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Post by Rabbit Dog on Nov 18, 2020 15:54:08 GMT -5
Today (18th November) 35 years ago in 1985 Arcadia's So Red The Rose was released. What are your memories of this album?
In a youth that was spent more outdoors than listening/watching/reading media I had no idea this album existed at the time - I think it was going through a football-phase around 85/86 anyway, so when I reconnected with music in 87 I was straight into Notorious not realising that there was something else to be discovered.
It was a cousin, also into DD, that mentioned Arcadia's Election Day to me and I was like "you what?" but for some reason or other he didn't have a copy either - so I had to seek out a copy by other means, which was tricky in the Scottish Highlands back in the 80s as there wasn't much in the way of places to buy music. I tried the usual suspects in a nearby town - Boots and Woolies, but no joy, so I went into a music shop (for instruments) that also had some vinyl/cassettes for sale - and there it was on cassette!
I recall in 87 I had a difficult relationship with Notorious, I found the change in direction from Seven/Arena too jarring, Le Bon's lyrics not at their best, and I was disappointed with other things like Andy and Roger leaving, and even the Notorious cover art (it must be said that the album and its art later grew on me).
So what of So Red The Rose? To me it was wonderful - everything about it, it was like discovering that the early Duran trilogy of DD-Rio-Seven had a fourth part! I could understand how SRTR evolved from Seven in terms of sound and lyricism perfectly, and it was all wrapped up in a beautiful Malcolm Garrett sleeve with additional sublime artwork by Viramontes to complement the whole package.
Sure there was no Andy or John on there, but that was forgiven when I found out what a delight the album was. I loved every track on the album back then, and still do to this day.
To me, especially given the subsequent DD line-up changes, I count it as a Duran album and because of the way my car stereo indexes the music files I even changed the "Artist" tag from Arcadia to Duran Duran so that it sits exactly where I want it to sit.
And on my dining room wall I have the covers of DD, Rio, Seven, Arena AND So Red The Rose framed with pride.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2020 17:27:15 GMT -5
I’m surprised it’s taken this long for somebody to acknowledge such a massive milestone for such a critically acclaimed collection of gold.
When SRTR ‘came out’ I assumed, just like everybody else I’d imagine, that the Duran Duran camp were just taking a breather or working together (all 5 of them) on a 4th album - and that the two splinter projects were just a reason to divert attention away from the rigours of pop stardom and the frenzy of screaming fans that may as well have been the band members’ shadows.
My interpretation of SRTR was Simon and Nick saying ‘this is us, this is what we want to do and when DD have recovered, we’ll still be doing what we want to do’
To all intents and purposes, they did bounce back with a fresh, revitalised formula, only Andy and Roger were to play no part in it. That was the shocker for me in all honesty. The price of almost instant, worldwide domination was the car crash waiting to happen. ‘Success’ is a too small description of a band that stole American’s hearts. It really doesn’t do them justice. But it’s rare for a boy band (and let’s face it that’s what they were) to continue in the same vein, writing and producing hit songs decade after decade, let alone year after year. The shelf life of a musical artist is brutally short and swift as we found out as the magnitude of fans abandoned Duran Duran in ‘87.
Some would say they took too long with the ‘comeback’ album. I say the exodus would have happened anyway. Andy fans gone, Roger fans gone. Then it would be the turn of the fans who would put the blame on the ‘remainders’ for splitting everybody up. It’s too late - The needle and the damage done.
I don’t have any vivid recollections of SRTR as I wasn’t massively into DD. I wasn’t a ‘one band type’. I followed a plethora of artists, preferring to broaden my taste and make the most of what was available.
One memory does spring to mind and that was the winter of ‘85. I remember it was damn cold - the coldest winter for several years. My car was a Mini - an old mini. As a boy racer, I went for rides at a disused airfield and I had SRTR blasting as I performed hand break turns on the icy runway. I was 18 and having the time of my life. I’m just very lucky it didn’t end up as ‘Goodbye is Forever’!
It’s a fine album and I wished DD would tap into their back catalogue more and rediscover their dna from old. I wish a lot of things really!!
Great thread!!
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Post by negative1 on Nov 18, 2020 17:35:52 GMT -5
not a fan of the album, or the singles. in fact, 'election day', turned me off completely from the band.
luckily i heard 'the promise' at some point, and to me it's the only redeeming song on it. i love the album version, the 12 inch mix, and single version.
they did a great job on the artwork, promoting it, and everything else. but not so great on the music. which is fine, because they still got some people to enjoy it.
not really much related to duran duran, except for simon singing and being in it. (ok, and nick playing keyboards,roger on guitar)
later -1
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Post by Rabbit Dog on Nov 18, 2020 17:49:27 GMT -5
It’s a fine album and I wished DD would tap into their back catalogue more and rediscover their dna from old. I wish a lot of things really!! Yes, it's become a long forgotten gem by the band themselves. I'm guessing that other than Election Day they have never dug out anything else from SRTR to play live? It never got the commercial success it deserved either. There was nothing wrong with the music, so it showed how fickle a large proportion of the fanbase was back in the day about branding, with the lack of John Taylor perhaps also impacting on some teenage girl DD fans. But it has remained a real favourite among the loyal core of the fanbase.
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Post by More Play Time on Nov 18, 2020 19:20:20 GMT -5
Lately we have more play time than money?
I must say the album took some time for me to like it, and certain songs still put me off, but it was a darker album, and not one which would sit well with pop audiences. It was a bit like the Kate Bush 'she's gone mad' album - where everything went into the pot. There was a lot of experimentation going on at that time in music, and not altogether easy listening.
I like Election Day, The Promise and El Diablo the best.
The flame is good but I prefer the long version, same with Rose Arcana.
Goodbye is forever ok I guess.
Keep me in the Dark, Missing, and Lady Ice are a bit too surreal for me.
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Post by naturalbornduranie on Nov 19, 2020 1:55:51 GMT -5
I’m surprised it’s taken this long for somebody to acknowledge such a massive milestone for such a critically acclaimed collection of gold. When SRTR ‘came out’ I assumed, just like everybody else I’d imagine, that the Duran Duran camp were just taking a breather or working together (all 5 of them) on a 4th album - and that the two splinter projects were just a reason to divert attention away from the rigours of pop stardom and the frenzy of screaming fans that may as well have been the band members’ shadows. My interpretation of SRTR was Simon and Nick saying ‘this is us, this is what we want to do and when DD have recovered, we’ll still be doing what we want to do’ To all intents and purposes, they did bounce back with a fresh, revitalised formula, only Andy and Roger were to play no part in it. That was the shocker for me in all honesty. The price of almost instant, worldwide domination was the car crash waiting to happen. ‘Success’ is a too small description of a band that stole American’s hearts. It really doesn’t do them justice. But it’s rare for a boy band (and let’s face it that’s what they were) to continue in the same vein, writing and producing hit songs decade after decade, let alone year after year. The shelf life of a musical artist is brutally short and swift as we found out as the magnitude of fans abandoned Duran Duran in ‘87. Some would say they took too long with the ‘comeback’ album. I say the exodus would have happened anyway. Andy fans gone, Roger fans gone. Then it would be the turn of the fans who would put the blame on the ‘remainders’ for splitting everybody up. It’s too late - The needle and the damage done. I don’t have any vivid recollections of SRTR as I wasn’t massively into DD. I wasn’t a ‘one band type’. I followed a plethora of artists, preferring to broaden my taste and make the most of what was available. One memory does spring to mind and that was the winter of ‘85. I remember it was damn cold - the coldest winter for several years. My car was a Mini - an old mini. As a boy racer, I went for rides at a disused airfield and I had SRTR blasting as I performed hand break turns on the icy runway. I was 18 and having the time of my life. I’m just very lucky it didn’t end up as ‘Goodbye is Forever’! It’s a fine album and I wished DD would tap into their back catalogue more and rediscover their dna from old. I wish a lot of things really!! Great thread!! I took notice of that album ,around mid 90s ,I was only 5-6 years old when it got released ,I had no clue about Arcadia and the internet was not an option back then plus I purchased SRTR on a rainy Saturday morning, as an added bonus having bought in the same day ,big thing,liberty and arena on vinyl. I remember that day ,because I had no money left for the bus and I had to walk for about 12 km Lol ,those were the crazy days of a duranie teenager ,starving to discover new DD related material
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Post by Kiffa on Nov 19, 2020 3:06:03 GMT -5
Duran Duran were well-established as my favorite band by the time So Red The Rose came out. John and Andy had already done Power Station, and I loved that album, and was very interested in hearing what Simon, Nick and Roger would come up with.
One day in October 1985, my family and I were in the car, on our way to one of my brother's soccer games. We had the radio on, probably to Boston's late, great WHTT 103.3, which was my favorite station (and from which I had won a jukebox-- sadly, no longer in my possession-- in a contest earlier that year). As we got close to the field where the game was being played, the DJ announced that they would be playing the new Arcadia single within the next hour. Oh no. I'd miss it, unless I could convince my parents to let me stay in the car and wait for it to come on. Well, I managed to do just that. Whether they knew how much it meant to me and relented easily, or whether I whined and complained until I just wore them down, I don't really remember. Either one is entirely possible lol.
It's more difficult to remember exactly what my first impression of the song was. I'm sure I liked it, but it definitely took me a while to stop being embarrassed to sing along to the lyrics "pull my shirt off and pray".
The video followed, and then the next month, the album. I think before I ever dropped the needle, I was fascinated by the style of the entire project. I was a sucker for things like the numbered code on the album and singles, and the plethora of talented guest artists who upped the cool quotient of the album by a significant amount. It was also one of the first times I remember feeling like, 'OK, the lead single's pretty good, but holy crap, pretty much every song on the rest of the album is even better'. I loved the sequencing, with the more conventional three-to-five minute songs on Side 1, and then Side 2 with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it instrumental followed by three long tracks. "Keep Me In The Dark" and "Goodbye Is Forever" became instant favorites on which to sing the harmonies. And "The Promise" simply became one of my favorite songs recorded by any band, ever.
I'm sure that for a long time, I listened to this album at least once almost every single day. And while I don't anymore, I still easily could, and not get tired of it. Some fans and critics have described it as a Duran Duran album under a different name, and I don't actually feel that way about it at all. To me, it's a completely separate entity, almost as different from Duran Duran as the Power Station was. There may be some through-lines to a few of the tracks on Notorious or the more atmospheric songs on Big Thing, but those albums came after Arcadia, and I don't think there's much that came before it that hinted at the direction that this project would take. It was, perhaps, the creative high point of the entire extended Duran Duran family and is still in my Top 5 albums of all time.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2020 5:28:47 GMT -5
Duran Duran were well-established as my favorite band by the time So Red The Rose came out. John and Andy had already done Power Station, and I loved that album, and was very interested in hearing what Simon, Nick and Roger would come up with. One day in October 1985, my family and I were in the car, on our way to one of my brother's soccer games. We had the radio on, probably to Boston's late, great WHTT 103.3, which was my favorite station (and from which I had won a jukebox-- sadly, no longer in my possession-- in a contest earlier that year). As we got close to the field where the game was being played, the DJ announced that they would be playing the new Arcadia single within the next hour. Oh no. I'd miss it, unless I could convince my parents to let me stay in the car and wait for it to come on. Well, I managed to do just that. Whether they knew how much it meant to me and relented easily, or whether I whined and complained until I just wore them down, I don't really remember. Either one is entirely possible lol. It's more difficult to remember exactly what my first impression of the song was. I'm sure I liked it, but it definitely took me a while to stop being embarrassed to sing along to the lyrics "pull my shirt off and pray". The video followed, and then the next month, the album. I think before I ever dropped the needle, I was fascinated by the style of the entire project. I was a sucker for things like the numbered code on the album and singles, and the plethora of talented guest artists who upped the cool quotient of the album by a significant amount. It was also one of the first times I remember feeling like, 'OK, the lead single's pretty good, but holy crap, pretty much every song on the rest of the album is even better'. I loved the sequencing, with the more conventional three-to-five minute songs on Side 1, and then Side B with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it instrumental followed by three long tracks. "Keep Me In The Dark" and "Goodbye Is Forever" became instant favorites on which to sing the harmonies. And "The Promise" simply became one of my favorite songs recorded by any band, ever. I'm sure that for a long time, I listened to this album at least once almost every single day. And while I don't anymore, I still easily could, and not get tired of it. Some fans and critics have described it as a Duran Duran album under a different name, and I don't actually feel that way about it at all. To me, it's a completely separate entity, almost as different from Duran Duran as the Power Station was. There may be some through-lines to a few of the tracks on Notorious or the more atmospheric songs on Big Thing, but those albums came after Arcadia, and I don't think there's much that came before it that hinted at the direction that this project would take. It was, perhaps, the creative high point of the entire extended Duran Duran family and is still in my Top 5 albums of all time. A fan’s perfect prologue for a boxset ^^^^
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Post by fizzypop on Nov 19, 2020 7:39:01 GMT -5
Aware roger was part of the band and in early promo pictures. Did he contribute to any Acadia interviews either on tv or print. Or had he checked out by that point. Great for him to get all the royalties but not do any of the hard slog I.e. videos, or or interviews. Don't remember much being made of it at the time he wasn't in the videos etc. From my memory it was a rhodes/le bon vehicle.
Even in the vhs compliation video at the time there is no mention of roger at all which is pretty bizarre. If memory serves me correct say the word was written post Roger.
Anyone got a link to a roger Acadia interview from 1985???
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Post by negative1 on Nov 19, 2020 11:52:13 GMT -5
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