Customer Reviews

Tin Drum

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

EMI was unable to really cash in on Japan until David Sylvian's 20-year contract with Virgin Records ran out in 2001. After that impressive milestone came to pass, the label began the process of remastering and repackaging their three Japan albums, the Rain Tree Crow reunion one-off, and Sylvian's solo recordings. For better or for worse, the obsessively controlling Sylvian provided extensive input into the proceedings, the results of which look very impressive upon initial examination. However, as is often the case, the surface belies the substance.

First off, studio engineer Tony Cousins has managed the impossible in producing a warm, organic sound from these discs, a remarkable achievement considering the longterm complaint by audiophiles that compact discs lack such an aesthetic quality. These CDs come as close to replicating the output of virgin vinyl (no pun intended) as I've ever heard, without the usual associated aural anomalies. However, my argument is not with the music - these albums are all truly brilliant in their own right and the remastered sound quality is superb. And Japan is certainly worthy of having their material revisited and properly reissued. However I must question many of the decisions made regarding content, organization, and design. A common gripe that I have with all the releases is the digipack packaging. While more visually appealing than the standard jewelcase, digipacks are more delicate in nature and of greater susceptibility to damage during both distribution and handling. If a jewelcase is broken, it's easily replaced - the same cannot be said of digipack components. Here are other, album-specific complaints:

GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS: The alternate cover photo is a splendid variation, but the original should have been incorporated as well. The inclusion of the lyrics to "Nightporter" appears random and arbitrary - why not reproduce all the song lyrics?

TIN DRUM: The special packaging is superfluous - a cardboard slipcase would have achieved the same effect. The second disc is wasteful, as this material could have easily been included on the main album. The pictorial booklet is certainly well compiled, but I think most fans are beyond the 'image worship' phase by now.

OIL ON CANVAS: There was no need to divide the content between two discs, as it obviously fits comfortably on one CD. However, EMI can charge more for a 2-disc set, thus explaining that decision. Washing the color out of the cover painting is an odd alteration that reduces its appeal.

In summation, far too much effort was channeled into the overly precious packaging when greater emphasis should have been given to the musical content. There are several tracks currently unavailable on CD that could have easily been included on these releases, including "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" (single edit), "Burning Bridges" (original mix), "Some Kind Of Fool" (original recording), "Visions Of China" (extended mix), "Nightporter" (single edit), "Ain't That Peculiar" (alternate mix), and "Canton" (live single version). Accompanying booklets with complete discographies, single cover art, song lyrics, interviews, biographies, etc. would have been greatly appreciated by fans. Sadly, it is a rare occasion when an artist's followers are consulted for projects of this nature, which shows extremely poor foresight given that the fans are the direct product consumers.

EMI has executed other back catalog reissue campaigns with exceptional results, including those for Ultravox, Human League, O.M.D., and Culture Club. In comparison, I find the new Japan and David Sylvian re-releases to be disappointing. Perhaps I might have been more forgiving had I not purchased all of these albums several times previously in various formats, a factor with which many collectors can empathize. EMI could have acknowledged this by offering these releases with mid-line prices similar to the above mentioned artists' CD reissues. Alas, corporate greed wins again.

On hearing Mr Sylvians latest album, that wonderful but flawed master piece Dead Bees on a Cake, I had to trawl back thru my Japan catalogue. I needed to gorge myself on some luscious music for dessert. So, he has moved on, but oh what wonderful music he was making way back then. Tin Drum was a commercial success and richly deserved although one can argue that Gentlemen Take Polaroids had stronger songs. It is such an exotic album containing a melange of soul/techno/electric/asian influences. Ever present is the moody sensual voice of Sylvian but perhaps just as importantly, the wonderful bass and drumming of the highly underated Mick Karn and Steve Jensen. Standout on the album is the heavy use of pre-recorded sounds, samples and specially programmed synthesisers. From the glorious Visions of China, the eerie Ghosts to the rythmic tableau of Talking Drum this is an album to be savoured. Way ahead of its time like everything Sylvian was doing in the 70's and 80's, its a testament of the creative genuis and bravery that pushed them to test the limits of their unique genre by producing a record that is at the same time style setting, while retaining its artistic integrity. These boys were more serious about their music than adulation although they were among the best looking bands on the planet at the time. Sylvian would go on to great things in his solo career with Brilliant Trees and Secrets of the Beehive but unfortunetly this wonderful piece was the full stop for Japan. The album was a clear progression from their earlier work, containing a unique style of song construction and arrangement. Sylvian abandoned this musical style when he broke up Japan, did not resume it with his solo career and never attempted to re-create it with the dismal reformation album Rain Tree Crow. The absence of Jensen and Karn obviously the missing link on his solo records. If you like this you must also get Oil on Canvas as it is a worthy companion piece from that era. Still, years later, Japan remain one of those wonderful unique groups that remain unclassifiable. Pity they were mistaken for all the other 80's new romantic hairstyle bands. This bunch were sitting for their masters while the rest were still playing in the sand pit at kindergarten.

Japan should have been massive - they had all the right ingredients but reached their peak just as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet et al were hogging the limelight. Tin Drum was their magnum opus - a veritable cornucopia of hook-laden oriental electro-pop. Tin Drum isn't a particularly long album but in this instance quality reigns supreme over quantity. It's one of those rare albums where the mix is so deep and intricate, woven like a fine tapestry, that the more you listen to it the more subtleties you detect. It's also a timeless album - sounding more original and exciting than a lot of today's contemporary music.

David Sylvian's distinctive voice blends beautifully with the rich layers of finely-crafted synth, underscored by the wonderfully complex percussion. Add to that Mick Karn's unique fretless bass playing, and the result is sheer ear candy. Karn has an unparalleled ability to play bass like a lead instrument - bending notes in all directions and skipping octaves with ease. This talent is used to excellent effect on Tin Drum enriching the overall sound.

There are no weak tracks on the album although Sons of Pioneers is a little slow getting started. For me the highlight is Visions of China - this one stands out as it competently showcases the creative skills of the band members, the end result being an absolutely fantastic track.

I used to think it's a shame that there was no successor to Tin Drum - but maybe it's just as well as Japan would have been hard pressed to better it. Tin Drum is a gorgeous album - born of a time when creativity was still more important than the sales sheet.

As Japan progressed from their early years, their sound evolved into a rich, beautiful and innovative style that was unique to the period.Many have said that David Sylvian was attempting to imitate the more mature vocal stylings of Bryan Ferry. If you listen to their early albums like Adolescent Sex and Obscure Alternatives, the deliberate change in Sylvian's vocals are dramatic.It's pretty obvious he needed to tone things down to accompany the more textural music they were creating. And, does anyone else wonder why a band called Japan was so obsessed with China? Tin Drum is a wonderful collection of songs but the oriental influence is a little overplayed. Gentlemen Take Polaroids is their true masterpiece. Had that been the only album they ever did, Japan would still be one of my favorite bands of all time.

Japan was one of those bands that my hipper friends who listened only to college radio always talked about back in the early-MTV period of the '80's. I finally allowed my curiosity to get the better of me when I had heard that Mick Karn was an outstanding player of the fretless bass guitar (an instrument that I play, as well) and I bought this amazingly eclectic re-issue.

The music is...well, it's something that takes a bit of getting used to. The constant drum machine fills and staccato keyboard programs during the quicker-paced songs date the material instantly, and the exaggerated accent in vocalist David Sylvian's (easily one of the coolest names in the history of rock) delivery place the band squarely during that time when EVERY band that was worth listening to was from one corner of Britain or the other. The immediate impression that I got during the first listen was that this was the coldest and most soulless CD I had ever listened to, everything that we were supposed to dislike about synth-pop in its infancy. David Slyvian gets a liner note credit for playing guitar, but as many times as I've listened to this album I've yet to find it.

Having said that, by the third or fourth time you listen to this CD you are used to its quirkiness...and Mick Karn's bassplaying is as advertised. There is no small amount of irony that the most frequently replaced instrument in synth-based music is the bass guitar, yet Japan's most daunting musician plays that very instrument and with his overchorused tone sets the standard by which fretless bass is recorded in pop music throughout the rest of the decade (see especially "No Parlez" by Paul Young).

The highlights for me are "Canton", "Sill Life In Mobile Homes", "Visions of China", and "Sons Of Pioneers", the only song on which Karn gets a writing credit. For these track alone the CD is worth buying.

The packaging of the re-issue I am actually very impressed with. If it is possible to make a box set out of a single album, EMI has done it here. The release of bonus material (single edits, B-sides, and a live version of the lead track) on a separate disc is, to my perception, a welcome change of procedure that keeps the integrity of the song selection from the original album as it was released some 20-plus years ago. You don't HAVE to listen to the bonus material if all you want to do is hear the album as it was originally recorded and released. And the photo booklet that is included...absolutely necessary? No, but a nice touch. Would I have liked to have lyrics included as well? Sure. But a band from an era that is as equally about art as it was music among its performers is perfectly within their range by including an element of photography/fashion with the reissue of what most people agree to be their flagship recordings. If you are at all curious about what Japan has to offer, you could A LOT WORSE than buying this CD reissue package to find out.

What's not to like about Mick Karn's bass playing? More than David Sylvan's vocals, his fretless playing defines the band's sound and you can hear his influence in the bass playing of Duran Duran's John Taylor, Pino Palladino and others. The repetitive nature of Japan's songs is the only reason this album gets four stars.

I just started getting into Japan after their albums were recommended to me by fellow Gary Numan fans. Most pointed to this album as Japan's best, so I was anxious to check it out. Although, I think Gentlemen Take Polaroids may have more to offer, Tin Drum is definitely a five-star album. Whereas Gentlemen Take Polaroids is probably best taken as a whole, Tin Drum has many tracks that can stand alone. The first track is actually my least favorite (a little too jazzy for my tastes with an annoyingly repetitive ending) but Japan at their worse is probably better than most bands (particularly of today). One of my favorite tracks is "Ghosts," a hauntingly beautiful song with wonderful lyrics. Unlike Gentlemen, Tin Drum only has one instrumental--"Canton," with an in-your-face Japanese flavor. "Sons of Pioneers" has a cool drum and bass riff in its introduction with David Sylvian's distinctive vocals emerging at the end. "Still Life in Mobile Homes" is a very interesting track with a very sharp, deliberate sound (for lack of a better adjective). It ends with my favorite track "Cantonese Boy"--a quirky tune with fun chorus and Cold War lyrics to give it a cool retro value. My one criticism is that this track (as well as the entire album, for that matter) is too short and ends too abruptly. It leaves me wanting more which causes me to hit the track replay button.

"Tin Drum" is not music, but a sublime expression of pure art.

this is such a fantastic album. how did they get sally jesse raphael to pose for the cover?

"Tin Drum" was the album where Japan finally hit their stride-- the two strongest forces in the band had found their own voices-- David Sylvian's compositions combined drastically separated influences like Roxy Music, Erik Satie, and Eastern Asian traditional musics to form something wholly other, supported in large part by the unique, rubbery fretless bass playing of Mick Karn. Even at this early point in his career, no one sounded like Karn. And with the departure of Rob Dean, there was little concession for guitar playing-- when its present, its more atmospheric and tasteful-- a radical departure from the N.Y. Dolls glam of their first album, which came out just three years prior.

But taste and atmosphere and arrangements are really the key here-- consider the album's standout-- "Ghosts". Steve Jansen (a master of understatement at the percussion chair) plays a simple marimba line, under which Sylvian and synth man Richard Barbieri play simple hazes. While Sylvian's voice had not yet finished developing, his passionate croon is emotional and effecting. Contrast this piece withe the traditional Chinese sounds of "Canton"-- which could have been written (and for that matter performed) centuries before were it not for the squeaky presence of Karn's bass.

Much of the rest of the album is dancey rhythmically, with Jansen maintaining understated pumped up beats and Karn digging way deep into a groove and producing several stunning bass lines ("Talking Drum", "Still Life in Mobile Homes", "Visions of China"). But to my ears, the other standout on the record is "Sons of Pioneers"-- similar in mood and feel to "Ghosts", cowritten by Karn and Sylvian, this one is driven by a haunting bass line and tribal percussion and again shows the band has mastered this dark mood. Its really quite a shame they split up after this one-- both Sylvian's "Brilliant Trees" and Karn's "Titles" and Dali's Car project would have benefited greatly from the other contributing.

This reissue was done fully under the control of David Sylvian. Sonically, its flawless-- the Virgin reissues of the Japan/Sylvian catalog could have been recorded yesterday in an all-digital studio. But the packaging on this one is a bit over the top-- it comes in this gigantic cardboard case with a digipack containing the album, a cardboard LP-style sleeve containing a bonus disc (more on that in a minute) and a booklet of photos. While this stuff is all quite nice, its rather extensive. The bonus disc is largely extraneous--two single mixes (the inferior extended mix of "The Art of Parties" and "Ghosts"), the b-side to "The Art of Parties" (the superb "Life Without Buildings", an East Asian style mostly instrumental piece, but with a much more modern vibe and great bass playing from Karn) and a great live recording of "The Art of Parties".

Overall, "Tin Drum" is really a superb album-- definitely the best the band did in my assessment. This reissue only makes it sound better.