Reviews (page 6 of 7)
listened to it yesterday, and couldn't tell you a thing about it. didn't have much to capture my interest
I listened to this the other day and I don’t really remember too much about it. I do remember that it was pretty generic 80s music for the most part. I feel like this is strongly in the one hit wonder territory more than super influential, maybe I’m wrong but it doesn’t seem that way at surface level.
Chato p caralho. Arrastado
first couple songs are cool. awful cover of “All Tomorrow’s Parties” in the middle and a straight up weird slow sax song
Edged between 2 and 3, but with most of the time resting in 2 land. Their take on All Tomorrow's Parties was a great take on a wonderful song. But much of it was a bit moring, often droning and his singing seemed a bit flat and off key at times. I'm not a huge New Wave fan and this did not seem like best-of-breed of the genre.
Just not for me
Although published 1979, the sound is very 80s. They obviously had an impact on bands like Duran Duran, OMD, etc. So in this way interesting and worthy of being here in the list. But for me not the right music.
ooby scooby dooby music
Weebs?? hell naa
Kind of boring.
Was there ever a Duran Japan superband?
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
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
Wanted to like this as I've heard a few tracks that I've enjoyed beforehand. A lot of it all fell flat.
This wasn’t a good album. I’m not sure what was so good about it. Vocals were bad but the beats were ok
I enjoyed Halloween but I was pretty ambivalent towards the rest of this
Perfect new wave. But sadly I don’t like new wave.
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.
einschläfernd
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 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.
Not outwardly repulsive but it just slides off my brain. I don't feel anything listening to this. The vanilla oatmeal of British music.
No comment
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
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?
Eh, not feeling this, but it’s not terrible.
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
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.
kind of creepy which I like. there is some sort of quiet despondency about this general 80s goth/glam rocky kind of music
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.
A schizophrenic album. One I don’t like.
It wasn't bad but honestly not that memorable.
Some cool stuff, but mostly forgettable. Wish we could get half stars. 2 feels too punitive, 3 feels too much. Oh well
Hmmm
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.
2.5
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.
The people of Japan are owed an apology. 2/5.
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
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
This is pretty painful. Just the worst example of 80s British pop and nothing I want to listen again. 3/10 (1.5/5)
Found this to be underwhelming
weird
Really liked the vibe of the album. Flowed well. Started off strong then seemed to fall off a bit. Just fine for now.
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
Really not the pop giants they hoped to be. Did not piss me off, but won’t go here again.
Atmospheric but insipid for the most part.
Total snooze, early synth + dark, not quite there
This seems like any other forgettable glam band
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.
Fairly OK.
Nothing really stuck out to me 2/5
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.
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
I had to double check that I wasn't playing Duran Duran at first.
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.
I was feeling a light 3 until I hit that cover of All Tomorrow's Parties, man that one is rough.
Not bad, and a little ahead of its time. Sounds like an inspiration for Naked Eyes, but this band's original songs are better.
Why did they have the same song on here three times
2/5
Kinda jazzy but was hard to get into
It isn't a 3, it's more like a 2.65.
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.
This felt like an off brand Duran Duran
meandering eight minute ballad ain't for me dawg. and why is an english band naming itself "japan"
2,5
Was fully prepared to hate this and I was merely indifferent.
Influential than, musically only just o.k. now. And the vocals really aren't my favour.
Ok. Felt like jus another synth pop album
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
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 is by turns atmospheric and dull Mainly dull
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.
No standouts
Solid New Wave, with obligatory VU cover to establish credibility. So, not really my thing.
One good song then it’s meh
Meh this was too slow and brooding for me 2/5
This is kind of interesting considering when it came out. It must've been fairly early for this synth pop style and it does sound decent. I don't know if this invented anything.
This has a discordant sound for me. There is always something going on that I find distracting. I find the vocal choices grating. There are instrumental moments that are interesting. 2.5
Maybe I'm getting worn down by all of these new wave albums, but this one as at least interesting. Still not great.
Wtf is that
Not quite sure why this is on the list.
I did like some "glam rock." The New York Dolls and Roxy Music are two examples, but Japan was hard for me to get excited about. I'm guessing the charisma/sex appeal of the lead singer would attract some fans to their shows. There's nothing compelling (or offensive) about this record. It's Not rock 'n roll.
Not my style, but a handful of interesting elements.
Playful but dated.
🥱
I liked Despair, 4/10
Muy repetitivo
So moody. Sooooo 80s. Liked the cover of All Tomorrow’s Parties. Can’t deny the impact but I think I’m more about the later bands that took inspiration!
The album that maybe spawned another shitty sub-genre.
I thought it had moments. The song Alien was pretty great. That said, I'll probably never listen to this one again.
80er - new wave vorläufer - nie gehört...? c
This must have been groundbreaking stuff because this is one of the earlier examples of Brit New Wave we have all heard 100s of times on this list. One song in and I am done. Just boring.
nah
Kind of the same over and over again. Synth-pop/Rock
You can tell the music industry was on the cusp of creating that 80s sound. However, in 1979 it just wasn’t perfected yet and this album is a perfect example of that.
Not my fav, rather depressing
started off really liking it, but the slowing pace and increasingly emo tone of the album kinda lost me! the terrible french was an absolute distraction as well, found that really difficult to listen to. i’ve saved the first song, but the rest i’d rather not listen to again. it started to feel disjointed. also listened to their other album which also started out strong but lost me
Great synths and bass. Vocals are fine, but don't stand out especially. First couple tracks are decent but it kind of loses steam after that. The VU cover is great though.
First song is a banger. Everything else kind of drops off. Difficult to understand the lyrics
Interesting at the very least, but unconvinced that this will be memorable.
Pretty mid. Some songs were okay but none i’d come back to.
A bit of a moaning Michael
I liked the vibe, a little long but overall pretty good. A little repetitive and boring at parts though and not super unique
Ugh. Poorly done. I generally like this style of music but this just isn’t it.
Good title, my life felt quite while I listened to this album. No feelings, no interest, no anything. At least it didn't annoy me.
a few good songs with some unnecessary stuff
Good band from the 80’s. 80’s sound.
This was a big bizarre but ultimately forgettable. Not quite my style but it was an enjoyable enough listen that I finished it
The sound of the songs and the singing feels very early 80s. I feel like I have heard the singer before but I know its not the same person. Nothing bad to say about the album but it doesn't interest me at all.
Pretty rompiche
- entspannt aber wenig spannend
There's nothing here that interested me and I have no interest in hearing it again let alone at all.
Not doing much for me. There's some cool atmospheric moments on this album, but I don't vibe with the way the lead singer sings and the general sound isn't working for me.
Perfectly fine
I like a decent amount of new wave, but this was just a bit boring to me.
Ballad dance dance revolution type of level
So I ALSO had the same thought. "This sounds a lot like Duran Duran". Interesting that they came first and influenced both of the Durans. Actually, his vocals sound like a cross between Duran Duran and Roxy Music.... Only not as good as either of them. He mumbles and moans too much and the songwriting doesn't grab me at all. The instrumentation features less than impressive playing (with exception to a few great bass lines). I especially did NOT enjoy the Velvet Underground cover of All Tomorrow's Parties. They butchered it. I hope they have better albums than this. Not my thing.
Nothing special. A couple of songs had me leaning towards 3 but overall I'm keeping it at 2.
Ganz schön modern für 79 aber nicht so meins
почему так много японского?)) но вообще слишком тоскливо, не
A few interesting bits but mostly pretty boring.
Aburridisimo, aunque modernoso. No me acuerdo de nada. Nota: 2.4
not my cup of tea
Buhh! Kedeligt og grim lyd. Men ikke dårlig nok til at gøre sig fortjent til en 1er.
Voldsom meget synth
Bit dull, if I'm honest. Each song felt interminable, even though the average length was about five minutes.
Maybe the reason I needed to listen to this album before I die, is to be able to inform others they don't need to listen to this before they die.
eh
If I had heard this when it first came out in ‘79 I may have been impressed with the innovation or talent or some such thing. But without that context I did not hear anything all that impressive. And their cover of the Velvet Underground actually made me hate them a little.
how did they manage to make SYNTH-POP so boooooring. The vocals were really not my style. 3,5/10 (+1 for french lyrics)
Halfway between Roxy Music and Duran Duran, and not as good as either.
It sounds well mixed but the music is very boring and dragged out
cringe ahh pop synth gahhh
This music left me completely indifferent. I can't find anything to say about it. It wasn't bad, but...
Fairly ahead of its time given it's from 1979 but sound like Duran Duran in the mid-80s. Still not my cuppa.
Most of the songs have pretty good music in them, but the singing is not so great. Very repetitive, and the songs are too long. Biggest dud was Fall In Love With Me which had an annoying background track. Despair had some good piano music. In Vogue was pretty fun. Best song: In Vogue
Pitää myöntää etten tykkää ”japanilaisesta äänimaailmasta” eli noista ei länkkäri-asteikkoa seuraavista kilutteluista, tai kannen typografiasta… Mut laulajasta toisaalta tulee mieleen Gazetten Ruki. A-puoli on ihan kelpoa! B-puoli tylsää. Miksi tarvittiin All tomorrow’s parties, ja vielä kahdesti? Jää kakkoseksi.
Nope
I know the country but never heard of the band or album. Hints of Bowie & Roxy and that helps.
More 80s, but kinda lifeless
Not a fan.
Overall a pretty dull album. Have a hard time listening to lyrics delivered so drably. 2/5 Won’t listen again
Easily forgettable but a good background listen. Nice drum fills but because it’s mostly all instrumental, it’s hard to truly get into. Well crafted music but as mentioned, easy to forget. 4.8/10.
I mean, a totally ok album. I will never think of it again but I appreciate its scope and timing of the record in the history of new wave and punk. But also, how many of these British new wavey gothy type albums are on here?
A much better Duran Duran But I don’t really like Duran Duran
Tried this album twice, and could never get into it.
His voice is annoying after a while
I wasn't aware of this band. Probably much loved by whatever the 70s equivalent of emos are. Tried to be dark and brooding, but I found it uninteresting.
Why does a British band name itself Japan, that’s my first issue with this album. It all sounds the same and I am sure there are better albums that should be on this list.
It felt too repetitive
Bleh boring late 70's synth pop. The synthy stuff was fine, kinda boring and repetitive (but that's how most synth pop goes), but not unpleasant on the ears. The dude's voice though, holy cow. That was unpleasant on the ears. That dude sucks at singing. Just straight up bad. Lyrics were totally whatever. Also, y'all are Brits, why is your band named Japan? There is nothing Japanese about what is going on here.
this is like a bad cover band of Duran Duran. with only their weakest tracks.
You could tell me this was Duran Duran and I’d believe you. This is really just a “meh” album. It’s like someone took all of Duran Duran’s non hits and put them on an album. It would probably hit the charts in its day and it may very well have but it has no rocket to the moon song. This is another “it just existed” album for me. They did not win me over.
I found it boring and I looked forward to it ending (both bad signs).
shouldve named themselves Israel for being so ass
Más new wave británica, otra vez. Mismas voces quejicas, mismos sintetizadores ochenteros, y lo mismo mil y una veces. Y encima dos veces seguidas, junto con el álbum anterior que me tocó escuchar. Pros: novedoso para su época, marcando una transición hacia los sonidos synth pop que se popularizarían en los 80 (Depeche Mode, Duran Duran). Variedad, mezcla de temas melancólicos y más experimentales con temas más comerciales, rápidos y alegres. El bajo tiene mucha personalidad, a veces suena un poco a jazz. Cons: todo lo demás. Precisamente, los temas supuestamente más interesantes ("Despair", "The Other Side of Life") son los que menos me han gustado. No soy más feliz habiendo escuchado este álbum antes de morirme. Creo que, simplemente, el synth pop clásico no es mi estilo.
2 can see how it was influential too the 80s synth pop new wave but it’s not the best
Starts off decent, but then falls off into boredom with Despair. Found most of the album to be dull considering this is supposed to be like glam pop. High 2.
Tears for Fears at home
If it wasn't for all of the other Britpop from this era, this is easily mistakable for another DuranDuran album. 2/5
If the first impression I get from this album art is 'Buckaroo Bonzai' is that considered racist? Can't be any more racist than the movie title itself or an English band calling themselves Japan for no reason. As for the music, I'm not overly impressed. None of the pieces really stand out, and when you combine the lyrics with the background instruments is just sounds...lame? The synthwave station (mostly instrumental) is my go-to work background noise and these tracks are a bit slow and drawn out. Too sad. "Queit life" started things off at the just OK bar and it seemed to go downhill from there. I've gotta listen to something else to get rid of this semi-bummer. Favorite track "Quiet life" 1.5/5
Responsible for Duran Duran.
Helt stämningsfullt men har svårt att hitta någo highlights
I'm more into the synthwave elements than the glam rock. The quality kind of fizzles out for me as the album goes on
So much new age on this list. I hear Duran Duran, Shuggie Otis, Talking Heads, the Cure, too many others to list. I've got no emotional connection to it but it's interesting.
sounded like a slowed down great value brand duran duran. not for me.
Listened less than 24 hours ago and I don’t remember a thing about it.
"Quiet" trifft es ganz gut ... Die Lieder bauen sich langsam auf, dauern lang, es passiert wenig.
Sounds very ahead of its time for 1979 - if I didn't already know the date when I started listening, I would've put it right in the 80s. Very Duran Duran esque. I didn't really enjoy it that much though, after a strong opening with the title track I found it drags as you get further in and there is a fair amount of filler
2.5 stars. Title track is cool but outside of that it's fairly drab and forgettable synth-pop.
and i'm asleep...
fine
New wave just doesn't do it for me, and this album didn’t change my mind. Most of the songs feel overly polished and kind of bland. I didn’t connect with much of it, and I doubt I’ll ever feel the need to give it another spin. That said, “All Tomorrow’s Parties” stood out. It leans more psychedelic rock than new wave, and it’s easily the best track here. If the whole album had followed that vibe, I might’ve felt differently. But as it stands, one good song isn’t enough to save it.
Just kind of boring.
his voice is a little weirdo
The first New Romantic LP - even if the band denied the tag, this wrote the book for the sonic picture of New Romantics - drawn, of course, from Roxy Music. Melancholic, slightly detached vocals, bubbly synths, occasional shimmering guitars, drum machines sounding very mekanik
A mish mash of 80s sounding music somewhere between Duran Duran and ABC. Or maybe they inspired them all, I don't know it's just how I felt. Nasally drone vocals for the most part just didn't appeal at all.
A poor man's Roxy Music with a bass player who forgot to tune up? It would have been better if David Sylvian didn't just wake up before recording this. Can hear all the influences too much, and I can hear who they influenced, and that bored me. Flat dynamic range and the sleepy vocals made this into a chore for me. Seems like a lot of what might be categorized as Post-Punk from this era had a very droll style, too cool to really rock. No fun.
Meh at best with a lousy Velvet Underground cover.
I liked the start. Depeche Mode type singer which I don't like. Pretty ho hum album. High 2
This album was not bad but one song was. All Tomorrow's Parties was fucking AIDS. All my homies hate All Tomorrow's Parties!
Some decent synth pop, a little slow for my liking.
I feel like I have a baseline knowledge of the popular 80's bands/albums so I was a bit suspicious about this one since I had never heard of the the band. The guy on the cover looks like David Bowie. The music itself was fine, kind of boring. Low 3/High 2.
Had me. Lost me. But for what it's worth, kudos for the pre-80's eighties sound. 2
A very 80s album for sure. I was excited to hear this album. I wasn't familiar with the band and it looked interesting. The 1001 generater finally challenged me. I was in with the first couple song but by the 3rd and fourth it all sounded the same. The Velvet Underground cover was interesting and would sound good on a mix tape but other than that nothing stood out to me. Hard pass.
Best Song: Quiet Life. Just enough energy and synth to be mildly interesting. Worst Song: Despair. Slower than hell, but not even melancholy enough to evoke an emotion. Overall: I've never heard this album before, and yet I feel like I've heard it 100 times over the course of this list. Another forgettable British band to throw onto the pile.
Influential maybe, but forgettable certainly.
Started out solid, but definitely felt repetitive by the end. Pretty much every song went one for twice as long as it should have - the songs were interesting to start but never really felt like they built anywhere. Inoffensive, but not something I'd come back to. Top tracks: Quiet Life, All Tomorrow's Parties
Really not a style of music I like, apparently
This sounds like Duran Duran. I don't like Duran Duran.
It started out pretty decent but got worse as it went on. This album did not need to be this long, it just began to drag on. There were no songs that stood out in a good way
2.5
Inoffensive, but uninteresting
I listened to this a couple of weeks ago. Can’t say I remember much about it. Simpsons: No
This is quite mediocre. If I had to pick one track to listen to again, it would probably be Quiet Life.
Love new wave so was hoping to like this a lot more than I did. Will give it another listen but felt like a lot of the songs dragged on and on.
It was fine. 2/5
This is fine. It's not particularly good, though, and I'm not really sure its place on this list. The long instrumentals are not bad, but they don't do enough interesting things to justify taking up the majority of the songs. On the other hand, I don't think the singer is very good, and when the instrumental sections start, I'm a little relieved to not have to hear the creepy tones of his voice. Favorite Song(s): All Tomorrow's Parties
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is new wave, but it is very atmospheric almost like dream pop. The music was fine, but nothing really stood out to me. The Velvet Underground cover was just ok. I would not seek this one out again.
I can appreciate the music here, as it seems like this was an earlier synth album. But it was kind of boring and the singer sounded too close to Morrisey for my liking. Probably won't be coming back but I don't think it's bad music.
Not too bad but more forgettable English new Wave
70’s/80’s new wave is weird. Cool Velvet Underground cover though.
I get it that this band have had influence on many later bands like Duran Duran, but for me the tracks just were too alike.
This album was a challenging listen tbh. The opening track, while it had drive, didn’t capture my attention and interest from the jump. I can appreciate the possible influence this album had on future synth-pop artists but I just wasn’t feeling it. Stand out track: In Vogue
So dramatic, and yet so bland.
Not catching my attention.
This one was a lot of fun and I had no idea who this artist was
Duran Duran beta version. Like most beta versions, this one also feels a bit undercooked. Ends up sounding like completely generic synthpop.
It was okay. Started out interesting, but faded fast.
Heard it back in the day but thought another listen couldn't hurt. Again, I was wrong. Hasn't caused an appreciation whatsoever.
Really cool energy right out of the gate. Love that new wave sound. I’m less sold on the 6-minute melancholy numbers but the bass on “In Vogue” is keeping me hooked. I wanted to like this more than I did but there were too many slowish, druggy numbers. I liked the first two tracks though. Overall this band has an opening act vibe but I can’t see myself wanting to buy a headlining ticket to one of their shows. 2.5
I liked the first track the most and then the rest kind of fell off. It's really a shame when an album starts with a banger and then doesn't follow it up with other tracks of equal quality. There's definitely some depth on this album but overall it didn't grab me enough. I think I'll have to give it another spin at some point though.
È stato come mangiare il bianco dell’uovo. Non sa di niente ma ogni tanto mordi un boccone con sopra il sale e allora provi qualcosa
I don't think I enjoyed a single song on this album.
Felt like an unrefined, crappy Duran Duran
New Wave is not for me. Couple tracks enjoyable.
It's pretty middling in terms of an album you have to hear before you die. Overall, I felt like the ideas here were explored in more interesting ways or pulled off better by other bands. Maybe Japan were early in the New Wave movement, but I can't really tell why this is considered essential listening.
It’s okay. I can hear where Duran Duran got their inspiration - but I think this album lacks an edge
Like it's nice, but also forgettable. It feels like someone opened and 80's time capsule and put this on. I'm not mad at it, but like.... I don't see the impact it had on my daily life
If you had played this for me with no knowledge of what I was hearing, I’d say it came out in 83 or 84 so I can see it’s ahead of its time and probably influenced others after it. That said, I still found it fairly boring. The only song that produced a strong reaction from me was Other Side of Life which I hated for the whiny tone to the vocals, although the lead singer sounded decidedly Duran Duranesque. Best I can do is a 2.
No thank you. I don't *think* this is actively bad so we'll leave it at a 2...but it might be. 1.6
Meh.
STANDOUTS: Quiet Life OVERALL: 2/5; there's no need for this album to be on the list.
Not list worthy, boring, and over all bad, like what kind of a name is Japan?
Sounds like it's from the 80s but it's from the late 70s. That's impressive but that's about it. The album is mostly forgettable.
This obviously had a huge impact on what would become new wave later, but honestly I found it rather dull.
Can hear the influences this has had on other artists but none of the individual songs grab me and make we want to listen again.
This got boring quickly.
Sounds like generic 80s dance music, not sure why its included
El primer tema bien, la versión de All tomorrow parties bien, el resto muy aburrido.
Another bland and uninspiring album to scratch off this fantastic list.
Surprisingly easy listen. I can tell this band would birth several of the big acts we know today that came out of the 80’s. I was surprised this came out in the 70’s, and it’s even more 80’s core than stuff by the cure I’ve heard in the 70’s. I was also surprised I didn’t die of new wave cringe here. All in all, not my alley but nothing that made me want to mute the album.
first song had some good energy then it kinda fizzled from there. Felt like a directionless, bland copy of other great 80s bands. Don't want to listen to this one again.
Am I back in 2008 at Area 51s 80s night? After the 1st few it took a darker twist.
This is Duran Duran wannabe + Cure wannabe but not as good as either. (And I don't like the Cure!)
One or two of the darker, more atmospheric songs were decent but the rest is just pretty run of the mill synth pop. 4/10
This is what people who don't like new wave think new wave sounds like. Repetitive, unadventurous, and uninteresting.
Rollazo.
It was okay. New wave can be a bit samey
Not for me. Pretty boring tbh
Interesting voice, but quite boring
The first track is really good. I loved the beat, the bass and the synth immediately. And maybe the first song is too good and sets the bar too high because I was expecting more of the same, but the rest of the album does not really deliver. Of course, there's still some great instrumentation going on (I really enjoyed how the bass is locked in with the drums throughout almost the entire record), but I didn't really care for the vocals (also didn't really have time to go through the lyrics today). Also, there are some parts that really suck, like the cover of All Tomorrow's Parties. It just sounds uninspired. The sequencing also seems a bit off. There are really good first two songs with a lot of energy, but the entire momentum is killed immediately by Despair. And I actually liked the song in the beginning, but then it's completely butchered by the terrible French pronunciation. Oops, I forgot to rate this one and came back after a couple of weeks and I don't remember anything about this album anymore except for that first song. 2/5 then it is.
The current top review perfectly encapsulates my feelings after listening, just unremarkable really. Not sure what makes this stand out from other synth-pop records from the time. A few tracks did not have much going on and took me out of the listening experience.
Origins of later bands like Depeche Mode. Quiet life was okay song, also had remake of All Tomorrows Parties
Listened while in a traffic jam. It didn’t improve the situation.
not my bag
Not really my style.
This was headed for a 1-star review until I was swayed All Tomorrow's Parties. Maybe the synth sound and production were novel enough at the time to carry it, but in 2024 I struggle to see why this is included in this project.
I enjoyed the opener but the rest felt like bland 80's music. Cool cover though!
Disco music. But not the "get the party started" kind of disco, rather the "it's 3:30 in the morning, party's almost over, people are starting to head home and the janitors are getting ready to mop the sticky floor" kinda disco. Still solid for what it is.
this is one of those albums that i'd only listen to all the way through because i'm devoted to getting all 1001
Meh just a bit boring
Snoozefest but interesting to hear the transition from 70’s new wave into 80’s synth pop
new wave liejuviikko jatkuu japanin (iso-britannia) tunnin pituisella turhuudella. huonon päivän jälkeen mykistynyt merkityksetön lopetusmusiikki, ehkä sopii tälle päivälle.. sentään saa poisalta tämän.. huhhuh tarvitaan jotain rikkomaan tätä juoksevaa räkäklimppiä mitä on ollut viimeiset muutama albumia.. maybe pink floyd - animals next? i like that album... maybe more than dark side of the moon... perhance?? maybe unpopular opinion... people are gonna hate me for this.... here come the fanboys.. whatch out guys, the popular kids are coming.... sigh... the other side of life
Insanely underwhelming without any hint of originality. Lackluster, lazy, and, after a while, downright annoying vocals, which leads to the album’s repetition. Instrumentation does a wonderful job of breaking up the album and is easily the bast part, including the arrangements and writing. Lyrics were fine, but ultimately unmemorable. Whole thing was just inoffensive at best. 2/5
2.125
Forgettable appropriated pop.
Meh
He’s got the voice of Paul McCartney but he squanders it with this shit.
80s vibes for the win.
Doofus vocals and stupid 80’s-before-the-80’s keyboard tunes. Dumb.
Gear: Grado Hemp Mix: egal. Musik: egal. Wertung: 😑(😑)/5
Foreshadowing and pioneering so many of the artists that dominated the 80s, this album is a window into the 70s music world in transition. I can’t say that I love much of this album — I didn’t at the time and still don’t, even with a more mature listening ear — but there’s no doubting the debt owed to Japan by Nik Kershaw, Duran Duran, and so many others.
It was rather boring for me. Felt like listening to an old game's ost, with someone singing over it
Best song: I second that emotion Vibes: goofy spooky, dramatic glam
Nothing of note, but it was not bad listening.
odd entry. All Tomorrow's Parties has "lime in the coconut" vibes. Not the worst album on this list.
It's fine, nothing too noteworthy about it
New Wave as a genre has always been very hit or miss with me. Japan's album "Quiet Life" is on the earlier side of the genre's inception (being released in the late 70s), and it certainly sounds like it. I hadn't heard of Japan but their aesthetic is pretty solid (at least on this album). There's something foggy and hazy about the synth work here. Maybe it's me projecting this cover's vibe onto the album itself, but it feels like an intoxicated night out in the city. This is the vibe I get off most of the tracks; subtly somberful and dramatic. The washed-out mixes on the vocals and instrumentation are likely contributors to this aesthetic, which when it comes to looking at each song in a vacuum, is probably my biggest flaw with this album. "Despair" is hauntingly gorgeous, with saxophone and sorrowful piano leads driving a heartbreaking ballad. The lyrics are in French, but from what I gather, they're referencing the destruction of some sort of art medium. It's easily my favorite song here. Aside from that though, with the more direct tracks, there's an interesting mood that's evoked overall, but nothing happens that excels these songs past that basic pre-established mood. Can't say I'm too fond of the vocals here either, especially on the song "In Vogue" where there's so much sub that it's just irritating. In general, though, I just find the vocals to be forgetful and sleepy and not in a way that particularly compliments this album's style. There are moments where it works, like on "Aliens" where I think the vocalist comes off more emotive and I think the song is particularly ear-wormy. My overall conclusion after hearing this is that I find the instrumentation itself cool and effective, but the songs themselves leave a lot to be desired. Can't say I really dug this one.
Started okay but got old fast
Feels a ton like Roxy Music. Nothing really struck me as "must listen."
Not exactly my thing, but I also don't dislike it.
Thought it was gonna be in Japanese. Did not expect it to be this funky, I have to say I didn't really vibe with this album unfortunately, it just wasn't my thing. Maybe I'll like it in the future but for now I am not the biggest fan.
this album was conservatively 135,832 hours long.
schlecht gealterter Pop(?)
Kind of like a Roxy Music and New Order hybrid? I like the Roxy Music bits and have enjoyed songs by Japan in the past, but I think their style changed for this album.
Sounded like a bad Duran Duran impersonation. Wasn’t much to like in this one.
Eh, kinda boring.
More 80s music from 1979. Never heard of this band. Not bad but I could’ve gone my entire life without hearing and wouldn’t have been any worse off
Another whole lot of what? Why is this here? 2* Once again, Spotify took me to something better after this, aka Duran Duran. Enjoyed: a foreign place
Not my cup of tea 1.5
Japan makes the best '80s synth pop, often dubbed as "city pop". Japan, on the other hand, is just another annoying, unremarkable snippet of the genre.
The band sounds like Duran Duran broodier cousin - but this record is a it winding and meandering. Shame - as some tracks show a lot of promise.
This might be one of the most "background music" albums I've listened to so far. All the songs kind of blended together and nothing really stood out to me.
Too slow and emotional for me.
Very clear this one influenced artists like Duran Duran. Doesn’t mean I can’t find it boring and forgettable. Not bad but I would not listen again. The title track was ok I guess.