One record at a time: 190. Japan - Oil On Canvas

With this record we reach the last that I own by Japan and the end of the first row of shelves in my storage unit. I bought this double LP almost 2 years ago whilst visiting Hull and it's not in the best shape.

Released six months after the band had split up in 1983, this is Japan's highest charting album. "Oil On Canvas" is a bit confusing as, whilst it purports to be a 'live' album, it actually includes a variety of studio recordings. There is also some debate as to just how 'live' the rest of this album really is. Most bands admit to overdubbing live recordings to correct small mistakes, but if the internet is to believed then just about everything on this record was re-recorded in the studio.

The title track that begins the album is a studio recording that is effectively a solo piece by Sylivian. Whilst the music is competent, it isn't remarkable and I fail to see what value it brings. "Sons of Pioneers" is the first 'live' recording of the album and it benefits from being a bit shorter than the original version. There's not a lot you can do to ruin a songs as good as "Gentlemen Take Periods" so this sounds pretty good. Were evidence needed that the band used backing tapes then it would be provided by "Swing". The pre-recorded CR-78 drum machine and saxophones play away as the band mould themselves around it quite successfully. 

The flip side of the first disc starts with "Cantonese Boy" which sounds so precise it's almost mechanical (in a good way you understand). "Visions of China" and "Ghosts" sound good, but they don't really deviate from the album versions. At this point I can't help but feel there isn't any innovation or further exploration of these songs.

The first sign of invention comes with a new studio recording of "Nightporter" on the second disc. This mix is much more synth driven and has a few additional effects but nothing too extreme. I am choosing to pass over "Still Live In Mobile Homes" as I really don't like it. The two tracks to feature the same synth patch "Methods of Dance" and "Quiet Life" come next and, as you might expect by now, they are almost carbon copies of the album versions. Instrumental "Canton" sounds a little ropey on this version and Mick is clearly struggling to reproduce the distinctive bass motif in a live context. Another short instrumental "Temple of Dawn" rounds things out. This album is a confused mess and it really doesn't offer anything above the studio recordings. 2/5

One record at a time: 189. Japan - Tin Drum

I bought this second hand copy of "Tin Drum" from eBay in 2014 and it is in pretty good condition. 

Of all Japan's back catalogue, I bought this album first as it featured the single "Ghosts". I originally heard this track on a compilation called "New Romantic Classics" in 1992. Whilst hardly any of the artists featured on the compilation actually belong to the New Romantic movement, it did have some great songs and sparked my interest in Japan.

I am aware this album is revered and lauded by many as the artistic peak of the band; but I'm not too keen on it. For my money "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" is a far superior piece of work and has aged much better than this album.

The opening track "The Art of Parties" relies on syncopated rhythms interspersed with wailing guitars and oriental sounding synth patches. Sylvian delivers his distinctive vocal, but the instrumentation is messy and nothing gels. Second track "Talking Drum" repeats the formula and fails to spark in the same way. 

The afore mentioned "Ghosts" is a tense affair powered by a sparse arrangement that leaves the listener to fill in the blanks. Whilst I really like this song, it seems unfathomable that it reached number 5 in the chart when it was released as a single. This song doesn't strike me as radio friendly but then 'synth music' was burgeoning in 1981 so maybe it did get some airtime. "Canton" is an instrumental that harnesses Mick Karn's superlative skills on fretless bass but it uses far too many cliched oriental synth sounds for my taste.

I hate "Still Life In Mobile Homes"; it is irritating beyond belief. I can't bring myself to say any more about it. "Visions of China" sounds bit twee in the context of this album but it is a good song nonetheless. Whilst the penultimate song "Sons of Pioneers" elevates Mick's bass and the cliched synth noises are toned down a bit, it doesn't really have a melody. "Cantonese Boy" is brilliantly produced but doesn't do enough to draw me in. 2/5

One record at a time: 188. Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids

Whilst I like this album, I don't like this particular version of it. Abbey Road half-speed remasters are sold as some kind of audiophile pressing that provide a superior listening experience. Yet every Abbey Road half-speed master I have heard has sounded AWFUL. I hate them.

This 2018 2-disc edition of "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" is so bad that the retailer had to send me a second copy of the first disc because tracks such as "Burning Bridges" has rotation noise on the intro, lots of loud clicks and terrible distortion throughout. When the sibilance dies down you can hear a song creeping out here and there, but its a pretty depressing experience (I may have exaggerated a little here but you get the idea. I wasn't too impressed by this rather expensive record).

So it is with a heavy heart that I drop the needle and listen to the title track. Whilst the first song is over seven minutes long, the time flies as layers of David's vocals and dreamy synth riffs wash over you. This song is one of the best the band recorded and I really enjoy it.

Another favourite is "Swing" which uses a Roland CR-78 alongside Steve's amazing drumming and Mick's splendid fretless bass. There's something about the melody and syncopation on this track that make it both beguiling to listen to and a testament to the musicianship of the band.

On the b-side of the first disc we hear the semi-instrumental "Burning Bridges" emerge from the cacophony of rotation noise, clicks and over saturation provided by this vinyl. I wouldn't mind the distraction of the additional noise if I enjoyed the music, but this track leaves me a little cold. "My New Career" rounds out the second disc with its quirky chorus and intricate synth work (all bathed in a light but annoying level of distortion thanks to the bad pressing).

"Methods of Dance" begins the second disc with the same synth sound that underpins the song "Quiet Life". Reusing such a distinctive sound is a curious choice but there is plenty of original ideas in this song to justify its existence (if not its seven minutes length). There's a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Aint That Peculiar" which definitely uses the same lyrics as the original, but there the similarity ends. I love Mick's bass here and to give this much maligned pressing due, this song sounds pretty good.

The triple meter "Nightporter" is a simple but mesmerising composition that demonstrates how good David Sylvian is as a songwriter. Despite its undeniable quality, this track feels a little laboured and drawn out. I get the feeling they were aiming to occupy a specific length of time rather than achieve an artistic goal here. The album finishes with the excellent "Taking Islands In Africa" which is a collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto. As you might expect the synth work on this track is imaginative and exquisitely realised.

As I mentioned on the review of "Quiet Life", the sound of a Japan record is very distinctive. There's no doubt the defining sonic characteristic of the band was the combination of Mick's fretless bass, Steve's drumming and David's vocals. On this record the synthesizers and keyboard work of Richard Barbieri and Ryuichi Sakamoto are allowed room to breathe and add a final sheen that was missing from earlier albums. There's hardly any guitar on this record and it sounds all the better for it. 4/5

One record at a time: 187. Japan - Quiet Life

I bought a copy of the remastered red vinyl of this album in 2021. I'm not sure where I ordered the record from but I suspect it would have cost over £20. I was content with this until Amazon started selling the "Deluxe Edition" which included an LP, three CDs and a book for £25 a few weeks later. So now I own both versions.

The title track that begins this album is a pulsating mix of analogue synths and the superlative rhythm section of Steve Jansen and Mick Karn. As David Sylvian begins to croon in his distinctive lilt it's hard to imagine a song that sounds any more eighties. Which is a stupid statement as this album was recorded and released in 1979.

The second track "Fall In Love With Me" is less conventional and is probably a more accurate reflection of the 'true' sound of Japan. As Karn's fretless bass twists and slurs along you can't help but wonder at his genius.

"Despair" is a suitably maudlin number that sees David singing in French alongside an analogue beatbox. The last track on side one is "In Vogue" which has a distinctive electric piano motif and some great bass but little else to recommend it.

Side two opens with "Halloween" which features more of the drums, fretless bass and sax combination that has gone before. As the album progresses the amount of synthesiser recedes and the tracks become less interesting as a result. The cover of "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a suitably dreamy glide but Barbieri's synth work is pushed to the back of the mix. By the time "Alien" and the final track "The Other Side of Love" come around the synths have been replaced by an orchestra and things just peter out. 

I've seen this album described as "synth based" but in reality the synths are just a garnish; a little sprinkling of fairy dust to augment the traditional rock band. Still, there is something about the totality of this album and its palette of sound that is very impressive. 3/5