MUSIC ROUNDUP: 'ALL YOU NEED IS' DURAN DURAN
By Mackenzie Wilson | BBC America: Anglophenia, British Culture with an American Accent | 21 December 2010
By Mackenzie Wilson | BBC America: Anglophenia, British Culture with an American Accent | 21 December 2010
![Picture](/uploads/3/0/2/0/30209853/531569834.jpg?292)
Out today is the new album from English new wave legends Duran Duran. All You Need Is Now marks the quartet’s 13th studio album, which is being hailed a solid return to form à la their 1982 classic LP, Rio. English Grammy-winning producer Mark Ronson manned the nine-song set and it’s as slick as you’d imagine.
Simon LeBon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor still got it. Not too many bands can pull that off with as much style, either. Duran Duran, though, have worked extremely hard at remaining current and new tunes like “Being Followed” and “Blame the Machines” capture the band’s lustrous dance-ready sound.
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes recently spoke with Vanity Fair about the band’s evolving sound and how Ronson was the ‘perfect’ fit for All You Need Is Now.
“What happens with music is, it’s cyclical,” Rhodes said. “It’s getting more like the fashion industry in that in some seasons certain beats sound right—then next season it changes. Right now we have all converged on what we were doing quite early on—merging dance beats with rock music and electronics—it seems to feel right. Fresh and vibrant again.”
He added: “Mark was very clear in his vision to create a classic Duran Duran album—for today. He’s really the perfect producer for Duran Duran. He grew up loving the band; he’s got a great musical ear. He’s got an unbelievable knowledge across many genres of music, and he’s not afraid to experiment. Given all that, and a sense of style and charisma—it just felt right for us.”
All You Need Is Now is available via iTunes. The physical CD format follows in February when Duran Duran celebrates their 30th anniversary. Here’s a look at the band’s fantastic new video for the title track. LeBon, sporting a new beard, is still quite dashing after all these years.
Simon LeBon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor still got it. Not too many bands can pull that off with as much style, either. Duran Duran, though, have worked extremely hard at remaining current and new tunes like “Being Followed” and “Blame the Machines” capture the band’s lustrous dance-ready sound.
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes recently spoke with Vanity Fair about the band’s evolving sound and how Ronson was the ‘perfect’ fit for All You Need Is Now.
“What happens with music is, it’s cyclical,” Rhodes said. “It’s getting more like the fashion industry in that in some seasons certain beats sound right—then next season it changes. Right now we have all converged on what we were doing quite early on—merging dance beats with rock music and electronics—it seems to feel right. Fresh and vibrant again.”
He added: “Mark was very clear in his vision to create a classic Duran Duran album—for today. He’s really the perfect producer for Duran Duran. He grew up loving the band; he’s got a great musical ear. He’s got an unbelievable knowledge across many genres of music, and he’s not afraid to experiment. Given all that, and a sense of style and charisma—it just felt right for us.”
All You Need Is Now is available via iTunes. The physical CD format follows in February when Duran Duran celebrates their 30th anniversary. Here’s a look at the band’s fantastic new video for the title track. LeBon, sporting a new beard, is still quite dashing after all these years.