What is your favourite song by legendary new-wavers Japan?

I would have to go for Ghosts I think - very atmospheric

Bend Sinister

Boy, they are all great.....but have to go with Quiet Life.

I always liked Ghosts. Very mysterious song. A classic :thumb:

Lengendary? I've never heard of them. :lol:

i second that emotion, 1982 :thumb: closely followed by Quiet Life :clap:

But I agree: Legendary :confused: Not in the UK anyway :no:

While perhaps not legendary in terms of record sales, Japan were one of the most influential bands of the genre and slightly ahead of the major acceptance some of the follow on bands enjoyed. Trail blazers rather than mega stars, Japan were asked by Duran Duran to produce their first album....an offer they respectfully declined :)

Without Japan it's hard to imagine Spandau Ballet, Depeche Mode and others of their ilk.

Other - "Methods Of Dance"

Quiet Life is my favorite. I still have 3 of their albums on vinyl if you can believe it. I think I liked their hairstyles more than their music, though. :)

"I mean, this is weird, sitting here surrounded by 10,000 screaming girls, 'David-San!...Lich!...Meek!...Steve!...' the desparate screams, the outstretched arms, the binoculars, the blizzard of paper streamers, are all for David Sylvian, Richard Barbieri, Rob Dean, Mick Karn and Steve Jansen...five tiny figures in the vastness of the Budokan. Nobody has seen anything like this since the Osmonds/Rollers heyday. But here's the really strange thing: the music being played is a million miles from teenybop. It's haunting, disturbing, frustrated sex, tortured emotions and urban paranoia. A thinking man's band that brings out the screamers? A paradox. But then Japan the band, like Japan the country, is full of contradiction. And it likes it that way."

(Alan Lewis, Sounds, April 1980)

I guess it doesn't hurt to be big in Japan? LOL. That's an awful pun on sooooo many levels. Apologies :D

1979's Quiet Life has to be one of those seminal moments in musical history. It was one of the first to take the promise of early Kraftwerk and especially David Bowie's Berlin period and actually translate it into what would become some of the most popular music of the 80s: Blitz/New Romance or whatever you want to call it.

"I mean, this is weird, sitting here surrounded by 10,000 screaming girls, 'David-San!...Lich!...Meek!...Steve!...' the desparate screams, the outstretched arms, the binoculars, the blizzard of paper streamers, are all for David Sylvian, Richard Barbieri, Rob Dean, Mick Karn and Steve Jansen...five tiny figures in the vastness of the Budokan...."
(Alan Lewis, Sounds, April 1980)


David Sylvian was very :*
in his time.




I guess it doesn't hurt to be big in Japan? LOL. That's an awful pun on sooooo many levels. Apologies :D



lol, Bogie

Crump99


i second that emotion, 1982 closely followed by Quiet Life

But I agree: Legendary Not in the UK anyway

Much more popular amongst music anoraks over here than you think ;)
I still think David Sylvian sounds like a bloodless drone

It's really difficult to do these polls when it involves artists like Japan, Talk Talk, Ultravox or Gary Numan :dammit: ! They did so many good songs. I ended up choosing Night Porter :thumb:

I like Japan!! Didn't think that so many people here actually know their music as they are totally unknown in my areas and I always thought of them as being just know by hardcore New Wave/Romantic fans like me.

I voted for Visions of China, have been listening to that song quite a lot latley and I never get tired of it. Second choice would have been I second that Emotion for my more romantic moments. ;)

legendary is the word for JAPAN they are classic and it is hard to chose a favorite...

the other side of life,
in vogue,
alien,
taking islands in africa,
methods of dance,
ghosts,
fall in love with me.

all are classic!

but nightporter is my fav.

my all time fav song is forbidden colours by david sylvian,there are no words...

Got To Be Quiet Life