Red Carpet Massacre

by

Duran Duran

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...that I love this album, because I love Duran Duran and have since I was twelve. I was so thrilled with their true comeback album "Astronaut" that I was expecting them to move forward with more innovative and inspired music. But this album falls just a bit short of the DD greatness that we've heard in the past.

The opening track "The Valley" is pretty decent and does have some shades of classic Duran Duran. I was reminded of "Notorious" with this song. The second, title track has a great "spacey" opening then drifts into a raw drum beat - it's very 80s so I like it. The third track, "Nite-Runner" is the first track on the album that sounds blatantly Timbaland inspired and he provides some of the chorus vocals. I don't dislike Timbaland - he's done some great work - but there's something about his and Timberlake's presence in some of the songs that I feel rips away from the soul of Duran Duran.

I know some reviewers have voiced their dislike for "Falling Down," but it's my favorite track on the album. The melody is beautiful and the lyrics are quite appropriate for this age of rising/crashing starlets and pop singers and our consumption of them. For me, it's right up there with "Come Undone" and "Ordinary World" from the Wedding Album. Bits of the melody remind me of "Save a Prayer," as well.

Track five, "Box Full O' Honey," is another lovely melody with great lyrics and acoustic guitar. John Taylor's melodic bass really comes through on this track as well. "Skin Divers" is a ready made dance floor hit/Timbaland beat machine with a catchy rap hook; it gets you moving, but Simon's voice sounds a little flat and lifeless on this track. "Tempted" is my least favorite track; it's sounds like they simply recycled Timberlake's "Sexy Back" and just changed a few chords. "Tricked Out" - All Hail Nick Rhodes! - is a fun instrumental track with shades of Berlin/Siouxsie/Bauhaus, etc. Very 80s, so of course I love it.

"Zoom In" isn't a bad song, but it isn't great, either. It's got a nice beat, but feels a bit shallow. "She's Too Much" has a nice opening and a melancholy melody, which I always gravitate to, but it would be nice if John Taylor's bass was more present on this track. I think it would have added a much needed layer and you can actually hear the empty space left vacant by his lack of presence, which is a shame because he is one of the great bass players of our time. "Dirty Great Monster" has a great bluesy beat and Simon's voice really shines on this track - think "The Reflex" and "Union of the Snake." The final track is a bit lackluster. Again, it sounds like a stolen track from one of Timberlake's albums - his first solo, I think - same beat.

Overall, if you're a true Duran Duran fan, this is not an album to pass up. If your a casual Duran Duran listener, you'd do better with the Wedding Album or Astronaut or even their EARLY stuff. But I love these guys, so they really can't do anything wrong in my eyes; however, they need to dump the Timberlakes and Timbalands of this world and follow their own vision as they have in the past. You can definitely tell there are too many fingers in the pie on this album.

I can understand why this album is so divisive. Rather than make grand pronouncements or add to the din, I will attempt to break down, as objectively as possible, what you'll get here.

This is not a return to the classic Duran sound. Think about the old hits we all love so much, and there's a lot of guitar on there. Not so much here. This one is very beat driven.

If you like classic new wave (like Missing Persons), there are a lot of synth sounds here that I think you'll enjoy.

The modern beats -- there's no denying they're here, and in abundance. To my ear, though, when paired with the new wavy synths it sounds retro instead of like a grab for current chart cred.

Simon's voice is mixed loud and clear, which goes a long way to making this still sound like Duran. He's got a really unique voice and it sounds great here.

I'd go so far as the compare this to an update or sequel to Big Thing, though that may not be completely accurate. Just say this, you can draw a straighter line from Big Thing to this album than you could from Rio.

I loaded in three stars because I don't want to shove an opinion down your throats -- but I really like this. Even more than Astronaut (and I really like Astronaut). Somehow, as strange as it seems on paper, I think it works.

But I totally get why it's not for everyone.