I've always loved Japan and yesterday was a very black letter day with both Nick and Gerry dying.

I liked them at the time but thought they were really pretentious. They did a really good cover though. I'll go find it. *trots off*. 

Found it. Here it is. RIP Mick.

I remember that, Prom - and Ghosts.  Never really got into them but have both of the aforementioned tracks.

RIP.

I didn't quite realise at the time how much I liked the Romantics. It's really only with hindsight that I see how good some of the stuff in the 80's was.

I know what you mean Prom but pretentiousness was definitely the done thing at the time.  TBH, I miss that art school pretentiousness that was a common feature of Bowie, Roxy Music and a whole load of synthesiser based bands at the time.  In a way, I'd rather bands have pretentious, arty instincts and ambitions instead of dumb themselves down and pretend to be all street or earnest musicans .  I think that pretentiousness led to musical experimentation rather than mostly meat and potatoes dross like Oasis, the Manic Street Preachers, Razorlight and the Stereophonics, so-called alternative music that has been popular over the last 10 or so years.

Japan's version of "I Second That Emotion" was a great rendition.  I slightly prefer the Smokey Robinson version.  It's a great song but the Smokey Robinson version is a bit routine Motown-ish.  The Japan version (to use a tired old cliché ) makes it their own.  Both versions stand up as classics but for different reasons IMO.

Not much Mick Karn in this one but a lovely thoughtful song IMO

I hate every band mentioned there with a vengeance, moreso Oasis than the others though the Manics are just so B.A.D. I am amazed they ever performed live and escaped alive. 

It was definitely the done thing back then. I was in a goth band and we were surrounded by dry ice on stage which of course wasn't pretentious at all . But David Sylvian's vocal delivery was just painfully contrived they were the band I loved to hate I suppose.

LOL, Prom, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one!

Bless the goths of the early 80s, I can't stand MTV goths like Marilyn Manson though.

Oh that's sad to hear. I loved their music, loved the Romantics era. I thought it was a shame when David Sylvian seemed to disappear from the music scene,, found out a couple of years ago he was still singing but had chosen a different style of music. Seems like everyone's leaving

Sorry, but I have to stand up for the Manics, they were and still are brilliant.

Manson wouldn't last five minutes in Whitby!

This is probably anathema to you prom, but I love this song and it meant they were back.

Sorry cologne, we agree on most things and I usually respect your views as being spot on but the Manics are and always have been dull artisans and slogan happy mediocrities. If I want to listen to left wing slogans in my music, I'll listen to 80s band The Redskins, who were for their short period, more radical and better song writers/musicians.

I was surprised how gutted I was to hear about Mick Karn dying.  I was never really too much into Japan (didn't like Sylvian's voice or haircut) and I followed Dali's Car a bit (because they were only for a bit) because I was a big bauhaus (and therefore Peter Murphy) fan.  No, not fan, devotee.  I must say I also bought Love and Rockets out of fairness to Daniel Ash.



What, if I'm honest, Mick Karn meant to me as a young girl in the 80s, is he was the thinking adolescent girl's guide to gorgeousness.  The shaved eyebrows and eye make up were powerful to a hormone driven youth.  If you look at pictures of him, he flipping styled the 80s, he was sharp as f*ck.  I mean, he could look really sharp.

fracas, As a straight man I have to admit that Nick Karn was a good looking guy back in the day, although I never shaved my eyebrows and was more into the 2 Tone thing at the time. I forgot about the whole shaved eyebrows thing and remember a few girls at school doing likewise.  I was really into ska and then Japan's "Quiet Life" came out and I thought it was one of the best things I'd ever heard (along with Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" and Tubeway Army's "Are Friend's Electric".  The image was a bit camp for a reserved young teen at the time, but I loved that band!  Mick Karn RIP

Bloomineck! I can't believe he's dead. He was a year younger than me, which is also a bit scary. Japan were brilliant - "Ghosts" is still up there in my all-time top twenty.

Just to show how amazing his bass could be:

Aaaaaaaahhh thats sad... I loved Japan.... anyone remember Adolescent Sex ??