QUIET LIFE

The least we can say about "Japan" is that this band doesn't raise a lot interest on PA. I used to listen to them ages ago, and unlike mentioned in their bio, I did consider them as a post new-wave band and even New Romantic for their look.

It is then normal that the usual progheads are rather suspect with their releases. Actually, the band develops a more polished sound with their third album which is IMO better than their previous ones (but this was not difficult).

On this release, there will be a strong flavour of "Roxy Music" in the air. Mostly due to the smooth and almost crooner Sylvian vocals during most tracks. The bass line is also evoking this great band. But it is rather the late Roxy that is influential here. The one I didn't like that much. More pop oriented with an undisputable disco sound ("Fall In Love With Me").

The dark and slow mood of "Despair" contrasts with the other songs, but these six minutes are really dull and insipid. A natural sleeping pill. Just press next if you haven't fallen asleep.

"In Vogue" is probably one of the best songs from "Quiet Life". Indeed quiet, as most of this release. But it is only a poor man's "Roxy Music" tune (as "Alien"). But it wasn't really needed in those late seventies days. And the same reflection applies today as well.

The beat is catching a bit during "Halloween" but it is only a short break to avoid falling in a complete dullness which is reached with "All Tomorrow's Parties". And don't expect a brilliant closing number because The Other Side of Life does not belong to this category.

Still, it is probably better to enter their discography at this entry point instead of their earlier work, but there aren't really any standout tracks that might blow you away. Sub-par "Roxy". Does anyone fancy this ? This is a rather dispensable record. Two stars.

"Quiet Life" is the third full-length studio album by UK pop/rock act Japan. The album was released through Hansa Records in December 1979 (their last album on the label before signing with Virgin Records). It´s the successor to "Obscure Alternatives" from october 1978 and the third Japan album released in little over one and a half years since the release of the band´s debut full-length studio album "Adolescent Sex" in March 1978.

"Quiet Life" marks a change in Japan´s sound from the first two albums, which featured a glam rock/art rock style with elements of funk, reggae, punk, pop, and electronic music. "Quiet Life" instead embrace a more synth oriented pop sound (although the funk and reggae influences still shine through in the rhythm patterns of the music). A sound that pre-dates and probably influenced many of the synth pop artists from the early- to mid-80s (artists like Depeche Mode, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, O.M.D., Talk Talk, and New Order). Japan´s David Bowie and Roxy Music influences aren´t as dominant on "Quiet Life" as they were on the first two albums, although they are still heard here and there.

One other major change in the soundscape is the way lead vocalist/guitarist David Sylvian sings. His snarling punk attitude of the first two albums is used less and he often sings in a lower register using his baritone voice (heard on tracks like "Despair" and the "In Vogue"). A change which makes the vocal part of the album a much more varied listen. "Quiet Life" is generally a pretty dark and melancholic release and it´s obvious that Japan went for a more atmospheric and less hard rocking sound. The album features a well sounding production job (courtesy of Roxy Music producer John Punter), and upon conclusion it´s the next logical step for Japan and a good quality release. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

And Progress Found New Ways ... New Wave!

Back in the days when I was high into new & artsy waves, I always found it surprising and disappointing that everyone hated Prog so much. For me, both movements where just different expressions of the same urge to bring innovative and meaningful music. Some of the commotion about this topic seems to have blown over now, at least here. I have been pleasantly surprised to find many 21st Century prog fans with an open mind towards the issue. Quite an improvement over the time when Japan got bricks thrown at them when they were opening up for Blue Oyster Cult. (What an idea :-)

Japan's sense for musicianship, sophisticated arrangements, artsy attitude and the later involvement of some members with prog musicians sure make them a logical addition on the archives. All songs here are poignant art-rock songs that took the heritage of David Bowie and Roxy Music into the new decade. The bass and drum duo Karn/Jansen is a delight to listen to, and so is Barbieri on keys. His contribution to the Japan sound was always one of the features that attracted me to them, even though I didn't really like them initially. His later involvement with Porcupine Tree confirmed his creative and tasteful synth approach and made him into my favourite keyboard man. Sylvian adds some of his best vocals ever on this album.

A song like Quiet Life fared well in the post-punk clubs, other songs like Despair, In Vogue and The Other Side of Life are more intimate and reflective, stretched-out musings that leave more room for musical development. A sure influence on Talk Talk.

A good 20 years ago, Japan was a favourite band from one of those friends of mine who hated prog. So obviously I hated Japan, I would have thrown bricks at them any day! When I gave them another chance due to Barbieri's involvement with Porcupine Tree I was pleasantly surprised how fresh, classy and influential this band still sounded. A big 3.5 stars.

The begining of the electronic Pop with the new music movement. The music is not the musician performance but the studio performance. Japan is an example of this context that give a comercial context but not quality. How many other artists done this movement? David Bowie, and all 80 decade groups that begin with a high quality music and change to a comercial and not interesting music. This album it's nothing special. Some parts are a litle spacey but the hearth of this album it's a pop comercial songs. I don't like this change and the electronic adiction to made music. I like some electronic works but with musicians with inspiration but this is not this work. 3 stars for the spacey parts but this is not a good stuff

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.

Japan's more electronic "Roxy Music meets Ultravox" (Ultrarox?) sound starts to really take root on Quiet Life. Velvet Underground covers are always a gamble, particularly considering how exceptional the original material in question is, but they're able to work in a really nice take on All Tomorrow's Parties here which is one of those rare cases where a cover version is able to capture the stately melancholy of the original, and it's particularly impressive how it perfectly fits the ethereal atmosphere of the rest of the album. Richard Barbieri's synthesiser work coupled with David Sylvian's best Bryan Ferry posing creates some archetypal New Romantic material.

Japan were en route to complete creative autonomy in the late seventies and 'Quiet Life' is the delightful piece of evidence we have in support of this statement. A transitional, perfumed album that albeit far from perfect, is a step in the right direction for the young band of talented performers and an ostentatious stylistic departure from the early Bowie-esque glam reconnaissance operations, and while the comparisons with early Roxy Music are often cited by critics as a weakness, Japan is a band that actually takes some special attention to appreciate and any kind of comparisons fall short when you consider both the individual contributions of each member as well as the overall image, sound, enigma and mythos of the band.

Alongside the dramatic shift with David Sylvian's singing voice (with him adopting a rather melancholic crooning), we see Japan experimenting with a longer song format and more sophisticated, layered arrangements, sometimes even with outright orchestration, together with the introduction of instruments like the sax and flute. 'Quiet Life' is an album of longing, presenting a strong sense of alienation with its lyrical themes, and offers a very particular maturity that is expressed through the lush and ominous sounds of the synths, for example, as it all makes up for one of the most elegant early synth-pop albums of Britain. Even if the title track is the most recognizable song off of this record, other great highlights that point towards Japan's evolution and matured vision would include 'Fall In Love With Me', 'In Vogue', 'Halloween', 'Alien' as well as the closing track 'The Other Side of Life'.