The one after Notorious, Big Thing, is completely terrible.

I can remember riding with my high school girlfriend & being a freshman in college when she would want to play DD - Notorious, B-52s Cosmic Thing, or the Blow Monkeys or Springsteen or Joplin BB&tHCo or something and I would be like, no...please, let's put on some R.E.M.!

I only like their work up until 1984. Rio being my favorite. I've still got some 12" stuff.

Majestic 'pop music' in the purest sense of the word. I think the classic Duran Duran LP's - 'Duran Duran', 'Rio' and 'Seven and the Ragged Tiger' (I also quite like bits of 'Notorious' and 'Big Thing') are all excellent documents.

The collection of singles they released during that time are just top notch songs, but it goes deeper. Tracks such as 'Tel Aviv' and 'The Chauffer' do something a little different. 'Tel Aviv' is one of the finest pop instrumentals ever recorded (maybe only second to some of Japan's instrumental tracks, although there's always a question of the 'pop purity' of Japan).

Half a dozen great Duran Duran singles:

1 'Save a Prayer'
2 'New Moon on Monday'
3 'Union of the Snake'
4 'Is There Something I Should Know?'
5 'All she wants Is'
6 'Wild Boys'

['The Reflex' also deserves a mention here for the 12" extended version, which is mighty fine. It also features a live version of the Steve Harley (I think) track 'Make Me Smile ('Come up and See Me').]

Half a dozen other great racks:

1 'Tel Aviv' (this instrumental track really is superb)
2 'The Chauffer'
3 'Land'
4 'Sound of Thunder'
5 'Tiger Tiger' (another Nick Rhodes instrumental showcase)
6 'Late Bar'

Three great Duran Duran videos (check em on youtube, or don't):

1 'Union of the Snake'
2 'Wild Boys'
3 'Hungry Like The Wolf'

The first three singles from 'Rio' ('Rio, 'Hungry Like The Wolf', 'Save a Prayer') are still known as the 'pop stars in paradise' videos and are widely credited as being the first of their kind.

Nick Rhodes was my favourite. Although John Taylor had the best shirt in history - I might try to find a pic of that actually.

The 'live' LP, 'Arena', is also very good (and as always, very well packaged) but I must confess that it brings to mind Mr sonicl's comments about Japan's 'Oil on Canvas' - ie that it's a very unlive live LP. That's two mentions of Japan in this post, which is fine because Duran Duran bassist John Taylor once remarked that Japan were one of the most underrated groups of all time.

I've been drinking for about ten hours, but I'm sure I'll notice the rambling nature of this post tomorrow and tidy it up somewhat. Thanks for making it this far.

I can't remember Tel Aviv?!?
Maybe I'm losing to many brain cells from smoking the maroc lately.
I loved their videos. The chauffer, girls on film and the uncut version of wild boys, when that beast in the water grabs Simons head. :) Is the Power Station worth mentioning?

The final track on the first LP.

Probably not. Good loud drumming, but unremarkable in my opinion. The Arcadia project was quite good though.

Duran Duran is the sonic youth of the eighties?

Not quite. The band sort of stopped after the live LP 'Arena' and went into hiatus. During this time the band split in two for the one-off projects Power Station and Arcadia. Arcadia is much more the Duran sound, although Andy Taylor did say that Power Station were closer to his original conception of how Duran Duran themselves were supposed to sound.

Arcadia is the better project - their 'Election Day' single is a match for most of DUran Duran's songs.

Further to my long-winded post last night, I would also add that Nick Rhodes' beepy bits of noise going on i the background in 'Save a Prayer'make it really quite ahead of its time for a mainstream record.

great band up to 'view to a kill' single (3 first lp's), and that comeback hit they had some years ago (ordinary world?) was pretty good as well.

Excellent summer time boat music. "new Moon on Monday" is a great tune. The first tape I ever bought was "Seven and the Ragged Tiger" followed by Iron Maiden "Powerslave."

i think Duran Duran are tripe.
i discovered mastarbation in the 80's so i didnt have much time for anything else

surley Sonic Youth were the Sonic Youth of the eighties

I was going to write the same last night hehe.