Track Listing

1. Methods Of Dance
2. Gentlemen Take Polaroid's
3. Quiet Life
4. Night Porter
5. My New Career
6. The Other Side Of Life
7. Visions Of China
8. Ghosts
9. Life Without Buildings
10. Talking Drum
11. The Art Of Parties

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9780 in Music
• Released on: 1985-01-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Customer Reviews

Beautiful,gorgeous,lush and otherworldly!
This is a gorgeous introduction to the music of Japan/David Sylvian.There are perfect pop songs like "Visions Of China" and "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" set alongside the sweeping majesty of "Night Porter," and the icy "Ghosts."

It deserves a place on anyone`s c.d rack,and is one of my personal favourites in my collection.It will make you yearn nostalgically for the eighties,that wonderful era when the boys wore more eyeliner than the girls,and some of the best music in existance was made!

DON'T BUY THIS CD!!! HALF THE ORIGINAL TRACKS ARE MISSING!!!
DON'T BUY THIS CD!!! HALF THE ORIGINAL TRACKS ARE MISSING!!!

Basically, in short just like this CD it only has 11 tracks!!!

THE ORIGINAL 1984 vinyl had 16 tracks, absolute CON!!!

Disappointing compilation for band which deserves better
Although this is the least tacky of the numerous Japan compilations in the marketplace (namely because it was the first, issued by Virgin in 1984) the admittedly well-titled and nicely packaged 'Excorsising Ghosts' falls far short of a comprehensive review of the bands finest moments.

Absolutely nothing from their Hansa-EMI period is included, the best tracks of which can be found on the excellent 'Assemblage' compilation from 1981, and thus the compilation essentially takes us just from late-1979 to mid-1981 in terms of studio recordings.

From the Virgin era, there are also some blinding omissions and some very odd inclusions. There is no 'Cantonese Boy', no 'Still Life In Mobile Homes', no 'Halloween', no 'Swing' and no 'Life In Tokyo', one of their best known tracks. However, the compliers thought it'd be a good idea to include dull album cuts such as the stodgy 'Talking Drum', the lumbering 'My New Career', the annoying 'Art of Parties' and the non-album track, 'Life Without Buildings'.

This was clearly a cynical and hastily complied cash-in on the then recent demise of the band, which had split in December 1982 when band leader David Sylvian decided to pursue a solo career (although Japan briefly reformed in 1991 under the pseudonym 'Rain Tree Crow' for one further album). We wait and wonder for a decent, chronologically-correct retrospective of this fine band's work to see the light of day.