QUIET LIFE

80s New Wave is something I have really hated when it appeared as it was extremely stereotyped. All that keyboard sound made of Yamaha, Roland and Fairlight when possible, everything sounding in the same way. All these singers using their throats like David Bowie (or just trying to do it), the electronic drumming and all that waste of hair-gel.

But knowing that Ryuichi Sakamoto has worked with Japan and also knowing that this was the former band of David Sylvian I decided to try. I looked at the PA ratrings and this is why I have this album.

Unfortunately it is exactly what I could have expected: A 80s new wave album with Roland keyboards, Bowie like voice, electronic drums and looking at the cover sleeve, also a lot of hair-gel.

The songs are lightly dark, not very different from things like Depeche Mode, but there are some highlights. "Despair" is a David Sylvian's song, slow and athmospheric. Still close to Bowie, but the Bowie of Warszawa.

Sometimes it's possible to hear some spacey sounds with a Krautrock flavour but not too often.

"The other Side of Life" is the other decent song of the album and also the closing track. I don't like the too much standardised voice but if it was possible to erase it from the track, what's behind is Sylvian's stuff.

As counterparts there are things like "All Tomorrow's Parties" and the following "Aliens" that are the same poor 80s song. I think this is prog related because they were making 80s music in 1979.

I have listend to things worse than this in the 80s, and even if this could have been decent actually, I don't see a reason to give it another spin today.

For fans only.