Duran Duran: Classic or Dud?

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*

Planet Earth
Late Bar
Careless Memories
Girls On Film
My Own Way
Hungry Like The Wolf
Save A Prayer
Rio
Hold Back The Rain
The Chauffeur
Is There Something I Should Know?
Union Of The Snake
New Moon On Monday
The Reflex
Wild Boys
A View To A Kill
Notorious
Come Undone
Ordinary World

(79:30, chronological AFAIK)

Today, classic! Without any shadow of doubt!

This song alone makes Duran Duran in the 90's equal to their 80's classic period.

From Liberty (1990):
"First Impression"
"Liberty"
"My Antarctica"
"Serious"
"Venice Drowning"

From The Wedding Album (1993):
"Too Much Information"
"Ordinary World"
"Love Voodoo"
"Come Undone"
"Breath After Breath"
"None Of The Above"
"Sin Of The City"

From Thank You (1995):
"Drive By"
"Watching The Detectives"
"Perfect Day"

From Medazzaland (1997):
"Medazzaland"
"Big Bang Generation"
"Electric Barbarella"
"Out Of My Mind"
"Who Do You Think You Are?"
"Silva Halo"
"Be My Icon"
"Buried In The Sand"
"Michael (You've Got A Lot To Answer For)"
"Midnight Sun"
"So Long Suicide"
"Undergoing Treatment"

(Of course I would have to name every single one of the songs on that album -- that's my favorite album of all time!)

I would also name songs off Pop Trash, but that's going into a different decade altogether. Though I do adore it, not as much as Medazzaland and sometimes not as much as The Wedding Album, but I do certainly think it's an awesome album overall. :)

Ooh, I'll have to work on it tonight. Just getting to narrowing it down to that length... wow. I might actually want to do that myself. :) (The burning, that is.)

Does Night Version just mean extended version?

Well, "Night Version" is essentially a catch-all term that refers to certain extended versions of songs the band recorded back in the early '80s (i.e., pre-7&TRT), but in terms of Rio tracks that are labeled "Night Version", it's more often referring to tracks remixed by David Kershenbaum. For example, the "Night Version" of "Hungry Like the Wolf" is hardly any longer than the "regular" version of "HLTW", but it sounds a bit differently because of the David Kershenbaum touch. Any American who bought the Rio album on vinyl back when Rio started becoming popular Stateside, or cassette back when Rio was originally released in the U.S., would be most familiar with the "Night Version" of a sizeable chunk of the songs therein. The original vinyl release and the most recent cassette release of Rio would have the original mixes of all the songs, same as the regular worldwide CD version of said album and the regular UK vinyl/cassette versions.

Uh, have I confused you?

"Fallen Angel"/"Falling Angel"
(They're essentially the same song, though "Falling Angel", which is found on the Obsession and Corruption release, has a different, rougher intro than "Fallen Angel". This song, though, no matter what the version, is gorgeous and lovely.)

"Time For Temptation"
(Great, catchy song, though once again the version found on Obsession and Corruption is a bit rougher than the version found on the Japanese version of TWA.)

"Stop Dead"
(Now there's only one version of this song! Still, great and catchy and very danceable. Anytime you see anything in the Duranternet referring to the phrase "Yo Latin mama, check out your hombre," you can now know that it comes from this particular song.)