Exorcising Ghosts is a compilation album by the British band Japan, released in November 1984 by record label Virgin.
| Exorcising Ghosts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 26 November 1984[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1979–1983 | |||
| Length | 86:27 (LP) 61:09 (CD) | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Japan chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
Content edit
Exorcising Ghosts was compiled and produced in consultation with lead singer David Sylvian two years after Japan dissolved. It features three recordings from the band's early career on the Hansa Records label (such as 1979's Quiet Life) but mainly focuses on material from their two studio albums on Virgin Records; Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980) and Tin Drum (1981).
Besides top 40 hit singles like "Quiet Life", "Visions of China", "Ghosts", and "Nightporter", the double-album set includes album tracks like "Methods of Dance", "Talking Drum" and "Swing" alongside a selection of rarities such as the single B-sides "A Foreign Place" and "Life Without Buildings", the 1981 remix of "Taking Islands in Africa", the instrumental studio recording "Voices Raised in Welcome, Hands Held in Prayer" included on 1983's live album Oil on Canvas and the 12" mix of "The Art of Parties".
As to fit the album onto a single disc, the original CD release omitted five of the sixteen tracks; "Swing", "A Foreign Place", "Taking Islands in Africa", "Sons of Pioneers" and "Voices Raised in Welcome, Hands Held in Prayer".
Release edit
Exorcising Ghosts reached No. 45 in the UK Albums Chart[4] and was certified Gold (100,000 copies) by the BPI in February 1997.[5]
Seven years after the release of Exorcising Ghosts, Japan recorded a new studio album, but under the new moniker Rain Tree Crow.
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by David Sylvian, except where noted
| No. | Title | From the album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Methods of Dance" | Gentlemen Take Polaroids | 6:46 |
| 2. | "Swing" | Gentlemen Take Polaroids | 6:20 |
| 3. | "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" | Gentlemen Take Polaroids | 7:04 |
| 4. | "Quiet Life" | Quiet Life | 4:47 |
| Total length: | 24:57 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | From the album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "A Foreign Place" | Sylvian, Richard Barbieri | 1981 B-side of the single "Quiet Life" | 3:11 |
| 6. | "Nightporter" | Gentlemen Take Polaroids | 6:49 | |
| 7. | "My New Career" | Gentlemen Take Polaroids | 3:50 | |
| 8. | "The Other Side of Life" | Quiet Life | 7:22 | |
| Total length: | 21:12 (46:09) | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | From the album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Visions of China" | Sylvian, Steve Jansen | Tin Drum | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Taking Islands in Africa" (Steve Nye Remix) | Sylvian, Ryuichi Sakamoto | Original version appears on Gentlemen Take Polaroids | 4:55 |
| 11. | "Ghosts" | Tin Drum | 4:30 | |
| 12. | "Sons of Pioneers" | Sylvian, Mick Karn | Tin Drum | 7:08 |
| Total length: | 20:11 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | From the album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Voices Raised in Welcome, Hands Held in Prayer" | Sylvian, Jansen | Oil on Canvas | 3:21 |
| 14. | "Life Without Buildings" | B-side of the 12" single "The Art of Parties" | 6:34 | |
| 15. | "Talking Drum" (Edited intro) | Tin Drum | 3:31 | |
| 16. | "The Art of Parties" (12" Version) | Original version appears on Tin Drum | 6:41 | |
| Total length: | 20:07 (40:18) (86:27) | |||
CD release (1984) edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Methods of Dance" | 6:50 |
| 2. | "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" | 7:04 |
| 3. | "Quiet Life" | 4:52 |
| 4. | "Nightporter" | 6:48 |
| 5. | "My New Career" | 3:52 |
| 6. | "The Other Side of Life" | 7:25 |
| 7. | "Visions of China" | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Ghosts" | 4:32 |
| 9. | "Life Without Buildings" | 6:35 |
| 10. | "Talking Drum" (Edited intro) | 3:32 |
| 11. | "The Art of Parties" (12" Version) | 6:46 |
| Total length: | 61:09 | |
References edit
- ^ "News". Record Mirror: 4. 24 November 1984. Retrieved 18 February 2021 – via flickr.com.
- ^ Raggett, Ned (2011). "Exorcising Ghosts - Japan | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press.
- ^ Japan albums Official charts
- ^ "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry.
External links edit
- Exorcising Ghosts at Discogs (list of releases)
- Exorcising Ghosts at allmusic.com