Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

[Spearmint Rhino]

So, I interviewed Duran Duran for The Quietus, and talked about being eternally misunderstood, the homoerotic terrors of Jo-Si fan fiction, personalised dildos, Timbaland, Thatcherism, accidentally writing a gay anthem, making the most 'cocainey' album ever recorded, working with David Lynch and being wanked over by Andy Warhol.

Hope you enjoy it.

And I had my photo taken with the best member.

[historyman]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Enjoyed that, SR. Some fascinating background info on the band, but the fact remains that it's very hard to get excited about a new Duran Duran album.

[evilC]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Nice one! I'll read this later.

I was never a big Duran fan, but... Among all the revivals of variations on Electropop that have gone on over the last 10-15 years, probably the best compilation album for giving a newcomer to that stuff a feel of what it was really like, first time round, is Nick Rhodes' excellent 'Only After Dark'. It's kind of a highlights album of the stuff he used to play as a DJ at the Rum Runner club in Birmingham, back in the day.

I note that, Just like Numan, Almond, Siouxsie and Nina Hagen, he's not looking bad for a fifty-something!

[Stumpy Pepys]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

evilC wrote:

I note that, Just like Numan, Almond, Siouxsie and Nina Hagen, he's not looking bad for a fifty-something!

I'll agree with you with the exception of Gary Numan. I'm sure he looks even worse when he's not wearing his syrup.

[evilC]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Actually, yeah - Numan is merely ageing well despite becoming lined. It's his (transplanted) hair that will always look freakish. To his credit, he's stopped wearing the full coating of slap that he used to in his youth and has taken a slightly more dignified - if haggard - route. He does still wear eyeliner on stage, though. See here for 'details'.

[Mumpo]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

I got stuck at "new, Mark Ronson-produced album".

[Stumpy Pepys]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

I can't believe this is a transplant. It would be only marginally less convincing if it had a chinstrap.

[evilC]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

I know. He actually had two done, I believe, after the first one didn't take properly (i.e. started falling out too). The second one took, but I think they were both done at a time when hair transplants weren't as advanced as they are now. This means that at certain angles you can see the roots of his (transplanted) hair and it looks just like the (base of) the bristles on your toothbrush! It's not good! I can only imagine he keeps it dyed black in order to conceal those grotesque-looking roots. It must have been horribly painful. I wonder if he regrets it now, given that shortly after he had it done, baldness became fashionable anyway?

Anyway, enough Numan talk...!

[RobM]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Mumpo wrote:

I got stuck at "new, Mark Ronson-produced album".

Got further than I did then.

[jason voorhees]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

I don't know. For me Duran Duran are my Rolling Stones, they're my Michael Jackson. I never understood the level of disrespect they have to endure for anytime they pop their heads out. Like they're not the most important and serious artists of the highest pedigree.

For me, they achieved a sound that's absolutely impossible to duplicate or find out how they did it. To this day, I listen to Rio or Save A Prayer or Girls on Film and it's impossible...impossible to figure out where the bass or guitar began and where the synths ended. It's all one sound, the bass is the same as the vocals is the same as the guitar is the same as the synths. Is it an electronic drum kit ? Beats the fuck out of me, because the next second it's congas, and the next second it's something else. It's as if they consumed the world and popped out something no one's ever seen before or since.

Now Mark Ronson I don't have a nice word for, but Duran Duran were outstanding on Howard Stern a few years back when they played Radio City Music Hall, and I thank you for this great interview. All those years, before there were pictures on the internet, since there was only one Simon I really knew (the one without the horns,) that's how I pictured you SR. That pic is one of those serendipitous things.

[MsD]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Sound great and I look forward to reading it next week when I'm home .. DD are fab. I think I saw their first London gig in 1981, it was at the Sundown (?) when Planet Earth was just out.

[Gerontophile]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Nice questions, and they do finally seem like they have grown up, but, how come he still cant sing? I mean, he has always been the weak link in their band, and they hadnt noticed?

Oh well, good luck to them, they make some occasionally shit-kicking tunes. And nice co-efficient with Japan, in the interview: I see the similarities, and the directons given, without knowledge.

But, I suspect that DD knew exactly what was coming, and Japan had no idea... after trying so hard for ages. Bit like Arabicus Pulp.

[evilC]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Yeah, alot of the reason that I didn't like Duran Duran when I was a kid was because I was already into Japan and I saw Duran as just a bunch of Japan wannabes. They didn't have such good tunes either, which didn't help.

I have to agree with Gero about Le Bon, though. He's one of those singers who sounds like he's straining for a shit or something. Strangely nasal. Sylvian's voice was strange in a different way, of course (now I listen back to it) but there were always going to be direct comparisons, due to the bands' other similarities.

[Gerontophile]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Japan were always bogged down by the Bryan Ferry thing.

And they were never going to be huge anyway... I am not sure you can wildly change gear from 'Adolescent Sex' to 'Visions of China', however well (you think) you can do, either.

Whereas, and this may be 'apocryphal' too, Simon LeBon once said on TV that he hated catholics? Any info on this?

[Gerontophile]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

oh, and SR: sorry. I did not mean what you read. x

[Beatle Simon]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

I was a massive fan of DD from '82 to '85, when I was also a massive Jam fan, and at my school you "weren't allowed" to like both!
Finally bought the first 3 albums on CD about 5 years ago, and Rio still stands up today. In fact, the one thing Rio had in common with Sgt Pepper when I was 12 was that they were the only albums I liked all the songs on!

[Mumpo]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

jasoñ voorhees wrote:

For me, they achieved a sound that's absolutely impossible to duplicate or find out how they did it. To this day, I listen to Rio or Save A Prayer or Girls on Film and it's impossible...impossible to figure out where the bass or guitar began and where the synths ended. It's all one sound, the bass is the same as the vocals is the same as the guitar is the same as the synths. Is it an electronic drum kit ? Beats the fuck out of me, because the next second it's congas, and the next second it's something else. It's as if they consumed the world and popped out something no one's ever seen before or since.

Excellent description.

[evilC]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

True, and that's the way I feel that way about Japan. This might sound strange coming from me, loving all* things overtly electronic, but I loved the way that Japan's 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' felt so organic.

Do I recall hearing that Nick Rhodes worshipped Richard Barbieri to such an extent that he used the same keyboards? I can't remember if I really read that someweher or not.

(edit: * - A bit of an exaggeration, that, of course. There's plenty of electronic stuff that I just can't handle at all.)

[Beatle Simon]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

evilC wrote:

I have to agree with Gero about Le Bon, though. He's one of those singers who sounds like he's straining for a shit or something.

And "Wild Boys was a particulary bad day!

[Ray de Galles]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Just watching the show now with my wife and wondering "Fucking hell, could Le Bon ever sing or has he just lost it with age?!".

I am also troubled by the fact that, in his interview sections, he is dressed as David Sullivan.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

evilC wrote:

He's one of those singers who sounds like he's straining for a shit or something.

That's an excellent analogy. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Of course the problem with Duran Duran (and Spandau Ballet) in the early 80s was that they were frankly a band who girls liked. They've only attained any sort of credibility in hindsight. All acts come back into fashion if they hang around long enough.

If you'd have admitted to liking Duran Duran at my school, you'd have been laid out by some big spotty youth who'd spent hours recreating Iron Maiden logos in felt-tip on the back of a sleeveless denim jacket.

[Squid Ink]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Well, pop is war in school, or at least it was back then. For some reason I had no qualms admitting my Duran and Smiths fandom, and got into quite severe trouble for it from people not unlike the kids Stumpy describes above. At the time I deeply regretted outing myself as a fan of such stuff, but looking back I'm quite proud of my younger stuff for not being afraid to nail his colours to the mast.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Heavy metal kids in my school were really weedy. Hard kids were into mod or ska.

[WOM]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

I've once again confirmed to myself that I shouldn't be a record reviewer.

My first listen through this new album confirmed that it was another heartbreaking disappointment rather than the usual 'return to form' blah blah. Then I gave it a second go, and then a third. It's a slow grower.

No, there's no Girls on Film or Reflex or Hungry Like The Wolf on it, but it's damn good. I mean, it wouldn't kill them to write a couple of hook-laden pop songs every once in a while, would it? But it's a good, mature-sounding album. As for Le Bon's voice, it's Le Bon's voice. He sings Duran Duran songs quite well.

What's the backstory on all the Ronson badminding, anyway?

[Stumpy Pepys]

Duran Duran, by me, for The Quietus

Spearmint Rhino wrote:

Heavy metal kids in my school were really weedy. Hard kids were into mod or ska.

I was weedier than the ska, mod and heavy metal kids