What's your favourite Duran Duran album?

I just heard their Bowie “Fame” cover on XM Sirius and that was another debut album b-side. Great era for the band!

 

Voted for Rio but SATRT & Duran Duran were close seconds. Seventh Stranger is sublime.

Also, So Red The Rose by Arcadia is right up there for me.

 

Rio followed by Seven And The Ragged Tiger then Astronaut. Glad to see all the love here for the Astronaut album. I'm sure most people don't realize that the original Duran Duran line-up was only around for the first three albums and then that one (not counting the live album and singles).

 

What were the reasons for Andy and Roger leaving? Why would you leave the biggest band on the planet?(which they were in 1985)

 

"Carnival"!

 

Yes, and the Timbaland tracks are quite good. That they change their sound every album is really special and unique about the band. That's why I never got into All You Need Is Now. They were referencing themselves back in the early 80's but the songs weren't as good.

 

All three editions?

 

Duran Duran - Duran Duran

 

Get those B-sides from the first three albums out on vinyl ! Great RSD release idea.

 

Cocaine, fame, delusions of grandeur. They were certainly caught up in their own hubris by Arena. And while those early albums are certainly great, the talent wasn’t there to sustain the momentum. Heavily reliant on producers, always, but certainly by Notorious.

I still wonder what happened to John Taylor’s bass playing. His style was generic disco on the first one but evolved into something special by Rio. Unrealized promise after that, unfortunately.

The books by Andy and John are worth reading if you are a fan.

 

The original 45rpm 12” singles are the way to go. I have a bunch. Great punchy sound, extended versions, and b-sides galore. They don’t press them like this anymore.

 

"Rio" is hard to beat really.

It's possibly better than the hits compilations

 

By Notorious they had been dethroned by newer bands such as A-Ha. The egos must have been off the charts in 1985

 

And by notorious it all started to feel heavily manufactured. At least to me. That thing was as much a Nile Rodgers record as it was Duran Duran. Some good material in hindsight, but it was lacking so many of the signature elements it felt like another splinter project. And not the best of those!!!

I prefer Big Thing and Liberty to Notorious. But post SATRG it’s a different sort of proposition entirely.

 

Double check with the seller to have them check the matrix in the runoff to be on the safe side. Last year I bought a still sealed Harvest Rio off Discogs only to receive a Capitol. It was a good price so I kept it (sealed).

 

For Rio, yes, this would be a nightmare to purchase online. Thankfully all my variants were thrifter's, including a nice Harvest DL <- not sure if that's initials or not, Version two translucent (Quiex) cut.

 

Nice!

 

Open her up James, let's see what you got!

 

As a professional bass player , whose biggest influence was John Taylor, I've wondered the same thing myself . It was certainly drugs , and it was certainly just slacking off with success and consist touring, but the mostly it was not playing with Roger Taylor, who was the only serious drummer he ever played with up to that point. Being self taught and then having to play with professionals like Blair Cunningham , you can get daunted and not have as much self esteem. Anytime you play with someone different , if you want to make it work, you and they have to adjust. It changes your playing. His playing has gotten more interesting since Roger rejoined the band , but not to the level of his youthful days when he was probably a lot less self conscious.

 

People really forget how huge they really were.

 

Yeah, I don't think #16 in the UK and #12 in the US really qualifies as "dethroned". Sure it's a step down but if one considers the massive change in style/ image and last but not least line-up, it's not really a failure. I guess what really stopped "Notorious"'s momentum were poor single choices because neither "Skin Trade" nor "Meet El Presidente" were especially catchy. Too bad they didn't do "A Matter Of Feeling" and "Hold Me" instead.

 

Notorious.
I have fun memories from My childhood of This album.
It't sound is Good too.

 

"Notorious" also has great tracks like "American Science" and "Hold Me." Side Two is relatively weak but "Winter Marches On" is pure mood DD.

I would argue no band had a greater run of B-sides than DD. They made them an art.

 

Roger basically was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, so he quit music all together.

Andy wanted to RAWK and was told he could be a star on his own. So he left to make a solo albums.
While making the bands 2006 rock album, Reportage, the band decided to work with Timberland and Timberlake. He did not like the direction the band was taking, so he left a second time.

 

Now this was a highly predictable blowout. And yes, my fave is also Rio.