Tin Drum (album)

Content

Tin Drum continued the band's now-established mix of electronic elements with traditional instrumentation, but leans far more towards Far Eastern and Orientialist influences than any of their previous albums. Guitarist Rob Dean had left by this point and vocalist David Sylvian had taken on his duties, which had been very greatly reduced by the band's change of musical direction. Writer Paul Grimstad described the album's sound as a "mannered cubist pop."

The opening track "The Art of Parties" is a re-recording of the song which had been released as a single in April that year.

Release

Tin Drum was released on 13 November 1981 by record label Virgin.

Four of the album's eight songs were released as singles in the UK—"The Art of Parties", "Visions of China", "Ghosts" and "Cantonese Boy"—whilst a live version of "Canton" was issued as a single to promote the Oil on Canvas live album in 1983. Of all the singles the most commercially successful was "Ghosts", a minimalist, drum-free song which reached No. 5 in the UK. "Visions of China" reached No. 32 and "Cantonese Boy" made the UK Top 25. The album itself peaked at No. 12 in the UK, and was certified "Gold" by the BPI in 1982.

Reception

The Quietus called Tin Drum "unique in pop history, a fearlessly ambitious, unusual and conceptual work of art that defies genre categorization." AllMusic retrospectively called it Japan's "most unique, challenging, and striking album". Trouser Press wrote: "Tin Drum presents Japan at peak form". Writing in Smash Hits, critic David Bostock announced that, "Japan have made their best album yet".

On 6 September 2011, BBC Radio 6 Music awarded Tin Drum a 'Goldie' award for the best album of 1981.

In 2000 Sylvian re-recorded "Ghosts", using the original Japan backing track, and this version has been included on his compilation albums Everything and Nothing (2000) and "A Victim of Stars 1982–2012" (2012).

Track listing

All songs written by David Sylvian, except where noted.

Side A:

1. "The Art of Parties" (re-recorded version) – 4:09
2. "Talking Drum" – 3:34
3. "Ghosts" – 4:33
4. "Canton" (Jansen/Sylvian) – 5:30

Side B:

1. "Still Life in Mobile Homes" – 5:32
2. "Visions of China" (Jansen/Sylvian) – 3:37
3. "Sons of Pioneers" (Karn/Sylvian) – 7:07
4. "Cantonese Boy" – 3:44

Note: The bonus tracks were included only on the limited edition two-disc version of the album. The single-disc version features no bonus tracks.

Personnel