David published an article following SNB writing his version of the break-up of the band on Facebook:
http://www.davidsylvian.com/texts/other ... _here.html
Blemished wrote:David has become quite fascinatingly unpredictable at the minute - tweeting and deleting on all manor of things - Harvey Weinstein etc. Sadly nothing seems to suggest that more music is likely, perhaps ever.
I was really glad - if astonished - to see him respond to SNB in the way he did. Clearly he has grown tired of Japan's breakup being presented in the way Napier-Bell did. Personally, I don't find it uncomfortable hearing him talking about Mick in that way. I don't know any of the them outside of their music and don't think I'm in any position to have a strong view on their personal lives at all. But Mick was able to publish his perspective on those years and I think it perfectly fair for David to offer his side of the story, even in a relatively restrained form. No doubt they are all strong and complex characters! And I think the other point is that they were all in their early 20s at this time and living in the artificial bubble of a pop band. It's the distant history of brilliant, young musicians - no less interesting for that, but hard for me to get too worked up about. I don't think it disrespects Mick's memory for people who actually knew him to portray him as a mercurial, creative and volatile person. To me that seems very fitting with his incredible and unique talent.
I do think it is sad that SNB machinations may have brought about the demise of the band at a point when they could have gone a little further and been even more successful and influential. But at the same time, maybe Brilliant Trees would not have resulted and that - for me - would have been a huge loss. Tin Drum was such a superb way to end.
It is also really bad that they - like many other musicians before and after - were abused by the industry financially. I'm sure SNB played a big part in getting them where they got to, but for most of them to be left without any meaningful financial reward after recording such great music and hugely successful tours is deeply unfair.
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