Did Japan deserve more success?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by AFOS, Oct 22, 2014.

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  1. varitone

    varitone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lincs, UK
    I don't look back on Japan as unsuccessful. When Quiet Life single was a hit on its re-release, they were suddenly fast-tracked to being a significant arty pop band of the early 1980s (in the UK anyway). The issue they faced then was comparison with Roxy Music, though that also worked as a kind of accolade and with their last two albums they lived up to it.
     
  2. Bruno Republic

    Bruno Republic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Agreed. They got much better after they stopped imitating the New York Dolls and started imitating later-period Roxy Music. :)
     
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  3. Music Geek

    Music Geek Confusion will be my epitaph

    Location:
    Italy
    I guess it depends on what you call mainstream acceptance. As far as I remember Brilliant Trees, the first David Sylvian solo album was a no. 1 album in the UK chart. Oil On Canvas reached no. 5 according to Wikipedia.
     
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  4. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    ... but a song's quality isn't usually defined by it's popularity :) And as much as I like DD after "Seven & The Ragged Tiger" they are hardly an "album band".
     
  5. Bruno Republic

    Bruno Republic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Yes, but the title of this thread is "Did Japan deserve more success?"

    On a critical level, well, success can be whatever you define it. I think they did and still have a fair bit of critical acclaim, for what that's worth.

    But on a commercial level, I'd say no, and agree that it's actually a bit surprising that Japan were even as successful as they were. Arty and less-accessible might be more interesting to some, but it's not usually a recipe for success. 1970s Bowie is an exception, not the rule (and even then, all his artyness was still presented within some very catchy songs).
     
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  6. Chris Bernhardt

    Chris Bernhardt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    Supposedly members of Japan where asked to produce by Duran Duran to produce them ( I don't know if it was the s/t release or Rio, that's never been made very clear. Japan turned them down and Japan's manager Simon Napier- Bell said it was the best thing that ever happened to Duran, because of instead of making esoteric art-rock, they played up what they were good at which was being a dance band.

    That's no dig at Duran from me. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have become a Japan fan , or a professional musician .

    Duran Duran has often been maligned, and sometimes deservingly, but until this last studio record they never made the same album twice.

    They are original in their own way, and they are survivors..... and Rio is one of the greatest pop albums of all time.
     
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  7. Chris Bernhardt

    Chris Bernhardt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    Japan had only one release ( actually two counting Adolescent Sex) in the US which is the biggest music market so they didn't have that much success in terms of really breaking through.
     
  8. IronWaffle

    IronWaffle It’s all over now, baby blue

    Having never heard of them before, I admit that I was prepared to write, "No, I'm glad they lost The War." But now I know better. Or thought I did.
     
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  9. The Good Guy

    The Good Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I agree , they were destined for the next level but they broke up a bit too soon. Maybe they ran out of ideas anyway.
     
  10. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Their solo albums after the split suggest otherwise:) BUT... I rather have a band quit at their peak than watching them get boring. And Japan definitely went out on a high. In that sense their timing was perfect;)
     
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  11. bluesky

    bluesky Senior Member

    Location:
    south florida, usa
    RIO was gigantic in Japan.
     
  12. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    The problem was David Sylvian disappeared up his own backside. He was po faced even by early 80's standards. Even his brother and band mate called him the most pretentious person he had ever met.
     
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  13. Nobby

    Nobby Senior Member

    Location:
    France
    My favourite cover is Japan's "I Second That Emotion".
     
  14. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
    japan will always be one of my fav bands and probably the group of musicians that had the biggest impact on my own work.
     
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  15. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    Asia sure didn't. Anerica did, maybe.
     
  16. Sordel

    Sordel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Switzerland
    Yes, that's certainly true. Every other New Romantic looked as though he was wearing a voluminous linen shirt because some publicity guy had found it for him ... Sylvian manages to make every costume look as though he hand-wove it while writing his next lyric. There is not the slightest hint of irony about him, but I guess that's what a lot of his fans like about him.
     
  17. Former Scientist

    Former Scientist Now on wheels....

    Location:
    UK
    If the question had been : Do Japan deserve more respect for their artistic integrity, then the answer is Yes....
     
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  18. ranasakawa

    ranasakawa Forum Resident

    I was never a big fan of 80s pop especially Duran Duran who I don't like at all. However Japan, despite their pretty boy band image were exceptional musicians and produced very interesting music, I brought Visions Of China as a single when it was issued and was a fan as a teenager.
    I have most of their CDs
     
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  19. JeffMo

    JeffMo Format Agnostic

    Location:
    New England
    If you can get past the boy band image and actually listen to deep album cuts or later non commercial releases, you could say same thing about DD.

    Is Japan's Oil On Canvas any good?
     
  20. The first thing I ever heard by them was their bizarre disemboweling of "Ain't That Peculiar", found on Gentlemen Take Polaroids.
     
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  21. Aghast of Ithaca

    Aghast of Ithaca Forum Resident

    Location:
    Angleterre
    I don't remember Japan getting any favourable press in the UK music weeklies early in their career. On the contrary, my memory is that they were dismissed as posers and frauds.

    When the NME gave them a rave review for Tin Drum, I was amazed.
     
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  22. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Well... "Oil On Canvas" basically functions as showcase for their last three albums with the audience practically not audible. The playing is immaculate and atmospheric but just don't expect "It's Alive" or "Metallic KO";)
     
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  23. ranasakawa

    ranasakawa Forum Resident

    I enjoy it, however Tin Drum for me is better.
     
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  24. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
    Oil On Canvas is actually my favorite Japan album! Although I love the studio work for the songs, they can sometimes seem too remote. I think the live double album brings many of the tunes to life!
     
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