Tag Archives: Duran Duran

All You Need is Now & a Bit of Before: Duran Duran’s New Album


On December 21, 2010, Duran Duran dropped their new album entitled All You Need is Now. The last Duran Duran album, Red Carpet Massacre, spawned one of my all time favorite songs Nite-Runner, and the concert was just as fantastic. The concert was full of their classics, songs off the newest album and included a stunning rendition of The Normal’s Warm Leatherette (which Alan Wilder also included in his most recent concert). The fact that it fell on my 38th birthday back in 2008 just added to the overall excitement.

Since I enjoyed Red Carpet Massacre, I definitely had certain expectations for this new album. I was very anxious to hear the evolution of the Duran Duran sound. Are they going to continue on with the RCM sound, or maybe go back a little to Astronaut? I started to read the reviews before I listened to the album myself, and so many out there say that this album really dips far back and recalls the Duran Duran of old. And you know what, they’re right. I think Duran Duran hit the target when they teamed up with producer/DJ Mark Ronson.

“We all wanted to get a little bit more experimental with this record. We wanted to reconnect with fans, on the territory on which the band, and Mark Ronson who is the producer, felt we should own. And that was this kind of modern synth, dance, experimental, pop music,” (Simon) Le Bon told Reuters.

from ABC News article “Duran Duran Goes Forward on New Album by Going Back“

Some reviews say that this new endeavor sounds like the Rio album, but I think it fluctuates between the first self titled white album and Seven and the Ragged Tiger. If there is a song that sounds like it would be taken directly off of the Rio album, it would be Runaway Runaway. It’s so happy and bright that you can almost call it Rio Part 2. I do hear their more current vibe in Leave a Light On, which really reminds me of Falling Down or Ordinary World.

But when I listen to the songs Blame The Machines and Being Followed, I hear twinges of Faster Than Light and Sound of Thunder. I hear I Take the Dice and Crimes of Passion in the title track All You Need is Now and Girl Panic!. I miss this Duran Duran sound. This is what I fell in love with back in the 80’s and I’m glad that they decided to reach back and recapture that sound that they crafted so well.

All in all, I really love this new album. This album will definitely get heavy rotation in my iPod and in my car. Cheers to Duran Duran for knowing that you can still move forward even if you look back a little for inspiration.

Careless Memories

Objects, places and even clothing can stir up a lot of memories.  For some reason, striped shirts and Oxford flats always remind me of Duran Duran in their early days (except they had white jazz Oxfords).  I could never find those shoes back then in white, so I always wore Vans or Keds when I was trying to dress like them. 

Duran Duran had such style and they still do today.  I consider them one of the best dressed bands of the 80’s (Spandau Ballet is another band that comes to mind).  They were one of my favorite bands during the early part of my teens, until I discovered Depeche Mode (and everything shifted).  But when I think of impeccable suits and luxe in the 80’s, I always think of Duran Duran.

We found these electrical boxes painted as Rubik’s Cubes while driving on the way home from work one day.  I thought it very appropriate since I felt that I was channeling early 80’s Duran Duran with my outfit.

Outfit:  Old Navy “Prep Coat” and skinny black cargo pants; The Limited striped shirt; Jeffrey Campbell canvas Oxfords; Burberry sunglasses; Tiffany & Co necklace

Photos by Deon Chen, except for the Duran Duran photo (source unknown)

The Ideal Copy

I am a very avid listener of music, especially of the era I grew up in as a teenager:  The Eighties.  From the title of my blog, to what’s playing in my car and on my iPod, it’s almost all eighties all the time.  I was such a die hard fan of music as a teen and was lucky to have many outlets to make my purchases.  I frequented Tower Records, Liquorice Pizza, Sam Goody, The Warehouse and a couple of local places in San Diego (Lou’s Records and Blue Meannie). 

Although I physically live in San Diego, England was the direction to which I genuflected and prayed to my musical gods:  Depeche Mode, Duran Duran and New Order, just to name a few.  The amount of time and money spent at Blue Meannie searching through their imports section for all things relating to the 80’s British Invasion would have easily paid for a trip to London, which I so longed for as a teen (and have lived out that dream with two trips there since then).  Not only did I buy 45’s and 12″ vinyl records (remember those?), but shirts, buttons, badges, patches and imported magazines.  As you can see, the desire to be British came to me at a very young age.  One of my classmates went on a trip to London with his parents and I nearly died of jealousy.  He bought me a couple of Depeche Mode items (a shirt and record), but that just made me all the more forlorn.

Most of the time, it’s so difficult for me to locate the groups that I love to listen to.  A friend of mine had a 12″ single of “Have in Mind” by a group called Cetu Javu.  I found the group on My Space, but couldn’t find them anywhere else to make a purchase.  I tried Amazon, iTunes, Tower Records (online site) and even tried to physically go to Lou’s Records to find anything, but my search yielded nothing.

One last place I tried was a place where I had made several purchases in the past.  I was only reminded of the website because I’m on their email list.  The Ideal Copy (named after Wire’s 1987 album) is my site of choice when it comes to my favorite era.  I’ve bought CD’s by the Red Rockers, Joy Division and Aztec Camera from this site.  When I can’t find it on iTunes, I go to The Ideal Copy. 

Now, the reason for this post is because I have found a CD that I have been dying to locate as badly as “Southern Lands” by Cetu Javu.  It’s an album called “Rites of Passage” by Vitamin Z.  I received an email alert of updates from The Ideal Copy and lo and behold, who do I see in their “Recent Additions” section but Vitamin Z!  I quickly clicked on the link and one of my musical white whales has been found.  If you are looking for the ultimate versions of your favorite artists (past and present), The Ideal Copy is the place to go.  Their service is surprisingly quick and their selection is nearly unmatched.