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Duran Duran “Duran Duran”

sfilzen — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 17:28:26 +0000

Duran Duran “Duran Duran” – today, June 15th, is a major #duranivesary – 40 years ago today D2 released their debut album. Duran Duran reached #3 on the UK charts, remaining in the top 100 for 117 weeks. Its initial release did not do so well in the US but was subsequently re-released (with a different cover and the addition of the single “Is There Something I Should Know”) on April 25th, 1983 after the phenomenal success of Rio. Duran Duran then made it to #10 on the US Billboard charts. This well-loved original US pressing has the “Night Version” rather than the single version of “Planet Earth” (#12 UK). “To the Shore,” which appears on the UK pressing, was not included in order to accommodate the increased length of the Night Version (6:20 vs. 4:03). Other singles from Duran Duran include “Careless Memories” (#37 UK) and the infamous “Girls on Film” which was their first big hit, reaching #5 on the UK charts. To say I love those songs and every other song on Duran Duran would be a huge understatement. I know every second of music, every lyric and most of the stories behind the songs (whether real or what me and my Duranie friends made up).

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Duran Duran “Duran Duran Video Album”

sfilzen — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 19:21:11 +0000

Duran Duran “Duran Duran Video Album” aka “Duran Duran: The First 11 Videos” 1983. VHS. I’m treating myself to a vintage tape of Duran videos ‘cos it’s my birthday! Released in March 1983 to promote the single “Is There Something I Should Know?” and the US reissue of their debut LP Duran Duran, the video comp was a huge success and earned them a Grammy. I remember watching it on Betamax at my friend Allyson’s house, along with a small gaggle of other teenage Duranies.

The videos on the tape are still amazing, over 35 years later. Their hits are included, of course: “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Girls on Film,” “Save a Prayer,” “Planet Earth” and the aforementioned “Is There Something I Should Know?” but also the less well-known videos like “Lonely In Your Nightmare,” “Careless Memories,” “My Own Way,” “Nightboat” and “The Chauffeur” (you’ll need to turn off parental controls to view that one).

And in case you need reminding of how amazing Simon LeBon looked in “Hungry Like the Wolf,” here are some stills I shot while watching it today.

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Duran Duran “Duran Duran”

sfilzen — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 20:01:44 +0000

Duran Duran “Duran Duran” 1981/2010 limited edition double vinyl reissue. Today, June 20th, is DD2 bassist John Taylor’s birthday (b. Nigel John Taylor, 1960) so I’m spinning my 20th copy of their debut album – that might be an exaggeration but I do have several different versions of Duran Duran. And for good reason: it’s an amazing new wave, new romantic synth pop debut that still sounds brilliant almost 40 years on. It hit #3 on the UK charts and while reception was initially lackluster in the US, its re-release (with a slightly altered track listing and different cover) in ‘83 sent it to #10 on the Billboard album chart. This 2010 edition has the original UK release with the original single version of “Planet Earth” and the dreamy “To the Shore” track (the original US version on Harvest Records had the “Night Version” remix of “Planet Earth” and dropped “To the Shore;” the ‘83 reissue went back to the original “Planet Earth” and added “Is There Something I Should Know?”).

The record sleeve insert for Disc Two has this amazing photo of the band – it also makes me laugh because my dear friend Carrie keeps a file on her computer titled “Awkward Photos of Duran Duran” that includes several that either highlight or try (in vain) to obscure the massive height difference between Simon and John vs Nick, Roger and Andy. This is one that highlights it, obviously. Plus OMG Nick’s hair!!!

The second record in this double LP set is a bonus 12″ single with the aforementioned “Planet Earth (Night Version)” plus the Extended Night Version of “Girls on Film” that has previously been unreleased, another variant of “Planet Earth” – the Night Mix – and “Girls on Film (Night Mix)” – also previously unreleased.” Overkill? Nope, I cannot ever get enough of those songs.

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Duran Duran “Seven and the Ragged Tiger”

sfilzen — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 16:03:37 +0000

Duran Duran “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” released 35 years ago today, November 21st, in 1983. Duran′s third album and my most-listened to in the early-to-mid-80′s. I know and love every single note and every lyric line (and even tried to dissect the meaning behind them). Seven and the Ragged Tiger entered the UK album chart at #1 and a bit later reached #8 in the US despite mixed critical reviews. For example, the bad: “Pathetic, useless, no good. It’s pretentious, pompous and possibly the first chapter in their decline” from Record Mirror and “A sorry collection of half-baked melodies, meaningless lyrics – their earlier work, while not poetry, at least sounded clever – and over-active studio foolishness” from Trouser Press. [ahem, fuck those reviewers] And the good: “opulently produced, their new romantic origins blooming into lush decadent pop” from The Telegraph and “Restores danger and menace [to Duran Duran]” from Melody Maker. Danger and menace definitely describes several of the tracks on Seven and the Ragged Tiger including their first single from the album, “Union of the Snake” which hit #3 in both the US and the UK, the non-single tracks “(I’m Looking For) Cracks in the Pavement,” “Of Crime and Passion” and “Shadows on Your Side,” as well as the third and final single “The Reflex” which went to #1 in the US and UK. New romantic, opulent and lushly decadent are apt descriptions for the other songs from Seven and the Ragged Tiger like the instrumental “Tiger Tiger,” sultry and aching “The Seventh Stranger” and the second released single “New Moon on Monday.” “New Moon on Monday” has always been one of my favorites (my Duranie name was La Luna Le Bon – we Duranies had our own special names, a worldwide network of penpals and other nutball schemes only pre-teen and teenage girls could come up with); it went to #9 in the UK and #10 in the US and its video won two Grammy awards though Nick and Andy both hated the video and making it: it was miserably cold and by the end of the shoot the entire band was drunk. On the upside we get to see Nick dance which is a rare occurrence.

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Duran Duran “Is There Something I Should Know?”

sfilzen — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 19:46:53 +0000

Duran Duran “Is There Something I Should Know?” 1983, b/w “Careless Memories.” It’s the first day of school for our young Vault member and I don’t have a lot of back-to-school music (who does?), so a hit single with lyrics questing for knowledge will have to fill the need. (Granted, the song was not referring to a 6th grader’s desire to learn history, science and math but rather “the typically artsy Duran Duran lyrics deal with a difficult romantic relationship in rather obtuse terms, including such odd turns of phrase as “and fiery demons all dance when you walk through that door/Don’t say your easy on me ‘cause you’re about as easy as a nuclear war.” – Allmusic) (though I would argue that my kid walking through the door does often recall fiery demons AND a nuclear war)

“Is There Something I Should Know?” is D2′s 8th single, released as a stand-alone and then included on the US re-release of their debut Duran Duran album. The single debuted at #1 in the UK and reached #4 in the US in 1983. In the UK the 7″ single has the instrumental “Faith in This Colour.”

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Japan “Assemblage”

sfilzen — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 20:43:59 +0000

Japan “Assemblage” 1981. A compilation album of Japan’s early recordings. I picked this up fairly recently; I’ve never really listened to Japan but see them cited frequently as influencers to many bands I’m into. (I also remember seeing a lot of Japan records in the 80′s and liking David Sylvian’s new romantic/new wave hair.) Assemblage is a mix of art rock, post-punk and new wave. “Communist China” has lots of crazy experimental effects and vocal acrobatics. “Rhodesia” has a laid-back reggae flavor, the synth’s organ button turned up high. “Life in Tokyo” and “Quiet Life” are disco-y new wave (and probably my favorite tracks as they remind me of early Duran Duran big time, most especially “Planet Earth” and “Hold Back the Rain”). Two covers also appear on Assemblage: Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties” and Smokey Robinson’s “I Second That Emotion.” Both are almost unrecognizable, the former with its upfront beat and saxophone via keyboards, the latter because of the vocal delivery and the way it sounds like it was recorded underwater and through a big squishy pillow.

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