I have read a new Depeche Mode book,and while i enjoyed

the informotive things about synth pop movement several time

in a book band members of Depeche Mode

and even author of the book diss Duran Duran.

Duran Duran are presented as a fabricated pop act of pretty

boys who never belong to Synth Pop .

They make fun of Simon LeBon for saying "The greatest thing

about being famous is being able to eat lobster 24 hours in a day.

What do you think are the critics deserved?

Duran Duran were always dressed good and looked

good but they had great songs with very nice futiristic sounds

and even today they are one of the best

live acts and very good at their instruments also.

Why attack Duran Duran? IMO, the members of Duran Duran don't think of themsleves as anything more than they are - a big (BIG!) pop band. They were huge, they accomplished a lot, they deserve credit.

Any lumping of Duran Duran into the same category as Depeche Mode is at the hands of fans and critics, not DD, so again, why attack DD?

And, to be honest, if you are a music fan who is not into pure 80s pop or synth pop and don't take it upon yourself to define a difference, then looking from afar, the bands will seem more similar than different. Further, although the extremes of their music is quite different, there is some common ground in the middle where an casual observer would think they are similar.

I'm into many genres, and happuy to love 80's synth pop. I love Duran Duran but love Depeche mode & find them to be the way superior band. Idk if it mentions it in the bio, but i have heard of themembers of Duran Duran Simon especially. Had big ego problems with the big bands of the time, Neil Tennant of PSB had some not nice words to say of him, neither did Phil Lewis of the Human League. And Marc Almond from Soft Cell said some... nasty & displeasing thing's as well

[Edited 12/31/11 13:45pm]

Envy and jealousy is a funny old thing

Gunsnhalen said:

catpark said:

Envy and jealousy is a funny old thing

Depeche Mode is way more respected then them, there both great bands. But Depeche is miles ahead better, what do they have to be jealous about? that Duran had better haircut

What where Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell, & Human League jealous of when they said Simon was a dick?

Simon is just a dick, it's not hard to believe

I like both DD and Depeche Mode. I can't really say one is better than the other. They are so different. In interviews, Simon comes off as a pretty nice normal down to earth guy to me. Of course, anyone in a successful band who sells millions of records and performs in front of thousands of adoring screaming fans who think you can do no wrong tends to have a much bigger ego than the average person who works say in a bank. I'm sure Dave Gahan and the other members of Depeche Mode have big egos too.

Glindathegood said:

I like both DD and Depeche Mode. I can't really say one is better than the other. They are so different. In interviews, Simon comes off as a pretty nice normal down to earth guy to me. Of course, anyone in a successful band who sells millions of records and performs in front of thousands of adoring screaming fans who think you can do no wrong tends to have a much bigger ego than the average person who works say in a bank. I'm sure Dave Gahan and the other members of Depeche Mode have big egos too.

Pretty much. If I had a number-one record, I'd brag too.

Gunsnhalen said:

catpark said:

Envy and jealousy is a funny old thing

Depeche Mode is way more respected then them, there both great bands. But Depeche is miles ahead better, what do they have to be jealous about? that Duran had better haircut

What where Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell, & Human League jealous of when they said Simon was a dick?

Simon is just a dick, it's not hard to believe

What makes Depeche Mode miles better than Duran Duran? isnt that just your personal opinion?

Please can you tell me how you know Simon is dick? What's not hard to believe that Simon is one, do you know him? and how do you know those others talking about him aint ones themselves?

You see Duran Duran have always had to put up with pompous idiots or some other prentious popstars putting them down its been like that for them since the being, but they still carry o mind there own and carry on being a success.

catpark said:

Gunsnhalen said:

Depeche Mode is way more respected then them, there both great bands. But Depeche is miles ahead better, what do they have to be jealous about? that Duran had better haircut

What where Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell, & Human League jealous of when they said Simon was a dick?

Simon is just a dick, it's not hard to believe

What makes Depeche Mode miles better than Duran Duran? isnt that just your personal opinion?

Please can you tell me how you know Simon is dick? What's not hard to believe that Simon is one, do you know him? and how do you know those others talking about him aint ones themselves?

You see Duran Duran have always had to put up with pompous idiots or some other prentious popstars putting them down its been like that for them since the being, but they still carry o mind there own and carry on being a success.

Don't take this to serious boo boo, idk these people. They probably all have a little ego as said before, yes it's my personal opinion DM is better if you think DD Is better ok God bless you. Happy now kisses

would love to see both of them someday .. http://www.mixpod.com/playlist/82433128

Gunsnhalen said:

catpark said:

What makes Depeche Mode miles better than Duran Duran? isnt that just your personal opinion?

Please can you tell me how you know Simon is dick? What's not hard to believe that Simon is one, do you know him? and how do you know those others talking about him aint ones themselves?

You see Duran Duran have always had to put up with pompous idiots or some other prentious popstars putting them down its been like that for them since the being, but they still carry o mind there own and carry on being a success.

Don't take this to serious boo boo, idk these people. They probably all have a little ego as said before, yes it's my personal opinion DM is better if you think DD Is better ok God bless you. Happy now kisses

Oops I can't spell im a bit tipsy from new years but I’m sorry I do take what bad things said about Simon Le Bon seriously. And he takes a lot of flack for his flamboyancy stage present and his way out personality. I’ve met him loads and take people as they are regardless if there famous or not, if there an arse their an arse and I would be the first to voice that, but I've met Simon loads and I can tell you Simon is one of the nicest people I've ever met in the music industry, hes a bit of a nutter tho he's one of the sweetest and down to earth artist/singers out there, and I've even had a cuppa around his mum's house many years ago and shes a sweetie too and his wife Yasmin Le Bon that hes married to for like a million of years there cool people. I will not hear a bad word said about Duran Duran.

catpark said:

You see Duran Duran have always had to put up with pompous idiots or some other prentious popstars putting them down its been like that for them since the being, but they still carry o mind there own and carry on being a success.

Co-sign! Well put!

i must say that apart from Violator, i don't have much DM (i have their singles collection but didn't like them as much as DD's Greatest, maybe i'll give them another listen). Perhaps DP pioneered more in the context of their sound, but DD were the bigger worldwide group. I think they all had/have egos. and let's be honest, weren't a couple of those guys in HL and PSB gay? truthfully, sometimes such men can be quite diva-ish and "everyone" is a dick to them, not to say this discredits them, but why do they deserve the benefit of the doubt over DD?

Duran Duran put out solid music for decades. Hits! They also rode the then-new music video format to stardom. They deserve their credit.

Depeche Mode has no room to dis Duran Duran. They might have thought of themselves as all artsy and serious, but come on now... have they listened back to some of their early stuff? It hasn't aged well. Duran Duran was (and is) a terrific band that been pumping out excellent records for nearly 30 years. I like DM but they have nothing on Duran Duran. It's all pop music in the end.

Both are great.

Different, but they also have things in common, of course.

I think Duran Duran had more hits in the 80's

But Depeche Mode has a bigger fanbase and is more praised(especially with their albums. not really the singles, but more the albums...)

But still I love them both, enjoy their work. Listen to both bands a lot.

thebanishedone said:

I have read a new Depeche Mode book,and while i enjoyed

the informotive things about synth pop movement several time

in a book band members of Depeche Mode

and even author of the book diss Duran Duran.

Duran Duran are presented as a fabricated pop act of pretty

boys who never belong to Synth Pop .

They make fun of Simon LeBon for saying "The greatest thing

about being famous is being able to eat lobster 24 hours in a day.

What do you think are the critics deserved?

Duran Duran were always dressed good and looked

good but they had great songs with very nice futiristic sounds

and even today they are one of the best

live acts and very good at their instruments also.

I agree w/ the posters who say they are just different and there's no need to dis DD just because some people perceived them to be in the same genre as Depeche. DD themselves, in their first on-camera interview (before becoming famous, just teens getting their band together) said that they didn't like the "messages" and seriousness of late '70s punk, and that they wanted to just have fun and make music for dancing and fun, and that's what they liked about disco, but were melding it w/ some punk, etc. that was going on at the time. Of course, being more "fun," plus really having good tunes made them more pop(ular) than Depeche. Being quite pretty helped big time too - but I wouldn't say they were a "fabricated pop act of pretty boys" the way acts are manufactured nowadays. They were a band that came together organically, played instruments, wrote their own music, and paid their dues in clubs. They weren't created like the Monkees.

Anyway, I like both and both should be given props for hanging in the business all these decades and doin' what they do to this day. Dissing a fellow act from the 80s is kinda silly at this point - they should just all rejoice that they've made it through, and appreciate each other. That seems to be the general attitude of DD and other 80s acts that are still active. I hope that's DM's attitude too, and that the book is just making controversy out of nothing.

xLiberiangirl said:

Both are great.

Different, but they also have things in common, of course.

I think Duran Duran had more hits in the 80's

But Depeche Mode has a bigger fanbase and is more praised(especially with their albums. not really the singles, but more the albums...)

But still I love them both, enjoy their work. Listen to both bands a lot.

^^ Wondering what you mean that DM has a bigger fanbase? I'm not picking an argument. I pretty much agree w/ your post here and elsewhere. I just thought that DD was the bigger band - they had huge commercial success and legions of rabid fans, and it seems like they still have a lot of fans. I don't know as much about DM's fanbase, I've only been to DD concerts (but I have all DM CDs up to Violator). At the concerts, there's of course the approx 43-yr-old ladies who'd still jump any band member's bones, but there are also dudes who think Nick's synth is really good, who praise the bass lines, and dig the earlier "futuristic" or avant garde songs. And there's a fair amount of younger fans that DD has picked up along the way since the 80s - I think they've always been open about wanting/liking to be popular, sometimes that desire has failed them, but lately they're in a good place of not trying to be 20 again, doing what they do, and using technology and media the best they can to reach new audiences, which has worked for them.

NoVideo said:

Depeche Mode has no room to dis Duran Duran. They might have thought of themselves as all artsy and serious, but come on now... have they listened back to some of their early stuff? It hasn't aged well. Duran Duran was (and is) a terrific band that been pumping out excellent records for nearly 30 years. I like DM but they have nothing on Duran Duran. It's all pop music in the end.

DD was a ground breaking band that made Americans (like me) take their blinders off and pay close attention to the bands across the pond. They were an instant sensation with videos to die for. They were THE jewel of MTV (even more so than Madonna IMHO) and they pumped out hit after hit. With great groups like the Eurythmics, the Police, the Cure, Boy George, etc. Duran Duran still managed to set them selves apart and cross over into black radio. That alone was a testament to just how good the music was. EVERYBODY liked it.

Depeche Mode was a great band... but they did not cross over and generate the interest Duran Duran did. You had to be damn good to get black folks to jam to your music with the all of the great music black radio was playing back then. None of that auto-tune, play a sample on a loop crap back then.

Radio was awesome back then.

.

artist76 said:

xLiberiangirl said:

Both are great.

Different, but they also have things in common, of course.

I think Duran Duran had more hits in the 80's

But Depeche Mode has a bigger fanbase and is more praised(especially with their albums. not really the singles, but more the albums...)

But still I love them both, enjoy their work. Listen to both bands a lot.

^^ Wondering what you mean that DM has a bigger fanbase? I'm not picking an argument. I pretty much agree w/ your post here and elsewhere. I just thought that DD was the bigger band - they had huge commercial success and legions of rabid fans, and it seems like they still have a lot of fans. I don't know as much about DM's fanbase, I've only been to DD concerts (but I have all DM CDs up to Violator). At the concerts, there's of course the approx 43-yr-old ladies who'd still jump any band member's bones, but there are also dudes who think Nick's synth is really good, who praise the bass lines, and dig the earlier "futuristic" or avant garde songs. And there's a fair amount of younger fans that DD has picked up along the way since the 80s - I think they've always been open about wanting/liking to be popular, sometimes that desire has failed them, but lately they're in a good place of not trying to be 20 again, doing what they do, and using technology and media the best they can to reach new audiences, which has worked for them.

Well, I get the impression that DM has a bigger fanbase, because they are playing on bigger events and in bigger arena's/stadiums. DD doesn't play in stadiums, only in arena's en small clubs/venues.

DD does has a strong fanbase, but not really a big one. DM has a bigger fanbase I guess. It's just a feeling I have...

xLiberiangirl said:

artist76 said:

^^ Wondering what you mean that DM has a bigger fanbase? I'm not picking an argument. I pretty much agree w/ your post here and elsewhere. I just thought that DD was the bigger band - they had huge commercial success and legions of rabid fans, and it seems like they still have a lot of fans. I don't know as much about DM's fanbase, I've only been to DD concerts (but I have all DM CDs up to Violator). At the concerts, there's of course the approx 43-yr-old ladies who'd still jump any band member's bones, but there are also dudes who think Nick's synth is really good, who praise the bass lines, and dig the earlier "futuristic" or avant garde songs. And there's a fair amount of younger fans that DD has picked up along the way since the 80s - I think they've always been open about wanting/liking to be popular, sometimes that desire has failed them, but lately they're in a good place of not trying to be 20 again, doing what they do, and using technology and media the best they can to reach new audiences, which has worked for them.

Well, I get the impression that DM has a bigger fanbase, because they are playing on bigger events and in bigger arena's/stadiums. DD doesn't play in stadiums, only in arena's en small clubs/venues.

DD does has a strong fanbase, but not really a big one. DM has a bigger fanbase I guess. It's just a feeling I have...

Oh, OK, that's true. But then I wonder how many dates/cities they play and when's their latest stadium concert? I'll do my own research. I'm not interested in comparing the two bands - it's not a competition. Really, they're different and unique and should be respected as veterans in the biz. I'm just curious now as to how well Depeche is doing nowadays.

Painted brings up a good point that DD had a fairly diverse audience, considering their use of synths and their looks. There was a black guy about 7 yrs ago who was glad to be seeing DD live because he felt weird to go see them in their heyday, but now it's more OK to admit he likes them. Wonder how diverse Depeche's fans are? I'd read that Martin Gore's father was African-American, not that that means African-Americans should like his music, it's just interesting.

Depeche Mode always hated DD, they have been dissing DD since 1981, and specially since the 1986 "we are a serious band now" change (Black Celebration) lol

The funny thing is that DD don't give a damn about DM, it's Martin Gore the one who keeps insulting DD, without any reaction by Nick, Simon, or John; they propably like/respect DM...

I'm a HUGE fan of both bands, but Martin Gore is by far the real asshole here.

The three first DD albums are FANTASTIC (great melodies, epic choruses, impossible basslines) and the Arcadia album is just one of the most underrated albums of all time. Big Thing (specially side-B) is also very underrated, and they have released some amazing songs in the 90s and 00s.

And DD NEVER was a pre-fabricated teen-pop band. All the members were skilled/self-taught players, the band wrote their own songs (including the super-hits) and they mixed the funk/rock/synth sound perfectly. Just one of the very best new wave bands. Yeah, the videoclips/photos were a bit pompous/flashy/glammy, but that doesn't turn a funk/rock/synth band into something like N'SYNC, does it?

and by the way, the first DM albums are like 100000000 times poppier than ANY DD album

so Martin: FUCK OFF! lol

xLiberiangirl said:

artist76 said:

^^ Wondering what you mean that DM has a bigger fanbase? I'm not picking an argument. I pretty much agree w/ your post here and elsewhere. I just thought that DD was the bigger band - they had huge commercial success and legions of rabid fans, and it seems like they still have a lot of fans. I don't know as much about DM's fanbase, I've only been to DD concerts (but I have all DM CDs up to Violator). At the concerts, there's of course the approx 43-yr-old ladies who'd still jump any band member's bones, but there are also dudes who think Nick's synth is really good, who praise the bass lines, and dig the earlier "futuristic" or avant garde songs. And there's a fair amount of younger fans that DD has picked up along the way since the 80s - I think they've always been open about wanting/liking to be popular, sometimes that desire has failed them, but lately they're in a good place of not trying to be 20 again, doing what they do, and using technology and media the best they can to reach new audiences, which has worked for them.

Well, I get the impression that DM has a bigger fanbase, because they are playing on bigger events and in bigger arena's/stadiums. DD doesn't play in stadiums, only in arena's en small clubs/venues.

DD does has a strong fanbase, but not really a big one. DM has a bigger fanbase I guess. It's just a feeling I have...

DD have been losing fans every year since 1986, sadly, even with the "Wedding Album" (1993) & "Astronaut"(2004) comebacks...now it's just the hardcore/loyal fan and fans of classic bands with a truckload of classic singles, like DD

[Edited 1/3/12 9:36am]