One could say that the EDM aesthetic is an inevitable result of the precedent set decades ago by Duran Duran, among others. Perhaps no other genre talks about itself so much—with the exception of country music. EDM songs are all about EDM: clubbing, lust, intoxication, dancing, etc. There is very little pontification upon weighty themes like the meaning of life or cosmic origins.
So it is with Duran Duran. They may attempt to do it with class, but the fact is that the majority of what frontman (or “lead male model”) Simon Le Bon has to sing about is fairly superficial.
So the title of this particular album, “Paper Gods,” is open to interpretation. If it’s a reference to worshiping money. It’s consistent, but upon further scrutiny, it seems to be commentary on the flimsy and fabricated nature of a deity as a man-made concept—a bit of a hard swerve from the usual makeup and glitter, and a welcome one.
In the ‘80s, Simon Le Bon, Nick Taylor, and the Rhodes brothers were as effeminately seductive as Prince, and while they didn’t hop and prance like a boy band, the kernel of the boy band concept was there and would soon fully blossom with Boyz 2 Men and New Kids On The Block. Duran Duran were also among the first to employ high-quality 35mm cameras in their videos, which put them at the vanguard of the emerging form of music video, and their videos were sexual and suggestive. They were also among the first to feature the now-standard big screen at concerts to cater to those in the rear of the audience. They’ve always been a highly visual band.
But while wine doesn’t get indefinitely better with age, Duran Duran have not exactly matured into something incredible, and “Paper Gods” has more misses than hits.
The title track is a rather weak intro. The songwriting is uninteresting. Lyrically, it’s standard Duran Duran material: it presents materialism in a transparently superficial way, almost as if to emphasize its folly as much as to glamorize it. And the production—which is what so much of Duran Duran’s best really hinges on—is as two-dimensional as the subject matter.
On “Last Night in the City, it’s really clear just how far Duran Duran has come…or gone. Opening with Kiesza’s vocals, it will prompt most listeners to check iTunes’s shuffle function. Nope, shuffle is off; this really is the second track. But the content fits: a shallow tribute to ego-trippy club culture.
At least “You Kill Me With Silence” is refreshingly weird. The choruses on this album are the best parts, and this song features the first good one, with a ghostly, fuzzed-out guitar solo escorting the last one to the end. More of that, please!
The same is true of “Pressure Off.” The chorus hits that dopamine-releasing spot in the brain that every band or songwriter is aiming for. And it’s what listeners expect from Duran Duran: a band actually playing their instruments but blending with electronics for a glittery anthem. They are still balladeers at their best, but when it comes to their post-disco endeavors, this is among their best efforts and nearly pulls listeners back a few decades without actually sounding dated.
That’s not the case with “Face for Today.” Le Bon does his best to inject some testosterone into the song, but what it really needed was to slow down and lose some of the cheap EDM tricks. That wouldn’t be possible with “Danceophobia,” however, which opens sounding almost like Daft Punk but isn’t able to follow through. This one really does sound dated—and not in a good way—seeming like a failed attempt to resurrect Seven and the Ragged Tiger.
“What Are the Chances?” isn’t their best ballad, but it’s one of the better tracks on “Paper Gods.” Again, it suffers from a little too much EDM ornamentation, and had they approached it as they did the “Wedding Album,” it would’ve been so much better; then again, that could be said of almost all Duran Duran.
“Sunset Garage” displays the kind of writing they’re best known for: mixing glam and grunge with a sense of ever-youthful nostalgia, as if there’s something appealing about being passed out drunk in the gutter, eyeliner smeared and sequins strewn about. It’s hard to decide whether the production works on this one or not, but the lyrics say it best: “Whatever happens, we’re okay.”
“Change the Skyline” hearkens back to the MTV-era: funky Telecaster accents and arpeggiators spice up a synth-driven drum-n-bass backdrop. Was Duran Duran ever Madonna’s backup band? Nope, but maybe they should’ve been.
Oh, there it is: “Butterfly Girl” has the sass that Duran Duran fans were waiting for. This one does successfully transplant their ‘80s sound into 2015 without sounding forced. They’re so much better when they’re playing rather than singing along with a MIDI track, and the uncredited female vocals, along with former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante’s guitar playing, take it to the next level.
“Only In Dreams” is good but would’ve fared better placed toward the front end of the album. The energy has waned at this point, and clocking in at six minutes, “Only in Dreams” lags.
Thank the (paper?) gods that the album ends with a ballad. “The Universe Alone” sounds like the ending credit theme of a James Bond movie. But John Frusciante’s noodling is a little out of place over the string orchestra, and live drums in place of programming would’ve made this an epic five-star song.
As usual, Duran Duran is hit-and-miss, and in “Paper Gods” there are plenty of hits as well as misses. It’s probably the best they’ve done since “Astronaut,” but that’s not saying much. And “Astronaut” was probably the best they did since the early ‘90s. Fans will want to hear “Paper Gods,” but if you’re not a die-hard Duran Duran lover, you may be underwhelmed.
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There are no “Rhodes brothers” in Duran Duran and no Nick Taylor. Nick Rhodes is the keyboardist. The bassist is John Taylor and the drummer is Roger Taylor but they are not brothers. They also had a guitarist named Andy Taylor who is no longer with the band but he was not related to the others either.
I really wish journalists could do some simple fact checking of the members of the band before writing a review.
Also, they had an album called All You Need is Now which was highly critically acclaimed that was out a few years ago. So to say they have not done any good work since Astronaut is not true either.
Clearly the author knew nothing about DD prior to this assignment and cares nothing about accuracy.
SeI proprio un coglione
Well, there’s no accounting for lack of taste! Duran2 continue to evolve and have absolutely nothing to prove to anyone. The band have earned the right to create an album of music that excites them. Each album in their 35 year history is different with subtle and not-so-subtle references to the hits that solidified their place in music history. Although not everyone is keen on the new album, I happen to really like it. It is ironic that the author of this piece proclaims, “if you’re not a die-hard Duran Duran lover, you may be underwhelmed”, when clearly I have witnessed the opposite. Yes, there are also some die-hard Duran fans that aren’t such big fans of this new album(as with any new album). According to what I have read in some fan forums, social media, and what I have gathered around me, it’s the non Duran fans that are surprisingly bewildered at the fact that this new album contains modern-sounding 80s music. Yes, the organic rhythm section has been swapped for electronic bass and drums(on most tracks), with the synths intact and Simon in top form, but it’s still Duran. The songs are getting some attention. On that level, Duran2 seem to have succeeded. It would be interesting to see how far the album catches on in the weeks ahead. This time, it does appear that Duran Duran are on to something!
this person clearly doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
This journalist is so completely useless. His facts are wrong. Nobody checked them? How could you write a proper opinion about a band when you are so clueless about them. How embarrassing. I hope you get fired. Eat s*** and die as*****.
Simply this proto journalist doesn’t exactly know what he’s writing about. A simple suggestion for you my dear; for a better future use this website http://www.wikipedia.org before writing an article. Maybe it’ll help. And yes, I’ve spent too much of my time on this crappy article so goodbye
Well, that was a load. A big steaming pile of misinformation. There have never been any brothers in Duran Duran, much less any named Rhodes. Nick’s last name is not even his real family name, so obviously, there would be no brothers with the same name. As for the reviews of the songs, I can’t even list all the examples that show a predisposed bias against the band’s sound. Danceaphobia, by the way, sounds nothing like Seven and the Ragged Tiger. It actually sounds quite a bit more like Nite Runner from the Red Carpet Massacre album. I also agree with what someone else commented. This album actually has had more negative reactions from some “die hard” fans, but has until this review, gotten glowing compliments from the press. In fact, this is the best reviewed album I can think of. In the past, there have always been detractors like the author (I use that term loosely) of this article, but there is very little of that this time around. It is being hailed as a huge success and a perfectly modern sound from a group many mistakenly peg as an 80s band. As an original Duranie and lifelong fan, I will say this album was different from what many expected, but for me, it has grown on me more and more with each listen and many songs are already new favourites. I will most likely be including this album in my top 5 of all time. Check out the deluxe version with bonus tracks.
Jebus it looks like a geriatric ward in here with all grannies & geezers getting their depends wedged in their geriatric lardasses Lmao.
Did this guy even listen before he wrote this? He definitely doesn’t know the band… who they are or what they’ve released. My 21 year old son could have reviewed it better.
Quite simply one of the worst definitions of an album ‘review’ ever published. This is a Duran album for people who aren’t still living in the 80s. Most people don’t want to hear the retro sound of an album made over and over again sounding almost the same. Duran have always been pioneers at reinvention, something they don’t receive enough credit for. Ok they have made a few errors on the journey, but who hasn’t?
1. Paper gods, is more like a reference to the disposable society we live in today, it used to be famous for fifteen minutes, now we accept famous on Facebook for five seconds as standard. The world is full of paper gods, and very little substance. The song is so very different to anything the band have ever recorded, it’s something that requires repeated listening to really absorb the track.
2. Last night in the city. Featuring soaring vocals from Kiesza and Simon Le Bon, is an instantly uplifting track, full of funky beats and swirling keyboards, it’s instantly Duran but with added vitality as Le Bon pushes his vocals to new heights.
3. You kill me with silence. Slows down the tempo, but again features some really high vocals, and is perfectly crafted although not one of the highlights of the album, it features some crafty lyrical twists.
4. Pressure off. Funky, fast, a perfect dance number. Guaranteed a fan favourite and a Duran song that is easy to dance to, most Duran fans will tell you, they crave songs like this, and just how did they make this song sound retro yet thoroughly modern is beyond me.
5. Face for today. Starts almost reminiscent of a classic Duran ballad, but quickly shifts into a feel good dance number. The chorus is pure bliss.
6. Danceaphobia. Is a bit hit and miss, but you have to see this song for what it is, it’s a fun song, and who would have expected Miss Lohan to sound so sultry and seductive?
7. What are the chances. Without shadow of a doubt, one of the standout tracks on the album, epic guitars, haunted swirling keyboards and poetic imagery conjured by a truly beautful song. This is just simply awesome.
8. Sunset Garage. Again I think this is a bit hit and miss, and feels more like it’s written to appeal to the American market. It’s still a relatively good song, but not standout.
9. Change the skyline. Starts as it means to go on, pure electro funk, very easy to dance to and the chorus is instantly in your brain on a catchy loop.
10. Butterfly girl. Sounds almost like a prince number to begin with, and could quite easily be at home on the wedding album. Catchy, upbeat, and an instant hit.
11. Only in dreams. To be fair, this could do without the extended introduction, which doesn’t really work for me, once the song moves up a tempo and the guitars come into play, then the song finds its true place. It’s soft on the ear, and once the chorus kicks in, comes the realisation that this is a really good song, but could have been a really really great song, and feels like a slightly missed opportunity. I love that chorus though.
12. The universe alone. An outstanding balled that conjures images of the end of the world, Duran have a plan though, and that’s to face the end and plot to live it all again, and face eternity with their heads held high, and if this album were to be the last thing they ever made, it would be an epic swan song. It’s not anything like ordinary world, or save a prayer, this is a modern day ballad that is thought provoking and truly epic in proportion.
Upon first hearing, this album can sound a bit of a mixed bag, but like a favourite movie, on repeated viewing, you will find gems that you at first missed. This album deserves repeated listening, and you will discover there are many hidden gems that you once missed. As close to perfect as Duran have come in a very long time.
Pretty much what I thought. Mostly. 😉
Dear Mr. Gottfried,
You can try to pull us down, with your faux verbage and run on sentences just like >this. But we know better! Don’t get Nikki Rhodes confused with Nikki (6) from “The Motley Crew” or Your Crue as “you call them”. We all know Paper Tigers is a good album, but it’s not anything D2 would make! See Duran DURAN made an album called, “Paper Gods” no TIGERS were harmed in the making of…
And whoever came up with Sausage Garage? Too bad Utah’s home! Because of John Denver and Jerry Garcia were alive, you me, and THEM could get “Rocky Mountain High” and smoke some WEEF! WEEFER MADNESS!
ALL YOU NEED IS NOW,
Titus J. Bates < looks like David Sylvian and is BIG in Japan! Not to be confused with Nick Rhodes or Randie Rhodes. Or Rush Limbaugh!
because if… etc. etc.
this guy hates music… thats for sure… LOL wellcome to simons world thats what it is.