Hungry like the Wolf — The Daily Duranie Review

Holy crap. We can’t believe that we are up to THIS song.  While I’m sure there will be many songs that will cause serious reactions from us and for the people who read this blog, this is the first one we have had to really review.  While it was difficult to objectively review Rio (the song), this one will be even more so. In general, Rio, while overplayed, is a song that creates a general positive feeling for both of us. This song, Hungry like the Wolf, is much more complicated than that. While we are both sick of it on many, many level, Rhonda has been much more outspoken of her disdain for it. Yet, this song has become an interesting one live, especially with Dom and John jamming out together in that way that gets our attention.  Like I said, it is complicated. No matter, we are going to do our best to distance ourselves from the memories, the experiences, the gut reactions we have to this song in order to do a real objective review of it.

Rhonda:

Musicality/Instrumentation: There is just no mistaking that guitar riff, is there?  Even when they screw with the beginning drums to fake me out when they play it live, as soon as that guitar starts in, I know where we’re headed. I can say what I will (and I do), but the riff works. It’s iconic, and it’s what the rest of the world knows to be Duran Duran. What is interesting about this song, is that there is no intro.  There’s that short giggle, and we’re off to the races…racing through the streets of Sri Lanka in search of that ever elusive lead singer. This is one song that I feel highlights the drummer more than the others on this album – and I love the effect they use on them. This song is much less bass driven than others on the album, although you can still hear John very clearly in the background. As for Nick, the synth loop used on this song is unmistakable – and when I listen they almost remind me, just the smallest bit, of steel drums. I think this song brings a lot of drama to the album – both musically with Roger’s drums and of course vocally – which I’ll get to in a moment.  There are added elements here that add just the right amount of anxiety, especially during the bridge – used in a way that really hadn’t been used prior.  For that notion alone, the song was groundbreaking, and it’s not really a surprise that it is a crowd favorite even today.

Vocals:  This song has the most brilliant use of stacked harmonies, which has become a hallmark of Duran Duran. Other bands did not use this method back in the early 80s, and the band continues to own this space even today.  It is exactly what we know to be Duran Duran.  There’s no mistaking Simon LeBon’s vocal qualities here – and this song is a fine example of his abilities. He has this brilliance in making this song sound incredibly easy, and the “do do do’s” (which truthfully drive me crazy) just make it seem as though he’s lazily singing or ad libbing his way through the piece.  There are other vocals here though – such as  a young girl laughing for about two seconds at the beginning that serves as the shortest intro to a song ever, and then the sound of someone breathing heavily during the bridge – this adds some of that anxiety and drama I wrote about earlier as though the song is telling a story. Lastly, there is the howling at the end of the song, which has always annoyed me and I feel cheapens the entire song…but the millions of you who love it can’t be wrong, and I’ve learned to simply ignore it.  Well, I try anyway.

Lyrics: I just want to know what Simon was doing when he came up with this crazy idea.  Then again, maybe I really don’t. All I know is that they are the craziest set of lyrics.  There’s this woman, the guy wants her and will do just about anything to chase her. What’s funny is that the lyrics work.  Show me someone who doesn’t have a clear image of what these lyrics mean in their head and I’ll show you someone with zero imagination. I’ll admit, the lyrics have grown incredibly thin and stale on me over the years, but back when the song first came out – I was hooked.  This was one of the very first videos I’d ever seen of the band – and if there was ever a video that looked just like what I had going on in my head – it was this one.  Some may say that isn’t the best…others might say it’s perfect…I just feel as though lyrically, it’s very thin. The story is obvious, and maybe that’s what they were going for with this one – and that’s OK.

Production: I think this song is just a smidgeon more produced than other songs on this album. There is quite a bit of echo going on everywhere, and while I think the song may have been production-heavy as opposed to others on the album, that does NOT mean I feel it’s over-produced.  I think that for what they were trying to create with the song, it was very well done.  Overall I think the song is balanced well, and the bass really does support the melody extremely well without being overly loud or punishing.  I like that I can still hear all of the instruments rather well, and while sure – this is a song for that guitar riff I cannot ever get out of my head – the rest of the band is present, accounted for, and playing together nicely.

Overall: I have been shaking in my flip-flops about having to review this since we first began the reviews. It is not a secret that this song is “not my favorite”, and it is not. I have a sort of hate/love relationship with the song…and I still sometimes forget my own promise that I would never again roll my eyes at the band when they play it live. While I believe there are many dozens of songs in the band’s back catalog that much better characterize the band and yet are still iconic “Duran Duran” songs, it is this song that people seem to remember most. It’s a fact I must live with. The song is pure pop – just on the hard edge of being a little bubble-gum for me – and pop can be fun. There’s not much of an argument I can make against fun, so I won’t even begin to try. I must remind myself that at one time, even hearing Hungry Like the Wolf on the radio would make me smile…and so the song can’t be all bad.  I just can’t say there is enough groundbreaking here to make me feel it’s one of their stronger songs. It’s one of their greatest hits, there’s no denying that, but some of their very best work are songs that no one but their most ardent fans have heard.

I still believe though that if there is a hell, and I’m sent there on the short bus…that this is the song that will be playing.

Cocktails:  3.5 cocktails

Amanda:

Musicality/Instrumentation:  Like many on the Rio album, this song kicks in pretty much right away. There is no intro, no lead in–just all instruments present and accounted for.  Of course, this is after the 2 second female laughter.  It is interesting to listen carefully to this song’s instrumentation.  Very clearly, there is that weird keyboard sound that is difficult to describe but sounds like something on repeat or something going over and over that goes throughout the song.  Then, of course, you really can’t ignore the guitars on this one.  I heard Roger describe Andy’s guitars in this one as “angry”.  I’m not sure if I hear anger there but I do hear more dominance than in other songs.  John’s bass is ever present but doesn’t get the attention that Roger’s drums do as they occasionally do that very dramatic roll as the song shifts from the verses to the chorus.  Overall, the instrumentation of this song seems and feels larger than life, more dramatic than previous tracks.  Nothing is really subtle.  Not even the bridge with the heavy breathing feels less intense.  At this point, Andy’s noticeable guitar is felt.  Not to be undone, though, Nick adds some effects with John’s ever present bass until Roger has an incredibly dramatic drum roll to end the bridge.

Vocals:  This is classic Simon, vocally.  His vocals blend so well with the instrumentation in this song. Of course, beyond the regular verses and chorus, he also has that do-do-do part that we all know so well.  This part, though, lyrically silly, vocally works as it adds to the intensity as it feels like there are many Simons as opposed to just one.  Now, Simon’s breathing of Hungry like the Wolf during the bridge is a little over-the-top but, obviously, done to match or go with the female heavy breathing that we hear more and more as the song gets close to finishing.

Lyrics:  These are definitely not the most complex lyrics that Simon has written.  There does not seem to much subtext.  Instead, the lyrics seems generally easy to understand with an obvious theme.  Now, this theme of humanity being animal like in some way will be repeated with other songs throughout their catalog.  So the lyrics are not difficult to understand, does that make them good or bad?  On one hand, the obvious “hunt” of one person after another person due to sexual attraction seems pretty intense and definitely fits with the larger-than-life instrumentation.  On the other hand, the musical quality is so high that I’m just not sure that the lyrics match the level of quality.  Yet, maybe, they shouldn’t.  The music here should shine, not the lyrics.  If one thinks about it that way, the lyrics do their job, I guess.

Production:  This song like every other song on this album features exactly what I love about Duran at this time.  All instruments are clearly present and noticeable.  At various points, some instruments are more noticeable than others but not in an obnoxious, ego-filled way.  The one thing that comes across to me in this song is the larger than life feel it has.  I like that.  Some of the additional, subtle sounds also work to create the typical Duran atmosphere from the heavy breathing female to her short laughter to begin the song.

Overall:  Here is where I will struggle.  How do I try to summarize this song?  Truly, I think the instrumentation, the feel of the song is impressive.  Why doesn’t it do anything for me now?  Obviously, part of it is that I have heard it TOO many times.  Objectively, though, part of it is the lyrics to the song.  It doesn’t feel as strong, as intellectual as they could have been.  Now, I realize that if the lyrics were too strong, the music might have been shadowed but…the fact that this song is one SO well known makes me wish for something deeper, lyrically.  I just wish that it was less obvious.  It doesn’t show Duran’s lyrical strength.  It seems, lyrically,  to be something that anyone would do.  It isn’t unique enough.

Cocktail Rating:  3.5 cocktails!