Duran Duran - Astronaut (With Bonus DVD)
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Free Music Notes for Astronaut (With Bonus DVD)
Free Music Review: A return to form but no rerun
Hit: 5 Stars
Right off, Astronaut starts off strong. Sunrise, an obvious first single, is a lush audio landscape of melodies and reminds all that these guys know how to write, play, and deliver better-than-pop tunes. And at the first song's conclusion, old fans are tempted to guess that this will be the one-hit wonder off a dying band's last stand. That's when it gets really interesting: the following song after song redelivers the promise of Sunrise.
With maybe only a weak spot or two out of 12 songs (and a fascinating live/behind-the-scenes DVD), this is a surprisingly fresh reinvention of a band that has seen several reinventions, some better than others.
Astronaut, as many know, represents a reunion of the original members. No one sounds out of practice. The Taylors, each one, plays as if it were only yesterday since they were last in the studio together. Simon still sings with the power and emotion of a bright-eyed freshman popstar. And Nick still delivers the vibrant and energetic audiotronics that glue the whole thing together. They all are truly at the top of their game.
Most welcome is the sense one has, when listening to Astronaut, of meeting an old friend and making a new one at the same time. It sounds like Duran Duran, it feels like Duran Duran, yet it doesn't really sound or feel like anything they've ever done before. It has the spirit and energy of DD circa 1984 but releases a sonic boom that is definitely DD 2004.
This is not a last stand but a new beginning. Astronaut is Duran Duran's return to space and beyond...
Free Music Review: Another Essential Duran Duran album, their Finest Hour
Hit: 5 Stars
Even the worst albums of Duran Duran have had great songs. Astronaut however is definitely at the top of their best albums in their catalogue. Duran Duran is at least for me part dark, part light, and part whimsical. There's a mix of all kinds of great music on Astronaut. Sunrise is a very upbeat rock/pop song, you can't help but love it. Want you more! is a very fun, fast, neat song that reminds me of the old Duran Duran, got those excellent synth chords from Nick Rhodes, loaded with more bass than a river during spawning season. What Happens Tomorrow is an incredible achievement, very upbeat, a truly inspired song to encourage us to carry on bravely despite the horrible world events we've had to see over the past 3 years. Astronaut has plenty of Andy Taylor's brilliant guitar work, it's just pure Duran Duran here and that should be good enough for anyone. Bedroom Toys is actually not as dirty as you might think, it's a more hip-hop type number that might remind you of the Notorious days. Nice is.... Well nice! Great guitar chords and as always Simon Lebons very unusual poetic lyrics are enjoyable to say the least. Finest Hour is yet another great, upbeat song on the album. The highlight however for me is the very powerful guitar driven Still Breathing. This is definitely dark Duran Duran here, but I gotta say it's probably the best song on the album. There's nothing wrong with a bands songs being upbeat. Most reviewers, at least the so-called professional ones wouldn't know real music if it crawled up their asses and died there. Get Astronaut!Free Music Review: Duran Duran Really Do Rule Planet Earth
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been a loyal Duran Duran fan since 1982. I say loyal, because I never wavered from my support of the band, even as the original members left. I bought every CD, and even went to see them in concert in 2000 when the only original members were Simon and Nick (and it was still a great show)! As far as I'm concerned, Simon could sing selections from the phone book and I'd buy the CD, I love his voice!
When the original five members got back together a couple years ago I was OVERJOYED! I have been waiting for this CD ever since. I must admit I was scared that since they hadn't recorded together in SO long that it wouldn't be very good. Well, this CD is so good, so over my expectations, that I don't even know what words to use to describe it! This is quite frankly a FANTASTIC CD. It totally sounds like Duran, but in a very modern way. The songs are SO catchy that after hearing them once, you just have to hear them again and again. Simons voice is perfect, just incredible. When listening to Astronaut you really realize how imprtant that each member of Duran is, when they are all together, its magic. Its that simple.
The DVD that comes with the CD is worth the price of admission. I've watched it a few times and I am amazed at how energized the guys are, and so happy to be back together. The concert footage is awesome!
I highly recommend this CD and all I have to say is: Duran Duran Rule Planet Earth!
Free Music Review: Get ready to feel like 1985 again with this album!
Hit: 5 Stars
Duran Duran sounds better than they have ever been on this album! The band sounds better with the original members--you can recognize their familiar sound. This album has shades of their '80s albums all over this 2004 album, yet it sounds all new. I love Sunrise and its positive message in the chorus. Tracks 4 to 9 is the most consistent, with Nice and Taste the Summer sounding like they could have been on Rio. The pair of Finest Hour and Chains would have sounded good on 1986's Notorious. I like Point of No Return and Want You More also. The last song, Still Breathing, is very well done, especially the dramatic experimental closing section of the song. The album's very catchy, the keyboard playing and Andy Taylor's lead guitar sections are exciting to hear, and this album has a lot of rhythm in it. Simon LeBon still sounds strong vocally, wrapping his voice all around the band's full sound. Don Gilmore, Dallas Austin and Nile Rodgers did a fine job producing this album as well as the band. This album is bound to be a big hit and they will really attract newer audiences along with their diehard fans with this effort! Get ready to feel like you're in 1985 all over again when Reach out for the Sunrise starts blasting out of your speakers on the CD! Get some big lights to glare over the stereo like Duran Duran did in concerts in the '80s! I hope that their tour has something like that in 2005!!!!!!Free Music Review: Truly Stellar
Hit: 5 Stars
As always, the enduring group has released a true classic. The only band compared to the Beatles, the Fab 5's rebirth has proven once again- nobody does it better. The remarkable accomplishments of the band over the years should never be taken for granted. Let's face it- The guys set the standards for the music industry before they knew what the changes would be. The marketing effort behind the guys in the 80's, the lavish movie-like videos, the remixes and the sharp dressed look more or less set the tone for music for generations to come. The 90's represented a trek off from the dance scene and into the more contemporary style- again expanding the band's musical diversity. "Astronaut" follows the exquisite writing skills of the quintet, and as always takes the listener into "their" world. The slower songs are true epics in themselves, while the up beat tracks remind us the guys still jam. Certainly also included are tracks just a little ahead of their time. Every track written in the Duran style- so much more than meets the ear so to speak. "(Reach up for the) Sunrise" is a mere example of this writing style. Everyone does feel the jubilation of the re-birth right? Several tracks obviously will show up later as DJ re-mixes... I can't wait! Hmm, possibly a Rio(album) Carnival (mini lp) type of situation again?? Or do we just call them "Special Edition" re-releases nowadays? Listening Epic?