Let us praise (or not, if you're mean) Duran Duran's "Hold Back the Rain"

fortunate hazel, you have made my fangirl life, hon. That is the version I was referring to! I'm currently swooning back and forth because it has been so damned long since I've been able to hear that version. I feel like I've turned 13 again and am excitedly playing my Rio cassette over and over and over again on my Walkman after school and doing pre-algebra homework.

That's it. That singles box set is mine. Oh yes, and as for the wonderful video idea -- well, that's Capitol Records for you, the glorious group of individuals with absolutely no vision whatsoever when it comes to musical artists they don't feel like pushing to the masses. *snort* But I should really shut up about them, because they (well, actually their parent co., EMI) actually decided to take that long, filmic version of the "New Moon On Monday" video off the shelves and put it into the new Greatest DVD collection.

I'm almost crying here, fyi. It's meant that much to me to hear this again. Thank you.

You know, I thought it would be great, but it just kind of creeped me out. "Girls on Film" at least offered exactly that, this one had women playing pattycake... Still, the song is good!

I actually think it'd be fantastic to hear the "alternate slow mix" of "Faith In This Colour" in CD format. In crystal-clear CD format. In "it was probably remastered" CD format. Same goes for "Faster Than Light".

You know, I thought it would be great, but it just kind of creeped me out.

What element of the video freaked you out? I'm not confused here -- I was just wondering whether you'd mention the things most people would mention.

As for "Girls On Film" -- you call mud wrestling topless "playing pattycake"? Or is there a part of the video I'm not remembering? Because I remember the pillow fight, the massage session, the bit with the lifeguard and the kiddy pool, the horse-riding session, and either the mud wrestling match and the ensuing hosedown (in that uncensored version) or the little danceathon thingy (in that censored version).

By that, you mean LEZZING UP?

*snorts and nods* Mm hmm. But it's not totally overt -- I mean, they're not exactly going at it in the video. They're just... dancing. Seductively. While looking at each other. While... ah, I'm just going to ruin that scene for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, so I'll just quit while I'm ahead.

-- Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (soto.alfre...), July 31st, 2006.

Yes. Following that they should study music or hire some people who have the ability to play music to write and perform some songs. Then they'd be, like, totally awesome and stuff.

It could be the end as we're sinking
Ooh, I don't know what you're thinking
I don't even know what you're drinking
But it keeps this heaven alive

Think of the 12" as the perfection of what the album version drives at.

"And if the fires burn out
There's only FIRE TO BLAME!"

Bimble is drunk and bimble loves this song forever. Amen.

(Well, should be 'stars burn out' but I prefer that take.)

Ned sounds like he's hammered too!

Yeah, um, I can't say enough about this tune. When I finally bought Rio in '93 or thereabouts I was amazed by how insistently it demanded your attention.

The song is Simon's warning to John!

Duran Duran was always awful and saying otherwise is futile yearning for one's childhood

even the "good" DD songs are totally pukeful

not that I don't love them

I only got into Duran Duran off the back of Red Carpet Massacre, so that's your theory debunked mr futile yearning.

That's a neat clip up there.

Finally got hold of the Rio volume in the Classic Albums DVD series.

The seventeen minute "US night mix version #574" is still the best ever.

Well, maybe the 13 minute "Italo morning mix version #173" is

There's an awesome version on Spotify which is 6.38 in length; is this the one Ned's talking about? Or is he waxing on a 7-minute version?

ok the whole album is amazing but the more i think about it, the more 'hold back the rain' and 'last chance on the stairway' reveal themselves as not just the dependable momentum-sustaining mood-enhancers but the crucial parts of the piece. like, i'd initially thought of them not as the 'main event' tracks but as very, very good filler, but for some reason this has mutated into them being both very, very good filler and the best songs on the album (and two of the best songs of the era)

"Last Chance..." actually boasts decent lyrics! By which I mean the "it could be the atmosphere sinking" part.

that bit is showstopping

This is the best Duran song ever. Sorry for finding this thread just now.

No need to apologize.

It is a great song, but out of the "Rio" non-single album tracks (besides "The Chauffeur", which is widely recognized as a classic by a lot of people anyway), I feel like "Lonely In Your Nightmare" is the real underrated gem there.

Looks like I said roughly the same thing 8 years ago. Oh well. Still standing for it. :) Anyway, all "Rio" tracs are great. :)

US night mix is the greatest thing ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NrKxtI6H2s

Yeah, I have a lot of time for this song. Probably even more for 'Last Chance On The Stairway', actually.