Duran Duran

Duran Duran were the biggest band in the world in 1984. Seven and the Ragged Tiger was better even than Rio, which was a superb album but something had to give. After releasing the live album 'Arena' and their movie of the same name, they broke up for a bit. Simon and Nick formed Arcadia (with Roger sort of) and John and Andy went off to do Power Station. Whilst Andy sort of returned for a moment to help out with the next album 'Notorious', he was as good as gone. Duran's sound changed, their dynamic changed and they didn't quite have the machine behind them they'd once had.

Their creative spark was waning too. That said, Notorious had it's moments, Big Thing had some of their best work in flashes and Liberty should have been a five-track EP as the other five songs were some of the worst they'd ever written. There was a renaissance in 1993 with The Wedding Album, Ordinary World and Come Undone found them a new direction and a lot of new fans but that's where the story ends.  The follow-up album was one of cover versions to keep people quiet, Medazzaland was an unproduced mess and Pop Trash was written by Nick Rhodes largely which, whilst I quite enjoy listening to it, it's miles away from who they were on Rio and 7-tiger.

The original five reunited in 2002 to record 'Astronaut' which showed just what they'd been missing in Andy Taylor,  Simon back on form vocally and some interesting things going on in the rhythm section between Roger and John. However, Andy left again and the band fell apart creatively and commercially. The problem was, they tried to stay relevant and started working with Mark Ronson, Jusing Timberlake, Janelle Monae and Ana Matronic. It smacked of desperacy and made their music stop having that cutting edge. It was too modern and didn't fit at all with the current scene, despite them thinking it did. Their latest album 'Future Past' is tinged with 80s sensibilities but it's so flat and uninspired, I've all but given up on them ever touching the genius of their work between 1981 and 1993 again.