Duran Duran: Classic or Dud?

Premise: The boys are apparently leading a revolution in a small European town. Their cause is aided by handing out flyers, an old woman using an Apple IIe computer, and Andy & Roger flying a kite. For no obvious reason a guy in face paint starts acting out something on a stage, and that shows up a couple times. By the end people have lit their torches and fireworks while police on horseback do just about nothing. The whole band coems together and begins jumping at the end.

Based out of the movie "Arena". The video begins showing a post-apocalyptic setting of school desks, with the few students breathing fire. For awhile we see a video screen (like the one in "The Reflex") showing Simon, Andy & John performing in individual shots, with a robotic sculpted head nearby observing the action. When the second verse arrives, the video changes to color, creature-humans appear, and Simon is now strapped to a windmill that churns through a pool. the creatures move around the video set, flying, dancing, crawling, tossing firey ropes and riding elevators. A white funnel moves through the set, while Simon falls off the windmill and is nearly killed by a pirhana-like creature. A photographer walks through a nearly-empty set, then we see Nick in a cage with lots of computers. Andy, strapped up in the air, fights off other creatures with his guitar, and Simon pulls some into the pirhana lake. John is strapped to the top of an upright car, forced to watch images of himself on the video screen. Roger is in an airborne chair, fighting off still more creatures. Simon, now on dry land, nearly takes a mysterious hand before the video ends with the creatures dancing, video clips of old Duran videos, the "Wild Boys" video and other tv clips, and ends with Dr. Duran Duran himself (from the movie "Barbarella") laughing (there are clips from "Barbarella" interspersed throughout the video).

The video takes place at the Eiffel Tower, and integrates footage from a chase scene in the James Bond film of the same name. It starts with Roger being transported from the front of a truck to the rear cabin, where he enters a chair and launches a spy camera (an image of a minicam that flies across the screen). Simon is on one level of the tower with a Walkman, John is looking through a telescope, Andy is a blindman with an accordian, and Nick is conducting a fashion shoot. Simon's Walkman allows him to blow up a helicopter and blimp (scenes taken from the film). Nick uses his camera for spying, and John uses a gun disguised as a gun to shoot down one of the flying cameras. Andy uses the accordian to kill off Nick (something goes off in Nick's ear, then his camera explodes). At the end, a woman comes up to Simon, asks who he is, and he replies "Bon, Simon Le Bon". Her tug on his arm causes him to enter a code in the Walkman to blow up the Eiffel Tower -- which leads to a shot of a postcard of the tower blowing up.

The phrase 'a gun disguised as a gun' is such beauty.

Its the only album where I felt hurt and violated from having to heard.

Favorite DD album tracks: I know I've said elsewhere that Rio is great for it's non-singles, so search all of those.

Has anyone picked up the Singles 81-85 box, with replica sleeves of all the original artwork? It's a thing of immense beauty.

It's a shame that people are completely ignoring Thank You. For one, yes, the cover of "White Lines" is lovely. It's a great crowd-pleaser at concerts! Secondly, I think the cover of "Watching the Detectives" is at least as good as the original (i.e. the Elvis Costello version). Third, I love what the band did with "The Chauffeur" with their original, "Drive By". Fourth, I do quite like the cover of "Thank You" and "Crystal Ship", because with those songs you can tell how into classic rock Simon really was and still is, going at least as far back as his first interviews (where he mentions how much he loves Led Zeppelin). Finally, I do like the cover of "Lay Lady Lay". Sure, the rest may be a bit confounding, but it's certainly unexpected and that is, from my perspective, quite good.

Kate, you mentioned the Lovely Blue Planet of There before -- I'm addicted to that site! I love reading horribly bad fan fiction, and you can't get much cringingly worse than the slashfic. Sometimes, though, some of the regular fanfic is quite nice. You know the Nikkolys series? I like that. Have you written fanfic before? If so, what are some of the ones I might know?

It's fantastic! I might have to eat it!

That is the greatest album review in the history of mankind, what the fuck? I have literally sat here for 10 minutes laughing at this, and not just because I'm drunk, honestly.

On B-sides: the one B-side of theirs everyone should hear is Secret Oktober, found on Union Of The Snake and much better than anything on Seven And The Ragged Tiger.

*spins around, falls to floor*

God, if you're listening, I want to look like Simon LeBon for just one day, please, please, please...

Only real spunk in Duranduran lookslwise was Roger Taylor.

John Taylor was the first male heartthrob of every lesbian I know. Work that out for yourself.

In defense of Thank You, however, it should be noted that Elvis Costell and Lou Reed both love Duran's cover versions. I think it the artist likes your cover, then everyone else can fuck off.

Oh, and between Arcadia and Power Station, I vote Arcadia. It was Nick Rhodes in the "Election Day" video that propelled my 12-year-old-self to the chemist's for black hair dye for the very first time. But, erm, in terms of musical purity, Power Station wins. Bernard Edwards making JT play until his fingers bleed beats backing vocals from Sting and Grace Jones any day.

GIMME GIMME GIMMEEEEE!!!

NOTHING beats Grace Jones adding vocals to anything, surely?

Russ T... sorry. I think Bernard Edwards and his funkaliciousness throughout the Power Station LP (and his profound influence on JT) must top Grace Jones on "Election Day."

The reproductions look a little dodgy, but maybe that's just me since I work with graphic design all day? Besides, it's not like Assorted iMaGeS could have sent over their .pdfs, now, is it?

Assorted iMaGeS. The true believers know.

The two of them vs. the Designers Republic = utterly impossible to determine. Argh...

in practice i taped careless memories, save a prayer, the chauffeur, & a track called 'whispers' (which i cannot recall the sound of at the moment)

i also like ordinary world, view to a kill & skin trade and wish i had them too

dis-association of the sound from everything else about them is key - a purer/simpler/better way of listening, or a thinner/ fragmented/simpleton way.....
ilm may help me decide one day

That singles box is awesome.

Also on the b-side search: The full, five-minute version of Arcadia's "Rose Arcana". I sigh a million happy sighs when I listen to that lush arrangement. Yum.

This is a very happy day in Deannaville.

*quietly hopes no one recognizes this bit*

"Medazzaland" is my very favorite album. The title track thrills me to the bone as I'm madly obsessed with Nick Rhodes. "Big Bang Generation" is a rollicking good-time track. "Electric Barbarella" is a great song with a horrible video (IMO). "Out of My Mind"...well, it's a beautiful track to say the least...the righteous heir to the "Save a Prayer" throne if the universe was fair. "WDYTYA?"...well, I only *quote* from it in my sig! "Silva Halo"...I must be one of a few people who love this track. "Be My Icon" is a thrillingly cheeky track. "So Long Suicide" is the ultimate highlight for me...I think it's incredibly awesome. "Buried in the Sand" is sweetly tragic in its plaintiveness. "Undergoing Treatment" is simply brilliant, another exceptionally cheeky track. I *think* I named every track on the album but if not...well, I love them all!

(Oh yeah, and "WDYTYA?" = "Who Do You Think You Are?" Just FYI.)

Just wanted to post that up so that you can see, through something I wrote over three years ago, why Medazzaland remains my favorite album of theirs.

p.s.: Kate, if you're reading this, I know who you're talking about re: Alizarine!! Isn't she the woman who theorized that Nick came from the same lovely little planet David Bowie comes from? If that's the case, OMG, her website is totally hilarious! And I do remember Entertain Me! You guys had the BEST slashfic around. I miss that place, in fact.

*drops off to sleepland*