alright, here's my cd explanation... be warned, it's long!
Also, Naked and Dusty, yep, two cd's. I'll work on getting a functional yousendit link up soon.
In an effort to avoid writing an entire dissertation on why I love Duran Duran, I thought I’d boil it down to two major points:
(1) Duran Duran were the first band that I “got,” i.e. the music spoke to me, the imagery was fascinating, they sounded different from other bands AT THE TIME, they hooked me, and at my age (13), I was ready to identify with someone or some thing. I’m sure you could always chalk it up to pre-teen adulation (which is true to a certain extent), but I don’t think I would have stuck around with the music if that’s all it had been.
(2) I always equated the band to sex and fun, which is why the music always puts a smile on my face, or at the very least, perks my dour mood at times. Duran Duran have never been a complex band with cryptic meaning behind their songs, and there’s not a damn thing wrong with that. Duran Duran, to me, have always been about catchy riffs, melodies and rhythm.
So I wanted to compile a mix of songs that have always appealed to me, some familiar, some not so familiar. I’ll explain a bit as to why I chose the songs I did. If there’s an album associated with it, I put the name of the album and the year it was released.
Sound of thunder – Duran Duran - 1981 – believe it or not, the first song that was ever written with the five original (and current) members. Don’t misunderstand… DD went through many early incarnations before arriving at this final lineup, but this is the lineup that “broke” them into the public spotlight.
Late bar - b-side to Planet Earth single – One of my favorite b-sides of all time. They’ve been known to play this one live from time to time, but I’ve never experienced it live myself. This harkens to the earlier “choppy” sound they employed on their debut album.
Girls on film (night version) – remix on Girls on Film single – This is the longer remixed version of the song that accompanied the banned softcore porn video that was released in 1981.
Khanada - b-side to Careless Memories single – representative of their earlier sound, with a bit of Eastern flavor thrown in.
Fame - b-side to Careless Memories single - David Bowie cover. A little too slick for my tastes, but it’s an interesting cover.
Friends of mine – Duran Duran - 1981 – I always liked this one. It’s a bit harder compared to most DD tunes. They opened their 2004/2005 concerts with this one, and it was quite a crowd-pleaser.
Is there something i should know? (monster mix) – remix – “Is There Something I Should Know” originally was its own single, but later added to reissues of their debut album with different cover art. The original album had a track called “To the Shore,” which wasn’t particularly earthshattering, so no wonder they took it off to put this song on as a replacement.
edit: actually now that I think about it, To the Shore was yanked to make room for a track called Tel Aviv, which wasn't very interesting either.
Yo bad azizi - b-side to Serious single – I wanted to include this as one of several examples on this mix how DD “reworked” some of their previous songs in later years. Of course, the title refers to the lyric in “Is There Something I Should Know”: “Don’t say you’re easy on me, you’re about as easy as a nuclear war.” This came out in 1990.
Faith in this colour - b-side to Is There Something I Should Know single – this is what happens when you leave Nick Rhodes in the studio by himself. You get these strange instrumental b-sides that are primarily synethesizer-driven, but still catchy nonetheless.
New religion – Rio - 1982 – What is this? An homage to Pink Floyd or something? Not typical of Duran Duran, but still interesting.
Lonely in your nightmare – Rio - 1982 – Yes, there are plenty of hits on “Rio,” but some of the songs that didn’t get continuous airplay are the ones that still appeal to me and will always be favorites.
Hold back the rain – Rio - 1982 – An amazingly catchy 80s-era dance tune.
The chauffeur – Rio - 1982 – Most DD fans will cite this one as a favorite, and rightly so. It starts out with a very simplistic synth line, and morphs into a beautiful ballad. I’d always thought it was about longing for something you could never have. Towards the end of the song, there’s a sample taken from a BBC nature program.
Drive by – Thank You - 1995 – A favorite reinterpretation of the previous song (“The Chauffeur”).
Secret oktober - b-side to Union of the Snake single – Again with the “Nick Rhodes alone in the studio.” Another one they sometimes pull out in concert, but not very often. As you’ll see, this is pretty much the only song I included from the “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” era. Only because I despise that album now. Much of it was over-produced schlock, and no wonder the original five members broke apart at this juncture in their careers.
View to a kill – View to a Kill original soundtrack - 1984– I just included this because I thought it was a fun, jaunty one-off.
Skin trade – Notorious - 1986 – Can’t tell if this is a commentary on prostitution or modeling, but I guess they could be considered one and the same in some circumstances. It’s got that Nile Rodgers vibe to it, which makes sense since he co-produced the album.
Hold me – Notorious – 1986 – One of the few “anthemic-style” Duran Duran songs I enjoy. Plus I like the little funky breakdown around 2:50 into the song—starts with JT on bass, Nick coming in with some keyboards, and some "na na's" towards the end. For whatever reason, it always gets my booty shakin!
Do you believe in shame? - Big Thing – 1988 – Overall, not a favorite album of mine, as I felt like this was the beginning of the demise (since 2 of the original members were not in the band anymore by the time this album came out). However, if one dug a little deeper into the tracklisting, there were a couple of gems to uncover. This is one of them. Supposedly written about a friend who died of an overdose years earlier. At this point in the band’s lifeline, Warren Cuccurullo (former guitarist with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa) had officially become the band’s guitarist.
Palomino - Big Thing – 1988 – Remember that sex remark? Well, note it here. For whatever reason, this song makes me think of Avalon-era Roxy Music. Interesting trivia bit: the line “when I run out of blue” actually comes from an interview Picasso did. When asked during his “blue period” when he was going to use other colors, he replied, “When I run out of blue.”
Serious – Liberty – 1990 – I don’t own this album. Overall, nothing worthwhile appears on that album except this one little ditty. Quite catchy.
Ordinary world acoustic – Duran Duran (the Wedding Album) – 1993 – The same standard tune, just stripped down.
Sin of the city – Duran Duran – 1993 – I don’t really feel this is indicative of DD’s sound, but I’ve always had a soft spot for this track. It’s the closing track on the album. It’s about the fire that burned down the Happyland club in NYC in 1990.
My Antarctica - B-side to Ordinary World single – another interesting take on relationships, and the dichotomy that exists between yourself and that as one part of a couple.
Falling angel –bootleg album “Obsession and Corruption” – 1996 – I don’t know how I ever came across this track, but it harkens back to the singalong, carefree sound of yesteryear. Makes me smile.
Femme fatale – Thank You – 1995 – a VU cover.
Perfect day – Thank You – 1995 – another VU cover. Lou Reed actually praised it as being the best cover he’d ever heard of one of his songs, but we all know Lou ain’t quite right in the head these days. I like it though. Roger Taylor (original drummer) came in to record this with the lineup in 1997. Isn’t this a song about heroin? Simon somehow sang it so it sounds like a day out with the kids.
Out of my mind (perfecto mix) – remix from Out of my Mind off of Medazzaland album – 1997 – Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a clean copy of this track, so the quality is kinda low on this one. A Paul Oakenfold remix of a beautiful song that appeared on their album “Medazzaland” as well as the soundtrack for “The Saint.” I don’t think this version is available anywhere besides vinyl, as I haven’t been able to track it down (an official copy, that is) on cd. I dig the little “Save a Prayer” sample they throw in. Can you find it?
Butt naked – alternative/demo track on Medazzaland – 1997 – the original version of the song that went on to become “Be My Icon” on the album “Medazzaland.” John Taylor left the band during the making of “Medazzaland,” so there are only a few tracks where he is featured. This version was sung by John himself, with a very scathing criticism of his ex-wife (Amanda deCadenet), during the initial stages of their divorce.
Be my icon – Medazzaland – 1997 – This is what “Butt Naked” morphed into after John left the band. The lyrics were rewritten by Simon for this one, but it still has a sinister tone to it. Quite a judgment on some of their more rabid fans.
Midnight sun – medazzaland – 1997 – This song reminds me a lot of my own marriage. You know, ups, downs, but you always come back ‘round to the one you love.
Lady xanax - Pop Trash – 2000 – One of the few redeeming songs on the otherwise forgettable “Pop Trash” album. Apparently Simon was going through a dry spell, so Nick wrote most of the lyrics on this album. This one is supposedly about a famous London socialite that Nick dated, but I could definitely apply the same theme to some of my friends… funny how when people get older, they think they can hide their insecurities better, as if no one else doesn’t already know what the real deal is.
Point of no return – Astronaut – 2005 – I thought this was a fitting end to the cd. A quieter, more contemplative song for people who have clearly aged. Astronaut was the first album that involved the reunited original five members.
eter, aka 
usty 
halk
