Spandau Ballet or Duran Duran?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Sondek, Oct 11, 2015.

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  1. Paul Rymer

    Paul Rymer Forum Resident

    Give me Japan over either, but at the time, after Japan split, the majority of young fans like me in the UK started to follow Duran who were openly huge Japan/YMO fans. However, I did like Spandau too, but less so after "Diamond" when it seemed that they jettisoned the interesting wierdness of their early material to make very smooth pop hits.
     
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  2. greenwichsteve

    greenwichsteve Well-Known Member

    Strangely, I really like Spandau Ballet, except for True. But I like Duran Duran even more.
     
  3. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Japan were a massive influence on Duran. Listen to "Quiet Life" and then "Planet Earth".
     
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  4. Sammy Waslow

    Sammy Waslow Just watching the show

    Location:
    Ireland
    Duran Duran, no question. Pressure Off is currently stuck in my head. That's a good thing.
    I don't own any albums by Spandau Ballet, though I won tickets to see them on their reunion tour in 2009 and thoroughly enjoyed it.
    Also, I'd unreservedly recommend the Spandau Ballet documentary, Soul Boys of the Western World, which is absolutely excellent, even for non-fans.
     
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  5. Sordel

    Sordel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Switzerland
    While I'm confidently sticking to Duran Duran as my answer, I really hope that US forumites aren't basing their answer on "True" because there was more to Spandau Ballet than that. I felt a bit sorry for them, actually, when Modern Family did that episode where Claire gets "the bass player from Spandau Ballet" (actually Edward Norton) to perform for their anniversary.

    I suspect that the influence was on Le Bon personally, hence Arcadia, which was basically his attempt to out-Japan Japan. "Lady Ice" is pretty much the best Japan song never performed by Japan.
     
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  6. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    I have more albums by Duran Duran, but I love 'Parade' and 'True' by Spandau Ballet.
     
  7. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    That was a very funny episode - reckon the guys from Spandau would have had a laugh
     
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  8. bigshot

    bigshot Forum Resident

    I remember seeing the video for Duran's "Planet Earth" on an early evening regional pop show back when was about 10 years old. To me they looked incredible, liked they'd landed from Mars. Great early singles and 1st album, particulatly the night version of Planet Earth. Lost interest after that.

    Never cared for the Spands. Like a bland boy-band who'd jumped on the new romantic bandwagon. That documentary that came out a year or two was very enjoyable but I still didn't like them at all (musically or otherwise).
     
  9. bigshot

    bigshot Forum Resident

    Spandau have played here (Dubai) twice and I didn't bother either time despite the lack of any decent bands coming out here.
     
  10. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    Duran Duran. No contest.
     
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  11. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    I just listened to Spandau Ballet's two other U.S. top 40 hits, and I don't recall hearing them before. I wasn't all that impressed, either, so I'd probably vote DD if this were a poll.
     
  12. SeventhTime

    SeventhTime Well-Known Member

    I only really know the singles of Spandau Ballet while I have listened to every Duran Duran album at least once, and their 80s stuff quite heavily. I would say Duran Duran easy, based on that as they seem to have more of an edge and range and more excellent material.

    I like To Cut A Long Story Short and Chant No. 1 a lot. Gold and True are a bit schmaltzy but still very good. What album or albums would people recommend by them for me to check out?
     
  13. namretsam

    namretsam Senior Member

    Location:
    Santa Rosa , CA
    Depends on the setting. Duran? More great and long term evergreen singles. Spandau? Better LP's when the LP's mattered. Duran ? Awful live and always were. Simon can't sing his way out of a paper sack. Spandau? Great band and Tony still sings amazingly well.
     
  14. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    The first three albums are all great but depends on what you want. For weird new romantic pop the first two. For perfectly written and produced blue eyed soul I'd recommend True.
     
  15. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    Duran Duran, on the strength of Seventh Stranger, Skin Trade and American Science mostly. Spandau Ballet has Gold, which is good but ranks behind these three.
     
  16. hazard

    hazard Forum Resident

    Yes, Japan wins.

    Out of respect for my wife, I will put Duran before Spandau. But surely both bands were targetting a female demographic why are they being discussed on this forum as if they are serious bands?
     
  17. SeventhTime

    SeventhTime Well-Known Member

    Cool recommendations sounds like the first 2 Spandau albums will be more up my alley and if I enjoy those I will check out the 3rd one too.

    Also I am not sure that if a band targeting a female demographic makes them less serious to discuss, seems a bit sexist.

    Duran Duran are definitely a serious band, sure they used visuals to their advantage and caught lightning in a bottle from 81-85 where they brought out some great pop music and videos right at the time MTV was starting.

    The Beatles and Stones certainly used their sex appeal with female fans to their advantage amongst countless others since.
     
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  18. jimbags

    jimbags Forum Resident

    Location:
    Leeds
    Gold is slightly better than Rio. That's all i know.
     
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  19. WolfSpear

    WolfSpear Music Enthusiast

    Location:
    Florida
    Duran Duran

    Rio is a masterpiece.
     
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  20. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Barbarella fan here,so.
     
  21. Sondek

    Sondek Forum Resident Thread Starter

    That's a good example of a loaded question. The music appealed to both sexes.
    What's your definition of "serious bands"? They were, and are clearly talented and wrote/write their own music as well as play their own instruments - and well too. Tony Hadley in particular was (and is) an exceptional singer. Are tracks such as, for example, Through the Barricades and Ordinary World not serious enough in your opinion, and if not why? And why shouldn't the bands be discussed?
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2015
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  22. Ben McFadden

    Ben McFadden New Member

    Location:
    London
    I like both but Duran Duran have endured better, I think.
     
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  23. Carlox

    Carlox Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portugal
    Personally, i prefer Duran Duran over Spandau Ballet...
    I have great souvenirs about DD.
    SB, well, so so...
    But no doubt, both bands left a mark on the 80's, even on the 90's too, as with DD.
     
  24. Carlox

    Carlox Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portugal
    I agree.
     
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  25. SeventhTime

    SeventhTime Well-Known Member

    I don't know anyone personally who would prefer SB, Duran Duran always seemed to have more layers to them, beneath the shiny exterior.
     
    Carlox likes this.
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