http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2731&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rssJapan were everything Duran Duran wanted to be. Looking like Nick Rhodes' five androgynous elder brothers, boasting cheekbones to spare and pseudonyms to match, Japan (David Sylvian, vocals; Mick Karn, bass; Richard Barbieri, keyboards; Rob Dean, guitar; Steve Jansen, drums) had only one weak suit: timing. Formed in 1974 but arriving in a puff of foundation in 1978 just as punk was obsessing over street credibility, their Roxy Music-inspired debut, <I>Adolescent Sex</I>, vanished without trace, as did follow up <I>Obscure Alternatives</I>. It took the advent of New Romanticism for third album <I>Quiet Life</I> to hit a nerve with both press and public. Following the success of an extraordinary cover of Smokey Robinson's "I Second That Emotion," you could almost hear the collective groan going up through the country's sixth forms as the band announced they were to split following sublime Top 5 U.K. hit "Ghosts" and landmark album <I>Tin Drum</I>. The four core members reformed in 1990 as Rain Tree Crow, but by then the time for their exotic combination of glamor-puss pop and Middle Eastern rhythms had passed. Still highly respected, David Sylvian has since worked with everyone from Robert Fripp to Ryuchi Sakamoto, while Japan's foppish influence can be seen in everyone from Fischerspooner to Franz Ferdinand. - Paul MoodyNew Romanticen720Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:54:14 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2731&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Japan were everything Duran Duran wanted to be. Looking like Nick Rhodes' five androgynous elder brothers, boasting cheekbones to spare and pseudonyms to match, Japan (David Sylvian, vocals; Mick Karn, bass; Richard Barbieri, keyboards; Rob Dean, guitar; Steve Jansen, drums) had only one weak suit: timing. Formed in 1974 but arriving in a puff of foundation in 1978 just as punk was obsessing over street credibility, their Roxy Music-inspired debut, <I>Adolescent Sex</I>, vanished without trace, as did follow up <I>Obscure Alternatives</I>. It took the advent of New Romanticism for third album <I>Quiet Life</I> to hit a nerve with both press and public. Following the success of an extraordinary cover of Smokey Robinson's "I Second That Emotion," you could almost hear the collective groan going up through the country's sixth forms as the band announced they were to split following sublime Top 5 U.K. hit "Ghosts" and landmark album <I>Tin Drum</I>. The four core members reformed in 1990 as Rain Tree Crow, but by then the time for their exotic combination of glamor-puss pop and Middle Eastern rhythms had passed. Still highly respected, David Sylvian has since worked with everyone from Robert Fripp to Ryuchi Sakamoto, while Japan's foppish influence can be seen in everyone from Fischerspooner to Franz Ferdinand. - Paul Moody http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31477774&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:30:08 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 31477774 ply.31477774 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31477774&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30344604&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:48:24 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 30344604 ply.30344604 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30344604&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30344595&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Mon, 2 Nov 2009 10:52:32 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 30344595 ply.30344595 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30344595&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27807209&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:07:15 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 27807209 ply.27807209 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27807209&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.16112058&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:05:15 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 16112058 ply.16112058 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.16112058&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14008129&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:51:09 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 14008129 ply.14008129 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14008129&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13288265&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:23:52 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 13288265 ply.13288265 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13288265&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.12536757&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Sun, 7 Sep 2008 06:41:04 -0700 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 12536757 ply.12536757 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.12536757&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.10383013&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:46:35 -0700 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 10383013 ply.10383013 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.10383013&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8598210&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:30:28 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 8598210 ply.8598210 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8598210&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8607301&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:34:16 -0800 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 8607301 ply.8607301 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8607301&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8614796&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Tue, 9 Oct 2007 09:21:11 -0700 Playlists Featuring Japan on Rhapsody Online 8614796 ply.8614796 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8614796&variant=play&rws=%2Fjapan%2Fplaylists.rss