Members honeyiscool Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 You don't ever hear guitarists talk about Duran Duran but I really think they're one of the best pop bands ever. They could really groove and I really like how they always had very economical guitar playing, usually in contrast with the busy bass and drum parts, you know. [video=youtube;XZAi6V91XjM] Most people wish they could play rhythm like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 I know they're talented guys but I can't stand them. Maybe because I grew up in the 80s but Rio and Girls on Film are annoying songs. Like I said, good players and a lot of people like them but I just never could get into them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coopster Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Andy Taylor was a rhythm machine, very informed by funk as well as rock. I loved DD in the early years, Simon had a cool ass whiny voice and the band just brought the punky funk nu wave pop. I saw them live after they sort of imploded and Warren Cuccurullo was playing guitar with them and they killed. High energy and tight playing. Of course, I have a hard time listening to them now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Today Sirius has been a DD fest. Did one of them have a birthday or die or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Honeyiscool: I'm afraid you have gone way down in my estimation. I can only credit the fact that you weren't alive during the early 80s to understand how they personified the watered-down, telegenic bull{censored} that substituted for actual rock during the period when MTV began to dominate the music world (i.e. form over substance). To me, they were essentially the analogue of the anodyne pop that dominated the charts in the early 60s between the death of Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, et al and the teabag invasion. *YAWN* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Honeyiscool: I'm afraid you have gone way down in my estimation. I can only credit the fact that you weren't alive during the early 80s to understand how they personified the watered-down, telegenic bull{censored} that substituted for actual rock during the period when MTV began to dominate the rock world. LOL! I only thought it but you, you said it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BigTimeFun Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 At the time I didn't like 'em, then came to appreciate them as I got older, now they're {censored}ed out and I could live without hearing them ever again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 At the time this stuff was all over the airwaves, I lived in Idaho Falls. I had a friend who got a Duran Duran t-shirt, ripped it, mended it with safety pins and scrawled "I HATE" above the "Duran Duran" in marker. Best.Shirt.Ever. Also -- took balls to go around like that in a place like IF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted October 27, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Honeyiscool: I'm afraid you have gone way down in my estimation. I can only credit the fact that you weren't alive during the early 80s to understand how they personified the watered-down, telegenic bull{censored} that substituted for actual rock during the period when MTV began to dominate the music world (i.e. form over substance). To me, they were essentially the analogue of the anodyne pop that dominated the charts in the early 60s between the death of Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, et al and the teabag invasion. *YAWN*We're not talking about Men Without Hats here. Duran Duran valued form, sure, but they had a lot of substance to go with it. Those guys spent money on makeup and clothes (and so did a lot of rock musicians over the years), sure, but they could play, and they wrote their own songs, and they were good songs, too. What was so great about late 70s rock that needed to be preserved anyway? Rock needs to be kicked in the ass once in a while so it starts getting interesting again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor Morbius Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 I'm a Duran Duran freak, as one may have noticed from post #9 in the "What Songs Are On Your Top Ten Best Of The '80s List" thread. To me they are THE quintessential '80s New Wave band. I saw them once at Atlanta's Earthlink Live theater with Warren Cuccurullo as their guitarist and again just a few years ago with Andy Taylor and the full original crew at the Murat theater in Indianapolis. This was before they got involved with Justin Timberfake and Andy left the band .. again. Andy Taylor is a great rhythm player, John Taylor is a great bass player and Simon has the most powerful vocals with great range I've ever heard live. What's not to like? EDIT: I wish I could find some freakin' accurate tabs for DD on the webs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 At the time this stuff was all over the airwaves, I lived in Idaho Falls. I had a friend who got a Duran Duran t-shirt, ripped it, mended it with safety pins and scrawled "I HATE" above the "Duran Duran" in marker. Best.Shirt.Ever. Also -- took balls to go around like that in a place like IF! I hope he stole the shirt in his sex pistol wannabe phase. Otherwise he just gave DD some $$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gdsmithtx Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Weird. I just heard "The Union of the Snake" and "The Reflex" as bumper music on a sports talk radio program just yesterday. With one breathWith one flowYou will knowSynchronicity -Da Fuzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 I hope he stole the shirt in his sex pistol wannabe phase. Otherwise he just gave DD some $$$. IIRC, he either got it at Deseret Industries (resale shop) or out of a dumpster... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted October 27, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 EDIT: I wish I could find some freakin' accurate tabs for DD on the webs.I think one of the problems with guitar parts like Duran Duran is that even Duran Duran themselves don't always play the same notes all the time. Like "Rio" for instance, on the record, he mostly plays two-note chords, whereas live, he generally plays triads. It's more about the strumming and rhythm anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted October 27, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Whatever else Duran Duran did, ass-kicking had very little to do with it. They were all about image, expensive production, and NOT about kick-ass rock.But could they play? In my mind, they could play as well as any rock band out there. So if it's image that's keeping you from liking them, who's the image conscious sucker here? (see what I did there?) And what expensive production? It's mostly good funk guitar, nice bass lines, excellent drum work, and a couple of synths. You don't need a million dollars to make a tight band sound good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Oh, they could play alright. No question about that. My problem is that they essentially co-opted the sound and vibe of the punk movement but without the conscience, political awareness, and generally sneering attitude that validated it. They were just doing it for money. Same reason I also dislike the Police (although I enjoy some of their songs.) So, yeah -- if that makes me a poseur, I'm guilty... However, since you weren't alive at the time, I don't expect you to understand what it was like to be young during the Reagan/Thatcher era and see the enlightenment and optimism of the 60s morph into rage in the 70s and finally utter narcissistic self-absorption in the 80s.. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 But could they play? In my mind, they could play as well as any rock band out there. So if it's image that's keeping you from liking them, who's the image conscious sucker here? Ditto Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted October 27, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 They could play all right? Can you name many bassists better than John Taylor? I wasn't alive then so you're right, I don't know what it was like but I also know that 30 years is a long time to be holding a grudge and if you can't judge a rather excellent set of musicians because of some image issues 30 years ago, then I'm afraid I can't take your opinion very seriously on this matter either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor Morbius Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Whatever else Duran Duran did, ass-kicking had very little to do with it. They were all about image, expensive production, and NOT about kick-ass rock.I beg to differ. They just kicked ass in style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted October 27, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Did 80s musicians just love being seen on boats or something? Wasn't the "Careless Whisper" video filmed on a boat, too? Yes, I also like George Michael. Dude can sing and write. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Well, if we all agreed on everything this board would be pretty dull! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 They could play all right? Can you name many bassists better than John Taylor? Kip Winger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Let's not forget JPJ, Entwhistle, Paul McCartney, Stanley Clarke and a whole bunch of others I could name... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 Not punk, not new wave, but new romantic. The antithesis of punk. Nice pop tunes my mother liked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted October 27, 2011 Members Share Posted October 27, 2011 I have many friends who have seen them in concert and thay all say they kick ass live. I dont consider them a hard rock band. They were part of the whole new wave thing that really didnt have a classification in the beginning. They arent exactly my thing being kind of poppy sounding stuff but I do recognisetheir influence on many other bands at the time. I suppose thay went for the money as most would given the chance. I guess I liked some of the new wave stuff at that time better than the punk rock stuff which was pretty boaring to play for the most part. At least the new wave stuff explored different musical composition combinations so you could actually learn something musically from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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