Duran Duran - song-by-song rate & discussion thread

Still Breathing

The bass is fantastic but the vocal is awful...

0/5

 

"Still Breathing"
3/5

I'll be one of the few dissenters here. SB is OK, and the strings/synths at the end provide the track with a suitably moody atmosphere, but I feel it drags on too long on one/two chords. Some variation or a bridge is needed in order to break the monotony. That being said, no other track on Astronaut works as well as a closing song.

 

Still Breathing 5/5. They come alive at last. Excellent song to dream to!

 

Still Breathing - 4.5/5: Still Breathing is sparse but atmospheric and the final minute and a half is just haunting.

Excellent closer to an album that is far stronger than I remembered. Ironically, it is also a fitting way to close out another Andy era album. Perhaps the cringe factor of Bedroom Toys and Taste the Summer tainted my memory.

Despite leaving some potential classics on the shelf (Beautiful Colours, Salt, Lonely Business, etc), this is a very solid album. In fact, I would rate it higher than the other 2004 albums by 80s stalwarts (How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, The Cure's self-titled) as well as younger DD-influenced bands from the early aughts (Franz Ferdinand and The Bravery, I'm looking at you).

 

Still Breathing - yep. Another fantastic track. My only complaint is that it’s is a little too long, otherwise it’s excellent. Haunting, moody, atmospheric and I also believe it’s related to Duran “falling down the back of the sofa” during the end on the 90s. It’s one of the early tracks as they played it on their first tour in Japan in July 2003 (it appears on the Encore Series).

 

Still Breathing- Another solid track on a album that has aged well. I wish we got one more album from the reunited five.

 

according to most counts there's "reportage" in the vaults somewhere. if/when that happens, who knows.

 

Reportage says . . .

The members of Duran Duran have discussed an eventual release for Reportage: "And further on the horizon Rhodes says the group hopes to release Reportage, the album it scrapped in favor of Red Carpet Massacre that features the last work original guitarist Andy Taylor did with the band. 'We want it to come out one day,' the keyboardist [Nick] says. 'It's a really interesting record... more of an edgy, indie rock album, obviously going back to our earlier roots. There are a lot of songs I'm very proud of that I'd like people to hear.'"

No citation on the quote. Seems to be lifted from the regular wiki page which had the citation: Duran Duran Teams With Mark Ronson For Concert

The wiki page is pretty interesting reading and seems factual enough with several quotes from the group: Reportage (album) - Wikipedia

I too would love to hear this album too. Sounds interesting.

 

Does the severed relationship with Andy or Sony prevent this album from seeing the light of day?

Simon is on the record that one of the lost tracks, 48 Hours Later, is amongst their best work:

The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | Boys On Film: Duran Duran Interviewed

 

Still Breathing

A brilliant track, which has space to breathe which most of the album did not have. It means it gives several of the band to shine on this track, but the star turn is Simon with easily one of his ten best ever vocals (there has been one or two live recordings were he has seriously strayed into flat territory). The emotional hurt and relief he conveys in his voice to match his lyrics truly is stunning. Then we have the last minute & a half cinematic fade out.

However, I have to agree with John Taylor from an Ask Katy over it lacking a little bit of energy:

"Still Breathing" Genesis
January 5th, 2010
Hello Guys, Hope you can come to Dallas soon. “Still Breathing” is one of my all-time favorite Duran songs and definitely one of the best of the deep cuts. Keeping in mind Simon’s disdain for explaining lyrics, what can you tell me about the inspiration for the song? Was their any one member who was more instrumental in the making of the song and is there anything you remember about its recording? Thanks! Jeffrey

“Quite early in the ASTRONAUT sessions…Maybe session two. London. Basic groove, soft, sort of lounge “Save A Prayer.” The Doors referenced… ‘Could be a single…’ Simon’s words…Trying times…9/11…Survival… We add the chorus. Still thinking… This could be a big song…’The wife’s favourite…”The sound collage at the end added in mix. The song never really got any further. The version on the album lost energy, if anything, by too much time spent on it. Live, it’s tricky, requiring a light touch. Sometimes it’s beautiful, sometimes flat as a … JT”

4.5/5

 

165 Virus


"Virus" is a rock song by Duran Duran, released on the Japanese edition of the album Astronaut by Epic Records on 11 October 2004.

This track was mixed by Jason Nevins.

 

Virus - 3.5/5. Despite the Andy guitar, this song is luke warm at best. With the tracks left off and this, it could have made a cracking e.p.!

I also want Reportage released darn it. It's been over 10 years -- let the songs free!

 

"Virus"
4/5

Never heard this one before. Pretty killer tune, and one of the only pure "rock" tracks from this era. Would've been a good replacement for the lackluster "Bedroom Toys," IMO.

 

Virus

Not familiar with this track but this is better than most of the album. Go Andy! Love Rogers drum breakdown around the 3:20 mark.

4/5

 

Virus - 3/5: Huge fan of an Andy-driven rockish tune from DD, but this one always left a Pop Trash-leftover taste in my mouth.

This era had several other leaked demos with significantly more potential, some of which I hope we can cover briefly (Pretty Ones, TV vs Radio, Lonely Business) before moving onto Red Carpet Massacre.

 

I'm planning on covering those three in the next three days, plus the final with Andy track released officially by Duran Duran (along with bringing up the Live From London album/DVD; & the aborted Reportage album, prior to moving on to the RCM album..

 

Virus - it is a bit Pop Trash but Andy’s guitar chugs along beautifully. 3.5/5

With regards to Reportage-I’m sure in Andy Taylor’s Wild Boy book he mentioned that the band presented it to Sony executives against his wishes as he considered it far from finished. That might explain why we’ve never heard it and I doubt we will unless it’s part of an anthology or the band come to an agreement with Andy to finish it off.

 

Playing catch up here:

Taste the Summer - A breezy track that fits right in with the summertime feel. I like the stuttering effect in the intro. The do-be-do is kinda a bit cheezy, but whatever. I'm sure there's an official remix out there locked away. 3.5/5

Finest Hour - As others have have mentioned, it's certainly an anthemic track...and not a fast paced song, but I suppose have a fast anthemic track would sound a bit silly, maybe? 3/5

Chains - I gave this is a listen - and by that I really listened to the lyrics. When you look at the situation they had with Andy, could it be that since the song was written by Andy and Simon that there was more input from Andy on this? Just a thought. I did watch Simon and Andy's acoustic performance of this with Simon's into of the song...yeah, ok. I suppose you can apply any situation to this song to make it fit. 3/5

One of Those Days - Very mid '90s sounding, tbqh. 3/5

Point of No Return - An ok track. I was actually listening to this at work and oddly enough was able to concentrate on the job at hand, so the music was almost background noise. 3/5

Still Breathing - Not a real fan of this song, sounds a bit depressing. 2/5

Virus - Oh yeah, more like it. I was quite excited to hear this song when the demos leaked. The guitar playing really drives this song. At least Japan got it as a bonus track. 4.5/5

 

I'm sure when the band are in their 70's and need an extra bit of dosh they'll release it. By then we'll all be in our late 50's or 60's.

 

the band decided to follow the "red carpet massacre" path after working with timbaland/timberlake, so that initial decision was probably simon/nick/john/roger. "reportage" stopped there as the band continued with "red carpet massacre" release/touring, and after one can imagine that when they geared up to work with mark ronson they didn't want to revisit a full album of tracks they had already recorded with andy .

given the time that has passed, the band wanting to keep moving forward, the changing of record labels and andy's previous sticky exit with "notorious," all things probably play a part.

 

Any Duran Duran fan in the 1980s was obsessed with their B-sides. I’d just like to point out that we are two months away from *2020* and no B-sides (or other outtakes) compilation has ever been released by Duran Duran. The closest we’ve gotten is the singles box, and that didn’t see the light of day till 2003.

So historically speaking Duran Duran really does not milk their fans. Some bands put out cash grab releases every year.

 

need to re-read that book. didn't remember that he considered it--far--from finished, but that the band/label rushed it for sure. given most of our opinions here one would almost wish that the band would stop working on tracks a little sooner, leaving things a little rough and raw. not so much polish.

 

...though the 2 versions of Paper Gods with different bonus tracks did milk this one particular fan.

 

small change for a duran duran fan. would have paid more back in the 80s just to have a couple of extra songs.

 

Sure they do. Pairing with Vinyl Factory to create box sets of All You Need Is Now and Paper Gods, not to mention the varying releases of All You Need Is Now globally as well as Paper Gods. Then there are the "super deluxe" reissues of their back catalog. How many greatest hits or compilations CDs have been put out? Quite a few - and even if it's their label licensing the tracks to other companies, the band still get money from it.