GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS

Japan took another leap with Gentlemen Take Polaroids, away from their euro-disco art rock roots and into unique and original territories. Japan's evolution must have had a strong influence on countless other kids on the block, like Gary Numan, Talk Talk, Simple Minds and many others.

Except for Sylvian's poignant Ferry meets Bowie vocals, the comparison with Roxy music has become rather flimsy. Of course, if you would not be familiar with the sound of the 80's, then it's still a useful reference. Also an echo of Eno (Bowie's Berlin years) can be heard in the atmospheric moments like the intro of Burning Bridges. Keyboards had become cheap and easy to play, leading to a new generation of keyboard players that were adhering to an entirely different use of synths then the exhausting Keith Emerson battering of a few years earlier. Suddenly texture and a new original atmospheric sound became more important then soloing. It makes this music definitely non-prog but all the more progressive and influential on future generations of keyboardist. Quite ironically, that influence also extended back into prog, even Geddy Lee picked it up!

The song writing has matured immensely since the previous album Quiet Life. Comparing it with the first two Japan albums is even impossible. While Quiet Life could still be discarded as new wave, this albums has musicianship and song adventures that were leagues ahead of other bands of their generation. Methods of Dance is even more proggy then new wave to my ears, of course it sounds entirely different and the amazing rhythmic tandem of Karn and Jansen often goes into cold disco territories.

Another element that got a growing grip on Japan's sound is the Oriental influence, it can be heard on multiple songs here as on Ain't That Peculiar. It's a path they would further explore on the ensuing album. Also Taking Islands in Africa and the amazing My New Career are marked with influences from world music. One of the highlights of the album is the exceptionally emotive Nightporter, where Sylvian's croon creeps around Barbieri's improvisations on Satie's Gymnopédies, pop meets classical music again.

This album is obviously not recommended to people with 80's allergies and it also isn't entirely perfect. But that is rarely the case with innovative music. It's a solid 4 star album that received a lot of predictable and irrelevant 80s bashing here.