Customer Reviews

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As with other releases in the series (Pop Will Eat Itself's "Wise Up Suckers" and Blow Monkeys' "For the Record" among them), this disc offers a good balance of album tracks, singles, and 12-inch mixes. The key attractions on this disc are the 12-inch versions of "Life in Tokyo" and "European son", both previously unavailable on CD at the time.

The disc was inadvertently mastered in mono from one side of the stereo mix. Needless to say, this makes for a slightly bizarre listening experience until one has figured out what's going on. I suppose the bright side is that BMG have managed to create a quasi-collectible item available for sale at budget prices.

For whatever reason, BMG have chosen to not re-master the disc in proper stereo. It's still worth the occasional listen or two, if only as one of the oddest collections of alternative versions you're likely to hear.

This compilation of early Japan material succeeds in featuring a number of rare 12" mixes (European Son, Life In Tokyo..) but is totally spoiled by the sad and unfortunate fact that the *entire* cd was mastered in **MONO** . They should sack the responsible individual, withdraw all copies of it and offer free exchange for those unfortunate enough to have purchased this. Just my opinion.. : )

i never fell too deeply into Japan's arty take on synthesized pop music. Sylvain's voice is certainly wonderful and full of a detached kind of charm; but most of these songs bore me. my favorite tracks are the songs "Love Is Infectious" and "Fall In Love With Me" which cut with their angular rhythms and spikey post punk guitar with a sounds that slightly resembles a more pop-friendly Bauhaus. a little more venom spread out over the remaining songs would have helped me to enjoy this a little more.

Well, nobody *did* warn me what I was in for...I bought the album solely on the strength of having heard "Quiet Life" on a New Romantic compliation album I owned. The style takes some getting used to if it's the first time you've met Japan - but I now own every one of their albums and it's all thanks to this stunning collection. Every song so different and so vibrant, the slow songs heartbreakingly beautiful and the dancier ones not just musically well-crafted but also lyrically very clever as well. Fabulous. Darling. Wouldn't have missed it for the world.