Duran Duran fans got an earful this weekend, when five of the British band’s albums dropped on streaming platforms for the first time. The trove includes the Mark Ronson-produced “All You Need Is Now”, a fan-favourite which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary; and 2004’s “Astronaut”, which featured the reunited classic line-up of Simon Le Bon (vocals), Nick Rhodes (keys), John Taylor (bass), Roger Taylor (drums) and Andy Taylor (guitar), who has since departed the group once again.
Also out now the band’s latest release a concept album at heart, Duran Duran’s “Danse Macabre” was triggered by a Halloween 2022 concert in Las Vegas in which the band worked through its catalogue, pulling out obscurities that tied into the theme as well as some choice covers by artists such as the Rolling Stones, Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Specials. The LP embraced Duran Duran’s legacy by dipping into their musical past with songs that looked ahead by glancing backward.
“Danse Macabre” goes deeper into that past by pulling vintage songs like “Nightboat” (from their 1981 debut) and “Secret Oktober” (originally the B-side of 1983 single “Union of the Snake”), slapping on some appropriate new textures and placing them alongside covers of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black,” Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” and Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend.”
The best songs, though, are the new ones. “Black Moonlight” glides along a slinky nostalgic groove – provided by an instantly recognizable Nile Rodgers guitar riff – laced with “Thriller”-style sound effects, while “Danse Macabre” loads up on eerie synths, and an even more frightening rap by Simon Le Bon, for the album’s centerline. The covers are mere side attractions, the threads that pull together the album’s moody concept. “Ghost Town” and “Super Lonely Freak” (a reworking of Rick James‘ classic song) won’t replace the originals, not by a long shot, but their place on “Danse Macabre” serves a purpose on this fun but fleeting LP.
Their 16th record, a spinoff from that spooky show, carries over several songs from the set while adding a handful of new tracks to fit the occasion. The result is a work that feels both mannered and effortless, a loosely connected collection of songs Duran Duran knows well enough to deliver with confidence without ever having to try too hard.
Also new to DSPs is “Medazzaland” (1997), “Pop Trash” (2000), “Red Carpet Massacre” (2007), and “Bored of Prozac and the Internet“, the TV Mania side project led by Rhodes and former Duran Duran guitarist Warren Cuccurullo.
With 14 studios albums, hits and remix collections, plus sides projects including Arcadia and The Power Station, the Duran Duran streaming collection is now complete.
Earlier this year, the British band released a cover of Bowie’s “Five Years,” a string of outdoor shows have been announced for the U.K., Ireland and Spain,
The alternative rock outfit last month marked 40 years since the release of their debut single, “Planet Earth”.
The Fat Angel Sings 