Today’s and tomorrow’s questions focus on John Taylor. Today’s question is: Best John song or video. In answering this question, many people want to know if it must be a solo song/video or one with Duran. Obviously, we have taken every answer. That said, I would love to know people’s favorites of his solo career. It was fairly clear in the responses that many people have not heard much, if any, of his solo stuff. This, of course, could be the topic of the blog in itself as it seems to me that some fans dive in with much intensity and drive in order to find everything related to their favorite whatever and others don’t. Bet you all could guess which type of fan I am?! 😉
It seems to me that John’s work still gets a truly varied response. Some people love it simply because it’s John and others hate it. Perhaps, some of those people hate it because they don’t think he has a great voice or didn’t like the varied musical genres that came through. That’s fair. Still others might not like the fact that he went solo. Speaking for myself and as a John fan, Duran didn’t feel like Duran at all without him. It was upsetting to learn that he had left and definitely didn’t make me want to pay attention to the band much. I will also admit that I didn’t really understand why he left the band, at first. My initial impression was that he left because..well..the band wasn’t doing well, musically or commercially or both. Then, of course, I discovered that there was much more to it. It seems to me that John left to sort his life out, to get himself together, to deal with some serious emotional demons (addiction, divorce and more). The band didn’t seem like the setting to do that. From everything I understand about being a member of the band, all decisions and moves must be made to help the band. It seems to me that John might have needed to put himself first and couldn’t do that in that setting. Maybe he could have but I wonder what the consequences would have been if he had stayed. Would he have made it? Would he be like he is today? Somehow, I doubt it. As someone who likes where the band is now, really, why would I want to change the history at all?
Now, where does that leave John’s music? As I got to know John’s stuff, I couldn’t help but to compare it to Duran. Obviously, his music varies a great deal from Duran and takes on different styles that simply wouldn’t work for Duran but that isn’t what catches my attention. I noticed a dramatic difference in lyrics. It seems to me that Simon is rarely personal (although that is changing more and more as he gets older). I could probably easily list the songs that are personal to Simon and some of the more personal songs are still hidden in a metaphor of sorts. Most of Simon’s lyrics are either silly, sexual or strange. I’m not criticizing him for this. I like that but it hasn’t really allowed me to get much of an insight into who Simon is and what makes Simon tick. John’s lyrics, on the other hand, are mostly personal and very personal, at that. I’ll be honest here. In many ways, they are so personal that I respond in a protective manner to them. He just puts himself out there so much that I worry that people will use this to hurt him. Then, of course, my other reaction is awe. I think it is so completely brave of him to be so open, to let the world see the real him, to see his fears, his anxieties, his hopes, and his feelings about himself and his family. This openness made me a different kind of John Taylor fan. It was no longer about his looks for me. It is way more about his courage to be so open, his courage to make tough decisions, and his courage to be himself. These are qualities that are much more important than his looks or his fashion sense or even his bass playing, at least to me.
I hope Duranies take the opportunity to find his music and get to see him in a different light. I feel very lucky that I did.
-A
P.S. If you are looking for song suggestions, I’ll be happy to help! 😉
The sad news about Amy W. jolted me into remembering that John could have possibly gone the other way too – by all accounts, he was on his way, we just didn't know it at the time. I am so very grateful he did what he had to do and stuck around to play some more and give us all more of himself and Duran. I feel the same as you about John – I was mad about him in the 80s because he was so damn gorgeous but love him more now that we've seen he's even more beautiful on the inside. I was practically moved to tears when I saw them a few months ago and he looked so happy and healthy.
You said it well. I cannot be mad at his decision to leave. It might have literally saved his life. I couldn't be happier now, though, that he is happy and healthy!
-A
A very interesting and touching point from Marlissa. And it remind me that the band wrote a beautiful song about John when he leaved:
8. buried in the sand
Can’t say that I was surprised
When you broke the ties
They were hanging by a thread
But now I have realized
It couldn’t be the same
Cause everything has changed
And still I held out my hand
Tried to pull you back
But you were buried in the sand
I’m glad that you came along
But here our journey ends
I say goodbye to you
My very dear friend
You were buried in the sand.
Head buried in the sand.
You were buried in the sand.
Head buried in the sand.
You are buried in the sand.
Pat
While I knew that the song was written specifically about John, and I seem to recall hearing the Nick wrote the lyric (is that true?), I always disliked the song in general just because of the time in which it stood for. I think it's a sad, sad state of affairs when a friend says goodbye to another friend in what is clearly their time of need. I know that both Nick and John have likely moved on past that song (and that time in their lives, hopefully) now, thankfully – and it is important as a part of Duran history. Oh, and as I am reminded once in again – we had to go through those times to get to THESE times. 🙂 -R
My english is not as good as yours obviously (I speak french)but I don't feel that song as bad as you seems. Isn't it saying: I do care a lot about you and tryied my best to help you and be with you but you didn't seems to see it because you were having to much trouble?
Yes it's Nick who wrote it and I have the sincere feeling it is positive toward John.
Pat
Hi Pat – I'm honestly not sure, but that's really the thing about art in general isn't it? Everyone sees/hears/feels something different. I think that the song is bittersweet…I didn't like the song because of what it stood for, and the fact is I missed John as much as anyone and was sad that it had come to that. But yes, it IS beautifully written in it's own right. – R
I adore 95% of John's solo work. The other 5% makes me a little cringe-y sometimes, but that makes me love him even more, because it proves he is not perfect. He could've kept on letting us think he was just a pretty face, but instead he let us in on all of it, even the painful stuff. It was probably great therapy for him when he needed it most.
When people ask him about it now he seems to kind of shrug it off and doesn't really want to talk about it, like the focus should be on the band, in the present, which is probably as it should be, but I hope someday he might perform some of those songs again.
I agree with you on all points. 🙂
I dont think that John has the greatest voice. (I'm sure if he had been autotuned he would have sounded better than most pop artist out now) However, I love the rawness of his lyrics. I also admire his willingness to try different genres. I like when an artist is just revealing who they are in song and I think John did that. There is a brokeness and pain in his lyrics that you will never see in Simon's. Not to say I dont love Simon's lyrics because I do but John does rock.
I think that's one of the reasons I like John's work so much – his voice is different, and his lyrics are incredibly meaningful and revealing. I get what he's saying without having to analyze it all 50 different ways. I love Simon's work, but you can't really compare the two. All in all, I'm just glad that John keeps writing, whether it's musically or through the written word (ie In the Pleasure Groove or blogging!) – R