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Post by mynick7 on Feb 17, 2014 12:22:36 GMT -5
I'm on your same "taste" cycle, ansgar. I love Medazzaland and Pop Trash very much! I love the TV Mania album as well as "Dark Circles"...which I just listened to on my way to school today. I happen to love "TMWSAL" because of the vocals, the lyrics and most of all, the feel of it.
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Post by kitaj on Feb 17, 2014 12:27:38 GMT -5
I am another (ex-?) fan that thinks Medazzaland clearly ranks among the best Duran albums, up there with So Red the Rose, Big Thing, Rio. and no, I'm not mad nor raving, nor trying to justify anything. I'm tired to expand on its virtues to Duranies with cloth ears who place more importance on the band's makeup (in both senses) than the music, so let's just say it's a superb album start to finish, full stop. and it's as Duranish as they ever got - certainly more Rio than AYNIN will ever be. but, you know, it hasn't got John on it. and there's that wacky bald guy playing the bass (how dare he!) and making weird noises along with Nick - noises that Nick had been making all the time but, hey, they were the Fab Five back then, so I didn't seem to notice. that's fandom judgement in a nutshell.
OK, so I happen to like RCM more than AYNIN as well. again, I'm neither masochistic nor in denial. I think RCM is the braver album. I agree with your assessment of Leopard, but I extend it to the whole of AYNIN. for me, AYNIN is Frankenstein Duran. it doesn't sound like Rio at all - rather, every track sounds like another early '80s band or genre. Blondie, Chic, Roxy, you name it. it may be a Rio Mk II, but it's a Rio-by-numbers. and the songs are, by and large, fluff. I would think those who hail AYNIN as Duran's second (or third) coming are the desperate, terminal fans, but I don't want to come across arrogant. it's just that, for me, AYNIN is the kind of irrelevant travesty that certainly won't be remembered in a few years' time - and I would extend that to the whole reunion business. I'm certainly glad that they are still around because it's like seeing family, but come on - when was the last time their music felt like necessary music? for me, it was Medazzaland.
for this reason, I simultaneously don't harbour big hopes for the new album and I'm kind of glad Ronson seems to be out of the picture. would they be so brave as to finish the damn thing themselves! it's not their style, but whatever - we'll see.
ah, what a rant. now I feel worse. :-D
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Post by aglewis723 on Feb 17, 2014 13:16:03 GMT -5
See, i didnt want every album to be "the band thats designed you make you party". Im ok with a more dark and introspective album. Its good to change things up every now and then I feel.
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Post by aglewis723 on Feb 17, 2014 13:16:13 GMT -5
See, i didnt want every album to be "the band thats designed you make you party". Im ok with a more dark and introspective album. Its good to change things up every now and then I feel.
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Post by mynick7 on Feb 17, 2014 15:42:57 GMT -5
That's how I've always felt. Duran experiments and changes things up. I love that they dare to be different rather then have every song sound the same (like U2, for instance). So what if an album isn't a "hit?" A hit album doesn't mean it's better. Some people like change, some do...and we all have our own opinions. Personally, I love AYNIN also as much as RCM. As for Leopard, I love it. It's deep and full of emotion. Just my opinion...
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Post by derekduran on Feb 17, 2014 16:41:34 GMT -5
wow...suprised by some of the comments, I personally think that Leopard is the best song they've done in 20 years and AYNIN the best album in 20 years....one of the reasons I like it so much is that it sounds like Duran Duran, not some failed hip-hop experiement or bodged rock album (Liberty) or an ill-advised stab at whatever M-land and Pop Trash were supposed to be.
Ronson seemed to bring a level of discipline and objectiveness that they often lack when doing it themselves...which is why we sometimes get overproduced mush like Medazzaland- so his absence doesn't fill me with confidence...
even though I dislike M-land overall- Big Bang Generation, OOMM, Barbarella, So Long Suicide, M-land and the demos of Midnight Sun and Butt Naked are good though
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Post by midnightsunau on Feb 17, 2014 16:44:51 GMT -5
"I have to say, Medz wallows in its own mud." - By far the best summation of that album ever I've been liking the band since 1980. I've paid close attention to their studio work and end results because I was a musician back then and my partner still is. I have strong concerns for DD14 based on past history that I believe involves: 1. Nick takes over when there isn't a strong producer and the albums always sound too electronic and arty farty for mainstream appreciation. They loose that rock feel that Andy bought to the work. Strong guitar riffs that are replaced by "sounds to scare small children by" electronic weirdness. Best base lines John has done in a while were on AYNIN because the riffs were back. 2. I do believe that DD will not match or come close to AYNIN in terms of quality of sound because they become very self indulgent when left to their own devices. Remember Mark made AYNIN "for the fans" - DD don't do that anymore. 3. They will rely on "abject loyalty" to get them enough sales to warrant a new tour. Am I negative - maybe but I'm able to look at them with a critical eye as well. From Medd, to RCM, - all albums where only 1-2 good sellable songs are located. But they are covered up by Nick's strong electronic influence. It's why AYNIN was so refreshing - it was light, infectious and had all 5 instruments working together not dominating the song. It still only had 2-4 sellable songs, but they were good this time. I've been going back over my old Roxy Music songs (to help with my partners new album) and dissecting them with a view to learning what works with them, what makes them timeless classics and its exactly the same thing that DD had in the beginning. Brilliant instrument lines played by 5 great musicians all working together on the song, with cooperative synergy so that each part has its own little solo in the song without overwhelming the others. That's what I want to hear again from DD. Great guitar riff, strong rhythm and base lines in sync, electronic lines filtering over the top (gently) and solid melody. Can they do it - off course they can they started off doing it and now, they're even better musicians! Like some of you - the inclusion of a choir on DD14 made me think, hang on... that's out of the ordinary for them - this could be good. But it has to be handled well. Something along the lines of the hits from TWA would be good. I hope they pull it off. I truly do.
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Post by heskethbang on Feb 17, 2014 19:01:21 GMT -5
Kudos to you midnightsunau for a superbly reasoned post, that sums up my feelings toward the band and their albums perfectly. For me the formula for DD is groove machine, choppy guitars and warm synths. I don't like Nick's recent sounds so much as his sounds have become 'elemental', eg, Leave a light on, which sounds like a square wave with the filter turned down, sounding rather cold. Its 1982 equivalent 'Save a Prayer' used detuned oscillators on the Jupiter 8 to give a warm sound that was present, but never dominating. Those sounds are all the rage today with bands like 2 door, Arcade fire and Bombay Bicycle club, so it isn't just about harking back to the past.
Like you, I'm concerned there isn't a producer working with them - Ronson understands that band better than any living producer I know of. They need an independent 'architect' to guide them forward - and always have done. However, it's always nice to be wrong, and I shall look forward to hearing what they come up with.
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Post by madoldlu on Feb 17, 2014 20:18:27 GMT -5
Yes, opinions are opinions, but I don't like it when you all don't like my MEDAZZALAND album! - never liked Warren that much- never liked Pop Trash - but I love Medazzaland from the day of release until now, I also like Bored with Prozac and the Internet? & Dark Circles a lot, maybe it's me and my taste of music is a bit strange... Now go on and beat up my MEDAZZALANDI gotta agree with that. Medazzaland is by far my favorite Warren-era album, and I'm not much of a Warren fan. And I agree with Midnightsunau about Nick always tending to steer the band into that overly electronic-y sound. He truly needs a strong producer to pull him back. But I disagree about hoping the new album goes all TWA (again, not much of a Warren fan here).
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Post by autodidact97 on Feb 17, 2014 21:46:43 GMT -5
Quite Frankly , I enjoyed the Medazzaland DEMOS ...FAR more than the finished product. I think the problem is that Nick likes to put all over the tracks his sound bits and then it just doesn't seem to appeal a large audience. The remake of "Midnight Sun" as appeared on the finished album along with "Be my Icon" also "Undergoing Treatment"lost a lot of spark from its original sound. If they want to sell to the masses and appeal new audience, they've got to stop being overproduced and halt the additional sounds they put in a track. we take a glimpse how good the Astronaut demos and then see the b-sides that came of it "Silent Icy River" and "Know it all" , they just seem like beeps/farts on those tracks while ignoring other tracks that could have been exposed to newer audiences (beautiful colours, lonely business)..
Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocals, and little bit of keyboards for some bit of background noise, but that's it.
I think : Sinner Or Saint , People Like you, Ball and Chain were really good compared to "Silva Halo" and "Michael"
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