Duran Duran: Classic or Dud?

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

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.

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.

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).

The single is the worst track on it.

WOW. Officially gagging for this.

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

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, 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.

this is great.

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

Dom Brown, I think.

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.

What a crap sentence.

New interview at the Quietus with Simon Price:

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

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)

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.

Happy 30th to Rio.

Watched its Classic Albums" chapter Sunday afternoon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr3HCNIgv40

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

Japan, on the other hand...

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...)

Fantastic article for sure.

Damn! Impressive.

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.

love it.

Thanks to Geir (and unregistered) I'm listening to Rio again.

This album is a fucking miracle, right?

completely and utterly

check the 'Classic Albums' Rio doc if you haven't seen it. one of the better episodes for sure IMO.

Ordinary world is classic

Come Undone is better though

I love this band. I won't dismiss any of their albums - Liberty might arguably be their weakest & the production doesn't do it any favours, but it still has some really great songs on it.

To me, they released their best work to date with their 13th album All You Need Is Now.
I'm very fond of Big Thing too.

I'm pretty sure I've posted about this before but:

Circa 1981, my best friend's older sister (let's call her Stephanie) had a Journey poster on her bedroom door. In it, Steve Perry is singing a note that appears to emanate from his lower intestine. His eyes are tightly closed; sweat is pouring down his face. His hair looks a bit like Joan Baez's; his jeans scrupulously follow the contours of his testicles.

By 1983, Steve was gone from Stephanie's door. It now held the icy-cool stares of Duran Duran, in Members Only-style jackets against a backdrop of lavender and aqua. Their lipstick perfectly matches the color of their immaculately pleated pants.

All I need to know about the difference between the 70s and 80s I learned from Stephanie's door.

I immediately started saving up to buy a Roland Juno 6.

Side 2 of Big Thing is fantastic, and the b-sides were pretty good too.

https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog/2018/06/20/taylor-made-cocktails/

Well...

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/duran-durans-simon-le-bon-denies-sexual-misconduct-allegation-698560/

It's obviously a sensitive subject, and one person's word against another, but just from that article it doesn't seem to ring true.

glad we got that sorted

Can someone please explain?.

link doesn't work but you can always post a question here it's ilm after all

Sorry. The reason for this strange behavior.

Great write-ups Alfred.

I wish the rest of their albums were as good as Rio - the leap from the debut to that is incredible, but fucking hell did they hit a wall fast creatively.

Great write-ups Alfred.

― Gavin, Leeds

Thanks!

My list would be very similar. I'd put Notorious behind Seven Ragged & The Tiger. I guess I'd probably throw in All You Need Is Now in seventh place as the best of their later albums (not there is much competition).

I listened to Big Thing recently and it was slightly better than I remembered. It still has some issues though.

Notorious is a great album, I still remember listening to it in my room on Christmas Day 1986 and my dad stopping in the doorway, listening for a sec, and approvingly saying "This is Duran Duran? I thought they were terrible". It was Winter Marches On playing. So from then on I was like "ah, this is their album that adults like" and now, as an adult, I do still quite like it! The first three albums I love in the uncritical way you love stuff from your childhood, but they're also somewhat inaccessible now for that reason. But I can listen to Notorious whenever and dig it.

still don't get why "Hold Me" wasn't the follow-up to "Notorious."

Can someone please explain?

Please please tell you now

yeah, Hold Me makes way more sense as a single than Skin Trade! I would have released Meet El Presidente -> Hold Me -> American Science as singles.

I remember reading an interview with Nick a while back where he was talking about Skin Trade. The band and the label thought it was the huge hit on the album. When the title track slightly under-performed, they weren't worried because they knew they had Skin Trade as the secret weapon. They were shocked when it did so badly. Not sure why they thought Meet El Presidente would turn things around when it came to picking a third single.

They even named the tour after a "Skin Trade" lyric: Strange Behavior.