There's a song out in iTunes called "Onslaught" featuring Andy Taylor from the group Duran Duran.

This is apparently a technoish, dance club type band. I've never heard of them before. But Andy's guitar style is VERY strong in this song, so of course I bought it.

It's one of those songs that if you were listening to it on the highway while you were driving, you might get a ticket for speeding. Thank heavens for cruise control!

I've been a Duranie (mostly) since I was 13 years old and I heard Hungry Like The Wolf. The first 2 albums were their best. After that, they just started sounding like they were appeasing the music labels and not their fans. Nick Rhodes is the major reason the band sucks right now. His heavy influence in how the music sounds and his love of trying to follow trends is sickening. Astronaut was a brilliant album, and Andy probably would have stayed if the rest of the morons hadn't bowed down to Epic records and brought in the Timbaland/Timberlake to be involved. No wonder Andy ran as fast as he could, he saw the writing on the wall of how terrible the following album would be.

Sorry..... ranting on there. I'm sick of seeing my favorite band destroy themselves because a few narrow minded twits can't fathom becoming unhip.

capdmom said:

Andy probably would have stayed if the rest of the morons hadn't bowed down to Epic records and brought in the Timbaland/Timberlake to be involved. No wonder Andy ran as fast as he could, he saw the writing on the wall of how terrible the following album would be.

According to his autobiography, that's not why he left. The main reason was problems with the band's management. That they didn't get him a visa to work in the USA was the last straw. Him and Nick not really getting along was part of it too.

MickyDolenz said:

capdmom said:

Andy probably would have stayed if the rest of the morons hadn't bowed down to Epic records and brought in the Timbaland/Timberlake to be involved. No wonder Andy ran as fast as he could, he saw the writing on the wall of how terrible the following album would be.

According to his autobiography, that's not why he left. The main reason was problems with the band's management. That they didn't get him a visa to work in the USA was the last straw. Him and Nick not really getting along was part of it too.

there were alot of issues, Andy has had some personal problems, i think its unfair to blame Nick for things, DD has always been about trying stuff, and as they even said they often FAIL to capitalize on a good run, example would be after coming back commercially with the "wedding album" they flushed it down the toilet with a "obscure covers album" and then when "astronaut" was a success on many levels they did "red carpet massacre" which was not a good marriage, the fans didnt want it at all. but i have to disagree with capdmom's post that the band is terrible, i think this last album was the shining moment for them in their career, THIS album should have been the comeback reunion one, not Astronaut which though i liked i didnt feel was a strong album, and RCM was probably my least played DD album, a few songs here and there, but it ranks for me in a tie with "liberty".

I like the whole Red Carpet album. But hearing Timbaland's voice was weird and not really needed. It was like Michael Jackson saying "Darkchild". I don't listen to the radio, so I don't know what Tim's sound is, other than the Aaliyah stuff.

MickyDolenz said:

I like the whole Red Carpet album. But hearing Timbaland's voice was weird and not really needed. It was like Michael Jackson saying "Darkchild". I don't listen to the radio, so I don't know what Tim's sound is, other than the Aaliyah stuff.

it was definitely different for DD it has some songs that i like but again its all "subjective" and people forget that, i know you are not alone liking that album, just like i know im not alone in liking their "Pop Trash" album

I don't own RCM, never have, never will. To me it was a piece of trash.

Yes, that's what Andy said in his book, the whole management thing. But he eluded later on to the Timbertwats. I'll have to find his quotes about that.

Experimentation is one thing, ruining what made you great is another. Nick's been adding more and more synthetic music to the band's songs, and it's disgusting. The whole stupid "electro set" thing... PLEASE!!! If you can't play an instrument, you shouldn't be in a band, period. Ever since the Rio album, the music has gone downhill. It used to be a great blend of all the guys sounds. Even in SATRT, you heard a distinct change in how much Andy's guitar playing was in it.

I think the reasons he left the band were more than just ONE single incident, it was a culmination of things. The VISA thing was the LAST STRAW.... but there were more things that pissed him off. Honestly, I don't blame him. I never gave him enough credit before he left the band the first time. He and John sounded their best in the Power Station album. You could really hear Andy's guitar style, and John's bass talent in it.

My top albums?

DD , the first album

Rio

SATRT mostly because I love Tiger Tiger and Cracks In The Pavement

Astronaut

Medazzaland (very under appreciated album)

Have you even heard Red Carpet Massacre? I can't see how a DD fan could call songs like these trash:

Box Full O' Honey

The Valley

Cry Baby Cry

my favorite

AlexdeParis said:

Have you even heard Red Carpet Massacre? I can't see how a DD fan could call songs like these trash:

Box Full O' Honey

The Valley

Cry Baby Cry

my favorite

I dont think i can call any artists work TRASH, especially one that im a fan of, even if im not crazy about a record or song, if i see their artistic cred i just chalk it up too...not feeling that one and just move on, but DD has no TRASH album to me at least, sure there are ones i like more than others, to me i always felt because of their image they tended to suffer that fate that many did in not being given cred for their earlier work and even later work. And though im not crazy about RCM i like some songs on there, similar in the way i felt about LIBERTY, now an album like BIG THING i played to death and love that thing, but some DD fans dont, its subjective. But i feel that All U need is now, is possibly one of the best records they have done.

As for the ANDY thing, i understand the issue and yeah maybe him and Nick dont get along or clash, but thats what bands do, i think when u cant make things work even through the clashing, there is a deeper issue possibly resentment who knows, but i feel for someone like Andy who wants to be this guitar god, DD isnt that vehicle for him, i dont think it ever was.

First of all, I've heard all the songs from RCM, and they are all trash to me, because they sound nothing like original Duran Duran music.

Second, the whole thing with Andy. He never pretended to be some guitar god, he never got as many guitar solos as Warren did. But he did want to preserve what made DD great, which has become lost in the whole "let's make more money" record companies. Nick's type of music is Arcadia, Andy's is Power Station. Duran Duran was always best when they were a BLEND of the two. With each consecutive album, it became less blended, more Arcadia.

I just hope that Andy is enjoying doing the type of guitar he loves the most. It's too bad that he can't be back in the band, with the excitement of the Astronaut reunion. That was the best album they made since SATRT. John's bass playing is getting weaker and weaker on this new music. There are a couple of songs on AYNIN that he's strong on, but not many. His bass used to be like hearing a second voice accompanying Simon. Now it's filler.

capdmom said:

First of all, I've heard all the songs from RCM, and they are all trash to me, because they sound nothing like original Duran Duran music.

We should probably just agree to disagree then. Duran Duran has gone through a lot of changes over the years. To suggest RCM is some kind of drastic departure from the "standard" DD sound is a gross generalization. In a lot of ways, it's closer to the original DD sound than, say, the Wedding Album or Pop Trash.

AlexdeParis said:

We should probably just agree to disagree then. Duran Duran has gone through a lot of changes over the years. To suggest RCM is some kind of drastic departure from the "standard" DD sound is a gross generalization. In a lot of ways, it's closer to the original DD sound than, say, the Wedding Album or Pop Trash.

I agree. I'm a casual fan of Duran Duran. I mostly just l liked their 80's hits from the radio, and don't follow every single album they do. I happened to pick up RCM because of some of the press they did, and I absolutely loved it. It did not seem that different from the sound I associate with them as a casual fan. I actually like it much more than All You Need is Now which I found to be a little overrated. That had the DD sound too, but to me the songs weren't as immediate or catchy.

capdmom said:

because they sound nothing like original Duran Duran music.

Why should they sound the same? That would be like someone saying The Beatles should have continued to record She Loves You type songs or Stevie Wonder doing Fingertips their whole career. Their career wouldn't have lasted as long if they stick with the same sound. Miles Davis changed his sound every so often. It worked out pretty well for him, although jazz purists might not have liked it.

capdmom said:

First of all, I've heard all the songs from RCM, and they are all trash to me, because they sound nothing like original Duran Duran music.

Second, the whole thing with Andy. He never pretended to be some guitar god, he never got as many guitar solos as Warren did. But he did want to preserve what made DD great, which has become lost in the whole "let's make more money" record companies. Nick's type of music is Arcadia, Andy's is Power Station. Duran Duran was always best when they were a BLEND of the two. With each consecutive album, it became less blended, more Arcadia.

I just hope that Andy is enjoying doing the type of guitar he loves the most. It's too bad that he can't be back in the band, with the excitement of the Astronaut reunion. That was the best album they made since SATRT. John's bass playing is getting weaker and weaker on this new music. There are a couple of songs on AYNIN that he's strong on, but not many. His bass used to be like hearing a second voice accompanying Simon. Now it's filler.

like it was said when can agree to disagree, like Warren said when joining the band, ANdy is more American Rock and Warren was more english sounding, ironically. Again my disagrement is just the labeling Trash, though im not crazy about RCM or Liberty, i can say there are songs that work on those records. To say that Nick is ruining the band is a big statement, he didnt drive anyone out of this band, success did, John left on Meddazaland because of the years of substance abuse and just the need to be out, when the band lost 2 of the 5 it was big, it was a blow coming at a time when they were on the "ending" of their commerical peak, which some bands artists cant handle and some adjust to it. The genius is when you find a way out of it, and deal with your success and deal with NOT being the "band of the day" anymore. Now i love DD though i have issues here and there, im with them, and if like it great if not then well i try to find something i do, but not they arent putting out trash, thats a blanket statement, that i just feel cant be applied to artists that have history in music and artistry in it. I mean i can pick up POP TRASH today and listen to it and think "shit how did this song not catch on or why didnt rock radio embrace this" etc...but i cant get caught up in all that stuff of wishing this was a hit or an artist would create a feeling from 30 years ago again for me to enjoy. I mean my favorite band overall in time is a-ha and this band is ignored by 99% of america, but wordwide ironically they rank higher than alot from that era, and they knew how to adjust to "changing times" they broke for 1993-1998 and came back 2000-2010 and got the respect they deserved with a new fresh sound, that had some of the old but not so much where they were sounding like "retro hunters" looking for take on me in the 2000's, and yeah some fans didnt dig that they werent the "pin up" guys anymore of the 80's and gone was the poppy beats etc...but trust me they dont have people labelling them trash because they altered their sound, again agreeing to disagree thats all.

I thought Warren was more the American rock and Andy was the British rock guitar player?

I like Liberty, Serious is a great song. One hell of a vinyl too, do you have it? The 12" single I mean, the etched vinyl. I was a HUGE DD vinyl collector back in the day. Now I only have a few, The Reflex picture disc, the blue vinyl of Too Much Information, and a couple of 7" singles.

I cried when I found out John was doing drugs, I thought he was smarter than that. I hate to see anyone waste their money on something so insane.

Yeah, we can agree to disagree on the DD music. That's what makes people unique and different, their views on life and on what they like!

I still think RCM sucks though

You can keep the original "sound" of a band while changing the technology of it. Astronaut was a prime example. I love that album, and I still listen to it on heavy rotation on my phone. It had very iconically DD songs on it, reminiscent of older DD music like "Nice" was the very danceable "Reflex" type song. "What Happens Tomorrow" is much like "Save A Prayer" but with a more current theme.

Prince has done newer music while keeping his unique sound. George Michael has done the same. There's no reason DD can't follow suit.

I have most of the Astronaut demos they leaked out, I wish they would have released some of them on that album.