Retro Spins: Duran Duran - Notorious

Okay, this is it. The last Duran Duran album from the 80's that I have to make my way through. I've talked about all the others, dug in extensively to the groups past, present, and future. Now it's time to cross the finish line with 1986's Notorious.

With nothing left to say about the band in general, let's just dive right in.

Notorious starts with the title track, and immediately sets the tone of a more mature Duran Duran. No longer riding the waves of the heartthrob images which all but tore them apart in 1985. Instead, it was back to the music. The core fundamental of what makes a band a band. The album also departs from the prior new wave and synth-pop sounds to focus on a more funk rock aspect.

The album came to fruition after the departure of core member Roger Taylor, and while parts of it featured Andy Taylor, he too would leave. Former guitarist of Missing Persons, Warren Cuccurullo, would be called in to complete Andy's work, along with producer Nile Rodgers, who also filled in. Cuccurullo would go on to remain with the group through 2000's Pop Trash. Steve Ferrone, and Jimmy Maelen would fill in on drums in the absence of Roger.

While most critics praised Notorious, the album, for its more mature tone, many also agreed that it didn't deliver the energetic pop hits that made the band popular to begin with. I suppose it's a compromise one has to make. Do you want Duran Duran to stay in their early years, rinsing and repeating the standard slate, or do you want to watch the members grow and mature? All bands ebb and flow, and sometimes that's the charm of it.

I agree with the critical reception. Notorious is definitely a more sophisticated and grown up album than what came before it. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish for a campy pop hit to be thrown into the mix. Something free spirited and irresistibly giddy to just cheese out to. This album simply isn't going to do that, and it wasn't intended to. It's good, and stands on its own merit, but certainly lacks the hits of prior releases.

Standout tracks for me would be the title track, Notorious, Skin Trade, Vertigo (Do The Demolition), and Proposition. However, for the most part, it's kind of forgettable. Honestly, I felt like the whole thing was kind of dragging on, and it ultimately got relegated to background noise.

The album would also be the beginning of what would become the steady decline of album sales for the band. By the mid 90's they were shadowed so greatly by their continued underperformances of Notorious, 1988's Big Thing, and 1990's Liberty, that when they returned to record material for what would become the 1993 self titled Wedding Album, Capitol would only fund them incrementally as material was completed, submitted, and approved by the label.

Of course, despite this hiccup, and decline in the 90's, Duran Duran has since transcended to become one of the mainstay staples of the 80's, among the very few to continue to release new material, and stay relevant in the 2020's. That's no easy feat to accomplish. Heck, just surviving the 90's seemed like a life or death situation for many 80's artists.

While I certainly have many more Duran Duran albums to get through, owning their entire discography to date, that's definitely not something I'm going to be getting to soon. I mean, look how long it took me just to get to this point. It's on to someone "new" tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 24, 1989

 

Retro Spins: Duran Duran - Seven And The Ragged Tiger

I've bounced all over the Duran Duran spectrum, having already talked about their debut self titled album, follow up Rio, and last 80's album, Big Thing. I've even go so far as to review their 2021 released Future Past. What I've typically found in playing through these albums is that I like the hits, but that Duran Duran, overall, isn't what I would call a "favorite".

Because I've listened to so many of their releases (from the 80's) already, it doesn't make much sense for me to go all the way back to the bands beginning, and carve out their history. I've already done that in the aforementioned posts.

So, straight to it. Let's dive into 1983's Seven And The Ragged Tiger. It was a turning point for the band as a collective. Sessions were marred with a lack of productivity, which led to the first signs of turmoil between members. As a whole, the band wanted to change direction from their previous releases, and this led to Tiger to become a dance synth-pop record, littered with ambiguous lyrics. While it featured the hit singles The Reflex, Union Of The Snake, and New Moon On Monday, critics panned it upon its release. Despite this, Seven And The Ragged Tiger would perform spectacularly in sales, as well as on the charts.

As I played through it, I got the hits, and they were fantastic. I even got an added treat of the tune, Shadows On Your Side, and The Seventh Stranger. Was it an amazing listening session? No. Frankly, the majority of it was mediocre.

What I will say is that had this been my entry Duran Duran album in 1983, it definitely would have intrigued me enough to ask, "What else has this band done?" I dare say I'd also have been excited for what they would follow up with. However, it's 2025 at this point, so all I can do is look at it as it stands here and now, which is just okay. I suppose it's easier to do that when you already have everything from before and after, and are relatively familiar with the best the band has to offer.

Seven And The Ragged Tiger doesn't make me a super fan of Duran Duran. It just makes me happy to have the album. There's good stuff on it, some of which is a staple of the era it's from. I would even go so far as to say that it's one you "need" in your collection if you collect 80's music.

Upon its release, the band would head out for a massive world tour, which would lead to the 1984 (somewhat) live album, Arena, and an appearance at Live Aid, by 1985. It was at this world event where Le Bon would be bestowed the honor of "The Bum Note Heard Round the World" when he inadvertently hit an off-key falsetto note in the chorus of "A View to a Kill". The singer would later recall it as the most embarrassing moment of his entire career.

The band intended on taking a break, and probably should have, as by 1986 they lost two core members from fatigue and tension. Roger Taylor left after their Live Aid performance, content to retire to the English country. Andy Taylor would leave from rising tensions, as well as creative differences during the recording sessions for what would become Notorious. Though all would reunite eventually for the 2004 album Astronaut, and world tour. There was also the brief stint in 1985 of Arcadia and The Power Station.

Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and John Taylor would continue the legacy of Duran Duran with 1986's Notorious, and 1988's Big Thing. They'd pick up new guitarist (and former guitarist of Missing Persons), Warren Cuccurullo, who would stay with them for 1990's Liberty, 1993's Duran Duran (The Wedding Album), 1995's Thank You, 1997's Medazzaland, and 2000's Pop Trash. However, by this latter album, bassist John Taylor would briefly depart. Drummer Sterling Campbell, would also be credited for his contributions to 1988's Big Thing, and 1990's Liberty. However, he would quietly depart during the early stages of 1993's Wedding Album to join Soul Asylum.

Upon reuniting for the above noted Astronaut, Andy Taylor would once again depart, leaving the four remaining core members in place for subsequent albums, Red Carpet Massacre (2007), All You Need Is Now (2011), Paper Gods (2015), Future Past (2021), and Danse Macabre (2023). It would also be this latter album that Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo would return to the group to contribute.

All in between this, the group would continue to tour extensively, selling out just as big of crowds as they did in their prime. To say that Duran Duran has survived and thrived in the last few decades would be an understatement.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 23, 1984

 

Retro Spins: Duran Duran - Rio

 

When I think of the 80's, particularly the music, Duran Duran are always on the forefront of that thought. They could very well be the band I associated the decade with the most.

The group began in 1978, formed by Nick Rhodes, and John Taylor. The following year, they would add Roger Taylor to the lineup, and after a few personnel changes, the final two members, Andy Taylor and Simon Le Bon.

Duran Duran got swept up in the era of MTV, leading the charge as one of the bands noted as part of the Second British Invasion. With the aid of their videos, they were swept into mainstream popularity, which is interesting to note because initially, their debut album failed to garner any attention in the USA.

It wasn't until their 1982 album, Rio, that North American listeners took notice. Rio, the album, had massive appeal with its hit singles, Rio, Save A Prayer, and Hungry Like The Wolf. To an extent, the lesser successful My Own Way, and The Chauffeur, only helped to cement the album as a platinum seller.

For as much as Duran Duran was the soundtrack of my 80's, would you believe me if I told you that I have only heard two of their albums from start to finish? Mind you, that was for my Retro Spins posts, long after their initial release. It's true. For the longest time, I have been content with the group's greatest hits catalog.

Wanting to rectify that, I popped in Rio, and man am I glad I did. Whoo, it's a powerhouse of an album! Track after track delivers, and the stuff I'd never heard before hits even harder than the hits at points. This is probably because, for me, they're all new. It's like I've been denying myself all these great songs for the longest time, and now that I've realized just how much I've missed out, I want to rectify this quickly.

Standout track, beyond the hits, were Hold Back The Rain, and New Religion. In hindsight, I don't know how the latter was never a chart topper. It's a fantastic track!

Reaching the end of the album was a bit of a bummer, because I felt so inclined to hear more. While this would be relatively easy to rectify, as I actually own all of their albums, I felt it best to not overkill it, and have the adverse affect of getting sick of them.

As many of you out there already know, this was really just the beginning for Duran Duran. They would go on to release three more albums in the 80's, and even see members split off to pursue other projects, such as The Power Station, and Arcadia. However, the biggest blow for fans came when the band appeared to be breaking up. Roger Taylor left in 1985 due to being unhappy with the band from consistent recording and touring. Andy Taylor would follow suit in 1986, quitting the group suddenly during the recording sessions of what would become the 1986 album, Notorious.

Though the remaining three members would continue on, by 1997, John Taylor was ready to move on to other projects, and left the band in the early stages of the Medazzaland recording sessions. However, 2003 would see the reunion of the five original members, who embarked on a massive world tour, and followed this up with the release of their first studio album together since 1983's Seven and the Ragged Tiger. I remember vividly driving home from work in 2003, when the radio DJ excitedly announced the station's premiere of the new Duran Duran song, (Reach Up for The) Sunrise.

The reunion was short lived, and Andy Taylor was fired shortly thereafter, with the four remaining members releasing 2007's Red Carpet Massacre. Since then, they have stayed together, releasing three additional albums through 2021. Where Duran Duran goes from there is anyone's guess. They're just as hot now as they were in 1982!

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 21, 1981

 

February 21, 1987

Retro Spins: Duran Duran - Big Thing

My first Duran Duran Retro Spin was all the way back at the beginning of their career with the 1981 self titled album. For my follow up experience with them, I thought I'd go all the way to the end of the decade with their last entry in the 80's, Big Thing (1988).

By 1986, the lineup of Duran Duran had dwindled down from the original Fab Five to the trio of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor. Despite the group still producing a fair amount of hits, the lack of members Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor was noticeable to many fans. The music was just...different. Synthpop had taken over, and it really wasn't for the better.

Despite this, Big Thing does manage to have two tracks on it which I would say are "required listening" for a greatest hits compilation. Those songs are, I Don't Want Your Love, and All She Wants Is.

Other than that, there's very little to get excited about. It's not a bad album, it just doesn't have the life in it that prior Duran Duran albums had. It's as if the band itself is bored with their own material.

Big Thing isn't a "bad" album. Far from it. It's just disappointing. I honestly expected more from a group that's sold millions of albums across the world. For such a high profile status in the music industry, Duran Duran's albums shouldn't just be "okay". Am I wrong in feeling this way?

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Retro Spins: Duran Duran - Future Past

 

Duran Duran released their fifteenth studio album, Future Past, today, October 22, 2021. With it, we see the return of veteran rockers, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor, four of the five original members. This album comes quite a bit out from their 2015 entry, Paper Gods, but was it worth the wait?

Short answer? Yes.

Long answer, after forty years of albums, Duran Duran show that they still know what it takes to stay relevant in today's music industry, while continuing to craft hits. Unlike many artists over time who have released albums with numerous throw away tracks, Future Past feels finely honed and meticulously carved out to deliver a heavy punch from start to finish.

The tunes are heavy pop driven, while continuing to provide that groovy funk bass that people have come to expect. Overall, this plays well to their strong points. It's difficult to find a weakness in everything because from start to finish it doesn't let up in the energy. Though personally speaking, the leading track, Invisible, is by far my favorite. It sets the tone and stage for the album as a whole.

It's days like this that make me glad to see bands from the 80's continue to push on through multiple decades. It's awesome to see that they still have material worth recording, and physical albums to release. It helps to make old people like me not feel forgotten amongst a generation of digital children.

Future Past is definitely one worth checking out. I can't imagine Duran Duran fans would be disappointed, and new inductees may find something worth digging into the past for to see where it all started.

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Retro Spins: Duran Duran - Duran Duran

Stylish clothes, flowing hair, pop sound, powerful hits. Duran Duran.

When the band debuted on US shores in 1981 with their self titled album, Duran Duran failed to find a foothold. Despite having tracks Girls on Film and Planet Earth, which would become two of the band's best known tracks, the English quintet would have to wait until its 1982 album, Rio, for Americans to take notice. With the success of this follow up album, the self titled debut was re-released in the states again in 1983. This time, it soared all the way to the number ten spot on the charts.

I have to wonder, in light of all this, if some people in America actually thought Rio was Duran Duran's first album. Back then , we didn't exactly have the benefit of, you know, the internet.

This is another head shaking moment for me. I own every single studio album which Duran Duran has ever released...but...This is the first time I'm making an effort to listen to any of them from start to finish. What have I been doing with all of my time? I don't know, but let's get into this one.

The record comes out hard with Girls on Film, and then follows up with Planet Earth. A great start, if you ask me. Anyone Out There, or track three, quickly became one of my new favorite songs from the band.

Things slow down a bit with the down tempo, To the Shore. It wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't catchy enough to leave me worrying about ever hearing it again. Careless Memories goes in the opposite direction, throwing the tempo in high gear with its catchy beat, and chant-able chorus. I went ahead and threw it into my 80's shuffle, and will have to listen to this one again before I make a decision as to whether or not it's a keeper.

I was hooked on Nick Rhodes intro to, Night Boat, right from the start. As this progressed, I only got more exited with Roger Taylor's drumming, which fades in with a trance like beat. Enter John Taylor's bass to keep me hooked. A little bit of Andy Taylor's guitar growls to life, edging you closer forward on your seat. Then Simon Le Bon comes in....and kind of ruins everything. This could have easily been my favorite track on the entire album, had it been an instrumental tune.

Whether it was a result of Night Boat bringing me crashing down from my Duran Duran high, or my overall personal tastes, the remaining songs ,Sound of Thunder, Friends of Mine and Tel Aviv sank into the pit of annoying noise. As far as I was concerned, the album couldn't end fast enough at this point. However, with a run time of approximately fifteen minutes between the three remaining songs, this was a somewhat slow torture to sit through. In the back of my mind, I really wanted something to come out of nowhere and slap me upside the back of the head with a song so good I'd play it again. Sadly, this didn't happen.

Overall, not a mind blowing album. The first three tracks set a pace which can't be kept, and an expectation which simply can't be met. Duran Duran's debut is definitely a foreshadowing of what to expect from the band throughout their multi decade career. However, so far, it doesn't contain anything I necessarily need or can't hear off of a greatest hits compilation. I certainly hope their follow up albums are more impressive than this.

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