JapanSylvian.com

I listened tonight for the first time in years on quite a magnificent work by Japan on 'Tin Drum' .
I don't think the guys got the credit they deserved for this masterpiece even though well received by the media at the time in a superficial way.
My question is.. What would have been if they had managed to stay together?

Personally i think 'Tin Drum' was a pinnacle and could not have been superseded hence the wonderful Sylvian solo beginnings.
What do others think?

So long ago.

Tin was certainley ahead of it's time in both concept and quality of sound, the original album was quite short, but this aided the quality of the reproduction as the grooves in the vinyl were cut deep (or hot,as they used to say).Originally i felt it was a tad over produced an opinion that has changed over the years.Tin Drum does sound great still today and that is a testerment to it's longevity.

Although I think it was good that Japan went out on a high with Tin Drum, it is really intriguing to imagine what they might have produced as a follow-up in 83-84.

In some ways the Brilliant Trees tracks give an idea as Richard and Steve were both involved and tracks like Backwaters and Nostalgia could have been Japan tracks in terms of the personnel involved. I could imagine a Japan-ised Pulling Punches quite easily.

It is hard to see that their overall sound would have altered radically. Richard and David hated the Yamaha DX synths which were coming into use, so they would have stayed with the Prophet 5 / Oberheim synth sound I guess. The big questions would have been whether the jazz influence from Yuka would have come through so strongly and whether or not they might have used session musicians to the extent that David did on his nascent solo career?

Maybe the closest glimpse to what might have been were Buoy and When Love Walks In? I don't think I would trade that alternative evolution for David's 80s trilogy though.

Well said Blemished.
I see Brilliant Trees as a logical follow up to Tin Drum,
especially if we include the songs Japan released between the two.
Voices Raised..., Oil on Canvas, Temple of Dawn.
And some of the Brilliant Trees tracks would possibly have sounded more or less the same with Mick on bass.