Duran Duran - Notorious
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Free Music Notes for Notorious
Free Music Review: Absolutely my favourite
Hit: 5 Stars
I loved these guys the moment I first heard them in 1982. I bought all their albums and singles along with the Power Station and Arcadia stuff. I saw them live in 1984. I would have followed John Taylor to the end of the earth...or maybe not. By the time 'Notorious' was released with the other two Taylors missing, I figured it was essentially over for them and I was in no hurry to buy this album. The FM stations where I lived would never have played DD so I doubt I'd even heard the title track. While vacationing in Hawaii I needed some new tunes for the walkman and ran across 'Notorious'. I picked it up and put it down so many times finally deciding just to buy the bloody thing so I could get out of the store! Never did I expect such a maturing of music. I had just hit my 20s and was so happy to discover that they seemed to have followed me out of my teens although in saying that by no means would I describe their earlier music as fluff. Looks aside, these guys had some serious talent. Fifteen years later, I'm still listening to 'Notorious' and it's one of maybe five albums in my collection that I can listen to from beginning to end and enjoy the experience as much as I did the very first time I listened to it. Never does it feel like I'm playing something old...this album just doesn't ever seem to date itself for me. It also reminds me of that vacation every time I listen to it. I've enjoyed a few DD songs since the 'Notorious' album but nothing compares to that one for me. With the news that the original five members are reuniting for an album and a tour, I've been O.D.ing on nostalgia lately listening to all the early 80s stuff. I'm looking forward to hearing what these guys have to give the fans this time around.Free Music Review: Flawless, sans two Taylors
Hit: 5 Stars
I'll be the first to say Notorious doesn't sound like the old Duran Duran, but that's good for many reasons: First, it's always great to see a band step out of their typical genre and add other musical styles to their own album, for instance the big addition being a horns section and the addition of soul and funk. This does nothing but make the album have an incredlble flavor throughout the whole thing, especially on songs like the title track "Notorious", "American Science" and "Skin Trade". Now for all of you afraid of this album, there are still many elements of Duran Duran still majorly present throughout the whole album, like Nick Rhodes excellent performance on Synthesizer. There are so many overlooked gems on this album as well, not the least of which being "A Matter of Feeling", "Hold Me", "Winter Marches on", and "Proposition". I hate using the term, but Notorious certainly has a more "Adult" feeling to it then their previous albums (WHICH WERE ALL PERFECT in every sense of the word, don't get me wrong). And as far as I'm concerned, Duran Duran mastered the Genre of Funk with Notorious. THIS IS NOT A POP OR SYNTH POP ALBUM. This is Duran Duran. And since they have bravely explored many genres of music with many different songs over the years and in my opinion succeeded, they deserve a hell of a lot more praise than most people will ever be willing to give them. Notorious was just the beginning, a Phenomenal beginning.Free Music Review: Notoriously Ignored and Underrated C.D.
Hit: 5 Stars
Never judge a c.d. in the el cheapo bargain/cut-out bin of your favorite music store. Sadly, most obscure or even popular artists are known for having some project tossed in the bargain basement due to lack of sales or meeting the commercialized-top-of-the-pop charts criteria.The only great advantage to a consumer is if they really enjoy the album for a few bucks; Even if they don't at least an arm and a leg was not spent...Duran Duran's Notorious is a prime example of a c.d. I have seen quite often in "the bin". Fortunately, it is one of the most differently sounding albums put out by the group for the 80's in a positive way ! The Motown elements along with some of Duran Duran's trademark synth sound and production by Nile Rodgers (Chic fame)proved that this was not another pseudo-R&B project by a predominantly white british band.Simon LeBon did not change his vocal style to sound like the great Barry White or Marvin Gaye in order to coincide with the flavor of the music; LeBon did not succumb to the "white-boy-thinks-he's black" syndrome!Yet, vocals,lyrics, and instrumentation work with great coherence and unity. And the horns, love those horns ! This is one of the more warmer sounding and naturally textured and colorful Duran Duran albums; the cold and sometimes robotic sounding characteristics of their earlier albums are gone...
Notorious is a keeper !
Free Music Review: New Romantic Comes of Age
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been a Duranie since age 12, when Rio was released, and still hold steadfast to the new wave roots of my childhood. Notorious, by far the band's best effort, is a collection of Duran's maturing, introspective poetry squarely founded on the colorful, highly-charged sound of their past hit albums. "Winter Marches On" recalls the somber romance of Rio's "The Chauffeur" while "So Mislead" and "American Science" reflect the group's fusion experimentation, probably directed by producer Nile Rodgers and Average White Band drummer Steve Ferone. Andy Taylor did lay down the guitar tracks, then left Duran for a solo pursuit. John Taylor's bass sound grows up on Notorious, maturing into well-constructed groves, especially on "American Science" and "Skin Trade".
Nick Rhodes, whose signature synthesizer sound brought distinction to the band's new wave hits in the early Eighties, appropriately broadens his musical pallete to add new ambiance to each song, especially on "Matter of Feeling" and the title track.
Duran's strength has always been to create a new world of sound and poetry with each album, while courageously hanging on to their new-romantic identity, despite the attacks of industry critics.
Free Music Review: Pure funky listening pleasure from The Fab Three
Hit: 5 Stars
The three years of waiting since the last Duran Duran studio effort were well rewarded when `Notorious' came out in late 1986. The band had teamed up with Chic guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers, a fierce horn section, some top drawer backing singers, future member Warren Cucurullo and legendary drummer Steve Ferrone to create a raw, funky sound that suited them perfectly. There is a remainder of Arcadia in `Winter Marches On' which has some great sampled strings on it, but apart from this song and the beautiful ballad `A Matter Of Feeling' it's pure Duran meets Chic meets Power Station. The real gems here are the title track, `American Science', `Skin Trade', `Vertigo' and `So Misled' (check out the horns and the bass on this one!), but the whole album is excellent. Compared to later Duran stuff it's a very accessible, no frills album with ten tightly arranged songs that were just waiting to be played live (I still recall the show they did in Copenhagen during their Strange Behaviour Tour in 1987 as one of the best concerts I've ever been to). The album sounds just as fresh as when it came out. Forget about all the techno/house and so-called `dance' crap - this is the kind of music people should get down and sweat to.