Japan 'Tin Drum' with Adrian Holmes and Richard Barbieri at Classic Albums at Home
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- Опубликовано: 26 янв 2021
- CAS Orkney host Adrian Holmes is joined by Japan's Richard Barbieri to tell the story behind and discuss his personal recollections of Japan 'Tin Drum'.
Here is the playlist of music Adrian created to go with the video:
open.spotify.com/playlist/0ja...
After the album presentation, we encourage you all to play the entire album from beginning to end, without interruption, following the Classic Album Sunday listening guidelines: turn off our phone, refrain from conversation and give yourself over to the music.
Join our Album of the Month club, our monthly Friday night Classic Album Pub Quiz, our 'Safe & Sound' webinar for tips on improving your hi-fi and receive rewards after six months of subscription at:
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The thing about Japan, at least for me, is that they had depth. Despite their look and the assumptions that look carried, they were not purely synth-based which is what makes a lot of the music of that era sound dated. Steve used a really tasteful mixture of acoustic drums and electric drums. Mick was Mick - his bass guitar would never fade into the background. The use of synthesizers was mostly tasteful. And when Rob was in the band, his guitar work was also tasteful and well executed. Add to that the massively underrated production by Steve Nye - his work still sounds massive. Play "Before The Bullfight" from David's "Gone To Earth" album - the drums are HUGE yet still sound natural. You hear this production in "Tin Drum" as well - Steve Nye's sense of space meshed so well with the band. Every time I come back to Japan's recordings they sound fresh and wonderful - they are remembered as a "New Romantic" band because of their look, a synth-pop band because of the era they influenced, but to me they are a one of a kind group that defies categorization.
Richard Barberi shows how he moved on with Porcupine Tree. No bitterness. Just a real musician wanting to enjoy and show his talent. Thank you for being so influential!
Back in the day, I had the haircut, lapel badges, Japan written all over my exercise books, much to my teachers annoyance! They were my favourite band. I still have all the album's and 12" records, this for me was an absolute joy 👍 can't thank you enough for putting this together and Richard Barbieri, what an absolute gent 😎 Thank you.
I had Japan & Kraftwerk painted on my army backpack that I used to for school. Dad thought it was great that I'd taken an interest in geography & technology only he thought I should have spelt it Kraft Work as he thought it was a department at upper school! Been obsessed with everything to do with Kraftwerk, Japan & YMO ever since. Great to see Richard speaking about it, after all these years quite new to his solo music.
@@nutster9000 Hahaha excellent, my teacher was very much the same, asking why I was obsessed with Japan and did I want to visit 😆 I hadn't the heart to tell him 😉
My brother.
-America's first and biggest fan of Japan.
@@nutster9000 Such immaculate taste at such a young age!
Richie,, The Ray Manzarek of Japan and the Architect,,, he always had time to chat, sign a ticket stub,,, that's rite, £4.00 my first gig at Lancaster of 81,,pure genius, who I still say gave us Tin Drum after Rob Was SACKED! not left, he imo was not Davids vision for TD, yet those riffs he could play, and on album never did justice, sadly crxxo like Showaddy waddy and Kiddi fiddlers, GG, 😡😠😡 kept real art from being aired, I don't wanna talk politics, but yes, Richie was a perfect, as was Ray from. The Doors for keeping arguments at bay...
Japan were more than my favourite band,,, They were my Way of life,, thanks for this, a real treat RIP Mick Karn
One of the best albums ever. Intoxicating, addictive and incredibly complex. Every instrument and melody is almost from another dimension. It begs the question, how did they do it? Well, they did and our ears will forever benefit. It’s a perfect collection making a great album which is not easy to do.
Agreed I always wonder how they found these interesting Asian inspired sounds.
Not only their final and most beloved album, but an album whose cover stood out. It is everything an album should be.
Richard is one of the finest. Japan were unique, and thank you Adrian for putting this together.
On the subject of the drums, even the professor himself Neil Peart said he was influenced by this album, as I recall he commented how he went off the tom instead of the snare.
made the most brilliance and recognizable soundscapes. Followed mr. Barbieri from the start of Japan and still following.
This album is a pearl and a jewel of the pop culture of the 80s... which is aging rather well...
Last album, and coronation of the band Japan from across the Channel...
today major influence of Synth Pop.
Fascinated by the Far East, just before the Manga wave and long before the still unsuspected success of China, they manage to melt the sound aesthetics into a single crucible, where modernity merges perfectly with the traditional... as the Japanese know so well how to do it.
At first we can find David Sylvian's way of singing a little mannered, and very 80's, but this quickly slips away in front of the virtuosity, especially of the bassists and drummers.
The sound pushed to a peak of compression, dry, sometimes ethereal, for the time, slices after the punk or new wave overflows, to give a perfectly inspired and inspiring vision of the traditional music of the 2 iconic countries, and mastered the Spirit of "Bushido".
Only came across this today. So great to hear Richard Barbieri talking about this album. Of all the albums and the bands I listened to back in the 80s 'Tin Drum' and Japan are the only ones that I still return to on a regular basis and that continue to influence me. BTW it's a small world - I saw Japan at one of the Birmingham Odeon shows too - never forget it.
Thank you Adrian for giving a wonderful and insightful history of the band Japan and engaging interview with Richard Barbieri. Tin Drum was a fantastic album, by a brilliant band.
Tin drum one of the greatest albums ever. Genius work.
Japan.. Voice.. David sylvian.. Lyrics.. Pure poetry.. Music.. Melancholic evokative love haunting mistery.. Voice.. David sylvian.. Pure esoteric diamond in music sky.. Robert frip.. Sakamoto.. Beatiful... Croatia..
Fantastic - Richard is such a great guy
Love his work in Porcupine Tree too! All of them underrated musicians.
Fantastic band Japan were and extremely underrated.
My regret was never seeing them live
Around that time I would've been around 11 or 12.
Loved them then and love them now.
Richard, brilliant musician.
Been a fan of Japan for a long time now!! My dad used to play their albums in the car when I was little and I always remember their music creating an amazing night time noir mood!! Gentlemen Take Polaroids and Tin Drum really show the band at their creative peak, the synth work on Tin Drum is sublime!!
I still haven't recovered from the shock of Japan splitting up.
Saw them first at Leicester De Montfort - 1978, supporting Blue Oyster Cult, weren't my cup of tea then and they got a terrible reception from the BOC fans, but when Quiet Life came out I was blown away, incredibly talented band. Second time I saw them was Rock City Nottingham 1982, they kicked in with Swing, I was in heaven. Timeless sound, amazing band. There was nothing like and has been nothing since like Tin Drum. Thanks for this, good to get some background and Richard comes across as such a nice grounded bloke.
Shut up! Lol, Jealous, we in America, got nothing. Finally saw David's first tour of the US. What a cast of musicians, both Japan and the SOTBH/Shaman's tour
I saw them at Leicester de Montfort hall in, I guess, '82 on the Tin Drum tour
I rember hearing Ghosts for the first time and it floored me. A psychedelic experience!
saw Japan in Brussels on the Tin drum tour , best sound I have ever heard live.
Great interview with Richard, thanks Adrian. Tin Drum to me has always been a masterpiece that has been underrated too often on collections of best albums of the 80s and beyond. I listen today and it still sounds fresh, only Remain in Light by TH had a similar impact on me back then.
Me neither - Tin Drum was totally unlike anything else and ahead of it's time
It predicted what has been happening in Hong Kong since mid 2019 in 1981.
(We'll go... backwards, saying... nothing... of visions of China......)
Exactly.. it was so unique, I didn't quite get it. I listened for hours and I couldn't appreciate it in an immediate sense, but Its not like I didn't like it, none of my friends liked japan. It was just so different, I didn't understand it. I traded in the cassette of tin drum after playing it for 3 months,, then a few years later at 16 I bought every album and Tin Drum is one of my favorite albums to this day..
By the fact alone,
that apart from Japan, everybody in the (80's) popular music industry was focusing on African influences !!!
Richard definitely needs to rerelease this milestone album of 80s as the deluxe edition. It is the monumental achievement of New Wave along with Bowie’s Scary Monsters and Joy Division’s Closer.
Sends shivers up my spine every time I listen to it. Every sound on that album is perfect.
And please don't underestimate Steve Nye's production. It really is his input that sets Tin Drum apart from the other Japan albums.
Oh, God, YES, Steve was the 6th member of Japan. He loved them.
Fantastic Adrian , well done and great seeing Richard Barbieri participating in your video. I remember seeing BOC being supported by Japan at the Glasgow Apollo back in the day, fantastic. I have followed all of the band members over the decades and glad to see both Steve Jansen, now with Exit North (overtaking his brother) and Richard Barbieri with all of his great work. It’s such a pity they split up , Mr Sylvian no doubt was the reason. Rain Tree Crow is one of my favourite albums, the recent remastered LP is superb.
Thanks once again will definitely subscribe to your channel
Stephen 👍
Truly- this conversation is such a gift to musicians and songwriters who are influenced by Japan’s music. Thank you kindly Richard and Adrian!
Oil on Canvas is a must-have Japan album
Tin drum, best album from the early eight's.
Unfortunately I discovered Japan, purely by chance, as a 15 year old 2 years after they broke up with the Oil On Canvas album. Nevertheless Japan is my fondest musical childhood memory I have and almost 40 years on I still love listening to any of the many CDs I have. They got me playing bass, and influenced my rather abstract music taste. Thank you both for the interview.
I Discovered this album just around 4 years ago ! Fantastic !
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant. An Apex accomplishment of pop music and art and culture. Thank you David, Mick, Richard, Steve, and sometimes Rob and Ruichi and all you collaborators and helpers of these rarified young geniuses...
Thanks so much for this, Tin Drum is my all time favourite album and, as a synth player it has been a lifelong obsession to deconstruct and try to replicate the sounds. There has been nothing like it before or since. Thanks Richard for shedding some more light on the process.
Yes, I consider it, and Japan, the peak of rock and pop music' accomplishments. It was nary impossible for any band to over achieve that. Didn't matter whether it was Bowie or Ferry/Roxy/Eno. No one could surpass how Japan absorbed their influences and then went further while their influences settled into a complacency of sorts.
It's January 4th here in California right now and it just dawned on me that it's the 11 year anniversary of Mick Karn's passing (altho that was yesterday for Londoners), so I had to get on here and listen to some of my old favorites of his/theirs, and that's how I found your station. I am very intrigued. Will be back to hear more. Say... Have you heard of Dali's Car?
Thanks, Adrian, great watching and hearing you and Richard talk about old times
This is so great! I love hearing the band members insights on their albums and Richard just seems like an overall friendly and down to earth person.
Discovered Japan when they performed Ghosts on TOTP. Still my fav band and Tin Drum is my no.1 album💜
Kind of hard to top, eh?
Don’t think I’ve ever heard such a comprehensive interview from Richard... thank you for that.... when I bought Tin Drum back in the day, I knew I had bought something special and of all the Japan material i think I cherish this one most because one has to be in the right mood to listen to it! More so I think their other material which I can play on a whim..?
Thanks , just a shame you did not give Richard the space to elaborate. 80% interviewer
@@dreezgreen3793 That's unfortunate, perhaps Richard was a bit Timid Drum? ;)
All the members of Japan, such beautiful multi-talented miracles...
@@dreezgreen3793 Agree, interesting to hear his perspective bout DS adamant about not using Japan name for RTC record whatever reason (and sounds like he wanted it) even though I don't really know if Rain Tree Crow is similar enough, but obv they could have simply continued Japan itself instead of him stopping it, from what it sounds like. Ive never heard any of them talk, and it seems like he would follow up on points, if asked here, like DS sending them a list of criteria to even be involved in RTC. Isn't this like the burning question, why did they not carry on as Japan, though he alludes to numerous reasons.
Thanks, .. when we were young.. 40 years after the release of Tin Drum absolutely one of the most interesting albums of the eighties. 'Very curious about the new release of Richard coming soon, next month. Cheers!
Listening to 'Ghosts' on those beautiful islands must really add to the experience.
Great interview!
Really enjoyed this. thank you .
Brilliant! Thanks so much👍👏👏👏
Highlight of lockdown. Intimate and informative. Thank you so much xx
Love your work fella. This album brings back so many memories
What a lovely interview. Well done to you both, and thank you Richard, for the insights
Such a great guy ...looking forward to his new album
Really enjoyed this! I've known about Japan for ages, but never checked them out. I recently picked up Tin Drum and it blew my mind, it literally sounds like nothing else. Just grabbed Quiet Life and I'm loving that as well.
Great job Adrian, I really enjoyed Richard's contribution. Still a fantastic sounding album these days. Belive it or not but one of my all time favourite albums is Adolescent Sex, listening to that you can tell that these guys had so much talent and they were so young at the time, remarkable. The only sour note is the loss of Mick, such a unique talent, gone far too soon RIP. Keep up the great work, stay safe.
Love the early material
Great album. 🔥
Great video mate
great video. thx for that. I remember buying tin drum and playing it non stop. plus on cassette in my old ford classic 1961 :)
Really enjoyed that Adrian. Looking forward to the Qobuz playlist.
Marvellous interview, Mr. Holmes!
Thanks Adrian - really enjoyed that and interview with Richard. Playing ‘Tin Drum’ now 🎹🥁🍷
Thanks for covering Tin Drum one of my favourite albums from my favourite band.
Very informative..thanks
great interview. I've ordered Richard's new album.
I love this album.
This is great. Some new perspectives. 👍 Let’s have a Part 2 sometime!
Oil on canvas is unfortunately not really a live album. All of it is re-recorded in the studio. I believe only the backing tapes and drumming are from a UK live show. And the overdubs were done separately by each member as by that time the tensions were at not so great point…
Sylvian had two really outstanding records with Brilliant Trees and especially Secrets from the Beehive.
First time i’ve seen Richard interviewed 🙂. I really like Obscure Alternatives. Great upload thanks man.
rob didnt decide to leave ..he was fired...they still had guitars in the live shows after he was gone.
Great interview! I've also heard David talk about "the space in between" being so important in song writing. Something I definitely need to learn! Unbelievable to think guys so young were creating music that has stood the test of time and influenced so many down the line.
I'd love to hear a new collaboration between Sylvian and Barbieri.
God, wouldn't that be something.
i'd actually settle for a new Jansen/Barbieri bash - been too long.
Birmingham odeon ‘82 great show I still have the program 🍷
Can’t wait 🎹👍🍷
It's so fresh. Maybe I'm going upstairs to fetch the box set down, Polaroids, Tin Drum and Oil on Canvas. Excellent interview so I subbed. No idea how this was recommended , probably because I'm a Prophet synth fan. I had a music mahazine with a fascinating interview of Jansen / Barbieri in it around 1990 perhaps. I can't recall what I didxwith it. It's lost but it was an inspiring interview about the creative process, with pictures of their lovely minimalist carpeted studio.
Brilliant interview! I've never liked that David walked away from Japan, never wanting to record under that name even with Rain Tree Crow. His stubbornness was and is really disheartening as Japan was one of the best bands to ever come out of the UK. I hate it when the decision of the life of a band lies completely with one person. It's not fair to the other band members or the fans who want the band and legacy to continue and grow.
Gentlemen take Polaroids
Swing
Methods of Dance
Life in Tokyo
Quiet Life
In Vogue
Adolescent Sex
European Son
Those songs really resonate for me more than anything else in Japan's catalog. THAT is the uptempo sound and direction I wished they had explored further. Much further. A mix of adventureousness, wonderful production and arrangement while being anchored in a commercial yet cutting edge sound. Tin Drum doesn't capture the sonic direction I wanted the band to continue with. Too experimental, on the slow side and not like the above songs in commerciality, energy and style.
It's unfortunate Japan didn't continue and create a more uptempo catalog mixed in with the mellower, more experimental fare. Such missed opportunities.
Ultimately Japan absolutely should have continued. Solo albums and side projects are fine but keep that Japan brand alive. That is what so many wished had happened. Unfortunately, David had other desires and interests and was just too stubborn for his own good and the fact Japan didn't continue will always be something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
And one more thing...it always annoyed me that on the final 3 Japan albums: Quiet Life, Gentlemen Take Polaroids and Tin Drum that only David Sylvian was on the cover. Really bad marketing. It's JAPAN the BAND not David Sylvian solo. PUT THE ENTIRE BAND ON THE COVER like they did beautifully with Obscure Alternatives.
Egos take over ....
Interesting point about the album covers
Actually , David wasn’t Japan…….the other 3 members were just as good and important………Japan would never have been Japan without them
Fantastic 🙏 subscribed (within 30 secs)
Great guy, a real hero !!!!!
Rob Dean was realy good on polaroids and quiet life. I think hes a bit underrated. I never found his guitar parts inappropriate at all
Adrian, just discovered this channel! I've bought merch from you many times on tour with Porcupine Tree and King Crimson. It seems like you are doing well. Love this album and hearing from Richard. Subscribed!
Great interview Adrian. Love your passion and narrative about this album and the band. It was and still is a unique piece of work. Thank you richard for your insight. And for serpentine. Brilliant and complex. Look forward to the album
Is this THE Simon Clarke of Carbon Nation fame ?? If so, hello mate, it’s GK from the old PT days (wrote some content for you and CN back in the day and of course we met a million years ago in NYC). Hope all is well on your end my friend!!!
My favourite album.
Class act 🙂
Here is the playlist of music Adrian created to go with the video:
open.spotify.com/playlist/0ja8IOxAvUqUffPMJZNoXz?si=79702babb3b64488
I didn't realize this, but apparently there was an album released of Japan playing live in Budokan in 1982 released just last year. And I've pre-ordered Richard's new album via Bandcamp.
Need to check it out!!
My favourite album of all time……….and a very incitefull interview with an exceptional musician Barbieri………everything was great apart from your full compliance with the Covid crap……… 😊😮
I seem to remember that Japan actually came second in the Hansa "Battle of the Bands" contest to a group from Crawley called Easy Cure. They were picked up when Easy Cure were dumped for refusing to follow the labels directions during demo sessions (and led to the song "Do The Hansa").
Brilliant trivia!
What is hansa?
@@Eleventhearlofmars IMMS, Hansa is/was a recoding studio in Berlin. Areiola-Hansa was/is a record label that had a contrast to sign an English/London based new talent band....
I first met Japan in (I think) 1977 when they supported Blue Oyster Cult at Hammersmith Odeon when they were still (as I perhaps thought of it) a bit hair metal although the glam interpretation might be more accurate..
In those days I was part of Straight Music (John Curd) who were the biggest and best tour promoters in Britain.
You must have been there...
Hello Adrian, is there any chance of you doing a similar interview to this with Steve Jansen? It would be interesting to hear his point of view on on everything to do with Japan, Rain Tree Crow, etc.
Great interview with Richard Japan have always been my favourite band mick was the reason I took up fretless bass each musician was so far ahead of anyone else.
People say Tin Drum is one of the best albums of the 80s to me that's a bit of a discredit because in the 80s it sounded nothing like anything else and to this day it still sounds like no one but Japan.
I remember reading a review of Tin Drum somewhere the journalist said it was like four musicians from another planet had recorded Tin Drum it really is that good
Hey likewise! Mick was my inspiration to play fretless too. Out of all his solo work, my favourite album is Titles, and then from his collaborations, it’s The Waking Hour by Dali’s Car. The baselines on those 2 albums are just slinkyslonkywibblywobbly beautiful 🤩
Wish Richard had been allowed to expand on his points...
What a great interview! Did you make the Spotify playlist you mentioned? I would love to hear it!
Quiet Life was very much influenced by the sounds of Roxy Music. Even DS's vocals sounded like Bryan Ferry - plus the addition of the oboe - an instrument previously unique to Roxy in the modern music era. But they did it very well.
Japan wanted to enter that Avant Garde space and Roxy was their best example and they took a lot from Roxy, and obv. bowie. Then they came into their own with GTP which IMO sounds like nobody else. Copying or mimicking is often a key part of starting and getting into, accessing something that you want to learn and be a part of. And Japan nailed it in a complimentary manner.
Where can you find the playlist that richard helped compile?
Everyone should remember Sylvian's reaction to Karn's cancer diagnosis and subsequent death. Contrast it to the rest of the band and other musos like Midge Ure
@johnhester Oh, please, God tell me he didn't say anything overtly nasty or offensive.
This was a bit of a disappointing interview, tbh. Billed as 'Tin Drum' with Richard Barbieri, I was hoping for a more track-by-track analysis, with Richard's memories and anecdotes around each track. Ah well. Such a shame the various members of the band had such issues. And now that Mick's gone we'll never get a definitive, well-made documentary of the band's history and significance. 'Tin Drum' was always my favourite Japan album. It's truly timeless, sounding as fresh and original today as it did 40 years ago.
It is unfortunate that Mick’s bitterness towards David overshadow the brilliant and innovative sides of Japan in later days. I am happy that Richard and Steve keep producing great music.
Would have been great to see what they would have created if they stayed together throught the 80s
Was there a playlist?
Such a shame that Sylvian has a big ego, I can’t imagine him talking about the album as fondly as Rich does here. I get the feeling that David is almost ashamed by his work with Japan, strange.
You should read some of the interviews with him. You'd understand why his is like that.
@@dancing_on_the_valentine_83 very True...
I hear a lot of people regurgitating these lines and I feel like no one ever actually reads what David has to say in interviews. He states in several interviews that Tin Drum includes some of his favorite songs he ever did with Japan (namely Ghosts and Talking Drum). The only true criticism he ever had of Japan's music was that it was buried beneath too much imagery (which I disagree with), but he never stated that he wasn't proud of the work he did with Japan. He only ever expressed a true dislike for the first two albums, but then again so do most of Japan's members.
@@girllionness5944 absolutely and if there was ever confirmation that David highly regards that achievement folks should take a look at and listen to ‘Everything and Nothing’... and an updated recording of Ghosts ... remarkable work!
I really like all of Japan’s albums. I think they are so creative.
Where's the Spotify playlist?
I wish there was more talk about the music itself, not that interested in personal dynamics, still informative watch thanks
Thanks for a really interesting video/interview. It’s a shame that you have to ask people not to mess about on their smartphones whilst listening to the album- it’s a sign of the times I suppose.
What's with the photo of Mao? Was this artist just making a statement? Sort of like the Gang of Four band did with their name? Julian Cope has had some astute observations about that man too. Thanks for the info about the classic albums. P.S. I have long wanted to visit the Italian chapel on Orkney Island, a fascinating place, I would very much like to see and photograph.. Thanks for posting your video.
As an American fan of Japan, I would love to ask any of the former members of Japan about America - why they weren't better received here in the States or weren't promoted better here? I have always felt that Japan broke up at the absolute worst time possible, because had they hung in there just six months longer, they could have broken big on MTV and been introduced to American audiences right as Duran Duran were. The music that U.K. fans were enjoying in 1981-82 didn't really hit middle America until early 1983.
David said that he was fed up with trying to be commercially successful by the time the band broke up, which is obviously ironic because they were finally becoming commercially successful at that time.
When did Rich morph into Bill Wyman? lol
Adrian? Were you a drummer in the Midlands as a youngster?
Should have added - with guitarist Dick Wellings. I think I also remember a time at Ingestre Hall
Tough choice between Nightporter and Tin Drum in terms of avant-garde. First heard Ghosts towards the end of 81.