Liberty

by

Duran Duran

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Probably the most least known of all the Duran albums and one that is either a love-it or hate-it, but in my humble opinion is quite good.

It can be dark at times and true does lack direction in certain areas, but it felt lyrically & musically more honest and pioneering than any of their other albums until that time. This was also the album that Warren was considered a full member (along with Sterling Campbell) and had put another element into the mix.

If you are looking for the Duran you know it is reachable in such tracks as "Violence of Summer" and "Serious". If you are willing to keep a open mind: "First Impression" & "Downtown" are musts (and my personal favs from this album).

Overall I give this album 4 1/2 stars. I know I have five (the four makes it look like you should pass it up).

It is not a perfect album such as "Rio" due a lack of a true flow from one song to the next (or a true theme) but it is a great listening experience.

As a long time Duran Duran fan, I reluctantly give "Liberty" a negative review. Aside from 3 or 4 really good songs, most of "Liberty" is disposable disco music, with little of the New Romantic flair that set Duran apart from the other New Wave bands of the 1980s.

"Liberty" sounds like the work of three different bands: a trendy dance group, a party rock band, and a polished art-rock outfit. Unfortunately, the songs don't segue well from one to another, nor are the lines of demarcation drawn as well as on their previous effort, "Big Thing." The overall impression is more of confusion than of versatility. Duran flourished in the 80s by integrating diverse styles into a cohesive sound. On "Liberty," their signature style is subsumed in uninspired mimicry.

The first three tracks demonstrate the record's conflicting styles. Duran immediately breaks new ground with "Violence of Summer," a bouncy rock anthem. It's catchy and fun, but raises false expectations for the rest of the album. The title track features a hypnotic piano groove and atmospheric pre-chorus, but the chorus is anticlimactic and the outro drags on too long. "Hothead" symbolizes the band's cynical efforts to capitalize on dance music, and unfortunately typifies the majority of "Liberty's" material.

The rest of "Liberty" mainly consists of uninspired dance music, with three notable exceptions. "Serious" is a mature and well-crafted mid-tempo number, with a catchy chorus and dynamic instrumental break. "My Antarctica" is a moody, textured track that wouldn't sound out of place on a Bryan Ferry solo album. "First Impression" gives guitarist Warren Cuccurullo a chance to display his considerable chops. The guitar hero aesthetic of "First Impression" hasn't aged well, but "Serious" and "My Antarctica" qualify as genuine sleepers; they alone justify a place for "Liberty" in the Duranie's collection.

In a way, it's a blessing in disguise that "Liberty" gained little attention. It bombed quietly, allowing the band to regroup and build up anticipation for their 1993 comeback smash "Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)," by far their strongest effort since 1982's "Rio."

"Liberty" remains a curio in Duran Duran's discography, space filler in the five-year gap between "Big Thing" and "The Wedding Album." Most of it is forgettable, but a handful of songs make it worthwhile for the Duran fan.