Song · Japan
“Still Life in Mobile Homes” by Japan
From the album Tin Drum (1981)
“Still Life in Mobile Homes” by Japan appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 2003 and 2023. It was first released in 1981 on the album Tin Drum. Its best result is #647 on The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #6,448 alternative song of all time.
"Still Life in Mobile Homes" sits on Tin Drum, the fifth and last Japan album, which Virgin released in November 1981, and David Sylvian wrote it alone. The credits read like a travelling orchestra: Sylvian sings, plays guitar and shares keyboards and tapes with Richard Barbieri, Steve Jansen handles drums and percussion, Simon House adds violin, Mick Karn plays fretless bass, flute and suona, and Yuka Fujii's voice joins Sylvian's.
Tin Drum pushed the band's blend of electronics and traditional instruments much further east than before. Guitarist Rob Dean had left that May, and Sylvian took over a guitar role the new direction had already cut way back. Barbieri recalled the sessions as hard work that paid off, the first time the band had made something wholly their own, and the album is widely held up as their best and most original.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1610 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2023 | 647 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places | 800 |
Also listed as: Still Life In Mobile Homes.
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