TIN DRUM

"Tin Drum" is the fifth full-length studio album by UK pop/rock act Japan. The album was released through Virgin Records in November 1981. It´s the successor to "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" from November 1980. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as lead guitarist Rob Dean has left. His involvement in the recording of "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" was minimal, and he was generally not satisfied with the new synth-pop direction of the band´s music. "Tin Drum" turned out to be Japan´s final studio album as the band split-up in late 1982/early 1983 after playing their last concert on the 6th of December 1982 in Nagoya, Japan. The four members who recorded "Tin Drum" would however shortly reunite in 1989 and record and release one eponymously titled studio album under the Rain Tree Crow monicker (released in April 1991 through Virgin Records).

Stylistically the material on "Tin Drum" is a continuation of the synth-pop style found on "Quiet Life" (1979) and on "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" (1980), but featuring a more unique sound with melodies and elements from Asian/far eastern music ("Canton" is the best example of that but other tracks on the album also feature these elements). Ideas main composer/lead vocalist/guitarist David Sylvian has picked up during Japan´s tours in the far east.

If "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" was the more polished and mature version of "Quiet Life", "Tin Drum" displays a more experimental and less commercial songwriting approach. Interesting enough it became Japan´s most critically acclaimed and most commercially successful studio album (the 1983 posthumously released "Oil on Canvas" live album subsequently became the band´s best selling release). It is indeed also a very interesting, well produced (although I prefer the more organic sound productions of the two predecessors), well performed, and well written release, but to my ears the two direct predecessors feature a better balance between musical experiments, atmospheric melancholy, and the occasional mainstream oriented moments. "Tin Drum" is at times just unnecessarily odd and unmelodic. Still a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

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