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Post by madoldlu on Aug 17, 2010 8:54:32 GMT -5
Yeah, I don't know if I was just projecting something in thinking their signing with Sony gave them creative freedom. Maybe I just assumed that after their split with Capitol and Hollywood records and after being without a label for so long, that they were just shopping around for the best deal they could. Although they technically singed with Epic which is a subsidiary of Sony. I wonder if Sony pulled rank last minute and rejected the album. Now that they're "free of Sony" I hope they sign with someone who will respect their choices and be supportive. Btw - how's the new Crowded House album? I wasn't crazy about their last one and haven't picked up their new one yet. You probably won't like this one either. Intriguer is very much along the same lines as Time on Earth, which I thought was pretty good. Not their best, but still a strong, well-written and performed album with some beautiful gems (Pour Le Monde, People Are Like Suns). The new album is pretty short by today's standards--only 10 tracks, but there are 2 bonus tracks floating around that I have to track down. Best song: Other Side of the World.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2010 14:49:04 GMT -5
I think SONY threw a lot of money their way and the band were a bit careless to just take the money and not the control. I think it would be so much better to just get a distribution deal and release the new album themselves. They would still get booked on Regis and Jimmy Kimmel ;-)
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errbt
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Post by errbt on Aug 17, 2010 15:05:21 GMT -5
I agree and I think everyone needs a reality check to be honest. I mean, how many bands can anyone on this forum name that have been going for over 3 decades that have released exceptional album after exceptional album? There's not many, if any at all actually! Nothing will beat the first two Duran albums, forget that, seriously forget that everyone. I mean c'mon why do we love those albums so much? It is because they're the best Duran albums there will ever be, we all know this and should'nt expect them to be bettered - it's not possible! well I don't completely agree. To myself and many others, The Wedding Album and Astronaut were very pleasing and definitely breathed new life into the band....definitely were on par with their best material. I don't care if they weren't as popular as the first 3 albums, but both of those albums were perfect for their timing and the radio airplay and concert attendence definitely confirmed that. Radio airplay? Wedding Album: absolutely (at least for Ordinary World and Come Undone...Too Much Information, only a bit - and I really thought it had HIT written all over it)! Astronaut: Ummm, I never heard Sunrise or What Happens Tomorrow on the radio...not once. Astronaut was nowhere near the hit that even The Wedding Album was...to this day, non-Duran Duran fans at least remember Ordinary World and Come Undone. Anyone besides serious Duran Duran fans would only have a blank look on their face if you mention Sunrise or What Happens Tomorrow to them. What generated interest in that tour was the reunion, not the album itself (I'm not saying it was bad, but it sure as hell could have been better). Admittedly, I'm mainly speaking of the US reaction to (or rather ignoring of) the album. I do understand that worldwide it was more of a success.
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Post by thetange on Aug 17, 2010 18:45:51 GMT -5
well I don't completely agree. To myself and many others, The Wedding Album and Astronaut were very pleasing and definitely breathed new life into the band....definitely were on par with their best material. I don't care if they weren't as popular as the first 3 albums, but both of those albums were perfect for their timing and the radio airplay and concert attendence definitely confirmed that. Radio airplay? Wedding Album: absolutely (at least for Ordinary World and Come Undone...Too Much Information, only a bit - and I really thought it had HIT written all over it)! Astronaut: Ummm, I never heard Sunrise or What Happens Tomorrow on the radio...not once. Astronaut was nowhere near the hit that even The Wedding Album was...to this day, non-Duran Duran fans at least remember Ordinary World and Come Undone. Anyone besides serious Duran Duran fans would only have a blank look on their face if you mention Sunrise or What Happens Tomorrow to them. What generated interest in that tour was the reunion, not the album itself (I'm not saying it was bad, but it sure as hell could have been better). Admittedly, I'm mainly speaking of the US reaction to (or rather ignoring of) the album. I do understand that worldwide it was more of a success. I'd say your assessment is pretty accurate. Astronaut went to #19 on the album chart and the dropped pretty quickly (seems like it was in the top 100 for 3 weeks? can't remember for sure). It mainly sold to folks who were already Duran fans vs. building a new audience. The Wedding album was successful because it attracted old and new listeners. Ordinary World raised the bar considerably for the band and the reaction by and large was to the order of "That's Duran Duran? Wow. I like it.". I don't listen to radio but I know that Sunrise and WHT got played a bit on adult contemporary stations (quite a few friends mentioned hearing those songs at the time). Still.....there's a difference in radio in, say, 2005 (and now) vs. in 1993. Radio is much more fragmented and with a smaller audience.
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trevgreg
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Post by trevgreg on Aug 17, 2010 22:21:19 GMT -5
Valid points on that radio perspective guys. Where I lived at the time, I think I only heard the album version of Sunrise once, though I did hear the Nevins mix on this local station several times. Funny enough, What Happens Tomorrow actually got a decent amount of airplay there. I can remember hearing it at least 10 times on the air. Weirdly enough, I even heard it this past winter on a random station in Iowa driving back at night! Kinda surprising.
The reunion certainly did drive Astronaut sales higher than they might've been. One thing I always take into consideration is that Astronaut outsold Pop Trash on a 7 to 1 ratio (or around that anyway). That's 7 fans for every 1 that stuck around for Pop Trash or came onboard around that time.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2010 20:53:45 GMT -5
Perhaps the radio play was lower in some places, but the orveral success is relative to 2005....and in many ways exceeded my expectations. 80's bands had not really been selling records in the 2000's, but Astronaut did alright. Sunrise was on medium rotation on VH1 and I did hear it many times on radio...regular mix & nevins mix. WHT was played on my local station quite a bit for months. I remember that Sunrise was the top requested song on a Vegas station when it was released. Sunrise was also a top 10 hit in the UK and they played to great crowds at Wembley. I agree that overall...they are not likely to complete with most of the top 40 fluff that is out there, but the reunion/album was a moderate hit and brought a lot of fans out of the woodwork...publicity helped their cause for that album with a ton of tv appearances. Both shows I saw on that tour were full...as opposed to all other shows I had seen since 1993 era.
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Post by madoldlu on Aug 19, 2010 9:46:43 GMT -5
If only the guys weren't so bent on having "dance" singles and play to their strengths, which is great pop/rock that isn't necessarily meant to be danced to. Look at Coldplay. They sell out arenas and have chart-topping albums. But "Clocks" is never danced to in any nightclubs anywhere in the world.
They need to accept the fact that they are at an age and a point in their career that they simply do not appeal to young nightclub-goers, no matter who they collaborate with. They can still get some young fans, but they need to write music that will appeal to a more classic rock/alternative sound. It's truly what they're best at. And there really are young people out there who like music that isn't necessarily danceable. I'm not saying go completely into easy listening and reinterpret their greatest hits into adult contemporary music like Sting has. Just stop targeting the nightclubbers. They are a finicky group anyway. Go for the more mature teens who appreciate finely crafted music.
And I still hear Sunrise playing when I go to my local Lowe's (hardware/home repair store)! LOL
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2010 11:39:34 GMT -5
Actually, I'm glad they aren't selling out arenas because it would only drive ticket prices higher. I don't think they are stuck in any genre and I think they crossover to rock and dance. I would hate to tell them that they have to stick to one narrow style because that would stunt creativity... I'm gonna head to Home Depot today and see if I can hear WHT...lol
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Post by madoldlu on Aug 19, 2010 11:49:59 GMT -5
Actually, I'm glad they aren't selling out arenas because it would only drive ticket prices higher. I don't think they are stuck in any genre and I think they crossover to rock and dance. I would hate to tell them that they have to stick to one narrow style because that would stunt creativity... I'm gonna head to Home Depot today and see if I can hear WHT...lol As if ticket prices weren't high enough already! I skipped their last tour because it was like $75 each for general admission lawn seats (PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ)! And right now, I feel like the guys are indeed limiting themselves with their narrow "dance" focus. I barely hear any regular rock in there at all!
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Post by coolbarn on Aug 19, 2010 11:54:23 GMT -5
I would hate to tell them that they have to stick to one narrow style because that would stunt creativity... True, but Madoldlu suggested Duran should play to their strengths, which is "great pop/rock that isn't necessarily meant to be danced to". I would hardly call that 'one narrow style' - it is actually a large, all-encompassing genre. It's not like she suggested Duran should stick to country music written in unusual time signatures and played only on banjos I don't think that suggesting the guys concentrate on great pop/rock, but not dance music so much, is going to stifle or stunt their creativity at all. Give me Cry Baby Cry over Tempted any day!
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