Duran Duran: Classic or Dud?

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

Wait, what? Underperformed in the UK, maybe. In the United States, it was a massive #2 hit.

xpost

Nah, "Skin Trade" only reached #39 US.

I bought the 45 back in '87, so I did my part!

But it's funny you say Y-100 in Miami broke "Ordinary World." I lived in South Florida at the time and remember it was Power 96 that played that song to death.

Josefa, I meant "Notorious" in case it wasn't clear.

I remember "Ordinary World" on Y-100, which was inching toward all-A/C in late '92 and early '93, but you might be right.

Wow, after all these years, I didn't know your history! A shout-out!

Oh sorry, re Notorious.

Yeah, ancient history at this point, but I cherish the memories and still try to make it down there once in a while

[South Florida content here:] Power 96 of course was the freestyle station back in those days, but occasionally they would latch on to some power ballad they considered meaningful and play it in high rotation. "Winds of Change" by the Scorpions was another one.

Ah no way, Alfred. "So Red The Rose" is excellent even if bloated.

yeah it's second behind Rio based on what I've heard

tt keeps telling me that SATRT is quite good but I'm really scared to hear it. really I'm scared to hear anything that isn't Rio - it's hard to hear a band capable of all-time brilliance cranking out shit

side two of SATRG is perfect, the non-single tracks on side one are kinda weak

"Strange CO-inci-DENCE each time you. look. my way."

Never been entirely sure what's so bad about 7&TRT, tbh, but the "uncritical way you love stuff from your childhood" complicates things for me too. (Everything up to Notorious really.) I'm totally digging "Of Crime & Passion" this instant. Can't face "The Reflex" though, admittedly.

Related: is there an obvious reason why "A Matter of Feeling" is seemingly Spotify's favourite Notorious track by a wide margin?

Because it's a goddamned amazing song, "Nag! Nag! Nag!". (Medazzaland's still my favorite album of all time, just to be predictable.) (Hello again!)

of all time

I was watching a press conference of Duran Duran circa '84 where American journalists were comparing the band to The Beatles because of the hysteria of the crowds, and the band essentially saying "The Beatles were 20 years ago, it was a moment in history that won't happen again, we're here to make our own history and we have next to nothing in common with them" ... Fantastic. A lot of respect for the band for saying that. Just goes to show that even back then, when music was as exciting as ever, the likes of Jann Wenner were trying to yank rock back into what they liked as teenagers instead of letting it blossom. I only wish every band had the balls to call out The Beatles for being old news.

Having said that, Andy Taylor suddenly wanting to be some sort of RAWK GAWD circa '85 was pretty depressing. Check out the footage of Power Station vs. footage of Duran Duran at Live Aid, and it's clear which band he's more into being in.

Watched that documentary from last year on BBC4 last week, it was clearly one the band had editorial control over and was consequentially like some kind of terrible EPK

Watched that documentary from last year on BBC4 last week, it was clearly one the band had editorial control over and was consequentially like some kind of terrible EPK

Whatever, the fan base (for whom the documentary was made) adored it unanimously, and it's fairly difficult to achieve unanimity amongst us Duranies. Though I would really highly recommend the other BBC special that debuted at the same time, "A Night In"; "Something You Should Know" was great, but I already knew everything they discussed in the documentary and found myself constantly fact-checking and seeking out anything at all I might not have heard about before. Sometimes it can be difficult being a walking information bank for one specific musical artist, LOL. "A Night In" did teach me a few things and was a lot more casual and conversational and I truly enjoyed watching that, so watch that one if you can!

Anyway, Turrican completely and utterly OTM on EVERYTHING. And Arcadia was the far better side project.

Also, for any random Googlers who are on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/ddtorockhall

the fan base (for whom the documentary was made)

This seems like an abrogation of duty on the part of the commissioner, then.

Arcadia was the far better side project.

Oh, I completely agree with this! Power Station don't really hold much of an interest for me, but I play that Arcadia album a lot. Given that two thirds of Arcadia were also two thirds of the main members of Duran Duran on Notorious, part of me finds it really difficult to see it as just a mere side project. I would have been more than happy with it being the follow-up to Seven and the Ragged Tiger if circumstances had been different and they'd managed to get John to lay some bass down on it.

This seems like an abrogation of duty on the part of the commissioner, then.

Pardon me, I meant "for whom the documentary was PRIMARILY made". If the casual viewer wanted a quick primer about the band, they couldn't have asked for a better one. Besides, it sure as hell beats yet another fucking program about The Beatles or whatever else usually gets that kind of programming treatment.

Oh, I completely agree with this! Power Station don't really hold much of an interest for me, but I play that Arcadia album a lot. Given that two thirds of Arcadia were also two thirds of the main members of Duran Duran on Notorious, part of me finds it really difficult to see it as just a mere side project. I would have been more than happy with it being the follow-up to Seven and the Ragged Tiger if circumstances had been different and they'd managed to get John to lay some bass down on it.

John DID end up getting involved with the "Goodbye is Forever" video, so it might as well have been the closest thing to DD from the Notorious era onward, you're correct. Besides, only one of those side projects managed to snag David Gilmour and it sure wasn't the one fearing Andy "Lawsuit Lover" Taylor on lead guitar.

You mean the video for "The Flame."

Pardon me, I meant "for whom the documentary was PRIMARILY made"

foh

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/976x549_b/p03c1nsp.jpg

Ha, I loved the fucking Power Station. They played it on rock radio! Chic! Robert Palmer! I was not much into the DD thing, but the campier they got the more I liked them.

It tickles me that when Robert Palmer bowed out of Power Station, they got Michael Des Barres in! Yeah, the same Michael Des Barres who was one of the founders of Rock Against Drugs was also in the same band as three hardcore drug fiends.

Wow, who would have expected such a passionate defensive of a documentary which wouldn't have shocked me had the words 'Pear Tree Productions' appeared at the end

But good to know the fan club liked it

lol

those fucking Beatles!

I agree, The Beatles have had their fair share of terminally boring documentaries.

I couldn't possibly comment on the Duran Duran one because I haven't seen it.

The Anthology series would have been considerably livened up by a section on Nick Rhodes' polaroids

Wat? Pamela Des Barres was in Duran Duran?

Anthology and The Compleat Beatles are the only good ones!

(xpost)

I believei n shame!.

wow, never realized American Science wasn't a single... that was an oversight.

such awful manners!

I would've rather seen "American Science" be a single than "Skin Trade", because as much as I enjoy "Skin Trade" I find "American Science" a far superior song. But the #1 gem of Notorious is absolutely "Hold Me", which is way too good to be a single. In fact, I feel DD excels with their album tracks and b-sides, not their singles (though I will forever defend the great ones such as "The Reflex", "Ordinary World", and "Union of the Snake").

Notorious isn't my favourite album of theirs, but I think the production on it has held up very well and it sounds to me that Nile spent a lot of time working with Simon on the vocals for that record.

"American Science" sounds like a Power Station leftover: the use of horns is what I hate about mid eighties use of horns.

I never thought the Reflex was as good as New Moon on Monday.

Definitely not

"American Science" sounds like a Power Station leftover: the use of horns is what I hate about mid eighties use of horns.

Nah, it's too poppy to have fit with the Power Station ethos, in spite of the brief Andy Taylor rock guitar riff in the song. Also, re: your remark about the "mid eighties use of horns", you're crazy.

I never thought the Reflex was as good as New Moon on Monday.

Could it be simply that you've never listened to NMOM as much as you've listened to "The Reflex"? Also, while the Nile Rodgers dance remix of "The Reflex" is a little on the cheesy side, the original album mix is pure gold. It's definitely better than NMOM, though not as good as "Union of the Snake", the best single from 7&TRT. BTW, I have very fond associations with that album because my late dad actually sat down with me when I was about 13 - 14 and listened to the album to experience his little girl's favorite musical artist, and had nothing but complimentary things to say about the second half of the album.

you're crazy

well, sure. What do you mean? I dislike the use of horns as a garish sound effect -- they work quite well, on the other hand, on "Notorious."

I dig the horns throughout the album: title track, "American Science", "Skin Trade". Lot more tasteful than many of their contemporaries, though I kind of dig tacky horns in the right mood too. The production of Notorious comes off less dated than any of their other 80s albums nowadays, I find

this is a "dated"-free zone, son.

Don't get me wrong, Rio still slays Notorious, even if Rio sounds more of its time. Maybe that's a better phrase to use, I didn't mean "dated" to sound too pejorative

I've been biting my tongue on this since late 2018, it's surreal + exciting to be able to share with you that I've produced the next @duranduran album, which features the ace @grahamcoxon on guitar.

Here is a taster of what we've been up to:
'INVISIBLE' https://t.co/1R89ke287e pic.twitter.com/fPCaqKF4Ov

— erol alkan (@erolalkan) May 19, 2021

Surprised how much I'm enjoying the new album. I can't remember the last album they did where I didn't really want to skip a single song. The song with Chai keeps getting stuck in my head.

Yeah it's quite good, like they balanced out their addiction to guests with creating a pretty solid front to back listen.

Haven't listened to the new album yet but have enjoyed all the singles they released from it beforehand

I'm loving Future Past. The previous one (Paper Gods) has it's moments but I find it often very in-your-face(-not-in-a-good-way) poppy & like an older band way too desperately trying to sound contemporary. I'm relieved the new one doesn't have that at all. It's very consistent in its high quality. Simon sounds amazing!
Graham Coxon is featured on 9 of the 15 tracks (deluxe edition) and shares songwriting credit. Can they please make him a fulltime member of the band, at least for as long as Blur isn't doing anything?

Can't totally agree with kitchen person's comment though, as 2010's All You Need Is Now might actually be my favourite Duran Duran album.