not quite fully formed
This is a pretty standard new wave album! Which means I like it but not sure why it's impressive.
британцы-японцы = полурак-полухуй
All the Duran Duran without any of the nostalgia (for me). This album starts off strong with the first couple of tracks and then gets kinda boring honestly. Not knowing anything about this band, I was surprised this came out in 1979, so it predates DD and they were no doubt influenced by this, but they did the new wave thing better with catchier and hookier songs. Where is the Duran Duran on this list?
New Wave? I would call it Electronic Pop.
Proto synth pop... Huh.
First song was solid enough but the album just kind of petered out overall. It’s fine.
I don't think I've ever heard these guys. When I saw the spotify bio saying they "redefined art rock..." I was a bit leery but it also said "...and new wave" which I have a softer spot in my heart for. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It scratched that 80s new wave itch.
Never heard of him, but was pretty good
Never heard of this in my life. This list is so British leaning it’s comical. Anyway this is cool. Very curesque, particularly the bass. Some songs are up beat and danceable, others more ambient. Interesting throughout. Giving it three stars.
Welp, now we know where Duran Duran's inspo came from.
Stand outs: Life in Tokyo, Quiet Life.
Interesting album. Rock with elements of jazz. Makes sense why they call themselves Japan.
Japan is a British band that started with a sound that was close to Roxy Music. With Quiet Life, their third studio album, they moved into synth-pop. This is one of the first successful album in that genre. These are catchy, dramatic songs, that are clearly a precursor to much of 80s British pop. This is the album that inspired bands like Duran Duran.
An album that reflects the general change of music towards synths. Some decent pop tunes and vocals are good. Not bad but also not really my bag
Aside from the big hits this is only really impressive for preempting Duran Duran, I do have a bit of a soft spot for.some of this synth-pop stuff though
Classic eighties pop. Not the worst of this genre, it was quite listenable, but I wouldn't listen to it on purpose again.
6/10
An album that spawned many bands like Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet and basically gave us 80s music in the late 70s... And for that it must be tried for its crimes against humanity.
If this wasn’t technically the 70s I’d not know if it was influential or not because it sounds so quintessentially 80s (But I still don’t like it)
Buen disco, todavía alguna canción es bailable. Luego serán mucho más oscuros.
3/5
Fanger den der periode hvor post-punk og new wave begyndte at smelte sammen. Lækkert.
3.5
This is another of those albums that's probably more important than it is incredible to listen to, sitting as a key album in the lineage of synthpop and new wave. Still, it's a good album.
Interesting. liked some of the songs.
Pleasant, artsy synth pop, lingering between a 3/5 and 4/5 rating. Ultimately the best track is a cover of the excellent 'All Tomorrow's Parties'.
Not bad.
Vocals in the style of one who has listened to too much Bryan Ferry, in fact the whole thing has a distinct Roxy Music sound. No surprise, then, to discover that this album shared a producer with RM. It's easy to be dismissive and call it a "Roxy Rip Off", but I like RM so there could be worse things for it to sound like. They get credibility bonus points for covering a Velvet Underground track ("All Tomorrow's Parties") and managing to put their own spin on it combined with hints of Nico's vocals and John Cale's viola. Perhaps it is telling that it's the best track on here. There is nothing offensive but nothing really caught my attention apart from the VU cover. That gets it a distinctly average 3/5 from me. It is the kind of album that might go up in my estimation after several listens.
surreal
Some of the songs were interesting and well crafted and others were uninspired generic things
I feel, again, like an archeologist discovering another only mildly interesting pile of bones from the same old dig site, but this was quite alright, mostly.
it was hard to feel anything from the music, though i appreciate what the band was doing
Welp, 2024 is over. Aside from a few days I missed that I later made up, I listened to an album every day for the entire year. I have listened to over 366 albums this year, and now it's time for the last one. What is it? Some new wave thing I've never heard of before. Of course. Whatever, at least the album itself is good. It's certainly better than the album I got on December 31st last year! It was G. Love and Special Sauce in case you're wondering. This is just a solid album. It's nothing groundbreaking, but I like it for what it is. The sound is good, as are the vocals. I've seen comparisons to Bowie that aren't completely unjustified. There's a Velvet Underground cover in here. That's neat. The album definitely feels like it came from the 80s, which is interesting as the album was actually released in 1979. Cool! Quiet Life is a good album. Considerably High 3/5.
80s as all hell.
Sigh…more 80s synth pop. Free me!!!! Some songs were fun, but mainly they were overly long and bland. 2.5 stars.
Alright, not terrific. Very synth heavy, good background music, would fit reasonably well into something like a street fighter movie. Sounds a bit like be more chill's music.
I did enjoy this album not sure if it would be in high rotation but I love one to return to once every second month. The lead singers voice is familiar too?
a decent glimpse into the 80s for being from 1979
A broody mix of early Duran Duran and Television. Fortunately, Japan takes the good from both and delivers a solid album of interesting music.
Eh, pretty decent but nothing really stands out.
Japan were the reason Duran Duran lamped me in 1988. I was giving Simon a bit of stick. Winding him up about the fact they are just a cheap imitation of Japan and stole all their ideas. Len didn’t know how close to Simon was to exploding, neither did I tbh. Len bundled over and shouted ‘Ken? What you doing talking to this New Wave Pop nancy boy? Shouldn’t you be doing your hair, Le Bon? That quiffs looking a bit saggy’…..well, that was that. Luckily he punches like a girl. It’s all good though, we chatted it out and he invited me round for Christmas dinner that year! 2.7
Big fan to be fair! Interesting music, nice and innovative electronica! Would defo listen to again it was great!
The soundtrack to the 1979 video game of the same name, this album has become the official national anthem of a nation.
Quintessence of the 80´s so many sounds that are trademarked by that time
sounds like white people making “japanese” sounding music? but there are some p good dance-y bops in this one
I am a sucker for some synth-pop I have learned. This is another album that boarders very hard on being incredibly cheesy but it hits in all the good ways. All Tomorrow's Parties was a really cool song with some very interesting effects. This is a high 3.
Sounds similar to the cure or synth style 80's bands.
Wasn't terrible...it just sounds like everything else around that time. And most of those songs were way too long. 3/5
If you put this on without telling me who it is, I'd say it's a Duran Duran album. Enjoyed this way more than I expected by the name and album cover.
Con este disco Japan tendieron un puente entre Bowie y los New Romantics, que cruzaron infinidad de grupos durante los años 80. ¿Es este su mejor disco? Es el que mejor les representa y aunque Tin drum gozó de un merecido éxito, este sería el más recomendable por su equilibrio y canciones. Con la clara influencia de Roxy Music y de Mororoder (que no produjo el disco) por fin lograron un sonido e identidad que les llevó a la fama, aunque tuvieron que triunfar antes en media Europa (sobre todo en Alemania, aquel Berlín de los 70 les sentaba como un guante...) antes que en su casa. Solo por la línea de bajo de Quiet Life ya se justifica la escucha del álbum, obvia influencia para Duran Duran como para otros muchos (ABC, Spandau Ballet y tantos más...) La titular suena a lo que sonarán Simple Minds y demás. Fall in love with me y la lúgubre Despair a Depeche Mode, In Vogue a Spandau Ballet, Halloween y Alien a Duran Duran, All tomorrow´s parties es una estuepnda versión con esas guitarras distorsionadas, Japan supieron evolucionar desde postulados glam hacia una música más experimental pero siempre de calidad, sus carreras posteriores, tanto David Sylvian en solitario y colaboraciones como en Porcupine Tree o Rain Tree Crowm dan buena fe de ello. Otros discos del 79, el año del "Disco sucks" : Unknown Pleasures de Joy Division, The Police-Reggatta De Blanc, THE CLASH - London calling, VAN MORRISON - Into the music, NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE - Rust never sleeps y Live Rust, AC/DC - Highway to hell, PAUL COLLINS BEAT - The Beat, THE CURE - Three imaginary boys, The Undertones- The Undertones, THE B-52'S - The B-52's, GRAHAM PARKER - Squeezing out sparks, THE KNACK - Get the knack, The wall de Pink Floyd, Armed Forces de Elvis Costello & The Attractions, We Are Family de Sister Sledge, Look Sharp! de Joe Jackson, Spirits Having Flown de Bee Gees, Breakfast in America de Supertramp, Y de The Pop Group, Voulez-Vous de ABBA , Bad Girls de Donna Summer, Lodger de David Bowie, Discovery Electric Light Orchestra, Exposed y Platinum de Mike Oldfield, Fear of Music Talking Heads, Off the Wall de Michael Jackson, Quadrophenia deThe Who, Reggatta de Blanc de The Police, Prince de Prince, Damn the Torpedoes de Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers , One Step Beyond... de Madness, The Specials de The Specials, Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants\" de Stevie Wonder, Metal Box de Public Image Ltd., Risque de Chic, Real to Real Cacophony y Life in a day de Simple Minds
6.5/10. Meh, it's alright. It's not anything very memorable. There is a plethora of better new wave out there. :)
More mediocre new wave stuff
Liked a few songs a decent bit and didn't hate the others. Wasn't blown away but it is a cool link between Glam and New Wave Rating: 3.3
This is important because of when it was, rather than how well it has held up over the years. As such, it doesn't make a massive impact, but I can get its inclusion.
This was an unexpectedly good album. Engaging synth pop / new romantic from a band that learned its chops and earned its reputation for reinvigorating this genre with some much needed life. Harkening back to earlier pioneers I definitely here a lot of Ultravox in their sound, especially the pre Midge Ure Ultravox. And of course there's the usual Kraftwerk influence that underlines all the bands that aspire to this sound. However Japan adds their own take on the music making it well worth your attention. I did deduct a 1/2 star for an uninspired take on the VU classic All Tomorrow's Parties. 3.5 stars
A good album from an artist I always overlooked. Quiet Life and the cover of All Tomorrows Parties were my favourite tracks
3 - More super chill albums, I feel like I got very little out of this one though
The songs sound a lot alike to each other.
Credit to them for being an early influencer of punk music in 1979.
Fav: Fall In Love With Me Least Fav: Alien Nice enough album that loses steam after a strong start. Very impressive for 1979, I see where 80s groups got inspiration from
Pretty good. Definitely has a late 70s/early 80s vibe to it. I can hear the influence it had on Duran Duran but I also think Tears For Fears were taking notes as well. Not perfect by any stretch but listenable.
If you had told me this was a previously unreleased Duran Duran album, I would’ve believed it. That’s not a knock against Japan, as I’m sure Le Bon & Co borrowed heavily from them, but it does speak to the claustrophobic nature of early New Wave music.
Sounds like a perfect cross between Roxy Music and Duran Duran, which are two bands I do enjoy. But this album isn't on the same level as the albums I've heard from those bands. I like the album's sound and would enjoy another listen. I'd say this is definitely a good album, but there's not much about it that would qualify as great.
Very very quiet life. But to be fair it was quite good. We enjoyed a decent amount.
Early hints of 80s New Wave in 1979. Will save 'Quiet Life', but I don't think I'll revisit this album.
Took me a while to get through this, not bad just a little slow and uninteresting. 5/10
Rating: 6/10 Pretty good but pretty forgettable.
son medios maracos, pero banco la musica!
Stylish yet dated New Romantic band.
cool instrumentals, boring lyrics
This album was highly influential to the sound of the 80s, but apart from a few songs it did very little for me
Melancholic
This surprised me. I typically can't stand the new wave/heavy synth sound, but I don't mind this. It's not my taste exactly, but there's something about it that I respect. Maybe it's the guitar and bass that's still prevalent. Maybe it's that the dirt and grime of the 70s hadn't been washed away yet. Whatever it is, this is both more gritty than Spandau Ballet or Duran Duran, and less dirge-y than Joy Division (though there is some of that). Consider me impressed.
New Wave is just one of those genres I’m indifferent to. Sometimes I’m enjoying it, other times I’m indifferent to it. I never hate it though. This is solid New Wave
Zajímavé, unikátní kombinace žánrů, velmi špatně ohodnotitelné
Well, I’m scared by this album cover. But I’m on the first song and I kinda like it. Update: I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it.
Ah, New Romantics, that was a short, but fun period. Some solid tracks on this album.
Ok 3/5
i actually liked this a lot! i got a little bored of it by the end of the second listen but the first half of the album is pretty fun, i was dancing a little bit. also between the cover of all tomorrow’s parties and a non-album track called european son…i know these guys were velvet underground heads…respect… fav tracks: quiet life; fall in love with me; in vogue; despair
I liked this! I think it started off really strong and then got a little stagnant throughout but I really enjoyed their sound and it ended on a high note with a really beautiful final track. fav tracks: Quiet Life, A Foreign Place
Fine. Not for me. My favorite thing about this album is the opening statement in its Wikipedia entry: Quiet Life is the third studio album by English new wave band Japan, first released on 17 November 1979 in Canada.
Another perfectly fine album, some very very nice synth pop with very little to set it apart from other synth pop artists. Good but not great.
This was fine. I didn’t not like it, I guess.
A lot of the reviews I read prior to listening noted the comparrisons to and likely influce this album had on Duran Duran. They are right! My golly, at times I thought I WAS listening to Duran Duran. Good album and a group I plan to explore more.
Listened Before? N More really good 80s synth pop! I wasn't familiar with the group but now I am and I really enjoyed this one! Nothing jumped out at me as being over the top good or bad, but I could listen to music of the genre all day so it works for me! Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Quiet Life
Stylish synth pop of '79. Pretty cool for the time
Very atmospheric with lots of cool riffs. Would make a great sound track for a game/series/movie. A bit too much repetition in places, there were quite a few tracks that in my opinion could be cut down slightly and still retain their overall feeling.
Ooh, so eighties! I enjoyed the first track in particular, after that it all kind of washed over me. It seemed nice enough and a bit nostalgic.
Liked the velvet cover and the rest was pleasant enough….
Better than I realised at the time
Not a bad listen
***An ok album
Nothing special, but easy to listen to. Probably the least annoying synth-pop I've heard to date.
Not bad, but it sounds like many other new wave bands. Nothing different from others from that time.
3/5
Sure, this is pretty ahead of its time but I’m not super interested in the time it was ahead of.
Not bad, but didn’t knock my socks off.
You can draw a line directly from Roxy Music to this then on to Duran Duran. The guitars in Alien reminded me of "Girls On Film". Overall I liked it, though I think Duran Duran were better with a melody. First track is standout with its Moroder style synth line.
The sound of an album that was very much made in 1985. This is a tangled up mess. Maybe that was the idea? The mid-80's were a WEIRD time for alt music - trying to shake off post-punk, and wondering what might come next. E.V.O.L. lays the foundations for the noise assault that followed. But it still can't quite ditch the Oh Woe is Me obsession. Lighten up, dudes.
While I don’t love every song, I do think “All Tomorrow’s Parties” may be one of the single best “new to me” songs I’ve heard on this journey so far. So I’m going 3.5 for this.
Interesting.
Pretty neat new wave record. It's nothing like super exceptional, outside of that opener which is just incredible. But nothing here is like actively bad at all. Just a good listen. Excited to hear more from Japan
Uh this album was okay. Some real bangers in the middle, but the alnum started weak and the drawn out endings happen like every song so near the end of the album it just gets old. But I can totally see others loving this fully, just didn't quite land for me
So Duran Duran stole their sound, but made it better. Got it.
I really enjoyed this. The vocals were haunting and it’s very of it’s time. 3*
I keep giving albums 3 stars but I want to give half stars dammit. I'd give this a 3.5 but not quite a 4 until I've had some more listens. This is a great album I've never heard before.
New wave. Decent and ahead of their time. Not my jam.
Ok New Wave album. I enjoyed the listen, but there was a lot of the same rhythm throughout the album to the point that I wasn't always sure when one song ended and another began. Might re-listen later, but 3/5 for now!
It’s good stuff but not that outstanding to me! Yukihiro Takahashi’s solo stuff does a super similar thing but is just consistently better
Fine
pleasantly surprised by this one actually
2.5
Interesting early new wave, not really any major standout songs but I can see it being influential
Roxy Bowie Glam yeah
Sounds a lot like Duran Duran.
Interesting album. Lost of fun 80 synth rock and some operatic interludes.
3/5
There's a lot of cool experimentation happening here that boarders on psych/dance music, but the record can't escape its desire to fall into the New Wave spectrum, and that's a shame. I kept waiting for us to let loose a little, but most tracks remain just a bit sleepy for me. 11/10 bass lines though.
first two songs were quite nice, after that nothing remarkable happens. strong 6/10
good
Has a very Duran Duran feel. Japan was most definitely an influence in their music. Pretty good album. Shame they never got the love that Duran Duran got. 3.5
Hmm some songs are kinda cool but its sort of plodding and annoying at parts
Altogether there’s too much 80s synth pop on this list, and that’s a genre I generally enjoy. But there’s just not much to differentiate it from the other synth pop. I did like All Tomorrow’s Parties. The rest was fine.
This had a dark interesting sound, and lucky hadn’t gone full 80s though it got dangerously close
Back in synth world I guess. This was totally fine, but i never need to hear it again and it certainly does not need to take up a spot on this list.
It had one pretty good song on it and it was definitely influential, but it didn't do much for me
Might be a better fall or Halloween album!
This album would probably hit different in the fall. But for today (6/9/24) it was not doing it for me.
It’s somewhat less generic and more interesting than I expected - I liked the synths and darker sound - but I was never fully sold on it. I found it a bit irritating as it went on.
Quite enjoyed it
"Quiet Life" by Japan is a sleepy new wave album. Made by Englishmen and originally released in Canada, it is unsurprising that this album had little to no footprint in the United States. Rather unremarkable, there's not much to say about it. If anything, many of the tracks are just a little too long and drawn out.
This album is not as synthy as the usual synthpop I enjoy but I still found this album to be rather pleasant. It does however sound dark at times but that's not an issue for me. I'd consider this a high 3/5.
The band originally intended for the track listing to be 1) All Tomorrow's Parties, 2) Fall in Love with Me, 3) Alien, 4) Quiet Life, 5) The Other Side of Life, 6) Despair, 7) In Vogue, 8) Halloween, 9) A Foreign Place and suggests the listener try listening to the album in that order.
I thought this was pure 80s music until I saw that it was released in 1979, maybe these were the first guys to do it?? Didn't mind it but nothing special. First two songs were good background music for getting somewhere in a rush, the next track "despair" really dropped off in energy. Not really my thing but then again I'm sure this slapped for some people 40-45 years ago.
Yes, liked, made me think of Duran Duran, Bryan Ferry….I would listen again.
A lot of individual elements that would indicate a good album. Some jazzy sections, some fun new wave stuff, and a range of emotion. But for whatever reason, this one just never clicked with me. Wasn't bad at all, but didn't grab me either
Para mí medio pelo como canta
Above average new wave album. In Vogue and Alien were stand out tracks for me.
Geht gut ins Ohr. PopRock mit Glamour und perfekten Sound. Eine angenehme Überraschung
More new wave to hear before I die, haven’t heard of these guys until now. Nothing distinct but well played.
I have always been a little nonplussed by the supposed "cult status" of this album. Take a glam-rock, Roxy Music-inspired act that was first playing an already "dated" style in a frankly awkward fashion, add synthetic production shenanigans inspired by disco and Georgio Moroder to drastically update them, and you have an album that indeed foretells eighties' "New Romantics" such as Duran Duran or Alphaville. The thing is, I fear there's not much in terms of truly memorable tunes in *Quiet Life*, a record that mostly digs two grooves in a somewhat flaccid fashion and undynamic pace: some upbeat songs in the vein of the opener and title track, that quickly sound quite interchangeable unfortunately, and two or three more "atmospheric" tracks with admittedly stellar orchestral arrangements. On the positive side of things, Japan's fretless bass sounds great--thanks goodness it's here, since it offers the most dynamic and original instrumentation in the record. And David Sylvian's vocal performance is nice as well. *Quiet Life* is a record I've tried hard to love before, but as of now, it didn't "click" for me. Not fully giving up on it, though. Because on a more distanced and "objective" level, I readily admit it was at least somewhat groundbreaking for pop music at large... 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 8/10 for more general purposes (5+3). Number of albums left to review: 214 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 344 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 200 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 251
I had never heard of this band before so this was a completely new group to me. Japan has a lot of musical elements I love, really nice synth, some sexy sax thrown around, haunting guitars, croonerish vocals, some serious "bowieisms", yet, I just could not get into this album and I can't really figure out why. I will be checking out more of Japan's work, because even though this album felt, "slow", or something, I still really enjoyed it. I'm going to have to re-listen to this, let it sink in more. *It's crazy to me that this album came out in 1979, when the track Quiet Life sounds like 1985.
Who came first? Duran Duran or Japan? Planet Earth or Quiet Life? I suppose I could simply Google it, but the music on this album isn’t good enough to care. My gut feeling is that Duran Duran took what Japan started and polished it into something worth shouting about. I can certainly understand why Japan has fans, but not why this album is in the 1001 list. What makes this better than the hundreds or thousands of other albums made by garage bands given access to tech and a recording studio? The synth atmospheres are kind of interesting, but the song-writing, production and singing simply aren’t good enough to be lauded worldwide. Don’t get me wrong, this is not an awful album, especially compared to so much of the dross released then and now. However, maybe you had to be a member of the miserable, unemployment, disenchanted youth in the UK to give this album a place in your heart. Note after further reflection: it’s the saxophone and singing that ruins this album. Replace both and maybe you’ve got something that matches the best pop-rock of that era.
Somewhere between new wave and punk, lots of long songs from the most emo kid at a prep school. It's alright, a couple nice tracks but nothing too eye-opening. Quiet life indeed. Favorite tracks: Fall in Love With Me, In Vogue, Alien. Album art: Really like this one, a guy standing in the fog, trying to reach out. Maybe it's not fog at all, maybe he's just sad. But the picture is striking, the font is bold, it's a good one. 3/5
3 stars
It's the beginning of a new age. The age of the romantics.
An interesting mix of Duran Duran and Joy Division, seemingly ahead of their time, this sounds more 1982 than 1979.
While listening to the first track, I began to feel bad that I had given Duran Duran the credit for so many years when this band that I had never heard of had clearly laid the ground work for them. But as I continued to listen the album became much less compelling to me. Tracks like “Despair” just sounded like someone noodling on a piano to me. Neither complex nor interesting. A lot of shared DNA with bands I love. But those other bands ultimately do it a lot better.
Música de sintetizador. No está mal, cansa un poco al ser muy similar durante todo el disco. Llega a ser aburrido, pero no es mala.
Fun sounds
Duran Duran must have bought a copy of this record.
Nothing I particularly dislike, and it probably influenced a lot of 80s sounds, but I have very little attachment to this. For me, synth should be used pretty sparingly, so I'm not the biggest fan of the 80s as a period for music, but this is decent enough. Maybe I'd like it with time, but right now, it's just fine as background music. 24/03/24
Sounds like a standard 80’s album but came out in 79, so got to give them credit of being early pioneers of the sound. Duran Duran clearly influenced by Japan? Deserves to be on the list, but not my Personal taste.
If I were to throw an 80s themed party this would definitely make the list as nice synthy forgettable background music for when the motorcycle gang inexplicably shows up and ruin the party. I wish half stars were possible, this is as 2.5 as it gets. We are going with 3 because 2 would imply its bad.
Total Duran Duran copycat. Wow. Liked it though.
Solid album, reminded me a bit of Brian Ferry and Roxy Music. Sometimes the singe's voice is a bit unnerving.
Solid enough background music
Very good
I enjoyed some of the beats and songs on here, having never heard of this band before. I might replay it at some point.
Ну так, местами неплохо, местами непойми что.
good
Based on the release date, this is definitely influential. Imagine if Pink Floyd played straight forward new wave before it existed. There is a darkest to this album. I liked it more than expected 6.5/10
Quite liked the bleepy blooby intro then realised I wasn't really listening after that. Singing a bit flat in a New Order esque way.
An interesting LP that hits a nostalgic vein of proto-synthwave. Doesn't feel too dated, but the heavy synthesizer provides a distinct sonic signature and carries some milder songwriting. The more traditional tracks do tend a bit too 80s for my liking, but this was something different from the norm and I enjoyed listening.
lovely vibe
Three stars, but a good three stars. Obscure 80's-style art pop that was ahead of its time. Kind of downbeat
Brooding and etherial.
It’s worth a 2.5 if I could give one.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Maybe a 2.5, but I'll round up.
Meh!
ok
"Quiet Life" by Japan, released in 1979, is a transitional album for the band, marking their shift from glam rock to a more sophisticated and experimental sound. The album features a blend of electronic, funk, and art-pop elements, showcasing the band's musical versatility and David Sylvian's distinctive vocals. Tracks like "Quiet Life" and "Fall in Love with Me" are highlights, with their lush production and catchy melodies. However, "Quiet Life" is not without its flaws. Some tracks feel disjointed and unfocused, and the production can be inconsistent. Additionally, while the album is ambitious, it doesn't always fully realize its potential, with some songs lacking the depth and complexity found in Japan's later work. Overall, "Quiet Life" is a solid album that showcases Japan's evolving sound. While it may not reach the heights of their later releases, it remains an important chapter in the band's discography.
Quiet Life is the third album by English new wave band Japan. This album marked a transition for the band from glam rock to synth/art-pop. It was one of the first albums released during the New Romantic era in the UK, and the band views it as their peak. Although sales were slow, this album went on to be the band's first to chart and was certified gold in the UK. Quiet Life was a hit in the UK and a cult classic in North America - specifically Canada. This is an elegant sounding pop album with hints of the band's glam rock past. Japan sounds like a beautiful, well-oiled machine on this album and it may be their best album too. I think most listeners will enjoy this album.
Might be the most average album I've heard so far.
Not listened to many similar albums, would like to revisit
This album reminded me of Gary Numan at times, and I liked the music. It was very repetitive though.
Pretty good.
I’m a sucker for new wave music, but a lot of the songs drag on and his voice isn’t my favorite.
Thought this would be right up my street and I did like it, but it didn’t grab me
I listened to this like 4 times which is good I suppose but also can't remember anything about it which feels like a negative
Synthapopp er gáfumannapopp í mínum huga. Mörg flott lög sem eru stuð. En reyndar finnst mér drepleiðinleg sum hægu lögin, sérstaklega "The Other Side of Life". Fæ alveg klígju af útdregnum niðurdreptónum í duranduran söngstílnum.
Frumherjar í nýrómantík og ruddu flugbrautina fyrir Duran Duran. Vandað og gott synthapop með óaðfinnanlegum hljóðfæraleik. Mér hefur alltaf þótt röddin hans David Sylvain kúl, sérstaklega í rólegu lögunum eins og Despair og Forbidden colours sem hann gerði með Sakamoto. Ekkert jafngott lag á þessari plötu, en ekkert sem mér fannst áberandi leiðinlegt heldur. 3,5/5.
Interesting album. You can hear the bands that this influenced throughout. It’s probably not something I’ll revisit but I respect it in the context of when it was released and what followed.
I'm impressed that this is from 1979. Sounds more like more mud 80s. I have come to realize that New Wave just isn't my jam.
This was play, a little more boring than anticipated
The whole time I was listening, I was convinced it was Duran Duran. Weird
Fine 80s stuff.
It's Duran Duran, but not as catchy. It's good, but it doesn't stick. Favorite song: Fall in love with me.
Está bien, no llega a ser ofensivo. Como Japan en 1979, yo paso de movidas.
Not my style but can see the appeal.
A foretaste of the things to come, even though this band wouldn't get any credit. This see seemingly inspired a thousand eighties bands.
I am not a huge fan of new wave, this is kind of jazzy though. I don't hate it or love it but there are interesting songs here that are entirelysaved by thier instrumentation. 2.5 Repeats:quiet life, in vogue
A little bit samey, but catchy in places
Missed MTV by a couple of years or I might have heard of them. “Quiet Life” is my choice from this album.
This was fine, I'm not sure if I loved it or would require more listens but it wasn't an immediate favorite.
No. 81/1001 Quiet Life 4/5 Fall in Love With Me 3/5 Despair 2/5 In Vogue 2/5 Halloween 2/5 All Tomorrow's Parties 2/5 Alien 3/5 The Other Side Of Life 2/5 Average: 2,5 This was just a slog to get through, since this is not my kind of music and also hadn't a lot to offer creativly.