Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids
October 24 1980
By Aaron Conte
Japan
Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Genre: synthpop
Rating:
Allen’s Rating: 4 out of 5
Aaron’s Rating: 3 out of 5 capezios
Why did I never buy this record? It is everything I loved in the early eighties. Synths, beats, soprano sax (or is that an oboe), seductive crooning lyrics and dudes in makeup with good hair. OH RIGHT, I lived in a tiny central New York town where you had to mail order records like this while you were neglecting your homework, waiting to be driven to play practice.
If you enjoy the New Romantic period of the 80's, you will enjoy this antique. Seems Japan were way ahead of the game too. Formed in 1974 with glam rock aspirations, the guys gradually introduced sequencers and keyboards into their songs, so by the time Duran was on the British radio, Japan were old news (and boy is it hard for a man to pull off wearing the makeup once thirty hits).
I will say this is a really good record. I've been playing it just because recently and went back and grabbed their earlier releases just so I can use the, "their earlier work is way better" line in the upcoming Holiday zoom parties. "Oh yeah teleconferencing was happening LONG before zoom...I had email in 1997...but you REALLY should hear Japan's 1979 record "Quiet Life"...it's WAY better."
(And in fact, you should probably hear that album too; "Quiet Life". It's like hearing the rehearsal tapes of "Rio".)
I think it's fair to say that Japan was probably that band who were super duper true blue and didn't necessarily need the approval of the US. After they broke up in 1982, they all went on to keep working with the kings and queens of English music that scratched the surface in the states; Kate Bush, Gary Numan, Joan Armatrading, Peter Murphy, and don't forget Midge Ure (editor's note: "who would have gone farther had his name not been Midge").
Also I confess this band suffered from their almost identical Bryan Ferry vocal stylings, and it is hard to get by once the first song starts. Roxy Music (Bryan's band) had been a band for two years before Japan released their debut, and David Sylvian (vocalist) sounds like he had been hiding out in Bryan's wardrobe trunk listening to every performance just to get his delivery right.
Lastly, let's address the title shall we? Gentlemen take polaroids do they? Now for sure this band knew who Andy Warhol was and most definitely were fans. It was required of any band remotely close to art music (different from ant music) that they show their devotion. Andy had thousands of them (polaroids), and made a whole lifestyle of taking them and collecting them. Gene Simmons (KISS) is said to have thousands of them as well...just maybe not of the same artistic integrity, so...DO gentlemen take polaroids, and if they do, of WHAT are they taking them?
This is a good record for puttering around the house, doing dishes, and taking walks.
I didn't mean for that to be a slam.
https://open.spotify.com/album/0RhywRDYdXYC5Qzk0iIprW?si=NS_z18sOQcGF1OeIv61Jng
No comments:
Post a Comment