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Quiet Life

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    Quiet Life



    In June this year it will be forty years since this album was recorded. It marked a major change of direction for Japan who had been a quasi-glam / New York Dolls wannabe hybrid in their earlier years. Their sound on the 1977 album Adolescent Sex was quite raw, loose, guitar driven and contained influences of rock, punk, glam and funk. Oh, unwelcome Billy Joel echo there.

    1978's Obscure Alternatives featured some maturing and manicuring of the sound, for example the title track. But Quiet Life is the album where the familiar Japan sound really starts to evolve.

    Like so many British fans I came upon Japan very late in mid 1981, at the time the Quiet Life single was re-released, and a friend lent me Tin Drum around the same time. It floored me; I had never heard anything like TD, very un-pop to my 16/17 year old ears but completely compelling.

    Having been won over I backfilled my collection with Gentlemen Take Polaroids, the assorted Hansa re-released 7" and 12" singles and finally the Quiet Life LP. At the time, the last two albums were my favourites; some of the 12" singles got a lot of attention, and I don't know how closely I listened to the QL album.

    Anyway I played it through today and it was so good. Much more accomplished and professional than I remember, shows so much of what's to come. Sylvian's vocals have matured hugely and the musicianship is great, especially Steve Jansen's drumming.

    It's worth remembering this was 1979. Listen to songs like the title track and Halloween, and remember we are a year and a half before Duran Duran's Planet Earth which to me shows huge influences from Halloween in particular.

    I particularly enjoyed Despair and the imaginative cover of All Tomorrow's Parties. The drum machine on the former sounds obvious and basic now but that was brand spanking new technology in 1979 (remember Peter Gabriel's third album a year later).

    If you always liked Japan, this album deserves revisiting. If you never really got onto them, give it a go for a bit of nicely honed synth pop and some solid songs. You might have a pleasant surprise.

    #2
    I'm pretty sure I still have that album, I'll have to search and give it another listen.

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      #3
      It's a very fine album.

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        #4
        Thanks, Sits; I've only got the Exorcising Ghosts comp and your post is a fine reminder that I should explore further.

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