Duran Duran - The Reflex. Apparently their biggest worldwide hit. What do you think of it?

I can’t remember if I hated at first or liked it at first. I never loved it. I think I disliked the repeated samples and right now, I can’t remember the song after the intro without drifting into A View To A Kill. I like that song a lot more.

 

It's an okay cut, but:

come close to ruining it...

 

Without question but as you state, it has the name Arcadia on it. This is as close as D2 ever came to achieving an album that was remotely close to one of their stated influences, Roxy Music. Imagine the greatness to follow if only they'd have stayed on this path.

 

Yes weren’t ‘very’ Smash Hits...

In 1983 the magazine would be more focussed on Paul Young, Kajagoogoo, Eurythmics..etc

 

That was quite a 'wacky' re-mix Nile did for it....
I'm surprised it did so well...
It's funny, whenever I hear, "You've gone too far this time...", it's sound like Simon is doing a 'spot-on' Boy George impression!

 

Ah okay, didn't know that. Just wondered as I've never seen SUCH a bad review for 90125, it's a solid album.

In contrast, legendary german underground magazine Spex hated Yes AND Duran Duran

 

I remember hating all of the repeated sampling at the time. Paul Hardcastle scored a hit with 19 and then every song had to do it. It all seemed very cheap at the time.

I remember a local commercial that jumped on the bandwagon, but, clearly didn’t understand the concept and you could regularly hear “BubububuFriendly Honda” every two minutes on TV and radio.

 

Couldn't The Reflex have started the trend? The famous single version came out one year before 19.

 

I just also remembered that 1984-87 was also around the time that a lot of these bands that initially had a more musical masculine audience (Duran Duran, Def Leppard, U2 (different music, but, same audiences before and after), etc.) started being outflanked by a very giggly nerdy less musically interested feminine one. The popularity spiked and they started to seem much less serious to me and my friends. Kind of the opposite of The Beatles.

 

I don't care for it, and a lot of that is because of the vocals. I agree with their label that the whinnying vocal bits are annoying, and the lyrics are ridiculous.

That's an issue with the lyrics of many of the songs off this album, and even with the title - it seems like Le Bon is trying to be all obscurist and evocative, but in the end the lyrics just don't make any sense and come off as goofy instead.

 

Seemed like a band going off the rails at the time and... still seems like that to me today.

 

It sure appears that it did, huh? I felt like I was older when Reflex came out.

 

So true. I don't think anyone would accuse LeBon of being a profound lyricist.

 

Yet "Let's Dance" was "Album des Monats" in issue 31. One year later - issue 45 - "Parade" by Spandau Ballet was granted that honour.

Yes on the other hand.... always hated "90215"s sound myself.

 

Sometimes it really got confusing, didn't it? Also, their opinion of post-Let's Dance Bowie could change fast. I remember reading their positive review for Tonight, only to read in one of the next issues that Bowie had completely lost his mojo by the end of 1984 (will look up when I have the time, thanks to the subscription I can enjoy their archive as well).

 

Yet you could be right on 19 truly kicking off the trend, since 1986 brought us hits like "Love Missile F1-11".

 

This is leading too far but you just made me browse old archives for various SPEX "Albums of the months" and.... wow! For every Psychic TV there's one Paul Young ("The Secret Of Association"). Fascinating!

 

The Reflex aged me.

Maybe I put 19 as the root in my mind as it seemed to spur the more obvious imitators.

 

Think I know what to do with my sunday afternoon now

 

A further example of sales not indicating quality.

 

The two singles that followed - "Wild Boys" and "A View To A Kill" were much better

 

I remember, as a kid, thinking that Seven & the Ragged Tiger was a disappointment. After the first two flawless new romantic classics, it was obvious that the band was experiencing growing pains.

Andy Taylor was chafing at the bit to do more "rock." Simon wanted to get artier. Nick wanted to get more futuristic. John wanted to get funkier. And Roger wanted to quit. They were pulling in too many directions at once to hold together as a band much longer.

And sure enough, this was the last full album with the classic lineup. At least for 20+ years. That said, Seven & the Ragged Tiger couldn't quite commit to any one direction, and so instead, seemed a bit unfocused.

At the time, I quite liked "The Reflex" remix. The album version was very meh for me. But the remix brought that song to life.

Still, it wasn't the Duran Duran I knew and loved. That band was gone. Starting with "Is There Something I Should Know," they were essentially a different band (call them Duran Duran 2.0) and this new iteration would do "The Wild Boys" and "A View to a Kill" before calling it a day.

So, while I liked "The Reflex" remix (and still do), it will always remind me that some things just aren't meant to last.

 

One of the top 5 songs of the entire eighties, in my opinion, and I DON'T say that lightly!

 

It's not a very good song, I think. And the album it was from was about 1/4 as good as Rio.

...the hell was the lyric to "The Reflex" about? I've never had the slightest clue.

I assume it isn't a song about a doctor tapping Simon Le Bon's knee with a hammer?

 

Duran was probably my favorite band when this lp came out and I remember feeling let down by it though at the time I don't think I could have articulated why.

Now, when I listen to it, it's better than I remember but in a more nostalgic way, versus the first two lps which I just love in a timeless way.

When Notorious came out I was pretty jazzed, I thought it was a much better record, and I listened to it a lot, even though I'd moved on to punk and stuff like REM in the meantime.