The original LP release of Human's Lib had ten tracks, and clocking in at just under 43 minutes, it fits perfectly into my idea of how long an album ought to be. As much as I like the compact disc format, artists now have a tendency to merely fill the available space.
Unless it's Marillion, in which case I'll listen to four hours of them simply tuning their instruments . . .
Once CD's became more popular, it was common for the labels to add bonus tracks. Human's Lib was then regularly released with one last song, "China Dance", which had originally been on the b-side for the "Hide and Seek" single.
It's a fine instrumental, and when I first heard it I wondered if Jones had been listening to the band Japan at the time.
As I grow older, I appreciate music like this, and have recently started listening to a Tangerine Dream album every morning. Just don't call it "New Age", because that rubs me the wrong way . . .
If you want a more inspiring and serene conclusion to the album, this will do the trick.
—4/2007
A few words of commentary from Howard Jones:
And the song itself:
Howard Jones, "China Dance" from Human's Lib (1984)
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