Adolescent Sex album- re-appraisal

[liberty boy]

After all said and done - there was something interesting about it. I think also you've got to take into account the year 1978- punk ruled the roost and every group had to be brash and explosive -even had they been more mature they would not have got away then with their latterday laid back sublety. And I have to admit anyway I quite rate the album inspite of the more or less meaningless lyrics in places and lack of accomplished musicianship.

[anortherncod]

After all said and done - there was something interesting about it. I think also you've got to take into account the year 1978- punk ruled the roost and every group had to be brash and explosive -even had they been more mature they would not have got away then with their latterday laid back sublety. And I have to admit anyway I quite rate the album inspite of the more or less meaningless lyrics in places and lack of accomplished musicianship.

Y'know I liked it back in the day, then went off it, and subsequently dusted it off a couple of years ago and now really enjoy it again. If you have the remastered CD version it has excellent liner notes by Paul Rymer (what Paul doesn't know about Japan isn't worth knowing) and if memory serves he writes something along the lines of how forward-thinking it was. The kind of sound on AS is something that's now being recreated by bands like Razorlight - only I'd much rather have AS.

Natasha

[Astronaut]

The kind of sound on AS is something that's now being recreated by bands like Razorlight - only I'd much rather have AS.
Natasha

Couldn't agree more Natasha. For a debut album in 1978, or any year for that matter, AS is some achievement! Hard to believe they were only 18 or 19 years old with no previous recording experience.

anyway I quite rate the album inspite of the more or less meaningless lyrics in places and lack of accomplished musicianship

Are the lyrics meaningless? and if they are does it really matter? It's still a great listening experience no matter what!

[liberty boy]

A deprecating rock press said in the review at the time drawing out a line I think form Obscure Alternatives which according to them went something like" Arriving back from America neurotic headaches are conceived." "David Sylvian knows alot of long words but they don't mean very much." Though it did concede in the same article "David Sylvian sneers with panache."

Presumably the lyrics do mean something though in any case it's legitimate to put words together just for effect, afterall Brian Eno certainly admits to doing this especially evident for example on Before and After science. Though personally and with Bob Dylan and likewise D S I do prefer their latter day mature and accessible lyrics commenting for example on their relationship break ups etc . In this regard David Sylvian comes out with some crackers like the line from Blemish "her heart is a foreign place that I visited just for a while".

[liberty boy]

I think this is probably what David Sylvian meant when he said he doesn't attach much value to the "artifice" of his Japan years. And why he cites Ghosts as the first "step in the right direction."

[anortherncod]

A deprecating rock press said in the review at the time drawing out a line I think form Obscure Alternatives which according to them went something like" Arriving back from America neurotic headaches are conceived." "David Sylvian knows alot of long words but they don't mean very much." Though it did concede in the same article "David Sylvian sneers with panache."

Presumably the lyrics do mean something though in any case it's legitimate to put words together just for effect

Personally I think OA is a corker, possibly because the first two Japan songs I heard were Deviation and the title track - from the Live In Tokyo EP. "Well, you must know something, 'cause we're dying of admiration here..." ...could have that as a signature actually!

Natasha

[Astronaut]

A deprecating rock press said in the review at the time drawing out a line I think form Obscure Alternatives which according to them went something like" Arriving back from America neurotic headaches are conceived." "David Sylvian knows alot of long words but they don't mean very much." Though it did concede in the same article "David Sylvian sneers with panache."

Hmmm, not particularly complimentary is it? Stuff 'em! What do 'they' know anyway? I refer you to my previous response to this type of thing on the Ferry/Sylvian comparison thread.

I think this is probably what David Sylvian meant when he said he doesn't attach much value to the "artifice" of his Japan years. And why he cites Ghosts as the first "step in the right direction."

DS has always been a little reticent about commenting on his Japan years, as best he'll say something to the effect that he misses the comaraderie of those days, but rarely does he ever say anything complimentary or derogatory about their musical output. I can only speak from my own POV, which is this: All of the Japan albums contain something innovative and inspirational, something worthy of merit and appreciation. Each time I listen to them I find something new to marvel at.

[liberty boy]

The rock press were very very hostile to Japan circa 1978. One journalist - I'm sure researchers on here have come across it- said in a review of either AS or OA "there's a smell of decay about Japan, my stylus refuses to go near it." But to be fair the band dismiss their first two albums themselves. I've even heard they write off AS completely and regard OA as their first album. And the very same critics of that time became respectful interviewers later on when Sylvian became the darling of the music press.

I was reading a recent interview with Richard and the interviewer was trying to press him to at least accept at least some sort of merited appreciation of AS, given that alot of young people today were reappraising it. But he steadfastly refused. Conceding reluctantly only when pushed about the early stuff that he could maybe understand people appreciating Quiet Life or from Quiet Life onwards- but not the two albums before it.

[Astronaut]

Hmmmm, this is all getting a little bit too depressing for me, I don't like talking about the negative side of Japan's career any more than they do. I accept they do not like, rate or even consider AS/OA to be worthy of further comment. They may even disown them as you have suggested LibertyBoy. But the fact remains, those albums exist, they've been re-released on more than one ocassion, Japan did create them and we like listening to them. What the music press said/wrote back in 1978 is now almost an irrelevance. It's what the music buying public think of them now that's important. However, it's also understandable that the ex-members of Japan would rather spend time during interviews promoting their latest releases, rather than going over old material that's been written about and discussed ad nauseum for 30 years.

[liberty boy]

Yes I agree I know where you're coming from. I think it's the case which could apply to many artists that the true fans see a charm in the past so-called mistakes that a band or artists made in finding themselves which the artist themselves can't understand. Think here of say David Bowie's and his cheeky chappie "love you till Tuesday" incarnation. I think it's just the price of growing up in show business. No doubt the Beatles would later on be embarrassed by say "love me do". But a true fan doesn't really judge them on it or hold it against them as hashly as the artists seem to hold it against themselves. Sometimes I wish the artists themselves could realise this and be more relaxed about their past. Young people who hear the track Adolescent Sex from cold say yes that's pretty good. And likewise the Tenant from OA is always going to remain simply quite nice to most ears.

[anortherncod]

I was reading a recent interview with Richard and the interviewer was trying to press him to at least accept at least some sort of merited appreciation of AS, given that alot of young people today were reappraising it. But he steadfastly refused. Conceding reluctantly only when pushed about the early stuff that he could maybe understand people appreciating Quiet Life or from Quiet Life onwards- but not the two albums before it.

Would you be kind enough to tell us where you saw this interview? I remember reading one where he said AS was a bit embarrassing, but not what you've detailed above.

There is, though, that element of not necessarily wanting to talk about something you did 30 years ago, of course. No one asks RB how he liked working in Barclays, do they?

Natasha

[liberty boy]

Gosh yes the interview was on the internet. Wait till I get some time and I'll try and think of some key words that might help dig it out.

"Well, you must know something, 'cause we're dying of admiration here..."

You know i thought they were singing "well you must notice something cos we're dying our hair for action" lol. Japan are particularly one of those groups where you think you hear one thing and the actual lyric was something different. Some songs like parts of don't rain on my parade and parts of the song adolescent sex were undicipherable to me till i saw them written. But it's no bad thing :in a weird sort of way it's adds mystique that his singing style didn't make the words very clear, so much so you could hear almost what you wanted.

I always throught in Nightporter he was singing "long into touch of the places we know we could hide" i e into touch as opposed to "long out of touch". In actual fact I was surprised to see the actual words were "longing to touch"

[Astronaut]

I always throught in Nightporter he was singing "long into touch of the places we know we could hide" i e into touch as opposed to "long out of touch". In actual fact I was surprised to see the actual words were "longing to touch"

LOL Here's one of my own misheard clangers ... On 'Life In Tokyo' instead of " ... another vehicle heads for sunset", I really couldn't make out what on earth one word was, and it always sounded like: " .. another pickle heads for sunset" Obviously this was seriously incorrect! Heh-heh-heh!

[liberty boy]

Oh by the way just for want of where else to acttually put it, I've just remembered a Julie burchill quip about David Sylvian- something along the lines of he was a reason not to give young men too many books- because it made them broody.

I hope I'm not coming across as a possible troll here for citing too many negative comments people made about the group. I just have a good memory for the people's little witticisms.

[Astronaut]

hope I'm not coming across as a possible troll here for citing too many negative comments people made about the group. I just have a good memory for the people's little witticisms.

Errr, well actually now you come to mention it .... Only kidding! But if you could recall some cheerful, positive quotes that would be very welcome!