The return of Duran Duran

Duran Duran is back with a new release, All You Need is Now, universally praised as the band’s best since 1982’s Rio.

Producer Mark Ronson chose to guide the band back to its synth roots, with a sound hearkening back to the first two albums, and the gamble paid off. All You Need is Now debuted at #11 on the U.K. charts, and is climbing the U.S. charts, as well.

I am a longtime Duran fan, and I disagree somewhat with the consensus that Duran is “back.” I do not think they ever really left. The releases over the last 25 years have been consistently well written and performed (1988’s Big Thing and 1997’s Medazzaland are experimental masterpieces). The problems have occurred when control is turned over to producers, who muck with the band’s sound (2008’s Red Carpet Massacre contains quality work; it is Justin Timberlake and Timbaland’s horrible production that ruins it).

All You Need is Now does sound very retro, and the material is as strong as anything the group has written in the last 20 years. The title track begins strangely, causing a little forehead-wrinkling, but then the tremendous chorus kicks in, and from there the hour-long ride rarely lets up.

See the title track’s video here!

Many critics have said their main problems with the new release are when it does not sound like Rio. Songs “Safe” and “Other People’s Lives” have been criticized for their “updated” sound and sounding out of place on the release. I actually think those are two of the best songs, with “Safe” sounding very “Scissor Sisters-ish” (and, in fact, featuring vocals from Ana Matronic), proving that Duran Duran can still adapt their signature sound and make it work without sounding like they are trying to.

In fact, the weakest song on the album is the very retro-sounding ballad “Leave a Light On,” attempting to capture a “Save a Prayer” vibe and offering background music that sounds embarrassingly like the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack.

As I said, I think every Duran release has its strengths. If I do have a complaint about past albums, it is that they sometimes are not cohesive, but rather a bunch of songs thrown together in a haphazard way. The title track interludes make the already cohesive All You Need is Now even tighter.

Another vital key to the success of the new CD is the innovative way the band has used the net to its advantage. In a time when many artists (including many of the band’s “classic” or “vintage” peers) still rely on touring, word of mouth, and public appearances, Duran Duran has realized that marketing is a different animal than it was in 1981. It has turned to consistent Facebook posts, nearly constant “Tweeting,” and offering the album for download BEFORE releasing it on CD.

The ploy worked. People are talking about Duran Duran again, and playing its music.

It seems as if the band, while embracing the past, also realizes that, truly, all you need is now.