...............I had heard Quiet Life on the Radio several times but it was when I saw the promo video aired on 'Top Of The Pops' back in the day that I knew I wanted to learn more about this band.
What followed? Well a fortune spent trawling record fairs and digging through 'Record Collector' in the pre-internet days which built up quite a comprehensive (but by no means complete) collection of (mainly) vinyl pieces, in what felt like a lifetime.
'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' is so etched into my mind now I cannot imagine never having heard the subtle beauty of 'My New Career' or the haunting melody of 'Nightporter'. The work of Japan has stayed with me over time since that first sight of the Quiet Life promo video. True, there are times when I will listen to other artists for a considerable amount of time however, I will always revert in my mind to those heady days in the early 80's.
I also dabbled in the solo ventures ('Dalis Car' was so under appreciated it was a joke) and to this day 'Gone To Earth' is one of my all time favourite albums. But that said, I am not a completist when it comes to the solo work.
So..........introduction over as that is a breif history of where I fit into the Japan side of my musical tastes and I look forward to being part of these fine boards in the future.