Duran Duran: Discography (1981-2011)

Duran Duran personified new wave for much of the mainstream audience. And for good reason, too. Duran Duran's reputation was built through music videos, which accentuated their fashion-model looks and glamorous sense of style. Without music videos, it's likely that their pop-funk – described by the group as the Sex Pistols meets Chic – would never have made them international pop stars. While Duran Duran did have sharper pop sensibilities than their new romantic contemporaries like Spandau Ballet and Ultravox, none of their peers exploited MTV and music video like the Birmingham-based quintet. Each video the group made was distinctive, incorporating a number of cinematic styles to showcase the band as either part of the jet-setting elite ("Rio") or as worldly adventurers ("Hungry Like the Wolf"). While early videos like "Girls on Film" and "The Chauffeur" sparked controversy in England over their sexual content, their best-known clips were often based on hit contemporary movies. "Hungry Like the Wolf" uncannily recalled Raiders of the Lost Ark, while "Union of the Snake" and "The Wild Boys" brought to mind The Road Warrior. The clever videos helped make Duran Duran's rise to popularity remarkably swift. Between 1982 and 1984, they rocketed from underground British post-punk sensations to teen idols. But their fall from grace was equally fast. By the late '80s, the group's lineup had fragmented, and the remaining members had trouble landing hit singles. Nevertheless, the group pulled off a surprising, if short-lived, comeback in the early '90s as a sophisticated soft rock trio.

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Duran Duran: Discography (1981-2011)

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Inspired by David Bowie and Roxy Music, as well as post-punk and disco, schoolmates Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (guitar) formed Duran Duran in 1978 with their friends Simon Colley (bass, clarinet) and Stephen Duffy (vocals). Taking their name from a character in Roger Vadim's psychedelic sci-fi film Barbarella, the group began playing gigs in the Birmingham club Barbarella, supported by a drum machine. Within a year, Duffy and Colley both left the group – Duffy would later form the Lilac Time – and were replaced by former TV Eye vocalist Andy Wickett and drummer Roger Taylor. After recording a demo, John Taylor switched to bass and guitarist John Curtis joined the band, only to leave within a matter of months. The group placed an ad in Melody Maker, which drew the attention of Andy Taylor, who became their guitarist. However, Duran Duran were still having trouble finding a vocalist. Following Wickett's departure in 1979, a pair of singers passed through the group before Simon LeBon, a former member of the punk band Dog Days and a drama student at Birmingham University, joined in early 1980.

By the end of 1980, Duran Duran had become popular within the burgeoning new romantic circuit in England and had secured a record contract with EMI. "Planet Earth," the band's first single, quickly rose to number 12 upon its spring 1981 release. Immediately, Duran Duran became the leaders of the new romantic movement, becoming media sensations in the British music and mainstream press. The group's popularity increased through its cutting-edge music videos, especially the bizarre, racy clip for "Girls on Film." Although the BBC banned the Godley & Creme-directed video, the single became the group's first Top Ten hit, setting the stage for the fall release of its eponymous debut album. Duran Duran reached number three upon its release and stayed in the charts for 118 weeks. The band quickly followed the album with Rio in the spring of 1982. Rio entered the charts at number two, and its singles – "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Save a Prayer" – became Top Ten hits. By the November release of the remix EP Carnival, the bandmembers were superstars in Europe, but only just beginning to make headway in America. Their exposure in the U.S. was helped greatly by the emergence of MTV, which put the group's stylish videos into heavy rotation. MTV's constant playing of the videos paid off, and "Hungry Like the Wolf" became a Top Ten hit early in 1983. Rio followed that single into the Top Ten, eventually selling over two million copies.

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Duran Duran: Discography (1981-2011)

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Duran Duran mania was in full swing across America, with "Is There Something I Should Know" reaching the Top Ten – it became the group's first English number one that summer – and the group's first album climbing its way to number ten. Duran Duran capitalized on their popularity by releasing Seven and the Ragged Tiger in time for 1983's holiday season. The record hit number one in the U.K. and number eight in the U.S., spawning the hit singles "Union of the Snake" and "The Reflex," their first number one U.S. hit and their second British chart-topper. The band took an extended break after completing its year-and-a-half-long international tour in the spring of 1984. In November, the group released the non-LP single "Wild Boys," which reached number two in the U.K. and the U.S., where it was added to the live album Arena.

By 1985, Duran Duran fever was beginning to cool off, and after completing the title track for the James Bond film A View to a Kill, the group went on hiatus. Andy and John Taylor formed the supergroup the Power Station with vocalist Robert Palmer and former Chic drummer Tony Thompson in January, releasing their eponymous debut album in the spring; it spawned the Top Ten singles "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On (Bang a Gong)." The remaining members of Duran Duran – Nick Rhodes, Simon LeBon, and Roger Taylor – responded with their own side project, Arcadia, releasing an album called So Red the Rose in the fall of 1985; the album launched the Top Ten hit "Election Day." Early in 1986, Roger Taylor announced he was taking a yearlong sabbatical from the group; he never returned. Several months later, Andy Taylor also left, reducing Duran Duran to a trio. Late in 1986, the band released Notorious, its first album in nearly three years. While it was relatively successful, going platinum in the U.S. and generating a Top Ten hit with the title track, it was noticeably less popular than their earlier records. For the remainder of the decade, Duran Duran's popularity continually declined, with 1988's Big Thing producing "I Don't Want Your Love," their last Top Ten single for five years.

The greatest-hits album Decade was released late in 1989, followed several months later by Liberty, the first Duran Duran album to fail to go gold. By that point, former Missing Persons guitarist Warren Cuccurullo had become a permanent member of the group. In 1993, the band returned from a prolonged hiatus with Duran Duran [The Wedding Album], a mature, layered record of lite funk and soulful adult contemporary pop that became a surprise hit. "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone" became Top Ten hits in America, with the former reaching the Top Ten in the U.K. as well; the album itself climbed into the Top Ten on both continents and went platinum in America. Not only did the record restore their commercial status, but it earned them some of their best reviews of their career. The group followed the album with one of their poorest-received efforts, 1995's all-covers Thank You, which managed to go gold in America despite its negative reviews. While Duran Duran were recording the follow-up to Thank You in 1996, John Taylor left the band to pursue a solo career, leaving the group a trio of LeBon, Rhodes, and Cuccurullo. That follow-up, Medazzaland, was released in 1997 but failed to produce any major hits. Released in 2000, Pop Trash suffered a similar fate.

In March 2001, the three Taylors – Andy, John, and Roger – met up in Wales and worked with each other for three weeks. Around this time, rumors of a five-member reunion began to circulate. Two months after Rhodes and LeBon denied the rumors, the reunion was confirmed. Duran Duran recorded on and off for a new album over the next three years and also toured sporadically. After signing with Epic, they released Astronaut in October 2004. Red Carpet Massacre followed in 2007. In 2011, Duran Duran delivered their 13th studio album, the Mark Ronson-produced All You Need Is Now.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

Duran Duran's eponymous debut artfully coalesced the sonic and stylistic elements of the burgeoning new romantic movement they were soon to spearhead: pumping synths, glossy production, and seemingly impossible haircuts. Ultra-smart singles like "Girls on Film" and "Planet Earth" became instant smash hits both in the U.K. and America, and other fine pop gems such as "Anyone Out There" and "Careless Memories" rounded out the album's stellar first side. Side two was a far more experimental and revealing affair, with primary songwriter Nick Rhodes leading the band through atmospheric mood-pieces like "Night Boat," "Sound of Thunder," and the instrumental "Tel Aviv," all of which are particularly reminiscent of mid-era Roxy Music (clearly one of Duran's biggest influences). The band's groundbreaking music videos would do the rest, securing them a unique standing as forerunners of the first MTV generation and cementing their status as one of the decade's most successful pop music icons.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Girls On Film [0:03:33.40]
02. Planet Earth [0:04:02.62]
03. Anyone Out There [0:04:03.28]
04. Careless Memories [0:03:55.15]
05. Is There Something I Should Know? [0:04:09.70]
06. Night Boat [0:05:25.20]
07. Sound Of Thunder [0:04:06.07]
08. Friends Of Mine [0:05:44.48]
09. Tel Aviv [0:05:17.27]

From its Nagel cover to the haircuts and overall design – and first and foremost the music – Rio is as representative of the '80s at its best as it gets. The original Duran Duran's high point, and just as likely the band's as a whole, its fusion of style and substance ensures that even two decades after its release it remains as listenable and danceable as ever. The quintet integrates its sound near-perfectly throughout, the John and Roger Taylor rhythm section providing both driving propulsion and subtle pacing. For the latter, consider the lush, semi-tropical sway of "Save a Prayer," or the closing paranoid creep of "The Chauffeur," a descendant of Roxy Music's equally affecting dark groover "The Bogus Man." Andy Taylor's muscular riffs provide fine rock crunch throughout, Rhodes' synth wash adds perfect sheen, and Le Bon tops it off with sometimes overly cryptic lyrics that still always sound just fine in context, courtesy of his strong delivery. Rio's two biggest smashes burst open the door in America for the New Romantic/synth rock crossover. "Hungry Like the Wolf" blended a tight, guitar-heavy groove with electronic production and a series of instant hooks, while the title track was even more anthemic, with a great sax break from guest Andy Hamilton adding to the soaring atmosphere. Lesser known cuts like "Lonely in Your Nightmare" and "Last Chance on the Stairway" still have pop thrills a-plenty, while "Hold Back the Rain" is the sleeper hit on Rio, an invigorating blast of feedback, keyboards and beat that doesn't let up. From start to finish, a great album that has outlasted its era.

by Ned Raggett, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Rio [0:05:38.57]
02. My Own Way [0:04:51.08]
03. Lonely In Your Nightmare [0:03:50.30]
04. Hungry Like The Wolf [0:03:41.12]
05. Hold Back The Rain [0:03:49.33]
06. New Religion [0:05:33.27]
07. Last Chance On The Stairway [0:04:20.33]
08. Save A Prayer [0:05:25.55]
09. The Chauffeur [0:05:12.35]

Despite the fact that Seven and the Ragged Tiger couldn't match the unrestrained pop/rock ebullience of 1982's Rio, Duran Duran put three of the album's singles in the Top Ten, taking it to number one in the U.K. Even though "The Reflex" gave the band their first number one hit, there's an overabundance of fancy glitz and dancefloor flamboyancy running through it, unlike "New Moon on Monday"'s straight-ahead appeal or "Union of the Snake"'s mysterious, almost taboo flair. It's apparent that Seven and the Ragged Tiger's content has the band moving ever so slightly into a danceclub arena, with the songs leaning more toward their ability to produce a sexier sound through electronics and instrumentation than through a firm lyrical and musical partnership. Even the unreleased tracks trade Duran Duran's handsome edginess for a shinier sound, heard mainly on "I Take the Dice" and "Cracks in the Pavement." It's here that Lebon and Taylor's personalities begins to get overshadowed by the demand to produce a more synth-snazzy and fashionable style of music. Although they may have turned their songwriting down a notch in order to succumb to the pabulum of synthesized pop, they didn't relinquish every aspect of their genius, and when they do deliver, it's bright, energetic, and effectual. Duran Duran's new direction eventually gave Seven and the Ragged Tiger double platinum status.

by Mike DeGagne, AMG

Tracklist:

01. The Reflex [0:05:29.40]
02. New Moon On Monday [0:04:15.32]
03. (I'm Looking For) Cracks In The Pavement [0:03:38.55]
04. I Take The Dice [0:03:17.70]
05. Of Crime And Passion [0:03:51.65]
06. Union Of The Snake [0:04:20.05]
07. Shadows On Your Side [0:04:01.13]
08. Tiger Tiger [0:03:21.27]
09. The Seventh Stranger [0:05:21.63]

Seeing Duran Duran in concert in 1984 was like seeing a video come to life. The group put on a spectacular show filled with impressive light shows and videos. Since the concerts featured so many visuals, the band could not vary the tempos greatly, resulting in music that nearly replicated the studio versions of the songs. Arena accurately reproduces the sound and feeling of these concerts. Duran Duran sound tight and professional (probably due to studio overdubbing), yet Simon Lebon sounds a little winded, possibly because of all the dancing he had to do during the course of the show. The new Nile Rodgers-produced single "The Wild Boys" was added to the album as bait and the strategy worked: peaking at number four, Arena was Duran Duran's highest-charting album and it sold over two million copies. Nevertheless, it's the most inconsequential album in their entire catalog, even if it's fun.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Is There Something I Should Know? [0:04:34.02]
02. Hungry Like The Wolf [0:04:01.08]
03. New Religion [0:05:37.05]
04. Save A Prayer [0:06:12.20]
05. The Wild Boys [0:04:18.22]
06. The Seventh Stranger [0:05:10.35]
07. The Chauffeur [0:05:23.53]
08. Union Of The Snake [0:04:07.70]
09. Planet Earth [0:04:31.10]
10. Careless Memories [0:04:08.17]

1986's Notorious has Andy Taylor contributing on only four songs before leaving to start his solo career, but on the strength of the title track's number two placing and "Skin Trade"'s number 39 mark, the album itself peaked at number 12 in the U.S. and number 16 in the U.K. On the whole, only "Notorious" showed any real livelihood, thanks to its modern gleam and the catchy stutter of its chorus. "Skin Trade" is almost as worthy, thanks to its sultry, seductive air and enchanting but complex rhythmic allure. While the writing is somewhat stable on Notorious, Duran Duran's efforts at sounding enigmatic and covert end up being hot and cold. Tracks like "American Science" and "Vertigo" try too hard, while only "Meet el Presidente," a number 24 hit in Britain, sports a rather appealing flow. Beneath Duran Duran's attempts at trying to sound musically devious, mysterious, and slightly seductive, the tracks fail to bear enough weight in order to be effective all the way through. It's easy to see why the band would choose such a route at this point in their career, but moderate doses of pop enthusiasm would have made Notorious a fuller and more enjoyable package. The provocative, nightclub brand of martini-sipping pop that does surface is meritorious to a certain extent, felt mostly in the album's two biggest tracks.

by Mike DeGagne, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Notorious [0:04:18.27]
02. American Science [0:04:43.10]
03. Skin Trade [0:05:57.03]
04. A Matter Of Feeling [0:05:56.65]
05. Hold Me [0:04:31.05]
06. Vertigo (Do The Demolition) [0:04:44.07]
07. So Misled [0:04:03.70]
08. "Meet El Presidente" [0:04:19.63]
09. Winter Marches On [0:03:25.52]
10. Proposition [0:04:57.38]






Go to original post ==> Duran Duran - Big Thing (1988) by Justin




Go to original post ==> Duran Duran - Decade (1989) by perfecta

Duran Duran came back out of nowhere in early 1993 with a new album and a huge hit, "Ordinary World." The group sounds more relaxed and mature than it did during their glory days, but not all that much has changed; instead of personifying the days of early-'80s synthesized dance-pop, the music is smooth dance-pop for the '90s. Taken on its own terms, Duran Duran works every bit as well as Duran Duran, Rio or Seven and the Ragged Tiger. "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone" are wonderful pop singles that sit between some passable album tracks and the occasional embarrassment, namely the wretched cover of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale." In other words, Duran Duran are back and as good as they ever were.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Too Much Information [0:04:55.72]
02. Ordinary World [0:05:40.18]
03. Love Voodoo [0:04:58.22]
04. Drowning Man [0:05:14.25]
05. Shotgun [0:00:54.00]
06. Come Undone [0:04:38.55]
07. Breath After Breath [0:04:57.45]
08. UMF [0:05:32.45]
09. Femme Fatale [0:04:21.53]
10. None Of The Above [0:05:18.30]
11. Shelter [0:04:23.62]
12. To Whom It May Concern [0:04:23.25]
13. Sin Of The City [0:07:14.35]

An album of Duran Duran covering their "influences" was never something even the most dedicated fan wanted to hear, yet the band had the audacity to record Thank You, a collection of the group's favorite songs. Featuring songwriters as diverse as Bob Dylan and Sly Stone, Thank You works best when the band realizes the monumental silliness of its cover, as on "White Lines," which is performed with Grandmaster Flash himself, and the acoustic blues rendition of Public Enemy's "911 Is a Joke." Or it works when the band can reinvent material like Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" into a slick MOR ballad. When Thank You doesn't work, it's because the band doesn't quite get what made the original version special ("Lay Lady Lay" and "Watching the Detectives"). Too many plain, mediocre songs (the Doors' "Crystal Ship") prevent the album from being either unintentionally funny or genuinely successful. The record is solely a curiosity and not a very interesting one at that.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

Tracklist:

01. White Lines [0:05:31.72]
02. I Wanna Take You Higher (Version 1) [0:05:05.68]
03. Perfect Day [0:03:50.72]
04. Watching The Detectives [0:04:48.00]
05. Lay Lady Lay [0:03:52.58]
06. 911 Is A Joke [0:03:59.07]
07. Success [0:04:05.03]
08. Crystal Ship [0:02:51.37]
09. Ball Of Confusion [0:03:46.15]
10. Thank You [0:06:35.23]
11. Drive By [0:05:34.60]
12. I Wanna Take You Higher Again [0:04:25.35]
13. Diamond Dogs (Bonus Track For Japan) [0:06:11.00]
14. Femme Fatale (Bonus Track For Japan) [0:04:22.40]

The monumental embarrassment of their covers album, Thank You, derailed Duran Duran's impressive early-'90s comeback and its successor, the clumsily named Medazzaland, finds the group trying regain lost territory. John Taylor left the group early in the recording of Medazzaland, leaving Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes as the only surviving original members. With former Missing Persons member Warren Cuccurullo assisting on guitar, bass, and production, LeBon and Rhodes decide to update their basic new romantic dance-pop to include industrial, Brit-pop, and ambient flourishes. Ironically, all this window dressing merely emphasizes that Duran Duran are at their best when they concentrate on straight-ahead dance-pop and balladry, not when they try to be hip. Unfortunately, for most of Medazzaland, the group tries to stay hip and contemporary, and ultimately that's what prevents the album from offering enough pleasure.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Medazzaland [0:03:53.02]
02. Big Bang Generation [0:04:44.08]
03. Electric Barbarella [0:05:19.02]
04. Out Of My Mind [0:04:20.10]
05. Who Do You Think You Are? [0:03:27.23]
06. Silva Halo [0:02:28.00]
07. Be My Icon [0:05:15.57]
08. Buried In The Sand [0:04:19.48]
09. Michael You've Got A Lot To Answer For [0:04:09.12]
10. Midnight Sun [0:03:41.43]
11. So Long Suicide [0:04:39.57]
12. Ball And Chain [0:03:58.18]
13. Undergoing Treatment [0:03:05.32]

This album showcases a Duran Duran that is but a hollow shell of the band that enjoyed pop successes in the early '80s. Only Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes remain from the original lineup – Warren Cuccurullo, who has been featured on several recent Duran Duran albums, joins them to make a trio. Some of the smooth, spacy ballads that were characteristic of their 1993 self-titled release show up here, but more often than not LeBon is lost in a swamp of overproduction. Completely absent from this music was the aggressiveness and sexuality that made early Duran Duran great – kinder, gentler records could probably be expected from the band as they age, but this album feels careless and flabby instead of introspective. Notable exceptions include the ascorbic "Mars Meets Venus," which skewers the American self-help movement over Bowie-influenced dance-pop beats, and the delicate if slightly sappy "Lady Xanax."

by Stacia Proefrock , AMG

Tracklist:

01. Someone Else Not Me [0:04:50.25]
02. Lava Lamp [0:03:54.50]
03. Playing With Uranium [0:03:51.10]
04. Hallucinating Elvis [0:05:26.02]
05. Starting To Remember [0:02:38.53]
06. Pop Trash Movie [0:04:55.05]
07. Fragment [0:00:49.37]
08. Mars Meets Venus [0:03:08.35]
09. Lady Xanax [0:04:55.15]
10. The Sun Doesn't Shine Forever [0:04:51.53]
11. Kiss Goodbye [0:00:41.35]
12. Last Day On Earth [0:04:25.05]
13. Un Autre Que Moi (French Version Of Someone Else Not Me) [0:04:19.55]
14. Alguien Que No Soy Yo (Spanish Version Of Someone Else Not Me)) [0:04:17.17]
15. Prototypes [0:06:17.15]
–- I. Ring Back (Not Engaged)
–- II. Stromo vs. Retibol
–- III. Virus
–- IV. A Higher Voice
–- V. Gm Virus
–- VI. Piece Of Mind
–- VII. Archibaldo's Favorite Toy
–- VIII. Ocean Of Sound
–- IX. Reprints
–- X. Wire Tap
–- XI. Thick Skin
–- XII. Missing Link
–- XIII. A Walk In The Park

"It's like the Mamas & the Papas meets Kraftwerk." This line, more baffling than a lyric like "Shake up the picture, the lizard mixture, with your dance on the eventide," is how Simon LeBon described Astronaut to Rolling Stone. If it was meant to lower expectations of the first Duran Duran album to feature the Fab Five (meaning LeBon, Nick Rhodes, and the trio of unrelated Taylors) since Seven and the Ragged Tiger, it worked. Astronaut, rest assured, sounds nothing like that match made in hell. Instead, it resembles what the average lapsed Durannie might expect or even hope for – a modern-sounding mixture of extroverted dance-pop and rock, with a couple of relatively subdued and introverted moments. No sound seems forced, and you can tell that the members are thrilled to be in the same studio with one another. Despite a disparate lineup of producers, including Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne) and Dallas Austin (Boyz II Men, Janet Jackson, Pink), the songs slide into one another as well as they do on any of the group's early albums. The big, glossy, buoyant songs work best, containing punching choruses and sleekly raucous motifs that manage to trigger faint memories without sounding recycled. The lighthearted mid-tempo funk of "Bedroom Toys," however, is a randy nightmare that's almost as awkward as any of the covers on Thank You. Even with a handful of forgettable songs beyond that, the album is easily the best one credited to the Duran Duran name since 1993's Wedding Album. That's not saying much, but the fact that these five fortysomethings have made something fresh and contemporary – without acknowledging the '80s revival(s) – is a feat of some kind.

by Andy Kellman, AMG

Tracklist:

01. (Reach Up For The) Sunrise [0:03:25.35]
02. Want You More! [0:03:37.49]
03. What Happens Tomorrow [0:04:04.31]
04. Astronaut [0:03:24.48]
05. Bedroom Toys [0:03:50.74]
06. Nice [0:03:26.02]
07. Taste The Summer [0:03:52.72]
08. Finest Hour [0:03:55.22]
09. Chains [0:04:46.26]
10. One Of Those Days [0:03:45.33]
11. Point Of No Return [0:04:57.45]
12. Still Breathing [0:05:59.02]

While Duran Duran have worked steadily since their 1993 comeback, The Wedding Album, they haven't always sounded as stylish and creatively tuned-in as they do on 2007's Red Carpet Massacre. Perhaps it's because there hasn't always been a definitive sound for the band to catch onto in the way that adult alternative informed the mature aesthetic of The Wedding Album. Interestingly, rather than go for the sound of more obvious neo-new wave bands like the Killers, Red Carpet Massacre finds the original lineup of vocalist Simon LeBon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor – guitarist Andy Taylor left prior to recording – hooking up with modern dance-pop producers Danjahandz and Timbaland for a sound that at once returns the band to its edgy, club-oriented roots while also updating its sound to fit in on the radio next to such contemporary Timbaland-helmed acts as Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. In fact, Timberlake even co-wrote and produced the very "FutureSex/LoveSounds"-ish ballad "Falling Down." These are darkly atmospheric, pulsating tracks that make the most of Duran Duran's longstanding knack for moody, somewhat cheeky dance-rock. To theses ends, dark disco cuts like "Nite-Runner" and "Skin Divers," with their dominatrix whip beats, high-pitched choruses, and obligatory Timbaland raps, are both deliciously hedonistic and crisply appointed electro-soul numbers. Similarly, tracks like the synth-driven title cut and the angular and oddly funky "Zoom In" come as close as the band has been in years to re-creating its own glamorous and neon-coated '80s aesthetic.

by Matt Collar, AMG

Tracklist:

01. The Valley [0:04:57.42]
02. Red Carpet Massacre [0:03:16.43]
03. Nite-Runner [0:03:58.20]
04. Falling Down [0:05:41.10]
05. Box Full O' Honey [0:03:10.62]
06. Skin Divers [0:04:23.53]
07. Tempted [0:04:24.35]
08. Tricked Out [0:02:46.32]
09. Zoom In [0:03:27.03]
10. She's Too Much [0:05:14.27]
11. Dirty Great Monster [0:03:36.20]
12. Last Man Standing [0:04:00.60]

Duran Duran and producer Mark Ronson envisioned the 2011 release All You Need Is Now as a sequel to the band’s 1982 effort Rio, but fans are better off approaching it as the imaginary effort that came after 1983’s Seven and the Ragged Tiger. Follow their analogy, and this should sound like a band that just created a new wave icon, but here there’s an enthusiasm and sense of purpose that can only come from an act less cocksure than one that is on top. To his credit, Ronson was pretty near the top at the time of the album’s release, but his inspired work on All You Need is driven by both hero worship and a previously underappreciated talent to do what’s right by the artist. For Duran Duran, it’s clean and slick landscapes of synths, plus a dash of trendy gimmicks (representing the band’s love of fame and fashion) with just a touch of weird (representing the band’s love of art rock, particularly Roxy Music). The band is close enough to top form to use Ronson’s work as a springboard, letting the singalong tales of models, paranoia, and men who steal leopards flow naturally. Some tracks sway and glide, like the new romantic hit “Planet Earth” (the great “Too Bad You’re So Beautiful,” or the sci-fi club track “Blame the Machines”), while others bring reminders of the percussive studio creation “Wild Boys” (the pounding title track), or those early, melancholy numbers like “The Chauffer” (the flowing and wistful “Mediterranea”). As far as reservations, the once bold, sometimes shameless Simon Le Bon sounds a bit tentative in this post-Killers world, and when compared to the tight, original, nine-track version of the album previously made available via digital download, this final, fatter version borders on "too much of a good thing." Fortunately, the emphasis will be on "good thing" for longtime Duran fans or anyone with a taste for melodic, synth-driven pop/rock.

by David Jeffries, AMG

Tracklist:

01. All You Need Is Now [0:04:33.67]
02. Blame The Machines [0:04:09.40]
03. Being Followed [0:03:49.64]
04. Leave A Light On [0:04:38.00]
05. Safe {In The Heat Of The Moment} [0:04:01.19]
06. Girl Panic! [0:04:34.51]
07. A Diamond In The Mind [0:01:18.06]
08. The Man Who Stole A Leopard [0:06:14.43]
09. Other People's Lives [0:03:45.70]
10. Mediterranea [0:05:40.34]
11. Too Bad You're So Beautiful [0:04:55.43]
12. Runway Runaway [0:03:07.34]
13. Return To Now [0:01:36.07]
14. Before The Rain [0:04:35.21]
15. Networker Nation [0:03:09.73]



All thanks go to bvstudio, Justin and perfecta