Why? Because Japan's Quiet Life, that's why

ihttp://www.anos80.com.br/Japan/Quiet_Life.jpg

ihttp://www.ipink.de/images/mittel_Abb/962342_JAPAN_Quiet_Life_UKImport.jpg

Fuck it.

There is no such thing as "too" Roxy derivative.

That's the truest thing ever said.

Quiet Life is the last Japan album where you can see the seams, it's still occasionally slightly clumsy - I'm not sure "All Tomorrow's Parties" needed to be done - but this is endearing and good because they're wonderful. It still sounds like H.G. Wells retro-futurism to me, whereas Gentlemen Take Polaroids is the real timelessly modern deal. But hell yeah: the title track, "Fall in Love with Me", "The Other Side of Life", they're all shiny and brittle and bored and doomed and cocaine-sex-y and necessary. There were/are whole genres to be made just from the first 2 Roxy albums, and Japan did not fuck that mission up.

this gets more play than any of their other records by me these days, I think it's the most balanced. polaroids and tin drum get samey; I like that quiet life still has some crunch to it.

That's what I'm talking about, man.

Roxy with synthesizers. Who could ask for more?

I actually love Japan's version of "All Tomorrow's Parties". It injects a much-needed dosage of soul into that song, making the cover almost superior to the original. "The Other Side Of Life" is one of the shining examples of why it is I regard Japan among my top three favorite artists and you can't deny the power of "Halloween". I've mentioned before the little thrill I get when I hear the "summerhouse in Texas" line in "Fall In Love With Me", oh, and one of the catchiest, funkiest songs they've ever done IMO WAS that title track. And just look at that cover photo. David Sylvian at his moodiest and poutiest -- and prettiest, too. All of that just SCREAMS me-bait. And in fact I remember being a teenager and kissing that very cover photo at least once a day. Swoonage.