Duran Duran have always been at their best when expectations are at their lowest. From their gate-crashing 1981 debut which sent shivers through the London New Romantic scene to 1986’s Notorious which introduced a sleek and sophisticated (and smaller) band that could write and perform exquisite music to the chagrin of critics, the band have… Continue reading Future Past: The Intern Review
Author: Jason Lent
Call It Paradise: Memorabilia
Exploring the world of Duran Duran memorabilia inside Hard Rock’s infamous Vault.
Rebel Rebels – A Belated Thank You
The early 90s have never been my favorite Duran Duran era. Forever grateful that the Wedding Album brought the band commercial success, it doesn’t get a ton of play in my collection. The Thank You album gets even less. The choice of songs felt jaded and misguided and only a few hold my interest for… Continue reading Rebel Rebels – A Belated Thank You
A Diamond In the Lens
Revisiting a piece from several years ago as it was archived and not available on the current site. Velvet Rebel A few months ago, I was seeing a group I’ve become friends with over the years called The Joy Formidable. When not touring stadiums with Foo Fighters, the band regularly tours smaller venues, melting minds… Continue reading A Diamond In the Lens
Working For the Skin Trade: Post-Imperial Funk
As a massive fan of the Notorious era, last week’s resurrection of “Skin Trade” had me feeling chills thanks to fans sharing their concert clips. So, this week, I’m sharing this Notorious piece I wrote a few years back. Velvet Rebel In 2010, Pitchfork contributor Tom Ewing helped define the concept of imperial phases as… Continue reading Working For the Skin Trade: Post-Imperial Funk
Video Classics: Shadows Of the Night
Last week, Rhonda was lucky enough to see Pat Benatar live in concert. Any concert sounds amazing now but I’ve never seen Benatar so that one sounds extra incredible. Her voice is timeless and her track record of hit singles is formidable. As a fan of MTV, though, it was her videos that burned themselves… Continue reading Video Classics: Shadows Of the Night
The Love’s Taking Over Tour 1990
Written and recorded shortly after Duran Duran’s Big Live Thing tour, the general consensus has always been that Liberty is the most uneven of the Duran Duran albums. The good songs are very good but the not-so-wonderful songs smell a little too much like hash oil and steroid sweat. However, what makes for an uneven… Continue reading The Love’s Taking Over Tour 1990
Pop Trash Motor
On this day in 2000, Duran Duran rolled into Las Vegas for two shows at House of Blues. Before the shows, they managed a trip over to the Liberace Museum to visit the car that adorned their recent Pop Trash album. Las Vegas locals will tell you that museum the band visited is gone, though… Continue reading Pop Trash Motor
Fatale Electric – Ellen von Unwerth
Director, photographer, and fashion model Ellen von Unwerth has been a key contributor to the Duran Duran story starting with the Liberty artwork in 1990. Her work as director on the “Electric Barbarella” video might have caused some ripples but the video is undeniably beautiful with an intoxicating use of color. While some might find… Continue reading Fatale Electric – Ellen von Unwerth
(More) Girls On Film – The Lost Vignette
Recently, I shared a blog I wrote while watching MTV footage from March if 1984 in honor of the channel’s forty years of music. During the broadcast, I saw a commercial for an MTV book called Who’s Who In Rock Video – A Guide To Video Music Artists and I knew I needed to get… Continue reading (More) Girls On Film – The Lost Vignette