TODAY’S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF THE ‘80s (by Jason Storr) 1. Gentlemen Take Polaroids - Japan 2. On Land - Brian Eno 3. Black Celebration - Depeche Mode 4. Dare - The Human League 5. The Serpents Egg - Dead Can Dance. 6. Hounds Of Love - Kate Bush 7. The Hurting - Tears For Fears 8. Spirit Of Eden - Talk Talk 9. The Last Temptation Of Christ - Peter Gabriel 10. Substance - New Order ‘I was 10 when my elder brother got Tin Drum by Japan and I thought it was incredible,’ says Jason Storr, from Edgware, who was nominated by Nige Twelvetrees to do his Top Ten Albums of the ‘80s. ‘My brothers records were like a launch pad for me as I got into more and more stuff from the very early ‘80s through him. Although I think Tin Drum is a fantastic album, I just like the oddness of Gentlemen Take Polaroids. The use of the synths, the long, spacious, instrumentals (Burning Bridges), Mick Karns (RIP) wonderful bass and Sylvians rich vocals. ‘To me they represented a whole new style and era of music way before I had ever heard of the terms New Wave or Post Punk. The band members all went their own way (with a brief reunion) and their works are really worth looking up. By the way, I know Substance is a New Order complication but its awesome.’ Jason now nominates Steve Carroll, Gideon Hall and Jason Elliot to send us their Top Tens. Message, don’t post, us your Top Ten Albums of the 80s in order and if you could mention why you chose your No. 1 that would be great. We guarantee to post every one we receive. Also, if you’d like to nominate a friend or friends to do the Top Ten challenge, please be our guests. Oh, and let them know if, by some incredible chance, they’re not friends of Flexipop!. The aim is to produce the Ultimate Flexipop! Top 40 Albums Of The 80s Chart. Ten points are awarded for your No. 1 choice down to one point for your No. 10. So get those thinking caps on… Released in November 1980, Gentlemen Take Polaroids was Japan’s fourth studio album and their first album for Virgin. It continued in the vein of their previous album, Quiet Life, utilising a combination of electronic elements coupled with more traditional instruments, though culminating in a more sophisticated and atmospheric production than its predecessor. This was the last Japan album to feature guitarist Rob Dean, who left the band in spring 1981. Although not a huge chart hit upon its initial release in the UK where it peaked at No. 45, the album was later certified Gold by the BPI in 1986 for 100,000 copies sold. An unreleased track from the Gentlemen Take Polaroids sessions, Some Kind Of Fool, was rerecorded by David Sylvian in 2000 and included on his compilation album Everything and Nothing. The song was pulled from the Polaroids album at the last moment and replaced by the track Burning Bridges. A number of original vinyl copies of the album have Some Kind Of Fool listed as the third track on the rear of the sleeve even though they play Burning Bridges. The original recording of the song circulates amongst collectors, albeit in poor quality. The album was reissued in 2003, with slightly different cover art (taken from the same photo session as the original cover) and three bonus tracks. ‘Gentlemen Take Polaroids was unquestionably the album in which Japan truly found its own unique voice and aesthetic approach,’ says AllMusic. ‘The glam influences still hung heavy, particularly from Roxy Music, but now the band found itself starting to affect others in turn. Even the back cover photo says as much - looking cool in glossy, elegant nightwear, the quintet had a clear impact on Duran Duran, to the point where Nick Rhodes obviously was trying to be Sylvian in appearance. Musically, meanwhile, the swooning, hyper elegant Euro-disco sheen of Quiet Life was polished to an even finer edge throughout, the title track and the obvious descendant of Quiet Life itself, Methods of Dance, in particular sheer standouts.’ Read the full review here allmusic/album/gentlemen-take-polaroids-mw0000190462 When asked by The Guardian a little while ago if gentleman still take Polaroids, David Sylvian replied, ‘I think they take Viagra now!’ Read the interview here theguardian/culture/2012/mar/08/david-sylvian-gentlemen-polaroids-viagra Track List Side A: 1. Gentlemen Take Polaroids 2. Swing 3. Burning Bridges 4. My New Career Side B: 1. Methods of Dance 2. Aint That Peculiar 3. Nightporter 4. Taking Islands in Africa The album was preceded by the title track that was released as a single in October 1980 and peaked at No.60 - the groups first single to make the UK Top 100. No further singles were immediately taken from the album, though Nightporter (influenced by the works of French composer Erik Satie, most particularly his Gymnopedies), was remixed and released as a single in November 1982, just after the band announced that they were splitting. It peaked at No.29 in the UK.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 13:05:51 +0000
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