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Japan – The Very Best Of
**1/2
Splitting up in the early 80s
as they threatened to finally become very big, Japan were a highly regarded band amongst their slightly younger new romantic
peers yet their influence has waned since the early 90s. Listening to this compilation,
it’s not difficult to see why this has been the case.
Looking at the band’s lyrics and image, the adjective
that immediately springs to mind is “pretentious”. The “new
world man” aesthete of many of their words may have been briefly cool but now seems fanciful whilst leader David Sylvian
took a long time to recover from being labelled the most beautiful man in the world by a leading magazine. More importantly than these rather glib criticisms, there were also shortcomings in the band’s music
with many of the songs on The Very Best Of Japan being over-repetitive and over-long.
Despite these slightly unfair criticisms,
there are ea few excellent tracks on TVBOJ with the band’s most famous song, the highly atmospheric Ghosts, very much
among them. Ghosts and Night Porter aside, I generally prefer the band’s
more conventional earlier songs from which the rather good Quiet Life, Life In Tokyo and European Son are included.
The
Very Best Of Japan is a good acquisition for anyone who wants a single CD compilation though please be warned that much of
it is rather over-arty right down to the ridiculously pretentious liner notes by Chris Roberts. Those, like me, who just like a few songs are probably better off downloading their favourite tunes instead.
Acquired
by me: 23.10.09 – Borrowed (Library)
Jackson,
Joe & Band – Volume 4 (Special Limited Edition)
****
Many new albums
these days by major artists initially include a limited edition live CD or DVD to reward the faithful punter for parting with
his cash as quickly as possible. A different approach is sometimes taken for
critically acclaimed artists whose LPs are sometimes re-released a few months later with a bonus disc after initial sales
were disappointing. This latter path was taken by the Joe Jackson Band with Volume
4 and it was definitely worth waiting…
Volume 4 is the first album by the reformed classic line-up of the JJ Band
since 1980. Although the playing by these excellent musicians is good throughout,
the songs and rather clunky mid-life crisis lyrics don’t really recapture former glories with the new-wave settings
sometimes sounding forced. Having said this, it’s not a bad album with
Take It Like A Man and Awkward Age among the better songs.
Much better though is the bonus CD with blistering live versions
of six classic songs from the band’s earlier repertoire. The playing here
is superb with Graham Maby’s lead bass lines being supported by Gary Sanford’s effectively sparing rhythm guitar and
Dave Houghton’s tight drumming to terrific exciting effect. On top of all
this is JJ himself on vocals and keyboards leading the band through thrilling versions of One More Time, On Your Radio and
I’m Your Man as well as the big hits Is She Really Going Out With Him and a slightly slower It’s Different For
Girls.
Admirable as it is for the highly principled Jackson to refuse to reform his original band without releasing new
material, it’s the bonus disc to which most buyers will return. Three stars
for the studio album, five for the bonus disc making four overall…
Released:
2003
Acquired by me: 14.4.05 – Present (David)
John, Elton – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
****
Released in 1973, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is still seen by many as Elton John’s best
album and it’s not difficult to see why. It’s a double LP full of strong songs and melodies…
First
the hits for four of the songs featured have become Elton standards. The title track has superb chord changes and one
of Bernie Taupin’s most moving lyrics about a small-town, mid-west boy returning home after experiencing the all-too-bright
lights of the glamorous big city. It was used to brilliant effect in the superb BBC drama series Our Friends In The
North in the mid 90s. More typical musically of the early 70s settings of that particular episode would be the glam-rock
Benny & The Jets and Who-influenced Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting which are included as well as the now
over-familiar but still poignant Marilyn Monroe / Princess Diana tribute Candle In The Wind.
Goodbye Yellow Brick
Road begins with the instrumental Funeral For A Friend which has something of the rock opera overture to it before segueing
into the vocal Love Lies Bleeding. Other melodic highlights include Grey Seal and Sweet Painted Lady though the latter
is countered by a lyircs about a prostitute. A very 70s lyrical decadence is also present elsewhere on GYBR such as
the lesbian semi-prostitute featured in All The Girls Love Alice and the working-class, drinking and fighting mentality of
the aforementioned Saturday’s Night…
Nevertheless the melodies shine pretty much throughout with some good
playing by Elton and his band. Guitarist Davey Johnstone particularly shines with his fast-strumming acoustic-Townsend-on-an
electric style. An excellent LP.
Released - 1973
Acquired by me: 19.3.05 - Bought (by Naomi)
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