Rock writers were never going to take Simon, Nick, John, Andy, and Roger seriously in 1980. They were just too gorgeous.
The guys in Duran Duran are still gorgeous. And, while they have never exactly been serious, Duran Duran has proven durable thanks to an interesting, influential, outlandish, and awesome catalog. Looking back, the snobbish rock writers of that era missed the boat, or should that be missed the yacht?
Rhino Records recently reissued a package of Duran Duran’s first five studio albums — 1981’s “Duran Duran,” 1982’s “Rio,” 1983’s “Seven and the Ragged Tiger,” 1986’s “Notorious,” and 1988’s “Big Thing.” Every one of the LPs is more dynamic and enchanting than critics and casual fans remember. They aren’t all masterpieces, but each has brilliant moments that bridge new wave, pop, post-punk, funk, and disco in ways no other artist could.
Big singles (and their videos) dominated the first two albums — “Girls on Film” and “Planet Earth,” and “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Rio,” respectively. This meant deep cuts didn’t get much notice. But the deep cuts highlight Duran Duran’s range. Tracks such as “Night Boat,” “Friends of Mine,” and “The Chauffeur” prove the band were truly contemporaries of the Cure and New Order (and a chief influence on the Killers and Interpol). Both these LPs are straight up classics.
“Seven and the Ragged Tiger” is viewed as a letdown because, true to Duran Duran’s trajectory, it’s too dazzling. It’s a big, blustery, bold, and flamboyant pop record. That means those post-punk nuances get clobbered by anthems such as “The Reflex” and “Union of the Snake.” But goodness, it’s fun. And those old faves still peek through — a dash of David Bowie on “I Take the Dice” and Roxy Music flirtations on “The Seventh Stranger.”
In the middle of the ’80s, guitarist Andy Taylor left for less-green pastures and drummer Roger Taylor took a couple of years off. Simon, Nick and John had no problem reinventing the band without them. “Notorious” is very slick and very tough (thank you synths, horns, and huge production). Clearly the band and producer Nile Rogers had been listening to a lot of old disco and new Prince. Easily Duran’s most underrated effort, “Notorious” is art rock masquerading as pure pop, which is kinda the guys’ whole modus operandi.
Duran Duran finished the decade with a bit of a bomb. Well, a commercial bomb. As a piece of art, “Big Thing” is a weird, aggressive, dramatic, dirty little gem. Just ahead of the curve on industrial rock (the album has slight Nine Inch Nails vibes), “Big Thing” seems to care less about hits than any previous Duran record — see all the heavy rumbling, rambling ballads, odd interludes — and yet, “I Don’t Want You Love” is a finely crafted jam unlike anything in the band’s catalog.
Lessons learned: Gorgeous doesn’t equal anemic, vapid, or uninspired. Adorable rock stars can make adorable, complex, and innovative pop. Buy all five LPs to confirm these findings.
Courtesy Boston Herald
