Duran duran notorious1/8/2023 ![]() Over the next couple years, Duran Duran built on their success. They had the look, the sound, the talent, and the vehicle (via MTV, radio and magazines) to transmit their musical vision to teenage bedrooms all over the world. Duran Duran played to crowds of screaming fans around the world, and while some critics at the time dismissed them as mere cheap imitators of their influences and a case of style over substance, their early albums are now widely regarded as landmark recordings of the early 80s. The photogenic Simon LeBon (vocals), Nick Rhodes (Keyboards) and the three unrelated Taylors (John on bass, Andy on guitar, and Roger on drums) were on the covers of all the magazines, on nearly perpetual MTV rotation and their hits saturated the radio waves. At the peak of their success the levels of hysteria surrounding them rivaled Beatlemania. “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Save a Prayer” were all major hits, and suddenly the band was everywhere. The band’s 1981 self-titled debut album and early singles like “Planet Earth,” “Carless Memories” and “Girls on Film” generated significant buzz and some chart success in their native UK, but it was their second album, 1982’s “Rio,” that made Duran Duran worldwide superstars. Five sexy and stylish Brits who were able to distill influences like Ultravox, Japan, David Bowie and Roxy Music into ultra-commercial new wave/pop anthems that, with the help of their big-budget, glamorous videos, appealed to a massive audience worldwide. They had all the ingredients for success and were a perfect partner for the fledgling music network. ![]() And even if the album isn’t representative of Duran Duran in top form, like so much other music from that decade, the further away from it we get, the better and better it sounds.Duran Duran was one of the most successful bands to emerge from the early MTV era. Singles “Notorious” and “Skin Trade” are exceptionally sturdy tracks, as are “Hold Me” and “Meet El Presidente”.Īs a reissue for fans and completists, this deluxe edition of Notorious is as good as any. With the highly-influential producer Nile Rodgers in command of the album Duran Duran began to expand their sound opting for a more guitar-driven funk feel instead of the standard synth-driven formula they’d perfected on the first three records. Tensions were running high by Notorious, with guitarist/songwriter Andy Taylor only contributing four songs before embarking on his solo career. ![]() Notorious the album remains a peculiar one for Duran Duran and it fell astonishingly short as a follow-up to their Grammy-winning third album, Seven and the Ragged Tiger. All of the artwork is restored and this edition comes with five hilariously dated postcards and an equally charming poster. The third disc is a DVD concert film, Working For the Skin Trade, documenting a live show captured during the band’s 1987-88 Strange Behavior Tour. Two CDs contain the original album, the singles, extended mixes, and remixes, all of which have been gloriously remastered. Now Capitol/EMI delivers a fantastically packaged reissue of Duran Duran’s critically panned 1986 album, Notorious. All the big boys of synth have undergone a thorough reissuing process (New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, The Cure) and the Duran Duran reissues are about half way through their catalog. Now that we’re a few decades out from the often terrible but always fun musical landscape of the 1980s, it’s easier to get some perspective on some of the era’s biggest bands and biggest releases.
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