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Japan|Assemblage

Assemblage

Japan

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The 1981 compilation Assemblage gives a skewed, incomplete picture of Japan's early career; this is not necessarily a bad thing, as Japan's early career frankly wasn't very good, and it certainly had little to do with the mature, studied art-pop of their later albums. For example, the glammy disco thump of the opening "Adolescent Sex" has more to do with the Sweet than Brian Eno, and the version of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "I Second That Emotion" taken from a 1980 single sounds more like a failed attempt at chart success than an artistic experiment. Furthermore, David Sylvian's voice is completely different on the early tracks here, a nasal whine that's difficult to listen to for more than a few minutes at a time. That said, there are a few not-bad tracks here. "Communist China" is intriguing post-punk that hints at the loud-soft dynamic of Gentlemen Take Polaroids, and "Rhodesia," a not entirely successful reggae experiment, at least introduces the use of world music forms, atmospheric production, and smoother, more controlled singing that would characterize their later career. That later career starts on side two, where, after the electro-disco sidetrack of the Giorgio Moroder collaboration "Life in Tokyo," Japan's sudden left turn into artsy soft rock begins with the original "European Son" and an imaginative reworking of the Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties." Assemblage isn't entirely essential, but with its singles and previously unreleased tracks, it's a better starting point than either of Japan's first two albums.

© Stewart Mason /TiVo

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Assemblage

Japan

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1
Adolescent Sex
00:04:13

Ray Singer, Producer - David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1981 Hansa Productions Ltd

2
State Line
00:04:45

David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1981 Hansa Productions Ltd

3
Communist China
00:02:45

David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1981 Hansa Productions Ltd

4
...Rhodesia
00:06:48

David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1978 Hansa Productions Ltd

5
Suburban Berlin
00:05:00

Ray Singer, Producer - David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1978 Hansa Productions Ltd

6
Life in Tokyo
00:03:31

Giorgio Moroder, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1981 Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH

7
European Son
00:03:39

David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1981 Hansa Productions Ltd

8
All Tomorrow's Parties (7" Version)
00:04:14

Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1981 Hansa Productions Ltd

9
Quiet Life
00:04:51

Richard Barbieri, Keyboards - John Punter, Producer - Simon Napier-Bell, Producer - Rob Dean, Guitar - David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - David Sylvian, Guitar - David Sylvian, Vocal - Japan, Performer - Steve Jansen, Percussion - Mick Karn, Background Vocal - Mick Karn, Saxophone

(P) 1981 Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH

10
I Second That Emotion
00:03:45

John Punter, Producer - Steven Nye, Re-Mixer - Alfred Cleveland, Composer - Alfred Cleveland, Lyricist - William Robinson, Composer - William Robinson, Lyricist - David Sylvian, Vocal - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1982 Hansa Productions Limited

11
European Son
00:05:02

David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Arranger - Japan, Performer

(P) 1981 Hansa Productions Ltd

12
I Second That Emotion
00:05:17

John Punter, Producer - Steven Nye, Re-Mixer - Alfred Cleveland, Composer - Alfred Cleveland, Lyricist - William Robinson, Composer - William Robinson, Lyricist - Japan, Performer

(P) 1982 Hansa Productions Ltd

13
Life in Tokyo (Part 1) (7" Version)
00:04:03

Giorgio Moroder, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer - Japan, Arranger

(P) 1981 Hansa Productions Ltd

14
Life in Tokyo (12" Extended Version)
00:06:15

Giorgio Moroder, Composer - Giorgio Moroder, Lyricist - Giorgio Moroder, Producer - David Sylvian, Composer - David Sylvian, Lyricist - Japan, Performer

(P) 1982 Hansa Productions Ltd.

Album review

The 1981 compilation Assemblage gives a skewed, incomplete picture of Japan's early career; this is not necessarily a bad thing, as Japan's early career frankly wasn't very good, and it certainly had little to do with the mature, studied art-pop of their later albums. For example, the glammy disco thump of the opening "Adolescent Sex" has more to do with the Sweet than Brian Eno, and the version of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "I Second That Emotion" taken from a 1980 single sounds more like a failed attempt at chart success than an artistic experiment. Furthermore, David Sylvian's voice is completely different on the early tracks here, a nasal whine that's difficult to listen to for more than a few minutes at a time. That said, there are a few not-bad tracks here. "Communist China" is intriguing post-punk that hints at the loud-soft dynamic of Gentlemen Take Polaroids, and "Rhodesia," a not entirely successful reggae experiment, at least introduces the use of world music forms, atmospheric production, and smoother, more controlled singing that would characterize their later career. That later career starts on side two, where, after the electro-disco sidetrack of the Giorgio Moroder collaboration "Life in Tokyo," Japan's sudden left turn into artsy soft rock begins with the original "European Son" and an imaginative reworking of the Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties." Assemblage isn't entirely essential, but with its singles and previously unreleased tracks, it's a better starting point than either of Japan's first two albums.

© Stewart Mason /TiVo

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