Duran Duran
Duran Duran

THE REVIEW

It often happens that a band or artist is identified in the collective imagination thanks to their most representative work. It's an almost spontaneous mental association, but one that often leads to neglecting other noteworthy pieces that make up the mosaic of a career. Since the summer of 1982, Duran Duran has had to contend with an imposing masterpiece of perfection like “Rio,” a true cross and delight for Le Bon's band. But all those who have loved “Rio” from the very first note of John Taylor's bass should also listen to this “Duran Duran,” the debut album of the Birmingham five dating from 1981.

Unlike the famed second chapter of the band, “Duran Duran” is an album with less immediate listening, darker sounds, and more enigmatic lyrics; but it is precisely for this reason that it contains all the charm of a rough diamond, which once treated and polished will give light, a year later, to the fresh and sparkling “Rio,” which is therefore its direct descendant. In this first self-titled work, we indeed find all the characteristics of the sound that made Duran great: Le Bon's histrionic voice moves on John Taylor's driving bass lines (the true backbone of Duran's pieces) and the sophisticated atmospheres of Rhodes' keyboards; all sealed in the background by Roger Taylor's solid drumming and the guitar embroideries of the third Taylor, Andy. The record opens with the first great classics that launched Duran, “Girls On Film” and “Planet Earth” (which never fall into the banality of simple pop pieces) which are accompanied by other episodes of a darker and more decadent tone, such as the nostalgic “Anyone Out There” or the menacing “Careless Memories” with its relentless rhythm. “Is There Something I Should Know” brings us back for a moment to more pleasant and catchy pop, paving the way for the second part of the album, decidedly more experimental and enterprising. We therefore encounter the hypnotic “Friends Of Mine,” the raw “Sound Of Thunder” (perhaps the least successful track on the album), and the gloomy “Night Boat,” a splendid ride that seems to get lost towards unknown and mysterious shores. The album concludes with “Tel Aviv,” an instrumental in which the Eastern-sounding melodic lines of guitar and keyboards intertwine with the rhythmic section of bass and drums, giving the piece an exotic and dreamy character and fading in conclusion towards what will be the next chapter of the saga of Birmingham's boys.

“Duran Duran” was recorded in December 1980, and the group itself recalled in later interviews the emotional effort required to complete the recordings after the sudden news of John Lennon's assassination (8 December), which made that sad winter of 1980 grayer and colder. By spring, however, the album was finished and Duran were ready to launch: released on June 15, 1981, “Duran Duran” reached No.3 in their home country, remained on the charts for 117 weeks, and earned a platinum record: for Le Bon and his comrades, the doors of success had opened, which would soon overwhelm them overseas as well.

What more can be said? “Duran Duran” is certainly a quality album with many points of interest, perhaps in some respects even better than “Rio”: for its energy, for its somewhat sinister and neurotic atmospheres, and for its excellent tracks, which never lose intensity. An essential and indispensable record for all lovers of Duran and '80s pop music.

P.S. One last (nostalgic) note on the cover: simple white background, the band's name in a red font reminiscent of cartoons, and a photo of the five in suggestive poses with more or less unpresentable hairstyles and clothes typical of the unmistakable style of the era. Different music, different style, different times.