“Quiet Life” by Japan - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1979 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

After a rather underwhelming start, Japan came good in '79 on their third long-player, synthesizers to the fore and a genuinely cool new vocal style from the frontman, now deemed so beautiful that he alone adorns the front-cover. The 5-piece line-up: David Sylvian (vocals, guitar), Rob Dean (guitar, backing vocals), Richard Barbieri (keyboards), Mick Karn (bass, saxophone, flute, backing vocals) and Steve Jansen (drums, percussion, backing vocals). No singles were released from the album at the time, although “Quiet Life” became a #19 hit in 1981 and their version of the Velvet Undergound's “All Tomorrow’s Parties” hit #39 in 1983.

The Jukebox Rebel
23–Feb–2011

A1	[04:53] Japan - Quiet Life (David Sylvian) New Wave
A2	[04:31] Japan - Fall In Love With Me (David Sylvian) Cerebral Pop
A3	[05:56] Japan - Despair (David Sylvian) Moodcore
A4	[06:30] Japan - In Vogue (David Sylvian) New Wave
B1	[04:24] Japan - Halloween (David Sylvian) New Wave
B2	[05:43] Japan - All Tomorrow’s Parties (Lou Reed) New Wave
B3	[05:01] Japan - Alien (David Sylvian) New Wave
B4	[07:26] Japan - The Other Side Of Life (David Sylvian) Songwriter