Tin Drum is the fifth and final studio album by English band Japan, released on 13 November 1981 by record label Virgin. It peaked at No. 12 on the UK charts, and featured the top 5 single "Ghosts". It has received acclaim as the band's best and most original work.
Joseph Burnett of The Quietus described Tin Drum in 2013 as "unique in pop history, a fearlessly ambitious, unusual and conceptual work of art that defies genre categorisation."In a retrospective review, AllMusic critic Ned Raggett called it Japan's "most unique, challenging, and striking album". Trouser Press wrote that Tin Drum "presents Japan at peak form".
Roland Orzabal of the band Tears for Fears called Tin Drum "an absolute conceptual masterpiece from lyrics to artwork... just everything", and has stated that it was a primary influence on Tears for Fears' first album The Hurting.
On 6 September 2011, BBC Radio 6 Music awarded Tin Drum a "Goldie" award for the best album of 1981.
英國樂隊 Japan 的第五張專輯、也是他們的最後專輯《Tin Drum》,見證到 Japan 讓其 art rock 風格走向登峰造極狀態,亦是自結他手 Rob Dean 離隊後他們以 David Sylvian、Mick Karn、Steve Jansen 與 Richard Barbieri 四人陣容灌錄的專輯。東方音樂薰陶、大量 synth 的應用、Steve Jansen 樹立出獨特的鼓擊風格,皆令 Japan 的聲音展現出嶄新的音樂層次。
唱片封面及封底圖片掛上毛主席的肖像,專輯焦點是三首挪用中國音樂元素、向共產中國文化探討的曲目:〈Visions of China〉、〈Cantonese Boy〉和〈Canton〉,當中有 Mick Karn 的嗩吶演奏(credit 是用上粵語「啲咑」dida)。後者兩年後以取自現場演出專輯《Oil on Canvas》的版本作單曲推出,爲 Japan 唯一作單曲發行的器樂曲目,歌曲 mv 是在香港拍攝。
由 Mick Karn 一手神秘 fretless bass riff 主導的〈Sons of Pioneers〉,是他在 Japan 裡唯一與 David Sylvian 合寫的歌曲。第二支單曲〈Ghosts〉曾打上英國榜第五位,這首 avant-ballad 亦成為 Japan 在排行榜上成績最高的作品,也預視到日後 David Sylvian 的個人音樂取向。