1984, Virgin VGCD 3510

Inlay and sleeve in excellent condition

1 Methods of Dance
2 Gentlemen Take Polaroids
3 Quiet Life
4 Nightporter
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

David Sylvian, Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, Mick Karn
with
Rob Dean, Simon House, Ann O'Dell

design by Russell Mills

Review by Ned Raggett
It's not a true career overview, and given that the band only released two albums during their stint on Virgin, a collection that includes at least half of each of those efforts is ultimately a strange exercise in superfluity. That all said, though, if one needs to have a useful enough starting point for what made Japan so great, Exorcising Ghosts is a reasonable way to start. The emphasis is entirely on the moody, melancholic but energetic phase of Japan's career — there's nothing earlier than a couple of cuts from Quiet Life, and any hint of the band's trash glam rock start is carefully and quietly ignored. "Tasteful" is the word here instead, and, to be sure, the album cover and design, a beautifully striking effort from regular Sylvian artistic partner Russell Mills, is one of the best ever done.