Duran Duran: Classic or Dud?

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Can't believe this hasn't been done. Obviously, they are one of the best 80's pop bands but I've a feeling others will not agree...

― james e l, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

The most classic of the classics. Except for Notorious, which was crap.

― Ally, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

CLASSIC

― Geordie Racer, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I'm going to say "Classic." They're even more than just a guilty pleasure. While they may have seemed slightly ridiculous at the time, their music...for the large part...has really stood the test of time. To my ears, everything they recorded through SEVEN & THE RAGGED TIGER still holds up (especially the RIO album). Subtract the surface gloss and new romantic shenanigans, and the tunes are still there, I think. The same cannot be said for Spandau Ballet. And they're still going today (albeit without John Taylor anymore). Bless'em.

― alex in nyc, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Damn straight Duran Duran are classic! I will stick a mascara wand in the eye of anyone who would defame Nick Rhodes' honor.

― Nicole, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Interviewed Nick Rhodes once, nice chap. He claimed responsibility for Duran Duran's best moment, the idea to use the camera click-track at the start of "Girls On Film." The RIO singles hold up splendid, first and third album singles mostly okay. I suppose classic for that whole teenybop period. Classic also for the clothes, the haircuts, and the videos. After 1985, resolutely dud (with stay of execution granted for "Ordinary World," an ordinary tune with a surprisingly affecting lyric).

― AP, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

In terms of the first five years, so classic it hurts. Hell, freaking *beyond* classic. I'd actually come right flat out and say _Rio_ is one of the best and most influential albums of all time, which might horrify Nick, based on his take them in the synth pierrot piece, but I have to note -- where from your end in the UK they seemed like the butt-end of that era, in the US they and Culture Club were the ones who busted the door wide open commercially and led a lot of people to start exploring the whole New Romantic dealy bop from there. Yet it's not only rampant nostalgia for me, the darn thing actually holds up well to repeating playing, goofy lyrics and all.

"7UP! Between Sixth and...BROADWAY!"

It was all downhill when Andy Taylor released "Take It Easy," granted.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 21 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

'Venice is drowning in sparkling jism'

Utter classic band for le Bon's voice alone nevermind the awesome ripoff of Japan's best album (Paul Morley-you iz a twit).

Nick Rhodes - holy idol like Ron Mael.

Andy Taylor - your bar in Whitley Bay iz shit !

― Hungry..., Sunday, 22 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Has anyone even twitchd the steering wheel towards dud unconsciously. No. Because we all proudly and serenely drive by on the classic side of the street, at a speed where we all know the vehicle is an extension of our body, and y'know, we LOVE our body.

Even Biba Kopf (quite) liked Duran Duran.

― mark s, Sunday, 22 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Classic I guess. I mean there's something sublime in singing "flex- flex-flex" esp in combination with that dodgy special fx thing they had in the video. Most of the singles of that album are pop-music at it's best. The come-back shit I don't rate, bands like that should live forever in the 80s.

― Omar, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Duran were that rare thing - an intellectual boy band. The political posturing now seems beautifully poised: from the maximum hippie upset of the Rio video – which was generation gap explosive in 1982 (or whenever it was) to their Burroughs inspired meditations on the commodification of the male body in the ‘Wild Boys’ video.

In many ways the band that remind me most of Duran now are Radiohead.

The only disappointment is that for a band that began wanting to be Chic they were quite rockist, never producing a genuine disco anthem. Perhaps for that failing not a 100% classic.

― Guy, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Ah come on, someone must think they were dud! Not me though. Favourite Duran moments (all from '81-'85, what a surprise): - "Planet Earth": total high-impact futurism, huge rotating synths.
- "Girls On Film": camera click-track as mentioned.
- great Morley interview, reprinted in ASK - of all the bands he tried to demolish they seem the most impervious (as opposed to Jerry Garcia, Ted Nugent etc.).
- "Rio" video: obviously both not serious (he's drinking a cocktail underwater!) and quite serious.
- no need for Goth in my life post- "Union Of The Snake" and "The Wild Boys" which seemed more outrageously horrible and beautifully debauched than anything the Birthday Party or Xymox could have mustered.
- my music teacher conducting a poll to find out what was the best thing in the Top 40 and 80% of kids voting for "The Reflex" even the cool ones who liked electro. Teacher was quite upset as Duran was a manufactured boy band etc. etc. God knows what boring thing he wanted to win.
- "A View To A Kill": my James Bond will always be slick, decadent, 80s and copping off with Grace Jones. Yeah, classic.

― Tom, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Everyone seems to have conveniently forgotten "Thank You" ,the covers album. Grotesque versions of "White Lines" and "Watching the detectives" amongst others.

For me total dud, especially Le Bon's nasal braying. I can't deny that "Rio" and "Hungry Like.." are good pop, but there's only so much billowy-shirted, fake suntan opulence I can bear. Wham did that so much better - I think because they didn't have (or kept hidden until Georges'solo career) the muso tendencies that puffed-up Duran into such an ugly spectacle.

I do like "Ordinary World" though - great melody.

― Dr. C, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Guy, care to explain the Duran/Radiohead comparison?

― Nicole, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Classic for the album cover to Rio alone.

― Sterling Clover, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Obviously, Nicole, it's because Thom Yorke is a frustrated boy band member DYING TO GET OUT.

Hungry Like the Wolf is the best song ever, and not just because I've always been convinced it's about oral sex. The video is just the most fantastic thing - I mean, wtf is going on in it? Why do they seem angry? Why are they chasing that girl, and then why is she chasing them? What's with the war paint? Why flip over a table? It's amazing, and so much better than the way overrated Rio video. I think all videos should look like Hungry Like the Wolf. I'd kill to watch Radiohead run around like that, flipping over tables and chasing war- painted girls in the jungle.

― Ally, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Actually, out of all of Duran Duran's videos I've always had a secret soft spot for a View to a Kill. The idea of them being in a Bond film was a brilliant one. Makes more sense than Russell Crowe, anyway.

But all of the early videos were quite brilliant. Wild Boys in particular is so OTT that I would kill to see something near its like today.

― Nicole, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I find it hard to reconcile my feelings on Duran Duran because my experience with the band is so tied up with an angsty teenage romance I had with a rabid "Durannie", which was my first love. Ahhh, those glorious days sitting in her room staring longingly into her eyes, as she reached over and flipped the tape over. But you know what? While I remember most of Rio and Seven and the Ragged Tiger fondly, I can't really bring up many memories of the Arena live album even though I know she played it. For that, all I can draw upon is a day spent in front of the TV at my grandparents' place, watching the video for "Wild Boys", whereupon my grandfather comes up to me and says, "That's filth!" When I asked why he said, "They're just sitting there repeating 'fuck off, fuck off!'" (said in the style of the chant of "wild boys, wild boys, wild boys..."). I think he got his hearing aid shortly after that.

― Sean Carruthers, Monday, 23 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I would have to say "Classic" they were one of my favorite bands of the 80's and I still love them now!!They weredoing things long before any other bands out there!!

― Debbie, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Why are Radiohead the new Duran?

Both are cute, charming, doomy, arty, angsty, made it big Stateside, owe more to Bowie than they’ll ever admit, surf the wave of current political fads (aspiration & no-logo respectively), make the old feel young.

Why are Radiohead not the new Duran?

Not enough hair products or trips to the make-up counter, no aspiring artist in the band, not enough singles.

― Guy, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Radiohead are cute?!

― Ally, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Maybe Guy is making a point about different ideas of attractiveness ;) No, seriously, I hope he doesn't think Johnny Greenwood is the cute one. (What about John Taylor's skinny arms in the Save a Prayer video?!?!)

CLASSIC for image, as everyone has already said, but DUD for Simon LeBon's voice, which only Dr. C seems to have noticed. (Gosh, what could be worse than the "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" cover?)

What does mark's post mean? I do feel like I'm jumping on a bandwagon by saying CLASSIC for image cos I've spent many years trying to distance myself from my childhood infatuations...

― youn, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

It is time to revive this time-honored topic once again. I would just liike to point out that the lead singer's name is something as cool as Simon Le Bon, I mean come on now, how can you not love that? Their songs don't make any sense, which is brilliant. Taking Sides: Trance version of Ordinary World or Duran Duran version?

― Ally, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

For me total dud
For once I have to agree with Dr.C. I can't believe it. Everyone else thinks they are classic. Maybe ILM should be renamed ILP like in I Love Pop. And this is not even good pop. Utter rubbish.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

duran duran = music so no namechange needed

duran duran = roXoR also

― mark s, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

alex in mainhattan = long-lost German cousin of Alex in NYC

― Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Death to rockists.

― Ally, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Death to music! Now we'll see who cares.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Search: The grammar school dance troupe Sparkle Motion and their spellbinding routine to "Notorious" in Donnie Darko.

― Arthur, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

I would say DUD but last night I heard 'Save a Prayer' for the first time in years and it felt strangely affecting, sad, beautiful, very lonely ....a one-night-stand as fleeting glimpse of paradise/intimacy never to be fully attained. I almost blubbed, maybes its the weather...

― stevo, Friday, 2 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

i love barbarella. i also love duran duran - the band. at the moment i'm really into "seven and the ragged tiger" - its got those gems "reflex" and "new moon on monday".

― di, Saturday, 3 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

"New Moon on Monday" = most underrated hit from the early days. I remember being mad as heck it wasn't on the original Decade compilation [thankfully Greatest corrects this omission].

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 3 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

The first eponymous album (1981) is now available on CD with "Is There Something I Should Know?" (1983) slap bang in the middle, not even dumped at the back as an extra track. Eh? The cover photo is amusing, Andy Taylor clearly wishes he was in Whitesnake.

I dug out the 12" of The Reflex a few days ago and the extended version is called the "Dance Mix". Now it would have to be something like the "Chics For Free mix".

― Mike Ratford, Saturday, 3 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

I'm going to start a Duran cover band called 'Night Version'!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 20 June 2003 04:47 (10 years ago) Permalink

spencer i want to be in your band!!

― geeta (geeta), Friday, 20 June 2003 05:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

You guys all know what my answer's going to be in regards to the question posed, right?

If not, you are obviously very thick and need to check out some prime swampland real estate I'm about ready to sell to you. Either that or you've just started reading this forum.

― Innocent Dreamer (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 20 June 2003 06:07 (10 years ago) Permalink

Duran Duran album tracks - search and destroy, anyone?

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Friday, 20 June 2003 06:11 (10 years ago) Permalink

Anyone who cannot see the brilliance of "Do You Believe in Shame?", "Palomino", "Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For", "Sin of the City", "Love Voodoo", "Big Bang Generation", "Winter Marches On", "Hold Me", "Playing with Uranium", "Fragment"/"Last Day on Earth", or any one of the other beyond brilliant post-1985 Duran songs just does not understand Duran Duran. Period. So THERE. ;)

Search & destroy? For me, I'd have to search just about every single Duran song out there, with the possible exceptions of "Shotgun" and "UMF" (off The Wedding Album) and "911 is a Joke" and "I Wanna Take You Higher" (off Thank You). Those four could be destroyed, thank you very much.

― Innocent Dreamer (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 20 June 2003 06:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

C'mon Dee, Arcadia vs. Power Station: what's the verdict?!

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 20 June 2003 06:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

that alex in mainhattan 'ilp' post above is so classic

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 20 June 2003 07:16 (10 years ago) Permalink

oh and duran duran - classic obv.

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 20 June 2003 07:16 (10 years ago) Permalink

Does anyone really need to know my opinion on this matter? I think you can guess. Classiclassiclassiclassic!

Hungry Like The Wolf is about ORAL SEX?!?!?!? Oh my god, I never knew that. Hey, I mean, I was 12 when it came out, it never dawned on my horny prepubescent brain! That makes it somehow ever better!

I think I've told the story about my Durannie friend and her super-indie boyfriend who sneered at Duran. She said "What would you say to a band who wanted to be a cross between the Sex Pistols, Chic and Brian Eno?" And he went "That would be my NEW FAVOURITE BAND EVAH!!!" and she shoved Rio at him and said "meet your new favourite band evah, suckah."

― kate (kate), Friday, 20 June 2003 07:24 (10 years ago) Permalink

Amazing. I thought no one agreed with me on my choices of Duran Duran's best and worst songs, but I could have written down exactly what Innocent Dreamer did above!

And don't forget to search for Arcadia, another fantastic album.

― Tijn, Friday, 20 June 2003 08:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

no one's mentioned the single "please please tell me now" yet. i think that's my favourite. also "new moon on monday", 'cos it has that classic cold war pop vibe, at least the video kinda did.

― cameron, Friday, 20 June 2003 09:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

no one's mentioned the single "please please tell me now" yet.

Because it was possibly the worst single they ever released! Come on, even at the age of 13 or whatever, I knew that.

New Moon On Monday was actually kinda ace. Yeah. I have the tendency to completely write off Seven and the Ragged Tiger, but it definitely had its moments.

― kate (kate), Friday, 20 June 2003 09:30 (10 years ago) Permalink

"New Moon on Monday" is good, but can't get with the revival. Hated them then, and still do. Maybe the third time around I'll get it? They just sound like a crap Japan to me.

(Also, considering how much everybody loved "Ordinary World" at the time, notice how it sounds even more shit now than their 80s stuff does?)

― dave q, Friday, 20 June 2003 09:33 (10 years ago) Permalink

kate , maybe puberty made the difference; i was only about eleven. i haven't heard it in years either.

― cameron, Friday, 20 June 2003 09:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

Cameron, I think perhaps I hated it so much because it was stuck right in the middle of the re-release of the first album. So I associate it with the butchery of the singles/running order of that order. Heard in its own context, it might not be so bad, but on Duran Duran, it just sounds out of place and jarring and wrong.

― kate (kate), Friday, 20 June 2003 09:54 (10 years ago) Permalink

and plus it does have the line "you're about as easy as a nuclear war" (more cold war paranoia blah blah)

― cameron, Friday, 20 June 2003 09:55 (10 years ago) Permalink

Oh dear lord... ::ROTFL:: ... you should have seen the fun that the DD fan fict community had with that line!

Oh, and DD are ace, simply for having such an incredible body of work dedicated to their fan fiction. Maybe it's just cause I've only read good DD FF, (thanks, UMF/Lovely Blue Planet Of There) but it's of such a blatantly higher calibre that you think they must be doing something right.

(The one time that a band's fans can be held in their favour)

― kate (kate), Friday, 20 June 2003 10:02 (10 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 197 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

More on the 'hip-hop' album:

Nearly six years after their last release, rockers Duran Duran are currently working on their upcoming album with the help of Hip-Hop producer Timbaland and his protégé Danjahandz. Danjahandz, a young Virginia native, first caught Timbalands attention in 2001 and two years later, the young producer was brought to Timbalands studio in Miami to put his production talents to work. "The actual process of making the album [with Duran Duran] was cool," Danjahandz told AllHipHop.com. "We just went in there as musicians, I think that's what was beneficial for me, playing those instruments, came into play. Because I had to become a musician, not a producer a beat maker, I had to become a musician and write songs."

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 7 June 2007 16:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

No word on the Ne-Yo/Le Bon duet?

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 7 June 2007 16:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

I decided on Monday that Rio > Metamatic.

Sorry, K-Punk:(

― Jon Lewis, Thursday, 7 June 2007 16:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

I heard Reflex in the store today and I really wanted to kill someone. Much as I love early Duran, that has to be the greatest landmark of where they started to absolutely suck ASS.

― Bimble, Monday, 15 October 2007 01:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, but the album version -- before Nile Rodgers stuck his mitts in it -- kick serious ass.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 15 October 2007 02:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

I've got early Duran Duran b-side/remix FEVER!! This all started because at work this week I got "New Religion" in my head for no reason.

Anyone heard the likes of "Khananda"/"Late Bar"/"Faster Than Light"? I"ve never heard these before and they are really freaking cool. Their cover of Bowie's "Fame" isn't bad, either. I used to have the damn Carnival EP, I want those mixes again, too. "Faith In This Colour" & "Secret Oktober" & "Tiger Tiger" are some of my fave things of theirs as well.

― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Sunday, 27 July 2008 22:44 (4 years ago) Permalink

I cannot believe they covered Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)". I'm in speechless shock right now. It's pretty amazing at least until the guitars come in...

― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Sunday, 27 July 2008 23:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

Hm. It's outside Le Bon's vocal range, methinks.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 27 July 2008 23:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

check the backing vox on this one

― Capitaine Jay Vee, Sunday, 27 July 2008 23:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

Astronaut and Red Carpet Massacre are superb albums. Far more consistent than most/all of the band's earlier records.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 28 July 2008 03:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

I can't adequately explain what pleasure the b-side of the Rio 45 called "Hold Back The Rain" (wasn't it an extended remix?) brought me when I was about 12 years old. FUCKING 12" MIX FOR THE WIN!

― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Monday, 28 July 2008 03:45 (4 years ago) Permalink

Late Bar is my favourite Duran Duran song, and the 'Night Version' is possibly even better.

Actually, Careless Memory came on in the pub last night and was awesome.

― aldo, Monday, 28 July 2008 08:52 (4 years ago) Permalink

Duran Duran - pop's excreta in a basket.

― Dingbod Kesterson, Monday, 28 July 2008 08:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

I always liked Khanada as a kid, it was mysterious-sounding and talked about dragons, was very suitable for sitting in a treehouse thinking about having adventures with Indiana Jones or Doctor Who.

I recorded it onto a cassette by holding the cassette recorder up to the record player.

― f. hazel, Monday, 28 July 2008 12:21 (4 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME NOW
IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW

12" MONSTER MIX

Happy Bimble

― Watch Beer, Drink People (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Wednesday, 26 November 2008 06:46 (4 years ago) Permalink

7 months pass...

cool -- a rio remaster with bonus goodies
http://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/?p=15861
hopefully they've replaced the inferior mix of "my own way" on the CD with the one originally on the vinyl

― kamerad, Friday, 24 July 2009 17:30 (3 years ago) Permalink

Carnival! Yay!

― Mr. Snrub, Friday, 24 July 2009 18:27 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

― Turangalila, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 17:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

great viddy, Turangalila.
have been on a bit of a D-squared the past month or so, after not really listening for years. was surprised how much i still LOVE Nick Rhodes' enoesque keybs which sort of put the whole thing over for me; as well as the extended/"night" versions. So red the rose was not a half bad record either, IMO

― outdoor_miner, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 17:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Duran Duran will follow up this fall’s expanded edition of Riowith new multi-disc reissues of the band’s self-titled 1981 debut and 1983’s Seven and the Ragged Tiger, both due out in March, the group announced this week.

Both special editions will be available in 2CD sets or limited-edition 2CD/1DVD packages; each will include a remastered version of the original album on one CD, plus a second CD with B-sides, demos, remixes and BBC session tracks. The DVDs will include concert footage, TV performances and music videos such as the infamous uncensored version of “Girls on Film.” (See full tracklists below.)

Additionally, Duran Duran will release download-only live concert recordings in conjunction with both reissues. For the Duran Duran: Special Edition, the band will release a BBC In Concert session recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon on Dec. 17, 1981. The Seven and the Ragged Tiger: Special Edition will be accompanied by the release of a download-only audio version of “As the Lights Go Down,” a one-hour concert movie spun off from Duran Duran’s “Arena” film (the video will be included on the Ragged Tiger DVD).

Both albums also will be reissued on limited-edition 180-gram vinyl, each with a bonus 12-inch featuring four remixes (including, on the Duran Duran reissue, a previously unreleased mix of “Girls on Film”).

The two new reissues will following the Feb. 8 release of an expanded 2CD/1DVD edition of So Red the Rose, the lone album from Arcadia, the mid-’80s, studio-only Duran Duran spinoff that scored a Top 10 hit with “Election Day.”

― Hell is other people. In an ILE film forum. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 11 December 2009 18:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

Somehow all appropriate given my random find of this old Dave Q review today.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 11 December 2009 19:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

New single 'All You Need is Now' is grouse.

Album released next week on iTunes and in shops in Feb. If it's up there with the last two (and with Mark Ronson producing there's a good chance) it's surely the band's longest good-album streak ever.

Now I will stand aside and watch while this thread sinks like a facking stone.

― Defecate on Myspace (Schlafsack), Friday, 17 December 2010 04:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

the last album was good?

― Gus Van Sotosyn (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 17 December 2010 04:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

Hm:

# Safe (In The Heat Of The Moment) (featuring Ana Matronic) (3:59)
# Girl Panic!  (4:31)
# The Man Who Stole A Leopard  (featuring Kelis) (6:13)

― Gus Van Sotosyn (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 17 December 2010 04:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

Not Rio good but worth at least a few dozen plays.

xp Kelis? Sod it I take everything back.

― Defecate on Myspace (Schlafsack), Friday, 17 December 2010 04:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

and with Mark Ronson producing there's a good chance

I weep for you.

― schlomo replay (acoleuthic), Friday, 17 December 2010 04:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

I knew this would be embarrassing. All right. Hey, you know what? Let's pretend this never happened.

― Defecate on Myspace (Schlafsack), Friday, 17 December 2010 04:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

Like I said on the REM thread when somebody brought up Duran Duran, I've never been a great fan of theirs, but it's obvious when listening to this new album that they're actively trying to be good again. And I don't doubt that Mark Ronson had a lot to do with it.

― Lightning Is For Babies (Johnny Fever), Friday, 17 December 2010 04:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, there's a fair amount of mutual mast with these two in press releases and such, but I get the impression Ronson really was/is a huge Rio fan and that they all genuinely like working together.

― Defecate on Myspace (Schlafsack), Friday, 17 December 2010 05:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

I really like this album. The single is the worst track on it. The collaborations are subtle and well used. Overall it sounds like Duran circa 82. Best album since Notorious (though I really like Big Thing).

― brotherlovesdub, Friday, 17 December 2010 05:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

The single is the worst track on it.

WOW. Officially gagging for this.

― Defecate on Myspace (Schlafsack), Friday, 17 December 2010 05:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Rio is one of my favourite albums. I can be swayed.

― schlomo replay (acoleuthic), Friday, 17 December 2010 11:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

― brotherlovesdub, Friday, December 17, 2010 5:47 AM (9 hours ago)

I agree with all of this, apart from liking Big Thing (one of their worst albums for me) I can't believe the title track is the first single, the chorus is good but the verse is so bad. I think Runway Runaway is my favourite track.

I'm shocked they've pulled this off, every album since Medazzaland I've wanted to be their return to form it feels like they've got pretty close this time. I thought Astronaut was quite a poor album apart from Nice and Taste the Summer, it seems like they've done a whole album with that kind of sound.

― Kitchen Person, Friday, 17 December 2010 15:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

this is great.

― akm, Thursday, 23 December 2010 16:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

Don't mind the new single. Who's the new guitarist these days?

― Alex in NYC, Thursday, 23 December 2010 19:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Dom Brown, I think.

― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 23 December 2010 21:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

It really is good. It sounds like a follow-up to Rio without sounding like it's trying to be a follow-up to Rio, and the actual songs are good as well. There's not a duff moment on the whole thing.

The only problem I have with it (if it's even a problem) is that it sounds a bit too '80s. Also, all the television appearances are on housewife shows like Loose Women and The One Show, which shits me a bit. Duran Duran's never been a backward-looking band so I hope it isn't starting now.

― Bentley Rhythm Trayce (Autumn Almanac), Sunday, 2 January 2011 12:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

What a crap sentence.

― Bentley Rhythm Trayce (Autumn Almanac), Sunday, 2 January 2011 12:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

New interview at the Quietus with Simon Price:

http://thequietus.com/articles/05889-duran-duran-interview-all-you-need-is-now

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 17 March 2011 15:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Duran Duran's never been a backward-looking band so I hope it isn't starting now.

I hope so. I mean, after the disastrous "Red Carpet Massacre", which was even worse than "Big Thing" (another disappointing album that would have benefited from being a bit more backward-looking)

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 17 March 2011 22:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

I thought Astronaut was quite a poor album apart from Nice and Taste the Summer, it seems like they've done a whole album with that kind of sound.

"Nice" and "Taste The Summer" sound more like "Notorious" tracks than "Rio" tracks though.

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 17 March 2011 22:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Happy 30th to Rio.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 21:13 (1 year ago) Permalink

Watched its Classic Albums" chapter Sunday afternoon!

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 21:14 (1 year ago) Permalink

― Vini Reilly Invasion (Elvis Telecom), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 02:11 (1 year ago) Permalink

I suppose one or two of their songs I *do* have a mild soft spot for... but mostly dud.

Japan, on the other hand...

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 10 May 2012 00:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

Apologies for the spam but I really think Duran Duran fans (and fans of Japan, post punk, new pop and glam) will find this feature interesting.

Duran Duran Versus Japan - The Substance Of Style

(It's not about who's better by the way...)

― Doran, Sunday, 31 March 2013 15:28 (2 months ago) Permalink

Fantastic article for sure.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 31 March 2013 15:31 (2 months ago) Permalink

Damn! Impressive.

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 31 March 2013 15:33 (2 months ago) Permalink

I've been listening to a lot of Duran Duran (81-82) and David Sylvian (83-85) lately so I thought this would be perfect reading right now but I didn't like it very much.

― brotherlovesdub, Sunday, 31 March 2013 15:58 (2 months ago) Permalink

love it.

― mr.raffles, Sunday, 31 March 2013 23:22 (2 months ago) Permalink

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