Duran Duran - The Wedding Album - 1993

Now, I've already posted one Duran2 album, but I didn't say too much about THEM.

Duran2 was the first group that I fell in love with.  From the time I first really listened to New Moon On Monday, to the time I listened to Girls on Film and Planet Earth from a group of girls boom box on the beach of Lake Michigan.  To listening patiently to the radio, as the DJ counted down the official first playing of Wild Boys on Z95 in Chicago.  To my buddy in Chicago who taped Rio for me.  Through Arcadia and Powerstation and on through the 80s.  (I'm reserving a discussion about 1988 for my Big Thing post).

After Burning the Ground, and the HOOOORRRRIIIBBBLLLEEEEE Liberty, I thought my boys were done.  The tides had shifted, music had evolved, and the New Romantic Synth-pop boys had finally burned it down.  Little did I know how wrong I was.  They would revive themselves for a time, only to burn themselves down again.

1993 and I was working at Taco John's and learning how to smoke a cigarette while making burritos.  The radio in the background playing constantly to the new "Alternative" radio station called 104.1 the Planet.  They announce a new song by Duran Duran, and my ears popped up.  What is this?  New Duran2?  Do my ears deceive me?  I thought they were done?  But here they were...

Ordinary World, huh?  Not bad, first time around.  Impressive, not the Duran2 I was familiar with, but let's see what they can do...

Over the next 12 months with a new album, videos, 5 singles, a handful of b-sides and another handful of remixes.  Then, the bootlegs started popping up.  CD burners were just beginning to come into use, and now we have 5 or 6 shows, that sounded great, simply because they were live and raw.  Demo tracks and stem mixes start appearing, 6 different versions of OW and just as many of CU.  Fantastic.

I fell in love with the boys again, then.  I tried hard to stay with them, even through Thank you and Medazzland.  But lost them again with Pop Trash (even though I went to see that show in St Louis).

It was back on again with Astronaut, off again with Red Carpet, back on again with AYNIN, and now, back off again with Paper Gods.  These boys just can't seem to keep their shit straight.

BUT, back on the Wedding Album, we see them reinvented with almost an hour and a half of classic Duran2 tunes.  They have that classic Simon appeal, and John's bass.  But, the rest is different. Great material, and a definite point to remember in their long, troubled and rocky career.

As always, I divided Side A from Side B and plunked all the b-sides and the one demo track right down the middle.  Hopefully you've heard of Matter Of Fact.  It's a goodie and rounds out this collection perfectly.

Duran Duran - The Wedding Album - 1993