Loving Duran Duran Part 2

A couple of weeks, I posted a blog in which I encouraged Duranies to list 10 things that the band has done that they really loved.  We all became fans because we like their music and so much more.  I wanted people to articulate those things, to actually express what it is that the band has done that has continued to impress them, to keep them fans.  I received quite a few lists from fellow fans.  I have kept each and every one and plan on sharing the complete list on Duran Duran Appreciation Day in August.  I loved reading each and every one as it reminded me why I LOVE Duran Duran, why I am a fan.  I would go so far as to say that my love has become unconditional.  I can’t imagine not loving them, not being a part of this fandom.  That said, while I always love the band and always will, I don’t always love what they do.  I know that I’m not alone in this.  I see it all the time with other fans and I don’t think there is anything wrong with questioning choices.  Please note—when I say I question choices, I mean simply that.  I question a choice–the support is always there, even when I question.  I also understand that I do not see or know everything, but there are some moves that do make me wonder and make other people wonder.

What have I seen people question?  Lots.  I have seen many comments over the years questioning things like album covers, single choices, set lists, choices of producers, treatment of guitar players, touring locations, speed of which albums are released, fashion, and much, much more.  My question here is simple.  What are 5 things Duran Duran has done that you, personally, have questioned?  The reason I’m asking this isn’t because I want to start a chain of complaints or criticisms.  No one wants that.  Yet, I’m curious to see if there are patterns.  What bothers Duranies the most?  Is it decisions surrounding music and albums?  Videos?  Touring?  Something else?

I’m hoping that our fandom culture is such that people can express themselves about what they have questioned or have been disappointed with without fear of criticism or ridicule.  I am doing that myself here.  I am hoping that I DO NOT get criticism by simply asking the question.  I’m hoping that other fans know and understand that one can love Duran Duran but not love every single move that they have made.  Much like real life, I love a number of people.  I love my family, for example, unconditionally.  I can’t imagine anything that they would do that would result in me no longer loving them.  That said, I don’t always love everything they do.  For example, I love my brother.  I respect him immensely and truly do believe that he is both brilliant and compassionate.  I didn’t love, though, when I helped him move and he overpacked the moving truck by 5000 pounds, which resulted in having to move his stuff from one truck to another before even getting to his new place.  Did this  frustration make me love him less?  Absolutely not.  It means that I might suggest to him that he owes me when I move this summer.

So what has Duran done that I have questioned or didn’t like much?  Like my list of what I love, I’m going to list the first 5 things I think of, in no particular order without taking time to justify my list.

1.  Working with Timbaland

2.  Not making Dom a permanent member

3.  Not mixing up their set lists more than they do

4.  Durantime

5.  Not having more events like the VIP party for the MoMA screening of Unstaged.

So, what about the rest of you?  What is your list of 5 things that you have questioned?

-A