JAPAN – QUIET LIFE LP – Nr MINT A1/B1 UK DAVID SYLVIAN

Japan – Quiet Life
(Ariola Hansa/Fame Records  1982  FA3037)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing

Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
– some slight wear to edges

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from the odd light pop/crackle)

Japan were an English music group formed in 1974 in Catford, South London by David Sylvian (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steve Jansen (drums), Richard Barbieri (keyboards) and Mick Karn (bass guitar). Initially a glam-inspired group, Japan developed their sound and androgynous style to incorporate electronic music and foreign influences, eventually becoming an influence on the UK’s early-1980s New Romantic scene.

Japan achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, releasing nine UK Top 40 hits, including the 1982 Top 10 hit “Ghosts”, and scoring a UK Top 5 with the live album Oil on Canvas (1983). The band split in 1982, just as they were beginning to experience significant commercial success in the UK and abroad. Its members went on to pursue other musical projects, though they reformed briefly in the early 1990s under the name Rain Tree Crow, releasing an album in 1991.

Quiet Life is the third album by the British band Japan, released firstly in Japan, Germany, Canada and other countries in December 1979, then in the UK in January 1980 (due to a delay in manufacturing the album). Musically, the album was a significant departure for the band as their previous two albums had been more in the vein of alternative glam-punk (much-influenced by The New York Dolls), as opposed to the New Wave leanings exhibited on this album. Quiet Life is often erroneously listed as one of the first albums of the New Romantic movement, though Japan always flatly denied they were New Romantics.

Quiet Life was the last of three albums the band made for the Hansa-Ariola label (they switched to Virgin Records later in 1980), though Hansa would later issue a compilation album (Assemblage) that consisted of highlights from the band’s tenure on the label. The album is also notable for being the first album where singer David Sylvian used his newfound baritone vocal style, which became one of the band’s most distinctive hallmarks.

Track listing

All songs written by David Sylvian except for “All Tomorrow’s Parties” written by Lou Reed.
All songs arranged by Japan.

Side A:

1. “Quiet Life” – 4:53
2. “Fall in Love with Me” – 4:31
3. “Despair” – 5:56
4. “In Vogue” – 6:30

Side B:

1. “Halloween” – 4:24
2. “All Tomorrow’s Parties” – 5:43
3. “Alien” – 5:01
4. “The Other Side of Life” – 7:26

Personnel

Japan

• David Sylvian – lead vocals, guitar
• Mick Karn – bass, saxophone, flute, backing vocals
• Steve Jansen – drums, percussion, backing vocals
• Richard Barbieri – synthesizer, keyboards
• Rob Dean – guitar, backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Orchestra Arranged By Ann Odell; Conducted By Martyn Ford

Production

• Produced By John Punter (also engineer), Japan & Simon Napier-Bell
• Colin Fairley – engineer
• Keith Bessey – engineer (B2)