15 years ago Duran Duran only had two original members – Simon LeBon and keyboardist/style icon Nick Rhodes and their album Pop Trash climbed to a woeful 53 in the UK charts. Now, back together in the spirit of The Blues Brothers they have suddenly been welcomed back into the loving arms of the public. A number of modern icons like Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani and uber-producer Mark Ronson have declared their love for the band, which is why Ronson has taken them under his production arm. Headlining the hipster paradise of Bestival this year and with Ronson and Nile Rodgers (to name but a few) taking control, it may be time for the Wild Boys to pop open the champagne.
Paper Gods should be Duran Duran’s most successful album of the millennium with all the help they’ve had, though many will be surprised that the band are such avid fans of Mr Hudson, Janelle Monáe and Lindsay Lohan (yes that’s right, the Mean Girls star). There is also the random choice of Jonas Bjerre, front man of the dream-pop Danish band Mew. Are Duran Duran running out of their own ideas that they need so much more outside help? The majority of the tracks featuring guest vocalists don’t particularly have any added value. Could it be a cynical move to gain a younger audience with the likes of Monáe involved? The first single ‘Pressure Off‘ featuring the singer has gathered a lot of radio support, but her input is so minimal that only the keenest of fans would notice. With added Rodgers funk guitar (not heard on a Duran Duran album since 1986’s Notorious), it has all the right ingredients for a modern pop hit. The guitar will please fans of Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’, whilst the added “do-do’s”during the chorus from Lebon will instantly stick to memories for days. It just feels a bit too calculated. What happened to the band just being able to write a chorus without the trimmings?
The general sound isn’t a departure from their last release All You Need Is Now. The 80’s pastiche of their Rio period is very much the theme of the day, even the Ronson winning formula of adding more trumpets has been muted. The band seem to have turned their back on any growth or experimentation after the flop of the 2007’s hip-hop inspired Timabland/Timberlake produced Red Carpet Massacre. They seem to be happy, but John Taylor’s bass-lines once such a significant part of their classic sounds, are now almost redundant, leaving a rather flat electronic sound, that is occasionally awoken when Rodgers and yet another guest (former Red Hot Chilli Peppers guitarist) John Frusciante is given guitar duties. However Frusciante’s guitar solo on album closer ‘Universe Alone’ is shocking!
‘Sunset Garage‘ and ‘What Are The Chances‘ break away from the robot-disco mould, the latter being a classic Duran Duran ballad whilst ‘Sunset Garage’ is an example of the joyous sparkling-pop the group can produce when left to their own devices. Elsewhere Mr Hudson has Lebon pointing his finger at plastic Hollywood. Not exactly new ground lyrically (lyrics have never really been Lebon’s strong point), but it is a great brooding opening track. ‘Change The Skyline‘ with Bjerre on guest vocals could easily be another single, with a Rhodes keyboard riff that Bastille would sell their bassist for.
It’s a shame that the band are so desperate to appeal to the kids. It would be nice to hear what album they would have created without the hired help. Paper Gods is not going to start a new religion but isn’t an entirely unsatisfactory album. Maybe it’s time to bring back one of their former guitarists. Keep that champagne on ice boys, this sadly is not a masterpiece.
