Half Speed Mastered edition of Japan's 5th studio album from 1981. Mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road studios. Features the singles The Art Of Parties and Ghosts. Japan's fifth studio album from 1981, appeared with a cover photograph of a perfectly coifed David Sylvian eating rice from a bowl in a bare room, while a peeling poster of Mao looked on. this image was obviously very deliberately created, and the music on this, their last studio album as japan, is no less carefully presented. Tin Drum has been said to be their most 'Oriental' album, but it also has equally prevalent middle eastern influences, especially in regards to Steve Jansen's percussion. All told, it is probably the band's best single record. The Art of Parties opens the album with synthesizers twittering around Mick Karn's extraordinary bass guitar. Talking Drum features a flute straight from a snake charmer's stall. Canton is a propulsive, asian-flavored instrumental. arguably, the album's best track is Still Life in Mobile Homes, a strange keyboard and drum-led song that features Karn at his most inventive. Visions of China adds some funk to the beat, while Sons of Pioneers is a spectacular drum and bass-driven track that is achingly atmospheric. This is a classic - if you own one Japan album, Tin Drum ought to be it.
2LP - Double 45 RPM half-speed mastered edition. This is the ultimate for high quality reproduction as the faster the replay speed of the record, the higher the potential quality. Also, the shorter side times allow the level recorded to the master lacquer discs to be increased thereby improving the signal to noise ratio.